Seth McLaughlin

Republicans open midterm convention with a call to defy history, expand majorities

The head of the Republican National Committee gaveled in the "historic" midterm GOP convention in Dallas on Wednesday with a burst of praise for President Trump, declaring the gathering "dedicated to one mission: defying history."

September 9, 2026

Musk PAC launches transgender focused attacks in marquee Senate races

Elon Musk is trying to drag the midterm debate away from inflation and gas prices and turn it into a referendum on transgender issues.

September 8, 2026

GOP steps up swipes at Talarico ahead of Dallas convention

Republicans are intensifying their attacks on James Talarico ahead of this week's convention in Dallas, rolling out a series of ads and national media broadsides that cast the Austin Democrat as culturally and ideologically out of step with Texas.

September 8, 2026

Iran war rattles the economy, shakes up U.S. Senate races

Republicans Michael Whatley in North Carolina, Mike Rogers in Michigan and Ken Paxton in Texas have all stuck with their support for the U.S. war with Iran, which polls show is opposed by a majority of Americans.

September 7, 2026

Trump Team works to convert anti-data center voters for midterm elections

President Trump and his allies are going on the offensive in the public-relations battle over data centers that have become a top target for voters angry about high prices.

September 4, 2026

Brown’s offensive on data centers defines his Ohio Senate fight with Husted

Former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown is out with another ad hammering Sen. Jon Husted over his past support for data centers.

September 3, 2026

GOP digs up El-Sayed’s deleted anti-police tweets

Republicans are not letting Abdul El-Sayed erase his past.

September 2, 2026

Democrats’ generational-change candidates fall flat in Massachusetts: Markey, Neal and Lynch all win

Sen. Ed Markey showed this week that age is just a number in the Massachusetts Democratic primary -- at least if you're liberal enough.

September 2, 2026

Data center fight explodes onto airwaves ahead of midterms

The fight over data centers is suddenly everywhere on the airwaves.

September 1, 2026

Vance accuses El-Sayed of driving division and ‘terrible evil’ in Michigan Senate race

Vice President J.D. Vance warned Monday that Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is helping to fuel the rise of "evil" and "hatred" that is poisoning political debate, fueling antisemitism and undermining national unity in America.

August 31, 2026

‘No thanks’: Democrats in tough races shun Kamala Harris as questions mount about 2028

Kamala Harris has gone from leading the Democratic ticket to a campaign trail to a campaign trail pariah in her party's competitive races.

August 28, 2026

GOP’s Vivek Ramaswamy spends big, dominates TV attacks in tight race for Ohio governor

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and his allies have waged a sustained ad barrage against Democrat Amy Acton in Ohio's governor's race, hammering her as a left-winger in a state that has trended Republican and backed President Trump by double digits in the last election.

August 27, 2026

Who is James Talarico?: Fair-minded Christian or a crunchy left-winger

The Texas race for U.S. Senate is largely a battle over who gets to define Democrat James Talarico.

August 20, 2026

Data centers turn toxic for voters, become political cudgel in 2026 races

Data centers have gone from economic-development darlings to political hot potatoes as public opinion shifted and many former advocates scramble to align with voters.

August 17, 2026

Far-left momentum hits resistance as Democrats search for winning formula

Democratic voters are sending mixed signals about where they want the party to go next, but have made it clear they are energized and eager for change.

August 12, 2026

AOC gets personal, reignites talk of her White House ambitions

The speculation is getting louder about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's potential White House run.

August 12, 2026

Left wing of Democratic Party wins showdown Senate race in Minnesota

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan easily defeated Rep. Angie Craig in the Minnesota Democratic Senate primary, delivering another win for the insurgent, liberal wing of the Democratic Party.

August 12, 2026

Races in Upper Midwest highlight Democrats’ fight over the party’s future

Voters in Minnesota and Wisconsin head to the polls Tuesday with a chance to further cement the Upper Midwest's claim to the far-left mantle inside a Democratic Party increasingly riven by proxy fights between its liberal and centrist wings.

August 10, 2026

Schumer’s path back to power runs through insurgent Democrats who want him gone

Sen. Charles E. Schumer's hopes of reclaiming the majority leader's gavel now rest on helping far-left candidates running in marquee Senate races who cast him as part of the problem -- and, in many cases, demand he hand over the leadership reins.

August 7, 2026

Trump’s success ending border crisis forces GOP to hunt for new way to energize voters

President Trump's stunning success in stopping migrants from crossing into the U.S. has drained some of the energy from the border issue, leaving the GOP scrambling to fire up the base in what promises to be a bruising midterm election.

August 7, 2026