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Arizona Republican consultant thinks Democrats will 'end up disappointed'
A Republican political consultant and former Arizona lawmaker believes reports of the GOP’s demise are greatly exaggerated.
A new report confirms Democrats were behind the Dan Sullivan spoiler candidacy. Will it matter?
An October surprise has surfaced in a Senate race that could well determine who wins a majority in next week’s midterm elections.
New polls have more good news for Democrats’ Senate hopes
New surveys confirm just how much Democrats have expanded the Senate map in the 2026 midterm elections.
Inside Democrats’ Secret Effort to Stack Alaska’s Midterm Ballot With Another Dan Sullivan
Operatives aligned with Mary Peltola, the Democratic nominee for Senate, spent months recruiting candidates to peel votes from Senator Dan Sullivan, the Republican.
Private equity's political problem
If Democrats take Congress, private equity may need to play defense.
For Democrats Eyeing 2028, the First Test Is ‘Money, Money, Money’
As soon as the midterms are over, presidential contenders are going to need to raise millions, quickly.
This Week in Politics: Lead-up To Midterm Elections
With the 2026 midterm elections next week on Tuesday, Nov. 3, tensions are rising as Democratic candidates seek to flip key Republican-held seats while President Trump and his party fight to defend their majorities in both chambers of Congress. Democrats need a net gain of three seats to secure a majority in the House of...
A guide to Nov. 3 midterm election with history, perspective
Democrats appear a cinch to win control of the House, but the Senate remains a toss-up. Save your sanity by ignoring the polls. And don't put too much weight on Republicans' big financial advantage.
Democrats eye appeals to MAHA voters
Polling shows that MAHA food and pesticide priorities are overwhelmingly popular.
Minnesota becomes battleground as political clashes shape Senate race
Minnesota has become a flashpoint in the political dispute between President Trump and Democrats. Clashes over immigration and recent accusations of voter fraud are spilling into the U.S. Senate race.
James Talarico faces off against Trump in dueling Texas rallies in election’s final days
Voter enthusiasm in a city of fewer than 300,000 underscored the high stakes of a close Senate race in what Democrats call their best chance in a generation.
Trump, Talarico rally in Lubbock as 2026 election nears end
Lubbock has been a reliable Republican stronghold. Democrats, like James Talarico, hope to close yawning gaps in rural areas.
With dueling Trump-Talarico rallies, Lubbock became the center of the political universe
Lubbock, the most populous city in West Texas, has been a reliable Republican stronghold. Democrats, like Talarico, hope to close yawning gaps in rural areas that have kept them out of power.
With dueling Trump-Talarico rallies, Lubbock became the center of the political universe
Lubbock, the most populous city in West Texas, has been a reliable Republican stronghold. Democrats, like Talarico, hope to close yawning gaps in rural areas that have kept them out of power.
Democrats have a shot in Mississippi, but it’s a ‘long shot,’ political strategist says
Democratic strategist Matt Bennett analyzes the battle for control of Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections on ‘Special Report.’
US Health Chief RFK Jr Faces Widespread Rebuke Over His Anti-Arab Remarks
By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced widespread rebuke from civil rights groups, healthcare advocates and Democrats on Tuesday over his anti-Arab comments that the Council on American-Islamic Relations cast as "a textbook display of ...
Libertarians could siphon Republican support in the fight for control of the U.S. Senate
Third-party Libertarian candidates threaten to siphon votes from Republicans in competitive states and could imperil the party's chances of holding its narrow majority over Democrats.
A Brief History of Democrats Flipping Southern US Senate Seats
Democrats could flip U.S. Senate seats in two southern states for just the second time since the mid-1980s.
175 Democrats demand Trump admin stop Ilhan Omar investigation, warn it could hurt her re-election bid
Rep. Pramila Jayapal led 175 House Democrats in accusing DHS and DOJ of weaponizing the federal investigation into Ilhan Omar's immigration history.
Cook Political Report shifts two red-state governor races toward Democrats
The gubernatorial races in Kansas and Nebraska moved slightly to the left in Cook’s final ratings.
Congressional Democrats and candidates rush to condemn Cuba after Angie Nixon remarks
Florida lawmakers from both sides of the aisle readily condemned the socialist regime.
Sabato's Crystal Ball moves Senate race, CD 13 in Democrats' direction
All ratings sites have shifted a substantial number of races in Democrats’ direction as the Nov. 3 election nears.
Will business leaders face a backlash after the midterms?
Democrats could investigate corporations close to the president
NC Republican Congressmen buy TV ads in deep-red districts as election looms
Incumbent Republicans in Congress from seven conservative districts in North Carolina are running TV ads to help their re-election campaigns. It's a sign that the GOP could be worried about districts designed to be safe for Republicans amid what could be a wave year for Democrats.
How Democrats Might – or Might Not
Last week, we offered a seat-by-seat guide to how the Democrats could take over the Senate. Now, here’s an overview of how the party could build a majority in the House. Currently, if the chamber’s vacancies were to be filled in line with their prior partisan representation, the GOP would hold a
In Oregon’s most expensive legislative race, 2 political newcomers battle for key Senate seat
About $3.6 million has flooded the legislative race as Republicans try to break Democrats’ grip on power in Salem.
Will Republicans block Democrats from Congress if they win the midterms? We asked them
Will Republicans try to block Democrats from being sworn in if they take control of Congress? We asked California Republicans. Here’s what they said.
Opponents sue to block Idaho Democrats’ Prop 1 ads over how they were funded
Too Extreme for Idaho PAC asks a judge to pull pro-Prop 1 ads from the air over low rates. Dems call the move “frivolous.”
(Most) Democrats at Question 3 rally, Harbeson heads out, more in political notes
While most top Democrats rallied again Monday for Question 3, the proposed constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting, one was notably absent, LCV's Kristen Harbeson moves on; and voting deadlines loom, in political notes.
Poll: Likely voters favor Democrats as Trump disapproval drives early turnout
Democrats hold an 8-point lead among likely voters in the fight for control of Congress with one week until Election Day, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll.
What exactly Democrats have pledged to do if they win in the midterms
If Democrats can win control of either the House or the Senate, they will have seized some control of Washington back from President Donald Trump and Republicans.
The midterms look good for Democrats — but it’s too early to call a blue wave
The United States may be within a week of momentous political change in midterm elections that could destroy the Republican Party’s monopoly on Washington and hand Democrats power to check President Donald Trump.
The New York Times
With eight days left before the midterm elections, political forecasters and strategists are increasingly confident that Democrats will win control of the House next week.
The Center for Politics’ Sabato says 2026 midterms are make-or-break for Democrats
Political analyst points to Trump's approval rating, gas prices and Iran War as factors shaping 2026 races.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez softens tactics as her political ambitions grow
'The Big Money Show' panel discuss a Wall Street Journal report detailing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's shifting political tactics and her fundraising efforts for establishment Democrats.
Hochul, Blakeman hit the streets to encourage early voters
New York Democrats and Republicans were out in full force Saturday.
Trump heads to Mississippi as Democrats put deep-red states in play
With Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Missisippi) locked in a surprisingly close contest with Democrat Scott Colom, Trump was aiming to rev up his MAGA base to vote amid growing signs of an impending Democratic blue wave.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore weighs in on troubling poll for Democrats in state government
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore joins CNN’s Pamela Brown to discuss a New York Times-Siena College poll that indicated 56% of likely voters are very or somewhat dissatisfied with Democrats in their state government.
House Democrats call on DOJ to name special counsel in Epstein case
The White House said it was “nothing more than a desperate attempt by crazed Democrats to distract Americans.”
Ilhan Omar joins 'polarizing and dangerous' streamer at campaign event despite Democratic backlash
Rep. Ilhan Omar is set to share the stage with Hasan Piker despite fellow Minnesota Democrats urging her to cancel the appearance before midterm elections.
Opinion | If Democrats Win Power, What Can We Expect? A Political Scientist Thinks It Through.
Conflict? Cooperation? On the potential of divided government.
As Election Day Nears, Anti-Transgender Attacks Are Still a Political Loser
New polls underscore Americans’ everyday concerns: affordability and rampant corruption Transgender equality not a top issue driving voters, data shows voters trust Democrats more on “transgender issues” despite yearslong anti-trans fear mongering campaigns ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Data continues to make the undercurrents of the midterms elections clear: voters are worried about corruption, inflation, […]
As Trump brags about U.S. oil and gas company profits, his stocks gained millions during Iran war
A report from congressional Democrats found the president purchased millions in oil and gas stocks during the war.
Bailey, Crosby clash over City Hall, carpetbagging and partisan politics in fierce San Diego City Council race
Nicole Crosby, a Democrat, appears to be the favorite over Richard Bailey, a Republican-turned-independent, in District 2, where registered Democrats far outnumber Republicans.
Gen Z has buyer’s remorse on Trump
Experts in the youth vote explain a dramatic swing toward Democrats — and its limits.
Divided nation: Republicans prize patriotism, Democrats equality-Poll
As crucial midterms loom, a Gallup/With Honor survey found no consensus that basic American values are shared across party and other lines.
The Brooklyn Democratic Party is at war with itself. Can they flip four seats this November?
In a potential blue wave year, four state legislative seats in Brooklyn are in play for Democrats. Will the county machine’s mess be a costly distraction?
Shapiro Brings Campaign Tour to State College
Gov. Josh Shapiro brought his campaign bus tour to State College on Sunday evening, speaking alongside local Democrats nine days before Election Day.
Politics Unplugged (Full Episode) Oct. 25, 2026
On this week's episode of Politics Unplugged, host Dennis Welch and a panel break down Arizona's election landscape one week out: pessimistic voter mood, suppressed independent turnout, lagging GOP enthusiasm, and Democrats gaining ground. They discuss Elon Musk's late spending in competitive House races and debate the impact of big money flooding the state. The show also covers a widely condemned Ohio attack ad by Vivek Ramaswamy that weaponizes a rival's childhood abuse—drawing praise from Trump and Vance but bipartisan outrage.
Why Democrats see a path to victory in Mississippi midterm election
MAPPED: The states Trump and top Democrats are targeting before Election Day
With Election Day less than two weeks away, Trump rallied in Florida, Georgia and Michigan as both parties deploy top surrogates to battlegrounds.
Health care shakes up the Iowa election
If Democrats flip Congress, health care could find its way to the top of their 2027 agenda.
3 comments | Progressive Democrats are closely watching four Senate...
Progressive Democrats are closely watching four Senate races in the upcoming midterm elections. Our politics reporter Kellen Browning explains why.
Inside California Politics: State Senate candidate John Erickson
(Inside California Politics) — California’s top-two primary system often leads to same-party general election races, often between two Democrats, and this year is no exception. Two weeks ago on Inside...
The educational divide could spell trouble for Republicans
Republicans tend to run better among voters without a college degree than those with one, which has battered Democrats in recent presidential elections. But that same pattern could give Democrats a potentially decisive boost in next month’s midterms.
That Ramaswamy ad is repugnant. And it will eventually be seen as a gift to Trump
If Ramaswamy goes down, Trump will spin it that Democrats and the corrupt media misrepresented the ad and lied about Ramaswamy.
Democrats Have Edge Across Four Key House Races in Pennsylvania, Polls Find
Democratic candidates are ahead in two, hold a narrow edge in a third and are tied in a fourth, new polling shows. The seats embody the fights playing out nationwide in the midterms.
Democrats Bob Brooks, Paige Cognetti lead GOP incumbents in pair of key Pa. swing seats
Republicans are on pace to lose the two U.S. House seats they flipped just two years ago, according to a new Inquirer/New York Times/Siena University poll.
Independent candidates sense a moment in the West. Democrats are hoping they're right
As they look to win the Senate, Democrats are hoping that independent candidates in Nebraska and Montana can help them topple Republicans in a part of the country where their own brand is hurting.
In Arkansas, Democrats see an opening at the edge of the competitive midterms map
In a sign of the potentially dire midterm political environment, Republicans have spent millions of dollars playing defense in Arkansas, one of the most conservative states in the country.
Economic woes transform the Midwest into a massive midterms battleground
Democrats could be poised for a revival in the heartland, as furor over high costs and doubt about President Donald Trump’s willingness to change the nation’s trajectory threaten to loosen the GOP’s grip on working-class voters.
Obama compares Trump's White House renovations to 'Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory' at Ohio rally
Barack Obama compared Trump's White House renovations to a Cheesecake Factory run by Saddam Hussein at a Cleveland rally for Ohio Democrats.
In first midterm rally, Obama blasts Trump administration
Democrats have embraced the former president as their most effective closing messenger in the final weeks of the high-stakes midterm campaign.
AOC can draw a crowd. The midterms will test whether her politics can win before 2028
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is drawing big crowds as she campaigns for progressive Democrats before the Nov. 3 election.
AOC can draw a crowd. The midterms will test whether her politics can win before 2028
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is drawing big crowds as she campaigns for progressive Democrats before the Nov. 3 election. Supporters have packed rooms and chanted her name during appearances that have taken
AOC tests her progressive message. The results could help shape her future
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is drawing big crowds as she campaigns for progressive Democrats before the Nov. 3 election.
‘Made by humans, not AI.’ Why Democrats are shunning fake videos in ads
A clear trend has emerged in the 2026 midterm ad wars: Republicans are embracing AI-generated videos while Democrats are betting they will backfire.
Voters angry about high prices may get little relief from the next Congress
Even if Democrats win control of Congress on Nov. 3, lawmakers can do little about prices that are uncomfortably high -- and will stay that way even as the rate of inflation is expected to slow.
Editorial: The ‘abundance agenda’ and permitting reform
Many Democrats now advocate for an “abundance agenda,” which loosely holds that the party should be in the business of providing “vital goods” such as housing and infrastructure, rather than
Obama is set to campaign with Democrats in Ohio and Michigan as he ramps up midterm efforts
Barack Obama is set to campaign with Democrats running for the U.S. Senate in Ohio and Michigan.
From the bleachers to the ballot box, a community weighs a changing Texas
At a Deer Park High School football game outside Houston, voters grapple with rising costs, immigration and shifting political loyalties as Democrats mount competitive challenges in two of Texas’ highest-profile races.
Cook Political Report shifts Ohio governor’s race from toss-up to lean Democrat
The Cook Political Report is shifting a closely watched gubernatorial contest toward Democrats after a controversial campaign ad shook up the race. The nonpartisan election forecaster moved the gov…
Why Cook Political Report just shifted 19 more House races in Democrats’ direction
Cook Political Report shifts AL-2 race rating towards Democrats
The Cook Political Report shifted Alabama's 2nd Congressional District race from likely Republican to lean Republican.
Pope hope, that’s entertainment, and getting ahead in the CIA
Happy Friday friends, I want to start by just breathing for all of us a big long collective sigh of relief at the news this week that the pope’s doctors have basically blown the all clear for Leo’s health. Going from knowing nothing to him declaring to the world he needed surgery, to a cancer diagnosis, to bouncing out of the hospital in barely even days, to ringing the bell in less than two weeks is whiplash inducing. But in the best possible way. We are living in a world in which the Roman pontiff, by dint of history, biography and circumstance, is once more at the epicenter of global affairs. Not just conversations about religion, or Christian and post-Christian values, but the bleeding edge of the most pressing issues of human affairs. Think I am exaggerating a touch? Consider the images of the crowds who greeted Leo in Paris just weeks ago, and juxtapose them with the absolute photo negative scenes unfolding there recently. Ask yourself how many world leaders are talking about AI right now and directly citing the pope as they do so. Try to name a country who has had as many top-ranked diplomats in and out of both Russia and Ukraine in the last three years as the Vatican has in the last three months. It has been fascinating to watch Leo XIV emerge as not just a kind of pop culture reference point or totem to be cited (Francis was often name-checked this way) but as a kinetic force in global conversation. Given the state of things, we need global figures of gravitas and values, even better if they have real wisdom behind what they are saying. So news of Leo’s illness was, it seemed to me, a tremor with potentially Richter Scale implications. That not only has the worst not come to pass but instead we’ve had the best of outcomes announced is something to really be grateful for. Humanity, it seems to me, is entering one of its irregular but cyclical phases where the pace of change — technological, social, and geopolitical — outstrips the ability of previously settled norms and received wisdom to cope. Such periods – and I think the first decades of the last century were a similar such time – throw into question the viability of all kinds of institutions. And many of ours have been straining to breaking point for a few years now. The papacy has the power and the potential to be a steadying pole in all of this. That’s my hope, anyway. It’s a lot to freight the office with, though it is arguably its ultimate purpose from its founding, to be a steadying rock on which all that matters can be anchored. It’s also, of course, an intolerable weight of responsibility to place on a single man. But I am encouraged to have hope in – and for – Leo. The apostle whom he succeeds, after all, was famously unequal to some moments, failed some tests of faith, and resiled from taking the road which led ultimately to the circus on Vatican hill. Human frailty and limitations, of health, of character, of temper, can open us to Christ, whose strength is greatest in our weakness, so St. Paul learned. That gives me hope, and I am sure it consoles Leo, too. And so I will continue to pray for him. Because we need apostles of rock right now. Here’s the news. Subscribe The News The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued yesterday a new document “Venite ad me: Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change.” It’s not a short document, and it is at pains to stress this isn’t a doctrinal note from the dicastery, either. Rather, it brings together reflections on an important issue from the Church around the world. Some of it I actually found really rather powerful. It is, however, 25,000, which is a lot for a busy reader to get through on a weekday. So, you can read our busy reader’s summary right here. — News broke yesterday of an Oct. 22 meeting of U.S. bishops with President Donald Trump. The meeting was organized by an official at the Heritage Foundation, according to several sources close to the meeting. Video of several U.S. bishops praying in the Oval Office over President Trump was posted on social media Thursday afternoon, first by White House Communications Advisor Margo Martin, and then by the official twitter.com account of the Archdiocese of Denver. The meeting has drawn sharp criticism because of its proximity to the upcoming midterm Congressional elections, in which Democrats are widely expected to win control of the House of Representatives, while control of the Senate remains closely contested. Sources close to the bishops’ conference told The Pillar that some USCCB senior officials were surprised by the existence of the meeting when video of it first emerged online. And a source close to conference president Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City told The Pillar that the archbishop was “deeply frustrated” by the occasion of the meeting. An official conference spokesperson told The Pillar that the meeting was “not organized with or by the USCCB” and was “not affiliated with the conference.” You can read the whole story here. — The next National Eucharistic Congress will be held in Indianapolis in 2029, a return to the city that hosted the last gathering in 2024. You read it here first. By here, I don’t mean this newsletter, I mean at The Pillar. We broke the story this week. It’s a big deal, in as much as the last congress was a roaring success and the next installment has the potential to be a real focal point for evangelizing efforts in the coming years. Read all about it here. — As Pope Leo prepares for the longest trip of his pontificate, Church leaders in Uruguay say the pontiff will encounter a highly secularized culture, in a country with a very different Catholic history than many of its South American neighbors. The nation has not had a papal visit since 1988, and leaders who spoke with The Pillar say it has a dire need for evangelization, even amid the prospect of a small revival in faith. This is real reporting on the Church in the country, and frankly a story you simply are not going to be able to read anywhere else. Read the whole thing. — The Archdiocese of Detroit announced this week a plan that would see the vast majority of its parish priests reassigned next summer, amid a restructuring process expected to dramatically shrink the number of parishes in the archdiocese. Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said this week that the plan “asks much of our priests,” but is a “sacrifice they are making as brothers of one, unified presbyterate.” The thing is, as JD pointed out in an analysis yesterday, pastors of parishes have a legal right to stability in office, so the only way this kind of wholesale reassignment goes ahead is if all of the archdiocesan clergy agree to resign. That creates its own kind of legal issues, though, and re-raises longstanding questions about the effectiveness of canonical due process protections for priests when dealing with coercive exercises in authority. Read the whole thing here. — More than three months after the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued its decree declaring the excommunication of the leadership of the Society of St. Pius X, questions remain about the full effects of the society’s schism. Specifically, the DDF’s July claim that marriages witnessed and confessions heard by SSPX priests are now invalid remains contested — and it emerged this week it appears that the Vatican’s own legal experts don’t agree. You can read my whole analysis of the situation and what it means here. All I would add is that the DDF’s undeveloped, some would say unsubstantiated, claim about the invalidity of some SSPX sacraments came in their July Explanatory Note on the schismatic consecrations by the society that month. It touches directly on both papal acts of governance — indeed it purports to nullify them — and the most intimate pastoral encounters possible in a parish setting. If there is one aspect of the Francis-era style of governance I would like the curia to finally cut out, root and branch, it would be these attempts to try to effect extraordinarily sensitive legislative acts via a note. — At least a dozen French bishops have spoken out following an eruption of violence on the country’s streets Oct. 17. Not surprisingly, they unanimously condemned the violence, but the length and content of their interventions varied significantly. Several sought to distinguish between the actions of rioters and what they suggested were the legitimate concerns of peaceful young protesters. Many also evoked Pope Leo XIV’s Sept. 25-28 visit to France, suggesting it offered a powerful counter-image to the scenes of looting and destruction. A number of bishops also stressed their solidarity with law enforcement officials who struggled to contain the disorder, as well as the owners of the roughly 3,000 damaged or looted businesses. What’s the background to the nationwide unrest that the French media calls “les violences du 17 octobre”? And what exactly are the bishops saying? Read all about it here. — A Polish bishop called for the firm defense of unborn children as well as compassion for their mothers this week, as the lower house of Poland’s parliament passed two bills seeking to liberalize the country’s abortion laws. The bill on decriminalizing assistance in an abortion passed by 217 votes to 213, while the abortion in cases of fetal abnormality bill passed by 233 to 203, thanks to the government’s majority in the lower house. Both bills will now move to the Polish Senate, the upper house of parliament, where the ruling coalition has a larger majority. The fetal abnormality bill is symbolically significant because if it became law, it would effectively overturn a 2020 ruling by Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal that a 1993 law permitting abortion for a severe and irreversible disability or a life-threatening incurable disease was unconstitutional. Read the whole story here. Subscribe **[The St. Paul Center App | Bible Study On-The-Go Read and understand the Bible with St. Paul Center’s new app! With today’s leading Catholic Scripture scholars as your guides, the St. Paul Center app empowers you to read the Bible](https://stpaulcenter.com/app?utm_source=pillar&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=applaunch)** from the heart of the Church. Download the app for free at either the Apple or the Google app stores. https://stpaulcenter.com/app That’s entertainment I have written before about my deep and sincere reservations about the celebrity exorcist subculture which has taken root in American Catholicism. And, because I am very ill at ease with the entire thing, I try to keep a weather eye on the phenomenon without being drawn into the kind of online back-and-forth which these figures sometimes generate. Earlier this week, JD noted that one such celebrity exorcist type, Fr. Chad Ripperger, has undertaken, on the request of his bishop, a year’s fast from interviews and public speaking. I’m sure that will be salutary for him, if for no other reason than that receiving with docility requests from one’s rightful ecclesiastical superiors always comes with graces. Then a second thing happened this week which caught my eye. Apparently, another fixture in the celebrity exorcist world, Fr. Carlos Martins, has initiated a lawsuit against two lay men — apparently associates of Rippenger, though I am unclear in what way, exactly — for allegedly defaming him and his ministry on a podcast. It seems the suit was initiated nearly a year ago and is now pending. At issue, I read, is that the two men described Martins on a podcast as “not who he says he is” with regard to his exorcism ministry and that he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” These statements Martins considers to be false and defamatory and, his suit claims, “directly affected the sale and reception of [his] The Exorcist Files book that was newly released at the time these episodes aired.” I don’t want to get too into the weeds of the details here, but a couple of things struck me about all this.
Democrats’ Projected Majority Grows as 19 More House Races Shift Away From the GOP
Republicans’ path to keeping control of the House has all but evaporated. The outstanding question is how large Democrats’ majority will be in 2027; in the best-case scenario, their party could enter the new Congress with more seats than they had after successfully flipping control of the House in 2006 and 2018.
Gov. JB Pritzker doling out big bucks to help Democrats — and boost a 2028 presidential run
Pritzker is taking out $40 million from his vast personal wealth to boost candidates in contentious races, and building coalitions with Democrats across the country, including in 2028 early primary states. "It's a terrific strategy," says former presidential candidate Howard Dean.
Hakeem Jeffries eyes speaker role as Democrats seek House control
Jeffries could become the first Black American to hold the role.
Republican gerrymanders in Texas threaten to fall flat, poll finds
Democrats have strong chances in two key congressional seats, new Post-Schar School poll finds.
Democrats cast most early voting ballots + What a new NC poll says
Read Under the Dome for a daily dose of North Carolina politics.
Climate group pours in midterms money for Democrats
The League of Conservation announced more than $100 million to support Democrats going into the midterms.
Supreme Court backs Republicans on New Hampshire voter IDs
(Bloomberg) — The U.S. Supreme Court lifted a ruling that would have allowed use of student-ID cards to help show eligibility to vote in New Hampshire, siding with Republicans in a state where Democrats are defending a Senate seat next...
How both Texas parties have shifted their political ad messaging
Democrats have moved from healthcare to taxes and corruption, while Republicans have ramped up ad spending on property taxes, crime and transgender issues, an analysis of AdImpact data shows.
In New Mexico governor’s race, Deb Haaland’s historic bid tests Democrats’ political hold
Republican contender Gregg Hull says the state is “primed for a shift.”
In New Mexico governor’s race, Deb Haaland’s historic bid tests Democrats’ political hold
Republican contender Gregg Hull says the state is “primed for a shift.”
Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas indicted in connection with marijuana business
Lucas, the 82-year-old president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, is one of the state’s most powerful Democrats.
After Trump said he didn’t trust mail ballots, Democrats turned to voting in person
The president lost in court, but Democrats are still wary of mail-in voting as the midterm election approaches.
Zero Republican political science professors found at 4 major Pennsylvania universities, research shows
(The College Fix) — Professors registered as Democrats outnumber colleagues registered as Republicans by a 28 to one ratio in […]
A record number of women are running for state legislatures this year
A record number of women are running for state legislative seats this November, more than two-thirds of whom are Democrats. Across the 46 states with legislative seats on the ballot, a total of 3,824 women are running — up from 2022’s previous record of 3,621 women candidates, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
AI as the next political divide
We have a guest post today from our friends at Focaldata, with whom we have done polling before. They have been doing a lot of work on attitudes towards AI and how this is affecting politics on both sides of the Atlantic. In this post, they explore exclusive new polling – with a whole set of fascinating charts on how voters’ views are developing and why. In particular, the authors explore why the debate is currently so much more polarised by party in the US than in the UK, to the benefit of the Democrats. Subscribe Focaldata HQ is located in Shoreditch, east London. To access the office from the Shoreditch High Street Overground station, you have to walk under the bridge at Braithwaite Street. We mention this not as a navigational aid, but because the posters above caught our eye over the summer. Since June, the area has been the centre of a fiercely contested debate around the construction of a data centre on the Truman Brewery estate on Brick Lane, less than 200 metres from our office. It was one of the first ‘US-style’ protest movements around AI data centres the country has seen, and may not be the last. These protests served as the catalyst for our forthcoming report, examining whether AI could become the next political divide on both sides of the Atlantic. We wanted to understand what was driving the emerging politics of AI and whether the dynamics at play in the US offer clues as to how the British debate will evolve. Over the last month, we polled 3,851 people across the UK and US about their views on AI. Our research found striking similarities between the two countries: for instance, both electorates are evenly split on their views towards AI development, with just over a third in favour (37% in each country), a similar number opposed, and the remainder somewhere in the middle or unsure. Statistically speaking, there is no difference in overall sentiment towards AI between the UK and US. Under the hood, demographic patterns also look largely the same in the two countries, with millennials, degree holders, full-time workers and those who describe themselves as financially comfortable more pro-AI than the rest of the country. Despite this convergence in overall attitudes, there is a striking divergence in how much of a politicised issue AI has become. In the US, attitudes are increasingly split by political affiliation and the issue has become the latest front in the seemingly interminable culture war, playing a role in the upcoming midterms. This stark political polarisation of AI has not happened in the UK – at least not yet. In what follows, we test several hypotheses for why the two countries are so far apart on a political basis. Understanding which hypothesis is correct will give us an indication of where the British dynamics go next.
In New Mexico governor’s race, Deb Haaland’s historic bid tests Democrats' political hold
If Deb Haaland wins New Mexico’s race for governor, she’ll make history as the first Native American woman to lead a state