Midterms enter final stretch with control of Congress on the line

(NewsNation) — Labor Day traditionally marks the unofficial kickoff of campaign season, but with control of Congress at stake and the first mail-in ballots heading to voters, the 2026 midterm elections are already entering their final stretch. The election is shaping up to be the most expensive midterm election in history. With 57 days remaining until Election Day, Democrats are pushing to wrangle control of Congress from Republicans. Decision Desk HQ's latest congressional forecast gives Democrats a 67% chance of winning control of the House, while Republicans remain narrowly favored to retain the Senate. Republicans currently control the Senate, where a 50-50 split after the election would leave Vice President JD Vance able to cast tie-breaking votes. The political environment has increasingly been shaped by dissatisfaction with the direction of the country and concerns about the economy as President Donald Trump's approval ratings hover near the lowest levels of his political career. Trump has hit 33% approval in two recent polls, while the latest Decision Desk HQ polling average puts him just under 40%. Fewer than four in 10 Americans also say the country is on the right track. The president, who is not on the ballot, has nevertheless put himself at the center of the Republican campaign. He has argued Republican candidates have a good record to run on and encouraged them to highlight it. 'All you have to do is talk about it and you're going to win and you're going to win big,' Trump said during a press conference last week. 'Whether you're a good president or a great president, you always lose the midterm, but we're going to turn that around,' he said. Trump has said he plans to campaign for GOP candidates and has urged Republicans to emphasize his administration's record on taxes, investment and other economic policies. But Democrats are also making Trump a central figure in their campaigns, particularly in competitive districts where they are trying to tie Republican candidates to the president by highlighting the cost of living, tariffs and the economic fallout from the war with Iran. They are also raising questions about the Trump administration and the president's business interests, honing in on the massive wealth Trump and his family have accumulated since his return to office. Democrats have accused Trump administration officials of corruption, which could offer a preview of what they may focus on if they regain control of Congress.