US midterm elections 2026 live: Americans go to the polls in referendum on Trump’s agenda

Polls open across the US where key Senate and House races will decide which party controls Congress for remainder of Donald Trump’s second term Sign up for the Breaking News US email What are the races to watch and why do they matter? Rachel Leingang, a Midwest political correspo

Polls open across the US where key Senate and House races will decide which party controls Congress for remainder of Donald Trump’s second term Sign up for the Breaking News US email What are the races to watch and why do they matter? Rachel Leingang, a Midwest political correspondent for Guardian US, has been in Iowa, getting a sense of the political mood ahead of the crcuial elections. Here is her dispatch: Across Iowa on Monday, candidates made final pitches in a set of toss-up races up and down the ballot, noting just how close these contests are and how pivotal the state could be for the nation’s politics.

In a standing-room-only town hall in Waverly, Iowa, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Rob Sand started off by asking people in the crowd which political party they belong to, then having people clap for all of them, followed by directing the audience to sing “America the Beautiful” together. Continue reading...