By Matthew Lindeman, Staff Writer 

With less than a week to go in this year’s election cycle, campaigns all across the country are heating up as the nation braces for election day. Citizens across the country will go to polls to decide control of Congress, as well as state governments, including governors. 

In Ohio’s Senate race, former Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown is challenging incumbent Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed to the seat when JD Vance was elected Vice President. Brown, who lost his 2024 reelection bid, has sought to tie Husted to data centers, a controversial topic in Ohio, as well as receiving money from donors connected to Jefferey Epstein.  

Meanwhile, Husted has sought to portray Brown as out of touch. According to political website 270toWin, Brown has an average lead of four points in recent polls. Interestingly, a September poll by Bowling Green State University found that 25% of Ohio voters believed Sherrod Brown is the incumbent senator, a fact that Husted has sought to exploit.  

In Ohio’s gubernatorial election, Democrat and former State Health Director Amy Acton and Republican entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are facing off in a campaign dominated by negative advertising. Acton has sought to portray Ramaswamy as out of touch, bringing attention to his various flights on private jets to campaign events in Ohio. Ramaswamy has been bringing attention to Acton’s tenure as the State Health Director during the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to portraying her as mentally unstable. His campaign has garnered controversy in a widely condemned ad with Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, who claims that Acton has lied about her childhood. Acton and Arthur have been estranged ever since Acton was raped by her stepfather and removed from Arthur’s home. 270toWin currently has Acton with a roughly three-point lead in the polls.  

Among the states where Democrats think they have the best chance at flipping a Senate seat is North Carolina, where former Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper is challenging Michael Whatley, former Republican party chair. Despite the state’s competitiveness, Democrats have not won a Senate seat in North Carolina since 2008, yet according to 270toWin, Cooper has been consistently averaging a ten-point lead in various polls. 

In Maine, Democrats see a prime opportunity to pick off incumbent Senator Susan Collins. Collins, a moderate Republican who tends to overperform in the reliably blue state, is being challenged by former president of the Maine Senate, Democrat Troy Jackson. Jackson became the nominee after original nominee Graham Platner dropped out in the aftermath of a series of scandals. 270toWin currently has Jackson averaging a roughly two-point lead in the polls. Should he win, Jackson would be the first Democrat to represent Maine in the Senate since 1988. 

Democrats have been increasingly optimistic about winning Senate seats in historically Republican states. In Texas, according to 270toWin, Democrat state representative James Talarico currently has an average lead of roughly two points against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton, who beat the more moderate John Cornyn in the primary, has a number of scandals that have led to voters perceiving him as a lackluster candidate. 

In Alaska, former Democrat representative Mary Peltola is challenging incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola, a moderate Democrat, has garnered controversy regarding accusations of past comments she has made to aides, as well as aggressive behavior. The Trump administration has sought to block election certification if Peltola wins, arguing a second Republican named Dan Sullivan on the ballot could draw votes from the incumbent senator. Decision Desk HQ, another political website, currently has Peltola averaging a roughly two-point lead. 

For Republicans, one of the best chances for a pickup in the Senate is in Michigan, where former Republican representative Mike Rogers is facing the former Wayne County Health Director, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim elected to the Senate should he win, has faced attacks due to alleged extremism, as well as alleged connections with left-wing commentator Hasan Piker. Should Rogers win, he would be the first Republican to represent Michigan in the Senate since 1994. According to 270toWin, El-Sayed currently has an average lead of roughly three points.