Democratic Party (United States)

In Petersburg, Alaska, retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan's campaign against Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, once dismissed as a prank dubbed "Decoy Dan," has become a federal investigation. FBI agents have visited and interviewed about a dozen local donors who gave roughly $7,150 combined, asking whether they felt deceived and whether they meant to donate to the incumbent instead. Dan J. Sullivan has not been seen publicly for weeks, and reporters have been unable to reach him. The Trump administration is weighing "ballot stacking" charges, and a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of the race was dismissed, then appealed. Democrat Mary Peltola denies any role after reports linked allies to decoy-candidate recruitment in the tight Senate race.

A tour of Michigan early-voting sites along I-96 found many voters motivated by frustration with Washington and the Trump administration, citing gas and grocery prices, the Iran conflict, and immigration enforcement. Of voters interviewed, a clear majority backed Democrats, though Republican turnout was also evident in GOP-leaning areas like Novi, Livonia, and Ionia County. Michigan's open U.S. Senate race, pitting Democrat Abdul El-Sayed against Republican Mike Rogers following Gary Peters' retirement, drew frequent mention, alongside the governor's race and down-ballot contests. Republican voters defended Trump's record and warned against progressive and socialist-aligned candidates, while Democratic voters emphasized health care access and opposition to the administration's agenda.

Texas voters choose a new attorney general on Nov. 3, the first open race for the office in more than a decade as Ken Paxton departs to run for U.S. Senate. Republican state Sen. Mayes Middleton, Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson and Libertarian Tom Oxford are competing for the post, which oversees state lawsuits, consumer protection enforcement, child support collection and legal opinions on Texas law.

Middleton favors expanding the office's prosecutorial authority and aggressive immigration enforcement, while Johnson emphasizes working with local prosecutors, consumer protection and checking unlawful federal actions. A recent University of Houston poll showed Middleton ahead, though analysts note the outcome may hinge on turnout. The winner will serve a four-year term shaping Texas's role in major legal and policy disputes.

Rep. Haley Stevens, who lost this year's Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, publicly endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, drawing sharp criticism from Michigan Democratic Party leaders. Party Chair Curtis Hertel accused Stevens of abandoning her values, while Vice Chair Portia Roberson reaffirmed the party's backing of El-Sayed. The rift stemmed partly from Stevens' demand that El-Sayed condemn a left-wing PAC ad tying grocery prices to U.S. military aid to Israel, exposing deeper party divisions over Israel policy. A planned joint campaign appearance between Stevens and El-Sayed was scrapped after Rep. Debbie Dingell intervened, calling the feud a "total distraction," though she maintained Stevens remains a loyal Democrat who will vote the party ticket.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, 53, was hospitalized after suffering a stroke Saturday while attending his son's hockey game, experiencing numbness in his arm. He was taken to a local hospital, then transferred to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore for monitoring. His chief of staff, Allison Herwitt, said Murphy is "awake and alert," responding well to treatment, with doctors optimistic about a full recovery. President Trump said he was "really surprised" by the news. Connecticut officials, including Gov. Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, along with colleagues across the aisle such as Chuck Grassley and Pete Ricketts, offered well wishes.

Murphy, not on this cycle's ballot, had been campaigning nationally for Democrats ahead of Tuesday's midterms and is seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender. Elected to the House in 2006 and the Senate in 2012, he serves on the Appropriations Committee and is a leading voice on immigration and gun policy. He has frequently clashed with Trump, including over his 2020 impeachment vote and criticism of the president's Russia policy. He joins other senators, including John Fetterman, Ben Ray Lujan, and Chris Van Hollen, who have had strokes in recent years; Fetterman said his family is "rooting for Chris and his family for a full and speedy recovery."

Two days before Michigan's pivotal Senate election, Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican nominee Mike Rogers over her own party's nominee, Abdul el Sayed, who had narrowly beaten her in the August primary. The Michigan Democratic Party expelled Stevens in response, and two of her senior congressional aides resigned. Top Democrats including Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi condemned the move, while President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson praised it. The race for the open seat vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters is seen as critical to Senate control, and the episode exposed deep rifts within Michigan's Democratic Party over Israel policy and ideological direction.

El Sayed downplayed the controversy publicly, while progressive figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani rallied behind him ahead of Election Day.

Oklahoma voters choose a new Superintendent of Public Instruction on Nov. 3, 2026, alongside races for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. Republican Dr. Robert Franklin, a longtime educator and current OU-Tulsa instructor, faces Democrat Dr. Jennettie Marshall, a former Tulsa school board member and pastor running on her "Marshall Plan" built around data-driven decisions and stronger agency service standards. The winner succeeds interim Superintendent Lindel Fields, appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt after Ryan Walters resigned in 2025.

Stitt has pushed to make the office appointed rather than elected, but a resolution to do so stalled in early 2026, leaving the seat on this year's ballot.