PoliticsAnalysisUpdated 2 hr ago

New CNN poll shows tight Senate races in Michigan, Texas, Maine and Kansas

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

4 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Image via The HillHow images are chosen Report this image

A CNN/SSRS poll released Thursday, days before the midterm elections, shows tight Senate races in Michigan, Texas, Maine and Kansas, according to outlets reporting it. In Michigan, CNN’s poll has Democrat Abdul El-Sayed at 49% and Republican Mike Rogers at 42% among likely voters. In Texas, it has Democrat James Talarico at 49% and Republican Ken Paxton at 43%. The poll finds no clear leader in Maine or Kansas, where The Hill reports that the Democratic leads are within the margin of error. CNN reports that Democrats hope to win Senate control, a prospect that seemed out of reach earlier this year and remains uncertain.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

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The coverage spectrum counts the outlets covering a story at each of five points. A short or missing segment means that part of the spectrum is mostly quiet.

Governor Loaded verb“slams”It adds drama to what was said. The governor criticized the lawmakers; “slams” makes it sound like a fight.More neutral: criticizes lawmakers over budget delay

Highlights mark words that carry a judgement. Tap one to see why, and what a neutral writer would say. Here it is “criticizes”.

The 5-point spectrum

Far Left
Voices that strongly advocate for progressive policies and systemic change.
Left
Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.
Center
Sources that prioritize neutral reporting and balanced viewpoints.
Right
Mainstream conservative perspectives focusing on market freedom and tradition.
Far Right
Voices that strongly advocate for conservative values and limited government.

How we measure bias

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

A CNN/SSRS poll released before the midterm elections covers Senate races in Michigan, Texas, Maine and Kansas.
Reported byLeft1Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
CNN
Center
The Hill
Far Right
Fox News
According to the CNN poll, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leads Republican Mike Rogers 49% to 42% among likely voters in Michigan.
One outletCNN· Left
According to the CNN poll, Democrat James Talarico leads Republican Ken Paxton 49% to 43% among likely voters in Texas.
One outletCNN· Left
The Maine and Kansas Senate races are described as neck and neck, with Democratic leads within the margin of error.
Reported byLeft1Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
CNN
Center
The Hill
Far Right
Fox News

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

Democrats lead in all four states: Michigan, Texas, Maine and Kansas.
Fox News reports, citing the CNN poll, that Democrats lead in all four states. CNN reports no clear leader in Maine or Kansas, and The Hill reports narrow Democratic leads in those two states that fall within the margin of error.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that a CNN poll shows tight Senate races in Michigan, Texas, Maine and Kansas, with Democrats ahead in some. The left and center stress Democrats’ path to Senate control and the margin of error, while the right stresses the risk to the Republican majority.

the left
1 outlet
CNN’s headline frames the poll as Democrats in striking distance of a Senate majority, centering the party’s path to control.
Democrats in striking distance: New CNN polls in four states highlight party’s path to Senate majority
CNNLeftAll left-leaning headlines
the center
1 outlet
The Hill’s headline reports the Kansas and Maine races as neck-and-neck in the CNN poll, leading with the margin of error.
Kansas, Maine Senate races neck-and-neck: CNN poll
The HillCenterAll center headlines
the right
2 outlets
Right-side headlines split: Fox News, rated Far Right, uses a neutral neck-and-neck race headline, while the Daily Mail stresses a Senate majority under threat.
Trump's Senate majority under threat as Sensational language“stunning”The word adds drama that the poll numbers in the article do not need to convey.More neutral: newDisagree with this highlight? new poll shows Democrats leading in Texas and Republicans in danger in Kansas
Daily MailRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

Left0
No loaded words in its own voice.
Center0
No loaded words in its own voice.
Right3
bleak picturesaddled bystunning

In the outlets’ own words

Sensational language
bleak pictureMore neutral: polls showing Republicans trailing
The phrase adds a negative judgement on the state of the race beyond the reported numbers.
…round of polling conducted in critical US Senate races across the country shows a bleak picture for Republicans.
Used byDaily Mail (Right)
Loaded verb
saddled byMore neutral: has
The verb suggests a burden imposed on Trump, where the article reports only the level of disapproval.
Democrats hold leads in each of these states and Trump is saddled by double-digit disapprovals, even among Republicans.
Used byDaily Mail (Right)
Sensational language
stunningMore neutral: new
The word adds drama that the poll numbers in the article do not need to convey.
Trump's Senate majority under threat as stunning new poll shows Democrats leading in Texas and Republicans in danger in Kansas
Used byDaily Mail (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

1 outlet

Leads with

Democrats’ path to Senate majority
Democratic leads in Michigan and Texas
Trump’s underwater ratings

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines

CNNLeft
Democrats in striking distance: New CNN polls in four states highlight party’s path to Senate majority
CNN polling across four key Senate races in the final days of the midterm campaign finds Democrats well-positioned in Michigan and Texas, with no clear leader in the races in Maine or Kansas. …
15 hr agoRead at CNN (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

Kansas and Maine races tied
Leads within the margin of error
Millions in spending by both parties

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines

The HillCenter
Kansas, Maine Senate races neck-and-neck: CNN poll
Democrats have narrow leads in two key Senate contests with just a few days until the election, a new poll shows. A new survey conducted by CNN/SSRS released Thursday found Democrats ahead in the Kansas and Maine Senate races, though both leads are in the margin of error. …
2 hr agoRead at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

2 outlets

Leads with

Republican Senate majority at risk
Democratic lead in Texas
Republicans in danger in Kansas

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Daily MailRight
Trump's Senate majority under threat as Sensational language“stunning”The word adds drama that the poll numbers in the article do not need to convey.More neutral: newDisagree with this highlight? new poll shows Democrats leading in Texas and Republicans in danger in Kansas
The latest round of polling conducted in critical US Senate races across the country shows a Sensational language“bleak picture”The phrase adds a negative judgement on the state of the race beyond the reported numbers.More neutral: polls showing Republicans trailingDisagree with this highlight? for Republicans.
7 hr agoRead at Daily Mail (opens in a new tab)
Fox NewsFar Right
Maine, Kansas Senate races neck and neck as Democrats lead in Texas, Michigan, poll shows
High-profile Senate races in Maine, Texas, Michigan, and Kansas are extremely tight, with Democrats leading in all four according to a new CNN poll.
9 hr agoRead at Fox News (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

Left
First to report
CNN, Oct 29, 5:00 AM EDT
Center
12 hr 47 min later
Its first report, Oct 29, 5:47 PM EDT
Right
5 hr 49 min later
Its first report, Oct 29, 10:49 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order

CNNLeftOct 29, 5:00 AM EDT
Fox NewsFar RightOct 29, 10:49 AM EDT
Daily MailRightOct 29, 12:50 PM EDT
The HillCenterOct 29, 5:47 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

New CNN poll shows tight Senate races in Michigan, Texas, Maine and Kansas

Coverage spectrum

Key points

Where accounts differ

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

Democrats in striking distance: New CNN polls in four states highlight party’s path to Senate majority

From the center

Kansas, Maine Senate races neck-and-neck: CNN poll

From the right

Trump's Senate majority under threat as Sensational language“stunning”The word adds drama that the poll numbers in the article do not need to convey.More neutral: newDisagree with this highlight? new poll shows Democrats leading in Texas and Republicans in danger in Kansas

Maine, Kansas Senate races neck and neck as Democrats lead in Texas, Michigan, poll shows

How the coverage built up

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Key points

Where accounts differ

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

Democrats in striking distance: New CNN polls in four states highlight party’s path to Senate majority

From the center

Kansas, Maine Senate races neck-and-neck: CNN poll

From the right

Trump's Senate majority under threat as stunningSensational language“stunning”The word adds drama that the poll numbers in the article do not need to convey.More neutral: newDisagree with this highlight? new poll shows Democrats leading in Texas and Republicans in danger in Kansas

Maine, Kansas Senate races neck and neck as Democrats lead in Texas, Michigan, poll shows

How the coverage built up

Read next

China names military general Zhang Shengmin to Communist Party Politburo

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde to step down in February 2027

Hegseth fires Pentagon military planner Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia amid leak investigation

Nonprofit publishes data on more than 40,000 Homeland Security employees

Federal investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar examines whether she married her alleged brother

Trump's Senate majority under threat as Sensational language“stunning”The word adds drama that the poll numbers in the article do not need to convey.More neutral: newDisagree with this highlight? new poll shows Democrats leading in Texas and Republicans in danger in Kansas