Kornacki: Democrats Lead Polls as Midterm Elections Loom

With 15 days left before the midterm elections, NBC's Steve Kornacki reports that Democrats are ahead in the polls. He presented the state of play on October 19, 2026, standing at his big board in Studio 1A and taking a closer look at where the races stand as Election Day approaches. The segment frames the final stretch of the campaign around that Democratic advantage, according to NBC News.

Public mood adds context. A separate NBC News poll found that 71% of Americans think the country is on the wrong track, a sign of widespread dissatisfaction heading into the vote. The figure reflects national sentiment rather than any single race, and it sits alongside the polling lead Kornacki described, since both were featured in NBC's coverage that day.

Foreign policy also drew attention in separate news coverage. Trump faced criticism from both parties after waiving sanctions on Russia, while Zelenskyy called Trump's support for Putin a "historic mistake."

Summarized by PolitiKool from NBC News’s reporting. Read the full story at NBC News →