Democrats lead 2026 midterms by 9 points with six days left

Democrats hold a nine point lead over Republicans in national polls with six days remaining before the November 3 midterm elections. The data comes from a Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted between October 22 and 26. The poll finds that 47 percent of voters back the Democratic Party, while 36 percent support the Republican Party. When undecided voters are allocated based on their leanings, the Democratic lead widens to 50 percent against 41 percent for Republicans.

President Donald Trump has intensified his campaigning efforts in response to the polling numbers. He held two rallies in Texas on Tuesday to support Senator Ken Paxton. Trump is scheduled to travel to Ohio on Wednesday for his third rally in the state this month. In Ohio, Republican Senator Jon Husted faces former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. An Axios report indicates that more than $400 million has been spent or reserved for campaign advertising in that race as of October 8.

The race in Texas appears closer than the president has suggested. Democrat James Talarico and Paxton are virtually tied in the polls. Al Jazeera correspondent Phil Lavelle noted that Trump has visited the state four times in seven weeks. This is twice as frequent as his visits during the comparable period before the 2024 election. Lavelle reported that local analysis shows more Republicans have voted early than Democrats, but Talarico is courting Republicans who are dissatisfied with Trump.

In Kansas, Republican incumbent Roger Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton in a contest that has drawn both Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The Associated Press reports that parties and allied groups have committed approximately $71 million to campaign advertising in the state. This figure makes it the most expensive Senate contest in Kansas history. The state has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.

President Trump addressed a crowd in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday. He pointed to a tanker carrying one million barrels of Venezuelan oil and called it a victory for his administration. He also suggested making Venezuela the 51st US state. The administration signed an oil deal with Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez after the military abduction of President Nicolas Maduro in January. Trump announced plans to roll back Biden era restrictions on methane emissions from oil and gas production.

Former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris are campaigning in Georgia on Wednesday. Obama will appear in Atlanta with Senator Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms at 20:00 GMT. Harris begins a three day visit to the state on Wednesday, with early in person voting ending on Friday, October 30. Trump won Georgia in the 2024 presidential election, but the current Senate and governor races remain competitive.

In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers are competing in a closely contested Senate race. Michael Alexander, a Native American voter supporting El-Sayed, said he became an independent in the last two elections. Alexander stated that he no longer votes for a party but instead votes for the candidate he believes will do the best job.