Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign

Democrat Aaron Ford, Nevada's attorney general, has defeated Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo in the state's closely watched gubernatorial race, becoming Nevada's first Black governor. With most votes counted, Ford led roughly 51% to 44%. Ford campaigned on affordability, criticizing Lombardo's vetoes of bills on corporate homeownership limits and free school meals, and pledged to deny tax breaks for AI data centers unless they provide their own energy and infrastructure. Lombardo, a former Clark County sheriff who led the investigation into the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, campaigned on his record cutting regulations and business taxes, and had Trump's endorsement.

Ford drew support from national Democrats including Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris. The result strengthens Democratic control in a swing state Trump carried in 2024, with implications for 2028 presidential positioning.

Democrat Richard Ojeda is projected to defeat Rep. Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District, per preliminary Decision Desk HQ results showing Ojeda with just over 51 percent of the vote to Hudson's nearly 49 percent. The district, covering Hoke, Moore, Randolph and Alamance counties plus parts of Guilford, Cumberland and Chatham, had leaned solidly Republican before tightening late in the race. Hudson's NRCC duties split his focus between protecting vulnerable House Republicans nationally and his own reelection. Ojeda's win marks the first Democratic flip of this seat since 1963, following a campaign centered on healthcare costs and congressional corruption.

Iowa's wide-open midterm elections produced a historic flip: Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, defeated Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Joni Ernst. The race, called once 95% of votes were tallied, marked Iowa's first Democratic Senate win since 2015 and came despite President Trump's endorsement of Hinson. Libertarian Thomas Laehn also appeared on the ballot.

The result follows a year of voter frustration over prices, tariffs and the Iran war that turned the once-reliably-red state into a battleground. Iowa's governor's race, pitting Democrat Rob Sand against Republican Zach Lahn to succeed retiring Gov. Kim Reynolds, remains a separate closely watched contest.

Democratic state Sen. J.D. Ford has defeated Republican incumbent Victoria Spartz in Indiana's Fifth Congressional District, a seat Republicans had held for roughly 30 years and one Donald Trump carried by double digits. The Associated Press and CNN called the race for Ford, who finished with about 51.7% of the vote to Spartz's 48.3% with nearly all ballots counted. Spartz, seeking a fourth term after winning her previous two races by wide margins, saw the result mark an unexpected swing in traditionally Republican territory. Ford, the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Indiana General Assembly, campaigned on affordability, healthcare and utility costs, while Spartz emphasized limited government.

Analysts point to farm-country frustration over inflation and tariffs as a possible factor in the upset, with the outcome drawing attention as a potential signal of broader national trends ahead of the midterms.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faces City Councilmember Nithya Raman in Tuesday's election, with housing affordability as the central issue. Bass touts more than 10,000 income-restricted apartments built during her term, driven largely by her Executive Directive One permitting reform, though analysts note much of that progress stems from pre-existing Proposition HHH funding and that overall housing production has lagged. Raman, running as a pro-development YIMBY candidate, criticizes Bass for rolling back ED 1 near single-family zones and opposing a state density law, while Bass warns that looser rules risk displacing low-income residents.

Both candidates back lower rent-control caps and reforming the city's "mansion tax," but diverge sharply on zoning and development approach heading into the vote.

Iowa Senate Democratic nominee Josh Turek, pressed by NBC News on whether illegal immigrants should face deportation, said there should not be immediate deportation and instead backed a pathway to legal status contingent on background checks. He inaccurately cited Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Randy Feenstra as supporters of the Dignity Act; neither cosponsors the bill. The exchange intensifies immigration as a flashpoint in Turek's race against Rep. Ashley Hinson, who has criticized his record on ICE cooperation, immigrant benefits, and a campaign ad featuring sheriffs who limited detainer compliance. Critics call the Dignity Act amnesty; sponsor Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar disputes that characterization, calling it enforcement-first reform.

Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer is campaigning for reelection with the slogan "#NoLAinOC," framing Los Angeles — and its progressive district attorney George Gascón — as a cautionary example of what he says Orange County must avoid. Critics, including his opponent Pete Hardin, a former O.C. prosecutor, argue the messaging distracts from problems within Spitzer's own office, including harassment lawsuits filed by staff prosecutors. Spitzer denies the slogan is an attack on L.A., citing his UCLA education and police career there. The slogan revives a long pattern of O.C. politicians contrasting the county favorably against L.A., even as data shows homelessness, crime, and population loss trends in Orange County are comparable to or worse than those in L.A. County.

Polls show Texas Gov. Greg Abbott facing an unusually close re-election fight against Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a sharp contrast to his more than 10-point win four years ago. Most surveys give Abbott a small single-digit lead, including a Fox News poll showing him roughly five points ahead, but a New York Times/Siena poll found Hinojosa leading 49% to 46%. Analysts attribute the tightening largely to dissatisfaction with President Trump, whose national approval has slipped, along with concerns over cost of living and gas prices eroding his support in Texas.

National Democrats are now investing in the race: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Democratic Governors Association each pledged $1 million to Hinojosa's campaign, which had lagged in fundraising compared with Abbott's $18 million war chest and Senate candidate James Talarico's $70 million haul. Talarico also leads Republican Ken Paxton in several Senate polls. Democrats haven't won statewide in Texas since 1994, and turnout remains the key variable: strong Republican mobilization likely secures Abbott's win, but low turnout could open the door for an upset.