Election Day: What to Watch in the Six Things That Will Decide Control of Congress
Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both chambers to overturn narrow Republican majorities, and early results from Republican-held House seats in Florida and Virginia could provide the first clues, Reuters reported.
Americans head to the polls on Tuesday in midterm elections that will decide control of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term, Reuters reported Monday. Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to overturn Republicans' narrow 218-214 and 53-47 majorities. They are widely expected to reclaim the House, Reuters reported, but the Senate battle remains highly competitive, and the close Senate fight will likely hinge on six to eight races, including Ohio, Iowa, Alaska and Texas.
For Palm Beach County readers, Reuters singled out the early returns: early results from Republican-held House seats in Florida and Virginia could provide clues to the size of any Democratic gains. Victories in competitive districts would point to a solid Democratic night, while wins in more Republican-leaning areas could signal a much broader backlash against Trump and his policies. Election officials have warned that close races could spark disputes over voter eligibility, ballot counting and certification, and Trump's Justice Department plans to deploy about 1,000 monitors nationwide on Election Day, roughly triple the number used in the last midterms, Reuters reported.
Turnout is the fourth thing to watch: opinion polls showed Democrats significantly more enthusiastic about voting than Republicans heading into Election Day, Reuters reported, but strategists caution that Democratic constituencies including young, Black and Hispanic voters have historically turned out at lower rates in midterm elections. The last two questions are what the results mean for the 2028 presidential race, and whether Republicans' money advantage paid off: Trump spent more than $277 million, mostly through his MAGA Inc. super PAC, on a late blitz, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk spent roughly $366 million during the cycle to support Republican candidates, according to the Federal Election Commission data Reuters cited.
