Midterm Elections 2026: Key races to watch

It is time for you to cast your vote. Your vote will count in this midterm election, a crucial midterm election, with the stakes in Michigan very high and across the country as we talk about the balance of power in our Congress. VoteBeat reporter Haley Harding is here to break down some of the key races. First of all, Haley, how are you? I'm doing great. How are you today? How big is it? I'm doing very well. Very well. Exciting day here at the newsroom. You know how it gets buzzing on a day like today. Of course. How big is this day for you, and what are some of the big races you're watching? Yeah, you know, I think this is a big day for every Michigan voter. I myself am a Detroit voter. I cast my ballot early as 2.4 million other Michiganders have done. But I think this is a really exciting time for us all. I think the biggest race is obviously the Senate race is the one that everybody's talking about. But we're really having a potential for A real power shift here in Michigan. The governor's race is up, the attorney general, the secretary of state, right? The entire state legislature is up for grabs right now. So I think, you know, there's a lot happening and I think this is why it's so important that people get out and vote. Haley, I jumped right in there and I gave you intro, vote beat reporter. But for someone who's never heard of VoteBeat, explain what your organization is and does. Yeah, so we are a nonpartisan nonprofit newsroom. We write about voting and elections. So I write primarily about voting rights, right? How those ballots get cast. I don't necessarily spend as much time reporting on the horse race element, the who's ahead in the polls, as much as I spend time reporting on how are you able to cast your ballot? What happens when something goes wrong? How is that fixed? That's my job. All right, and talk about when people say, a lot of people are saying nonpartisan, how important that is, and explain what that means to you. Yeah, well, to me personally, nonpartisan means I do not have a political affiliation, right? The work I do personally does not, it transcends party lines. I talk to Democrats, I talk to Republicans, I talk to people. Of all party affiliations, right? And I think that really helps me connect with voters because, you know, not a ton of folks fall strictly in one party's category, right? A lot of folks are comfortable, you know, going in between the two. And I think, you know, it's so important that when we have a conversation about our politics and our elections that we're able to talk to everybody. All right, now, of course, the biggest race people are talking about is the Senate race here in Michigan. The whole country, if not the world, is talking about that. How close is this race between these two gentlemen? You know, I do think that polls have shown that Abdul El-Sayed does have a lead. But the thing about Michigan is that truly anything can happen, right? There are so many votes still left to be cast, right? We have another seven and a half hours of voting today, right? So there are so many people who have not yet cast their ballot who will still. So I think, you know, while polls say one thing, you can never rely too heavily on them. You know, you need to be prepared for Anything, anything can happen, and it's ultimately up to the voters to decide. Mike Rogers on your right screen, a screen left, Abdul El-Sayed. It's one of the big races, but let's focus down in Michigan. The governor's race is pretty big as well, Jocelyn Benson as well. Talk about that race. Yeah, so that one is of course between Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and US Representative John James. Benson has recused herself from the most rigorous parts of running the election because she didn't want there to be an accusation that she was in some way rigging the election as there has been in the past, unfounded accusations like that. And I think the thing there is John James has really set himself up as an advocate for the president, as someone who is really willing to stand by the president and support him. And I think for some voters, that'll really be a selling point. And for other voters, some folks just aren't happy with the president right now. Gas prices are expensive, groceries are expensive. And a lot of voters I've talked to today, they are holding the president responsible for that. All right, everybody has to go to the polls today. Where can people find more information from you, Haley? From me personally, you can go to votebeat.org. And if you have other questions about elections, the state of Michigan has a wonderful, it's called the Michigan Voter Information Center. That's where you can find everything else. And we put links to all of that at Fox Two's website, Fox Local. You'll find us as well, everything you need. Haley, thanks for your time. We appreciate it. Get out and vote everybody and stick with us for the rest of the day. We'll keep you up on your complete vote coverage. That is, of course, right here on Fox Two and online Fox Local. We'll be right back.