David Drucker: “Fresh doubts about the Republican Party’s chances of winning Senate control in midterm elections are being fueled by a slate of first-time candidates struggling to find their footing against seasoned Democratic competition.”

“Initial projections suggested a red tidal wave might sweep Republicans to power in November, ousting Democrats from Georgia to Washington state and New Hampshire to Arizona. With Labor Day and the homestretch of the fall campaign approaching, the GOP is suddenly fighting to defend seats in red states like Ohio and swing states like Pennsylvania. The culprit? Candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump who were ill-prepared for the general election.”

Washington Post: “Since winning the primary in May with 44% of the vote — after snagging a last-minute endorsement from former president Donald Trump and surviving a late scramble to consolidate the vote against him — Mastriano has eschewed the typical path of reorienting his campaign toward the middle. Instead, he has held fast to the same issues that drove his rise after attending the Stop the Steal rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, and openly embracing Christian nationalism.”

“But many Republicans say Mastriano’s focus on base voters has made it hard for him to raise money and broaden his appeal, hurting the party’s chances in November. Mastriano’s latest campaign finance report showed less than $400,000 as of June, and the campaign hasn’t bought any airtime on local TV. He only grants interviews to friendly outlets such as right-wing talk radio and the podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon. The campaign did not respond to requests for comment for this article.”

“Many of the election deniers running for secretary of state this year have spent their time talking about something they can’t do: ‘decertifying’ the 2020 results,” Politico reports.

“The bigger question — amid concerns about whether they would fairly administer the 2024 presidential election — is exactly what powers they would have if they win in November.”

“Atop the list of the most disruptive things they could do is refusing to certify accurate election results — a nearly unprecedented step that would set off litigation in state and federal court. That has already played out on a smaller scale this year, when a small county in New Mexico refused to certify election results over unfounded fears about election machines, until a state court ordered them to certify.”

“Republicans remain the favorites to win control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, but Democrats, who for over a year have braced for large losses, are finishing the summer in a stronger position than where they started,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Public polling and recent election results are prompting Democrats, nonpartisan election observers and some Republicans to expect a more competitive battle this fall. Republicans need just a handful of seat pickups to take over the House, which Democrats currently control 220-211 with four vacancies.”

Politico: “Republicans poised for smaller gains in House, poll suggests.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) had to pull out of a fundraiser for New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin (R) because of an “unforeseen tragedy,” the New York Post reports.

Said a spokeswoman: “An unforeseen tragedy forced Governor DeSantis to reschedule his trip to New York. While we’re rescheduling with Governor DeSantis for a later date, tonight’s fundraiser will proceed and is expected to raise almost a million dollars.”