President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama are campaigning Wednesday in Ohio and Georgia as candidates make their closing appeals before the Nov. 3 midterm election. The contests will determine which party controls Congress for the next two years.
Trump is scheduled to appear with Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio, a Republican, who is running against former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. The race is among those that could determine whether Republicans retain their current 53-47 Senate majority.
Obama is scheduled to campaign with Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, who is facing Republican Rep. Mike Collins. Georgia's recent Senate elections have been closely contested: The state's three most recent Senate races went to runoffs, according to Reuters.
The congressional stakes
Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress. The party's Senate majority gives the Trump administration an advantage in advancing legislation, while the House and Senate can conduct oversight of the executive branch.
Nonpartisan analysts cited by Reuters generally assess the Democratic path to a House majority as more favorable than the party's prospects of taking the Senate. Democrats would need to gain seats in Republican-leaning states to win control of the Senate, including in Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina. Texas and Michigan also are drawing substantial campaign spending.
- Ohio: Husted is facing Brown in one of the most competitive Senate contests.
- Georgia: Ossoff is running against Collins in a state that has recently sent Senate races to runoffs.
- Early voting: More than 36.4 million ballots had been cast by Wednesday, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab.
The campaign's final week is taking place amid concerns about the cost of living and energy prices. Reuters also reported that public opinion about the Iran war has become an issue for Republicans as they defend their congressional majorities.
Trump has spent recent weeks campaigning for Republican candidates. Obama had made fewer public campaign appearances until returning to the trail during the final week, when he spoke in support of Democratic candidates and criticized the president.
Early voting has already exceeded 36.4 million ballots, while 45.9 million Americans voted before Election Day in the 2022 midterms, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab. The 2026 election will include contests for all House seats and part of the Senate, with control of both chambers at stake.
