On November 3, Americans will elect all 435 members of the House and 35 senators. President Donald Trump will not be on the ballot but he has sought to make the midterm elections all about himself.
“I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot. I'm on the ballot. I'm on the ballot. Just one more time,” he said at a recent rally.
“Because if we lose, you’re going to lose your border, you’re going to lose your tax cuts, you’re going to lose your safety and security, you’re going to lose your wealth.”
At recent rallies, Mr Trump has campaigned on what he says are his administration’s accomplishments and made the election a referendum on his presidency. He said voters turn out in greater numbers when he is running and that Republican control of Congress is necessary to preserve his agenda.
He even pledged $5,000 cheques to every American adult if Republicans retain control of Congress, calling it a “Trump dividend”. Previous similar promises related to tariffs and cuts in government spending have come to nothing and he cannot unilaterally authorise such payments.
But amid low approval ratings, rising costs of living and an unpopular war with Iran, some Republican candidates have sought to distance themselves from him on major issues, raising the question of whether Mr Trump has become toxic.
'Kind of a betrayal'
John Feehery, a Republican strategist, said the war with Iran presents a particular challenge for the President because it conflicts with his central message of non-intervention in conflicts abroad.
“The war is very unpopular, even though it’s probably for a good cause. It hasn’t been really well explained. It’s not the Trump brand," Mr Feehery said. "And so, all these people who voted for Trump because they wanted an end to no more endless wars – it’s kind of a betrayal."
Mr Trump has said that the war, which he initially claimed would last only a few weeks, would end after the midterms, and that fuel costs would go down shortly after.
Control of Congress is likely to hinge on a relatively small number of contested races in Michigan, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, Alaska and Texas.
Republicans hold narrow majorities in both chambers. In the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control.
Historically, the party of the sitting president loses seats in the House.
“We’re worried about Michigan. We’re worried about Texas. We’re worried about a few states. But it’s all about 35 different contests – not states, contests,” Mr Trump said at a recent rally.
Midterm elections also typically draw fewer voters than presidential polls, and experts say Mr Trump's base is less motivated to vote in the midterms than Democratic supporters.
“This is not going to be a high-turnout election, so you have to be very careful – you can’t run against Trump," Mr Feehery said.
'Like he has malaria'
Still, some Republican candidates have been trying to distance themselves from the President's stance on Iran and other issues.
Mike Rogers, the Trump-endorsed Republican Senate candidate running against Abdul El Sayed in Michigan, is running an advertisement saying: “The war with Iran needs to end – and end quickly.”
Polling also suggests voters are mainly concerned about the economy and the rising cost of living, with a majority blaming Mr Trump for his handling of the issues.
In Iowa, Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, who is running for the Senate, focused her message on the economic impact of the war.
“Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran,” she said in a statement.
Heavy-handed immigration enforcement is another possible vulnerability for Republicans, with polling showing that many voters believe the Trump administration has crossed the line.
In a campaign advertisement, Maria Elvira Salazar, a three-term Republican congresswoman running for re-election in Florida, said Mr Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts “have gone too far”.
“Be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policy,” she said. “The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”
Mr Trump has also dismissed criticism from lawmakers from both parties over a recent deal with Russia to supply millions of barrels of diesel to global markets after a call with President Vladimir Putin.
The move appeared to be an attempt to slow the rising prices of diesel, but Republican senators said the deal may violate US restrictions imposed after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. A bipartisan group of senators released a statement at the weekend opposing Russian diesel fuel imports.
Senator Thom Tillis, one of the signatories to the statement, told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that "there’s a legitimate case for saying the President’s not following the law".
“Well, I think these are Republicans that can't really be serious,” Mr Trump said on Monday when asked about the criticism from his own party.
Recent polls put Mr Trump's approval ratings in the low 30s nationally, a historic low, and his disapproval ratings above 60 per cent.
Chris Christie, the former Republican governor of New Jersey who ran against Mr Trump twice for the party's presidential nomination, highlighted the growing unease of politicians in his party.
“With his current approval rating, Republicans are going to treat Trump like he has malaria by the time we get to October,” he wrote in a post on X.
Mr Trump, however, appears convinced that his stamp of approval is a boost for candidates rather than the proverbial albatross.
"I think we're going to do very well. I think that the rallies I'm doing are really changing around," he said on Tuesday.
Mr Trump pledged to visit a different state most days until the election, and forgo playing golf on the weekends.