Trump Returns to Ohio as Senate Race Remains a Dead Heat

With six days separating the nation from the midterms, President Donald Trump is back in Ohio. The Republican Party leans heavily on his mobilizing force and cultural flashpoints as they scramble to retain a state that once sat safely in their column.

A fresh Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll reveals a dead heat between incumbent Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, and former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. Released Wednesday, the survey of 500 likely voters conducted from Oct. 21 to 26 shows Brown holding a slim 3-point advantage. He commands 47% of the vote to Husted’s 44%. The remaining 3% back other contenders, while 4% sit on the fence.

These numbers fall within the plus or minus 4.4 percentage point margin of error. That tightness makes voter turnout the deciding factor in the final week. This contest could tip the balance of power in a narrowly divided Senate. The gap mirrors Suffolk’s September findings. Fox News Power Rankings now classify the race as a Lean Democrat, marking a shift from its previous toss-up status.

The margin shrinks further in the Portage County bellwether. There, Brown edges out Husted 49% to 48%. That sub-state sample of 300 voters carries a wider margin of error, plus or minus 5.6 points.

In Georgia, the fight over infrastructure and economic policy heats up. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., shared details of a private conversation with Trump following the president’s rally in Perry. During that event, Trump announced a $4.2 billion investment by German automaker Audi. Collins, a trucking company owner challenging Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., described a president eager for direct feedback. He relayed observations from meeting with rally attendees to shape Georgia’s infrastructure plans for the multibillion-dollar manufacturing push. This Senate seat stands as a critical battleground for controlling the upper chamber.

Across the Midwest, Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, rejects the polling data in his reelection bid. With one week remaining, he frames his campaign in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District as a continuation of "pragmatism" and results. Speaking from Urbandale, Nunn highlighted the privilege of serving in one of America’s most competitive districts. He works hard to rally Republicans around his independence and record of accomplishment.

Fox News Power Rankings list Iowa-3 as a Lean Democrat. Nunn dismisses those numbers. He points to a track record of winning Democratic-held seats. "We won every race we’ve gone in, and most of those races have been in Democrat incumbent seats," he said. "So I'm excited about this. We're not going to count any poll. We're going to count with the voters, say, on Election Day, and we can already feel the energies behind us on this."

The former Air Force officer and state legislator seeks a third term against a Democratic state senator. The stakes remain high for both parties as they court undecided voters in these pivotal districts.

Sarah Trone Garriott covers the district encompassing Des Moines and its surrounding rural communities. Despite national political tides shifting, this area has stayed a stubborn battleground for years.

In California, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is drawing a hard line against the state's current trajectory. He appeared on "Fox & Friends" to warn that the Democratic Socialists of America could soon take over California. Hilton also took aim at the state's homeless population and the drug crisis, arguing these issues prove current policies are failing residents. He blasted his opponent, Democratic nominee Xavier Becerra, for his record. Hilton insists urgent leadership reform is necessary right now. Fox News' Power Rankings currently rate the California race as a Solid Democrat hold. Arianna Bertolotti contributed to this reporting.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is framing the upcoming midterms as a direct challenge to President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran. Schumer argues that voters will decide next Tuesday whether to stop what he calls a disastrous war. In a statement Wednesday, Schumer accused Trump and his ego of leading the country into conflict without a plan, authority, or exit strategy. He vowed Democrats would stop Trump’s effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, while also forcing an end to the Strait of Hormuz blockade. Schumer believes this blockade is part of Iran's designs to control oil shipping.

"For eight months, American families have been buried by the heavy cost of Trump’s disastrous war in Iran," Schumer wrote. "Twenty-one servicemembers have died and hundreds more have been wounded."

He added that prices are skyrocketing while families struggle to make ends meet. Schumer claimed Republicans look the other way despite Democrats offering fourteen chances to hold Trump accountable. He described the situation as one where costs, chaos, and corruption are seeping out of the White House.

In Minnesota, the race between Republican Senate nominee Michele Tafoya and Democratic Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan is heating up. Tafoya sharpened her attack on Wednesday, arguing that billion-dollar fraud scandals occurred under the joint administration of Flanagan and Gov. Tim Walz. Speaking to Steve Doocy during his daily midterm diner tour, Tafoya rejected any notion that Flanagan can distance herself from the state's issues.

"Peggy Flanagan has been attached to Tim Walz from day one, when they were sworn in together, it was the Walz-Flanagan administration," Tafoya said. "We’re going to do everything together so she cannot cherry-pick what she’s responsible for and what she is not."

Tafoya was blunt about the consequences of that oversight. "This fraud happened under her watch. You don't get a promotion when that happens, you get a pink slip." She corrected Doocy when he described the fraud as involving "hundreds of millions," insisting the scale reached into the billions. Tafoya painted the race as a stark choice between Flanagan’s record and the change voters seek. She noted that while the state faced historic fraud, schools deteriorated, and crime rose. For Tafoya, the answer for voters is simple.

Six days from now, we’ll see where Minnesota stands." That is the stakes. But in Florida, the political ground shifted violently on Monday. A simple question about Cuba’s government status turned into a firestorm for the Democratic Party. Angie Nixon, the party’s Senate nominee, gave an answer that forced her own colleagues into a frantic scramble to clarify their positions just days before the midterms.

In a CBS News interview that aired Monday, Nixon faced a direct inquiry: does she view Cuba as a dictatorship? Her response was evasive. “That is what people have told me. I have never been to Cuba, and so I will have to take their word for it.” She went further, criticizing the “decades-long failed embargo” and urging a return to the engagement policies championed during the Obama administration.

Nixon, a state representative affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, pushed back later. She accused CBS of misrepresenting her answer, claiming they framed her words as a refusal to label Cuba a dictatorship. But the damage was already done. Incumbent Senator Ashley Moody, the Republican facing Nixon, said the comments came as no shock.

Speaking from a campaign stop in Florida on Tuesday, Moody argued that failing to identify a communist regime and its dictator should be disqualifying for a candidate. “That’s exactly why I’m running,” she stated. She emphasized the need for leaders tethered to the nation’s founding principles and an understanding of freedom. Moody and her allies linked this moment to Nixon’s past vote against a Florida law mandating schools teach the dangers of communism.

The reaction from other Florida Democrats was swift and pointed. Cuban-American voters are a decisive bloc in the state, so candidates in tight races spent Tuesday reaffirming what most Floridians consider settled fact. Almost none named Nixon directly in their statements, but the message was clear.

Representative Darren Soto, D-Fla., declared that Cuba is “absolutely a dictatorship.” He highlighted his work on communications access for opposition groups and protecting Florida radio stations from Cuban interference. “From diplomacy to sanctions, parole to exposing human rights violations and more, we stand with Cubans in their fight to bring democracy back to the island,” Soto said.

Representative Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., was even more blunt. “Cuba is a dictatorship,” he stated. “Full Stop.” He detailed how the regime has imprisoned dissidents, silenced dissent, and denied basic freedoms for generations. He argued that Cuban-American families deserve leaders who recognize their suffering and stand firmly with them, calling for the release of every political prisoner.

Kathy Castor’s campaign issued a statement saying she has been “exceedingly clear” that Cuba is a dictatorship. Her campaign noted she rejects socialism and stands with the Cuban people against oppressive authoritarian regimes. Other Democratic candidates echoed this sentiment in their own ways.

Pia Dandiya, a Democratic House nominee, said she “unequivocally condemns Cuba's brutal dictatorship.” She rejected socialism and communism, positioning herself against authoritarian regimes that oppress their own people. Bale Dalton, another Democratic House nominee, called Cuba a “communist dictatorship.” He argued that acknowledging anything less insults the countless Floridians who fled brutality and the Cuban people still enduring an authoritarian regime.

Eliott Rodriguez, challenging Representative María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., offered a nuanced take. While he agreed with Nixon on many issues, he insisted that “Cuba being a dictatorship is not a matter of opinion. It is a fact.” Phil Ehr, who is challenging Representative Carlos Giménez, R-Fla., found the situation “profoundly disturbing.” He declared he would “not stand behind Angie Nixon or defend her remarks.”

This controversy plays out against a tense backdrop in South Carolina. A New York Times/Siena College poll released Wednesday shows the Senate race there is effectively tied less than a week before Election Day. Incumbent Senator Darline Graham, R-S.C., appointed in July after the sudden death of her brother, longtime Senator...

The race for South Carolina’s Senate seat is tighter than anyone expected. Lindsey Graham leads Democratic challenger Annie Andrews by less than one percentage point among likely voters. This narrow margin turns a historically safe Republican stronghold into a genuine battleground. Turnout in the final days will decide next Tuesday’s outcome. Fox News’ Power Rankings recently noted that Republicans view this as an uncomfortably close contest. The state has shifted from "Likely R" to "Lean R." A survey of 707 voters conducted between Oct. 19 and 26 places the race within the margin of error. South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to the Senate this century. President Donald Trump carried the state by nearly 18 points in 2024. Graham was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster to finish his brother’s term. He later won the special Republican primary with strong backing from Trump.

Meanwhile, GOP Sen. Eric Schmitt argues that Democrats are "not proud" to be Americans. Speaking on "The Ingraham Angle," Schmitt assessed the Democratic Party’s midterm messaging. He claimed there is a lot on the line for Republicans. A recently released Gallup Poll supports his critique. It showed Republican voters prioritize patriotism. Democrats, by contrast, ranked it dead last among 12 issues.

In Florida, Democratic Sen.-nominee Angie Nixon faces backlash over comments regarding Cuba. She once questioned whether the island was a dictatorship. She has now admitted it might be one. Fox News contributor Joe Concha analyzed this ongoing scrutiny on Wednesday’s "Fox & Friends First."

President Trump accused the Iranian regime of stalling negotiations. He alleged Tehran is running out the clock to gain leverage after the midterm elections. "Simply a question when do I want to end it, and what I want to make a deal," Trump told reporters on an airport tarmac. He made these remarks last night after two campaign rally stops in Texas. "But they wanted to make a deal, but they like tapping it along. Maybe they're waiting for the election or something, but that's not going to help them. The election is not going to help."

Russian AI is hijacking real people’s identities to target Democratic Senate candidates. Coordinated disinformation videos, believed to be generated with artificial intelligence and traced to Russia, are smearing candidates in the critical final stretch. These operations deploy fabricated allegations in two high-stakes races. They weaponize the names and photos of unsuspecting private citizens to deceive voters before ballots are tallied.

In Ohio, a deceptive video stylized as a legitimate television newscast targeted Sherrod Brown. He is racing against incumbent Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio. The clip featured photos of former staff members, including former intern Haya Akbik. It falsely attributed explosive accusations to her. “It’s my name, it’s my reputation, making this allegation, and it’s just completely false,” Akbik told The Associated Press. She called the smear appalling. “And it harms the senator, someone else, in the process. So, it’s just messed up.” Akbik added that exploiting her likeness shows why lawmakers must rein in "AI slop on the internet." She warned that "this is so damaging." A similar attack surfaced in Texas aimed at James Talarico. He is challenging Sen. Ken Paxton, R-Texas.

Lubbock, Texas, is currently the epicenter of a Senate race that nobody saw coming. The state, long held by Republicans, has suddenly become a battleground where every vote matters. Three college roommates at Texas Tech University embody this split. They share an apartment and classes, but their political views are worlds apart. One supports Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate who just rallied with President Donald Trump in town. Another leans toward James Talarico, the Democrat trying to break through decades of GOP dominance. Their differences highlight a broader tension in West Texas as the campaign heats up.

In the middle of this political storm, digital forensics experts have uncovered something unsettling. A video circulating online claimed to be a confessional from a former student of Talarico. It looked intimate, almost raw, like a direct-to-camera admission. But researchers say it is fake. Digital forensics specialists told the Associated Press that the clip bears unmistakable ties to Storm-1516. This is a well-known Russian disinformation network that ran sophisticated influence campaigns during the 2024 presidential election.

Hany Farid, a Dartmouth College professor and synthetic media expert, weighed in on the matter. He told the AP that another clip, allegedly from Brown University, was a "fairly low-tech fake." The Talarico confessional, however, appears to be generated by artificial intelligence. Farid noted that this type of fabrication is consistent with previous disinformation campaigns released close to Election Day.

JT Ennis, a spokesperson for the Talarico campaign, pushed back hard against these findings. "The most powerful people in the world know they can’t beat James Talarico with the truth, so they’re slandering him with AI deepfakes, foreign bots, and conspiracy theories to protect their broken, corrupt political system," Ennis said. The accusation points to a deeper fear: that the tools of truth are being weaponized to protect a corrupt system.

While Texas fights over its Senate seat, the Federal Reserve is making a move that could ripple through every wallet in the country. The central bank is widely expected to hold benchmark interest rates steady on Wednesday afternoon. This pause comes just six days before the nationwide midterm elections. Investors have priced in a 90% probability that the Fed will leave the federal funds rate in the 3.75% to 4.00% range. The decision avoids an immediate election-eve shock, keeping the political spotlight on the Nov. 3 balloting that will decide control of both chambers of Congress.

But do not mistake this pause for relief. Market analysts and central bank watchers see Wednesday’s move as a tactical "skip." It is a breather before borrowing costs climb again. Inflation remains stuck at or above 3% annualized. That is above the central bank’s 2% target, though well below the average during the post-COVID Biden administration. Economists project as many as three additional rate increases stretching into mid-2027. For consumers, the pain of high borrowing costs is far from over.

In a twist that defies partisan logic, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has thrown her support behind a Democrat. She backs Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, and his nonpartisan running mate Zac Johnson, who seeks the lieutenant governorship. Murkowski’s endorsement is a stark break from her own party’s usual alignment. "Our future is too important to be hamstrung by partisan divisions," Murkowski said in a campaign press release. She praised Kreiss-Tomkins for understanding that governing requires listening to people with different perspectives. The senator emphasized the need for a serious conversation about Alaska’s fiscal future, focusing on energy costs and economic growth.

These three stories, from Texas to Washington to Alaska, reveal a common thread. Political actors are using every tool available, from AI deepfakes to strategic rate holds, to shape public perception. For communities, the risk is clear. When truth becomes malleable and economic policy is timed to political convenience, the public bears the cost. The stakes are high, and the lines between fact and fabrication are blurring.

The DOJ dropped a bombshell Monday. Investigators found more than 400 noncitizens illegally registered to vote in Washington state. Some of these individuals cast ballots in multiple elections stretching back decades. Neil Floyd, acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, called this discovery "only the tip of the iceberg." He insisted that over 400 noncitizens are currently on the rolls and have voted.

It is a messy situation. Many on that list hold green cards. They possess legal immigration status and permanent residency, according to the U.S. attorney’s offices for both Eastern and Western Washington districts. This distinction matters. It separates those with lawful presence from those entirely outside the system, yet the illegality of their voting remains the central issue.

Meanwhile, the national political mood is fractured. Fox News Power Rankings suggest a split electorate. One group is furious with President Donald Trump. They include growing numbers of independent, rural, and Hispanic voters ready to reject Republicans. The latest House polling backs this up. Democrats lead by 11 points on the generic ballot in recent surveys. Fox’s most recent national poll confirms this trend.

The other group is different. These voters are wavering on Republicans but unlikely to hand Democrats the Senate. They populate the Midwest and a few other battlegrounds. State-level preferences are razor-thin, often just a point or two in either direction. This disconnect is confusing. How can Democrats hold a wide House lead while the Senate remains tight? The maps are simply too different this year. The House districts and Senate races do not align.

In South Carolina, the GOP is tearing itself apart. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., is accusing President Trump of trying to force his hand-picked candidate on voters. Norman lost to Sen. Darline Graham in the runoff earlier this year. He told Fox News Digital he has no plans to help Graham in the final week before Election Day.

"THE VOTERS IN S.C. ARE NOT BUYING THE ARGUMENT THAT EVERYONE HAS TO ‘SETTLE’ FOR A CANDIDATE THAT HAS BEEN PROPPED UP BY SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS AND A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPREADING FALSE NARRATIVES ABOUT WHY DARLENE [sic] GRAHAM IS QUALIFIED TO BE ELECTED TO THE U.S. SENATE FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS," Norman wrote in all capital letters.

He characterized the general election as an attempt to "force" a candidate on South Carolina voters. The tension is palpable. Trump has endorsed Bernadette Wilson in the ranked-choice voting contest, adding another layer of complexity to a race already defined by internal conflict.

Supporters of Jonathan and Zac argue they are the unifying force. One supporter stated, "I encourage Alaskans of every political stripe, whether Republicans, independents, or Democrats, to take a close look at Jonathan and Zac. Alaska needs leaders who will put our state first, and I’m proud to support them." This candidate believes Jonathan is committed to solutions serving all Alaskans, regardless of party affiliation.

The stakes are high. Federal directives on voter registration are impacting communities directly. The DOJ's findings in Washington state highlight a regulatory gap that has persisted for decades. Whether these actions deter illegal voting or fuel partisan anger remains an open question. Voters in swing states are watching closely. They see the House polls, the Senate maps, and the infighting in statehouses. The outcome will depend on which narrative holds more weight in the final days.

Vice President JD Vance stood in Howell, Michigan, and declared the upcoming Senate race "the most important election in the United States of America." He is betting everything on this single contest. The stakes are high. Republicans are fighting to keep the seat currently targeted by Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. Vance framed the matchup against Republican Mike Rogers as a "clash of competing visions." He wants voters to reject what he labeled the "far left" and embrace GOP policies instead.

This rally happens while President Donald Trump gets ready to hit the trail in Ohio. That state was a comfortable win for Republicans in 2024, yet they are now treating it like a critical battleground. The strategy is clear: lean hard on culture wars. Specifically, transgender issues. GOP campaigns and allied groups have poured an estimated $183 million into television ads focused on this topic, according to AdImpact data shared with The Associated Press.

Does that spending match what voters actually care about? Probably not. An October AP-NORC poll tells a different story. About 8 in 10 voters cited the economy or cost of living as a top issue. Only roughly 1 in 10 pointed to transgender issues. Voters are frustrated with high prices, rising fuel costs, and the war with Iran. They are looking at their wallets, not just their cultural grievances.

The final six days before Election Day will reveal if these cultural attacks can actually motivate enough people to show up. It is a test of whether partisan identity outweighs economic anxiety. It also tests whether voters still have confidence in Trump’s leadership. The numbers suggest a disconnect between the money being spent and the concerns driving the electorate.

A separate message from a South Carolina resident highlights the emotional toll on communities. "Regardless of the outcome, it didn’t have to be this way as the great people living in South Carolina deserve ‘better!!’" the individual noted. The sentiment captures a widespread frustration with the current political climate. "Elections have consequences," the message concluded.

This reporting draws from work by Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind and Alex Miller. The Associated Press also contributed to this story. Coverage included contributions from Bradford Betz, Rémy Numa, Elizabeth Elkind, Bonny Chu, Eric Mack, Alex Nitzberg, and Amanda Macias.