Midterms Could Mark a Turning Point for Both Parties and Trump
WHO:
The Texas Tribune - Texas political experts Jim Henson, Sherri Greenberg and Brandon Rottinghaus discussed the powers and constraints a Democratic governor would face under a Republican-controlled Legislature.
The Texas Tribune - Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick could be challenged by Democratic state Rep. Vikki Goodwin.
Al Jazeera - An Arizona retiree told Al Jazeera grocery costs made them wonder “what the heck is going on.”
Zeteo | Substack - Zeteo reported that Republican Party discussions about potential midterm losses included Trump advisers Susie Wiles and James Blair as possible targets of internal criticism.
Al Jazeera - Republican Senator Darline Graham, sister of the late Lindsey Graham, is running against Annie Andrews in South Carolina.
Al Jazeera - Vice President JD Vance’s planned Minnesota news conference with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud was cancelled; no reason was immediately given.
Al Jazeera - President Donald Trump cancelled two scheduled campaign appearances and planned telephone rallies across nearly 20 states.
Al Jazeera - Republican Senator Roger Marshall is running in Kansas against Democrat Adam Hamilton.
Al Jazeera - In Texas, Democrat James Talarico is running against Republican Ken Paxton; in Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is running against Republican Mike Rogers.
Al Jazeera - In Alaska, incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan is competing against an independent candidate also named Dan Sullivan, who is registered as a Republican.
Al Jazeera - Democrat Mary Peltola rejected allegations about the Alaska race; Trump accused Democrats of recruiting the independent candidate to confuse voters.
Al Jazeera - Vice President JD Vance campaigned with Paxton in Texas. Former President Barack Obama supported Senator Jon Ossoff in Georgia; former Vice President Kamala Harris also campaigned with Ossoff.
Zeteo | Substack - Republican Senator Roger Marshall is challenging pastor and Democrat Adam Hamilton in Kansas. Zeteo reported Republican operatives and Democrats it spoke with were cautiously optimistic Marshall would win.
WHAT:
The Texas Tribune - The last time Texas’s governor’s office and both legislative chambers were controlled by opposing parties was 1995.
The Texas Tribune - Former Republican Gov. William Clements called 12 special legislative sessions; former Gov. Rick Perry called 13, the most of any governor.
The Texas Tribune - Perry holds Texas’s record for vetoes, with 301 overall and 83 during one legislative session in 2001.
The Texas Tribune - Texas governors’ disaster declarations last 30 days but can be extended indefinitely; future governors can rescind executive orders.
The Texas Tribune - Texas courts have largely agreed that the state constitution gives the governor authority to manage the executive branch.
The Texas Tribune - A governor’s power to appoint agency leaders can be limited by staggered terms and Senate “advice and consent”; the Senate must approve a Texas Education Agency commissioner by a two-thirds vote.
The Texas Tribune - Texas gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa said her initial priorities would include a moratorium on new data centers, $1,500 checks to Texans from state savings, higher teacher pay, replacing Education Commissioner Mike Morath, and ending the private-school voucher program.
The Texas Tribune - Hinojosa said she would declare a high-cost emergency and suspend the gas and diesel tax and freeze electricity rates within an hour of taking office.
The Texas Tribune - Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has vetoed 280 bills during his three terms; the Texas Legislature last overrode a veto in 1979.
The Texas Tribune - The Texas Senate must approve a Texas Education Agency commissioner with a two-thirds vote; Mike Morath’s term was set to expire in January.
CNBC - A Piper Sandler report projected Democratic policy proposals would add $5 trillion to the federal deficit over the coming decade, assuming repeal of Trump’s tariffs and reversal of cuts to Medicaid, nutrition programs, and Affordable Care Act subsidies.
CNBC - Wolfe Research’s survey of 138 investors found 96% expected Democrats to take the House and 58% expected them to take the Senate; Wolfe estimated a 49% chance of a Democratic Senate.
CNBC - TD Securities called a Democratic “blue wave” its base case; Raymond James said Democrats were well positioned to win the House and increasingly likely to win the Senate.
Al Jazeera - At a Rock Hill rally, Trump urged supporters to vote and said, “In politics you never know, right? So you got to get out and vote.” He also asked them to pretend he was on the ballot, adding, “And I am on the ballot because all of these things that we’ve done, all of these incredible successes that we have.”
Al Jazeera - Vance told supporters in Texas, “Texas ain’t surrendering. Texas is not becoming California. It’s going to stay Texas, ain’t that right?”
Al Jazeera - Mike Collins said Barack Obama’s Georgia appearance showed “the desperation of Jon Ossoff because he knows he’s losing,” and added, “If he was winning so big, he wouldn’t have brought anybody in.”
Al Jazeera - Harris told Democratic volunteers, “We have a moment now to turn pain into purpose,” and urged students not to overlook local races, saying, “those are the folks who make decisions about your life every day.”
Al Jazeera - Trump is scheduled to hold a rally at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida; Harris is due to address the Fulton County Democratic Party’s Fulton Forward dinner in Atlanta.
Al Jazeera - RealClearPolling showed Democrats leading Republicans nationally, 51.4% to 43.2%, an 8.2-percentage-point difference.
Al Jazeera - A Marquette Law School poll put Trump’s approval at 37% and disapproval at 61%. Of respondents, 16% said they were better off financially than a year earlier, 42% worse off, and 42% about the same.
Al Jazeera - A CNN poll showed Talarico leading Paxton 49% to 43%, and El-Sayed leading Rogers 49% to 42%.
Al Jazeera - Trump called the Alaska dispute “a scheme” and “an election fraud. Total election fraud.” Peltola said it was “yet another diversion” from affordability.
Al Jazeera - Trump said of Kansas, “I don’t feel I have to go to Kansas,” and, when asked about travel fatigue, “I feel perfect.”
Zeteo | Substack - Trump won Kansas by 16 points in 2024; the state had not elected a Democratic senator since 1932, according to the article.
WHERE:
Al Jazeera - Trump campaigned for Darline Graham in Rock Hill, South Carolina; Harris campaigned with Ossoff at Clark Atlanta University and in Macon, Georgia. Talarico held a rally in Dallas, Texas.
Al Jazeera - Trump’s cancelled appearances were scheduled for Salina, Kansas, and Dubuque, Iowa. He campaigned in Rock Hill, South Carolina; Vance appeared in Weatherford, Texas.
Al Jazeera - Harris campaigned in Macon and Atlanta, Georgia; Ossoff’s opponent Mike Collins commented on Obama’s visit.
WHEN:
Al Jazeera - The article said the election was four days away and referred to Election Day as Tuesday. It reported Trump’s Kansas and Iowa appearances had been scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
Al Jazeera - The Marquette poll was conducted October 14–22 and released October 28. The CNN survey was released Thursday.
Al Jazeera - A Senate result in Alaska could remain unresolved for “several days, maybe even weeks” after ballots close.
WHY:
The Texas Tribune - Experts said divided government could prompt legislative gridlock and repeated special sessions if parties see obstruction as advantageous before the next election.
The Texas Tribune - Political experts said a Democratic governor would likely face a Republican-controlled Texas Legislature, making cooperation difficult and potentially leading to legislative gridlock and special sessions.
CNBC - Analysts said a divided government could create gridlock, complicate government funding and debt-ceiling legislation, and limit major policy changes because Trump could veto Democratic legislation.
Al Jazeera - Trump cautioned his South Carolina supporters not to take the election outcome for granted.
Al Jazeera - Marquette poll director Charles Franklin said Trump’s declining approval and economic concerns were alarming Republicans; he said Democrats were more enthusiastic and certain to vote.
Al Jazeera - Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said telephone events would let Trump reach more voters than in-person appearances.
HOW:
Al Jazeera - The Justice Department took legal action over the Alaska candidate-name dispute; the contest could continue in court after ballots close.
Al Jazeera - Trump replaced the Kansas and Iowa appearances with telephone rallies.
(UPDATED October 31, 2026 01:01 UTC)
Democrats are gaining ground in competitive Senate races, polls suggest. President Trump cancelled two campaign appearances, while JD Vance campaigned in Texas. Texas candidate Gina Hinojosa outlined affordability plans, but a Republican Legislature could limit her power.
--
(UPDATED October 30, 2026 19:59 UTC)
Polls show Democrats leading nationally, with investors increasingly expecting them to win the House. Trump cancelled campaign appearances, replacing them with telephone rallies across nearly twenty states. Republican anxiety is growing over potential midterm losses, amid voter concerns about affordability.
--
(UPDATED October 30, 2026 19:05 UTC)
President Trump cancelled campaign stops, replacing them with telephone rallies across nearly twenty states. Polls and investor surveys suggest Democrats are favored to win the House, with Senate control uncertain. Trump urged supporters to vote, while Vice President Vance campaigned for Republican Ken Paxton in Texas.
--
(UPDATED October 30, 2026 18:00 UTC)
Trump cancelled Kansas and Iowa appearances, replacing them with telephone rallies across nearly twenty states. Polls show Democrats leading nationally, while Texas Democrat James Talarico leads Republican Ken Paxton. In Georgia, Barack Obama and Kamala Harris campaigned for Senator Jon Ossoff.
--
(UPDATED October 30, 2026 10:01 UTC)
Trump cancelled Kansas and Iowa appearances, replacing them with telephone rallies across nearly twenty states. Polls showed Democrats leading nationally and in key Senate races. An Alaska candidate-name dispute prompted Justice Department action, with the contest potentially unresolved after ballots close.