Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) said he won’t run to replace Gov. Doug Burgum (R) after the incumbent governor announced Monday he wouldn’t pursue a third term, Politico reports.
Said Cramer: “In the second six-year term, you probably like quadruple your influence. Seniority is probably more important.”
“When Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds staked out opposing positions on shutting down the government, they framed it as a fight over spending,” Politico reports.
“On ousting Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the two Florida Republicans disagreed over whether it was a referendum on McCarthy’s leadership or a distraction from urgent House business.”
“What they didn’t say is that the divergent views were also likely about the next campaign for governor of Florida.”
“Gaetz and Donalds are two of the most prominent Republicans expected to run to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2026, a distant contest that is already churning up political conflict at the state and national level. They have positioned themselves differently in Congress: both as stern conservatives, but with Gaetz as a rebellious gadfly and Donalds as a more conventional hard-liner, a dynamic that helped shape the shutdown fight.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who was acquitted last week in his historic impeachment trial in the state, took swipes at Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and kept the door open to a possible run for the senator’s seat in 2026, saying “everything’s on the table” at this point, The Hill reports.
“The idea that Rep. Matt Gaetz will run for Florida governor in 2026 has been the topic of several conversations in Tallahassee over the past few days, including during a reception Sunday night for the incoming speaker of the Florida House,” NBC News reports.
“Gaetz has long been considered on the shortlist of those who will try and seek the Republican nomination for governor, a field that is expected to be crowded because the incumbent, Ron DeSantis, will be facing term limits. DeSantis is currently running for president but would have two years remaining in the governor’s mansion if that run falls short.”
Said one GOP operative: “He’s 100 percent in. I think Gaetz is an instant frontrunner and from what I hear he’s already won the Trump primary.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) wouldn’t rule out challenging Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in a GOP primary for the U.S. Senate seat in 2026, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Said Greene: “I haven’t made up my mind whether I will do that or not. I have a lot of things to think about. Am I going to be a part of President Trump’s Cabinet if he wins? Is it possible that I’ll be VP?”
Greene called serving as Trump’s running mate “an honor” and something she would consider “very, very heavily.”
Doug Mastriano (R) “is in the very early days of another run for governor in 2026, which raises the prospect of a rematch with Gov. Josh Shapiro, who soundly defeated him last year,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) is considering a primary challenge to top Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Politico reports.
“Graham isn’t up for reelection until 2026. But after he was booed by his own constituents at a Trump rally in South Carolina earlier this month, conservatives who have long distrusted him feel they may have an opening to take him out.”
“Many on the right have long viewed Graham as a centrist who embraces conservative values only when it’s politically convenient. The more isolationist wing of the party has grumbled about his steadfast support of Ukraine. And Trump allies — even Trump’s own inner circle and family — have complained that he has been disloyal at times.”
“Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is in Washington this week meeting with Senate Republican leaders — and creating a little buzz for Georgia’s next Senate race,” Politico reports.
“There’s no Senate race in Georgia this cycle, but there is one in 2026 — which just so happens to be when Kemp’s gubernatorial term expires. Kemp won his reelection campaign in 2022 by 7 points. Sen. Jon Ossoff will be up for reelection in 2026.”
“California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis (D) on Monday launched her campaign to become the first woman governor of the nation’s most populous state, pushing out ahead of what’s expected to be a sprawling field in 2026,” Politico reports.
“Kounalakis will open a campaign committee for governor and immediately start raising money and building her nascent public profile for the distant election.”
Politico: “Several colleagues and those in Florida Republican circles anticipate Gaetz could run for governor of the Sunshine State in 2026 after Gov. Ron DeSantis leaves office. DeSantis is expected to run for the White House in 2024.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) “has filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to create Hardworking Americans Inc., a federal PAC that will allow the Republican to boost his national profile,” Axios reports.
“Kemp’s unique success defeating a Trump-backed opponent in a primary and a Democrat in a key battleground has made him something of a case study for Republicans. It’s also paved the way for speculation about his future national ambitions.”
“The new PAC could set Kemp up for a federal run, including for U.S. Senate. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) will be defending his seat in 2026, the same year Kemp’s gubernatorial term will end.”
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) “recently launched Spanish-language TV ads in his reelection campaign — an unexpected use of campaign resources given that he is sitting in one of this election season’s safest congressional districts in the state,” the Texas Tribune reports.
“Jackson, best known as the doctor to former President Donald Trump, launched the TV spots last week in a bid to introduce himself to Latino voters. While his rural, Panhandle district is predominantly white, his campaign says it is an effort to grow his appeal with an ascendant voting bloc statewide.”
Taegan Goddard
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.
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