Midterm elections 2022 – live: Oprah endorses John Fetterman as Biden and Obama continue nationwide rallies

With only a few days of campaigning left before Election Day, senior Democrats have fanned out across the nation in an effort to shore up the votes of candidates both in swing districts and to thwart unexpected threats in once-safe places.

President Joe Biden campaigned in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday before travelling on to San Diego. Over the weekend he will appear at an event in Pennsylvania with former President Barack Obama to get out the vote for Senate candidate John Fetterman. Bernie Sanders is also heading to the state as part of a tour to boost progressive candidates.

Polls appear to have narrowed significantly between Mr Fetterman and Republican opponent Dr Mehmet Oz in what earlier this year was not considered a close race. On Thursday night Dr Oz’s former TV colleague Oprah Winfrey threw her support behind his rival.

Vice President Kamala Harris appeared inNew York alongside former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in support of Governor Kathy Hochul who faces a strong challenge from Republican Lee Zeldin.

Former President Donald Trump meanwhile took his Save America tour to Iowa, teasing a 2024 campaign at an event nominally in support of Senator Chuck Grassley.

Key points

• Polling shows tight races in key states

• With House Democrats in trouble, Biden flies out to California to bolster vote

• White House maintains US avoiding recession as economy looms over midterms

• Harris and Clinton rally for under-pressure New York Governor Kathy Hochul

• Trump kicks off midterm rally blitz in Iowa with familiar string of grievances

Harris and Clinton on the campaign trail

14:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Five days before Election Day, Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton headlined a campaign rally at the all-women’s college on 3 November alongside Democratic women political leaders from across the state, making a late push for Governor Kathy Hochul, who is on track to be the first woman elected to the governor’s office in state history.

But Ms Hochul is in a tightening race against Republican candidate Lee Zeldin, a Long Island congressman endorsed by Donald Trump. The race has grown too close for Ms Hochul, leading a state that resoundingly rejected Mr Trump in 2016 and 2020 and has not elected a Republican governor in 20 years.

Here’s a report from Alex Woodward.

Harris and Clinton rally for Hochul in New York as governor’s race tightens

FBI reportedly investigating shots fired at candidate’s home

13:45 , Andrew Naughtie

The FBI has launched an investigation into a shooting incident last month at the home of a North Carolina Republican candidate running for Congress in the midterm elections, according to a report.

On 18 October, shots were fired at the home of the parents of Pat Harrigan, a former Green Beret, while the Republican’s children were inside the home, his campaign manager Brandon Craft told The Carolina Journal.

The FBI is involved in the investigation, reported WBT News and the Daily Mail, which cited a police department spokesperson.

Harrigan’s campaign, however, has not confirmed that the law enforcement agency is involved.

Shweta Sharma reports.

Gunshot fired into family home of GOP candidate as children sleep inside

How much money have billionaires dumped into the midterms?

13:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Billionaires in the United States have pumped nearly $900m into campaigns during the 2022 midterm cycle, a new report has found.

Americans for Tax Fairness released a report on Thursday that found that as of 30 September, a coterie of 465 billionaires in the United States had pumped $881m into federal elections. The number increased from 2018, when billionaires spent $611m.

The study also found that 59 per cent of money from billionaires went to Republicans, while 39 per cent went to Democrats. An additional two per cent went toward pro-cryptocurrency PACs and super PACs supporting Israel.

Altogether, billionaires represent about 7.4 per cent of all money that went into federal elections.

Eric Garcia has the story.

Billionaires have pumped nearly $900m into midterm elections, report says

Ted Cruz complains Trump isn’t spending $100m war chest on GOP candidates

12:45 , Andrew Naughtie

Senator Ted Cruz has openly admonished his fellow RepublicanDonald Trump for not spending more of his war chest on GOP candidates in the upcoming midterms.

The Texas senator called out the one-term president during Tuesday’s episode of his podcast The Verdict, claiming that he is sitting on “a hundred million dollars” instead of using it to support pro-Trump candidates on ballots across the country.

“I wish Trump was spending some of his money,” he said.

Johanna Chisholm reports on what else the Texas senator said.

Ted Cruz blasts Trump for not spending more on GOP midterm candidates

Voices: Republican have no plan to deal with inflation, but have convinced voters it’s Biden’s fault

12:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Michael Salfrino writes:

Polls show that the GOP has successfully managed to make inflation a deciding issue, without having a clear policy for combating it. What this implies about the future is scary.

Republicans have convinced voters inflation is Biden’s fault. That’s bad news

Oprah endorses Fetterman

11:47 , Andrew Naughtie

Oprah Winfrey has endorsed John Fetterman in the Pennsylvania senate race in a blow to her former protégé Dr Mehmet Oz who she had helped launch to stardom.

In an online discussion on voting in next Tuesday’s election, Ms Winfrey said: “I said it was up to the citizens of Pennsylvania and of course, but I will tell you all this, if I lived in Pennsylvania, I would have already cast my vote for John Fetterman for many reasons.”

Sravasti Dasgupta has the story:

Oprah Winfrey endorses John Fetterman over former colleague Dr Oz for Pennsylvania

Inside the new Democratic Congress if the party pulls off a major midterm win

11:15 , Oliver O'Connell

If Joe Biden’s party pulls off a majority, it will provide a shock to the DC political class and change the game for his legislative agenda, John Bowden writes.

Inside the new Democratic Congress if the party pulls off a major midterm win

Bill Clinton: GOP strategy is make voters angry to get elected, make things worse, then blame Democrats

10:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Bill Clinton on Wednesday said Republicans’ strategy in this year’s midterm elections is to demoralise and anger voters to win elections and then blame Democrats when GOP policies worsen life for them.

Andrew Feinberg reports on the former president’s take on the midterm elections.

Bill Clinton says GOP wants voters ‘angry’ and ‘miserable’

Biden warns of ‘chaos’ if GOP reject midterm results

09:45 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on Americans to denounce political violence and warned of the chaotic consequences that could result from empowering Republicans who’ve pledged not to recognise future election results if Democratic candidates prevail by electing them to gubernatorial and secretary of state positions in next week’s midterm elections.

Andrew Feinberg reports on the president’s remarks.

Biden invokes Pelosi attack and warns of ‘chaos’ if GOP reject midterm results

Ohio: Tim Ryan and JD Vance face off in crucial Senate race

09:00 , Oliver O'Connell

John Bowden explains the importance of the Buckeye state’s pick for the US Senate.

Ohio Senate race: Tim Ryan faces JD Vance in crucial election

All the ways the GOP could upend America if they win the House

08:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Republicans tell The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg about the myriad ways a GOP-majority House could upend the country out of spite.

All the ways the GOP could upend America if they win the House

With inflation looking over midterms, White House holds firm on US avoiding recession

06:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The White House remains confident that the US economy will not enter a recession, despite voter concerns about rising inflation driving next week’s midterm elections and recent announcements of job cuts and hiring freezes by major technology companies.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

White House holds firm on US avoiding recession as economy looms over midterms

Voices: How much will abortion actually affect the midterm election?

05:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Michael Salfino writes that polling is mixed on whether Americans are changing their votes after the overturn of Roe v Wade. He notes that it is worth looking at the numbers closely to parse out what’s really happening.

This is how much abortion will actually affect the midterm election results

Report: Billionaires have pumped nearly $900m into midterm elections

03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Billionaires in the United States have pumped nearly $900m into campaigns during the 2022 midterm cycle, a new report has found.

Americans for Tax Fairness released a report on Thursday that found that as of 30 September, a coterie of 465 billionaires in the United States had pumped $881m into federal elections. The number increased from 2018, when billionaires spent $611m.

Eric Garcia looks at the startling numbers.

Billionaires have pumped nearly $900m into midterm elections, report says

Walker v Warnock: Two years on from 2020, Georgia remains fierce battleground

03:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock is now seeking a full six-year term against Herschel Walker, one of the most legendary University of Georgia football players of all time.

Eric Garcia reports on what you need to know about this key race.

A preacher versus the running back will decide the future of Georgia

Trump kicks off final midterm rally blitz in Iowa with growing list of familiar grievances

02:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump took the stage in Sioux City, Iowa, at roughly 8.30pm ET on Thursday and almost immediately began denigrating the country he led two years ago, calling the Hawkeye State “under siege” by a rogue’s gallery of familiar villains including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Chuck Schumer, and President Joe Biden.

He interspersed canned lines about inflation and the cost of Americans’ thanksgiving dinner with racialised attacks on the New York State Attorney General who is currently suing him, his family, and his eponymous real estate company to recoup millions of dollars her office alleges were defrauded from New York financial institutions.

Read Andrew Feinberg’s full report:

Trump kicks off midterm rally blitz in Iowa with familiar string of grievances

How to vote in the midterm elections

02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The 2022 midterm elections are just days away on 8 November with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate and 39 state and territorial gubernatorial candidates on the ballot.

In addition to federal races, there are also numerous other state and local elections being contested as Americans head to the polls, including state legislature seats, attorneys general, state treasurers, mayors, county positions and tribal executive positions.

To participate and have your say in the races where you live, here is what you need to know about how you go about voting, whether in-person or by absentee or mail-in ballot.

How to vote in the midterm elections

‘Everything is on the line’: Harris and Clinton rally for under-pressure New York Governor Kathy Hochul

01:28 , Oliver O'Connell

Five days before Election Day, Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton headlined a campaign rally at Barnard College at Columbia University on 3 November alongside Democratic women political leaders from across the state, making a late push for Governor Kathy Hochul, who is on track to be the first woman elected to the governor’s office in state history.

But Ms Hochul is in a tightening race against Republican candidate Lee Zeldin, a Long Island congressman endorsed by Donald Trump. The race has grown too close for Ms Hochul, leading a state that resoundingly rejected Mr Trump in 2016 and 2020 and has not elected a Republican governor in 20 years.

Alex Woodward reports from the rally in New York City.

Harris and Clinton rally for Hochul in New York as governor’s race tightens

Oprah endorses John Fetterman

01:21 , Oliver O'Connell

“If I lived in Pennsylvania, I would’ve already cast my vote for John Fetterman, for many reasons.”

Watch: Six states of the most important states in the 2022 midterms

00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

With the US midterms fast approaching, we’ve taken a look at six states and their key races to watch as Americans cast their votes.

Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin will play a vital role in shaping the House and Senate.

Among the six states are five that president Joe Biden flipped in 2020, and all eyes will be on them as the public take to the polls.

This video breaks down who the main players are within each race, and what they have going for and against them on 8 November.

Six states and their key races to watch for the 2022 midterms

Fetterman: ‘We’re still standing'

00:21 , Oliver O'Connell

Harris: ‘We will make our voices heard'

00:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Pennsylvania Senate race: What you need to know about Fetterman v Oz

Thursday 3 November 2022 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Pennsylvania’s Senate race has been perhaps the most bizarre one in a crowd of absurd campaigns. What should have been a relatively sleepy race where Republicans attempt to hold a Senate seat has instead turned into an intensely personal race with two outsized personalities.

Eric Garcia reports.

Pennsylvania’s Senate race: Republicans try to protect a seat Democrats hope to flip

Herschel Walker claims Warnock wants to abolish the family unit

Thursday 3 November 2022 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Herschel Walker, speaking to a crowd at a strip mall in Smyrna Georgia, speaks out against abortion and claims that Senator Raphael Warnock wants to abolish the family unit.

Voices: Where the House of Representatives will be won (and lost) next Tuesday

Thursday 3 November 2022 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Throughout most of the summer, Democrats enjoyed something of a bump, even sometimes leading the generic House ballot. They overperformed in special elections in Minnesota and Nebraska, held New York’s vulnerable 19th district, and flipped Alaska’s sole House seat for the first time in decades.

But with less than a week left, the climate seems to have changed. A Wall Street Journal survey that dropped yesterday gave Republicans a two-point generic ballot lead. (This particular survey was conducted by Trump pollster Fabrizio Lee and Biden pollster Impact Research; for more insight, you can read our chat with Impact partner Zac McCrary here).

Unlike our Senate rankings, we are giving you regions to watch rather than individual seats. If Democrats can only hold the line in these places, they might either hold the House or lose by only a hair. If Republicans flip other seats on our list, we’ll have a red wave on our hands.

Read on:

Where the House of Representatives will be won (and lost) in the midterms

Virginia House race down to a nail-biting finish

Thursday 3 November 2022 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

In Virginia’s 7th Congressional District Democrat Abigal Spanberger is facing off against Republican challenger Yesli Vega.

The race, featuring two women with law enforcement backgrounds — one a centrist Democrat and a star in her state party, the other a local elected official seeking to become Virginia‘s first Latina member of Congress — appears to be a nail-biter in the final stretch. The contest that could help determine party control of the House is among the country’s most expensive and competitive, with each campaign asserting it has the momentum heading into Election Day.

Read more:

Spanberger, Vega in tight race for Virginia's 7th District

Voices: All eyes are on Pennsylvania

Thursday 3 November 2022 22:12 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia, The Independent’s Washington Bureau Chief, writes:

With five days left of the midterm cycle, your reporter is hitting the road for one last trip before Election Day. My destination: Pittsburgh – and not just because I’m a fan of the sandwiches doled out by Primanti Brothers (though I am). It’s because this weekend, the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area will be the center of political gravity for both Democrats and Republicans.

Read on:

All eyes are on Pennsylvania now

Iowa crowd boo as Marjorie Taylor Greene mentions Paul Pelosi

Thursday 3 November 2022 22:03 , Oliver O'Connell

Majorie Taylor Greene brings up Paul Pelosi, prompting the crowd at the Trump rally in Sioux City to boo, then says he should’ve been a gun owner so he could’ve shot the intruder.

Mr Pelosi was released from the hospital earlier today after the attack on him last Friday.

Paul Pelosi released from hospital in San Francisco

Connecticut: Senate candidate uses Trump’s backing cautiously

Thursday 3 November 2022 21:50 , Oliver O'Connell

She’s the only statewide candidate running in Connecticut this year to be endorsed by former President Donald Trump, but Republican Leora Levy has been cautious in mentioning his political support during her race against Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

Read more:

Connecticut Senate candidate uses Trump's backing sparingly

Fetterman calls on Oz to tell Pennsylvania voters when he plans to move to state

Thursday 3 November 2022 21:42 , Oliver O'Connell

John Fetterman’s campaign is again going after Dr Mehmet Oz for not living in Pennsylvania despite running for the state’s open Senate seat.

Mr Fetterman wants Dr Oz to “give voters a firm commitment that he’ll stay in PA permanently – win or lose – and a timeline for when he plans to actually move here”.

Fetterman ‘set to serve’ as he addresses voter concerns over stroke recovery

Thursday 3 November 2022 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch here via CBS Evening News:

Election misinformation thriving on Rumble

Thursday 3 November 2022 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Election misinformation is thriving on Rumble, a video sharing platform popular with some conservatives and far-right groups, according to research published Thursday.

Nearly half of the videos suggested by the site in response to searches for common election-related terms contained misinformation, according to the analysis from NewsGuard, a firm that monitors online misinformation.

The percentage was far better at Rumble’s much larger rival YouTube, where about 1 in 5 videos were found to contain misinformation after researchers ran the same searches.

Read more:

Misinformation thrives on video site popular with far-right

In New York tonight...

Thursday 3 November 2022 21:08 , Oliver O'Connell

The Democrats are bringing out the big guns in New York tonight to encourage voter participation in even the bluest part of the state: Manhattan.

Governor Kathy Hochul will be joined at a rally by Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

On the Republican side, Rep Lee Zeldin will be rallying with Rep Elise Stefanik in Rensselaer County in his quest to be governor.

Biden and Obama to campaign in Philadelphia

Thursday 3 November 2022 21:02 , Oliver O'Connell

Nearly $900m pumped into midterms by billionaires, report says

Thursday 3 November 2022 20:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Billionaires in the United States have pumped nearly $900m into campaigns during the 2022 midterm cycle, a new report has found.

Americans for Tax Fairness released a report on Thursday that found that as of 30 September, a coterie of 465 billionaires in the United States had pumped $881m into federal elections. The number increased from 2018, when billionaires spent $611m.

The Independent’s Eric Garcia has the details.

Billionaires have pumped nearly $900m into midterm elections, report says

White House maintains US avoiding recession as economy looms over midterms

Thursday 3 November 2022 20:41 , Oliver O'Connell

The White House remains confident that the US economy will not enter a recession, despite voter concerns about rising inflation driving next week’s midterm elections and recent announcements of job cuts and hiring freezes by major technology companies.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday that the Biden administration is not making preparations for a recession, even as the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates for three consecutive months amid inflation that remains at the highest levels since the 1980s.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

White House holds firm on US avoiding recession as economy looms over midterms

Bolduc attacked before New Hampshire debate

Thursday 3 November 2022 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican Senate nominee Don Bolduc said that he was attacked before his debate with Senator Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire on Wednesday evening, Boston 25 News reported.

The retired US Army brigadier general’s campaign manager released a statement.

“As the general said on stage tonight, it’s time to lower the temperature of the political discourse in this country. Prior to the debate, an individual in the crowd gathered outside attempted to punch the general and was quickly apprehended and arrested. We are grateful to the quick response from law enforcement on the scene,” the campaign said.

Eric Garcia reports.

Republican Senate candidate Don Bolduc attacked before debate in New Hampshire

Democrats need another Georgia miracle – can Stacey Abrams deliver?

Thursday 3 November 2022 20:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Abrams narrowly lost the 2018 election to Brian Kemp in a defeat that remains bitterly painful and controversial. Four years later, she hopes to pull off an against-the-odds victory, Andrew Buncombe writes from Atlanta.

Can Stacey Abrams pull off another miracle in Georgia?

33 million early votes cast so far nationwide

Thursday 3 November 2022 20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

According to the US Elections Project, almost 33 million early votes have been cast in the 2022 midterms with four full days left until election day.

Total Early Votes: 32,970,084

• In-Person Early Votes: 14,053,936

• Mail Ballots Returned: 18,916,148

• Mail Ballots Requested: 57,387,226

At the state level, Pennsylvania has seen one million early votes. Professor Michael McDonald of the University of Florida notes these are lopsided Democratic. In Florida, the reverse is true.

Schumer maintains Dems still can keep Senate majority

Thursday 3 November 2022 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer predicted on Thursday that Democrats will hold the US Senate, propelled by strong voter turnout to buck a wave of Republican enthusiasm for gaining control of Congress in the midterm elections.

The Democratic leader told The Associated Press he’s confident Democrats will be able to win the battleground states being contested — and potentially pick up Senate seats from Republicans.

Read more:

Schumer insists Democrats have path to keep Senate majority

Arizona: No final results expected on election night

Thursday 3 November 2022 19:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates has told reporters no to expect final election results on Tuesday night.