Midterm election shapes congressional control

American voters will determine the balance of power in Congress on Tuesday, November 3. The election includes all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate. Additionally, residents in 36 states will select their governors.

The results will decide which party controls both chambers of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term. Republicans aim to keep their majority, while Democrats seek to take control of both houses. Polls currently label the Senate races in Texas, Michigan, and Alaska as toss-ups, making these states critical to the national outcome.

The Supreme Court begins its November oral arguments session on Wednesday, November 2. The court will hold seven hours of hearings over five days, concluding on Wednesday, November 10. The docket features a case that could clarify the intersection of public funding and religious institutions.

The lead case is St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy. The dispute centers on a Colorado Catholic preschool that was excluded from the state’s universal preschool program. The court must decide if that exclusion constitutes religious discrimination. Arguments in this case are scheduled for Election Day, Tuesday, November 3.

These proceedings occur as voters head to the polls for local, state, and federal races. The outcome in the three contested Senate seats will likely define the legislative agenda for the next two years. The Supreme Court’s ruling in the Colorado case will provide a new standard for how public funds interact with faith-based schools.