Control of Congress is on the line Tuesday as voters decide pivotal Senate and House races across the country, while closely watched contests for governor will shape the political landscape in key states during President Donald Trump's second term.
asserted
contests → decide → term
Republicans are fighting to defend their congressional majorities as Democrats seek gains in battlegrounds from Texas and Georgia to Michigan and Maine.
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Democrats → fight → Michigan
Open seats, vulnerable incumbents and competitive statewide races have put nine states at the center of the fight for power in Washington and state capitals.
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seats → put → Washington
With races stretching across multiple time zones, here are the key contests to watch, when polls close and how to follow live results as Election Night unfolds.
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Night → stretch → results
Texas — Polls close at 8 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. ET in some areas
Texas voters face two major statewide showdowns, with Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton battling Democratic state Rep. James Talarico for the Senate seat held by outgoing Republican John Cornyn, while GOP Gov. Greg Abbott seeks a historic fourth term against Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa.
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Abbott → close → Hinojosa
The Senate contest has emerged as an unusually competitive race in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988, pitting Paxton's conservative appeal and history of legal controversies against Talarico's campaign focused on political change.
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that → emerge → change
Meanwhile, Abbott's reelection bid offers another test of Republican dominance, with border security, education and the economy shaping the fight over the state's future.
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security → offer → future
Ohio — Polls close at 7:30 p.m. ET
Ohio features a Senate rematch of sorts, with former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown seeking a return to Washington against Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed to fill Vice President JD Vance's former seat.
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who → close → seat
Brown is attempting a political comeback in a state that has shifted toward Republicans, while Husted seeks his first electoral victory for the Senate.
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Husted → attempt → Senate
Husted's campaign also enlisted Ohio native and former NFL coach Jon "Chucky" Gruden for campaign appearances.
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campaign → enlist → appearances
Voters will decide who succeeds term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, with Republican Vivek Ramaswamy facing Democrat Amy Acton.
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Ramaswamy → decide → Acton
Ramaswamy's campaign recently pulled a controversial ad featuring Acton's estranged mother after criticism from fellow Republicans, including DeWine.
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campaign → pull → DeWine
Michigan — Polls close at 8 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. ET in some areas
Michigan's open Senate seat could prove pivotal to the balance of power in Washington, with former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers facing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in the contest to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
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Rogers → close → Peters
The Senate race has grown increasingly contentious as Rogers and Republican allies have raised allegations about El-Sayed's family's purported ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, citing old social media posts by his half-sister.
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Rogers → grow → sister
El-Sayed has denied any connection to the organization and publicly disavowed it, while independent fact-checkers have found no evidence establishing his personal affiliation.
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checkers → deny → affiliation
The state also features a gubernatorial showdown between Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Republican Rep. John James, testing whether Michigan voters will maintain Democratic control of the governor's office or turn to Republicans.
Wisconsin — Polls close at 9 p.m. ET
Wisconsin's open governor's race pits Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany against Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as voters choose a successor to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
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voters → feature → Evers
The contest centers on the state's political direction, including taxes, public spending and education, after Crowley defeated progressive state Rep. Francesca Hong in a crowded Democratic primary.
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Crowley → center → primary
Georgia — Polls close at 7 p.m. ET
Georgia offers two major statewide contests, with Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff defending his seat against Republican Rep. Mike Collins in a state Trump narrowly carried in 2024.
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Trump → close → 2024
Ossoff's race will test whether Democrats can hold a Senate seat in a state that has delivered closely contested presidential and Senate elections, while the open governor's race between Republican businessman Rick Jackson and former Democratic Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will determine who succeeds term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
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who → test → Kemp
Polls close at 9 p.m. ET
Iowa voters will decide whether Republicans can retain two major offices in a state Trump carried comfortably in 2024.
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Trump → close → 2024
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson faces Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Joni Ernst, while Democratic state Auditor Rob Sand faces Republican Zach Lahn in the open governor's race to succeed retiring longtime GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds.
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Sand → face → Reynolds
Although the Hawkeye State has shifted toward Republicans in recent election cycles, Democrats previously enjoyed sustained statewide success through figures including former Sen. Tom Harkin and former Gov. Tom Vilsack.
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Democrats → shift → Harkin
The contests will test whether Democrats can regain ground, with affordability, agriculture and state economic policy among the central issues.
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affordability → test → issues
Nevada — Polls close at 10 p.m. ET
Nevada's marquee contest features Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo seeking another term against Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford.
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contest → close → Ford
The race will test whether Republicans can retain the governor's office in a state where Democrats have remained competitive in statewide elections, with housing affordability, education and public safety among the issues facing voters.
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affordability → test → voters
Lombardo, the former Clark County sheriff, defeated incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak in 2022, with Ford now hoping to hit the jackpot in Carson City.
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Ford → defeat → City
Maine — Polls close at 8 p.m. ET
Maine's Senate race pits longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins against former Democratic state Senate President Troy Jackson in one of the country's most closely watched contests.
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race → close → contests
Collins is seeking another term in a blue-leaning state that supported Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
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that → seek → election
Meanwhile, Jackson is attempting to turn Maine's Democratic presidential voting pattern into a Senate pickup after replacing Graham Platner, who withdrew as the Democratic nominee following a sexual assault allegation that he denied.
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he → attempt → that
The contest will test Collins' longstanding crossover appeal and could have major consequences for the Senate's balance of power, as she remains New England's only Republican member of Congress.
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she → test → Congress
Polls close at 7 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. ET in some areas
Florida voters will choose a successor to term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, with Republican Rep. Byron Donalds facing former Republican congressman turned Democrat David Jolly.
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Donalds → close → congressman
The race presents a contest over the future of Florida's government, including affordability, immigration and the direction of state policy.
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race → present → policy
Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, appointed to the seat vacated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also faces DSA-affiliated Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon in a special Senate election, while competitive House contests could affect the national congressional picture.
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contests → appoint → picture
How to watch the 2026 midterm election results on Fox News
As polls close across the country's biggest battlegrounds on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Fox News Channel and Fox News Digital will deliver live results, race calls and analysis of the contests that could determine control of Congress.
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that → watch → Congress
Viewers can watch live coverage on Fox News Go with a participating television provider or stream Fox News Channel through FOX One.
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Viewers → watch → FOX
Fox News Channel's special "FOX News Democracy 26" coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, co-anchored by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
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coverage → begin → Baier
Dana Perino, Brit Hume, Harold Ford Jr., Bill Hemmer, Sandra Smith, Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity and other Fox News personalities will contribute throughout the evening.
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Perino → contribute → evening
The Fox News Decision Desk will provide race calls for House, Senate and gubernatorial contests, along with projections of which party will control each chamber of Congress.
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party → provide → Congress
FOX Business will simulcast Fox News Channel's Election Night coverage from 6 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday.
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Business → simulcast → a.m.
Trace Gallagher will lead overnight coverage, with a special early edition of "FOX & Friends First" beginning at 4 a.m.
On Fox News Digital, readers can follow a live Election Night blog featuring breaking developments, Fox News Power Rankings and Fox News Voter Analysis as polls close across the country.
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polls → lead → country
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
