Democrats Lead in National Polls as Trump, Obama Campaign Ahead of Midterms

With six days remaining before the November 3 midterm elections, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Oct. 22-26 indicates Democrats hold a nine-point lead over Republicans nationally, with 47% of voters supporting Democrats versus 36% for Republicans. When undecided voters are accounted for, the gap narrows to 50% for Democrats and 41% for Republicans. President Donald Trump’s approval rating rose slightly to 32%, while 73% of adults say the cost of living is worsening.

Trump held two rallies in Texas on Tuesday, supporting Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton and highlighting a tanker he claimed carried Venezuelan oil, as well as proposing to make Venezuela a U.S. state. He also announced plans to roll back methane-emission restrictions, citing lower energy prices. The president is set to travel to Ohio on Wednesday for a third rally in the state.

Ex-President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris are campaigning in Georgia, joining Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms. In Texas, Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton remains virtually tied, despite Trump’s multiple visits.

Other closely contested Senate contests include Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed versus Republican Mike Rogers, and Kansas where incumbent Republican Roger Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton, prompting visits from Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Campaign spending in Kansas has reached about $71 million, the highest in the state’s history.

Republican Senator Jon Husted, who succeeded Vance after the latter became vice president, is defending a seat in Ohio against former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, with both campaigns allocating over $400 million for advertising. Additional races in Iowa, Wisconsin and other swing states are also drawing significant attention as early voting concludes in several locations.

"The good people of Texas have probably never seen so much of President Trump. Four visits in seven weeks, which, to put that into context, is twice as many as we saw at the comparable period leading up to the 2024 election, which perhaps shows just how concerned Republicans are," reported Al Jazeera’s Phil Lavelle.

"There’s a reason why we’re seeing not only US President Donald Trump but also Vice President JD Vance heading to Kansas because it’s actually in play," said Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane.

"I was a Republican forever, but I became an independent in the last two elections," said Michael Alexander, a Native American supporting El-Sayed.

The upcoming days will see further rallies by Trump in Ohio and Iowa, Vance campaigning in North Carolina, and Obama and Harris continuing their outreach in Georgia, as voters weigh issues such as inflation, energy costs, and the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.