One Day Out: Polls Put Democrats Ahead in the Fight for Congress as Voters Rank Cost of Living First

ASN NEWS USA — NEWS FLASH

Illustration reading ASN NEWS USA showing voters at a 2026 midterm election polling place — Voters gather at an American polling place to participate in the 2026 midterm elections.

WASHINGTON (ASN NEWS USA)— One day before Americans vote in the 2026 midterm elections, the final polls point in the same direction: Democrats enter Election Day ahead in the national mood, with control of Congress on the line. All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot Tuesday, November 3. Republicans currently hold the House and a 53-seat Senate majority. Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats to take the chamber.

What the numbers show

A RealClearPolling average of surveys through October 30 put Democrats ahead 52 percent to 43.1 percent on the generic congressional ballot. An NBC News survey conducted October 28–30 found a 52-to-45 percent Democratic lead, and an Emerson College poll conducted October 24–26 put the gap at 10 points. The latest New York Times/Siena polls, conducted October 23 through November 1, found Democratic candidates ahead in six of seven key Senate battlegrounds and effectively tied in the seventh. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico led Republican Ken Paxton 50 percent to 43 percent; Democrats also led in Kansas, Maine, Ohio, Alaska, and Michigan, according to the surveys.

What is driving it

Across the seven battleground states, just 38 percent of likely voters approved of President Donald Trump’s job performance in the NYT/Siena surveys, and Democrats held a nine-point advantage on handling the cost of living — the issue voters ranked first, ahead of health care. The Cook Political Report’s latest ratings placed 222 House districts in categories favoring Democrats, 195 favoring Republicans, and 18 as toss-ups.

Polls are a snapshot, not a result. Turnout on Tuesday will decide it. Stay tuned to ASN News USA for midterm results and analysis. Reported by ASN News USA. Visit asnnewsusa.com or follow @ASNNewsUSA for updates.

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