If Democrats want a shot at taking control of the U.S. Senate, they need to win four key races, three of which are currently held by Republicans.
One is held by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who faces a challenge from Democrat Troy Jackson. A CNN/SSRS poll conducted last week among about 800 likely voters in the state found the race too close to call. Jackson led 49% to 45% among likely voters. The margin of error is 4.5 percentage points.
But the same survey found the Democratic candidates in Texas and Michigan in a good place four days before Election Day.
“The momentum on the ground is incredible everywhere we go,” said James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas.
Despite multiple campaign stops by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to boost support for Republican Ken Paxton, polling of about 900 likely voters in Texas found Talarico’s favorability rating is far more positive than Paxton’s. Talarico led Paxton 49% to 43%, according to the CNN/SSRS poll, which had a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points.
While speaking to reporters Thursday, Vance touted Paxton.
“I think Ken Paxton is a great patriot, has made an amazing attorney general in the state of Texas,” the vice president said.
In Michigan, the survey spoke to 800 likely voters and found that, compared with polling around Labor Day, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has opened up a lead against Republican Mike Rogers — 49% to 42%. The margin of error was 4.7 percentage points.
This weekend, El-Sayed will campaign with his primary challenger, Rep. Haley Stevens. Stevens endorsed El-Sayed after her loss this summer. Earlier this week, she confirmed she would vote for him despite her fiancé saying he planned to vote for Rogers because of El-Sayed’s past criticism of Israel.
El-Sayed has also faced heavy anti-Muslim rhetoric from Republicans across the country, including Trump.
“I’m here to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States Senator,” Trump said during a rally Sunday in Michigan.
El-Sayed has brushed off those attacks.
“My name and my faith are not the reason you can’t afford your gas,” he said.
The polling of likely Michigan voters also shows El-Sayed has made headway since this summer in getting Democrats to coalesce behind his campaign.
Meanwhile, the CNN/SSRS survey found the Kansas race between incumbent Republican Roger Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton too close to call. Hamilton held a 49% to 45% edge, with a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.