The US midterm elections will determine control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, alongside several local offices. A survey of 50 key races, one in each state, points to two defining forces: the effect of Donald Trump on Republican campaigns and divisions within the Democratic Party between its centrist and left-wing wings.
Trump has urged supporters to vote as if he were on the ballot, but his low approval rating may be a liability for Republicans. The article reports that 60% of Americans disapprove of his performance. The cost of living has become a central campaign issue, with the war in Iran and tariffs cited as contributors to higher fuel and consumer-goods prices.
The Senate contests drawing particular attention include those in Michigan, Kansas, Texas, Maine, Ohio, Alaska and Iowa. In Texas, Trump backed Ken Paxton in the Republican primary over Senator John Cornyn, who had criticized the president. Polling cited in the article puts Paxton in a close contest with Democrat James Talarico. In Iowa, Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson are also nearly tied, as voters contend with higher fuel costs and the effects of tariffs on farmers.
Some Republicans have sought to put distance between themselves and Trump. A Reuters study cited in the article found that two-thirds of Republican candidates in competitive races had moved away from the president in recent weeks. Hinson has emphasized her ability to work with Democrats, while Maine Senator Susan Collins has challenged Trump’s tariff stance. Others, including North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Whatley and Missouri Representative Ann Wagner, continue to defend the president’s positions.
Florida Representative Maria Elvira Salazar has directly criticized Trump’s immigration policy in a campaign advertisement, saying he had gone too far. Her district is more than 70% Latino, and the article says this community has been moving away from the president. Trump responded with a series of social media posts attacking Salazar, including one that called her a traitor.
Democrats, meanwhile, are campaigning in a political climate that could benefit candidates across the party, but their primaries have exposed tensions between moderates and the left. The Democratic Socialists of America backed 150 candidates in the primaries, 35 of whom won, according to figures cited from the Washington Examiner. Republicans have tried to use the label “socialist” against left-wing candidates, though analysts quoted in the article expect that strategy to have limited reach amid voter concern about prices.
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed illustrates both the rise of the party’s left and its internal disagreements. His platform includes rejecting campaign funding from large private companies and extending Medicare to all Americans. He has endorsements from prominent Democrats, including Barack Obama and Kamala Harris, but his former primary rival Haley Stevens has backed Republican Mike Rogers. Rogers and Trump have also attacked El-Sayed over his criticism of Israel and his Muslim faith.
The primaries have also shown the risks of campaigning on positions voters regard as too radical. Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong lost to a more moderate opponent after controversy over past comments, including proposals to abolish ICE and the Senate and to cancel Thanksgiving. The races will test how far both parties’ candidates can rely on national political currents—and whether voters who often abstain turn out.
Sources: Observador.