Daily Summary of Politics · Final editionThursday 29 October 2026 · UTC
Politics News: 29 October 2026
Israel's final count leaves no majority as US midterm campaigns enter final days
Israel's official count on Thursday made Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud the largest party, but neither his bloc nor the opposition reached the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority, and coalition talks began. In the United States, with Election Day on 3 November, President Trump campaigned in South Carolina for a Republican senator in a tied race.
Senate contests in New Hampshire, Alaska and Michigan stayed in the news over a debate, a spoiler-candidate controversy and a party split.
Israel's final count makes Likud largest party, but neither bloc has a majority
Official Central Elections Committee figures released on Thursday give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats and the opposition bloc 48. Likud won 27 seats, Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar 21 and Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad 12, while the Arab parties won a record 19, so neither bloc can reach 61 without them.
The committee's chairman asked the Shin Bet to look into suspected foreign funding of turnout in the Arab sector, and the committee said voting at polling stations had not been compromised. Eisenkot met Bennett, and Democrats leader Yair Golan met Ra'am's Mansour Abbas, to discuss forming a government.
Trump heads to South Carolina for Graham in a tight race five days before vote
President Trump planned a Thursday rally with Republican Sen. Darline Graham in Rock Hill, South Carolina, after a New York Times/Siena poll showed her tied with Democrat Annie Andrews. A day earlier, Trump campaigned in Ohio for Sen. Jon Husted and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and urged supporters to "pretend I'm on the ballot," while former President Barack Obama rallied Democrats in Georgia.
CBS News' Battleground Tracker estimates Democrats have an edge for control of the House, and Senate control could come down to a handful of toss-up states. Election Day is 3 November, and millions of people have already voted early.
New Hampshire Senate rivals Pappas and Sununu clash over Trump, Iran and tariffs
Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas and Republican former Sen. John E. Sununu debated late Wednesday in the race for New Hampshire's open Senate seat. Sununu, who has Trump's endorsement, criticized the president's handling of the Iran war and his tariffs, and called Maine Sen. Susan Collins a "great model" for Republicans. Pappas said Sununu had backed the war early on, played down the effect of the tariffs, and was not independent of Trump.
The two also argued over Social Security and border enforcement.
Alaska Senate race shaken by report of Democratic spoiler-candidate scheme
The New York Times reported that operatives working for Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola tried to recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, to confuse voters. The Associated Press reported that Trump called for Peltola to be prosecuted over the controversy. Separately, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins in Alaska's race for governor.
Michigan Democrats split as Stevens backs El-Sayed and her fiancé backs Rogers
Rep. Haley Stevens, who lost the Michigan Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, said she still supports him in the general election, hours after her fiancé Jason Turkish said he would vote for Republican nominee Mike Rogers. Stevens called hers "a household divided" and urged El-Sayed's campaign to reject what she called hateful ads.
One of those ads, from the outside group Rebellion PAC, linked US military support for Israel to the cost of groceries. El-Sayed has disavowed it.
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