Democrats Within Reach of Senate Majority on Eve of U.S. Midterm Elections

Democrats went into the final day before the U.S. midterm elections within reach of a Senate majority, needing to flip four seats to take control, with many of the key races rated toss-ups. Many political experts expect Democrats to win the House, where all 435 seats are on the ballot, but the Senate outcome remains unclear. Thirty-five of the 100 Senate seats are being contested, including 33 regular elections and special elections in Florida and Ohio, along with state governorships. Polls show Democrats with narrow leads. In Georgia, Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, leads Republican Rep. Mike Collins by more than 8 percentage points in the RealClearPolitics average, and an Atlanta Journal-Constitution October poll had it 48% to 40% with 12% undecided. President Donald Trump made a final appeal on Monday, urging voters to turn out as if he were on the ballot to keep the Senate Republican. Republicans have said polls have been wrong before and underestimate GOP support.

CNN, the left-leaning outlet, frames its piece as a ranking of the 11 Senate seats most likely to flip. It says Democrats appear within striking distance, but notes that many seats in play are toss-ups in deep-red states. The Washington Examiner, on the right, ranks nine coin-toss races Democrats are expected to win, from most to least likely, and opens by calling the Senate's fate murky compared with the House. It adds Republican arguments that polls undercount GOP support, Trump's appeal, polling figures for Ossoff and Collins, and a Democratic operative who hopes for a Senate flip but expects only a House win. Both sides agree the Senate is competitive and that Democrats have a path. CNN stresses their proximity to a majority, while the Examiner stresses difficulty and Republican skepticism of polls. The Hindu, an alternative outlet, offers a distinct explainer on what midterms are and how U.S. elections work, without race-by-race forecasts.