This is an on-site version of the White House Watch newsletter. You can read the previous editionhere. . Email us at[[email protected]](https://www.ft.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3e4956574a5b56514b4d5b495f4a5d567e584a105d5153) Hello and welcome to White House Watch.
Voters across the US are heading to the polls today to give a sense of the nation’s mood near the halfway point of Donald Trump’s second term. After countless editions over the past two years previewing the issues at stake, we have one final guide to make sure you’re prepared for tonight’s results. Today, US voters will decide one-third of the Senate, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, as well as numerous local races and ballot measures.
But only a handful of races will determine which party controls Congress. Among them are seven toss-up Senate races, where Democrats have the chance to flip seats in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas. Affordability, the economy, corruption and AI will be at the top of voters’ minds.
Some Republican candidates have distanced themselves from the president as a strategy, while others, such as Trump-backed Ken Paxton in Texas, are doubling down. Democratic candidates are split between self-identified centrists and the proudly progressive. The successes and failures of these approaches will impact the future of both parties.
In the House, nearly 20 races could decide the balance of power, including seats such as the 17th House district in New York, where a Republican incumbent must appeal to voters who mostly voted against Trump in 2024. Most polls predict Democrats will win a majority in the House of Representatives, while others have shown the party could also gain control of the Senate, including the latest New York Times/Siena poll. A handful of gubernatorial races in presidential swing states — Arizona, Georgia and others — will also be important to track.
Candidates in these races could be presidential contenders in 2028 and beyond, including Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and JB Pritzker of Illinois. _How will the midterms change US politics? The FT’s senior US columnists Edward Luce and Rana Foroohar will be answering your questions for the latest instalment of Ask an Expert happening on Friday.__Submit your question here__._ Some content could not load. Check your internet connection or browser settings.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
