Republicans and Democrats jockey for control of Congress, which will set course for Trump’s final two years in office.

The United States midterms on November 3 are dominating national and international headlines.

The stakes of the election are high. The midterm race will determine which party controls the US Congress, and in turn, shape the direction of Trump’s final two years in office. It will also decide key state and local positions.

But notching big wins in the midterm election may not be enough to shake up the balance of power in Washington, DC.

To understand the implications of this year’s midterm election and what may come next, Al Jazeera has put together this simple primer.

Here’s why the US midterms matter at the federal level.

Midterm elections fall at the halfway point of a president’s term, meaning the executive office will not be on the ballot.

Front and centre will be the battle for control of Congress. Two chambers make up the US legislature: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Because members of the House serve two-year terms, all 435 seats in the chamber are up for election on November 3. However, most races are already considered formalities, with a clear frontrunner.

That leaves only a handful of races — about 50 — to decide who will win the House majority.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/20/why-do-the-us-midterms-matter-for-trump-and-congress?traffic_source=rss