Kansas City metropolitan area

Missouri's 5th Congressional District, anchored in the Kansas City metro, will use the 2022 map rather than the 2025 redistricting plan for the November 2026 election, after the state Supreme Court ruled on the matter following legal challenges. The district, traditionally Democratic-leaning, pits longtime incumbent Rep. Emanuel Cleaver against Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin, who sued over primary disruptions caused by the map dispute, and Libertarian Randy Langkraehr. Cleaver, in office since 2005, has won previous races by wide margins, while Brattin is campaigning as a Trump ally focused on border security and spending cuts. The redistricting fight had aimed to dilute Kansas City's Democratic base across neighboring districts.

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.

Kansas, which has not sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932, has become an unexpected battleground as megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton mounts a competitive challenge against Republican incumbent Roger Marshall. At least one recent poll showed Hamilton with a narrow lead, prompting race-rating shifts from safe Republican to competitive. His campaign taps into farm-belt frustration over tariffs and rising costs that has also unsettled GOP prospects in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Hamilton, founder of the country's largest Methodist congregation, casts himself as a moderate and independent-minded Democrat, criticizing Trump-era policies on tariffs, health care, and immigration while promising a less partisan tone. Marshall and Republican surrogates, including Vice President JD Vance and Senator Ted Cruz, have attacked Hamilton's church and theology, drawing rebukes from Methodist clergy. Marshall also faces scrutiny over lawsuits against patients for unpaid medical bills. Trump's approval in the state has slipped, adding to signs of Republican vulnerability in a seat long considered secure.