'Things Are Going To Get Ugly': Republicans Are Starting To Panic About The Midterms

Republican officials and strategists are increasingly worried about losing control of Congress, with post-Labor Day polling favoring Democrats despite a large GOP financial advantage. Senate races in Iowa and Kansas are reportedly now competitive, and a major GOP pollster warned members in districts Trump won by up to 15 points to check their own numbers.

Trump's super PAC spent $138 million to boost vulnerable candidates, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott has outspent his opponent 10-to-1, yet polling has still moved toward Democrats in that race. Similar patterns showed up in Ohio and Nevada governor's races, where heavy Republican outspending produced toss-ups or narrow Democratic leads.

A New York Times/Siena poll found Democrats leading the generic congressional ballot 51% to 43%, with voters trusting Democrats over Republicans on the economy, immigration, foreign wars, healthcare and the deficit. Just 36% of voters said Trump was focused on the right issues, and a conservative group warned Republicans' economic messaging is unclear.

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