ROANOKE, Va. – On Tuesday, voters across the country will head to the polls. The results could shift the balance of power in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.
Republicans are hoping to take back control of Congress, while Democrats are vying to keep Capitol Hill.
While there aren’t many close races for Congress in Southwest Virginia, there are farther east and in several other states.
Republicans are likely to get the five seats needed to flip the House red. On the other hand, the Senate – which is split 50/50 – is not as certain.
“Both sides are looking particularly closely at the Senate because of confirmations: justices, ambassadors, cabinet members. All of these have to go through the Senate,” said 10 News political expert Dr. Ed Lynch.
Lynch said tight races to watch are in Nevada, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden and former presidents Barrack Obama and Donald Trump campaigned in the Keystone State this weekend.
This week, Biden’s approval rating fell to the mid-40s. The results of the midterms will show how voters feel about his presidency so far and if they’re looking across the aisle in 2024.
The election comes as the nation is divided over issues like abortion and inflation. A new NBC News poll finds 8 in 10 Americans are dissatisfied with the economy.
“Abortion is coming in fourth or fifth, well behind the big three,” said Lynch. “Which are the economy and inflation, immigration and crime.”
The results of the midterms could also hint at whether or not Trump will run again in 2024, especially if the candidates he endorsed do well.
“He’s going to present that as evidence that he still has it. He still has political strength. He still has a lot of supporters out there,” said Lynch.
With one day to go, both parties are pushing voters to the polls. The latest NBC News poll shows 73 percent of voters on both sides of the aisle are eager to cast their ballots on Tuesday.
Find more election news, Tuesday’s election results, and more updates here.