Key U.S. Midterm Races Could Shift Congressional Power
Democrats need three House seats and four Senate seats to take control, with pivotal contests in Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Iowa drawing intense attention.
It is midterm election day in the United States, and a handful of battleground states and districts will decide whether control of Congress moves from Republicans to Democrats for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term, according to News reports.
Democrats need a net gain of three seats in the 435-member House, a target polling suggests is well within reach, and four seats for a Senate majority, which is less certain, the outlet reported.
Senate races that could decide the balance
In Maine, Republican Senator Susan Collins, who has held her seat for 30 years, faces Democrat Troy Jackson, a former logger turned politician who entered the race in July after original nominee Graham Platner stepped down amid sexual assault allegations, which he denied. Collins took credit for Trump’s exemption of certain Canadian products from his 50 per cent tariffs.
Michigan’s open seat pits Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a medical doctor born in the U.S. to Egyptian immigrant parents, against Republican Mike Rogers, a former FBI agent who served 14 years in the House. Trump repeatedly called El-Sayed a “jihadist” at an Oct. 25 rally in Port Huron. Rogers said in an ad, “We need to end this tariff war now,” while sitting with a Labatt beer.
In Ohio, Republican Senator Jon Husted, appointed in 2025 to replace JD Vance, faces Democrat Sherrod Brown, a former senator who backs targeted tariffs but has criticized Trump’s sweeping measures, including on Canadian goods. Trump joked about Husted’s physique at an Oct. 17 rally in Kentucky, saying, “I examined his ass,” and that patting his shoulder was “like a piece of steel.”
In Texas, Democrat James Talarico faces Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom Trump endorsed over incumbent John Cornyn. Paxton told an Oct. 19 Fort Worth rally, “if we lose Texas, we lose America,” while Talarico calls him “the most corrupt politician in Texas.”
Iowa’s race to replace retiring Republican Joni Ernst features Republican U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson, a former TV reporter and anchor, and Democrat Josh Turek, a three-time Paralympian. Both say they aren’t beholden to their party’s leadership.
CBC also flagged North Carolina, Alaska and Kansas as notable Senate races.