Political Wire

Archives for 2026

Potential Vance Challengers Smell Blood in the Water

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“Ambitious Republicans were already sizing up JD Vance ahead of the 2028 presidential primary. Tuesday night’s GOP bludgeoning has only emboldened some of them,” the Washington Post reports.

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis embarked on a media blitz in recent days as he prepares a potential run, according to three people briefed on his plans. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is weighing a bid, said a person with knowledge of his plans. And Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is planning to work with longtime consultant Jeff Roe of Axiom Strategies if he enters the race.”

Democrats Have a Path to Sidestep the Electoral College

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“Twice since 2000 — with George W. Bush and then Donald J. Trump — Republicans have lost the national popular vote but won the Electoral College. That has left many Democrats furious with the system,” the New York Times reports.

“Eliminating the Electoral College would require a constitutional amendment, a highly unlikely prospect in a polarized nation. But after Tuesday’s midterm elections, Democrats will soon have enough power in statehouses across the country to try to circumvent it without an amendment.”

“Since 2007, 18 Democratic-run states and the District of Columbia have joined a legal framework that would pledge their Electoral College votes to the nationwide popular vote winner, rather than the winner in their state. The effect of the pact, if enacted and enforced, would be the same as replacing the Electoral College with the popular vote.”

Trump Does Not Appear to Be Listening

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New York Times: “The rush to point fingers comes as the Republican Party is plunging into perhaps its most uncertain moment in years. For a decade, Mr. Trump has controlled the GOP with an iron grip, remaking Republicanism in his MAGA image with little tolerance for dissenting views. Now, as they worry about what could amount to generational losses for their party, some Republicans are embarking on the earliest of efforts to transform the midterm wipeout into a new path forward.”

“These fledgling conversations about the future are taking shape against the backdrop of a quietly bubbling 2028 presidential campaign. Mr. Vance, Mr. Cruz and Mr. DeSantis injected themselves into the debate with their early and extensive assessments in no small part because they are considered potential presidential contenders.”

“They may not be totally in charge of charting their own destinies — or their party’s. Mr. Trump, not even halfway through his four-year term, remains in the White House. He has shown little inclination to change course.”

A Clear Election Verdict but a Murky Future

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“In the days since his defeat, he has sounded like a man in denial,” the New York Times reports.

“With his party still picking through the wreckage of a political earthquake, a seemingly oblivious President Trump signed a steel beam for his new White House ballroom and flew to Florida to give a speech on the space program. He seems flat these days, maybe a little dazed.”

“If Donald Trump is still processing the election that swept his party from power in Congress last week, so too is Donald Trump’s America. Both parties are still absorbing the stunning reality of sweeping Democratic victories in states like Texas, Kansas and South Carolina that were long GOP strongholds — and possibly even Mississippi.”

“But as clear as the midterm verdict was, the future is cloudier.”

Stephen Miller Moves to Clean House at White House

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“White House Deputy Chief of Staff Richard Walters is leaving the administration, the first major departure in an expected staff shakeup as incoming chief of staff Stephen Miller takes charge,” Axios reports.

“The exit of one of outgoing chief of staff Susie Wiles’ allies signals a changing of the guard inside the West Wing, with Miller’s team poised to move into more powerful roles.”

“Walters was one of Wiles’ closest political lieutenants, with a relationship stretching back more than a decade.”

Sotomayor Sees ‘Rough Patch’ for Rule of Law

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“Justice Sonia Sotomayor said Saturday that the U.S. is experiencing a ‘rough patch’ for rule of law and civic discourse, but one that can be overcome through a greater commitment to civility, equality and educating young people about America’s enduring values,” Politico reports.

Said Sotomayor: “I think we’re in a rough patch right now. There’s so many challenges to it on so many different levels. This is a really critical point in our history. Is it going to end tomorrow? No.”

She added: “It’s going to take some hard work. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to put us back on an even keel. I’m hoping it’s … in my lifetime. But even if it’s not in my lifetime, I genuinely believe it will happen.”

DeSantis Calls for ‘Big Change’ in Conservative Media

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“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called for a ‘big change’ in conservative media after the Democrats trounced the Republicans in the 2026 midterms,” Mediaite reports.

Said DeSantis: “I think you need more bottom-up, I think you need less focus on the presidency, and I think you need more focus on not just people running for elected office, people that are involved in the conservative groups, but I think we need a big change in kind of the conservative media culture.”

He added: “Because a lot of that is a grift, and it’s pay-to-play, and it’s just not offering very much in the way of strong ideas and things that are really going to illuminate your understanding.”

JD Vance Grapples with His Future

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Wall Street Journal: “Tuesday’s brutal midterm drubbing—the most far-reaching Republican wipeout since Watergate—is scrambling Vance’s political future, with the vice president and his allies privately grappling with hard questions about whether to mount a 2028 campaign for the White House.”

“Some political allies have told the vice president that they no longer believe any Republican could win a presidential election in two years. Before and after the election, Vance has told associates that he hasn’t made up his mind about running.”

Democrats Brace for a Messy 2028 Primary

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“Democrats have emerged from a resounding midterm victory with a deep bench and rising stars who have reinvigorated the party. But as they pivot to a 2028 presidential primary contest already informally under way, things could get messier,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Fresh faces helped Democrats swing deep-red states ahead of a primary that is expected to be among the most wide open in a generation for Democrats, with some candidates expected to announce their bids in the coming months.”

“With a sprawling field expected, the nomination race threatens to expose divisions unsettling Democrats: establishment vs. outsider, moderate vs. progressive, pro-Israel vs. Israel skeptics and youth vs. experience. And the party’s sweeping midterm success will allow for multiple interpretations of how it should move forward on politics and policy.”

Bloomberg: Democrats confront their own divisions as 2028 race kicks off.

One Town in America Voted in Favor of Data Centers

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Fortune: “Of the 45 ballot measures on data centers this past election, only one went the pro-data center way… That initiative belonged to Harwood, a North Dakota town 10 miles from Fargo and home to about 940 people, which overwhelmingly voted against a ballot measure that would place limitations on large-scale industrial developments such as data centers.”

“About 75% (325) of the 430 votes cast on Tuesday opposed the measure.”

Democrats Take Over the Machinery of State Government

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“Democrats’ midterm gains extended deep into the machinery of state government: They swept every statewide executive office on the ballot in Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Wisconsin and Arizona,” Axios reports.

“These low-profile victories will shape what millions of Americans pay for electricity, what their kids read in class and which party runs the 2028 presidential election in key states.”

“Democrats captured five Republican governorships, in Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa and Nevada. But the scale of their gains becomes clearer farther down the ballot.”

Stephen Miller Shrugs Off Midterm Blowout

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“Republicans called for President Trump to scale back the policies many blamed for their midterm blowout. Mr. Trump ruminated about deals with Democrats,” the New York Times reports.

“Stephen Miller was unfazed.”

“A day after the elections, as votes were still being counted and the Democrats’ victory margin seemed to increase by the hour, the longtime Trump aide and MAGA stalwart convened one of his regular calls with national security officials to get an update on immigration policy.”

“There was no talk of the results of the midterms or suggestion of scaling back the hard-line immigration approach that contributed to Republicans’ steep losses.”

Bonus Exchange of the Day

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Sen. Chuck Schumer was interviewed by Michael Barbaro of the New York Times about the midterm elections:

SCHUMER: When he fucked around with the northern border, we said…

BARBARO: We can bleep that out, Senator.

SCHUMER: OK, if you want, I don’t care. I’m from Brooklyn, you know.

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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