WASHINGTON — Five days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, Democrats are waging an expansive offensive across dozens of congressional battlegrounds, aiming to erase Republicans’ narrow 218-214 House majority and expand their path to power, according to campaign tracking data reported by NPR.
An NPR analysis found that both major parties are spending at least six figures each in 70 competitive congressional districts during the final stretch of the campaign. The spending surge spans traditional swing regions as well as districts that supported President Donald Trump by substantial margins two years ago. The most heavily funded races include Michigan’s 7th District and North Carolina’s 1st District, where planned advertising outlays have each exceeded $12 million, NPR reported.
Expanding map strains Republican defenses
The latest ratings from the Cook Political Report show Democrats favored in 220 seats, while 17 districts remain rated as toss-ups and 30 lean toward Republicans, NPR reported. A generic congressional ballot polling average compiled by RealClearPolling showed Democrats leading Republicans by 51.4 percent to 43.2 percent nationally, Al Jazeera reported, while a separate NPR/PBS News/Marist poll recorded an eight-point Democratic advantage among likely voters.
Because Democrats need a net gain of only three seats to take control of the House of Representatives, the widened battlefield has forced Republican strategists to make triage decisions. In recent weeks, Republicans have cut back advertising reservations in several districts that had narrowly divided outcomes in 2024, including those represented by Democratic Reps. Adam Gray of California, Nellie Pou of New Jersey and Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez of Washington, along with the seat of retiring Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, according to AdImpact data cited by NPR.
Cost of living remains the primary issue influencing voters, amid concerns over tariffs, elevated gasoline prices and the ongoing war in Iran, NPR and Al Jazeera reported. While Republican strategists point to economic anxiety to rally their base, Democrats have framed the election as an opportunity to place a constitutional check on the Trump administration’s agenda, Al Jazeera reported.
Milestones sought among women nominees
Democratic organizers also hope the political environment will help establish new records for female representation in federal and state offices. ABC News reported that 198 Democratic women are on general election ballots for the House, with the political action committee Elect Democratic Women attempting to lift the total number of Democratic women in the chamber past 100 for the first time, up from 95 voting members today.
“Finding Republican women who want to run” is the main challenge rather than the party’s support structure, Sarah Chamberlain, chief executive of the Republican Main Street Partnership, told ABC News, adding that “some [Republican] women and a whole lot of men are going to lose their seats” if polling holds.
Redistricting has added volatility to several House contests. Following a Supreme Court ruling that further rolled back sections of the Voting Rights Act, mid-decade map changes enacted by state legislatures altered boundaries in Ohio, North Carolina, Alabama and Florida, NPR reported.
High turnout ahead of Election Day
Voters have already cast more than 34 million ballots nationwide through early in-person voting and mail balloting, according to figures compiled by the University of Florida’s Election Lab and reported by The Boston Globe. More than 16 million of the roughly 60 million requested mail ballots had been returned as of Tuesday.
While state and local election administrators reported smooth operations during early voting, legal maneuvering over voting procedures and post-election certification has already begun. The Justice Department recently filed a lawsuit seeking to delay certification in Alaska’s Senate race if the Republican incumbent is defeated, while a federal judge in California dismissed a Justice Department attempt to challenge the eligibility of 20,000 registered voters, The Boston Globe reported.
With polls opening Tuesday across all 435 congressional districts, the final balance of power will determine whether Republicans retain full legislative control in Washington or whether a Democratic House majority emerges to block the administration’s policy proposals and launch committee oversight.
