Republicans appear on track to lose control of the House of Representatives within days, and even President Donald Trump is worried that his supporters may not show up at the polls.

The GOP has held the White House, Senate and House since Trump returned to power in January 2025. Yet polling throughout the midterm campaign has repeatedly given Democrats the advantage, with their lead expanding in recent months.

Trump has publicly raised doubts about whether conservative voters will turn out when he is not personally on the ballot.

“If I don’t run, will those people go out and vote, and that’s the one thing I can’t tell,” he said recently, urging Republicans to vote as though he were a candidate.

Republicans do have one significant advantage: fundraising. The party is bringing in more money than Democrats nationally and in several key battlegrounds. Still, campaign cash cannot guarantee turnout, and control of the House is expected to hinge on a small number of competitive districts.

Here are the races most likely to determine which party controls the chamber, including contests being reshaped by scandals, serious allegations and bitter family disputes.

The US House 

Republicans currently hold a majority in the US House of Representatives, with 218 seats to Democrats’ 212. The chamber also has four vacancies—three Democratic seats and one Republican seat.

Democrats must flip at least three seats to take control of the House.

These are among the closest contests ahead of November, featuring an absent congressman, explosive abuse allegations and other high-stakes developments.

New Jersey’s 7th District: Rep. Tom Kean Jr (R) versus Rebecca Bennett (D)

Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr of New Jersey missed more than 140 consecutive votes earlier this year, later attributing his absence from Washington to depression. His extended hiatus and guarded comments prompted questions from local and national media, while some raised concerns about his ability to represent constituents. In November, Kean will face Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot who easily defeated three other Democrats to win the nomination. The Cook Political Report moved the race from “toss up” to “lean Democrat” at the end of September.

Ohio’s 7th District: Rep. Max Miller (R) versus Brian Poindexter (D)

Ohio’s 7th District has become one of the most turbulent races in the country as domestic “abuse” allegations threaten Trump-backed incumbent Max Miller. His former wife, Emily Moreno—the daughter of Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno—has made serious claims involving their two-year-old daughter, allegations Miller has denied. His support among voters has nevertheless dropped sharply since the physical abuse claims, first reported by the Daily Mail, emerged. The Cook Political Report rates the contest as a “toss up,” while recent polling showed Miller trailing by roughly eight points.

Pennsylvania’s 10th District: Rep. Scott Perry (R) versus Janelle Stelson (D)

Republican incumbent Scott Perry is headed for a rematch with Janelle Stelson after narrowly defeating her in 2024. Perry won 50.5 percent of the vote, compared with 49.3 percent for Stelson. As a member of the staunchly conservative Freedom Caucus, Perry faces questions about whether his views fit the swing district. The Cook Political Report reclassified the race as “lean Democrat” during the first week of October after previously listing it as a “toss up.” A New York Times/Siena University poll conducted for The Philadelphia Inquirer in the third week of October found the candidates tied at 48 percent each.

Virginia’s 2nd District: Rep. Jen Kiggans (R) versus Former Representative Elaine Luria (D)

DISCOVER MORE: Documents reveal plot by Iraqi immigrant to traffic hitmen via Mexico for assassination of ex-US president – NewsFinale

Republican incumbent Jen Kiggans is set for another face-off with Democrat Elaine Luria, whom she wrested Virginia’s Second District from in 2022. Luria represented the seat for two terms after winning it in a midterm election in 2018 during the last time Trump was in the White House, ousting Republican Scott Taylor. Both Kiggans and Luria are veterans, having served in the US Navy, and they seek to represent a seat that is home to nearly 90,000 veterans. The seat is rated to ‘lean Democrat’ after shifting from a ‘toss up’ by the Cook Political Report. A poll conducted by Christopher Newport University in the first week of October found Luria up by three percent, 46 to 43. Ten percent of respondents to the CNU poll were undecided at the time.

New York’s 17th District: Mike Lawler (R) versus Cait Conley (D)

A big race to keep an eye on is incumbent Republican Mike Lawler versus veteran Cait Conley in New York. Lawler is under scrutiny for his close friendship with Max Miller, who is facing abuse allegations, and lavish spending on the campaign trail. He also recently admitted that he was ‘arrested for DWI’ in his younger days, and a copy of the decade-old police report by the Daily Mail showed a record of reckless actions by Lawler at the time. He was recorded as having blood-alcohol content of .14, nearly double the state legal limit of .08 at the time of the incident. Unlike some of his GOP colleagues, Lawler has embraced President Donald Trump, and was rewarded with a prime speaking spot at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas in September. Lawler was given a surprising assist in the form of a ringing endorsement from one outgoing Democratic colleague, Mainer Jared Golden, who wrote a letter backing Lawler which was published in his hometown paper at the end of September. The seat is rated ‘toss up’ by the Cook Political Report. 

Michigan’s 7th District: Rep. Tom Barrett (R) versus William Lawrence (D)

Freshman Republican Tom Barrett has an uphill battle in his first-ever re-election bid this November. He is facing off against William Lawrence, a progressive climate organizer with a 13-year-old felony case related to his activism. During a 2013 protest at an Enbridge Energy pipeline work site, Lawrence chained himself to construction equipment and refused to leave. He was charged with resisting and obstructing police, which is a felony, and the conviction was later expunged. The seat is rated to be a ‘toss up’ by the Cook Political Report. An Emerson College poll from mid-October found Lawrence up seven, with 53 percent to Barrett’s 45 percent.

Iowa’s 1st District: Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) versus Christina Bohannan (D)

Incumbent Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks is no stranger to tough elections. After winning her first federal race in 2020 by 6 votes, Miller-Meeks, like Kiggans, has had a tough job keeping both her base happy and working to satisfy independent voters. This time around, she is facing Christina Bohannan, a lawyer, engineer, and former State Representative. Miller-Meeks, like Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, could be hurt by a strong turnout for Democrat Rob Sand in the governor’s race if his supporters vote the whole ballot. The seat was shifted to ‘lean Democrat’ in the first week of October after being ranked as a ‘toss up’ by the Cook Political Report.

Texas’ 34th District: Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D) versus Eric Flores (R)

Incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez is facing Republican Eric Flores in a redrawn seat this November. The district has trended towards the GOP in recent years, and Flores believes that voters don’t share Democratic opposition to Trump’s immigration policies in a heavily Hispanic region. Gonzalez, meanwhile, has characterized Trump’s approach as ‘America Last.’ The seat is rated to ‘lean Democrat’ after shifting from a ‘toss up’ per the Cook Political Report. A poll conducted by the Washington Post and George Mason University’s Schar School of Government in mid-October found Gonzalez up 7 points, with 50 percent of respondents supporting him, compared to 43 percent who backed Flores.

Nebraska’s 2nd District: Denise Powell (D) versus Brinker Harding (R) 

Republican Congressman and retired US Air Force Brigadier General Don Bacon chose not to seek re-election in 2026, after winning his 2024 race for the GOP despite Kamala Harris winning his district by five points and its electoral vote. That leaves one of the most vulnerable GOP House seats in the country open with no incumbent. Republican Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Councilman, faces off against Denise Powell, a mom and small business owner, in November for Bacon’s seat. The seat was shifted to ‘likely Democrat’ in the first week of October after being ranked to ‘lean Democrat‘ by the Cook Political Report.

California’s 22nd District: Rep. David Valadao (R) versus Randy Villegas (D) 

Incumbent Republican David Valadao has maintained an independent streak throughout his six terms in the US House of Representatives. If reelected, he would be the only GOP member of the House still serving in the second half of Trump’s second term, despite having voted to impeach Trump in 2021. In November, Valadao faces Randy Villegas, an educator and activist. The seat is rated a ‘toss-up’ by the Cook Political Report. 

A Queensland father’s attempt to leave his eldest daughter just $100 in his will has failed after a Supreme Court judge ruled that key provisions in his rambling handwritten document were legally invalid. As a result, Tina Gilbert will inherit part of her late father’s estate after all.

Neville Cecil Huxley died in 2021 at the age of 80. In a homemade “kit will”, he divided much of his estate among nine of his 11 surviving children but specifically excluded Ms Gilbert, claiming she had “disowned” him in 1989.

The dispute over the will has continued for years. During the proceedings, a judge warned that legal costs could consume the “vast majority” of the relatively modest $428,000 estate before the family receives its inheritance.

In the handwritten will, signed in 2013, Mr Huxley instructed that the money left in his bank accounts be divided among nine of his children. He added: “It is my intention to specifically exclude my daughter Tina Gilbert from the aforementioned gift because I have made a specific gift for her in this will with an explanation as to why.”

In another section, he wrote that “my daughter tina gilbert (sic) is to be given $100 because she had disowned me in 1989 for unknown reasons or explanation – my only gift to her”.

The will also sought to keep a family property near Charters Towers for three of Neville’s sons, who have Fragile X syndrome. The genetic condition can cause intellectual disability and a need for assistance with everyday activities.

“My property is to stay in the family for my sons to live in the family home,” the document stated.

The court was told the three brothers need differing levels of daily support and live in supported accommodation rather than at the property.

Justice Johnstone found that several directions in the homemade will were invalid. He also ruled that the clause concerning the property did not establish a legally enforceable life interest for Neville’s sons.

That part of the estate must therefore be distributed under Queensland’s intestacy laws, which apply when a valid will does not determine how property should be dealt with.

The ruling means Ms Gilbert will receive a share of the estate under the intestacy rules, despite her father’s stated intention that she receive only $100.

The estate was valued at about $428,000. Justice Johnstone warned that unless its administration was completed soon, “the vast majority of the estate will be lost to legal fees”.

“There have already been a number of court hearings in the matter. The costs will already be significant… unless the administration of the estate can be finalised soon, the vast majority of the estate will be lost to legal fees,” he wrote.

The judge said the estate’s administration had been marked by “profound delay” since probate was granted in 2021.

The court heard that Neville’s daughter and co-executor Ellen had been trying to advance the estate’s administration through her solicitor. Her sister and fellow executor, Catherine, had not taken the same steps.

KEEP READING: Daniel Hagari's Departure: Has He Exited the IDF? – NewsFinale

Catherine accepted that delays had occurred but attributed them to her former solicitors. Justice Johnstone said, however, that she had provided no direct evidence to support that explanation.

In an extraordinary aside, the judge revealed a solicitor acting for Catherine told a previous directions hearing that a fixed-fee retainer had been exhausted and that he was ‘sick of it’ – referring to the long-running family dispute. 

The judgment also records that a court form was filed incorrectly stating the judge had granted leave for the law firm to withdraw from the matter.

‘What was stated in that form was false,’ Justice Johnstone wrote.

Despite years of litigation, the judge left Catherine in place as an executor for now, expressing hope his ruling on the disputed will would finally allow the estate to be wound up and distributed.

‘Whilst it may be the case that the first respondent has not received much in the way of helpful assistance from her most recent representation, that does not explain her conduct over the preceding five years since the grant of probate was made,’ he said.

The family feud boiled over when daughter Ellen offered to buy the estate’s land and collection of vehicles and machinery at market value, a proposal opposed by her sisters.

Initially, Jennifer played only a limited role in the proceedings, seeking the appointment of a litigation guardian for three beneficiaries. 

But she later ‘entered the fray’ alongside Catherine, with the judge noting their interests had become aligned in opposition to Ellen’s application.

The disputed property is occupied rent-free by Jennifer, who the court said appeared to perform general caretaking duties and who was appointed as guardian for two of her brothers together with Catherine.

She told the court her brothers Clifford, Neville and Arron regularly visited the property and that Arron – whose name was also sometimes spelled ‘Aaron’ – often stayed overnight during periods of her care.

Neville, who was born in Mount Isa in 1941, was described in a funeral notice as a self-made jack-of-all-trades who worked on prawn trawlers and cattle stations despite being unable to properly read or write.

He later settled near Charters Towers, unsuccessfully ran for mayor in the 1980s and spent much of his later life tinkering with cars and caring for horses.

The estate includes land valued at about $160,000 and a collection of old car bodies, parts and machinery valued at $86,450. The deceased also held more than $180,000 in cash across two bank accounts.

The irony of the case is that despite Mr Huxley’s express wish that his estranged daughter receive only $100, she will now share in part of the estate because of the way his homemade will was drafted.

Canadian author Rowan Jette Knox, who previously identified as a straight woman before coming out as non-binary and later as a transgender man, has announced that he now identifies as two-spirit.

Knox, formerly known as Amanda Jette Knox, said on social media last month that he has Indigenous heritage and identifies with both masculine and feminine qualities associated with the two-spirit identity.

The 50-year-old made the announcement on Threads, where his changing gender identity was later discussed by Quillette . The Toronto-based writer and coffee shop owner has previously spoken about his family’s experience with gender transition. His son came out as a transgender girl at 11, while his spouse later came out as a transgender woman.

Knox and his spouse, who have since separated, were previously part of a four-person open relationship with two other transgender women. They referred to the group as a “polycule.” The relationship has since ended, with Knox and his former spouse now dating separate transgender women.

Announcing the identity change to his 230,000 followers, Knox wrote: “This week I finally felt ready to claim the two-spirit identity for myself. It’s a BIG step for me at 50 years old.

“I’ve been actively connecting with my lost culture (my Indigenous father left when I was a baby – intergenerational trauma played a big part), learning the stories, reading the history, and giving myself permission to belong.

“So hello. My name is Rowan, and I am trans and two-spirit. Niminwendam waabaminaan.”

The Ojibwe People’s Dictionary identifies “niminwendam waabaminaan” as a phrase from an Algonquian Indigenous language that roughly means “I am happy to see you.”

Knox later acknowledged that he has had limited contact with his Indigenous heritage, attributing that distance to colonialism and what he described as intergenerational trauma.

In a follow-up post, Knox wrote: “As I reconnect more with my Indigenous roots, I’m getting closer to claiming the two-spirit identity. But culture plays a big part in me feeling comfortable doing so.

“It’s not my fault I didn’t grow up within my culture (I firmly blame colonialism and the intergenerational trauma it caused in my family) but it is my responsibility to lean in and learn the teachings now. I wish I had done it sooner, but it’s never too late.”

Two-spirit is represented by the first two characters in the acronym 2SLGBTQIA+, which is used by many progressive organizations and institutions in Canada.

Earlier this year, Canadian lawmaker Leah Gazan introduced a longer version of the acronym: MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+.

The letters refer to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit people, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual communities. The plus sign represents additional identities not specifically listed.

Knox had a double mastectomy in October last year after beginning testosterone treatment in 2023. He later shared photographs of his top-surgery scars.

The activist has also spoken publicly about using testosterone and posted clips demonstrating the lower voice he developed during his transition.

Knox previously said he felt he had been born in the wrong body, adding that it took him years to come to terms with his gender identity.

MORE STORY: VIDEO: Son of Hamas Leader Critically Debates Pro-Hamas Advocate, Leaving Her Speechless – NewsFinale

Knox’s spouse, Zoe, was formerly known as Mark and came out as transgender in July 2015, after 19 years of marriage.

The pair’s daughter Alexis revealed that she was transgender in early 2014 when she was in the sixth grade.

Knox and Zoe also lived with their trans partners Dani and Dame in the same house, Dani and Dame at the time were a couple.

Knox’s Instagram profile page, however, for the last few years has only shown images of himself and Dani. The two appear to also run a coffeeshop together.

He previously shared his delight at realizing he was non-binary before coming out as transgender and told PinkNews: ‘Trans joy is infectious’. 

In October of 2023, Knox wrote about first meeting Dani last year after reaching out to her to talk about an experience she had.

According to Knox, the two ‘bonded immediately in a way I rarely do these days’ before deciding they had fallen in love.

Knox says the two then ‘encouraged’ their spouses to get to know one another. Dame and Zoe then also started falling for one another.

Knox and his wife then decided to relocate from their hometown of Ottawa to Toronto in January of this year to start a new life as a four-way couple.

He wrote: ‘It didn’t take long before we all realized that being apart more than we were together was too painful.’

Sadly, the four way couple has since parted ways, but Knox insists he is happier than ever with girlfriend Dani.  

Alexis, a biological male, came out to her parents as a transgender girl in February 2014 when she was just 11 years old after sending them an email.

Alexis and Rowan had participated in a video series organized by Microsoft titled My 24 Hrs.

Speaking about the decision to come out on the series, Alexis said: ‘I always have been in a very accepting home. We’ve never forced gender roles.

‘Sending an email was just the easiest way for me because I was pretty scared of what my parents would think. It’s a really hard thing to do when you honestly don’t know.’

The Daily Mail approached Rowan for further comment on his latest move.