Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) “is poised to walk away from seniority, the Senate and Washington,” Politico reports.
“He’s frustrated with Congress, yes, but also Joe Biden’s selfishness, what Donald Trump has done to both parties and the corrosive impact of social media on politics, the media and even the once-presumed idea of shared facts. Bennet is almost certain to run for governor in his adopted state.”
Former Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) said he’s “seriously considering” a 2026 Senate campaign against incumbent John Cornyn, or the winner of what’s expected to be a bruising GOP primary, the Dallas Morning News reports.
Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) is telling his colleagues that he’ll announce his campaign for New Hampshire’s open Senate seat early next month, Axios reports.
Politico: “Even as ticket-splitting rates have plummeted, Collins has stymied all previous Democratic attempts to oust her from her Maine Senate seat and she remains the only Republican senator left standing in a state that Donald Trump lost in 2024. A rare GOP moderate, she frequently crosses party lines, voting to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial and against confirming his Defense secretary four years later.”
“That has made her unpopular with some Trump voters, but Collins’ path has always been to make up for her weakness on her right flank by bringing in an impressive number of moderate Democrats and cleaning up with independents. In the midterms, Democrats are hoping she’s become so unpalatable that her coalition collapses.”
Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) said she has decided against a run for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2026, saying she plans to run for a third term in the House instead, the Detroit News reports.
TikTok star Katherine Abughazaleh (D), who is just 26 years old, entered the race for a safe Democratic seat in Congress.
Asks Abughazaleh, in her launch video: “What if we didn’t suck?”
Abughazaleh only moved to Illinois last year, but she doesn’t think Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), who is 80 years old, is representing her district well.
“David Jolly, the former representative whose sharp disagreements with President Donald Trump led him to leave the Republican Party, is considering running for governor of Florida,” Politico reports.
“Jolly is weighing whether to enter the race as a Democrat despite Republicans building a formidable advantage in the once-swing state under Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis.”
“Democratic members of Congress, back home in their districts for the last week, have been encountering a level of anger and hostility that some see as reminiscent of the 2010 Tea Party wave,” Axios reports.
“The dynamic could spill over into 2026 primaries, with the infuriated grassroots attempting to throw out House and Senate Democrats they see as unprepared to take on Trump.”
Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis made clear she is considering hopping in the race to succeed her husband, two-term Gov. Ron DeSantis, who will leave the governorship in January 2027, National Review reports.
Said the governor: “My view is just like, you know, she’d be great whatever she does, but I’ve been the most conservative governor in America. I’ve delivered the most conservative results, and they could say she would be as conservative or more conservative than me. So there you go.”
“President Donald Trump has threatened to take down Rep. Thomas Massie before. Now he’s trying again, at the peak of his power in the GOP — and might even succeed this time,” Semafor reports.
“It all depends on how much effort Trump and his allies want to put into finding a worthy opponent for the Kentucky Republican congressman — and whether it’s worth the effort ahead of a 2026 midterm campaign that will surely threaten Republicans’ control of the House.”
Punchbowl News: “Republicans currently hold an extremely slender three-seat majority in the House. Democrats are seen as favorites to win back control of the chamber, given the historical trends that normally favor the party out of power.”
“But let’s be clear: 2026 is unlikely to be a rerun of the 2018 anti-Donald Trump blue wave. House Democrats picked up a whopping 41 seats that year, propelling Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) back into the speaker’s chair.”
“Consider that in 2016, 23 House Republicans won in districts that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also carried. This batch of vulnerable GOP incumbents paved the way for major Democratic gains two years later.”
“But in 2024, just three House Republicans won in seats that Vice President Kamala Harris carried. As polarization and redistricting have whittled down the number of competitive House seats, wave elections become less likely.”
For members: No Indications of a Blue Wave Yet
“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political operation is making calls urging state lobbyists not to support Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), whose 2026 bid for governor has already socked away more than $3 million — much of which has come from President Donald Trump’s donors,” NBC News reports.
“Democrats are slamming vulnerable Republicans for avoiding town halls — launching a billboard campaign and scheduling their own Q&As in competitive districts,” Axios reports.
“It’s a town hall war, with both parties accusing the other of being afraid of their voters.”
“The DNC is targeting nine of the most vulnerable House Republicans with a billboard campaign launching Wednesday — as they prepare to hold their own town halls featuring top Democrats in the same competitive districts.”
“Get ready for a blockbuster primary between Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in 2026,” Punchbowl News reports.
During a wide-ranging interview, Paxton “gave the clearest signs yet that he’s planning to challenge Cornyn in what could be one of the most expensive Senate primaries in history.”
Said Paxton: “I think I can win if I have $20 million. I’ve run these primaries in Texas before. I honestly don’t see how he overcomes his numbers.”
“Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will return to a Wisconsin battleground House district next week as part of a multi-state tour to highlight Republicans who have stopped holding in-person town halls following backlash over the Trump administration’s government cuts,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“The former 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee plans to hold a town hall-style event Tuesday in Eau Claire. It will be in western Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District — the state’s tightest battleground seat held by Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who like others in his party has declined to hold in-person constituent town halls after GOP leadership advised against them.”
Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) is keeping the door open to a possible Republican run next year in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D), Fox News reports.
Said Sununu: “I’m not saying it’s a high probability. Can’t wait to jump in. Definitely not.”
“Ambitious Illinois Democrats are dreaming about Sen. Dick Durbin’s exit in 2026. The latest contender: the state’s lieutenant governor,” Politico reports.
“Juliana Stratton, who first took office in 2019, is quietly positioning herself for a Senate bid if Durbin bows out, calling key Democratic figures to ask for support.”
“And she and her staff have said that she’s already secured the support of Gov. JB Pritzker… She and her team have made clear she expects Pritzker to be heavily involved financially.”
Elon Musk already has a starring role in Democratic ads, Punchbowl News reports.
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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