2025/26/27/28 Elections

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AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Louisiana’s primaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — Louisiana voters will participate in a revamped and stripped-down state primary Saturday and decide the political fate of an embattled Republican U.S. senator targeted for defeat by President Donald Trump.

https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-senate-primary-cassidy-fleming-letlow-trump-294a7f4235ce3135c0c055c1394a7994?

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Sen. Cassidy knocked out of Louisiana Republican primary as Trump-backed Letlow, Fleming make runoff

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Sen. Bill Cassidy was decisively defeated in Saturday’s Republican primary in Louisiana, unable to convince voters that he deserved another term five years after voting to convict President Donald Trump during an impeachment trial over the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-republican-senate-primary-2026-cassidy-letlow-1c8b927fd981c40cb4a538b0f89671dc?

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🏛️ Sitting senator finishes third

U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) speaks to supporters alongside her two children, Jeremiah and Jacqueline, during her victory party last night in Baton Rouge, La. Photo: Matthew Hinton/AP After being targeted by President Trump, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician, failed to finish in the top two spots in yesterday's Louisiana GOP Senate primary. The race now goes to a June 27 runoff between Rep. Julia Letlow, Ph.D., a former higher-education executive, and state Treasurer John Fleming, M.D. Why it matters: It's a win for Trump, who backed Letlow and urged voters to oust Cassidy, describing him as "very disloyal." ⚜️ Letlow got 45%, Fleming got 28% and Cassidy got 25%. Cassidy told supporters: "Our country is not about one individual … It is about the welfare of all Americans, and it is about the Constitution." President Trump's reaction last night. Screenshot via Truth Social Letlow said at her victory party: "I want to say thank you to a very special man who you all know — the best president this country has ever had, President Donald Trump." Letlow — born and raised in Monroe, La. — is the first Republican woman elected to Congress from the Pelican State. 🗳️ The big picture: Trump is now two-for-two on his political revenge tour, Axios' Alex Isenstadt points out. Earlier this month, Trump helped steamroll a bloc of Indiana Republican legislators who resisted his effort to redraw the state's congressional map. Next up: Kentucky, where Trump aims to unseat arch-nemesis Rep. Thomas Massie on Tuesday. Louisiana results ... Get the latest. ps:Disloyal to who? trump or the Country??

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Primaries

It's a big week in US politics. Several states are holding primary elections on Tuesday, but one of the biggest political battlegrounds is Georgia, where high-stakes House and Senate contests could shape key midterm races. The results may also test President Trump's grip on the Republican Party, especially after a Louisiana primary over the weekend showed the risks of opposing him. Read more.

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🥊 Trump's revenge tour arrives in Kentucky

Today's Kentucky primary is President Trump's biggest test yet of whether his iron grip on the Republican base can hold even as war and inflation batter his national standing, Axios' Kate Santaliz writes.

• Why it matters: Trump is trying to take out longtime antagonist Thomas Massie in the most expensive House primary in history — a test of whether Massie's iconoclastic libertarian politics still has a place in the GOP.

Trump's political operation launched an aggressive effort to unseat Massie last year.

• The fight between Massie and Trump-backed rival Ed Gallrein has drawn more than $32 million in ad spending, according to AdImpact.

Keep reading.

Election Day

Today marks one of the busiest primary days of 2026, with voters heading to the polls in six states: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon and Pennsylvania. One of the biggest storylines will be President Donald Trump's ongoing revenge campaign against Republicans who have opposed him — including Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a frequent target of Trump's vitriol.

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Trump endorses Ken Paxton in Texas GOP primary, boosting his challenge to incumbent Sen. Cornyn

ALLEN, Texas (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, supercharging his effort to oust incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in next week’s runoff.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-texas-senate-endorsement-paxton-cornyn-adb4c7213fc2d0db0b29d0ab65d49384?

US Rep. Thomas Massie loses Kentucky GOP primary to Ed Gallrein in another victory for Trump

HEBRON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie lost his Republican House primary Tuesday, becoming the latest Republican lawmaker to anger President Donald Trump and then fall to a primary challenger backed by the president.

https://apnews.com/article/massie-gallrein-trump-kentucky-republican-primary-03a658b1a45593ad04ebf6283a3fdb47?

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US Rep. Thomas Massie loses Kentucky GOP primary to Ed Gallrein in another victory for Trump

HEBRON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie lost his Republican House primary Tuesday, becoming the latest Republican lawmaker to anger President Donald Trump and then fall to a primary challenger backed by the president.

https://apnews.com/article/massie-gallrein-trump-kentucky-republican-primary-03a658b1a45593ad04ebf6283a3fdb47?

Georgia Republicans dig in for runoffs for Senate and governor as campaigns go into overtime

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Republicans will keep duking it out among themselves as they head toward a runoff to pick their candidates for governor and U.S. Senate in the battleground state after Tuesday’s primary failed to produce outright victors.

https://apnews.com/article/georgia-election-governor-senate-ossoff-jones-jackson-e1aa3d50ff478b02404c51e3f2ddc46a?

Former political rivals head to rematch in Alabama governor’s race and runoffs for US Senate seat

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama will get a rematch between two high-profile nominees for governor while candidates of both major parties will head to runoff elections next month for an open U.S. Senate seat.

https://apnews.com/article/election-2026-alabama-republicans-redistricting-voting-maps-3298e8eef7f3128768a678af2bd0f28b?

2026 election results

https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/?

Alabama’s US Senate race heads to runoff as House primaries are in limbo over redistricting fight

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The runoff field for a U.S. Senate seat was set Wednesday in Alabama, a state that also will have a high-profile race for governor this fall and congressional seats that could be scrambled amid a wave of Republican redistricting.

https://apnews.com/article/alabama-election-2026-senate-governor-fdd3d5bfe3dd5a1135076070549984db?

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🥊 Trump takes down Massie

Rep. Thomas Massie lost his primary last night to Ed Gallrein by 10 points (55% to 45%) — a huge win for President Trump's relentless campaign to oust the Kentucky Republican, Axios' Kate Santaliz and Alex Isenstadt write.

• 💰 It was the most expensive U.S. House primary ever.

Why it matters: Massie's loss sends another warning to Republicans about the dangers of crossing Trump and shows that the president's broader political problems haven't diminished his power with the base.

🏛️ The big picture: Massie was the target Trump hungered for most on his revenge tour.

• Trump announced his desire to defeat Massie last June, and his political team immediately launched a PAC solely devoted to defeating the congressman.
• The White House recruited a Massie challenger, ultimately settling on Gallrein, whose military background Trump's advisers found appealing.
• The fight between Massie and Gallrein was the most expensive House primary in history, drawing more than $32 million in ad spending, according to AdImpact.

👓 Between the lines: Trump has taken out a number of Republican politicians who crossed him.

• Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a top target of the president, lost his reelection bid Saturday when he failed to finish in the top two in the state's GOP primary.
• Trump exacted retribution on a group of Indiana Republican state legislators who blocked his push to redraw the state's congressional map.

Kentucky results ... Takeaways from primaries in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon and Pennsylvania ...

ps:He must feel so proud of himself!!

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Election night takeaways

He wasn't on the ballot, but President Donald Trump is claiming victory after several Republicans who opposed him lost their primary races Tuesday. In Kentucky, Trump helped oust Rep. Thomas Massie, another GOP lawmaker he had deemed disloyal. The result marked the second time in a week that Trump successfully took down a member of his own party. Read more.

PLUS: Keisha Lance Bottoms aims to become first Black woman governor

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💰 OpenAI-linked PAC plows cash into Kentucky

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

A pro-AI super PAC, fresh off a string of GOP primary victories this week, plans to keep spending in Kentucky's Senate race as the AI industry tries to focus the public's attention on AI's possibilities, not its potential pitfalls. Why it matters: Leading the Future and its affiliated nonprofit, Build American AI, are looking for allies in the next Congress to pass a national AI framework, while selling voters today on AI's economic upside. The groups plan to spend $140 million during the 2026 midterms as part of a broader effort to establish a national framework for AI regulation and push back against a state-by-state approach to governing the technology. Zoom in: Leading the Future, which has close ties with OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz, has had more success in GOP primaries than Democratic ones. In the Georgia primary, the PAC spent $1.1 million helping two GOP House candidates — Houston Gaines in the 10th District and Jim Kingston in the 1st District — win in what will be safely Republican seats. In Kentucky's Senate race, the group has announced a $750,000 investment supporting Rep. Andy Barr that began during the Republican primary and will continue through the general election. In March, the group went 3-for-3 backing GOP candidates in Texas and North Carolina. But it went 1-for-2 backing Democrats in Illinois. The big picture: The group believes broader AI adoption — from daily use to app downloads — helps counter the "AI-doomer" sentiment reflected in many public surveys. New polling from the group found that 52% of Americans believe AI will have a positive impact, compared to 36% who say it will have a negative effect. Optimism was especially high among Republican voters, with 60% expressing positive views of AI, according to a survey conducted this month. — Hans Nichols

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Texas runoffs

All eyes are on Texas today as Sen. John Cornyn fights to hold onto his seat in a high-stakes Republican primary against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who recently secured President Donald Trump's endorsement. Trump's intervention in the runoff comes as the president continues to wield his influence in Republican primaries nationwide. Read more.   Paxton dominates Cornyn in Texas US Senate runoff, the latest sign of Trump’s hold on GOP PLANO, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, easily defeating four-term Sen. John Cornyn in the latest contest where President Donald Trump sought to oust an incumbent he saw as insufficiently loyal. https://apnews.com/article/texas-senate-cornyn-paxton-trump-talarico-4fa609e7ddb93b47ac4e3398a12a472e?

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Paxton dominates Cornyn in Texas US Senate runoff, the latest sign of Trump’s hold on GOP Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, easily defeating four-term Sen. John Cornyn. Paxton was endorsed by President Donald Trump last week, who described him as a “true MAGA warrior.” Read more.

Why this matters: Paxton’s victory in Tuesday’s runoff makes Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to lose the party’s nomination for reelection. It followed primaries this month where Trump successfully sought to oust an incumbent he saw as insufficiently loyal, a sign of the president’s enduring influence among primary voters.   Candidates that Trump endorsed in other states are expected to easily win against Democratic opponents. However, the president’s decision to boost Paxton, who won with a sliver of the Republican base who shrugged off his past scandals, may be a bigger gamble in the general election. Democrats are hopeful that their nominee, state Rep. James Talarico, has a rare opportunity to win a statewide race in Texas and help the party retake control of the Senate.   Near San Antonio, Johnny Garcia won the Democratic primary for Texas’ 35th District against Maureen Galindo, a candidate who has expressed antisemitic views. While Texas lawmakers redrew the district to help Republicans, Democrats view it as within reach and didn’t want Galindo’s past comments to impede them.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Paxton’s victory speech   Photos from the runoff   Full results from the Texas runoff   Cornyn went to great lengths to avoid Trump’s wrath. He lost his seat anyway   Trump is getting the Republican Party that he wants. But can he win in the midterms?   Millions of people have been placed in new voting districts. Here’s where the redistricting stands    Billionaire Tom Steyer’s ad spending breaks records in California governor’s race

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😬 Dems get "chippy"

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

Today's Michigan Democratic Senate debate showed why party insiders are so nervous about holding retiring Sen. Gary Peters' seat. 🤺 Why it matters: Democrats agree Michigan is essential for retaking the Senate, but they've got a trio of well-funded candidates tearing each other apart ahead of the Aug. 4 primary. After Ken Paxton's runoff win this week over Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Senate Majority Leader John Thune's Republicans are recalibrating spending and strategy nationally around protecting seats in states President Trump won comfortably. That includes Texas, which Trump carried by roughly 1.6 million votes. 😬 But this afternoon's debate on Mackinac Island is a reminder that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's Democrats have their internal differences to resolve in a state Trump carried by 80,000. "It is messy. Messier than I would have liked," Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) told AP about the primary. "Unfortunately, people are getting a little chippy in the race," the retiring Peters (D) told AP. 🤖 Zoom in: AI and AIPAC produced the most pointed exchanges in today's debate. "I'm the only candidate who didn't ask AIPAC for their support," said former public health official Abdul El-Sayed. "I'm the only candidate on this stage who big AI super PACs are not going to be spending money on behalf of." He called to "regulate AI and AI corporations as public utilities." 🤑 State Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Rep. Haley Stevens focused more on electability and the GOP's likely nominee, former Rep. Mike Rogers. "There is a path for Democrats to take back control of the U.S. Senate, but it is not without Michigan," McMorrow said. She called for "a token tax on commercial use of AI to fund apprenticeship programs." "It's not enough," El-Sayed responded, arguing that Democrats need to think bigger about the threat AI poses to workers, consumers and government itself. Stevens largely stayed out of the AI fray, framing the issue instead in terms of industrial competition and economic growth. 📢 The intrigue: The clash over AIPAC and campaign money became even more personal. El-Sayed accused outside pro-Israel groups of shaping the race itself. "It absolutely would not shake my perception — it's AIPAC money," he said. He later escalated the attack after moderators asked Stevens directly what campaign money "buys." El-Sayed interjected: "Just not answering the question." 🥊 McMorrow answered more of El-Sayed's contentions than Stevens did. "I have not taken a dime of corporate PAC donations. I have not taken a dime of AIPAC donations," she said. ☢️ Between the lines: The three agreed on nuking the filibuster, though Stevens raised eyebrows by incorrectly saying that removing it would have allowed Democrats to block the "one big, beautiful bill" that became law. — Hans Nichols

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👑 The new kings of campaign cash

AI companies, the cryptocurrency industry and pro-Israel groups are spending like never before to sink their least favorite members of Congress and congressional candidates.

☠️ Why it matters: The volume cannot be ignored. It's the kind of spending that can kill careers and stop political movements in their tracks.

💰 The big picture: Eight of the 12 top outside spenders in House primaries this cycle are PACs affiliated with crypto, AI or pro-Israel groups, an Axios analysis of FEC data found.

• Pro-Israel groups spent nearly $8 million to oust GOP Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky's 4th District this month, helping to fuel the most expensive House primary in American history.
• Crypto-aligned Protect Progress was by far the largest spender in Texas' 18th District, pouring nearly $5 million into ousting longtime Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) in favor of freshman Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas).

🎊 Zoom out: The only entities that can really compete with these levels of spending are the two parties' main super PACs, the Democrats' House Majority PAC and the Republicans' Congressional Leadership Fund.

• These groups rarely spend large sums in primaries, however, focusing their energy on supporting battleground-district candidates in the general election.
• That leaves House primaries wide open for outside groups to flood the zone with as much spending as they deem necessary to get their preferred candidates over the finish line.

😬 The bottom line: Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) told us in a phone interview today that "people want to campaign on" these PACs spending against them, "but I don't think people really give a sh*t."

• Veasey said he wants to eliminate big money in politics, but "people have to figure out how to work in that world ... and be realistic."

Go deeper

— Andrew Solender

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Michigan Gov. Whitmer says she won’t run for president in 2028 then backtracks hours later

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan said Thursday she has “nothing to announce” about a possible 2028 presidential bid, stepping back from her comment hours earlier that she will not run for president after leaving office later this year.

https://apnews.com/article/whitmer-president-michigan-governor-democrats-2028-4721c9afcf8e899e29e69ceca47d6b3d?

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Democratic state Sen. Shevin Jones won’t run for re-election in District 34

Miami-Dade Democratic state Sen. Shevrin Jones announced Wednesday that after 13 years in the Florida Legislature, he will not run for re-election to the District 34 seat he has held since 2020.

https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/democratic-state-sen-shevin-jones-wont-run-for-re-election-in-district-34/?

Jared Moskowitz will now run in Florida’s 25th Congressional District

South Florida Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who has represented Florida’s 23rd Congressional District since January 2023, announced Thursday that he will run for re-election in Florida’s new 25th District, which encompasses parts of Broward, Palm, and Miami-Dade counties.

https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/jared-moskowitz-will-now-run-in-floridas-25th-congressional-district/?

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🗳️ Dems' big primary day

A mom holds her daughter at a voting booth yesterday in Norwalk, Calif. Photo: Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images The battle for the soul of the Democratic Party is on the ballot today, with at least a half-dozen primaries across the country testing which wing of the party has the most juice heading into the 2026 midterms, Axios' Holly Otterbein writes. Three races to watch: Iowa's Senate primary: Democrats see a rare pickup opportunity in deep-red Iowa. Moderate state lawmaker and Paralympic gold medalist Josh Turek is favored over progressive Zach Wahls. A Turek victory would be a win for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a frequent target of Wahls. California's open primary for governor: In this state's "jungle primary," the top two candidates, regardless of party, will advance to November. The leading Democrats are billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. A Trump-endorsed Republican, Steve Hilton, is also in the mix. California's 11th Congressional District: Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan to fill her seat. Other leading contenders include leftist Saikat Chakrabarti, a former chief of staff to AOC, and state Sen. Scott Wiener, who's seen as more moderate. Keep reading. 🔎 Primary previews: California … Iowa … Montana … N.J. … N.M. … South Dakota.

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New Jersey Democrats pick Navy veteran Rebecca Bennett to face absent GOP congressman

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, won the Democratic primary in a battleground New Jersey congressional district to take on Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who has been absent with an unspecified illness for months.

https://apnews.com/article/primary-new-jersey-house-kean-756e7b7d87a80eefe4b68481b33f69c4?

Democrat Josh Turek and GOP’s Ashley Hinson to compete for pivotal US Senate seat in Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek won the state’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, setting up a competitive general election against Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson for a seat Democrats are hoping to flip in November.

https://apnews.com/article/iowa-primary-sand-turek-wahls-hinson-feenstra-e7dd0976adce33da4424c75e1533e0fb?

Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and ex-Mayor Gregg Hull to face off for New Mexico governor

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Deb Haaland will try to defend Democratic dominance in New Mexico in a race that could make her the first female Native American governor of any U.S. state as she faces off with Republican nominee Gregg Hull in November.

https://apnews.com/article/new-mexico-primary-governor-native-american-oil-ba6180bc3b985783b7811d56822b6b11?

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advances to November runoff as she seeks second term

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After a tough first term framed by the most destructive wildfire in city history and an ongoing struggle with widespread homelessness, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advanced to a November runoff Tuesday as she fights to stay in City Hall against challengers from both ends of the political spectrum.

https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-mayor-election-bass-pratt-ca624a57c9e717ecdf0f86756b0d370b?

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🫏 Democrats' mixed results

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Moderate and establishment-oriented Democrats have a slight edge as the votes are being counted in last night's primaries, Holly Otterbein reports. That's leaving a muddled picture of what Democratic voters want heading into the midterms. 🐎 Some races are still too close to call, but here's what we know so far about the hottest contests: Iowa's Senate primary: Moderate state lawmaker Josh Turek easily topped Zach Wahls, a progressive endorsed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). New Jersey's 12th District: Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) got their pick: Adam Hamawy, a U.S. Army veteran and plastic surgeon. California's 11th District: Two Democrats — moderate state Sen. Scott Wiener and progressive Connie Chan — will face off this fall to succeed former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who endorsed Chan. California's 22nd District: Progressive Randy Villegas is leading establishment-backed Democrat Jasmeet Bains. The winner takes on top vote-getter GOP Rep. David Valadao. California's open primary for governor: This one hasn't been called yet, but President Trump-backed Republican Steve Hilton and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra are ahead. Billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, who ran as a progressive, is in third. Go deeper.

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🎁 Johnson's bonus points

Values show the Democratic gain needed in every district to reach 218 seats. Data: Axios analysis of data from The Downballot, MIT Election Lab and Dave's Redistricting App; Chart: Andrew Pantazi/Axios Republican-led states have redrawn enough congressional districts to force Democrats to outperform their 2024 national results by nearly 5 percentage points if they want to retake the majority in the 2026 midterms. Why it matters: Speaker Mike Johnson's majority has been on a razor edge for years. But the math from redistricting gives him just a little more buffer. Democrats need to flip three seats to win the House, assuming vacancies return to the parties that last held them. Democrats have an almost 6-point advantage over Republicans on the generic congressional ballot as of today, according to polling aggregator FiftyPlusOne. By the numbers: Harris carried 205 House districts before redistricting but would win just 200 under the new maps. Democrats need 218 to win a majority. Trump beat Harris by 1.5 points nationally. She needed a roughly 3.4-point national margin to carry a majority of districts. Across the 10 states that redistricted, Democrats held 80 seats in 2024 to Republicans' 101. Just to hold that ground, Democrats would need to outrun Harris' margin by 10.5 points. Yes, but: The pro-Republican tilt is real, but not historically extreme. Harvard Law professor Nicholas Stephanopoulos tells us the current GOP skew is "not remotely as bad" as the post-2010 maps, when Republicans' aggressive gerrymanders met few Democratic offsets. In 2012, Democrats needed about a 5.6-point national win to control the House. The median district backed Romney by 1.7 points even as Obama won nationally by 3.9. The bottom line: Candidate quality, turnout, money, scandals and the national mood still decide races, but pro-GOP redistricting gives Republicans a head start. — Andrew Pantazi

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Democrat Xavier Becerra advances to general election in race for California governor

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democrat Xavier Becerra advanced to the general election for California governor Friday after pitching himself as an experienced choice to lead the nation’s most populous state and succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

https://apnews.com/article/california-governor-election-primary-2026-98b2b4dcca6813c3ffeb9754bd09805d?