All articles tagged with #republicans
Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister and South Carolina’s appointed senator, mishandled a national-security question about Taiwan in a runoff debate, underscoring her inexperience and raising questions about the staying power of Trump’s endorsement as turnout and intra-party divides shape the race between her and Ralph Norman.
Canada's tariffs could have outsized effects in Maine, Michigan, and New Hampshire, complicating Republicans' bid to defend the Senate; Sen. Susan Collins opposes the tariffs, while other GOP candidates defend them, underscoring how rising costs and border economics may influence the 2026 races.
Republican candidates in pivotal races are scrambling to align with growing voter skepticism about data centers, even as Trump promotes their benefits and the role of artificial intelligence. The backlash—rooted in concerns about energy use, local traffic, and other community impacts—has become a defining midterm issue, pushing Republicans to weigh the economic perks of data-center development against the political risk of alienating anxious voters in key districts.
Texas Republicans are walking a tight line on the Trump administration’s plan to build a road and 30-foot barriers in Big Bend, with some lawmakers welcoming a pause and others defending enforcement, while local outrage over land seizures and conservation concerns grows. The intra-party dynamics ahead of the November Senate race between Paxton and Talarico are further complicated as Democrats attack GOP inaction and advocates push for technology-based border solutions instead of walls.
Former Anchorage Mayor Dan A. Sullivan endorsed incumbent Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan in Alaska’s high-stakes Senate race, joining a field that also includes another Dan Sullivan (retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan) and Democrat Mary Peltola; the contest, managed under Alaska’s ranked-choice system, has drawn national attention as candidates vie to advance to the general election.
Democrats are turning more GOP Senate seats into battlegrounds for the midterms, with Iowa, Alaska and Texas now toss-ups and Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio as paths to a 51-seat majority; Maine appears likely next, leaving six Republican seats in play and prompting heavy outside spending as both parties defend or attack in states like Mississippi, Kansas and Nebraska.
Florida Republicans nominated Rep. Byron Donalds, who has Trump’s endorsement, and former Rep. David Jolly won the Democratic nomination, setting up a high-stakes general election to decide Florida’s next governor as the DeSantis era nears its end. The race tests whether Florida remains solidly GOP or can Democrats reclaim ground in a longtime swing state; the GOP primary was crowded and contentious, while Jolly’s bid is framed as a test of the state’s evolving political identity.
Recent polls show rising dissatisfaction with Trump among Republicans ahead of the midterms: Economist/YouGov puts GOP approval at a second-term low (79%), with only 48% strongly approving, while non-MAGA Republicans are less supportive; FT and Michigan data confirm a decline tied to the Iran war, high gas prices, and inflation. Analysts warn that up to one in five base GOP voters could stay home, and Democrats hold a turnout edge, raising the risk for the GOP in November.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has steered closed-door briefings that exclude Democrats to push President Trump’s record $1.5 trillion defense budget, prompting Republican concern that the approach risks alienating Democrats and derailing funding unless bipartisan support is secured; even with reconciliation options, Democratic opposition remains a major hurdle.
Democrat Rebecca Cooke won Wisconsin’s 3rd District primary and will face Republican Derrick Van Orden in the fall, setting up a high-profile rematch in a marquee battleground as Democrats also eye additional seats in Wisconsin and Minnesota while Republicans push into southern and open districts. Cooke bills herself as a Blue Dog/New Dem with a progressive edge, a dynamic that has drawn significant fundraising and hundreds of millions in fall ad reservations from both parties.
A North Carolina GOP panel selected state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom to replace Rep. Chuck Edwards on the November ballot after Edwards dropped his re-election bid amid sexual harassment allegations. Balkcom, a Henderson County legislator, will face Democrat Jamie Ager as absentee ballots begin going out Sept. 4; her nomination was boosted by endorsements from figures like House Speaker Destin Hall. Edwards will serve out his term but will not seek another, a decision prompted by a House Ethics Committee finding substantial reason to believe he violated rules and his denial of wrongdoing. Ager, a farmer who outraised Edwards, had been rated Lean Republican by Cook Political Report prior to the ethics findings, signaling a potentially competitive race in a narrowly divided district.
White House officials urged Ohio Republicans to back off pressing Rep. Max Miller to drop out amid domestic abuse allegations, as Miller refuses to withdraw and faces a House Ethics Committee probe; the decision preserves a contentious race that could jeopardize a so-called safe seat and complicates GOP messaging and fundraising in a district unlikely to tilt blue in 2026.
Sen. Jim Banks told NBC’s Meet the Press that Rep. Max Miller should drop his re-election bid and resign if the domestic-violence allegations raised by his ex-wife are true, a stance echoed by several other GOP lawmakers; Miller denies the claims and has urged the House Ethics Committee to investigate while staying in the race. The accusations involve alleged abuse and threats, and have drawn public criticism from Bernie Moreno’s family, with Ohio officials noting a deadline to replace a candidate amid security-related event cancellations. Miller has also faced related legal actions, including a defamation suit, as the controversy continues.
Senate Republicans head into August recess without passing the Save America Act after President Trump pressed for a vote, while Johnson, Lee, and Thune signaled a path via budget reconciliation to advance the bill and boost defense spending. The push was paused amid a crowded agenda, with Democrats blocking a voter-ID measure and other items like a cryptocurrency framework and NIL funding left for September. In the interim, the Senate approved a short-term funding extension through December, advanced a Russia sanctions package, and confirmed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, with lawmakers planning to reconvene in September to push major items and reconciliation efforts ahead of the midterms.
Senate Republicans punt a sweeping Trump-backed spending package, delaying action on a defense-heavy budget framework that would bypass a filibuster via budget reconciliation. With September votes uncertain and vulnerable senators in play ahead of the November election, leaders hint final passage could slip into the post‑election lame‑duck session as they recalibrate after pushback on items like food aid and other provisions in the plan.