As the U.S. midterm elections approach, both the Republican and Democratic parties are intensifying their efforts to sway voters. The main voting will take place on November 3, following a period of early voting across various regions.
The New York Times (NYT) released a poll on November 2, conducted in collaboration with Siena College, revealing that Democrats are leading Republicans in all seven key Senate races surveyed.
In Michigan, Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed garnered 53% support, while Republican candidate Mike Rogers received 42%. This race has drawn controversy after Representative Haley Stevens, who lost in the Democratic primary on November 1, endorsed Rogers instead of El-Sayed. CNN reported that Stevens appeared confused during an interview with anchor Anderson Cooper.
In traditionally Republican-leaning Texas, James Talarico, the Democratic candidate, leads with 50% compared to Republican Ken Paxton's 43%. In Maine, Democratic candidate Troy Jackson is ahead with 51%, surpassing incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins at 45%. Kansas also shows Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton leading with 49% against incumbent Republican Roger Marshall at 44%. In Ohio, Sherrod Brown, the Democratic candidate, leads Republican John Husted 49% to 44%. However, in Iowa, the gap between the candidates is just 2 percentage points, and in Alaska, it is only 1 percentage point, according to the newspaper.
On November 2, President Donald Trump delivered his final campaign speech for the midterm elections at the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. This site has been the subject of criticism due to the extensive renovations funded by Trump. During his speech, Trump described the upcoming midterm elections as "the most important midterms of our lives" and criticized Democrats for nominating what he called the most extreme and dangerous candidates in U.S. history, according to the NYT.
Trump also indicated that if Democrats gain control of Congress in the midterm elections, he plans to issue preemptive pardons for his aides and associates. In an interview with the New York Post, he stated, "I will do it just like I did for J6," referring to the pardons he granted to individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot shortly after his inauguration in 2025. Trump emphasized that former President Joe Biden pardoned individuals such as former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci and his son Hunter Biden just before leaving office.
Earlier in October, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan) argued at an event at the University of Chicago that if Democrats become the majority in the midterm elections, they should prosecute Trump's key associates.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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