The ‘Armageddon’ election

Americans are voting in the 3 November 2026 midterm elections, with control of Congress at stake. Former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe has called the vote the “Armageddon of all elections”, arguing that Democrats could win the House and Senate seats once thought out of reach. His description conveys the stakes as he sees them; the results remain to be decided by voters and counted by election officials.

The outcome will determine how much room President Donald Trump has to pursue his agenda through Congress during the rest of his term. It may also shape both parties’ arguments about their direction ahead of the 2028 presidential election. Coverage of the election has pointed to Republican concern about retaining congressional control and to questions about the strength of Trump’s voter coalition, but those assessments are forecasts rather than results.