October 14, 2026

“Almost from the moment James Talarico became the Democratic Senate nominee in Texas, the Republicans have circulated ads and attacks suggesting that he is not man enough, not Christian enough, not carnivorous enough — not Texan enough — to flip a conservative seat,” the New York Times reports.

“As the midterm elections approach and one of the most expensive races in history gets nastier by the day, the vice president has gone even further, joining the fray with a not-so-subtle joke criticized as homophobic.”

“Republicans are playing defense on an expanding electoral map, spending hundreds of millions of dollars in the final weeks of the midterms to prevent a Democratic takeover of Congress as campaigns nationwide reach a fever pitch,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“With less than three weeks until the midterms, deep-pocketed GOP groups are trying to push struggling candidates over the finish line, while President Trump and Vice President JD Vance are crisscrossing the country to shore up Republican support in red areas that seemed virtually unassailable just months ago.”

“Democrats, working to capitalize on Trump’s weak approval ratings and economic concerns in the wake of the war in Iran, have expanded their target map into more Republican-leaning territory.”

Axios: Unexpected House battles pop up deep in Trump country.

A new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll in Minnesota finds Peggy Flanagan (D) leading Michele Tafoya (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 45% to 42%.

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom is headed to New Hampshire this weekend to campaign for Democratic candidates in the November election, a continuation of his reconnaissance tour through swing states in preparation for a possible 2028 presidential run,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“The trip follows voyages to other early primary voting states, including South Carolina in September and Nevada in July, that could be critical to his campaign if he officially joins the race.”

“President Donald Trump has to keep his administration’s taxpayer-funded political ads off the air through the midterms, a federal judge ruled Wednesday,” the Washington Sun reports.