435 House seats determine Tuesday's congressional power shift

Tuesday, Nov. 3, is the date Americans go to the polls to decide who controls Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term. Every one of the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives is on the ballot. Additionally, 35 seats in the U.S. Senate are up for grabs. The outcome in these races will dictate which party holds the majority in both chambers.

Governors are also being elected in 36 states. Republicans aim to keep their current majority in the House and Senate. Democrats are attempting to win control of both chambers. The result will shape the legislative agenda for the remainder of the current presidential term.

Several state-level races are particularly close. The latest polling data labels the Senate contests in Texas, Michigan, and Alaska as toss-ups. These three states are among the most closely watched in the election cycle. The margin of victory in these races could swing the overall balance of power in the upper chamber.

On the same day, the Supreme Court begins its November oral argument session. The session runs from Nov. 2 to Nov. 10. Justices will hear seven hours of arguments spread across five days. The court is scheduled to hear the case of St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy on Nov. 3.

The case centers on a Catholic preschool in Colorado. The school was excluded from the state’s universal preschool program. The legal question is whether this exclusion constitutes religious discrimination. The ruling could set a precedent for how public funds are allocated to religious educational institutions.