OMM Newsroom
Millions of voters in the United States cast ballots on Tuesday in midterm elections that could determine whether President Donald Trump’s Republican Party retains control of Congress.
Early results indicate Democrats have won a Republican-held Senate seat in North Carolina, giving them momentum in their bid to take control of Congress from Trump’s party, AnewZ reports.
Polling stations have closed in 41 states so far. Voting ended first in Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia, as well as parts of Florida.
It may take time to determine the final results in both chambers as election officials count the votes. According to election projections released by Reuters, Democrats are expected to take control of the House of Representatives, while the Senate race remains tight.
All 435 House seats and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats are being contested. Democrats need to gain at least three seats in the House and four in the Senate to secure majorities in both chambers.
Voter discontent with the Trump administration
The elections are widely seen as a measure of public opinion on Trump’s presidency. Voters’ concerns include the cost of living, rising fuel prices and the war with Iran.
According to an SSRS exit poll for major U.S. television networks and a media consortium that includes the Associated Press, half of voters saw the elections as an opportunity to protest against Trump.
Three-quarters of respondents said they were angry or dissatisfied with the country’s current situation, while 70% said they wanted Congress to impose stronger checks and balances on the president.
Trump’s approval rating remains near its lowest levels. Republicans also face the historical trend of the president’s party typically losing ground in Congress in midterm elections.
The president has held more than 24 campaign rallies since early October, most of them in states he won by wide margins in 2024. Trump has urged supporters to turn out, saying, “Pretend I’m on the ballot, too.”
In a televised address on Tuesday, Trump also said he intended to end the United States’ annual $3.8 billion financial assistance to Israel after the end of the year. It is unclear how the decision could be implemented, as a 2020 law provides for the funding.
U.S.-Israel relations have also been a major topic in Michigan. Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive Democratic candidate who has criticized the ally, has been targeted in a campaign in which Israel-linked groups have spent millions of dollars. If elected, the 42-year-old El-Sayed would become the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate.
The U.S. Justice Department said it had deployed 1,000 election monitors across all 50 states, describing it as the largest Election Day monitoring operation in its history.
Alaska Senate race and legal disputes
Democrats criticized the deployment of monitors, warning it could deter voters. According to a Reuters analysis, Kamala Harris received more votes than Trump in the 2024 presidential election in about two-thirds of the districts listed by the department.
Voting rights advocates and Democrats have said they are concerned Trump could challenge the results if Republicans lose control of Congress. They pointed to his repeated, baseless claims that U.S. elections are rigged.
The Alaska Senate race has drawn particular attention after The New York Times alleged that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign helped an independent candidate with the same first and last name as Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan enter the race.
Peltola denied involvement in the alleged effort. Trump’s Justice Department opened a criminal investigation and filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent certification of the election results. A judge dismissed the lawsuit.
Sullivan’s supporters said they were not confused by having two candidates with the same name on the ballot.
The Senate race is one of several closely watched contests that could determine which party controls the chamber. Democrats must defend all the seats they currently hold while also strengthening their position in states Trump won by double-digit margins in 2024.
