McConnell’s absence puts Trump agenda at risk as Kentucky succession questions grow
A deadline that could have determined Sen. Mitch McConnell’s future in the Senate has come and gone as the timeline for the Kentucky Republican’s return remains in the air. Speculation swirled over Aug. 3 and its ramifications for McConnell’s winnowing tenure in the Senate, given that he’s been absent from the public eye since early June and is slated to retire at the end of this year. Armchair election quarterbacks suggested that Monday was the day for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, to have called a special election to replace McConnell. MCCONNELL OUT OF HOSPITAL, STILL NOT ‘MEDICALLY CLEARED’ TO RETURN TO SENATE But the longtime Republican has not vacated his seat, and Beshear contended that the obscure deadline had no real legal teeth. “I know there are a lot of folks wondering about the significance of August 3 regarding a potential Senate vacancy,” Beshear said on X. “I want everyone to know that this date has no legal impact on my options should there be a vacancy this year.” Still, Kentucky’s Senate succession law has undergone major changes in recent years. Should the Bluegrass State suddenly have a vacant seat in the upper chamber, Beshear wouldn’t be allowed to appoint a replacement as is the case in other states — this was most recently put to the test when Sen. Lindsey Graham suddenly died in South Carolina. COLLINS DROPS THE HAMMER ON TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD DOJ, JEOPARDIZING PATH TO CONFIRMATION That means if McConnell’s seat were to become vacant, Beshear would be required to call a special election to fill his remaining time in the Senate. When asked for comment on the matter, McConnell’s office directed Fox News Digital to the last statement from the senator, released on July 27, that detailed under doctors’ orders that he was not “medically cleared” to return to the Senate quite yet. “I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders,” McConnell said. Despite the acknowledgment that Monday meant little legally when it came to replacing McConnell, Beshear noted that his absence is hindering current and future agenda items for the Trump administration. “Worth a reminder: Right now, there’s one less vote for the SAVE Act, Trump’s war with Iran, or the potential replacement of a SCOTUS justice,” he said. TRUMP KEEPS CALLING THUNE DESPITE PUBLIC FIGHT OVER SAVE AMERICA ACT And the Senate is chugging along without the longest-serving Republican leader in history. However, his missing dozens of votes hasn’t necessarily stopped legislation so far. But during the dizzying sprint to wrap up work ahead of a scheduled break during August, his vote could count more than ever. There are three Republicans who are on the fence about Blanche, too. Notably, President Donald Trump’s nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is hanging by a thread, in part, because McConnell is not there. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, announced her intention to vote against him, leaving Republicans with only one vote to spare before his path to leading the Department of Justice closes. “I don’t know what those individuals are going to do, and I just… Mitch is still out,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital. “But I think he’ll be confirmed. And we’ve got a lot of work to do this week.”
DSA-backed candidate topples millionaire Dem incumbent
Donavan McKinney, a congressional candidate backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, won his Democratic primary on Wednesday morning, unseating incumbent Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich. From primary candidates in New York like socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier and her victory over incumbent Rep. Adriano Espillat, D-N.Y., the veteran chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, to Melat Kiros, another socialist in Colorado, unseating 30-year incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., DSA-backed candidates have expanded their influence over the party. BERNIE SANDERS, DSA REVEAL DEMANDS FOR DEM PARTY AFTER SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK ELECTIONS They’ve even enjoyed victories over other progressives — like Thanedar. Thanedar, while still a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has broken with the DSA on a few critical areas. Most notably, Thanedar broke off his own membership with the DSA in October 2023 over his support for Israel. “I can no longer associate with an organization unwilling to call out terrorism in all its forms. Sunday’s hate-filled and antisemitic rally in New York City, promoted by the NYC-DSA, makes it impossible for me to continue my affiliation. I stand with Israel and its right to defend itself,” Thanedar wrote in a statement after the Oct. 7 terror attacks that left 1,200 Israelis dead. Right before the Fourth of July, Rep. Thanedar also said he agreed with U.S. exceptionalism when asked whether he was proud to be an American. FORMER BERNIE SANDERS OFFICIAL ACCUSES SENATOR OF PUSHING MOST ANTISEMITIC CANDIDATES ‘IN A GENERATION’ “This is a great country. You know, we are a country of immigrants. Immigrants have contributed so much to our country, and you know this is the greatest country on earth. I am so proud to call myself an American citizen, although there are some concerns with the new administration,” Thanedar said. McKinney, for his own part, has listed affordability, environmental and climate justice, and getting money out of politics as among his top priorities. During his campaign, he targeted Thanedar’s personal wealth, arguing the businessman wasn’t representative of his district’s lived experience. Thanedar bought a small chemical analysis lab in 1991 for $75,000, grew it into a multimillion-dollar business with multiple acquisitions, later founding and then selling Avomeen Analytical Services, a chemical testing company. “We deserve a Democratic Party that leads the fight against the billionaires that are robbing us blind. That stands up to corporate PACs. Our country and our children can afford nothing less,” McKinney said in a campaign video. DEMS CLASH OVER AIPAC MONEY, ‘OGRE’ ATTACK AND ELECTABILITY DURING CRUCIAL SENATE DEBATE “People like our congressman, Shri Thanedar, are the problem. A multimillionaire who spent millions to buy a seat in Congress, who has more in common with Donald Trump and Elon Musk than people like us.” Having captured the Democratic nomination, McKinney will go on to the general election on Nov. 3.
Republicans get the Democrat they wanted as socialist Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate primary
After a grueling, messy campaign, a far-left progressive has taken on the Democratic establishment and won. Abdul El-Sayed felled Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., to secure the Democratic nomination for Senate in what became one of the ugliest Democratic primary races in the country. El-Sayed will now face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who was uncontested in the GOP primary, in November. Big money, the Democratic old guard and attacks on El-Sayed’s Democratic Socialist leanings dominated the primary, and leave the last man standing on the Left bruised and battered heading into the showdown with Rogers. The face-off to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who backed Stevens, is a must-win contest for Democrats and one of roughly a dozen general election Senate races expected to determine whether Republicans retain their narrow majority. DEM PRIMARY ERUPTS AS ESTABLISHMENT FAVORITE DISMISSES RIVAL AS ‘CELEBRITY CANDIDATE’ “Michigan… We won. I am so proud to be your Democratic nominee for US Senate. Let’s win in November,” El Sayed wrote in a social media post Wednesday morning, as he declared victory. A couple of hours later, after the race was called, Stevens conceded: “I love Michigan and am so proud to have put up my hand to serve. I spoke with Abdul a few moments ago to offer him my full support as we work to defeat Mike Rogers this November.” At a news conference, El-Sayed preached unity. “To my colleague and friend, Congresswoman Haley Stevens. We shared a great conversation this morning, and I know that it was a bitter end to this very long primary,” he said. “But I also know that Haley brings, the best of herself to her work. She is one of the most committed public servants that you’ll ever meet. she loves democracy. Like, I love democracy and whatever differences that we might have had in the primary, they pale in comparison to what unifies us.” And as a Senate Republican-aligned group instantly fired up an attack ad on El-Sayed using old controversial comments, he took aim at Rogers. “As bitter and as divisive and as cynical as the campaign against us might have been, I want us to realize that there is so much more that unites us now, because the campaign that Mike Rogers and Donald Trump and their GOP MAGA allies are launching is already more bitter,” he argued. “All you got to do is look at the ads you’re already watching on TV that started today. You know, they think they want to use my whole name against me. Mike. Listen, man, if you can’t say the name, it’s Abdulrahman. Keep the name out of your damn mouth.” But even before Primary Day, El-Sayed was already looking ahead to his battle with Rogers, and hoping to curry favor with Stevens’ voters in the process. “I think we all understand the risk of Donald Trump. We all understand the risk of Mike Rogers,” El-Sayed told Fox News Digital. “This is a guy who is not going to stand up and take on the war machine. He’s not going to stand up and take on Big Pharma. He’s not going to stand up and take on big tech.” “He is going to do the bidding of large corporations,” he continued. “I think everybody understands what the stakes are. So I’m looking forward to welcoming everybody who might have voted differently in the primary.” SWING-STATE POLL SPELLS TROUBLE FOR FAR LEFT AS SCHUMER-BACKED CANDIDATE DOMINATES WITH CRITICAL VOTING BLOCS El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and a former Wayne County health director who unsuccessfully ran for governor as an insurgent candidate in 2018, would become the nation’s first Muslim senator if elected. He has made support for “Medicare for All” a major component of his campaign. He has also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and has been a vocal critic of Israel during its war against Hamas, characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” against Palestinians. More than $80 million was spent on the primary, making it the most expensive Democratic Senate nomination contest in history. Much of the money came from outside groups supporting Stevens or opposing El-Sayed. The largest spender was United Democracy Project, a political action committee aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which is best known by its acronym AIPAC. “We all knew that they were going to spend their money. We didn’t know they were going to spend $70 million of their money. We didn’t know that they were going to outspend us $11 to $1. And yet we’re still standing,” El-Sayed highlighted in his speech. El-Sayed urged party unity and took aim at former Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate nominee. Stevens also targeted Rogers during her primary night speech. “Whoever wins is going to go and take on Mike Rogers. Republicans are going to do everything they can to throw all the dirt, all the mud, the kitchen sink at us because they want to keep the U.S. Senate red, so Mike Rogers can keep rubber-stamping Donald Trump’s ridiculous agenda,” she argued. Of the two candidates, Republicans wanted El-Sayed, and old-guard Democrats feared his victory the most. The GOP is leaning into the bloody primary, too, hoping that the battle damage will have staying power in the weeks ahead until November. “Not only is Rogers a battle-tested candidate who has coalesced the support of Michigan’s entire GOP ecosystem, but he will also be the beneficiary of Democrats’ dysfunction come November,” a Republican operative told Fox News Digital. “Abdul El-Sayed has emerged from this cycle’s Democratic primary more damaged than ever and susceptible to more onslaughts of criticism from within their own party.” His surge in the polls sent Democrats scrambling to back Stevens, forcing Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Peters off the sidelines. Peters told Fox News Digital that Stevens was a proven winner who had previously flipped a red district to blue, and that ultimately, the main goal was recapturing control of the Senate. “But it doesn’t happen
Fetterman gives Dems a stinging reality check as Mao-praising communists seize the spotlight
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman railed against the growing influence of socialists and communists in the Democratic Party on Tuesday, warning that figures such as socialist streamer Hasan Piker are pulling the party toward a more radical future. “I would never try to elevate … a communist just because [Piker] has followers on some, on Twitch, whatever that is. But overall, if you identify with a communist who praises Mao and Cuba and for these places, that should be foreign to any Democrat. Without a doubt, that’s having an impact,” Fetterman told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the Israel on Campus Coalition conference Tuesday. Piker has emerged as an influential voice on the Democratic left, backing socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and campaigning alongside Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as left-wing candidates court his millions of online followers. Piker has openly praised Mao Zedong and carried water for Cuba’s communist regime, blaming America for the island’s suffering. Speaking with Fox News Digital after addressing the Israel on Campus Coalition’s National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Fetterman said the direction of his party has become “troubling” and pointed to Tuesday’s primaries as the latest test of whether Democrats will continue embracing candidates aligned with the party’s progressive flank. JOHN FETTERMAN MAKES IT ‘VERY CLEAR’ THAT HE’S ‘NOT GOING TO BE A REPUBLICAN’ DESPITE DEM BACKLASH Democratic establishment candidates notched several victories in Tuesday night’s primaries, including Rep. Wesley Bell’s defeat of DSA-backed former Rep. Cori Bush’s comeback bid in Missouri. The high-stakes Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, however, remained too close to call early Wednesday, with Abdul El-Sayed, who has drawn support from prominent socialists, facing the more moderate Rep. Haley Stevens. “I see the midterms right now that the more radical, the more anti-Israel, and the people have turned Israel as to the ultimate litmus … When you have Gov. Newsom describing Israel as an apartheid state. He knows better, that that’s not true,” said Fetterman. The Pennsylvania Democrat continued that it should be “pretty obvious” that the party should not “pander to the fringe.” “Those are core values. … Like I said, you just can’t pander to those kinds of people,” he added. President Donald Trump issued his own warning earlier this summer, arguing that the Democratic Party had moved far beyond socialism. “These are not social Democrats,” Trump said in June following socialists notching primary wins in New York. “These are hardcore, godless communists. They’re godless communists. All communists are godless. They don’t believe in God. This is the most serious threat to our country since its existence. In my opinion, 250 years ago. This is a major threat to our country.” FETTERMAN CALLS ZOHRAN MAMDANI A ‘CLOWN’ OVER PUSH TO ARREST NETANYAHU IN NEW YORK CITY When asked by a reporter late Tuesday night what it would mean if more socialists prevailed in primary races, Trump said the Democratic Party is a “mess.” “I think they should form another party, the communist of America party. I think they should have a new party, the communists of America, and it will do well, it’ll get about 10% of the vote,” Trump said. Fetterman spoke at the Israel on Campus Coalition’s flagship event, which brought more than 800 pro-Israel students to Washington for advocacy training, networking and discussions on supporting Israel, combating antisemitism and strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship on college campuses. Fetterman said the shift in the Democratic Party is evident in how even pro-Israel Democrats now feel pressure to qualify their support for the Jewish state. “The left is using the term of Zionist as like a slur or use Zio or Zio, or describing that as someone that in the negative terms,” Fetterman said. “In other words, being proud, pro-Israel, that’s become a slur, and people have to defend that.” TRUMP WARNS ‘GODLESS COMMUNISTS’ WILL TURN CITIES INTO SLUMS AS DEMS FAIL TO FIGHT SOCIALIST SURGE Fetterman also pointed to Iran as another defining fault line within the Democratic Party, defending the Trump administration’s strikes on the country’s nuclear facilities and highlighting his break with most Senate Democrats over presidential war powers. “I think I was the only Democrat to support the Trump administration to bomb the Iranian nuclear facilities,” said Fetterman. “If you don’t want them to acquire a nuclear bomb, it’s pretty reasonable to bomb their nuclear facilities, they want to build one. And overall, the Iranian war, I’ve remained the only Democrat to vote against the War Power[s] Act.” “I would say that for almost half a century, every American president had been trying to address the problem with Iran. The problem is Iran. That’s the problem,” he added.
Grocer-turned-lawmaker says Mamdani’s government-run stores ‘might not even last a year’
A former grocer is joining the chorus of criticism against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan for government-run grocery stores, arguing it would harm hundreds of small businesses forced to compete with them. “That supermarket will just bleed red the entire time it’s open, from the first time you turn the key until it closes,” Rep. Mike Rulli, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital. “And I would bet the farm there’s no way these grocery stores last more than five years — they might not even last a year.” Rulli grew up with his family’s Ohio-based grocery store chain, Rulli Brothers, which is now run by his brothers. EXPERTS SCORCH MAMDANI’S GROCERY PLAN AS AN ‘ILLUSION’ THAT WILL HAVE TAXPAYERS FOOTING THE BILL Rulli said his family’s small but thriving two-location business has given him an appreciation for the challenges facing small business owners in New York City, whom he argued would be harmed by competition from Mamdani’s city-run stores. “You will put hundreds of these small businesses out of business. And a lot of these businesses are owned by immigrants,” Rulli said. “So I mean, I don’t think the mayor could possibly have asked for a worse situation.” NY GOVERNOR HOPEFUL VOWS SHOWDOWN WITH MAMDANI OVER SOCIALIST AGENDA: ‘I WILL STOP HIM’ Mamdani, the Democratic socialist mayor of New York City, unveiled a plan for government-funded grocery stores while on the campaign trail. The city has since committed $70 million to constructing one store in each of the five boroughs, with an aim to open all five by 2030. Mamdani discussed the agreement during a recent news conference, saying, “Once a month, our five city-run grocery stores will set prices for this core set of goods at 30% below typical retail prices.” MAMDANI’S CITY GROCERY PLAN COULD LEAVE TAXPAYERS PAYING FOR EVERY BANANA While the plan has been cheered by progressives, it has been panned by business groups such as the Multicultural Business Coalition, which the New York Post reported was threatening to sue Mamdani. Rulli, noting that grocery stores already operate on thin profit margins, said Mamdani’s government shops will likely be “operating at a loss the entire time.” “When you think about the grocery industry, [it] runs on about 27% gross. That’s before you pay your bills. Once you pay your bills, you’re about one-and-a-quarter, one-and-half-percent net,” he said. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER That, he argued, would make it a drain on taxpayers as long as they remained open. “This is the biggest mistake the mayor has made,” Rulli said.
Sunrise Movement co-founder defeats establishment-backed Dems in pivotal Michigan race
The far-left insurgency within the Democratic Party scored another victory on Tuesday night, with a co-founder of the progressive Sunrise Movement trouncing two establishment-backed Democrats in a contentious Michigan primary. William Lawrence defeated former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam to win the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, anchored in Lansing. Lawrence will now go on to face Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., a military veteran who is seeking a second term in Congress this November. DEMOCRATS’ CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN, WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN Barrett ran unopposed in the Republican primary after winning the seat in an open race in 2024. It was previously held by Democrat Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who vacated it when she successfully ran for Senate that year. Lawrence’s victory is a commanding win in the wider civil war for the soul of the Democratic Party, with battles being waged across the country. Mike Marinella, spokesman for House Republicans’ campaign arm the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), told Fox News Digital after Lawrence’s victory, “The Democrats’ path to the House majority is evaporating in real time. Every embarrassing defeat leaves them with a radical socialist nominee, an emptier bank account, and another must-win seat off the board.” BERNIE SANDERS, DSA REVEAL DEMANDS FOR DEM PARTY AFTER SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK ELECTIONS The establishment left’s main opponent has been the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which has not endorsed a candidate in this race. But Lawrence does have backing from Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., his fellow Michigan Democrat and a prominent DSA member who’s stirred controversy for her comments about Israel. He was also endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a self-described democratic socialist. The Sunrise Movement, which Lawrence co-founded in 2017, began as a youth-focused climate activist group that pushed the Green New Deal alongside progressives in Congress. HOUSE PROGRESSIVES REVIVE GREEN NEW DEAL FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS DEM CIVIL WAR EMPOWERS FAR LEFT Since then, its non-climate policy platform has included calls to get Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) out of U.S. cities and abolishing police, according to its website. Lawrence’s victory is likely the best outcome for Republicans, who are fighting a nationwide uphill battle to keep control of the House of Representatives.
Trump-backed Republican advances to face vulnerable Democrat in key House battleground
Republicans just took a major step forward in their goal to keep the House majority this November. A GOP hopeful backed by President Donald Trump advanced in a jungle primary for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District alongside Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., and the two will now face each other in this fall’s general election. A jungle primary is a race that’s not separated by political party, but rather has all candidates compete on one ballot. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election. 100 DAY SPRINT TO THE MIDTERMS KICKS OFF AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS CLASH FOR CONTROL ACROSS THE COUNTRY In this case, Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican state Sen. John Braun are the two winners who will now compete for the former’s seat in the House of Representatives. For Gluesenkamp Perez, that meant surviving challenges from her left flank. Among her opponents was Brent Hennrich, a progressive politician who ran on policies like taxing the rich and Medicare for All. He accused the moderate Democrat of siding too often with Republicans at the expense of the left’s agenda, including on his campaign website, where he highlighted all the times she voted with the GOP. DSA MEMBER LEADS DEM PRIMARY IN MIDWEST BATTLEGROUND BUT TRAILS LIKELY GOP NOMINEE: POLL But Gluesenkamp Perez, who is seeking a third term, is likely Democrats’ best chance to keep hold of that swing district in Southwest Washington state. And the race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive House elections in the country with Braun’s victory as well. Unlike former Trump administration official Joe Kent, whose association with far-right groups made him a controversial figure in a general election, Braun is a much more mainstream GOP figure. TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN Kent ran and lost against Gluesenkamp Perez twice before serving as Trump’s director of the National Counterterrorism Center from 2025 until earlier this year. Braun is a former Navy captain and businessman who is running on a pledge to stop reckless spending by the federal government. He’s currently serving as minority leader of the Washington State Senate. In an April 2026 Truth Social post, Trump said Braun “will work hard to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Great Military/Veterans, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”
El-Sayed’s socialist allies reject GOP claims about Dems embracing the far left
As Republicans seek to portray Democratic primary victories by progressives as evidence the party is moving sharply left, allies of Abdul El-Sayed argued Tuesday that voters are instead demanding an economic message centered on working families, not ideology. Asked what an El-Sayed victory would say about the progressive movement, Melat Kiros said the campaign is not about ideology but about challenging the political establishment. “This isn’t a movement about the left and the right. It’s a movement of the people against the people in power, the ones that have left working people behind and making sure that we are electing folks that are not corrupted by the billionaires and the corporations that want to keep the status quo,” Kiros told Fox News Digital. 100 DAY SPRINT TO THE MIDTERMS KICKS OFF AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS CLASH FOR CONTROL ACROSS THE COUNTRY “We’re electing fighters that are actually going to get relief for working families,” she added. El-Sayed’s potential has reignited debate over the Democratic Party’s direction heading into the 2026 midterm elections, with progressives arguing recent primary results reflect voters’ appetite for change while Republicans have sought to paint the victories as evidence the party is embracing the far left. The debate unfolded at El-Sayed’s election night watch party, where left-wing political streamer Hasan Piker — who campaigned with El-Sayed on the eve of the primary and has drawn criticism over past remarks — was also in attendance. 2026 MIDTERMS: PRIMARIES, KEY RACES AND ELECTION RESULTS Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb rejected the premise that El-Sayed’s success reflects a leftward shift within the Democratic Party, saying, “I don’t really see left and right. I see forward.” Rabb described the movement as a “progressive populist message” that resonates beyond Democratic strongholds and argued voters across the political spectrum care about issues such as health care and higher wages. “That’s not a left issue, that is a humane issue that resonates with people in deep red districts as well,” he said. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Rabb also brushed aside concerns that progressive victories hand Republicans ammunition to portray Democrats as embracing far-left politics. Asked whether recent wins allow Republicans to label Democrats as “communists,” Rabb said he was unconcerned with the GOP’s messaging strategy. “I believe the GOP has the ability to manufacture any critiques for their own political benefit,” he said. “As long as Democrats are winning, whether centrist or leftist, whomever, there’s always going to be a playbook to be negative.” Rather than responding to Republican attacks, Rabb said Democrats should focus on presenting their own agenda to voters. “I’m not really concerned about what the Republican playbook is,” he said. “I’m interested in what our playbook is to reach a populace that is yearning for transformative change.”
Dems rally around best hope to defend governor’s mansion from GOP takeover
Democrats are hoping their new candidate will be able to keep the governor’s mansion Democrat in deep red Kansas as they put up Cindy Holscher to face the Republican nominee Ty Masterson in the Nov. 3 general election. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is term-limited, and the party is hoping to extend their hold on the governor’s office despite Kansas’ strong Republican lean. Meanwhile, the GOP views the open-seat race as a prime opportunity to reclaim the governorship after two terms under Kelly. The Democratic field featured state Sens. Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher, along with Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog. 2026 MIDTERMS: PRIMARIES, KEY RACES AND ELECTION RESULTS On the Republican side, voters had a crowded field from which to select their candidates. Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Senate President Ty Masterson, Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, former Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara, businessman Nick Reinecker, businessman Philip Sarnecki and former Johnson County Sheriff Stacy Rogers duked it out for the nomination. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The primary in the Sunflower State coincided with a closely watched constitutional amendment that would replace the current system of appointing Kansas Supreme Court justices by instead holding direct elections. The proposal, backed by Republican lawmakers, comes after years of criticism from conservatives over the state’s judicial selection process. If approved, it would amend the Kansas Constitution to require Supreme Court justices to be elected rather than selected through the state’s nominating commission system. The winner of November’s election will become Kansas’ next governor after Kelly reaches her term limit in January. The governorship has frequently changed hands in recent election cycles, with voters alternating between Democratic and Republican leadership in Kansas despite it’s strong red tendencies, including voting 57 percent for President Donald Trump in 2024.
Trump-backed candidate lands GOP nod, setting up high-stakes governor showdown
President Donald Trump’s kingmaker status in Republican primaries was on the line Tuesday in Michigan’s GOP gubernatorial nomination showdown – and the president passed the test. Republican Rep. John James, a two-time U.S. Senate nominee in the crucial Great Lakes battleground state who was endorsed by Trump in late June, topped multimillionaire businessman Perry Johnson to win the GOP primary, the Associated Press reported. The West Point graduate and Army Ranger who served multiple combat tours as an Apache helicopter pilot in the Iraq war will face off in a high-stakes and expensive general election battle with two-term Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the Democrats’ gubernatorial nominee, in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB James preached party unity in his victory speech. “The primary is over now. We come together. One team, one fight, one mission to save Michigan. To those who supported me. Thank you. And for those who did not, I’m going to work every single day to earn your trust,” he told supporters. The GOP primary between James and Johnson, a former gubernatorial and presidential candidate, turned combative. Johnson, who is White, referred to James, one of the few Black Republicans in Congress, as a “DEI candidate” and in a recent debate accused James of playing the “race card.” James, meanwhile, called Johnson “desperate.” Johnson, who shelled out millions of his own money into his campaign, dramatically outspent James in the primary showdown. CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2026 RACES FOR GOVERNOR But James told Fox News on the eve of the primary that “nobody outworks a ranger,” and “money isn’t the only thing. People want someone who resonates with them, someone who has the proven leadership capability to turn the state around.” James and Johnson were the final two Republican candidates in a nomination race that previously included former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and state Senate Republican leader Aric Nesbitt. They both suspended their GOP gubernatorial campaigns, but their names remained on the primary ballot. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Trump gave James a boost last month as he campaigned with the congressman at a rally in Michigan. The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries this spring and summer, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Kentucky and Texas, as well as the Louisiana primary. But Trump’s endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped in early June when his last-minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory. Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump’s Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk. Trump-backed candidates won two of the three top races in key GOP primary runoff elections in Georgia and Alabama in June, with the one setback coming against billionaire businessman Rick Jackson, who shelled out over $100 million of his own money to boost his campaign. A week later, Trump-backed first-time candidate Anthony Constantino, a businessman and former boxer, defeated Robert Smullen, a retired Marine Corps colonel and New York assemblyman who had the backing of the state party, in the upstate New York race to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik. Meanwhile, in South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial runoff, Trump couldn’t lose. That’s because, besides backing Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette a few weeks earlier, he also gave a last-minute endorsement to state Attorney General Alan Wilson, who ended up winning the late June showdown in a landslide. The president also enjoyed victory in Louisiana, where Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial, was ousted as he sought renomination. Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow ended up winning the nomination in the runoff election. And last month, Trump-backed Rep. Andy Biggs, a former House Freedom Caucus chair, won Arizona’s primary for governor in a landslide.