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Republicans No Longer Target North Carolina and Georgia

September 23, 2026 at 10:17 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The National Republican Senatorial Committee is shifting its focus away from the North Carolina and Georgia Senate races as it works to shore up red states like Texas and flip other Democratic-held seats,” Politico reports.

”In a closed-door meeting Wednesday, Sen. Tim Scott, the chair of the NRSC, told Senate Republicans that the campaign arm will focus its spending going forward on defending GOP seats in Maine, Alaska, Ohio, Iowa and Texas and trying to flip the Democratic-held seats of Michigan and New Hampshire.”

For members: Republicans Are Acting Like the Polls Are Right

Trump Denies Report of Adding His Name to Ford’s Theatre

September 23, 2026 at 9:30 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Donald Trump denounced reporting by MS NOW that administration officials have floated attaching his name to Ford’s Theatre, the playhouse where an assassin killed President Abraham Lincoln in 1865,” Bloomberg reports.

Iran’s Secret Weapon Is Help From China

September 23, 2026 at 9:23 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Wall Street Journal: “Xi is visiting President Trump in Washington this week for a summit that will cover weighty topics including trade, artificial-intelligence safety and relations with Taiwan. But the elephant in the room will be China’s continuing support for Iran.”

“China has become the only major buyer of Iranian oil, despite U.S. sanctions meant to stop the flows, providing billions of dollars for Tehran this year. Chinese front companies help launder the funds, while Chinese banks route the transactions through the country’s financial plumbing, using China’s currency, to evade U.S. oversight.”

“On the battlefield, satellite imagery procured from Chinese entities has been linked by U.S. officials to an Iranian strike that killed three American troops… Chinese companies have also helped provide chemical precursors used to manufacture the types of ballistic missiles used in the attack.”

Timothy Mellon Pulls Back From Senate Republicans

September 23, 2026 at 9:05 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“One of the Republican Party’s biggest donors has sharply reduced his giving ahead of the midterm elections, especially to Senate Republicans, a decision driven largely by the party’s failure to pass a far-reaching bill of voting restrictions,” the New York Times reports.

“The donor, Timothy Mellon, a reclusive Wyoming billionaire who is a grandson of the Gilded Age industrialist Andrew Mellon, gave nearly $200 million to support President Trump and other Republicans in the 2024 election. Only Elon Musk donated more.”

“Two years later, Mr. Mellon has given just $3 million or so in publicly disclosed donations to Republican candidates or groups.”

Mary Peltola’s Campaign Is Rocked by Tumult

September 23, 2026 at 9:04 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“National Democrats cheered when Mary Peltola, the former Alaska congresswoman, declared in January that she would run for the Senate,” the New York Times reports.

“Ms. Peltola, an Alaska Native who grew up fishing for salmon on the Kuskokwim River, was well-known and well-liked statewide, even by Republicans. Her party hailed her as one of its strongest prospects for ousting a Republican incumbent and winning control of the Senate.”

“But behind the scenes, her political operation has been marked by tumult, a pattern that stretches back to her time in Congress. Former aides describe angry and profane outbursts, sometimes directed at aides and sometimes expressed about others who had displeased her. In one instance, she shoved an aide… Another conflict led to a surprising staff shake-up on the eve of the primary election last month.”

Michigan Republicans Break with Trump

September 23, 2026 at 8:46 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“GOP candidates locked in crucial midterm races in Michigan are breaking with President Donald Trump on the war in Iran, AI and data centers — part of a broader trend as more Republicans across the country have started putting some distance between themselves and the president,” NBC News reports.

“But Michigan is particularly notable given that the Senate race there is one of the best pickup opportunities on the map for Republicans, and the state remains a critical presidential battleground and national bellwether looking ahead to 2028.”

Trump Aides Seek to Jump Start Diplomacy with Iran

September 23, 2026 at 8:45 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that U.S. negotiators had tried to jump start diplomacy with Iran on its nuclear program through talks on the side of a United Nations summit the previous day,” the New York Times reports.

“The flurry of diplomacy came as Iran’s partners, the Houthis, pressed forward with their offensive in the region, as a second front widened in a conflict that began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February.”

John Thune Plans Another Leader Bid

September 23, 2026 at 7:54 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to run for another term as GOP leader, even if Republicans lose the chamber’s majority,” Axios reports.

“Thune is giving his senators broad leeway and tons of cash to preserve GOP control of the Senate.”

Said Thune: “I do see the Senate as a firewall in a lot of ways.”

Jet Fumes Just Aren’t Hitting

September 23, 2026 at 7:42 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Jet fumes aren’t taking over in the Senate. Some vulnerable Republicans are more eager to stay in Washington next week, a rare twist so close to election time,” Punchbowl News reports.

“There was interest at the closed-door Senate GOP lunch this afternoon in returning and voting on the Ratepayer Protection Act, which has already passed the House. GOP senators in competitive races are anxious to take some votes they believe could help back home — after spending most of the September work period on a college sports bill.”

“There’s particular GOP interest in addressing data centers, an increasingly hot issue on the campaign trail.”

Said Senate Majority Leader John Thune: “I’d say right now, still odds are we plan on being here next week, and I’d say that still looks like the case.”

Xi Gets Rare Tarmac Welcome by Trump

September 23, 2026 at 7:17 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Trump greeted Xi at Joint Base Andrews, a break from protocol that gives Beijing a powerful visual opportunity to present China as an equal peer to the U.S,” Bloomberg reports.

ABC News: Trump rolls out the red carpet for China’s Xi.

Trump Behind On Pledge to Visit 35 Battlegrounds

September 23, 2026 at 7:09 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

National Journal: “With 41 days left until the midterm elections, Trump has made 12 campaign stops in 2026, compared to the 17 he had made by this time in the 2018 midterm cycle.”

“There’s evidence to suggest that some battleground Republicans might not want Trump in their districts.”

Judge Dismisses Trump’s Lawsuit Against Iowa Newspaper

September 23, 2026 at 7:05 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A judge on Wednesday dismissed Donald Trump’s lawsuit accusing The Des Moines Register and its former pollster of misrepresenting the state of the 2024 presidential race, rejecting the president’s claim that the newspaper’s poll coverage violated Iowa’s consumer fraud law,” the Associated Press reports.

Kansas Becomes the Latest Headache for Republicans

September 23, 2026 at 6:16 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Adam Hamilton is asking Kansans to take a leap of faith and do something that hasn’t been done in 94 years: send a Democrat to the U.S. Senate,” CNN reports.

“He’s captured the attention of Republicans, becoming the latest headache in their quest to maintain their Senate majority.”

The Source Behind the Ban

September 23, 2026 at 5:43 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Oliver Darcy: “On Tuesday, after Donald Trump banned Politico from the White House alongside CNN and MS NOW, the White House press office dispatched a letter to the Rosslyn-based news organization attempting to justify the president’s actions…”

“The White House singled out six stories published by Politico, including a June 2026 article that cited a ‘senior administration official’ who put the odds of the U.S. striking a deal with Iran to end the war at between 80 and 85 percent. That senior administration official was none other than Vice President JD Vance.”

“Indeed, Vance not only briefed Politico on the state of the Iran deal talks, but spoke to a group of reporters from several news organizations. In exchange for the information, those outlets agreed to grant Vance anonymity.”

Judge Skeptical of Trump’s Ban On News Outlets

September 23, 2026 at 5:41 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A federal judge on Wednesday signaled he is skeptical of President Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds, saying in a hearing that the outlets were not given due process before their access was cut off,” CBS News reports.

Deadline: Judge says he’ll rule “as soon as I can” on Trump’s ban on CNN, Politico and MS NOW.

Republicans Are Acting Like the Polls Are Right

September 23, 2026 at 5:32 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

There’s always a chance the polls are missing something.

Democrats know this all too well from the 2016 and 2024 presidential campaigns. 

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Trump Ties Hurt GOP Senate Candidates

September 23, 2026 at 5:14 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Republican Senate candidates in Georgia and North Carolina are struggling to create enough distance from Donald Trump to boost their prospects in the November midterm elections, as polls show rising voter frustration over the president’s inability to lower the cost-of-living,” Bloomberg reports.

“While an increasing number of Republicans across the country, including in several tight Senate races, are moving to distance themselves from the president less than six weeks before Election Day, that’s not an option all vulnerable GOP candidates can take.”

“North Carolina’s Michael Whatley and Georgia Representative Mike Collins are high on that list, with polls showing the two candidates consistently trailing their Democratic rivals. Yet they don’t have much of a choice but to align themself with the president because they are known essentially for one thing: their ties to Trump.”

The Guardian: Republican jitters grow as unpopular Trump fuels midterm “bloodbath” fears.

Democrats Hold Solid Lead On Generic Ballot

September 23, 2026 at 4:56 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Echelon Insights poll finds Democrats leading Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, 51% to 43%.

Generic Congressional Ballot
Democrats 51%
 
Republicans 43%
 
Echelon Insights poll · likely voters · ±3.6%
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About Political Wire

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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