With two days to the United States midterm elections, Democratic and Republican leaders are making last-ditch efforts to woo voters, with the cost-of-living crisis, exacerbated by the US-Israel war on Iran, becoming one of the key talking points.
asserted
crisis → make → points
According to the latest survey, Democrats are still ahead of the Republicans, but several closely fought Senate races may decide which party ends up in control of the US Congress.
uncertain
party → accord → Congress
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it → shed → elections
On Sunday, President Donald Trump will be campaigning in Iowa and Kansas, while Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate who has faced an increased wave of Islamophobic attacks, will be holding events in Michigan.
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who → campaign → Michigan
What do the latest US midterm polls say?
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polls → say → What
Democrats continue to lead Republicans by 51.5 percent to 43.1 percent, according to the latest RealClearPolling average.
uncertain
Democrats → continue → average
A national THP/MM survey conducted on October 28 and 29 put Democrats ahead by 54 percent to 41 percent, while an Emerson College poll conducted from October 24 to 26 showed a 10-point Democratic lead.
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poll → conduct → lead
Natalie Jackson, a political analyst and pollster, told Al Jazeera that the results reflected public dissatisfaction with Trump and the economy.
“Polling shows an environment that is pretty favourable to the Democrats.
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that → tell → Democrats
The president is very unpopular, Americans feel the pinch of high costs, which are partly due to tariffs and the war in Iran, and the general sentiment is that Republicans did not deliver in the last two years.”
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Republicans → feel → years
In Kansas, a Washington Post-Schar School poll released on Friday suggested Democrat Adam Hamilton was leading against Republican Senator Roger Marshall by 52 percent to 43 percent.
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Hamilton → release → percent
But another Emerson College survey indicated a tighter race, with Hamilton ahead of Marshall by 50 percent to 47percent.
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Hamilton → indicate → 47percent
Doug Heye, a Republican strategist and former communications director for the Republican National Committee, questioned the nine-point lead of the Washington Post-Schar School survey.
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Heye → question → survey
“I don’t know how it plays out, but, you know, we saw an outlier poll in Iowa just two years ago that caused a lot of damage to the whole polling industry,” Heye said.
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Heye → know → industry
He was referring to a Des Moines Register poll published days before the 2024 presidential election that showed Kamala Harris leading Trump by three percentage points in Iowa.
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Harris → refer → Iowa
Trump went on to win the state by about 13 points, a difference of 16 points from the poll’s margin.
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Trump → go → margin
“A lot of Republicans just don’t want to answer calls from pollsters,” he added.
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he → want → pollsters
Jackson, the political analyst, also said polling might not accurately reflect the result of individual Senate contests.
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polling → say → contests
“In some individual races – particularly the close Senate races – we could see polling error that shifts the race in one direction or another,” she said.
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she → see → direction
“Pollsters have reported some potential issues with getting Republicans to answer polls.
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Republicans → report → polls
That might indicate that polls are underestimating Republicans, but we don’t know until the votes are counted.”
uncertain
votes → indicate → Republicans
What happened on the campaign trail in the past 24 hours?
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What → happen → hours
As the election nears, both parties are focusing their final campaign messages on the economy and the cost of living.
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parties → near → living
While Democrats have been focusing on affordability issues, Trump has been conducting telephone rallies for Republican candidates in closely contested races.
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Trump → focus → races
Heye said Republicans were struggling to convince voters that their economic policies would improve the situation in the country.
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policies → say → country
Asked whether Republicans had found a convincing closing message, he said: “No, they haven’t.
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they → ask → message
That’s a big part of their challenge.”
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That → ’ → challenge
The Republican strategist said candidates should focus on issues voters were raising, particularly the cost of energy, healthcare, groceries and other everyday expenses.
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voters → say → energy
“Families are making very real economic decisions; you have to address to them what you’re going to do to solve those problems,” Heye said.
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Heye → make → problems
Celinda Lake, a Democratic strategist and pollster working with El-Sayed’s campaign in Michigan, said Democrats were also facing questions about what they would deliver if they controlled Congress.
“The feelings about the Democrats are negative, too, which is very different from, say, 2018, when Democrats were positively perceived,” she said.
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she → work → 2018
Lake said while many voters were seeking change, they were still unsure what either of the parties would do.
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either → say → parties
Where will Trump, El-Sayed and other candidates campaign today?
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Trump → campaign → ?
Trump is scheduled to hold rallies in Iowa and Kansas on Sunday.
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Trump → schedule → Sunday
The president had initially cancelled both appearances before reversing his decision on Friday.
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president → cancel → Friday
In Iowa, in one of the contested Senate races, Trump will campaign with Republican US Representative Ashley, who faces Democrat Josh Turek.
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who → contest → Turek
In Kansas, Senator Marshall is also looking for re-election against Democrat Adam Hamilton in a tight contest.
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Marshall → look → contest
This state has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932, but rising farming costs and opposition to Trump’s immigration crackdown have made this race unexpectedly competitive.
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race → elect → crackdown
Heye said Trump should not have cancelled the appearances in the first place.
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Trump → say → place
“They never should have been cancelled to begin with,” he said.
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he → cancel → ?
“Whether they help or not, they certainly help Trump to show that I’m out there trying to do the things to get my people over the line.”
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I → help → line
Meanwhile, El-Sayed is scheduled to campaign in Detroit and Southfield, Michigan, as he seeks to defeat Republican Mike Rogers in the Senate race.
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he → schedule → race
…and 29 more, not listed.
The Aporia
