US Midterms Put Republican Congressional Control at Risk Amid Iran War Fallout

By Staff, Agencies

Americans head to the polls on Tuesday in congressional midterm elections, as the fallout from the US war on Iran and mounting living costs put President Donald Trump's Republican Party under pressure to defend its narrow majorities in Congress.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats are being contested on November 3, alongside gubernatorial and state legislative elections across much of the country.

Analysts point to the House of Representatives as particularly vulnerable to a shift in control, linking Republican difficulties to declining approval of the Trump administration amid the war on Iran and rising fuel and consumer prices.

The elections will test whether growing public dissatisfaction translates into losses for the president's party, potentially reshaping the balance of power in Washington during the final two years of Trump's term.

A Democratic majority in either chamber could complicate Trump's legislative agenda and increase congressional scrutiny of his administration.

Republicans currently hold 218 seats in the House, compared with 214 for Democrats, alongside one independent and two vacancies. In the Senate, Republicans control 53 seats, while Democrats hold 45 and are joined by two independents.

The Republicans also face a historical disadvantage, as the party occupying the White House has lost House seats in most midterm elections since 1946, gaining seats in only two instances: 1998 and 2002.