The 2026 midterm elections are now exactly one week away, and the campaign has entered its final, frantic stretch.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are on the ballot, along with a third of the Senate. Heading into Election Day, Republicans hold 218 House seats to Democrats' 214, with one independent, meaning a shift of just a handful of seats could flip control. Over the weekend, President Trump held rallies in Michigan, with more stops planned this week in Texas and Mississippi, while former President Obama has also returned to the trail, campaigning for Democratic candidates including Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for one of Michigan's Senate seats against former congressman Mike Rogers.
Several races are drawing particular attention. In Michigan, the Senate contest between Rogers and El-Sayed is rated a toss-up. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom is seen as having a real chance in a Senate race that would be historic for the state given strong turnout among Black voters. In Alaska, the Justice Department has filed suit over how that state's Senate race would be handled if the Republican candidate loses, a matter Attorney General Todd Blanche has defended publicly. Texas has also emerged as a closely watched battleground, with recent polling showing a tight race and voters citing concerns about corruption as a central issue in some surveys.
Midterm elections typically serve as a referendum on the sitting president's first two years in office, and this cycle is no exception. Campaign advertising has also taken a new turn this year, with Republican campaigns increasingly using AI-generated video ads, a tactic Democrats are betting will backfire with voters.
Early voting continues through the week, and both parties will be watching turnout closely in swing districts as a signal of what to expect on November 3.
Why does this midterm matter so much?
Control of the House and Senate determines which party can advance legislation and conduct oversight for the second half of the president's term, and several races are close enough that a small number of seats could flip the balance.
Which races are considered most competitive?
Michigan's Senate race between Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed, Mississippi's Senate race involving Scott Colom, and Texas's House races are among the most closely watched.