President Donald Trump continues to rally Republicans with a stop in North Carolina tonight, hoping to increase voter turnout and support for Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley.
And while some candidates, like Whatley, are accepting of the president’s involvement in their campaign, others seem less enthusiastic.
John Sununu, the Republican Senate candidate in New Hampshire, distanced himself from Trump in a new television ad — even though he has the president’s support.
Meanwhile, this year’s midterm elections are poised to break records for ad spending, with more than $11 billion expected between now and Election Day. Billionaire megadonors on both sides of the aisle are a key driver of these skyrocketing costs, fueling the advertising blitz.
If you’re just joining us, here’s the latest news:
The money is flowing
Changing races: The Cook Political Report, an election forecasting agency, changed its ratings for three Senate races. Cook moved the South Carolina Senate race from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican.” The Senate race in Mississippi also went from “solid Republican” to “likely Republican,” reflecting the GOP’s worsening prospects there. Cook also moved the Senate race in Minnesota from “likely Democratic” to “lean Democratic.”
Voter turnout in North Carolina: Just over 9% of registered voters in North Carolina have already cast ballots in the 2026 midterm elections, according to the State Board of Elections. A total of 733,299 in-person and absentee early ballots were cast.
Slight Democratic advantage in Ohio: A The new CNN polling average, including four recent surveys of likely voters, finds Democrat Sherrod Brown with a slight edge over Republican Jon Husted, 49% to 44%.
Michigan Senate Race: Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed laid out their competing visions for how to bring jobs and manufacturing back to the state, as they work to deliver their closing remarks to voters before Election Day at a Detroit Economic Club candidate forum.
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Black voters on both sides of the aisle say Michigan Senate candidates shouldn’t take their vote for granted in this crucial election. CNN’s Jeff Zeleny reports.
CNN Shorts:
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Black voters on both sides of the aisle say Michigan Senate candidates shouldn’t take their vote for granted in this crucial election. CNN’s Jeff Zeleny reports.
CNN Shorts:
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Michigan Senate candidates vie for support from black voters in recent weeks
Black voters on both sides of the aisle say Michigan Senate candidates shouldn’t take their vote for granted in this crucial election. CNN’s Jeff Zeleny reports.
CNN Shorts:
CNN’s Kit Maher, David Wright, Patrick Svitek, Katherine Koretski, Ariel Edwards-Levy, Elise Hammond and Dianne Gallagher contributed to this report.
