2025/26/27/28 Elections

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Prairie State Primaries

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D) defeated Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D, IL-8) and Rep. Robin Kelly (D, IL-2) in yesterday’s competitive Democratic primary to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, who has held the seat since 1997 and is the No. 2 Senate Democrat. Stratton, Illinois’ first Black lieutenant governor and a key ally of Gov. JB Pritzker (D), will face former state Republican Party chair Don Tracy in November. Stratton ran as a progressive, backing Medicare for All, a $25 minimum wage, and expanding abortion rights, while also calling to abolish ICE. She also supports the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and tighter gun laws, framing the race as a fight against “Trump-style” politics. The contest likely determines who will hold the seat, since Illinois is a solidly Democratic state in federal races and has not elected a Republican statewide since 2014.

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Democrat flips seat in special election for Florida district that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort Democrat Emily Gregory won a Florida special election on Tuesday, flipping a state legislative district that is home to Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach estate that President Donald Trump counts as his residence. Read more.

Why this matters: Democrats celebrated the victory as the latest sign voters are turning against Trump and Republicans ahead of the midterm elections in November. Tuesday was the latest in a series of lopsided or improbable victories in special elections across the country since Trump returned to the White House more than a year ago. The president had endorsed Gregory’s rival, Jon Maples. In a social media post Monday, he urged voters to turn out, saying Maples was backed “by so many of my Palm Beach County friends.” The district was previously represented by Mike Caruso, a Republican who resigned to become Palm Beach County’s clerk. Caruso won by 19 percentage points in 2024.

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🐘 MAGA stress tests

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images

Three Republican primaries in May will test whether President Trump still holds an iron grip over the GOP — or whether cracks are emerging, Axios' Alex Isenstadt writes. Why it matters: Trump's approval rating has never been lower. The Iran war and the Epstein files have drawn backlash even within MAGA, straining one of the most loyal coalitions in American politics. 🔬 Zoom in: The White House is deeply involved in Trump's retribution campaigns across three state primaries next month. Indiana (May 5): Three pro-Trump groups are pouring more than $4 million into races to oust five GOP state legislators who defied Trump's redistricting demands. Louisiana (May 16): Trump has endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow's bid to unseat Sen. Bill Cassidy, targeting one of the few Republicans who voted to convict him after Jan. 6. Kentucky (May 19): Trump's political operation is deploying millions to take down Rep. Thomas Massie, a GOP renegade who led the push to release the Epstein files.

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A 14-year-old running for governor is the first teen to get on Vermont’s general election ballot

STOWE, Vt. (AP) — Looking back, gubernatorial candidate Dean Roy says his political ambitions started in the eighth grade. And by that he means, last year.

https://apnews.com/article/vermont-teen-runs-governor-first-46d712d6c640b4d938a63ebafbcc06e8?

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Greater representation

Only five Black women have ever served in the US Senate. Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has the potential to make history and become the sixth if elected in November.

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💰 Left-wingers press '28 Dems on wealth tax

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey / Axios

💵 Left-wing activists are calling on prospective 2028 presidential contenders to embrace a wealth tax — a move that many mainstream Democrats say is ill-advised. Why it matters: On one side, potential White House hopefuls such as Ocasio-Cortez, Khanna and Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen have endorsed wealth taxes. On the other, moderates argue that such taxes are anti-business, legally unfeasible and too often pitched as addressing wealth inequality rather than using the revenue to expand benefits. 🎯 Newsom is in the crosshairs of this fight. He's opposed to a wealth tax in California but has left the door open to a national wealth tax. Left-wing activists have been pressuring him to embrace a proposal for a one-time 5% tax on Californians worth more than $1 billion. Newsom has vowed to stop the proposal because he fears it would drive away the wealthy and hurt the state's economy. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a possible 2028 rival, traveled to Los Angeles yesterday to show support for a wealth tax in Newsom's state. Tax the Greedy Billionaires, a campaign backed by MoveOn and other liberal activists, told Axios it circulated polling at a meeting last week with several congressional offices indicating that most Democratic voters would view Newsom less favorably if they thought he opposed higher taxes on the rich. The group also is making a small digital ad buy attacking Newsom and planning talks with other 2028 contenders to push wealth taxes and similar policies. Newsom has long disputed the idea that he doesn't support making the wealthy pay more, pointing to California's progressive tax system. Igor Volsky, campaign director of Tax the Greedy Billionaires, said that potential 2028 candidates should understand that "extreme wealth is a crisis." Tré Easton of the center-left think tank Searchlight Institute said a national wealth tax "would have some problems passing constitutional muster." Read more. — Holly Otterbein

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Democrats Panic as Power Player Sets Off 2028 Chaos

Democrats are keeping a close eye on how a political heavyweight who branded his own party “weak and woke” will shape the race.

Democrats are holding their breath as a power player in the party moves to shake up the 2028 race.

Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, who served as President Barack Obama’s first chief of staff, has been running the playbook of a presidential hopeful without officially running—making media rounds, touring key swing states, and unveiling policy proposals.

In a crowded field of potential candidates, Emanuel, 66, has emerged as a provocateur, seeking to pull the Democratic Party rightward while casting it as “weak and woke” and obsessed with “debates over pronouns, bathroom access and renaming schools.”

Democratic rivals are watching closely, bracing for the impact he could have on the 2028 contest.

“Electorally I don’t think he’ll be a threat, but he has an ability to shape the race in other ways,” one Democratic adviser to another potential 2028 contender told Politico.

“He’s good at getting reporters to cover him and he is shameless in a good way: He’s not afraid of putting himself out there.”

Another Democratic strategist who is likely to be involved in advising a left-leaning candidate told Politico that Emanuel—whose podcast visibility efforts have taken him to The Megyn Kelly Show—will “spice up the race.”

“He’s both provocative, but trying to lay down a marker that he thinks is popular with a broader electorate,” the strategist said.

James Carville, the strategist behind Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential run, similarly said last month that Emanuel—a former Clinton White House official—would “have an effect on the dialogue” in the race.

Others in the party are unimpressed with the idea of Emanuel running.

When Politico asked Democratic strategist Rebecca Katz, who worked on Zohran Mamdani’s successful mayoral bid, what she thought about an Emanuel campaign, she answered bluntly: “I don’t.”

Even without Emanuel in the mix, potential Democratic presidential contenders already appear to be steering the party toward the center on social issues.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has led the pack in many polls, said last year that transgender athletes competing in female sports was “deeply unfair,” for instance.

In a December Yale Youth Poll of 3,426 registered voters, Newsom topped the list with 25 percent support, followed by former Vice President Kamala Harris at 18 percent, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 16 percent, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 14 percent. Emanuel fell into the crowded category of candidates who received less than 5 percent support.

But Emanuel believes he’s the candidate for “change”—and “strength.”

“People that want to see change,” he told Politico. “Change and strength. There’s nobody who walks away and says, ‘You know, Rahm’s kind of weak and woke.’ So we’ll see if there’s an appetite.”

Emanuel, who served as U.S. ambassador to Japan under the Biden administration, told Michigan union leaders last month that he’s “road-testing” a presidential run. Those who know him say he’s serious about running, according to Politico.

“He is out there throwing ideas out and traveling and being provocative and stirring the pot and moving the debate, and I don’t think it’s a prelude to a podcast,” said David Axelrod, the former senior Obama adviser and Emanuel’s longtime friend.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/democrats-panic-as-power-player-rahm-emanuel-sets-off-2028-chaos/?

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🎓 Rahm's '28 pitch: Raid ICE to fund college

Photo illustration: Maura Kearns/Axios. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Rahm Emanuel wants to shift billions of dollars from building new ICE facilities to funding community colleges — arguing they'll become more critical as AI disrupts the job market. Why it matters: It's Emanuel's latest attempt to get ahead of other potential 2028 candidates with early policy proposals, especially on AI, tech and education. Emanuel — former mayor of Chicago, White House chief of staff, House Democratic Caucus chair and U.S. ambassador to Japan — is proposing to take 20% of the $38.3 billion the Trump administration plans to spend on ICE detention centers and divert it to community colleges. "The priority for Americans should be education, not detention," Emanuel wrote. Emanuel, 66, will highlight the plan later this week on ABC's "The View" and with four college stops in South Carolina — historically a key state in the Democratic presidential primary. 🔬 Between the lines: Ahead of an expected 2028 White House run, Emanuel — who is out of office — has been rolling out a brisk cadence of policy proposals to try to frame the debate early. Emanuel has proposed banning social media for anyone under 16, blocking all federal employees and their family members from betting on prediction markets, and mandating that all federal officeholders across all three branches of government retire at age 75. Read Rahm's proposal ... Share this story. 🎒 First look: The Aspen Institute is convening a bipartisan group to study and shape the future of American education amid AI's workforce disruption, Axios' Colin Demarest reports. The Rising Generations Strategy Group will be led by former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo (D) and former Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). Keep reading.

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🚫 2028 Dems run from 2020

Illustration: Aïda Amer / Axios. Stock: Getty Images

👀 Democrats weighing runs for the White House want to forget many of the positions they took in 2020 — and they're hoping voters will too. Why it matters: Leaders and would-be leaders in the party have shifted their views on border security, DEI, crime, climate change, COVID-era lockdowns and more — all with an eye on this year's midterms and the 2028 presidential election. Many Democrats believe they lost to Donald Trump in 2024 because voters didn't like some of their left-leaning policies, not just how they were communicated. 🚘 Driving the news: Several potential 2028 Democratic candidates have spent the past year trying to distance themselves from the Democratic Party of recent years — and some of their own positions. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been telling audiences and reporters that Democrats need to be more "culturally normal." Last year Newsom said that "not one person ever in my office has ever used the word Latinx" — but he used the term repeatedly in 2020. 😷 Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro wrote in his recent book that Democrats "got the masking and vaccine mandates wrong" during the pandemic and that he'd have "handled the state's response differently" as governor. Shapiro, however, was the state attorney general at the time and didn't express such feelings until he ran for governor in 2022. As AG he defended many of the policies in court, saying it was his "legal duty." Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said last year that when Democrats talk about diversity it can seem like they're "making people sit through a training that looks like something out of 'Portlandia.'" And in his new book, "Stand," New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker wrote: "We cannot cancel everyone who fails a purity test." Zoom in: Nearly all potential 2028 presidential candidates criticize Joe Biden's handling of immigration, and talk about securing the southern border. Top Democrats are blasting the Trump administration's dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the private and public sectors — but few are calling for such programs to be restored and expanded. 👮‍♂️ Many senior Democrats also are running away from calls to "defund" the police, and touting expansions of law enforcement. The shift among Democrats is also evident in gubernatorial, congressional and local races. When Democrats talk about energy now, it's usually about utility rates rather than multitrillion-dollar investments in alternative energy. In New York City's mayoral election last year, Zohran Mamdani spent months walking back his past calls to defund a police department he'd called "racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety." When Republicans attacked James Talarico, Texas' Democratic nominee for Senate, for saying things like "God is non-binary," he told the New York Times he stood by his values but that "I probably would have said them differently." Reality check: While moving to the center on such issues, the Democratic Party has moved to the left on others. Democrats have become increasingly hostile to tech companies and AI amid fears of job losses and anxiety that data centers will further drive up utility costs. Opposition to Israel's actions has spread throughout the party. Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) remains one of the party's most popular figures and draws enormous crowds. And although Newsom has pushed Democrats to change their rhetoric, he's also argued that "all this anti-woke stuff is just anti-Black. Period. Full stop." Some mainstream commentators applaud the shifts to the middle as politically savvy. Others say Democrats are abandoning vulnerable communities and the party's principles. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, another possible 2028 contender, summed up this argument: "Those same do-nothing Democrats want to blame our losses on our defense of Black people, of trans kids, of immigrants, instead of their own lack of guts and gumption." Read more. — Alex Thompson, Holly Otterbein

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🥊 Democrats' new fight over tax cuts

Illustration: Sarah Grillo / Axios

✂️ Some Democrats eyeing runs for the White House have rolled out a provocative new economic policy: massive tax cuts for the working and middle classes, and big hikes for the wealthy. Why it matters: Republicans may lose the midterm elections because of voters' anger over high prices, but Democrats are still struggling to figure out how to address voters' concerns about inflation. ✏️ The proposals by Democratic presidential hopefuls include eliminating federal income taxes for half of all U.S. workers, making the first $75,000 of income earned by married couples tax-free, and enacting a variety of state-based tax cuts and credits. Critics argue that some of the plans would squander funds that should be spent on social services, undermine the argument for government programs and amount to political pandering, or what they call "slopulism." The tax-cut proposals — Democratic versions of a strategy long associated with the GOP — are triggering what some are describing as the biggest policy battle on the left in years. 😡 "There isn't a wonk in town who doesn't hate this," one D.C.-based Democratic operative told us. "Holy cow … did we set off a sh*tstorm," acknowledged Erica Payne, president of Patriotic Millionaires, a liberal group that supports one of the main proposals. Zoom in: Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen kicked off the debate in March by calling to get rid of federal income taxes for every married couple earning less than $92,000 annually — and any individual making less than $46,000 — while hiking taxes on millionaires. The bill also would lower, but not eliminate, income taxes for millions more middle-class Americans. "If you are working paycheck to paycheck and making just enough to cover your basic cost-of-living expenses, then you shouldn't have that taxed away at the federal level," Van Hollen told us. Other possible presidential candidates, including Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, signed onto Van Hollen's plan. Booker, who's also considering a White House run, followed with a bill to make the first $75,000 of income earned by married couples tax-free. He too would raise taxes on the wealthy. Supporters argue that lowering ordinary Americans' taxes is sometimes a more efficient way to help them than boosting government programs, and that expanded social services could be funded by other taxes on the rich. 🤺 Payne, whose organization helped Van Hollen craft his plan, shot back at detractors: "These so-called intellectuals on the left haven't met a working or a poor person since they entered politics." The rush to back broad-based tax cuts is a shift from the last competitive Democratic primary in 2020, when several candidates backed left-wing economic ideas such as Medicare for All. Democrats said the trend could be a preview of a more populist — and ideologically jumbled — primary in 2028. That's triggering anxiety among some corners of the party, though not along typical moderate vs. progressive lines. Instead, it's more like a feud between policy wonks and politicians. Read more. — Holly Otterbein, Alex Thompson

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Georgia special election

A Democrat's long-shot bid to flip former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's deep-red Georgia district heads to a runoff today, drawing national attention as Republicans try to protect their razor-thin House majority. The race to replace Greene, the former ally of President Trump turned critic who resigned from Congress in January, advanced to a runoff when neither Democrat Shawn Harris nor Republican Clay Fuller secured a majority in March's crowded election. A potential win by Harris, although a tall task, would further tighten Speaker Mike Johnson's margin — especially with an expected Democratic pickup in an upcoming New Jersey special election, leaving him little room to lose votes.

Democrat Shawn Harris, left, and Republican Clay Fuller. (Getty Images)

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🗳️ Dems drop Swalwell after sexual-assault reports

Top Democrats are calling for Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) to leave the California governor's race after the San Francisco Chronicle reported yesterday that a former staffer accused him of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions, including a first instance in 2019.

• Shortly after the Chronicle bombshell, CNN published a detailed report with four women accusing Swalwell of various acts of sexual misconduct, including sending unsolicited nude photos.
• CNN's report includes an on-camera interview with an unnamed former staffer (shown in shadow) who accused him of rape. He denied the allegations in a video last night, but apologized to his wife for unspecified mistakes.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) both called for Swalwell, who represents the East Bay, to end his campaign.

• The Chronicle and CNN both reported that Swalwell's attorney sent cease-and-desist letters to at least two of the accusers. CNN said the letters were sent Thursday, a day after the network reached out to his campaign.

In last night's video, Swalwell, 45, said he'd "fight [the allegations] with everything that I have. ... These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor."

• Rumors of sexual harassment and abuse by Swalwell had circulated on social media for weeks before the Chronicle's report.

Democrats and labor unions quickly distanced themselves from Swalwell, who is among the frontrunners in the race to succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. The primary is on June 2.

• California Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla dropped their endorsements, as did Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), a close friend of Swalwell's.
• Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), who chaired Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign, resigned.

Go deeper.

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🔎 Swalwell suspends campaign

Via X

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) announced last night that he's suspending his campaign for governor amid allegations of rape, sexual assault and sexual misconduct that he denies. Why it matters: Swalwell was one of the Democratic frontrunners in the race. His exit is a colossal shakeup of what has already been one of the most volatile gubernatorial races in recent memory, Axios' Andrew Solender writes. He offered no indication that he plans to give up his House seat after calls from colleagues in both parties for him to resign. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has said she plans to force a vote to expel Swalwell when the House returns to session this week. That would require a two-thirds majority. Keep reading. ps:This is exactly what they wanted!! Now if these charges are true than unlike many maga republicans, he will be doing the right thing!!

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💰 Billion-dollar state

Data: KPI 2026 Political Media Forecast; Chart: Justin Green/Axios Michigan will be ground zero for political ad spending this cycle, with a complicated Democratic Senate primary, a three-way governor's race and a trio of competitive House contests behind a projected $1 billion price tag. $10.4 billion is expected to be spent nationwide on political advertising in the 2026 election, according to a new analysis from Kinetiq Political Insights (KPI). Why it matters: Crowded media markets in Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina will drive up costs for super PACs aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — and for House leadership groups as well. Zoom out: KPI's $10.4 billion estimate is broadly in line with a September projection from AdImpact, another firm that tracks political ad spending across TV and radio. KPI says total spending could range from $9 billion to $11.8 billion, depending on factors like redistricting. "With Virginia's redistricting measure looming and the House map shrinking by the week, record midterm spending is about to pour into the smallest battlefield in recent memory — and that makes anything possible," said Adam Wise, a strategic consultant for KPI. Zoom in: Atlanta is expected to be the most expensive media market of the cycle, with about $591 million divided among the Senate race, an open governor's contest and at least two competitive House races. Total Georgia ad spending could approach $900 million. Between the lines: Connected TV (streaming) is expected to capture more than 25% of total spending, or about $2.7 billion — a 122% increase from 2022. Broadcast TV is projected to account for 46.2% ($4.8 billion). Cable TV could fall to 11.3% ($1.2 billion). Flashback: The 2022 midterms saw $8.9 billion in political ad spending, according to KPI. Ohio had the most expensive Senate race in 2024, with about $450 million in spending, according to OpenSecrets. The bottom line: Some Democratic challengers are outraising their GOP counterparts in House and Senate races, but Republican-aligned super PACs and party committees are hoping to close the money gap. The GOP's Senate Leadership Fund and affiliated groups reported $166.4 million cash on hand at the start of April. Senate Majority PAC and Majority Forward, aligned with Schumer, reported $74.8 million cash on hand. — Hans Nichols

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It’s official: Alex Vindman is running for the U.S. Senate seat

Calling incumbent Sen. Ashley Moody an “automatic yes vote” for “corruption” and “chaos,” former U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman made his bid for the U.S. Senate official Wednesday.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/04/22/its-official-alex-vindman-is-running-for-the-u-s-senate-seat/?

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🦞 Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) suspended her Senate campaign, clearing the way for progressive insurgent Graham Platner to take on longtime GOP Sen. Susan Collins. Go deeper.

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🎯 Shapiro's revenge

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro secretly helped a Republican state treasurer's 2024 reelection bid after the official's Democratic opponent had criticized Shapiro as a potential VP pick, a close Shapiro ally said last week.

• Bob Brooks, a Shapiro-backed candidate for the U.S. House, made the surprising comment Wednesday to a small group of Democratic college students. Axios obtained a recording of his remarks, which also were confirmed by a person at the meeting.

Why it matters: Helping a Republican over a Democrat — especially in response to personal criticism — could become a liability if Shapiro runs for president in 2028, as many expect.

• It also could feed the idea — held even by some Shapiro supporters — that he can be vindictive, take critiques too personally and be willing to push aside allies to get ahead.

🔬 Zoom in: Brooks' comments referred to summer 2024, when Shapiro was being vetted by Kamala Harris' team as her possible running mate.

• The Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania treasurer at the time, Erin McClelland, publicly questioned whether Shapiro could be a subordinate to a female president.

👨🏻‍🚒 Brooks, president of Pennsylvania's firefighters union, told students at Lehigh University last week that Shapiro had asked his union to back Republican Stacy Garrity over McClelland in the 2024 state treasurer's race.

• "That was a request, ironically, from Gov. Josh Shapiro because Erin McClelland was running against her," Brooks told the students.
• Brooks added: "Josh Shapiro had requested because … Erin McClelland came out hard about something on Josh Shapiro, and really, the Democratic Party as a whole turned on Erin McClelland. And he said, 'I would like you guys to endorse Stacy Garrity.'"
• Brooks mentioned Shapiro's move after a person at the Lehigh gathering asked Brooks why his union had backed Garrity in 2024.

What they're saying: Asked to comment for this story, Brooks said in a statement: "I misspoke and made an inaccurate comment."

• "Many people in our party — including organized labor across the commonwealth — were upset with McClelland's bad-faith attacks against our governor. The governor did not ask my union to make any endorsements."
• Shapiro spokesperson Manuel Bonder said Brooks' Wednesday comment was "inaccurate," adding, "The governor did not ask Bob Brooks to make any endorsements in that race — and the only races he is focused on are winning up and down the ballot this November."
• Spokespeople for Shapiro and Brooks declined to make them available for interviews. A Garrity spokesperson did not provide a comment.

Shapiro is close to Brooks and has backed his bid for a U.S. House seat, encouraging him to run and then appearing in a direct-to-camera TV ad for Brooks.

Between the lines: The episode described by Brooks on Wednesday appeared to reflect Shapiro's penchant for hardball political tactics — even against fellow Democrats.

• Harris' team heard complaints about Shapiro from Pennsylvania Democrats as it vetted him for the VP nomination. Harris eventually chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.
• Shapiro wrote in his memoir that he took himself out of contention to be Harris' No. 2 late in the vetting process.

📆 Flashback: McClelland's break with Shapiro went public in July 2024, when she posted on X: "I want a VP pick that's secure enough to be second under a woman, is content to be VP & won't undermine the president to maneuver his own election & doesn't sweep sexual harassment under the rug."

• That was a reference to Shapiro's former top aide, Mike Vereb, being accused of sexual harassment in 2023. Vereb stayed in his position for months after a complaint was filed, and Shapiro's administration reached a settlement with Vereb's accuser for $295,000.
• Shapiro maintained he didn't know about the complaint by Vereb's accuser until months after it was made. The governor declined to endorse McClelland in 2024.

🗳️ State of play: Garrity won reelection to her state treasurer post in 2024 — and, in a twist, is challenging Shapiro for governor in this year's election.

Read more.

— Holly Otterbein, Alex Thompson

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Gallego's brain game

🤓 Gallego spent four years on his high school's varsity team — for the Scholastic Bowl. He was widely regarded as the anchor of the competitive academic squad at the Chicago area's Evergreen Park Community High School, where he graduated in 1998.

• 🌟 "As a freshman, he played a crucial role on the varsity team," read one of Gallego's yearbooks, which was viewed by Axios.
• Another yearbook said that when it came to the Scholastic Bowl's quiz competitions, "the key player is Ruben."
• The yearbook described Gallego's brainy crew as "small but talented."

⚾️ Gallego, who's considering a run for president in 2028, also was part of his school's student government, baseball team and theater program.

• All those extracurriculars and lightning-round quizzes paid off: After coming from humble beginnings, Gallego got into Harvard.

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Democratic Reps. Kathy Castor & Debbie Wasserman Schultz say they’re running again this fall

Two Florida Democratic members of Congress who have seen their districts radically altered by the newly approved congressional redistricting map this week said Friday that they intend to run again this fall.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/05/01/democratic-reps-kathy-castor-debbie-wasserman-schultz-say-theyre-running-again-this-fall/?

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Several Indiana state senators who opposed Trump’s redistricting efforts lose primaries

https://apnews.com/live/election-primary-indiana-ohio-05-05-2026?

ps:Personally I can't believe that true republicans would vote for gerrymandering candidates!!!!!

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🏁 Trump's Hoosier payback

A husband and wife vote in Indiana's primary election yesterday in West Lafayette, Ind. Photo: Cara Penquite/AP President Trump exacted retribution yesterday on Indiana Republican state legislators who blocked his push to redraw the state's congressional map, Axios' Alex Isenstadt writes. At least six GOP state senators were defeated in their primaries, one survived and one race was too close to call. Why it matters: The outcome represented a major win for Trump's political team, which is aggressively going after Republicans who defy the president. Trump is also backing primary challengers to Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, both of whom face primaries this month. (See Item 5 below.) 👀 Behind the scenes: The Trump team — which was deeply involved in the Indiana effort — began planning for the Indiana blitz in February, two months after the legislators voted down Trump's redistricting plan. A pair of groups aligned with Indiana Sen. Jim Banks — named American Leadership PAC and Hoosier Leadership for America and overseen by longtime Trump operative Andy Surabian — spent $8 million to unseat the state senators. 🗳️ What's next: Trump's Indiana win puts pressure on Republican state legislators in other states to enact White House-backed redistricting measures. Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina are deliberating whether — or how aggressively — to redraw congressional maps following last week's Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act. Race-by-race results ... Takeaways from Ohio, Michigan.

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Trump’s flex pays off and Democrats win special election Elections in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan on Tuesday reinforced a picture that is becoming increasingly clear: while President Donald Trump still dominates the Republican Party, Democrats seem to have the momentum ahead of November’s midterm elections. Read more.

Why this matters: In Indiana, several Trump-backed candidates won against Republican state senators who rejected his redistricting plan in December. Their victories were a signal to Republicans everywhere that they can still get thrown out of office if they distance themselves from Trump, even as his popularity fades.   In Michigan, a Democrat comfortably won a state Senate race in a bellwether district, the latest in a string of special election victories. With the help of an endorsement from Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy clinched the Republican nomination for Ohio governor. He will face Democrat Amy Acton, Ohio’s former public health director.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Detailed election results   Ohio US Senate contest seen as crucial for control of the chamber   Michigan Democrats keep control of state Senate in election win that offers clues about midterms    Trump-backed candidates win majority of Republican primary races for Indiana Senate    Photos from the elections    Professor’s speech praising pro-Palestinian students sparks backlash at University of Michigan    Candidates for California governor tangle in testy debate with mail voting already underway    South Carolina joins Southern redistricting push after US Supreme Court ruling on minority districts    Tennessee Republicans target Memphis as South Carolina considers joining House redistricting battle

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Democrats’ Battleground Victory Sends Warning to Trump

The election on Tuesday filled the vacant seat in a deep-purple battleground state.

Democrats are celebrating a boost in Michigan, as the party managed to hold on to the majority in the state Senate with victory in a special election.

The election on Tuesday to fill the vacant seat in a deep-purple battleground state and swing district had been viewed as a bellwether for the 2026 midterms as American voters sour on President Donald Trump.

Democratic candidate Chedrick Greene beat out Republican Jason Tunney to serve Senate District 35, the Associated Press confirmed. Tunney said afterward that he “fell short” but that “we’re just getting started.” Greene, a firefighter and military veteran, said in a statement, “We delivered this decisive victory by listening and speaking to the things keeping everyday people up at night — worries about affordability, safety, and freedom.”

MI Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel added in a statement, “Republicans ran with their typical playbook of bending the knee to Trump and putting corporations over working people, and it failed—miserably. With gas prices spiking and grocery bills up, it’s clear that voters are fed up with Trump and Republicans’ cost-raising agenda.”

The seat has been empty for nearly 18 months after Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet resigned, having been elected to the House.

Democrat Rivet won her last election by 6 points in 2022, but just two years later, Trump won the swing state in 2024 by just over 1 point, including all three counties that make up part of the 35th District.

Trump won Bay and Midland Counties by double digits in the last election, while he took Saginaw County by just over three points.

At the same time, the state in 2024 also elected Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, showing just how competitive it can be.

Now, both parties have their sights set on Michigan as part of the path to controlling the majorities in both the House and Senate come November.

“All eyes should be on Michigan’s special election in one of the most competitive districts in the country,” DLCC president Heather Williams told Daily Beast ahead of the special election.

While much of the focus on Tuesday’s elections was on the Ohio and Indiana primaries, Williams argued that a Democratic victory would help boost the momentum all the way to November.

Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer held off on scheduling the special election as the Senate majority was on the line after Republicans flipped the Michigan House in 2024.

Greene’s victory allows Whitmer’s party to keep a 20-18 Senate majority. Had Democrats lost, it would have resulted in a 19-19 split, leaving Democrats zero margins for error in the state as the Democratic governor would be the tie-breaking vote.

Now, Democrats not only will keep the state Senate, they believe it puts them on a path to flip the state House and give Democrats a trifecta in the state once again in the midterms.

At the same time, however, the retirement of Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat, at the end of his term opens the possibility of a Republican gain.

Republicans see the state as one of their greatest opportunities to pick up a seat in the U.S. Senate with their candidate Mike Rogers come November.

The former congressman lost to Slotkin in 2024 by just 0.3 percent, and even picked up both Bay and Midland Counties. Rogers campaigned for Tunney ahead of the special election on Tuesday.

But for Greene, the race has been all about affordability, the issue on which Democrats have been hammering home for months and plan to keep the focus on through November.

“It sounds so cliche, but it is about affordability. It really is,” Greene told Daily Beast before the election.

He warned that people on the campaign trail have been raising concerns to him about making ends meet while energy costs continue to climb, with prices soaring even more recently due to the war in Iran.

The result in Michigan on Tuesday was the latest in a series of special elections where Democrats have seen victories since Trump returned to office.

While the seat there was open, Democrats have managed to flip 30 district seats across the country from red to blue since Trump was reelected in the growing sign that the U.S. has the potential to see a blue wave come November.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-warning-in-battleground-state-with-democrat-victory/?

ps:What warning?? That he needs to do more gerrymandering?????

[phkrause]

🚨 Revenge tour fallout

President Trump's revenge tour didn't just draw blood in Indiana. It put Republican holdouts across the South on notice.

Why it matters: Republicans are being squeezed to approve last-minute new maps that give Speaker Mike Johnson a shot at saving his majority in November.

• Tennessee Republicans are expected to vote as soon as tomorrow to draw out Rep. Steve Cohen, the state's last House Democrat. "This is insane," Cohen said today on X about the new map.
• The South Carolina House has started a redraw debate that could threaten Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, who warned last week of "never-ending redistricting fights" to come.
• Mississippi Republicans are pushing to draw out Rep. Bennie Thompson's seat during the state's special session in two weeks. The state already held its 2026 primaries, but the pressure's still on.

What they're saying: "The leadership in South Carolina, they saw the results in Indiana," Club for Growth president David McIntosh, whose group's PAC spent $2 million against the Indiana Trump holdouts, told Politico.

Between the lines: Louisiana and Alabama didn't need much persuading.

• Louisiana suspended its U.S. House primaries last week and will likely target one of its two Democratic seats for a redraw.
• Alabama says it's waiting on the Supreme Court's help to lift a court order forbidding it from redistricting until after 2030.

Zoom in: Even with this momentum, Trump's push for last-minute redraws is meeting resistance.

• Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is refusing to hold a special session to redraw the state's congressional maps, citing voting that's already underway.
• South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told Trump, who's called him twice, that he's probably not on board with a redraw.
• In Mississippi, some leaders have been noncommittal ahead of the special session, promising only to act as soon as possible.

What's next: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has maintained that Democrats will be able to overcome whatever seat advantage Republicans may create for themselves by racking up wins in battleground districts.

• But this could constrain his ability to secure a large majority.
• That could force him to deal with the same headaches Johnson has faced over the last three years.

The bottom line: After the GOP dust settles, Democrats are eyeing a wide array of blue and purple states to redistrict ahead of 2028.

• They're also planning to push nationwide redistricting reform as a potential off-ramp from this race to the bottom.

— Justin Green and Andrew Solender

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Denise Powell wins Democratic primary in Nebraska’s ‘blue dot’ 2nd District

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Denise Powell won the Democratic primary in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District on Wednesday in a contest focused on the state’s “blue dot” status in presidential elections.

https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-election-house-powell-cavanaugh-7df6ec05acc59dc6a1a834b35b3a1e67?