Race for Congress: who's winning?
The gist
Polls show Democrats leading the generic congressional ballot by 12 points before the midterms.
The results will decide which party controls Congress for the rest of Trump's term.
How it unfolded
- Sep 22, 2026A Marist Poll of Iowa registered voters shows Democrat Josh Turek leading Republican Ashley Hinson 50% to 42% in the U.S. Senate race; on the generic congressional ballot, 50% favor the Democrat over the Republican (45%).
- Sep 23, 2026An NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll shows Democrats hold a 12-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot; 45% of voters describe their congressional vote as mostly a vote against Trump versus 24% a vote for Trump.
- Sep 23, 2026PBS News reports 53% of registered voters say they would vote for Democratic candidates if the election were today, while 41% prefer Republicans; independents favor Democrats by 25 points.