According to RealClearPolling, Democrats are leading Republicans by 51.4 percent to 43.2 percent, giving them an 8.2 percentage-point advantage in national polling.
Charles Franklin, professor of law and public policy and director of the Marquette Law School Poll in the US, said declining approval ratings for President Donald Trump and growing concerns about the economy were creating difficulties for Republicans.
The latest Marquette Law School poll, conducted in Wisconsin between October 14 and October 22 and released on October 28, showed Trump's approval rating at 37 percent, while 61 percent of respondents disapproved of his performance.
The survey also highlighted concerns about household finances. Only 16 percent of respondents said they were financially better off than a year earlier, while 42 percent said their financial situation had worsened. Another 42 percent reported that their circumstances remained unchanged.
Franklin told Al Jazeera that Democrats appeared more motivated to participate in the elections.
"Democrats are more enthusiastic and more certain they will vote," Franklin said.
He added that this enthusiasm was giving Democrats an important advantage and reflected Republican voters' disappointment with the country's current conditions.
Rising living expenses are also emerging as a major concern among voters in several states. In Arizona, a retired voter told Al Jazeera that increasing grocery bills had become particularly difficult to manage.
"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 is polling at 49 percent against Republican Ken Paxton's 43 percent, according to a CNN survey released on Thursday. The same pollster found Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leading Republican Mike Rogers by 49 percent to 42 percent in Michigan.
However, Franklin cautioned against treating polling figures as definitive predictions of election results.
"Polls are not perfect predictions of outcomes," he said.
He warned that closely contested races could go either way because of polling errors or small shifts in voter preferences.
While Democrats are leading nationally, a legal dispute in Alaska has introduced another complication into the battle for control of the Senate.
The state's Senate race could remain entangled in court proceedings even after voting concludes on November 3. The controversy 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.
President Trump has accused Democrats of recruiting the independent candidate to confuse voters and divert support away from the incumbent Republican senator.
"It was a scheme. It was an election fraud. Total election fraud," Trump said.
The US Justice Department has taken legal action over the dispute, while Democrat Mary Peltola has rejected 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 legal dispute could have implications beyond Alaska if the state's Senate seat determines which party controls the chamber.
"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.
Meanwhile, Trump has continued campaigning for Republican candidates in closely contested races. He travelled to South Carolina to support Republican senator Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, who is contesting a closely fought race against Annie Andrews.
Addressing voters in Rock Hill, Trump urged supporters to turn out and warned them against assuming that the election outcome was already decided.
He claimed Graham was leading but said he still needed to campaign in the state.
"In politics you never know, right? So you got to get out and vote," Trump said.
Trump also asked supporters to imagine that he himself was on the ballot, seeking to connect the Republican candidates' electoral prospects with his own political standing.
"And I am on the ballot because all of these things that w..."
In Texas, Vice President JD Vance joined Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton at a campaign rally in Weatherford, near Dallas, as Republicans urged supporters to vote.
"Texas ain't surrendering. Texas is not becoming California. It's going to stay Texas, ain't that right?" Vance told the crowd.
Democratic leaders have also stepped up their campaign activities ahead of Election Day.
On Wednesday, former President Barack Obama visited Georgia to campaign for Senator Jon Ossoff. During his speech, Obama criticised Trump's handling of the economy and his approach to the war with Iran.
Asked by Al Jazeera about Obama's visit, Ossoff's Republican opponent, Mike Collins, described it as a sign of weakness in the Democratic campaign.
"It shows the desperation of Jon Ossoff because he knows he's losing," Collins said.
He added, "If he was winning so big, he wouldn't have brought anybody in."
Democrats continued their campaign activities in Texas and Georgia on Thursday. In Dallas, Senate candidate James Talarico organised a rally as part of his final campaign tour.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris also joined Ossoff at Clark Atlanta University, where she urged young voters to participate in the elections.
New - Finel CNN Senate polls 🔵 Texas - Talarico +6 🔵 Michigan - El-Sayed +7 🔵 Kansas - Hamilton +4 🔵 Maine - Jackson +4
— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) October 30, 2026
Harris subsequently campaigned in Macon, Georgia, criticising the Trump administration over rising living costs.
"We have a moment now to turn pain into purpose," Harris told Democratic volunteers.
She also encouraged supporters to participate in local and statewide elections, highlighting the importance of contests beyond the national Senate and House races.
Later, addressing students at Clark Atlanta University, Harris urged them to remain politically engaged.
"Don't overlook those races, because those are the folks who make decisions about your life every day," she said.
As the final campaign period approaches, Trump has announced changes to his planned appearances in Kansas and Iowa. He has cancelled his scheduled weekend visits to both states and will instead conduct telephone rallies across nearly 20 states during the final days before Tuesday's elections.
Trump was originally scheduled to appear in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday.
Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said the revised campaign strategy would allow Trump to reach more voters than he could through in-person appearances.
Former VP Kamala Harris addresses Gen Z voters while campaigning for U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff (D-GA): "This is the moment where we turn that anger into action...You have everything at stake and you have a right to weigh in and tell people what you want." https://t.co/23tpgMbwPP
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 29, 2026
"Voters across the country want to hear from President Trump before Election Day, and this 72-hour sprint will be a huge boost in the closing days," Gruters said.
Responding to questions about the cancellations on Thursday, Trump questioned whether a visit to Kansas was necessary. Republican Senator Roger Marshall is facing Democrat Adam Hamilton in the state.
"I don't feel I have to go to Kansas," Trump said.
When a Reuters reporter asked whether the decision was connected to fatigue from travelling, Trump dismissed the suggestion.
"I feel perfect," he said before insulting the reporter.
With national polling favouring Democrats, economic concerns shaping voter sentiment and several key Senate contests remaining closely fought, the final days of campaigning could prove decisive. The legal battle over Alaska's Senate race adds further uncertainty, raising the possibility that the balance of power in the Senate may remain unresolved even after voters cast their ballots on November 3.
About The Author
Comment List