CBS Exit Poll: Trump Support Just 38%, Democrats Take North Carolina and Georgia Senate Seats

on November 04, according to CBS News, preliminary exit polls from the 2026 U.S. midterm elections show Trump's support at 38%, potentially marking the lowest record for a president during midterms. This figure is lower than during his first term, and also lower than the level seen in 2006 when Republicans simultaneously lost control of both chambers of Congress under George W. Bush. Approximately 60% of voters stated that Trump was a factor in their decision to vote for House candidates. This trend is primarily driven by Democratic voters, who largely cast their ballots out of opposition to Trump. Among Republican voters, only a majority in the MAGA camp indicated they were voting to support Trump, while most non-MAGA Republicans said he was not a factor.

In Senate races, CBS News has projected Democrat Roy Cooper to win the North Carolina seat. This would mark the state's first Democratic senator since Kay Hagan in 2008. Cooper outperformed Harris in 2024 among independent voters and white women. Most voters view his opponent, Republican Michael Whatley, as overly aligned with Trump. Democrat Jon Ossoff was projected to win in Georgia within 40 minutes of polling closing, defeating Republican Representative Mike Collins. Ossoff performed strongly among Black voters, with a vote share roughly equivalent to his 2021 runoff, and also made gains among white voters. The race in South Carolina between Republican Senator Darlene Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews remains rated too close to call.