Energised Republicans are eager to claw back power in Congress, working to break the Democrats' one-party hold in Washington and putting the future of President Joe Biden's agenda at stake this Election Day.
With the narrowly held House and an evenly split Senate, Democrats could easily see their fragile grasp on power slip as they face a new generation of Republican candidates.
Charismatic outsiders and populists, many newcomers to public office who have become inspired by Donald Trump, promise to end Biden's once lofty ideas and launch investigations and oversight — even, potentially, impeachment of Biden.
Tuesday brings the first major national elections since the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, and emotions are raw.
The violent assault on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband has stunned many, and federal law enforcement is warning of heightened threats nationwide.
Biden's party is labouring to hold on by the most tenuous of margins.
All 435 seats in the House and one-third of the Senate are being contested.
If Republican newcomers help the party seize control of the House, and possibly the Senate, the outcome will pose new challenges for Congress' ability to govern.
“I do think that this will end up being a period of government that is defined by conflict,” said Brendan Buck, a former top aide to the past two Republican speakers of the House.