2022 Midterm elections: Republicans and Democrats make final pitch to voters before November 8

Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer referred to women as "people with a period" in a brief address to TikTok on Monday.

Whitmer, who is up for re-election on Tuesday and facing Republican challenger Tudor Dixon, made the statement while discussing menstrual products. Democrats in Washington and across the country have come under fire for refusing to refer to women as such, often creating complicated definitions to include transgender people.

"A bipartisan tax cut will help reduce the economic burden of the cost of menstrual products, especially for lower-income Michiganders," Whitmer says in the clip. "Saving people with a period from paying taxes on up to $4,800 in spending over the course of their lifetime."

The latest polling shows Whitmer with a nearly 9-point lead over Dixon ahead of Tuesday's election, with the incumbent sitting at 51.7% support and challenger at 43.1%. According to a new WDIV/Detroit News poll, inflation and abortion are the top issues for Michigan voters.

The total cost of 2022 state and federal midterm elections is projected to exceed $16.7 billion, according to a recent new analysis by the Washington, D.C. non-profit OpenSecrets. 

The analysis found Republicans have outspent Democrats when it comes to federal candidates and political committees this midterm election cycle. Republican spending amounted to $4.6 billion, compared to Democrats’ $3.9 billion. 

In governor’s races, Republicans also out fundraised Democrats. OpenSecrets found Democrat raised an estimated $823 million, while Republicans’ funds raised amounted to about $1.1 billion. 

In the four battleground states, OpenSecrets also published a breakdown of the outside spending in the U.S. Senate races in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. 

Voters are gearing up to head to the polls on Tuesday and participate in the most contentious political showdown of the year – the 2022 midterm elections. While several political insiders are divided over who will take control of the Senate and the House, others believe Republicans will take majority in both chambers.

Political insiders from both sides of the aisle provided Fox News Digital with their predictions ahead of Election Day as residents in states around the country, both Republican and Democrat, finalize their decisions on who they believe will best serve their interests in Congress.

The Senate remains a toss-up . Fox News' Power Rankings show 47 seats going to the Democrats and 49 to the Republicans, leaving four crucial toss-up races to decide control of the Senate: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania.

The Fox News Power Rankings forecast expects Republicans to take control of the House with a 19-seat majority, or 236 total seats. That is a gain of 23 seats compared to the number they hold in Congress today.

With a day to go before the midterm election , political scientist and analyst Larry Sabato has made his final prediction for which party will win in the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and gubernatorial races.

Sabato’s analysis, "Final Ratings for the 2022 Election, was published Monday in his newsletter, "Sabato’s Crystal Ball."

In short, Sabato predicts that Republicans will win the Senate, 51-49, with a net gain of one seat. His final House pick is for Republicans, 237-198, netting a gain of 24 seats. In the gubernatorial race, Sabato predicts that Republicans will win 29-21, gaining one governorship. 

Republicans, Sabato notes, have honed their key message of fixing the economy and tackling inflation as the president’s approval rating has plummeted to the low 40s.

Democrats may have an opportunity to mitigate some of their losses, he says, with GOP candidate problems in certain Senate, gubernatorial, and House races, as well as the unpopular Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the lingering influence of former President Donald Trump.

This update was provided by Fox News' Bradford Betz.

The midterm election results will not be clear on Election Day and final results won't arrive for "a few days," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday.

Jean-Pierre made the statement during a press conference at the White House on the eve of Election Day. She argued that many states use mail-in ballots and other forms of early voting that often won't be counted until after the ballots cast in-person on Tuesday.

"We may not know all the winners of elections for a few days. It takes time to count all legitimate ballots in a legal and orderly manner. That's how this is supposed to work," Jean-Pierre told reporters.

"You heard the president say this last night," she added.

She also said that President Joe Biden expects to address the country regarding the election results on Wednesday.

Republicans are widely expected to take control of at least the House of Representatives, though control over the Senate remains a toss-up.

Fox News' Anders Hagstrom provided this update.

Here is Fox News Digital's guide to when polls close and open across the country on Election Day.

A number of states conduct their elections primarily by mail, however voters can still vote in person within the timeframe polls are open if they choose to do so.

Make sure to check with your local election officials for any changes to poll opening and closing times, or for updated voting location information or additional variations not listed.

Read more from Fox News' Brandon Gillespie here.

Voters in five states could legalize recreational marijuana through ballot measures Tuesday, as more parts of the country move to allow access to the drug that remains illegal federally.

Maryland, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri and Arkansas all have legal pot referendums that could change state law for more than 17 million people in those states.

Maryland voters will decide whether to amend their constitution to make marijuana legal. On the ballot, voters will be asked, "Do you favor the legalization of the use of cannabis by an individual who is at least 21 years of age on or after July 1, 2023, in the State of Maryland?"

As the only blue state with a marijuana-related ballot question this cycle, Maryland is considered the most likely to see its measure pass. 

Read more from Fox News' Tyler Olson here.

President Biden will spend Election Day eve campaigning for a Democrat running for governor in Maryland who is up by 30 points in the latest polls, instead of several other candidates in much tighter races across the country that could determine which party controls the House and Senate.

Biden over the weekend called the midterm "one of the most important elections. One of the most important elections in our lifetime."

But on Monday, Biden will leave the candidates in tight races on their own and instead will campaign for Wes Moore, the Democratic candidate for Maryland governor who appears set to coast to a victory on Tuesday.

Read more from Patrick Hauf here.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is urging Big Tech platforms to censor election-related content ahead of the Tuesday midterms, saying uncontrolled speech on social media was fueling violent incidents like the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol and the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband.

"In advance of the upcoming November 2022 midterm election, social media platforms must take critical steps to stop the spread of disinformation and misinformation that attack the integrity of our electoral process," Bonta wrote Thursday in a 16-page letter to the heads of the of Meta, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and Twitter.

Bonta said more efforts were needed to stem the flow of "fake news" that he said has played a role in some political violence seen over the last few years. He partly blamed social media for the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, and said the event was "derived from and deeply connected to hoaxes and conspiracy theories amplified on social media."

He added that the attack on Pelosi's husband is another example of an incident that was "fueled by social media" that "amplifies extremist messaging and perpetuates falsehoods."

Read more from Fox News' Brianna Herlihy here.

President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama have shared a video on their social media accounts of them urging the public to vote in Tuesday’s midterm elections. 

The short clip begins with Biden telling viewers "a quick reminder" before Obama enters the frame, and both say, "Vote!"

Biden then directs viewers to visit a website operated by the Democratic National Committee that gives people information on where and how to vote. 

Read more from Fox News' Greg Norman here.

Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp at a press conference on Monday ahead of his final campaign stops before the general election told a reporter that it is his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams who needs to restore the public’s trust in the voting process "because she’s been the one destroying trust in the voting system for 10 years, and she has profited personally from that."

"Do you need to restore the public’s trust in the vote-counting process?" a reporter asked off-camera.

"Do I?" Kemp responded. "That would be a great question for Stacey Abrams because she’s been the one destroying trust in the voting system for 10 years, and she has profited personally from that. And she has cost Georgia taxpayers $6 million and counting in legal fees to defend a bogus lawsuit after 2018, the 2018 election that an Obama-appointed federal judge threw out on every single count."

Read more from Fox News' Danielle Wallace here.

New Twitter CEO Elon Musk said voters should elect Republicans in the 2022 midterms, in order to help balance the federal government.

"To independent-minded voters: Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties, therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress, given that the Presidency is Democratic," Musk wrote.

Earlier this year, Musk threw his support behind the GOP.

"I have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats, historically – overwhelmingly. Like, I'm not sure, I might never have voted for a Republican, just to be clear. Now this election, I will," he said in May.

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ted Cruz said he is "incredibly optimistic" heading into Tuesday’s midterm elections, saying he is confident there will be a "red tsunami," and predicting big victories for Republicans in the House and Senate.

Cruz, R-Texas, during an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital at the end of his month-long bus tour, said he believes Republicans will "retake the House and the Senate."

"I am incredibly optimistic," he said. "I think this is going to be, not just a red wave, but a red tsunami."

Read more from Fox News' Brooke Singman here.

The NAACP, ACLU and other political activist organizations are suing suing Pennsylvania counties in a bid to force the counting of ballots with improper dating.

Undated and improperly dated mail-in ballots have been at the center of a legal battle between Republican and Democratic interest groups in the state for months. After the Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that these ballots should not be counted in the upcoming election. 

The new lawsuit from the Pennsylvania NAACP and ACLU seeks to counter that decision and allow ballots with improperly written dates to be counted.

From Fox News' Timothy Nerozzi: NAACP, ACLU sue to force Pennsylvania counties to accept undated or wrongly dated mail ballots

Real Clear Politics has shifted its prediction of a hotly contested Senate race in Colorado from leaning toward Democratic victory to a "toss up" as several high profile races across the country continue to tighten with Republicans hoping to take back control of the chamber next week.

On its updated election prediction map, Real Clear Politics now shows the race between Democratic incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet and his challenger, Republican construction magnate Joe O’Dea, is classified as a "toss up" after previously being viewed as "Leans Dem."

"Voters are angry and they know who caused the problem — they’re fed up and eager for change," Joshua Marin-Mora, deputy press secretary for the O’Dea campaign, posted on Twitter in response to the news on Friday.

A woman says she was assaulted by a protester at an Oct. 29 campaign rally in Detroit for Tudor Dixon, a Republican running for governor of Michigan. 

Wayne County Republican Party chairwoman Cheryl Costantino told local media that a woman protesting the rally bit her on the arm hard enough to leave marks. Detroit's 7 Action News reported the alleged attacker is a special education teacher in the Dearborn Public School district.  

The alleged incident reportedly happened at Armando's Restaurant in Detroit, where Dixon was campaigning with her running mate Shane Hernandez and ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who has endorsed Dixon.  

Costantino said she was standing nearby when the protester started to approach the stage, screaming loudly. Worried by the woman's behavior, Costantino attempted to intercept her. 

"She was acting so chaotic that I was worried she would go after the speakers or something or hurt somebody," Costantino said.

But the protester resisted and that's when the alleged biting happened. "She just bent over and bit me really hard," Costantino said. 

"I've never been bit by an adult in my live, or anyone over 5," she told 7 Action News. 

The majority of Latino voters in Florida, who make up a large portion of the state's population, have a more favorable opinion of the GOP and plan on voting for Republican candidates over Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.

All eyes are on the Florida governor's race, where a recent Spectrum News/Siena College Poll found that 56% of Latino voters have a favorable opinion of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, while 22% have a favorable opinion of his Democratic challenger Rep. Charlie Crist.

If the election were held today, 61% of Latino voters said that they would vote for DeSantis to be re-elected as their governor, while only 36% said that Crist has their vote.

Read more from Fox News' Aubrie Spady here.

Former President Donald Trump is turning up the volume when it comes to his repeated teasing of a likely 2024 White House bid.

Sources in the former president's political orbit tell Fox News that a potential announcement could possibly occur during the week starting on Monday, Nov. 14 — after the midterm elections. But the sources caution that things are "fluid."

Fox News reported on Thursday afternoon that Trump was elevating his language, further signaling his intentions to announce a run for president in 2024, as advisers and allies said they believe it is not a question of "if" he announces, but "when." 

Read more from Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Brooke Singman here.

A top Democrat in Georgia has chosen to shun his party's gubernatorial nominee, Stacey Abrams, and instead throw his support behind incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, Burt Jones.

Kwanza Hall, the former Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor who lost in a runoff to the current Democratic lieutenant governor nominee, Charlie Bailey, made his announcement Friday, citing Kemp's ability to make "tough decisions" in "unprecedented circumstances," and Jones' plans to reduce crime and improve the state's education system.

"While we don’t agree on every issue, it’s abundantly clear that Brian Kemp is a man of character, a strong leader, and someone who Georgians can trust to put them and their interests first," Hall said in a statement.

Read more from Fox News' Brandon Gillespie here.

The Cook Political Report adjusted its rating for another battleground race in favor of Republicans just days before Election Day, giving the GOP an edge in the Wisconsin Senate race.

The political forecaster on Friday shifted the race between incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes from a toss-up to "Lean Republican."

"Like most elections in Wisconsin, this will be close, but voters should remember: Mandela Barnes is an extremist who wants more of the same Biden economic policies that have led to 40-year high inflation and record gas prices, and he wants to defund the police," Mike Marinella, spokesperson for the Johnson campaign, told Fox News Digital.

Read more from Fox News' Aubrie Spady here.

Candidates for Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District met on stage Thursday in a fiery debate just days ahead of the midterm elections.

Republican Allan Fung traded barbs Seth Magaziner, the Democratic nominee, in the pair's final debate before Election Day.

Fung emphasized Magaziner's wealth and family success in his criticisms, painting his opponent as too wealthy to be in touch with voters, and Magaziner accused the Republican of trying to cut Social Security.

"He has committed himself to voting for a Republican leadership team in Congress that has said that cutting Social Security is one of their top priorities," Magaziner claimed of Fung's political record.

Fung objected strongly to the characterization, saying: "You know, my opponent wants to make this a political issue because of, you know, we all know what's going on. He's lying about my positions, whether it's on Social Security or any other issues, because he's down in the polls."

Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters is surging in the final days of the midterm election campaign as he seeks to unseat Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a new Marist poll finds.

With a little over three days to go until ballot boxes open, Kelly's lead over Masters has shrunk to just four percentage points among registered voters, down from 10 points last September. But among those who will "definitely vote," Kelly only leads Masters by three points (50% to 47 percent%).

The poll finds that Kelly holds 49% support among registered voters, while Masters lags behind at 45%. 

The majority of polled Americans said they are concerned by the threat of politically motivated violence, with nearly half of all poll takers pointing the blame on the media.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Friday showed that as many as 88% of Americans are concerned that "political divisions have gotten to the point" in the U.S. "that there’s an increased risk of politically motivated violence," with 63% noting they are "very concerned" by the threat.

The poll was largely split when people were asked which party they blamed for the political turmoil, with 25% blaming Democrats, while 31% blamed the Republican Party.

Another 32% blamed both sides "equally," while 11% said neither side was to blame.

Officials across the nation are warning of intimidation at polling locations as voters queue up for early voting ahead of election day next week.

Several states have warned that voter intimidation and efforts to undermine the public trust in the voting system has intensified in recent days despite assurances from state officials that voting is safe and secure. 

In Arizona this week, a federal judge stepped in and ordered a temporary restraining order on ballot box watchers and ordered a group of armed members of Clean Elections USA to stay at least 250 feet away from certain polling locations, following complaints that people carrying guns and wearing masks were intimidating voters. 

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican who defied former President Trump’s attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results, also took steps in the lead up to the election to prevent polling site intimidation.

Florida and Colorado officials this week reported a change in voting behavior, as early ballot submissions were reported to be less than this time during 2018 midterm elections.

The latest Fox News Power Rankings forecast indicates Republicans taking control of the House with a 19-seat majority, or 236 total seats. That is a gain of 23 seats compared to the number they hold in the current Congress. According to the forecast, the Republicans could end up winning as many as 249 seats or as little at 223.

Here’s a look at the nine House members running for re-election who may be sent packing next week.

Five Democrats at risk of losing seats in the House

Rep. Angie Craig, Minnesota 02

Rep. Elaine Luria, Virginia 02

Rep. Tom Malinowski, New Jersey 07

Rep. Cindy Axne, Iowa 03

Rep. Tom O’Halleran, Arizona 02 

DCCC spokesperson Chris Taylor predicted that "Democrats' mainstream agenda of lowering prices, investing in America to create jobs, and protecting freedoms will prevail on Election Day."

Four Republicans face tough races to keep their seats in the House

Rep. Steve Chabot, Ohio 01

Rep. David Valadao, California 22

Rep. Yvette Herrell, New Mexico 02

Rep. Don Bacon, Nebraska 02 

"We are confident our battle-tested incumbents in tough races will come out ahead on Election Day. Democrats cannot say the same about their group of vulnerable Pelosi puppets," NRCC spokesman Mike Berg said.

EXCLUSIVE — House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., blamed the right's "demonization of Nancy Pelosi" for the attack on Paul Pelosi in their San Francisco home, saying that this is what happens in a country that follows "Germany in the early '30s."   

"This country is on track to repeat what happened in Germany when it was the greatest democracy going, when it elected a chancellor that then co-opted the media," Clyburn told Fox News Digital on Thursday. "This past president called the press the enemy of the people. That is a bunch of crap. And that is what's going on in this country."

When asked why Americans should vote to keep Democrats in control of Congress, despite record-high inflation and rising gas prices, Clyburn downplayed economic concerns.

"I think that people should be voting in their own self-interest. And their self-interest is much more than what you may or may not be paying for gas or a loaf of bread."

Vulnerable Democrats this cycle are increasingly relying on former President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail as President Joe Biden keeps a light schedule less than a week from the midterm election.

Obama, who left office six years ago, is campaigning hard for Democratic candidates across the country from Arizona to Georgia. In the past week alone, Obama has traveled to at least five states to hold rallies and events with Democratic candidates from the U.S. Senate down to state legislatures.

"Obama is the most popular Democrat out there, but that’s because he is out, not in, politics," said Mark Penn, a Democratic pollster, strategist and Fox News contributor.

Obama is not the only Democratic heavyweight to re-emerge as a surrogate in the waning days of the midterm cycle. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are similarly taking to the hustings for vulnerable Democrats.