https://www.bullerish.com/blog The 2026 midterms every three hours, with sources for every story. en-us Mon, 02 Nov 2026 12:26:05 GMT https://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-02-7amhttps://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-02-7amMon, 02 Nov 2026 12:26:05 GMT1. DOJ plans about 1,000 poll monitors in all 50 states on Tuesday: DOJ says monitors will only observe and report possible federal violations. Officials told The Atlantic they worry about the use of criminal prosecutors as monitors; internal DOJ materials show monitors were trained not to interfere. 2. Collins and Jackson make closing pitches in tied Maine Senate race: Sen. Susan Collins (R) cites $1.5 billion she says she brought to Maine and calls Democratic attack ads false. Troy Jackson (D) ties her to Trump and opposes the Iran war. A Fox News poll has them tied at 49%. 3. Beshear rallies for Sand as Trump backs Lahn in Iowa governor race: Democrat Rob Sand campaigned in Des Moines with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, whose Democratic Governors Association has spent over $10 million on the race. In Dubuque, Trump called Republican Zach Lahn Iowa's only choice. Cook rates it Lean Democrat. 4. Voters decide 145 statewide ballot measures on Tuesday: State parties took opposite sides on 70 of this year's 164 measures, Ballotpedia counts, including voter ID amendments in five states and abortion measures in Idaho, Virginia and Missouri. Republicans backed 50 that Democrats opposed; Democrats backed 20. 5. Trump says he would pardon aides if a Democratic Congress prosecutes: Trump told the New York Post he would issue preemptive pardons to people who worked in his administration if needed. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D) has said a Democratic majority should pursue cases. Pardons cover only federal crimes. https://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-10pmhttps://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-10pmMon, 02 Nov 2026 03:15:14 GMT1. Final Times/Siena polls show Democrats ahead in five Senate races: Democrats lead by 5 to 11 points in Kansas, Ohio, Maine, Texas and Michigan. Alaska (Peltola 48%, Sullivan 46%) and Iowa (Turek 48%, Hinson 47%) are within the margin of error. Likely voters, Oct. 23 to Nov. 1. 2. Same polls: Texas and Kansas governor's races are effectively tied: In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa has 48% to Gov. Greg Abbott's 47%; in Kansas, Cindy Holscher 48%, Ty Masterson 47%. Democrats lead in Ohio by 6 points and by 8 or more in Alaska, Iowa, Maine and Michigan. 3. Michigan Democratic Party chair says Haley Stevens is no longer a member: Stevens told CNN her backing of Republican Mike Rogers is firm and that she still loves the party. El-Sayed's campaign says it raised $1.2 million after her endorsement; El-Sayed told Fox News he isn't focused on her. 4. Paxton campaign no longer lists an Election Eve event at the Alamo: Ken Paxton's Monday schedule in the Texas Senate race now has stops in Conroe and Allen instead; his campaign did not respond to CBS News. On Sunday Paxton called Democrat James Talarico a democratic socialist. https://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-7pmhttps://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-7pmMon, 02 Nov 2026 00:17:15 GMT1. Trump rallies in Iowa and Kansas, two states with close Senate races: President Trump spoke for two hours in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday, then headed to Salina, Kansas, where GOP Sen. Roger Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton. The AP counts more than 54 million votes already cast. 2. Trump and Speaker Johnson say Haley Stevens would be welcome in the GOP: After the Michigan Democrat endorsed Republican Mike Rogers, Trump and Johnson said they would welcome her. Democratic Senate leaders Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand said the party stands behind nominee Abdul El-Sayed. 3. DOJ asks judge to weigh contempt over analysis of its noncitizen list: The Justice Department says an immigrant rights group broke a court order by publishing an analysis that found over 40% of names on its California list aren't in the voter file. The group's lawyers say they complied with the order. https://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-4pmhttps://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-4pmSun, 01 Nov 2026 21:24:58 GMT1. Justice Department appeals Alaska Senate ruling to the Ninth Circuit: Hours after Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed its suit over certifying Alaska's Senate race, the Justice Department appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, two days before the election. 2. Haley Stevens' chief of staff and other aides resign after endorsement: Chief of staff Justin German said he and many of Rep. Haley Stevens' staff resigned Sunday after she endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for Senate in Michigan. Stevens says El-Sayed told her she was not welcome in his campaign. 3. Sen. Chris Murphy hospitalized after a stroke: Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy had a stroke Saturday after feeling numbness in his arm and was moved to Johns Hopkins. His chief of staff says he is awake and alert and his office expects a full recovery. 4. Silver Bulletin forecast gives Democrats about 95% chance at the House: Nate Silver's FLIPR model, updated Sunday, gives Democrats about a 95% chance of winning the House with an average net gain of 25 seats. It describes the Senate as more competitive, with a Democratic edge. https://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-1pmhttps://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-1pmSun, 01 Nov 2026 18:29:56 GMT1. Judge dismisses DOJ suit to hold up Alaska Senate certification: U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason threw out the suit Sunday. She found its request to set aside votes for the second Dan Sullivan unworkable, since cast ballots are mixed together and voter secrecy has to be protected. 2. Sen. Dan Sullivan says he will accept Alaska's Senate result: On CNN, Sullivan said he doubts Mary Peltola's denial that her aides helped recruit the second Sullivan. Peltola says she had nothing to do with it. Sen. Tim Scott said charges may make sense; Sen. Bernie Sanders said the tactic is not illegal. 3. Democrat Haley Stevens endorses Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan: Stevens, who lost the August primary to Abdul El-Sayed, backed Rogers after a Detroit church service, saying El-Sayed's campaign told her to stay away. El-Sayed has said she is relitigating the primary and that he disagrees with the outside ad she objected to. https://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-10amhttps://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-10amSun, 01 Nov 2026 15:17:52 GMT1. Early vote passes 53 million in University of Florida count: About 53.1 million people had voted early as of 6:56 AM ET Sunday, roughly 29 million in person and 23 million by mail, per the UF tally. AP figures show early voting up 83% in South Carolina and 34% in Kansas from the same point in 2022. 2. Johnson and Jeffries each predict their party will win the House: Speaker Mike Johnson told a Michigan rally for Senate candidate Mike Rogers that Republicans will pull off an upset and that polls miss GOP enthusiasm. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in Virginia Beach he is confident Democrats are close to retaking the House. 3. Fox News rates governor's races in AK, NV, GA and WI as toss-ups: Fox News Power Rankings list Republican-held Alaska, Nevada and Georgia and open Democratic-held Wisconsin as toss-ups among 36 governor's races. Florida, Kansas and Texas lean Republican; Arizona, Michigan, Oregon, Iowa and Ohio lean Democratic. 4. Voter ID, abortion and tax questions among 145 statewide measures: Eleven states vote on voter ID or noncitizen-voting rules. Idaho votes on overturning its abortion ban, Virginia and Nevada on abortion-rights amendments, and Missouri on repealing its abortion right. In Washington, a Yes vote repeals a new 9.9% tax on income over $1 million. https://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-7amhttps://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-11-01-7amSun, 01 Nov 2026 12:16:47 GMT1. Alaska asks federal judge to dismiss DOJ suit over Senate ballots: Alaska's Republican-led state government says the Justice Department lacks standing and that setting aside ballots ranking independent Dan J. Sullivan would breach ballot secrecy. DOJ says it stands by its demand; a ruling is expected soon. 2. Early vote nears 50 million as Ohio passes its 2022 record: About 49.6 million people had voted early as of Friday evening, per the University of Florida Election Lab. In Ohio, 1,485,900 ballots were cast by Saturday morning, above the 2022 midterm record of 1,473,983, according to AP. 3. Emerson poll: Hamilton 50%, Marshall 47% in Kansas Senate race: The Oct. 26-28 survey of 800 likely voters, margin of error 3.5 points, has Democrat Adam Hamilton narrowly ahead, within the margin. In the governor's race, Republican Ty Masterson leads Democrat Cindy Holscher 53% to 48%. 4. Final Sunday: Trump in Iowa and Kansas, El-Sayed in Detroit area: Trump is set to speak in Dubuque for Ashley Hinson around 4 PM ET and at Salina's airport for Sen. Roger Marshall around 8 PM ET. In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed campaigns in Detroit and Southfield against Republican Mike Rogers. https://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-10-31-10pmhttps://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-10-31-10pmSun, 01 Nov 2026 02:20:40 GMT1. Early voting ends in Texas and Georgia with high turnout: About 7.4 million Texans voted early, roughly 39% of registered voters and just short of the 2018 midterm record, per preliminary state data. Georgia logged more than 2.8 million early ballots, a midterm record and 13% above 2022. 2. NYT/Siena poll: Ricketts 49%, Osborn 43% in Nebraska Senate race: A New York Times/Siena College poll of likely Nebraska voters released Saturday shows GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts leading independent Dan Osborn by 6 points. In the governor's race, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen leads Democrat Lynne Walz 53% to 40%. 3. Both parties send top surrogates out for the final weekend: Trump rallied in Daytona Beach with Byron Donalds and Sen. Ashley Moody, and Kamala Harris spoke at a Democratic dinner in Atlanta. On Sunday, Gov. Andy Beshear joins Amy Acton in Ohio and Speaker Mike Johnson campaigns with Mike Rogers in Michigan. 4. Conservative legal group files complaint over Maine voter rolls: The Public Interest Legal Foundation says its review flagged 3,181 potentially dead registrants and 693 duplicates and asks Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to remove them under federal law. Fox News said her office had not responded to its request for comment. https://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-10-31-7pmhttps://www.bullerish.com/blog/midterms-brief-2026-10-31-7pmSat, 31 Oct 2026 23:19:00 GMT1. Judge bars DOJ from pressuring election workers over ballots: U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson issued a restraining order through Nov. 16 after unions and civil rights groups sued. DOJ, which says some California ballots belong to likely noncitizens, also lost a 2-1 Ninth Circuit bid to set them aside. 2. Peltola denies her aides recruited a second Dan Sullivan: Democrat Mary Peltola denied at an Anchorage rally reports that her aides helped recruit Daniel J. Sullivan to draw votes from GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan. Federal and state probes are underway. DOJ wants ballots ranking him set aside; Alaska calls the suit meritless. 3. El-Sayed campaign tells Rep. Haley Stevens to stay away from events: Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and former primary rival Rep. Haley Stevens are at odds over his comments on Israel, clouding a planned Sunday unity event with Rep. Jim Clyburn. El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers. 4. Trump to rally in Iowa and Kansas Sunday after reversing course: The RNC first said Trump would hold telerallies instead, then put in-person Sunday rallies in Iowa and Kansas back on. Cook rates both Senate races toss-ups: Sen. Roger Marshall vs. Democrat Adam Hamilton in Kansas, Rep. Ashley Hinson vs. Democrat Josh Turek in Iowa. 5. About 44.8 million ballots already cast nationwide: As of Thursday evening, about 23.6 million in-person early votes and 21.3 million mail ballots were in, per the University of Florida Election Lab. Pennsylvania can't process mail ballots until Election Day, so its count may be slow.