Democrats lead Republicans in national polling on the eve of Tuesday's US midterm elections, with new surveys showing them gaining ground in closely fought Senate races as voters voice frustration with President Donald Trump's handling of the economy.
All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot, deciding whether Republicans keep control of Congress for the last two years of Trump's second term. A polling average of surveys through Oct 30 puts Democrats ahead 52% to 43.1% on the generic congressional ballot, a lead of 8.9 points, while another national survey taken Oct 28-30 showed a 52-45 split. A national lead, however, does not translate directly into seats.
The House and Senate races
Republicans currently control the House, where 218 seats are needed for a majority. The latest ratings from a nonpartisan analyst place 222 districts in categories favouring Democrats and 195 favouring Republicans, with 18 toss-ups, 14 of them now held by Republicans.
In the Senate, Republicans hold 53 seats. Democrats need a net gain of four for a majority, since a 50-50 split would leave Vice President JD Vance with the tie-breaking vote. Polls conducted from Oct 23 to Nov 1 show Democrats ahead in six of seven key Senate battlegrounds and tied in the seventh, including Republican-held Texas and Kansas. In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leads Republican Mike Rogers 53% to 42%.