South Carolina House of Representatives

Texas's 2026 midterms produced a reported Democratic sweep of statewide races. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa defeated three-term incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, who had Donald Trump's endorsement, marking Texas's first Democratic governor in more than 30 years; early returns showed Hinojosa leading comfortably. In the Senate race, Democratic state Rep. James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who had survived impeachment and a primary against Sen. John Cornyn. Vikki Goodwin reportedly unseated Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Nathan Johnson defeated Mayes Middleton for attorney general. Redrawn South Texas House districts and a railroad commission race involving Bo French also drew attention amid shifting Hispanic voter patterns.

President Trump rallied in Sioux City, Iowa, backing Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson, Rep. Zach Nunn, and Rep. Randy Feenstra, telling supporters to "pretend I'm on the ballot" and warning that Democratic gains would threaten GOP wins on tariffs, trade and farm policy. Hinson, running against Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek in a tight contest that could decide Senate control, has distanced herself from Trump on issues like his Russia diesel deal, the Iran war's economic fallout, and tariffs, even as she campaigned alongside him. Polls show the race within a few points either way, with early voting already underway in Iowa.

New Jersey holds its general election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, with voter registration closed as of October 13 and mail-in ballot requests due by October 27. Polls are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. statewide. Top races include the U.S. Senate contest, where Democratic incumbent Cory Booker faces Republican Justin Murphy and several third-party and write-in candidates. All 12 of New Jersey's House seats are also on the ballot, with the 2nd Congressional District drawing particular attention as Republican incumbent Jeff Van Drew, who switched parties in 2019, defends his seat against Democratic challenger Zack Mullock, mayor of Cape May, and independent Ramon Mora Jr.

Lamar Cook, 46, a former deputy director of Gov. Maura Healey's western Massachusetts office who was fired in November 2025 after being arrested on cocaine and gun charges, now faces federal charges for SNAP and wire fraud. U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley announced the charges, and Cook was scheduled to appear in Boston court.

Prosecutors allege that in April 2026 Cook applied for SNAP benefits claiming zero income and a household limited to himself and a minor child, failing to disclose that his fiancée and his mother lived with him, that his fiancée earned more than $80,000 annually, and that he had nearly $9,000 in the bank. His mother had also recently won about $1 million in the Massachusetts Lottery and allegedly sent him roughly $12,000 via Zelle. Cook received about $546 monthly in SNAP benefits, allegedly spending them at retail stores and during a July trip to Florida. Separately, the state mistakenly paid Cook roughly $22,000 for accrued vacation time after his firing and could not recover the funds.

Cook faces up to five years in prison for SNAP fraud and up to 20 for wire fraud. Healey, running for re-election, said she was glad federal authorities acted; her opponent Mike Minogue has seized on the case politically.

Vice President JD Vance held a midterm campaign rally in Tyler, Texas, on behalf of Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, the state's attorney general, who faces Democratic state Representative James Talarico in the general election. During the event, Vance announced a Trump administration partnership with Delek Refining to expand its Tyler facility, framing it as a boost to energy supply, jobs, and transportation costs.

Vance used the rally to highlight Paxton's record as attorney general, including lawsuits against the Biden administration, actions against pharmaceutical companies over drug safety claims, border enforcement efforts, and his role in ending transgender medical treatments for minors at a major Texas hospital. He also attacked Talarico over past comments on gender, race, policing, and diet, portraying him as out of step with Texas voters and aligned with progressive Democrats in Congress.

The race is one of several competitive Senate contests shaping up ahead of the midterms, with both parties working to energize their bases in a state Republicans have long controlled but Democrats see as increasingly competitive.

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.

Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy are courting rural Ohio voters ahead of the Nov. 3 governor's race to succeed term-limited Mike DeWine, with the Cook Political Report ranking the contest a toss-up. In Marietta, Acton proposed a three-year moratorium on new fracking injection wells over groundwater fears, winning praise from a local Republican official. Both candidates have also targeted data centers, with Ramaswamy pushing a plan requiring tech companies to cover residents' electricity bills, halt non-disclosure agreements, and build only on pre-zoned industrial land rather than farmland, while Acton wants data center projects to prove they can cover utility costs and use union labor before proceeding.

The race has grown notably hostile, including an incident in which an armed man charged toward Acton at a campaign stop, injuring bystanders. Acton has refused to debate Ramaswamy, accusing him of lying and attacking her family, though she remains open to forums. Early voting began Oct. 6, with polling showing Acton holding a narrow lead. Other close Ohio contests include U.S. House races in the 7th and 9th districts.

President Donald Trump drew a large crowd to the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Alabama, returning to the city where he held an early breakout rally during his 2016 campaign. The stop kicked off a broader fall campaign push ahead of the November midterms, with the White House planning near-daily appearances in competitive states.

Trump used the rally to back Senator Tommy Tuberville in his gubernatorial bid against former Democratic Senator Doug Jones, Representative Barry Moore's campaign for Tuberville's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat, and state Representative Rhett Marques, who is running for Alabama's redrawn 2nd Congressional District currently held by Democratic Representative Shomari Figures. Republicans see the seat as a pickup opportunity following redistricting.

Earlier in the day, Governor Kay Ivey and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy broke ground on the $3.2 billion Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project. Strategists noted the rally's location also extends media reach into the conservative Florida Panhandle, reinforcing turnout momentum for Republicans heading into election day.