Democrats lean on Sanders and Obama in tight Senate races
Democrats are leaning on progressive surrogates and economic anger in competitive Senate races in Michigan and Maine, with the midterms 24 days away.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
With 24 days until the US midterm elections, Democrats are campaigning hard in the Senate races that will decide whether they can add the upper chamber to any gains in the House. Recent polling suggests the party has control of the House within reach, but the Senate remains the bigger question. Candidates from both major parties are on the trail in competitive states.
In Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed appears to hold a razor thin lead over Republican Mike Rogers. El-Sayed was due to appear at a campaign event later in the day with Senator Elizabeth Warren. The race has put the Democrats' progressive message in the spotlight, though El-Sayed has moved away from making that the centre of his campaign. He has focused instead on affordability and the effect of the war in Iran on petrol and grocery prices.
In Maine, Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins is facing what has been described as the political battle of her career against Democrat Troy Jackson. Donald Trump lost the state by about seven points in 2024. Senator Bernie Sanders joined Jackson at a rally in Bangor, his first time campaigning with him since Jackson's gubernatorial run earlier this year. Sanders had advised former Democratic candidate Graham Plattner to suspend his campaign after sexual assault allegations this summer.
Supporters see Sanders as a boost for Jackson's progressive base, which is central to any path to victory. Jackson needs strong turnout in areas such as Bangor and Portland, with volunteers knocking on doors. Collins has survived previous elections, including 2020, when she won Maine even as Trump lost the state. Democrats and voters at the rally said they believe this time is different, pointing to Collins' vote for Justice Kavanaugh and blaming her for the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in Dobbs. They also described Jackson as down to earth and able to connect with Mainers.
Jackson has also stressed affordability and the cost of gas and groceries. National Democratic figures have been deployed to help. Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren have been on the trail, and former President Barack Obama has endorsed Jon Ossoff and endorsed Jackson earlier this week. Obama is also due to campaign for El-Sayed in Detroit later this month, partly to mobilise black voters who often do not turn out in midterm elections. Democrats are trying to link economic discontent to the White House and Republican candidates.
Republican candidates are walking a tightrope. Collins has highlighted times she voted against Trump, though those votes were only a minority of her record at the time. In Michigan, Rogers has run ads calling for an end to the tariff and the wrong war. Democrats are trying to seize on the difficult political territory for Republicans in the closing weeks.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed held a narrow lead over Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan. | |
| Polling suggested Democrats could win the House but it was uncertain whether they could also take the Senate. | |
| Republican incumbent Susan Collins faced a competitive re-election race against Democrat Troy Jackson in Maine. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News focused on the closing weeks of the Senate campaign, with on-the-ground reporting from a Bernie Sanders rally for Troy Jackson in Maine and a look at the Michigan race. It framed the Democratic strategy around progressive base turnout, economic anger and high-profile surrogates, while noting the tightrope for Republican candidates. The tone was neutral and analytical, with no polling detail beyond the House and Senate picture and no counter-framing from Republican rallies.
- “Recent polling indicating that the Democrats have regained control of the House of Representatives in their sights, but the big question is whether they can also flip the Senate.”
- “Democrats and voters I've talked to here feel that it's different this time because of Susan Collins' vote for Justice Kavanaugh as they pin her for the overturning of Roe v. Wade”
- “For these Democrats in these really competitive Senate states and races, you're seeing them kind of have more of a broad message as they try and get those disaffected Trump 2024 voters who in most polling have soured on him and the White House and Republicans when it comes to their handling of the economy.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.