Aaron Blake: “A series of polls in recent weeks have taken an early look at enthusiasm and motivation to vote ahead of the 2026 election, and Republicans are suffering from a real deficit.”

“The party has trailed significantly on such measures for months, as CNN polling has showed. But what’s particularly remarkable is how unenthused Republicans are, compared to other recent midterm elections — including those involving Trump.”

Bloomberg: “Political committees have already raised $4.7 billion for the November contests as ultra-wealthy donors look to shape the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency.”

Washington Post: “Democrats are increasingly optimistic about retaking the Senate in the midterm elections — an aspiration that appeared all but out of reach at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.”

“The political terrain heading into November remains forbidding for Democrats, who need to win races in at least five states that Trump carried in 2024 to recapture the Senate. But Trump’s crumbling approval ratings and the Iran war’s weight on the economy have given the party fresh hope less than six months from Election Day, even as big hurdles remain.”

A new Emerson College survey finds Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) starting his re-election bid with a five-point lead over challenger Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), leading 37% to 32%, with 29% of voters undecided.

“A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the U.S. Department of Justice does not have to return 2020 election ballots seized by FBI agents to Fulton County,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

Rick Hasen: “Although this ruling is a disappointment in that it allows the federal government to continue to hold on the ballots when the allegations in the search warrant were based on discredited conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, I do want to point to a part of footnote 26 that I consider very important in the event that the federal government tries to seize ballots in an election that is not already final and beyond a contestation period: ‘Importantly, the seizure at issue in this case did not interfere with the State’s ability to conduct the 2020 election or certify election results, nor have Petitioners shown that it will hinder the State’s ability to conduct future elections.'”

“These issues are key: it’s a much more serious matter if a federal seizure of materials would interfere with the state’s ability to conduct elections or certify election results.”