Voters Decide Congress Control

What happened

Updated 11:01am ET

Americans are voting Tuesday in midterm elections to decide whether Republicans keep control of Congress or Democrats take one or both chambers.
All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot, along with governors’ offices in 36 states.
Pre-election polls favor Democrats taking the House and show a close Senate battle, with high living costs and the Iran war among voters’ key concerns.
Democratic control of either chamber would give the party more power to block President Donald Trump’s agenda during his final two years in office.
The first polls close at 6 p.m. Eastern in parts of Indiana and Kentucky, but close races and lengthy ballot counts could leave congressional control unresolved for days.

How the left told it

Left-leaning outlets largely framed the election as a verdict on Trump, with Democrats positioned to gain power amid economic discontent. The New York Times described Republicans as “bracing for losses,” while PBS NewsHour emphasized that Democratic majorities would curb Trump’s power and cautioned that results might not be clear Wednesday.

How the right told it

Right-leaning outlets largely emphasized Republicans’ fight to retain Congress and the stakes for Trump’s agenda. Fox News highlighted economic pressures testing Republican “affordability promises,” while the Daily Mail stressed polling showing Trump hurting his party. Some coverage was more partisan: Breitbart warned of a “lurch to the political left.”