GOP stares down horrific midterms night time as Democrats flip two crucial Senate seats: Live updates

On Nov 4, 2026

Polls are now closed in Kentucky, Indiana and in most of Florida, and there are early signs of a blue wave cresting over House races.

An open seat in central Kentucky looks competitive and a Republican incumbent in Indiana looks in danger of losing her seat.

Control of Congress hangs in the balance as Americans rush to cast their final ballots in the 2026 midterm elections.

In the Senate, Democrats must flip four Republican-held seats to gain control. In the House, they need to pick up just three seats.

Americans have headed to the polls in droves to make their voices heard on a slew of issues, including the cost of living and the war in Iran, while chaos erupted in several key battleground states.

The first polls closed at 6pm ET and the last polls wrap up at 1am ET. Then the nation will wait as ballots are counted across the country to find out whether Republicans or Democrats will take power.

Follow the Daily Mail for more updates…

told CBS News in an interview Tuesday night – referring to both his veto powers and a fairly recent Supreme Court ruling."},{"id":"rFVHMm4fo9","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"COU-ruuHZ8","type":"paragraph","value":"The President cited the court's 6-3 ruling in Trump v. Slaughter, which affirmed the president's broad authority to remove members of federal agencies, boards and commissions."},{"id":"YY4pFm7fJ9","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"1AuCEOQSDh","type":"paragraph","value":"'We won the Slaughter case and the Slaughter case gives the president tremendous powers that it never had before,' Trump said. "},{"id":"P2w2tw_PNa","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"FJkW7Oe9YZ","type":"paragraph","value":"He also reiterated his plan to use his veto powers."},{"id":"v5opjbQUmP","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"NmIHht1ak1","type":"paragraph","value":"'Historically, you veto for a couple of months and then they come and say, "We've got to make a deal,"' the President said. "}],"type":"POST"},{"articleId":"16259741","author":"Victoria Churchill","breaking":false,"closing":false,"exclusive":false,"goal":false,"icons":[],"keyUpdate":false,"matchTimestamp":"","pinned":false,"showPostTime":true,"status":"live","tags":[],"title":{"text":"Iowa’s Democratic Senate nominee says he split his ballot","url":""},"user":"","creationDate":"2026-11-04T00:00:17.334Z","updateDate":"2026-11-04T00:04:02.842Z","publishDate":"2026-11-04T00:00:17.334Z","id":"qJjbo6EBic4hluTFP3K2","lines":[{"id":"1NLdJBRLC9","type":"paragraph","value":"Iowa Democrat Josh Turek, who is running for the US Senate, told a local news outlet that he supported some Republicans in local races."},{"id":"v-T5jkCUpu","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"5ZSQUnEdHo","type":"paragraph","value":"'Susan Miller I voted for, I think she does an excellent job on the county board for supervisors. [Lea] Voss I voted for, I picked one other as well,' Turek told local news outlet KCRG-TV."},{"id":"Z9WLZUQGE7","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"e2PCBWXXv5","type":"paragraph","value":"Turek is running against Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson in a hotly contested race."},{"caption":"COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA – NOVEMBER 03: Iowa Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Josh Turek votes at a polling place inside the Community of Christ church gymnasium on November 03, 2026 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Turek is facing off against Iowa Republican Senate candidate, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) in a tight race for U.S. Senate. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)","height":"423","id":"wLJEvVGqFH","src":"https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/11/03/23/1793750393890_wide_galleryImage_COUNCIL_BLUFFS_IOWA_NOVEM.JPG","type":"image","width":"634"}],"type":"POST"},{"keyUpdate":false,"pinned":false,"updateDate":"2026-11-04T00:00:00.778Z","goal":false,"matchTimestamp":"","author":"katrina schollenberger","articleId":"16259741","publishDate":"2026-11-04T00:00:00.778Z","icons":[],"title":{"text":"Fake polls are threatening the midterms. Now that the chilling left-wing plot has been exposed… we must act now to stop it: RAVI GUPTAn","url":""},"creationDate":"2026-11-02T21:52:26.885Z","tags":[],"closing":false,"scheduleDate":"2026-11-04T00:00:00.000Z","exclusive":false,"id":"1pE_nqEBH4mU3q642RMH","showPostTime":true,"user":"","breaking":false,"status":"live","lines":[{"id":"bMwm_stwHL","type":"paragraph","value":"It's been a rough decade for the political polling industry. Over the past few election cycles, we've seen some significant whiffs."},{"id":"K_7q9xh1sA","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"SIjG-BJNM8","type":"paragraph","value":"Days ahead of the 2024 election, Iowa's well-respected Des Moines Register poll showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump, 47 percent to 44 percent. Trump won by more than 13 points."},{"id":"zdq9Q6xiMp","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"lWjRTrFoxG","type":"paragraph","value":"More recently, in Michigan and Wisconsin Democratic primary races, some surveys were off by double digits."},{"id":"iTvrP0rdtB","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"content":{"metadata":{"image":"https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/10/25/12/112059463-0-image-a-2_1792932326351.jpg","socialHeadline":"Fake polls are threatening the midterms. We must act now: RAVI GUPTA","previewText":"We used to worry that bad polls could mislead us about who would win. Now we must contend with fake ones that could decide elections."},"url":"https://www.dailymail.com/opinion/us/article-16234057/fake-polls-democrats-election-threat-investigation.html"},"id":"ULz4w-Znvw","type":"dailymail"}],"type":"POST"},{"keyUpdate":false,"pinned":false,"updateDate":"2026-11-04T00:00:00.778Z","goal":false,"matchTimestamp":"","author":"katrina schollenberger","articleId":"16259741","publishDate":"2026-11-04T00:00:00.778Z","icons":[],"title":{"text":"Polls close in Florida (most of state), Georgia, Indiana (Central), Kentucky (Central), South Carolina, Vermont, Virginian","url":""},"creationDate":"2026-11-02T21:12:43.848Z","tags":[],"closing":false,"scheduleDate":"2026-11-04T00:00:00.000Z","exclusive":false,"id":"V5gbnqEBic4hluTFfHJI","showPostTime":true,"user":"","breaking":true,"status":"live","lines":[],"signpost":"breaking","type":"POST"},{"articleId":"16259741","author":"Charlie Spiering","breaking":false,"closing":false,"exclusive":false,"goal":false,"icons":[],"keyUpdate":false,"matchTimestamp":"","pinned":false,"showPostTime":true,"status":"live","tags":[],"title":{"text":"JD Vance’s election night plans ","url":""},"user":"","creationDate":"2026-11-03T23:59:12.303Z","updateDate":"2026-11-04T00:01:37.214Z","publishDate":"2026-11-03T23:59:12.303Z","id":"p5jao6EBic4hluTFQXKw","lines":[{"id":"MKNUvbQ3dW","type":"paragraph","value":"Vice President JD Vance is in Washington, DC, to monitor election results, a source familiar with his schedule told the Daily Mail. "},{"id":"cSO4Rwq1ZW","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"YUZJEv87aV","type":"paragraph","value":"No detailed plans were announced, although it is believed that he is at the vice president's residence at the Naval Observatory. "},{"id":"5iaGgJ5rVb","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"I0gOBmRD1U","type":"paragraph","value":"The president is hosting an election night viewing party at the White House, but it is unclear whether the vice president is expected to attend. "},{"id":"2bl9Ww0Yes","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"4GR6XzwUZ_","type":"paragraph","value":"Vance has visited 19 locations since the early September midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, for campaign stops for Republican candidates across the country including travel to Alaska, according to the White House. "},{"id":"aQKaA2zf86","type":"paragraph","value":""},{"id":"ZmwLmFnIPC","type":"paragraph","value":"He also was heavily involved with fundraising for the Republican National Committee. "},{"caption":"US Vice President JD Vance speaks at a campaign rally at Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport in Swanton, Ohio, November 2, 2026. Tom Brenner/Pool via REUTERS","height":"423","id":"TaU4Xujpup","src":"https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/11/03/23/1793750343180_wide_galleryImage_US_Vice_President_JD_Vanc.JPG","type":"image","width":"634"}],"type":"POST"}],"totalPosts":126}” data-platform=”mol.web.desktop” data-channel=”news” data-channel-color=”news” data-version=”5.6.0″ data-reactroot>

Midterm results in full: See state-by-state maps and latest vote counts in all races as America delivers its verdict on Trump in the battle for Congress

CNN exit poll shows economy as top issue concerning voters

The CNN exit poll shows that 39 percent of voters view the economy as the top issue facing the US.

It’s a bad sign for Trump and Republicans as voters are disgruntled about the rising cost of living and skyrocketing gas prices, in part, due to the president’s war on Iran.

Democracy was the second most important issue at 32 percent, followed by immigration at 14 percent.

Crime was the least relevant major issue in the 2026 midterm election with only three percent.

The results were as follows:

Economy 39%
Democracy 32%
Immigration 14%
Health care 8%
Foreign policy 4%
Crime 3%

TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump throws MAGA hats to the crowd upon arrival to speak at a midterm campaign rally at Shoemaker Center in Chillicothe, Ohio, on October 28, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

Trump continues aggressive rant against Fox News

Donald Trump continued lashing out against Fox News on social media as the first exit polls and election calls were published.

‘FoxNews Ratings are way down (27%!) because they’re spending too much time covering the Trump Deranged Dumocrats! All of those people who used to watch Fox, and no longer do, get it,’ the President wrote.

He added: ‘No wonder FoxNews Ratings are collapsing, and they’re going to go down a lot further. They’re way down, not because of me, but because they are AGAINST me! This happened once before, and Fox almost collapsed. It’s happening again! ‘

WATCH: Dem. Mark Warner projected to hold on to Senate seat in Virginia

More than half of US voters say Trump’s immigration crackdown has gone too far

A majority of US voters said they are not fans of Trump’s hardline immigration actions in his second term, according to AP exit polls.

Roughly six in ten voters said they ‘somewhat’ or ‘strongly’ disagree with how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is handling its duties. The same 60 percent of voters said they believe Trump’s crackdown has gone too far.

Seven in ten voters said immigration enforcement was a ‘crucial’ or ‘major’ factor in their vote for Congress.

TOPSHOT - Protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) march through the streets of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. His killing sparked new protests and impassioned demands by local leaders for the Trump administration to end its operation in the city. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)

Alaska attorney responds to target letter he received from Trump’s DOJ about Senate ballot controversy

Democratic Alaska election lawyer Marc Elias directly responded to a target letter he received from Trump’s Justice Department Tuesday.

The DOJ letters were sent out to people and organizations allegedly involved in recruiting a ‘decoy’ candidate with the same name as GOP incumbent Dan Sullivan, who is running for re-election.

‘No one should be surprised that President Trump’s Department of Justice is targeting me and my law firm on Election Day. This administration has repeatedly weaponized the DOJ against the President’s political enemies despite zero evidence of wrongdoing, and we are the latest targets,’ Elias said.

‘We will not be intimidated by a sham investigation. We are going to keep working around the clock to support our clients and make sure President Trump and his party enjoy a well-deserved beating at the ballot box.’

Virginia’s Mark Warren is first projected winner

Democratic Senator Mark Warner is projected to win re-election in Virginia, defeating Republican challenger Bert Mizusawa, according to Fox News.

Warner’s expected victory marks one of the first Senate race calls of Election Night, as voters across the country head to the polls in contests that will determine control of Congress.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA - OCTOBER 24: Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) greets supporters at rally on October 24, 2026 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Early in person voting has begun in Virginia and will end October 31. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Trump vows to use ‘tremendous powers’ if Dems retake House, Senate majorities

Trump vowed to use ‘tremendous powers’ if Democrats retake the House or Senate majorities, he told CBS News in an interview Tuesday night – referring to both his veto powers and a fairly recent Supreme Court ruling.

The President cited the court’s 6-3 ruling in Trump v. Slaughter, which affirmed the president’s broad authority to remove members of federal agencies, boards and commissions.

‘We won the Slaughter case and the Slaughter case gives the president tremendous powers that it never had before,’ Trump said.

He also reiterated his plan to use his veto powers.

‘Historically, you veto for a couple of months and then they come and say, “We’ve got to make a deal,”‘ the President said.

Iowa’s Democratic Senate nominee says he split his ballot

Iowa Democrat Josh Turek, who is running for the US Senate, told a local news outlet that he supported some Republicans in local races.

‘Susan Miller I voted for, I think she does an excellent job on the county board for supervisors. [Lea] Voss I voted for, I picked one other as well,’ Turek told local news outlet KCRG-TV.

Turek is running against Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson in a hotly contested race.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA - NOVEMBER 03: Iowa Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Josh Turek votes at a polling place inside the Community of Christ church gymnasium on November 03, 2026 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Turek is facing off against Iowa Republican Senate candidate, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) in a tight race for U.S. Senate. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Fake polls are threatening the midterms. Now that the chilling left-wing plot has been exposed… we must act now to stop it: RAVI GUPTA

It’s been a rough decade for the political polling industry. Over the past few election cycles, we’ve seen some significant whiffs.

Days ahead of the 2024 election, Iowa’s well-respected Des Moines Register poll showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump, 47 percent to 44 percent. Trump won by more than 13 points.

More recently, in Michigan and Wisconsin Democratic primary races, some surveys were off by double digits.

Breaking:Polls close in Florida (most of state), Georgia, Indiana (Central), Kentucky (Central), South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia

JD Vance’s election night plans

Vice President JD Vance is in Washington, DC, to monitor election results, a source familiar with his schedule told the Daily Mail.

No detailed plans were announced, although it is believed that he is at the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory.

The president is hosting an election night viewing party at the White House, but it is unclear whether the vice president is expected to attend.

Vance has visited 19 locations since the early September midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, for campaign stops for Republican candidates across the country including travel to Alaska, according to the White House.

He also was heavily involved with fundraising for the Republican National Committee.

US Vice President JD Vance speaks at a campaign rally at Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport in Swanton, Ohio, November 2, 2026. Tom Brenner/Pool via REUTERS

Key Updates