50 million votes cast as Trump weighs Iowa and Kansas
The president campaigned in two traditional Republican states that polling shows are now competitive, while a contested medical history fuels the Kansas Senate race.
By Yuki Melnyk ·
The fight for the U.S. Senate has turned on two states that have not been competitive in decades. Approximately 50 million Americans cast ballots before Election Day, and President Donald Trump spent the final weekend campaigning in Iowa and Kansas. Both states were long considered safe Republican territory, but current polling indicates they are now battlegrounds.
In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton leads incumbent Roger Marshall by five points, according to a New York Times poll. Hamilton is on pace to end a nearly century long streak of Democratic losses in the state. Marshall released a video on Sunday to defend his medical practices, which critics targeted during the campaign. His staff reportedly did not want the clip published and feared it would backfire.
In Iowa, the race for the Senate seat remains tight. Trump addressed a concern regarding Republican candidate Ashley Hinson during a campaign stop. He noted that he knew her for a long time and that she was a little bit heavier in the past. He added that she understood the importance of the race and put herself in perfect shape through a regimen. Trump said Hinson asked him not to bring up the topic.
Democrats need to win a net of four seats to regain control of the Senate. Both parties view the outcomes in Iowa and Kansas as essential to reaching that goal. The results will determine which party holds the balance of power in the upper chamber.
