12 Days to the Midterms: Democrats Open 11-Point Lead as Voters Seek a Check on Trump

With 12 days until the November 3 midterm elections and early voting underway across the country, new national polling shows the political ground shifting toward Democrats as President Trump's standing slides.

Democrats lead by 11 in new poll

A New York Times/Siena poll released Wednesday found Democrats leading Republicans 52% to 41% among likely voters on the generic congressional ballot, the widest margin the poll has recorded this campaign. A separate NPR poll found a majority of Americans want the next Congress to act as a check on Trump, and that voters trust Democrats more on key issues. The findings follow a Reuters/Ipsos survey earlier this week putting the president's approval at a record-low 31%.

Trump on the trail

The president campaigned in North Carolina, where he clashed with hecklers in the crowd, calling them "losers," according to Al Jazeera. He has also campaigned for Republicans in South Carolina as the party works to protect seats in states it once considered safe.

Debates in key Senate and governor races

In Michigan, Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed met for their final U.S. Senate debate. In Kansas, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall debated Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, a pastor. In Minnesota, Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republican Lisa Demuth held their second debate in the race for governor. A CNN forecaster also shifted four governor's races toward Democrats.

Lawsuit over voter rolls

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries filed suit against the Trump administration over its handling of voter rolls ahead of the election, according to Fox News.

What is at stake

All 435 House seats and about a third of the Senate are on the ballot, along with governor's races in 36 states and legislative seats in nearly every state, Reuters reports. Democrats need to flip control of Congress to block the president's agenda for his final two years.

Sources: The New York Times, NPR, Reuters, Fox News, Al Jazeera, CNN. Images are AI-generated illustrations.