Mark McKinnon: “Yes, Virginia, there may in fact be a blue wave in Texas this year.”

“I’ve been in Texas politics for most of my adult life. I worked for Governor Ann Richards, a Democrat. And I worked for Republican George W. Bush when he ran for the governor’s mansion—and the White House. I’ve witnessed the best of times and the worst of times for both parties.”

Elaine Godfrey: “You could be forgiven for ignoring the recent political goings-on in Iowa. The state, which was once a violet-hued hub of unpredictability, has lately elected and reelected Republicans.”

“In last night’s primaries, though, Iowa Democrats nominated the kind of candidates the national party has struggled to find. Josh Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist with a record of winning red areas, is the party’s nominee for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat. And Rob Sand, the affably idiosyncratic state auditor who didn’t have a challenger, is officially up for governor.”

“Which means that national Democrats and Republicans are now wrestling with a development that, until this week, had registered as little more than a quiet observation in the broadcast-standard English of farm country: Iowa is competitive again.”

Punchbowl News: “New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision to endorse against Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat is threatening Mamdani’s relationships with influential Latinos on Capitol Hill.”

“Last week, Mamdani threw his support behind democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Justice Democrats-backed challenger. The endorsement sent shockwaves throughout the New York congressional delegation and the CHC.”