Biden calls on voters to ‘save democracy’ ahead of midterm polls

During a final rally in Maryland on Monday, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden sought to draw votes for the Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore and Senator Chris Van Hollen, who joined them on stage.

Biden told a cheering crowd at Bowie State University, a historically Black college outside Washington, that democracy was at risk and that this was the moment to defend it.

Rather than making a final pitch to voters in a hotly contested swing state, Biden travelled to a reliably Democratic state, as his sagging popularity has made him unwelcome in much of the country.

Biden’s comments reflected the deep political divide in the United States ahead of the Tuesday elections that could see Republicans win control of one or both chambers of Congress.

Non-partisan election forecasters predicted on Monday that Republicans are likely to pick up roughly 25 seats in the 435-seat House of Representatives, more than enough to win a majority.

Analysts said Republicans also could pick up the one seat they need to win control of the Senate.

Republicans have blamed Biden's administration for rising prices and crime, two top voter concerns. But dozens of candidates also have echoed former president Donald Trump’s baseless claims of fraud in his 2020 election defeat. Some of them could end up as governors or election administrators in battleground states and play a central role in the 2024 presidential race.

Despite delivering on campaign promises to boost infrastructure and clean energy, many Americans have soured on Biden's leadership. Only 39 per cent approve of his job performance, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Monday.

Reuters