Washington voters head to the polls on November 3 in midterm elections that will decide whether Republicans keep their narrow grip on Congress or whether Democrats win the power to challenge President Donald Trump's administration, according to Rappler.
Three forces are shaping the national campaign: Trump's record-low approval rating, widespread frustration over the cost of living, and a bitter fight over immigration. For Filipinos watching from across the Pacific, the stakes reach our own doorstep, from remittances and gas prices to the fate of overseas Filipino workers in America's shifting labor market.
Trump puts himself on a ballot he is not on
The president has thrown himself into the closing stretch of the race despite an approval rating that has fallen to 31 percent, its lowest point ever, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll reported by Yahoo! News. He is staging rallies in Florida, Iowa, Michigan and Texas, and has repeatedly urged voters to pretend he is on the ballot.
That message is aimed at firing up his base. But it could just as easily motivate Democrats and independents to rally against his party.
Democrats have said Trump broke his campaign promises to lower costs and end wars. They have vowed to push an affordability agenda and to hold the administration accountable for alleged corruption if voters hand them either chamber.
Why the House and Senate hang on a handful of races
Republicans hold narrow majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Democrats need a net gain of only four seats to take control of each chamber.
The outcome will hinge on a small number of competitive races. But the campaigns are being shaped nationally by Trump himself and by voter concerns over prices and immigration, Reuters reported.
Affordability: the issue voters care about most
Voters have consistently ranked the cost of living as the top issue of this election cycle. Half of registered voters surveyed in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll cited it as the most important factor in how they will vote. Health care, gasoline, food and housing topped the list of household bills they want lawmakers to address.
Republicans' signature legislative achievement was a tax cut extension that slashed roughly $1 trillion in spending for Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income Americans, and other health programs. Democrats last year forced a government shutdown over a failed effort to extend expiring health subsidies that benefited 24 million Americans.
Gas prices have spiked since the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran in February. The national average price of gasoline stands at $4.28, or $1.20 higher than a year ago, according to AAA. Diesel averages $6.32, up $2.70 from a year earlier.
Grocery costs rose 1.8 percent over the past year, according to US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Home prices climbed 2.1 percent, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Congress passed a bipartisan housing bill earlier this year; it became law without Trump's signature.
For Filipino families, these numbers matter. Higher fuel and food prices in America squeeze the budgets of relatives back home who depend on remittances, and they raise costs for the shipping lines that carry our exports.
Immigration: enforcement up, backlash growing
Preliminary data from the Department of Homeland Security showed a 95 percent drop in migrants apprehended at the southwest border compared with the administration of former president Joe Biden. The agency said there have been no Border Patrol releases the entire fiscal year, a first.
But fatal encounters with federal immigration agents have occurred in Maine, Minnesota and Texas. The deaths of two US citizens in Minnesota pulled many Democrats in competitive primaries to the left this year, with some candidates calling for the impeachment of then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and others demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement be abolished.
The two parties deadlocked over immigration funding this year, forcing Republicans to unilaterally pass a $70 billion bill to fund ICE and the Border Patrol for the remainder of Trump's presidency. Republicans counter Democratic criticism by accusing them of supporting open borders.
Federal immigration officials also raided the Washington home of Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota this month, drawing condemnation from Democrats. A person familiar with the case told Reuters one potential aim of the investigation could be to strip her of US citizenship and deport her.
Other issues on the ballot
Artificial intelligence and data centers, cryptocurrency, abortion and Israel could also sway individual races, US News noted.
In Ohio's Senate race, Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown has labeled Republican Senator Jon Husted the face of data centers. The crypto super PAC Defend American Jobs has spent more than $46 million to reelect Husted over Brown, a former US senator who once chaired the Banking Committee.
In Maine, Democratic nominee Troy Jackson hopes voters remember that Republican Senator Susan Collins helped confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, which later overturned the federal right to abortion. Collins faces voters for the first time since that ruling.
In Michigan, Republican nominee Mike Rogers has indicated he would accept help from a pro-Israel super PAC that spent more than $30 million backing Democratic Representative Haley Stevens in her unsuccessful primary against Abdul El-Sayed, who now faces Rogers in November. The group has already spent more than $280,000 on mailers against El-Sayed.
Earlier this week, Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection.
What the 2026 midterms mean for the Philippines
America's next Congress will shape trade, immigration enforcement and foreign policy in ways that reach Manila. A harder line on immigration could tighten visa rules that thousands of Filipino nurses, seafarers and skilled workers depend on. A Congress controlled by Democrats would likely press harder on human rights questions that have long complicated, but never broken, our alliance with Washington.
Whatever happens on November 3, one thing is certain: the results will ripple across the Pacific, and the Philippines will feel them.
Frequently asked questions
When are the 2026 US midterm elections?
The elections take place on November 3, 2026.
How many seats do Democrats need to control Congress?
Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of each chamber.
What is Trump's approval rating before the midterms?
His approval rating has fallen to 31 percent, an all-time low, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.