The New York Times live blog follows the 2026 midterms after a Democratic sweep, with victorious candidates set for the Sunday shows, prominent Republicans absent amid blame-trading, and Democrats having won Senate seats in traditionally red states including Kansas, Iowa and Texas. It also tracks the tight Mississippi Senate race, where Democrat Scott Colom leads Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by roughly 2,600 votes as provisional ballots are disputed, and reviews the campaign's most notable ads.