Grassroots

Control of the Senate has been decided, but two races remain unresolved. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom and Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith are nearly tied, separated by a handful of votes out of roughly 900,000 cast; the state will keep counting mail-in and provisional ballots for up to five days and has no automatic recount process. A Colom win would make him Mississippi's first Black senator since Reconstruction and the state's first elected Democratic senator in decades; his campaign drew outside spending from both parties' Senate committees and appearances from national Democratic figures. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola narrowly leads Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan, but with ranked-choice tabulation and absentee ballots accepted for 15 days, a final result may not come until closer to Thanksgiving.

Iowa, long reliable MAGA territory, is showing signs of competitiveness. Polls show Democratic state auditor Rob Sand consistently ahead of Republican Zack Lahn in the governor's race, despite outgoing Gov. Kim Reynolds winning by 19 points four years ago and Trump carrying the state by over 13 points. Grassroots activity has grown alongside the polling shift, including No Kings rallies in Dubuque and Des Moines and early-voting pushes. In the Senate race to replace retiring Joni Ernst, Trump-endorsed Republican Ashley Hinson faces organized opposition from Iowans for Decency, a bipartisan PAC formed by her former teachers and fellow alumni, ahead of Democrat Josh Turek's campaign.

Lauren Pinkston, an independent candidate for Tennessee governor, is a former teacher and college professor who has also worked as an anti-human trafficking advocate. She is one of 15 candidates on the ballot and among the four candidates polling has identified as leading contenders, alongside independent David Hatley, Republican Marsha Blackburn, and Democrat Jerri Green.

Pinkston's platform centers on affordability and bipartisanship, including eliminating the state's grocery tax, offset by a proposed medical marijuana program, modernizing the power grid, expanding childcare, and easing home loan access. She supports gun rights alongside school safety measures, favors stricter enforcement against employers exploiting undocumented workers, and backs infrastructure impact fees on new development. Election Day is November 3.

More than 150 people attended an Indivisible Guilford County "No Kings" rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Saturday morning along West Market Street. The nonpartisan grassroots event marked the start of the state's early voting period, encouraging attendees to vote and to help others register or find polling locations. Organizers framed the gathering as both a day of community fellowship and civic action in support of democratic participation.

Early voting in North Carolina began Thursday and continues through October 31. The broader election calendar includes absentee ballots going out starting September 4, with Election Day set for November 3 and an absentee ballot return deadline of 7:30 p.m. that evening.