From Texas To Michigan, These Are The High-Stakes Races That Could Decide Who Controls Congress

Americans are voting Tuesday in midterm elections that could change the balance of power in Congress, with competitive races stretching from the suburbs of Virginia and Pennsylvania to Texas, Michigan and the Midwest.

The first polls close at 6 p.m. Eastern in parts of Kentucky and Indiana, offering an early look at how the parties are performing. As results arrive through the evening, attention will turn to Republican-held House seats, closely contested Senate races and states where Democrats are seeking to make gains in traditionally conservative territory.

Republicans are defending several districts President Donald Trump carried in 2024, while Democrats are trying to win enough seats to shift control of Congress. Here are the contests worth watching as polls close across the country.

Kentucky's 6th Congressional District could provide one of the first competitive results. Republican Ralph Alvarado faces Democrat Zach Dembo for the seat being vacated by Rep. Andy Barr.

Trump won the Lexington-area district by approximately 15 percentage points in 2024, but the contest is now rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. Kentucky's polls close at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern, depending on location.

Virginia follows at 7 p.m., with three Republican incumbents facing competitive challenges. In the 2nd Congressional District, Rep. Jen Kiggans is up against former Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria in a rematch in a district Trump won by just 0.2 percentage points.

Republican Rep. Rob Wittman faces Democrat Shannon Taylor in the 1st District, while former Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello is challenging Rep. John McGuire in the 5th. The Wittman-Taylor contest is rated a toss-up, making it another early race to follow.

Florida, where polls close between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., has two closely contested House races. Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor faces Republican Mike Beltran in the Tampa-area 14th District, while Democrat Pia Dandiya is running against Republican Casey Askar for an open seat in South Florida's 22nd District.

Both contests are rated toss-ups. Republican incumbents Anna Paulina Luna and María Elvira Salazar are also defending seats in districts where Democrats are hoping to make gains.

At 7:30 p.m., North Carolina and Ohio enter the picture. Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper faces Republican Michael Whatley in North Carolina's Senate race, while Democratic Rep. Don Davis is fighting to retain his seat in the redrawn 1st Congressional District against Republican Laurie Buckhout.

Ohio has two major statewide contests: former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown against Republican Sen. John Husted, and Democrat Amy Acton against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor's race.

The Brown-Husted race is rated a toss-up. Democrats are also targeting Republican Rep. Max Miller in Ohio's 7th Congressional District, where he faces Brian Poindexter.

Pennsylvania's polls close at 8 p.m. Eastern, bringing four closely watched Republican-held House seats into focus. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan Jr. and Scott Perry all face Democratic challengers in a state Trump won in 2024.

Fitzpatrick faces Bob Harvie in the 1st District, while Mackenzie is running against Bob Brooks in the 7th. Bresnahan is challenged by Paige Cognetti in the 8th District, and Perry faces Janelle Stelson in the 10th. With the House narrowly divided, the Pennsylvania contests could be particularly consequential.

Maine's Senate race is another major contest. Republican Sen. Susan Collins, seeking a sixth term, faces Democrat Troy Jackson in a state that voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024.

Collins has repeatedly won reelection despite Maine's Democratic lean in presidential contests. The state's 2nd Congressional District is also competitive, with former Republican Gov. Paul LePage facing Democrat Matthew Dunlap for the seat being vacated by Rep. Jared Golden.

Polls begin closing at 8 p.m. in Michigan and Texas, with remaining locations closing at 9 p.m. Michigan's Senate contest pits Democrat Abdul El-Sayed against Republican Mike Rogers. The state also has three competitive House races, including Republican Rep. Tom Barrett's contest against Democrat William Lawrence in the 7th District.

Rep. Bill Huizenga faces Democrat Sean McCann in the 4th District, while Democrat Christina Hines and Republican Mike Bouchard are competing for an open seat in the 10th.

Texas has one of the most closely watched Senate races, with Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton facing Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.

No Democrat has won statewide office in Texas since 1994, but the Senate race is rated a toss-up. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott also faces a challenge from Democrat Gina Hinojosa.

The state's congressional contests include Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz against Democrat Bobby Pulido in the 15th District and Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez against Republican Eric Flores in the 34th. Both districts include significant Latino populations and have attracted attention following changes to Texas' congressional boundaries.

Iowa's polls close at 9 p.m. Eastern, with Republican Sen. Ashley Hinson facing Democrat Josh Turek and Democrat Rob Sand running against Republican Zach Lahn for governor.

The state's House contests include Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks against Democrat Christina Bohannan in the 1st District and Rep. Zach Nunn against Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott in the 3rd.

Iowa has voted Republican in recent presidential elections, but the impact of tariffs and higher fuel prices on its agricultural economy has become an issue in this year's campaigns.

Arizona's polls also close at 9 p.m. Eastern, although results are not expected to be released until 10 p.m.

Democrat Amish Shah faces Republican Jay Feely in the 1st Congressional District, while Democratic challenger JoAnna Mendoza is running against Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani in the Tucson-area 6th District.

Another contest to watch is the 2nd District, where Republican Rep. Eli Crane faces Democrat Jonathan Nez, a former president of the Navajo Nation.

Election-night results may take hours or longer to become clear. The Associated Press makes race calls only when its analysis shows that trailing candidates have no remaining path to victory.

Florida counted roughly 90% of its votes by shortly after 8 p.m. Eastern in 2024, while Michigan did not reach that point until early the following morning. Maine can take considerably longer, particularly when ranked-choice voting requires additional rounds of tabulation.