Voters decide Congress control amid high prices

Polling places opened early Tuesday morning in Washington, D.C., and across the country. Voters faced a choice about who controls Congress during the final two years of Donald Trump’s second term. Many cited high prices and an unpopular war with Iran as key reasons for their vote.

By Monday, more than 57 million people had already cast ballots. This number surpassed early voting totals from four years ago in many closely watched states. In the 100-member Senate, Democrats need a net gain of four seats to win the majority. In the 435-member House, they need a gain of three seats. Margins are tight in both chambers, and one or two seats could tip the balance.

President Trump told voters to act as if he were running for office. In a Fox News Channel interview on Tuesday, he declared that “everything’s going good” and “inflation is solved.” He made these claims even though the Commerce Department reported last week that consumer prices rose 3.6% in September from a year earlier. That rate is up from 3.4% in August. Trump added, “I think the results are going to be better than you think.”

In Raleigh, North Carolina, 57-year-old librarian James Moore voted for Democrats. He said he wanted to push back on Trump’s tax breaks and spending cuts. “I’m paying more taxes. I’m paying more for my healthcare. I’m paying more for everything,” Moore said. “We need more representatives in Congress that are going to stand up to Trump.” In Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Mark Barker, who voted for Republicans, said Trump was top of mind. “I’ve just been following Trump the whole time. I really think he’s doing an awesome job,” Barker said.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reported that only 35% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s performance. About 7 in 10 adults say the country is heading in the wrong direction. Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said, “The American people are angry. They want change.” Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters countered, “Everything depends on turnout. If we turn out our voters, we win.”

In North Carolina, Sen. Thom Tillis retired after clashing with the president. Former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, Trump’s chosen replacement, has struggled to gain traction against former Gov. Roy Cooper. Democrats are also confident about picking up North Carolina’s Senate seat. In the House, Democrats aim to flip seats in states Trump carried in 2024, including Florida and Texas.

Thirty-six states are electing governors this year. Democrats hope to take over a majority of statehouses for the first time in two decades. In Ohio, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign faced backlash over an ad featuring the estranged mother of Democrat Amy Acton. In Westchester County, New York, officials said an issue with machines accepting paper ballots required ballots to be placed in emergency bags for later counting.

The 2026 elections are likely to be the most expensive in history. Republican committees dramatically outraised and outspent Democratic counterparts, largely due to money from Trump-affiliated groups and Elon Musk. However, at the candidate level, Democrats outraised Republican opponents. An AP analysis found that 88.1% of Republican television ad spending in the general election went to states and districts Trump won in 2024. This included more than $850 million on ad reservations in districts where Trump won by 10 percentage points or more.