Americans are voting in midterm elections widely viewed as a referendum on Donald Trump’s second presidency. Republicans currently control both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the results will determine whether they keep those majorities.
The campaign has largely centered on Trump, who held dozens of rallies around the country and urged his Make America Great Again supporters to vote for Republican candidates. Democrats have sought to turn his falling approval ratings into a “blue wave” that could give them control of Congress and limit his presidential power.
Opinion polls suggest Democrats have a stronger chance of winning the House than the Senate. They are nevertheless targeting several Republican-held Senate seats, including in Ohio, Texas and Maine. A final set of polls from the New York Times and Siena University, published Sunday, showed Democratic candidates leading in five of seven closely watched contests, including Texas and Kansas.
The closing days brought divisions within the Democratic Party. In Michigan, congresswoman Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers after losing her party’s primary to Abdul El-Sayed. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called the endorsement “a despicable betrayal.” Stevens and El-Sayed had clashed over an outside group’s advertisement that linked the cost of living to US support for Israel.
In Alaska, reports said the Democratic Senate campaign had been involved in recruiting a challenger whose name closely resembled that of Republican senator Dan Sullivan. Democratic candidate Mary Peltola denied knowledge of such a plan. A Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of the state’s Senate results in the event of a Republican defeat was later dismissed by a judge.
Democrats have also focused their campaign on living costs and allegations of corruption involving Trump and his family. The conflict with Iran has contributed to higher oil prices, raising costs for motorists and adding pressure on supply chains and farmers. A Harris poll conducted for the Guardian found that 76% of respondents believed elected officials cared more about enriching themselves than improving the economy for ordinary people.
The vote is taking place amid questions about whether Trump would accept results unfavorable to Republicans. The Justice Department plans to send 1,000 election monitors to polling stations, a move critics have condemned as voter intimidation.
Sources: The Guardian World.