All articles tagged with #senate
Trump-backed Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. Cornyn in Texas’ GOP primary, signaling Trump’s ongoing sway over GOP nominations, creating fundraising headwinds for the party, and reshaping the Texas Senate race.
On the first day of early voting in South Carolina, the Senate killed a mid-cycle redistricting bill that would have redrawn the state’s congressional maps to benefit Republicans, with 12 Republicans joining 12 Democrats to block the measure. A follow-up 26-18 vote to continue the bill effectively ended redistricting for the year. Gov. Henry McMaster had pushed for a quick redraw, but concerns over voting integrity, cost, and timing, plus the ongoing election, led lawmakers to shelve the effort. The Senate will reconvene June 10, but a timely redistricting before the 2026 midterms appears unlikely.
Texas Democrat James Talarico conceded some past statements on transgender policy missed the mark but accused Republican Ken Paxton of clipping those remarks to distract from Paxton's alleged corruption as Paxton won the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate; the race is expected to be one of the costliest and most consequential, with Cornyn's endorsement backing Paxton and a rising Democratic fundraising effort from Talarico as they head toward a high-stakes November contest that could influence Senate control.
Sen. John Cornyn's primary loss to Ken Paxton in Texas has intensified tensions between President Trump and Senate Republicans, with many allies pushing back against Trump’s interventions and warning that internal divisions could threaten the party’s unity and agenda in the Senate.
Texas’s GOP Senate race moves to a runoff between incumbent John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton after a tight first round, with former President Trump endorsing Paxton. The outcome could affect the general election against Democrat James Talarico, as live results and county-by-county tallies roll in and polls close at 8:00 PM ET.
Maine Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner defended his ad criticizing Red Sox owner John Henry for private equity ties, signaling a campaign message that ties national economic issues to a high-profile local sports figure, with an event participation alongside Bernie Sanders.
With the GOP runoff looming, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intensified their final‑day campaigning across the state, including events in McKinney and Lubbock, as voters prepare to head to the polls.
Newsweek reports Ken Paxton’s chances against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn have surged in the days before the election, while Cornyn’s allies say he would fare better against Democrat James Talarico in November.
A retiring Republican senator warns that if Trump keeps acting as he has, it could jeopardize the GOP’s November prospects, urging party leaders to avoid divisive moves and focus on winning over swing voters.
Trump is pushing an $1.8 billion DOJ ‘anti-weaponization’ slush fund to pay his supporters, triggering a furious closed-door revolt by more than a dozen GOP senators who yelled at Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and derailed a partisan funding vote; Trump has doubled down after endorsing Ken Paxton, claiming the fund fights weaponization, while allies say he still controls the agenda, even as Senate leaders and other Republicans condemn the plan as risky for GOP unity ahead of midterms.
A bipartisan, all-women Senate delegation led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) travels to the Arctic to reaffirm the United States’ commitments to its partners in the region.
Trump’s grip on the GOP is uneven: endorsements like Ken Paxton’s upset and pressure on Republicans to fund a White House ballroom are stirring GOP unease, while Democrats gain openings as intra-party feuding surfaces over their own post-2024 autopsy and Colorado backlash; in parallel the administration arranged a $1.776 billion “weaponization” fund to compensate those investigated in Trump-era matters, prompting questions about who will actually benefit, all against a backdrop of ongoing foreign-policy bravado and other distractions as the 2026 midterms loom.
Senators from both parties pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to take action on Ukraine aid, signaling bipartisan pressure as Senate hearings and budget discussions on defense funding unfold.
The White House’s push for an $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and a personal-project agenda has exposed fresh rifts with Senate Republicans, who fear the fight could derail immigration talks and hurt GOP prospects ahead of the November elections. Trump remains defiant, citing recent primary wins and insisting unity, while lawmakers push back, warning the internal battles risk the party’s control of the Senate unless there’s a reset.