Midterm race enters final day

Polls open Tuesday across the United States to decide control of Congress and several governorships.

More than 57 million ballots were cast in 47 states and the District of Columbia as of Monday, a sharp increase from the 44.5 million counted in 49 states and the District during the 2022 midterms. The Supreme Court rejected a request by the Trump administration to remove thousands of disputed mail ballots in California. The president also raised concerns about voter fraud in Alaska. These moves come as the nation prepares for a vote that could reshape the balance of power in Washington.

President Donald Trump delivered his final public remarks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He focused on construction projects in Washington, including new grass, a golf course, and a promenade to the Potomac River. He described the pool renovation as a challenge involving algae and rusty pipes. The Justice Department has stated in court that a new blue liner installed on the pool peeled due to a rushed repair. Trump claimed the project was sabotaged by vandals. He said little about the national economy, which he called the best ever. A recent poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that only 17% of U.S. adults approve of his handling of the cost of living.

Democrats pushed an economic message in states including Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, and Texas. In Iowa, Democrat Rob Sand campaigned with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to break a two-decade streak of Republican governors. In Virginia, candidate Shannon Taylor urged voters to demand change from long-serving Republican Rep. Rob Wittman. Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Rome, New York, where he touted tax cuts on tips and overtime while calling Democratic opponents lunatics.

Tensions flared in Michigan after Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers instead of her party nominee, Abdul El-Sayed. Stevens lost the primary to El-Sayed and is a supporter of Israel, while El-Sayed has criticized the U.S. ally. El-Sayed downplayed the split at an event at Eastern Michigan University. He told supporters to go vote. Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, who campaigned with El-Sayed, called Stevens one vote and said the party was focused on healthcare and grocery prices. More than 2.3 million Michigan voters had already cast ballots as of Monday.

The outcome will determine whether Democrats can gain leverage in Trump’s final two years in office. Trump suggested the election might not go well for his party. He called Democrats the most extreme slate of candidates in American history. Early voting numbers suggest high engagement despite these divisions. The vote will settle the fate of key seats in the House and Senate.