[US Midterm Elections Approaching: Republican Senate Advantage Shrinks, Trump Takes a Defensive Stance] BlockBeats reports on October 24th, citing Bloomberg, that the Democratic Party's Senate race in the midterm elections is expanding, while Republicans are strengthening their defenses in traditionally strong states. With less than two weeks until the November 3rd election, Trump is campaigning in Republican strongholds like South Carolina and Mississippi, and related groups are also investing in deep-red states like Texas. Polls and early voting indicate a favorable momentum for the Democrats, but the party still needs a net gain of four seats to regain control of the Senate. According to a Democratic participant in the Senate race, in early 2025, the Democrats only considered North Carolina and Maine as realistic chances of turning the seats around; subsequently, Ohio and Alaska were added, and recently Texas, Iowa, and Kansas have been listed as potential targets. Republican insiders consider Iowa, Ohio, and Alaska crucial "red wall" states that Trump won by double digits two years ago. The cost of living, discontent over the Iran war, and negative assessments of Trump's leadership are weighing on Republican candidates. A recent New York Times poll showed that among likely voters, 36% approve of Trump's leadership, while 59% disapprove; 75% rate the U.S. economy as average or poor. The Republican Party is relying on hundreds of millions of dollars from Musk, Trump's super PACs, and Republican committees to maintain its defenses. One Republican advisor interviewed believes the party still has a greater than 50% chance of retaining control of the Senate, but acknowledges that the impact of campaign spending is diminishing in the current political climate. Democratic strategists also warn that regaining the Senate remains difficult, as it requires winning states where Trump previously won easily. David Axelrod stated that if the Democratic electoral wave is strong enough to overcome the Republicans' funding and television advertising defenses, they could potentially gain 53 to 54 seats; however, if the wave is weaker, reaching 51 seats may still be difficult. [Original Link]