US midterms: 4 days to go – What the polls say as Trump cancels two rallies - Al Jazeera

US Midterms 2026 Latest: Blue streaks ahead?

With four days to go before the United States midterm elections, Democrats are leading national polls as both parties make their final push for votes.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has reversed his decision to cancel campaign rallies in Kansas and Iowa, while a legal dispute threatens to delay the Senate result in Alaska.

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Here’s what you need to know.

What do the latest polls say?

Democrats lead Republicans by 51.4 percent to 43.2 percent, according to RealClearPolling, with a difference of 8.2 percentage points.

Charles Franklin, professor of law and public policy and director of the Marquette Law School Poll, said Trump’s declining approval ratings and economic concerns are alarming Republicans.

A Marquette Law School poll conducted in Wisconsin from October 14 to 22 found that 37 percent approved of Trump’s performance, while 61 percent disapproved.

The poll also found that only 16 percent of respondents felt better off financially than a year ago, compared with 42 percent who said they were worse off. Another 42 percent said their situation had not changed.

“Democrats are more enthusiastic and more certain they will vote,” Franklin told Al Jazeera.

“That is giving Democrats an important edge, and reflects Republican disappointment in current national conditions.”

In Arizona, where voters face rising living costs, a retiree told Al Jazeera that grocery prices had become a major concern.

“We’re retired, and every time we go to the grocery store, it makes me wonder what the heck is going on,” the voter said.

In Texas, Democrat James Talarico leads Republican Ken Paxton by 49 percent to 43 percent, according to a CNN poll released on Thursday. In Michigan, the same pollster suggested Democrat Abdul El-Sayed was ahead of Republican Mike Rogers, 49 percent to 42 percent.

However, Franklin warned: “Polls are not perfect predictions of outcomes.

“We could see those close races go either way, either due to polling errors or due to voters moving just a little more in one direction or the other.”

In Alaska, there is also a complication: a legal dispute that could delay the result of a Senate race.

What is happening in Alaska’s Senate race?

The battle for Alaska’s seat could continue in court after voting closes on November 3. The dispute centres on two candidates named Dan Sullivan: the incumbent Republican senator and an independent candidate with the same name, who is also registered as a Republican.

Trump has accused Democrats of recruiting an independent candidate to confuse voters and take support away from the Republican senator.

“It was a scheme. It was an election fraud. Total election fraud,” Trump said.

The Department of Justice has taken legal action over the dispute, while Alaska Democratic candidate Mary Peltola denied the accusations.

“I feel like this is yet another diversion from the issue that Alaskans want to talk about, which is affordability,” she said.

Al Jazeera’s US correspondent Alan Fisher said the dispute could have consequences beyond Alaska if the Senate’s control depends on the result.

“If this becomes the key seat in the battle for the Senate, we might not actually know who has control there for several days, maybe even weeks after November 3,” Fisher said.

What has happened on the campaign trail in the past 24 hours?

Trump travelled to South Carolina to campaign for Republican senator Darline Graham – sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham – who is running against Annie Andrews in a close race.

In Rock Hill, Trump encouraged voters to cast their ballots and cautioned his supporters not to take the election outcome for granted. Trump said Darline Graham was in the lead but that he still had to campaign there. “In politics you never know, right? So you got to get out and vote.”

He also addressed his supporters directly, asking the crowd to pretend that he was on the ballot.

“And I am on the ballot because all of these things that we’ve done, all of these incredible successes that we have,” he added.