Cook County, Illinois

Project 50, a political group founded by Illinois abortion-rights veterans including former state Sen. Heather Steans and ex-HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, is working to replicate Illinois' decades-old shift toward abortion access by targeting state legislative races in conservative states with bans or heavy restrictions. After early setbacks in Arizona, the group refocused on culturally conservative states in 2023, winning three races in its first three years and four more in 2025, including in Virginia. It has raised over $3.7 million from donors such as Michael Bloomberg and Gov. JB Pritzker. Organizers say the strategy targets voters uneasy with total abortion bans, not broad support for unrestricted access. Abortion-rights opponents call its electoral impact limited so far.

Iowa Democrats are hoping the 2026 midterms mark a turning point after nearly a decade of Republican dominance in the statehouse and congressional delegation. Political scientists note Iowa has swung both ways in recent cycles, and Cook Political Report now rates the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts as leaning Democratic, with the 2nd District a toss-up. The governor's race between Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn also leans Democratic. Analysts cite frustration with GOP control of state and federal government, a large pool of independent voters, bipartisan messaging from candidates like Sand and Senate hopeful Josh Turek, and softer approval ratings for President Trump as factors fueling Democratic optimism ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

Polling shows a close contest between Sen. Susan Collins (R) and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson in Maine's U.S. Senate race, one week before the midterms. A Marist University survey found Jackson narrowly ahead among likely voters, within the poll's margin of error, while a Fox News poll showed the candidates tied and a Suffolk University poll also gave Jackson a slight edge. Election handicappers, including the Cook Political Report, rate the race a toss-up. Collins is seeking a sixth term; a win would make her Maine's longest-serving senator. Jackson, a former state senator, recently gained backing from dozens of former diplomats and foreign policy figures.

With Election Day a week away, Illinois Democrats are campaigning beyond state lines to aid party allies nationally. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi backed Texas Railroad Commissioner candidate Jon Rosenthal; Sen. Tammy Duckworth campaigned for Sherrod Brown in Ohio; Rahm Emanuel canvassed in New Hampshire; and Rep. Danny Davis and successor nominee La Shawn Ford campaigned for Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate David Crowley. Gov. JB Pritzker is focused on his own reelection, holding a large cash advantage and backing fellow Democrats financially.

Big money is also flowing into Illinois races, including Chicago school board contests, with GOP megadonors Dick and Elizabeth Uihlein and wealthy Democratic-aligned groups both spending heavily to shape outcomes from Springfield to Chicago.

With Alabama's Nov. 3 election 10 days out, forecasters have shifted two marquee races. Sabato's Crystal Ball moved the U.S. Senate contest between Republican Tommy Tuberville and Democrat Doug Jones from "Safe Republican" to "Likely Republican," citing polls showing Tuberville leading by just over 10 points. Cook Political Report upgraded Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures' odds of retaining his U.S. House seat against Republican state Rep. Rhett Marques, moving that race from "Likely Republican" to "Leans Republican."

The campaigns have grown contentious: Tuberville, also running for governor, released a policy outline and faced backlash over a proposed state-level DOGE effort and comments on pastors and migration; Jones condemned an AI-driven attack page funded by the state GOP. Both House candidates called for a Republican state lawmaker facing human trafficking-related charges to resign.

Democrats Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton hold leads over their Republican opponents in two new Ohio surveys ahead of the Nov. 3 election. A Fox News poll shows Brown ahead of Sen. Jon Husted 52%-47% among likely voters, while Cook Political Report has Brown up 49%-43%. In the governor's race, Fox finds Acton leading Vivek Ramaswamy 50%-48%, with Cook showing a wider 49%-44% margin. Economic concerns and Trump's job approval, underwater in Fox's poll, favor Democrats, while Husted and Ramaswamy draw strength from men and voters citing stable finances. The Senate race has become the cycle's most expensive, with over $422 million in ad spending tracked.

With under three weeks before Massachusetts voters head to the polls, the arrest and mounting legal troubles of former Gov. Maura Healey aide Lamar Cook have become a flashpoint in the gubernatorial race. Cook, previously arrested on drug and firearms charges, now faces new federal charges over alleged SNAP fraud; a Hampden Superior Court judge also revoked his bail for 90 days in the pending state case. Republican candidate Mike Minogue pointed to the episode as evidence of Healey's lack of accountability, criticizing her for faulting police over Cook's background check. Healey said she regrets hiring Cook but fired him immediately upon learning of his arrest. Cook returns to court Oct. 26.