Overview
- Both President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama crisscrossed pivotal states in the campaign’s closing week to boost turnout and shape final messages for key Senate and House races.
- Roughly 40 million Americans have already voted early, making local turnout operations decisive in contests that forecasters see as favoring Democrats for the House but leaving the Senate highly competitive.
- The White House directed the Justice Department to file a preemptive legal action linked to the Alaska Senate race, and Trump publicly urged Democratic candidate Mary Peltola to quit and face prosecution, adding a new legal flashpoint.
- Trump’s rallies have been interrupted by frequent protests and have included repeated attacks on Democratic figures and disputed claims about local incidents, while Obama has focused on framing the vote as a choice about values and governance.
- High living costs, concern about the Iran war, and low presidential approval are driving Republican defensive campaigning and resource shifts that make a few state races in Ohio, Michigan and Alaska crucial to control of the Senate.