GOP challenger's nasty Halloween jab at Kathy Hochul, and more midterm campaign antics

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson went trick-or-treating in Portland on October 31 dressed as a cord of wood. The former logger used the unusual costume to respond to a pro-Susan Collins advertisement questioning whether he had the tools needed to serve in the US Senate.

Jackson's Republican rival, Senator Susan Collins, attended a Trunk-or-Treat event at Cross Point Church in Bangor. The gathering gave Collins an opportunity to meet families and children as she campaigned for another term, offering a more traditional Halloween scene than her opponent's firewood costume.

Minnesota Democratic Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan joined students at Minnesota State University, Mankato, for a Halloween costume contest. She helped judge outfits inspired by characters including Sharkboy and Lavagirl and showed students a photograph of herself dressed as a frog.

New York Gov Kathy Hochul joined Mayor Zohran Mamdani at the Queens Night Market on Halloween, meeting voters and vendors during the final weekend of her reelection campaign. The governor's festive outing came as her Republican challenger prepared a much less friendly Halloween message.

New York Republican gubernatorial challenger Bruce Blakeman used Halloween to sharpen his attacks on Hochul. His campaign circulated AI-generated imagery depicting the governor as a w**ch, accompanied by the slogan "DITCH THE W**CH!" The attack brought a confrontational finish to a holiday otherwise filled with costumes, candy and campaign appearances.