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Midterm Elections 2018: What you need to know

Here’s what’s at stake for the Democrats and Republicans in the 2018 midterms.

October 29, 2018, 1:54 PM

Midterm elections are often seen as a report card for the majority party’s policies and the 2018 midterms are no exception.

Democrats are eager to show President Donald Trump that the country does not support his stance on key issues, while Republicans would love to expand the reach of their power in the House, Senate and local races.

Either way, the political landscape in Washington is likely poised to change on November 6th.

Here are five races to watch in the 2018 election:

Arizona Senate Race 2018: Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema

What you need to know about the GOP and Democratic candidates competing to fill Republican Jeff Flake's Senate seat.
What you need to know about the GOP and Democratic candidates competing to fill Republican Jeff Flake's Senate seat.

Republican Rep. Martha McSally is facing off with Democrat Rep. Kyrsten Sinema for Sen. Jeff Flake’s Senate seat. President Trump has endorsed McSally, a former Air Force fighter pilot, while President Barack Obama endorsed Rep. Kyrsten Sinema. No matter who wins, one of them will become the first female senator to represent Arizona.

What you need to know about Georgia's current Republican secretary of state who is facing off against a Democratic former state legislator in the race for governor.
What you need to know about Georgia's current Republican secretary of state who is facing off against a Democratic former state legislator in the race for governor.

Georgia Gubernatorial Race 2018: Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams

In Georgia, Democrat Stacey Abrams is running to become the first ever black, female governor in the country. Her opponent, Republican Brian Kemp, currently serves as Secretary of State of Georgia. He appears to be benefiting from President Trump’s endorsement on the campaign trial, while President Obama has endorsed Abrams.

Kentucky 6th District House Race 2018: Amy McGrath and Andy Barr

What you need to know about the Democratic incumbent and GOP candidate fighting to represent North Dakota in the Senate.
What you need to know about the Democratic incumbent and GOP candidate fighting to represent North Dakota in the Senate.

In Kentucky, Republican Andy Barr and Democrat Amy McGrath are in a tight race to represent their state in the House of Representatives. Barr is a former congressional staffer and a lawyer by trade, while McGrath is a former Marine Corps pilot who has never before run for office.

North Dakota Senate Race 2018: Kevin Cramer and Heidi Heitkamp

North Dakota voted overwhelmingly for President Trump in 2016, so incumbent Democrat Sen. Heidi Heitkamp has done what she could to vote in favor of his policies.

Her Republican challenger Kevin Cramer currently represents North Dakota’s at-large Congressional district. President Trump has endorsed and campaigned with Cramer but has also called Heitkamp a “good woman.”

Texas Senate Race 2018: Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke

The Senate race in Texas between former presidential candidate Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke is gaining lots of national attention. O'Rourke is running a progressive campaign and has traveled to every one of the state’s 254 counties. The relationship between Texas Republican Sen. Cruz and President Trump has come a long way since 2016 and Donald Trump Jr. even stumped for the Senator in Texas.

ABC News Live will provide full coverage of the 2018 Midterm Election on Tuesday, November 6th starting at 4:30 PM ET – Watch on ABCNews.com/Live, The ABC News App, Hulu, and The Roku Channel.

ABC News' Meghan Keneally, Jeffrey Cook and John Verhovek contributed to this report.

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