Election 2026

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Kelly: 'Reckless' Trump 'Only Knows How to Break Things'

Arizona Democrat weighs 2028 bid amid clash with Trump administration

(Newser) - Mark Kelly is sounding a lot like a presidential candidate these days, talking up his qualifications in a new interview with the BBC . The Democratic senator said he will "seriously consider" a 2028 presidential run, framing the decision as a response to what he called "seriously challenging times....

In Fundraising Race, GOP Is Winning by a Lot

Republicans' cash surge, super PACs, and court ruling worry Democrats

(Newser) - Democrats may be headed into the 2026 midterms with momentum—but Republicans are the ones with the cash . New filings show the GOP's main party committees and top House and Senate super PACs entered the year with about $320 million on hand, more than double Democrats' $137 million after...

Good News for GOP: Collins Launches Reelection Bid

Moderate Republican senator seen as the party's best chance in Maine

(Newser) - Susan Collins is asking Maine voters for a sixth term, and the stakes extend far beyond her state. The 73-year-old Republican senator formally launched her re-election bid on Tuesday, casting herself as an experienced moderate in an increasingly polarized Senate. "True leaders bring both sides together to seek common...

Leavitt: Trump Remarks About Canceling Midterms 'Facetious'

POTUS has made such comments at least twice recently

(Newser) - President Trump wasn't floating a constitutional crisis—he was cracking a joke, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Pressed Thursday on why the president has recently mused multiple times about scrapping this year's midterm elections, Leavitt told reporters Trump's comments were not serious, Mediaite reports....

California Gets a Win in Redistricting Battle

Federal panel rules in favor of the state, though GOP plans to appeal

(Newser) - California can use a new voter-approved US House map that is designed to boost Democrats in the 2026 midterms, a federal three-judge panel ruled Wednesday. In a 2-1 ruling, a three-judge panel in Los Angeles denied requests from state Republicans and the US Justice Department to block the map from...

Musk Is Back to Bankrolling GOP Campaigns

So much for the billionaire's 'American Party'

(Newser) - Elon Musk is quietly reemerging as a heavyweight Republican donor, this time with a focus on the 2026 battle for Congress. According to Axios , Musk has begun pouring money into GOP House and Senate campaigns, marking a notable shift from his supposed launch of a third " American Party "...

Trump Begins Campaign to Turn 'Affordability' Narrative

President travels to Pennsylvania to speak on the economy

(Newser) - President Trump on Tuesday embarks on a campaign to try to recapture the narrative that might well decide the 2026 midterms: affordability. Trump will head to Pennsylvania, where he will speak at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, a working-class town in a swing House district, reports USA ...

Crockett Announces Senate Run in Texas

Allred drops out to pursue House comeback

(Newser) - Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett launched a campaign Monday for the US Senate in Texas, bringing a national profile to a race that may be critical to Democrats' long-shot hopes of reclaiming a Senate majority in next year's midterm elections. Crockett, one of Congress' most outspoken Democrats and a frequent...

Trump Sees 2 Factors at Play in GOP Losses

Shutdown was one, he concedes

(Newser) - President Trump acknowledged on Wednesday that Tuesday wasn't a great day for the GOP. Speaking at a White House breakfast with GOP senators, Trump had the following to say, per CNBC :
  • "Last night, it was, you know, not expected to be a victory, it was very Democrat areas,
...

Sununu Launches Senate Bid in NH
Sununu Launches
Senate Bid in NH
Oct 23, 2025 12:30 AM CDT

Sununu Launches Senate Bid in NH

Republican is seeking to reclaim seat he lost in 2008

(Newser) - New Hampshire Republican John E. Sununu announced a campaign for US Senate on Wednesday, hoping to reclaim a seat he lost nearly two decades ago and boosting the GOP's chances of regaining a foothold in a region overwhelmingly represented by Democrats. Sununu, 61, is seeking the Republican nomination for...

Judge: Utah Must Quickly Redraw Congressional Map

Judge rules state must redraw congressional districts for 2026 election

(Newser) - The Utah Legislature will need to rapidly redraw the state's congressional boundaries after a judge ruled Monday that the Republican-controlled body circumvented safeguards put in place by voters to ensure districts aren't drawn to favor any party, the AP reports. The current map, drawn in 2021, divides Salt...

Texas Pushing Ahead With Redistricting Plans

Democrats in the state have signaled they will return

(Newser) - Texas Republicans on Monday aimed to resume pushing through redrawn US House district maps that would carve out a bigger GOP advantage in the 2026 midterm elections after state Democrats indicated they were ready to end a two-week walkout, the AP reports. In response, California Democrats are also moving ahead...

DeSantis Taps a Potential Successor
DeSantis Taps a
Potential Successor
Aug 12, 2025 12:25 PM CDT

DeSantis Taps a Potential Successor

Florida governor appoints state Sen. Jay Collins as lieutenant governor, potentially setting up a proxy war

(Newser) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis can't run for reelection in the 2026 race, but on Tuesday he gave a broad hint at who he might like to see take his place in the governor's mansion. The term-limited DeSantis appointed GOP state Sen. Jay Collins as the state's next...

Trump Ally Blackburn Wants a Promotion

Tennessee senator had made no secret she was intending to run for governor

(Newser) - Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced Wednesday that she's entering the open Tennessee governor's race in 2026, setting up a primary clash with US Rep. John Rose. Blackburn's announcement makes official what had been expected for some time from the ally of President Trump, reports the AP , as...

Coach Dooley Enters Georgia Senate Race

Republican Derek Dooley is backed by Gov. Brian Kemp

(Newser) - Former college football coach and attorney Derek Dooley has thrown his hat in the ring for the Republican nomination for the US Senate in Georgia . Dooley, the son of legendary University of Georgia coach Vince Dooley, announced his bid on Monday, joining a field that includes Reps. Buddy Carter and...

Lindsey Graham Gets Challenged by Project 2025 Architect

Paul Dans is announcing his bid for the longtime South Carolina senator's seat

(Newser) - A chief architect of Project 2025, Paul Dans, is launching a Republican primary challenge to Sen. Lindsey Graham in South Carolina, joining a crowded field that will test the loyalties of President Trump and his MAGA movement in next year's midterm election. Dans told the AP the Trump administration'...

CNN Pollster Warns Dems Need 'Reality Check' on Midterms

GOP is on a better pace at this point in polling cycle than for 2006, 2018 midterms, per Harry Enten

(Newser) - The 2026 midterms are now peeking over the horizon, and rumblings have already begun on who will gain (or keep) control of the House and Senate. Democrats in particular may need a "reality check," according to CNN polling expert Harry Enten, who's raising the red flag on...

Cory Booker Made Bank on That Marathon Senate Speech

NJ senator sets $10M fundraising record as grassroots donors fuel campaign momentum

(Newser) - After an all-night Senate speech that shattered records , Sen. Cory Booker has pulled in his largest-ever fundraising total—revealing a wave of grassroots support as he eyes re-election and possibly more. Booker's Senate campaign and an affiliated joint fundraising committee raised $10 million from April through June, according...

After Ernst's Remarks, Iowa Democrat Says He's In

JD Scholten to seek seat of senator who said, 'We are all going to die'

(Newser) - Sen. Joni Ernst's assurance to a town hall gathering that " we are all going to die " not only drew criticism, it inspired at least one Iowan to take action: State Rep. JD Scholten said Monday he's entering the 2026 race to replace her. "Now's...

Hogg Takes Flak for Plan to Replace Older Democrats

A group the DNC vice chair heads plans to support primary challengers in safe districts

(Newser) - David Hogg was elected as one of five vice chairs of the Democratic National Committee earlier this year after promising to win back young voters who had drifted to the GOP—but some Democrats are angry about what he has planned. The 25-year-old says a separate group he heads, Leaders...

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