Europe’s $116B fighter jet ‘failure’ raises fresh doubts about ability to defend itself without US
Europe’s most ambitious effort to build a homegrown sixth-generation fighter jet has collapsed, dealing a major blow to the continent’s push for military independence just as NATO allies pledge historic increases in defense spending. France and Germany have abandoned the fighter jet portion of the Future Combat Air System project (FCAS), according to French and German officials — a roughly $116 billion project launched in 2017 to develop a next-generation combat aircraft intended to replace France’s Rafale fighter and Germany and Spain’s Eurofighter fleets by 2040. “The German authorities considered that it was not possible to put further pressure on the companies concerned,” the Élysée Palace, the office of French President Emmanuel Macron, said in a statement. The program was envisioned as Europe’s answer to future U.S. and Chinese airpower, combining a stealth fighter with advanced networking capabilities, artificial intelligence and accompanying drone aircraft. European leaders also viewed it as a cornerstone of the continent’s push for greater defense autonomy and a stronger domestic defense-industrial base. TRUMP PUSHED NATO TO SPEND BIG — NOW COMES THE HARDER QUESTION: CAN EUROPE ACTUALLY FIGHT? Concerns about the project’s viability had been building for months. Earlier in 2026, European Union Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius described the program as a “failure” and warned that Europe lacked successful examples of major multinational defense projects. Its collapse now raises fresh questions about whether Europe can translate promises of rearmament and strategic autonomy into the complex multinational weapons programs needed to compete with the United States and China. Sixth-generation fighters are expected to combine stealth technology, artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, networking systems and teams of accompanying drones. Military planners view them as the future of air combat and a key capability in potential conflicts involving major powers such as China or Russia. European leaders viewed the program as a test of whether Europe could develop cutting-edge military technology without relying on American defense contractors, making its collapse a setback for broader ambitions of defense self-sufficiency and strategic autonomy. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had publicly questioned whether Germany would even need a manned sixth-generation fighter by the time the aircraft entered service and argued that Berlin’s requirements differed from France’s, which wanted a future jet capable of carrying nuclear weapons and operating from aircraft carriers. The collapse comes at a pivotal moment for NATO, as alliance members have committed to sharply increase defense spending and expand military capabilities in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine and growing concerns about long-term European security. “It’s hardly ideal signalling either to Washington or to Moscow,” Douglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Reuters. PENTAGON SLASHES NATO COMBAT COMMITMENTS AS TRUMP PUSHES EUROPE TO DEFEND ITSELF The collapse underscored the depth of disagreements between the governments and industrial partners involved in the program. Macron’s office said France would continue pursuing European defense cooperation despite the setback. “The French authorities will continue to encourage our companies and armed forces to explore ways and means of pursuing ambitious European projects that are consistent with our national security interests,” it added. The fighter program’s collapse also is raising questions about the future of other major European defense initiatives. France and Germany have struggled to maintain momentum on the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), a next-generation tank project, while several other joint defense efforts have faced delays, restructuring or cancellation in recent years. Defense analysts say the Future Combat Air System failure is the latest example of Europe’s struggle to convert political commitments to military self-sufficiency into large-scale multinational defense programs, despite growing pressure to reduce reliance on U.S. military capabilities. German War Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin already is evaluating alternatives following the program’s collapse. “One is ordering more F-35s as a bridge solution or for whatever reason,” Pistorius told reporters Tuesday. Other options include joining another international fighter program already underway or pursuing a separate aircraft effort under German leadership with Airbus and other partners. Pistorius also offered a blunt assessment of the failed effort. “With what we know today, we would no longer launch this project in the way it was originally set up,” he said, describing FCAS as “an ambitious European project” that had “crashed into reality.” He attributed the collapse largely to tensions between Airbus and Dassault and differing military requirements between France and Germany. Germany and France launched the Future Combat Air System project in 2017, with Spain joining two years later. The aircraft was designed to operate alongside drones and a highly networked “combat cloud,” but the program had been edging toward collapse for months amid disputes over design authority, technology sharing and industrial control. French President Emmanuel Macron has long championed the concept of European “strategic autonomy,” arguing that Europe should reduce its dependence on the United States for critical defense capabilities. The Future Combat Air System was widely viewed as one of the most important tests of that vision. But disagreements emerged over industrial leadership, intellectual property rights, technology sharing and the future design of the aircraft itself. France sought to preserve key sovereign capabilities tied to its nuclear deterrent and aircraft carrier operations, while Germany pushed for a more equal industrial partnership. The program’s failure leaves uncertainty over how France, Germany and Spain will pursue future air combat capabilities. It also comes as a rival sixth-generation fighter effort — the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), led by the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan — continues to advance. The failure could also reinforce Europe’s dependence on American defense technology at a time when many European leaders say they want to reduce it. Germany already has committed to purchasing U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets, while numerous NATO allies have turned to American-made aircraft, missile defenses and long-range weapons systems since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. INSIDE AMERICA’S 6TH-GEN ARSENAL: B-21, F-47, AND THE FUTURE OF AIR DOMINANCE While France is unlikely to abandon its domestic aerospace industry, analysts say the demise of the Future Combat Air System project could make it
ActBlue chief heads to Capitol Hill hot seat as donor fraud probe intensifies
The embattled head of a Democratic fundraising powerhouse is slated to face a grilling by House lawmakers as questions swirl about whether the group misled Congress about alleged donor fraud. ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones will testify before the House Administration Committee in a potentially explosive hearing Wednesday, as a years-long congressional probe into how the payment processor vets overseas donors comes to a head. Wallace-Jones’ testimony will be the first time she has publicly addressed the fraud allegations. Hours before the hearing was scheduled to begin, Wallace-Jones announced she would invoke her right against self-incrimination when questioned by lawmakers, in an op-ed for The Washington Post. Representatives for ActBlue have repeatedly denied making false statements to Congress and have argued the Republican-led probe is politically motivated. HEAD OF DEM FUNDRAISING POWERHOUSE GETS CAPITOL HILL SUMMONS AS GOP PROBE ESCALATES Earlier this week, an attorney for Wallace-Jones requested that House Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., issue a subpoena for her testimony ahead of Wednesday’s hearing — weeks after she voluntarily agreed in May to appear before the committee on June 10. After Republicans promptly moved to subpoena Wallace-Jones, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that she planned to attend Wednesday’s hearing. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., who have been involved with the ActBlue probe, are also expected to be waved onto the committee to question Wallace-Jones. Steil framed the hearing as part of a broader effort to prevent foreign money from entering the political sphere. “The goal of this investigation remains the same: to ensure that federal law effectively stops bad actors, including foreign actors, from making political donations to American candidates and campaigns through online fundraising platforms,” Steil wrote in a letter to Wallace-Jones Wednesday, accompanying the subpoena request reviewed by Fox News Digital. The House Administration Committee has scrutinized ActBlue since 2023 over the payment processor’s fraud prevention practices and its processing of overseas donations that may have been routed into U.S. elections. Nonresident foreign nationals are generally prohibited from making political contributions to federal and state candidates, candidate committees and political action committees. Wednesday’s hearing comes after Republicans accelerated their scrutiny of ActBlue, following a story in The New York Times earlier this year reporting that the group’s former outside counsel warned Wallace-Jones that she may have made false statements to Steil’s panel about its fraud screening practices. The attorneys found that some of the anti-fraud measures described to congressional investigators were not always followed as outlined, according to the report. ActBlue did not immediately correct the record with the House Administration Committee, despite internally updating donor screening practices, the Times reported. The payment processor later acknowledged that certain fraud prevention practices had been strengthened in a June 2025 letter to Steil’s committee. DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT IN THE HOT SEAT AS GOP LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS OVER DODGED SUBPOENA Republicans have argued that the discrepancy between ActBlue’s statements to Congress and its internal practices was likely “an attempt to avoid negative attention,” as Steil wrote in a letter Tuesday to Wallace-Jones. Steil has sharply criticized ActBlue personnel for refusing to fully cooperate with the committee’s probe. Five current and former ActBlue employees asserted their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination a combined 146 times when their testimony was subpoenaed by the committee. The GOP-led panel has also expanded its ActBlue investigation beyond Wallace-Jones. Steil requested earlier in June that five members of ActBlue’s Board of Directors sit for transcribed interviews to discuss their involvement in the group’s response to congressional scrutiny and how it addressed a wave of departures within the organization amid internal turmoil over whether Wallace-Jones misled Congress. Two unions affiliated with ActBlue warned the board about a “growing pattern of volatility and toxicity” among leadership, including alleged retaliation against a whistleblower, the Times reported. Steil’s panel has also requested a swath of documents from ActBlue board members. The targeted individuals have until June 16 to comply, according to a letter previously obtained by Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital reached out to ActBlue for comment before publication.
Top takeaways from the primary elections in Maine and South Carolina: ‘Movement about us’
BLUE HILL, Maine – Graham Platner, the progressive left, and Donald Trump appear to be the big winners in Tuesday’s high-profile primaries in Maine and South Carolina. Platner, the oyster farmer and military combat veteran who has been facing plenty of incoming fire amid mounting controversies, cruised to the Democratic nomination Tuesday in left-leaning Maine and will now face longtime moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a key race that is among a handful which will likely determine if Republicans hold their Senate majority in the midterm elections. Meanwhile, in solidly red South Carolina, Trump-backed Sen. Lindsey Graham won a majority of the vote in the Senate GOP primary and will avoid a runoff against a primary challenger from the right. And the candidate the president endorsed in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, finished on top of a crowded field of contenders and will advance to a runoff election in two weeks against longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who came in second. Here’s what we learned in the key June 9th primaries. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB The left storms back The convincing victory by Platner, who was backed by progressive champions Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Ro Khanna of California, looks to be another feather in the cap for the left in their intra-party face-off with the establishment. The primary in Maine was held a week after Iowa state Rep. John Turek, who was supported by longtime Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, won the Democratic Senate primary and will face Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in another crucial midterm showdown. Turek, a wheelchair basketball player who won two Paralympic gold medals, defeated the more progressive candidate, state Sen. Zach Wahls. The divisive and expensive primary battle was viewed as a proxy war between the establishment and anti-establishment wings of the party. Fast-forward a week and the ballot box performance by Platner, who promotes an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class, gives a boost to the left. “The Democratic establishment and powerful interests spent months trying to stop Graham Platner. Instead, they demonstrated that voters in Maine and across America want to elect shake-up-the-system outsiders,” Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Adam Green emphasized. And Green warned that Platner’s victory “should be a wake-up call for a Democratic establishment that has spent too long underestimating the appeal of economic populism and outsider politics.” EMBATTLED PLATNER WINS DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY TO TEE UP CRUCIAL MIDTERM SHOWDOWN What controversies? Platner in recent weeks has been facing one of the roughest stretches of his bid for the U.S. Senate. The candidate has been playing defense the past month, amid multiple controversies. They include inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, recent reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married, and new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. Platner has called the latest allegations of violence untrue. On Monday, a day before the primary election, a former high-level staffer from the Platner campaign wrote in the Washington Post that Platner “is not someone who would be good for Maine or for the country.” While the mounting controversies triggered some Democrats in the nation’s capital to question whether Platner was damaged goods and needed to be replaced, the candidate this past weekend thanked Maine voters for continuing to support him. “When hurtful things I said on the internet a decade ago came out into the public as I shared my personal journey through PTSD and darkness of recovery and accountability and growth. Maine had my back,” Platner said at a rally Friday not far from his hometown in Down East Maine. “Now, as every single piece of that past and journey gets dug up, litigated, and weaponized, you have my back. And when politically motivated, serious and false accusations are made against me. Maine, you have my back.” THE GROWING LIST OF CONTROVERSIES THREATENING DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID And voters in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary seemed to shrug off the controversies. “In trying so hard to understand me, they failed to understand that this is not about me at all,” Platner said in his victory speech as he dismissed news reports about his past misdeeds as immaterial to the Senate election. “This is a movement about us, about the far too many working far too hard and struggling far too much.” Trump has a big night The president wasn’t on the ballot in South Carolina, but he had plenty on the line in the GOP Senate and gubernatorial primaries. One week after Trump’s endorsement-winning streak in high-profile Republican primaries was snapped, the president’s immense clout over the GOP was on the line again, this time in South Carolina. And the president easily passed the test. The candidate Trump endorsed in the Palmetto State’s GOP gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, finished first in a crowded field of candidates and clinched one of the two tickets in the race for the nomination. TRUMP ALLY LINDSEY GRAHAM SURVIVES CHALLENGE FROM GOP’S ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT WING Evette, who repeatedly spotlighted Trump’s support, now advances to a Republican runoff election in two weeks against South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, the second place finisher, in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Henry McMaster. Since no candidate topped 50% of the primary vote to land a majority, Evette and Wilson will battle for the nomination in the June 23 runoff, and the winner will be considered the clear favorite in the general election in the solidly red southeastern state. Meanwhile, in the South Carolina GOP Senate primary, longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham did win a majority of the vote, and will avoid a runoff, the Associated Press reported. Graham, who was endorsed
Trump-endorsed candidate will face top GOP target in Nevada House district
Nevada state Sen. Carrie Buck won the Republican nomination for Nevada’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating businessman Michael Boris and other candidates in a closely watched primary contest to challenge Democratic Rep. Dina Titus in November. Buck’s victory comes after receiving endorsements from President Donald Trump and Gov. Joe Lombardo, as well as backing from national Republican groups focused on protecting and expanding the party’s House majority. Buck, an educator and former school principal who represents a Henderson-area district in the Nevada Senate, entered the race in 2025, arguing her experience in education and state government prepared her to take on Titus. MINIVAN MOM PUTS DEM INCUMBENT ON NOTICE IN TOP GOP TARGET DISTRICT: ‘SHE HAS DONE NOTHING FOR US’ The Republican primary field also included appliance repair contractor Michael Boris, former pastor and educator Jim Blockey, Rick Saga and Marie Encar Arnold. Buck’s campaign held a significant fundraising advantage throughout much of the race and was viewed by many Nevada political observers as the frontrunner entering Election Day. Boris had argued that Republicans needed an outsider candidate to defeat Titus, criticizing Buck as an establishment-backed contender. SCOOP: HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN ARM LAUNCHES ‘MAGA MAJORITY’ PROGRAM TO BOOST TRUMP-ALIGNED CANDIDATES The general election now shifts to a district that has long favored Democrats, though it has become more competitive following recent redistricting. The Cook Political Report has rated the race as “Likely Democrat,” reflecting Titus’ incumbency and the district’s Democratic lean despite growing Republican optimism. Nevada’s 1st District, which includes much of eastern Las Vegas, Henderson and surrounding communities, carries a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+2 and has been represented by Titus since 2013. Republicans have not won the seat since former Rep. John Ensign left office in 1999. Titus, who faced primary opposition of her own, is expected to begin the general election campaign with a substantial fundraising advantage. Republicans believe Buck gives the party its strongest chance to compete in a district that has become more competitive in recent years. Attention now turns to the general election against Titus, a veteran Democrat who has represented the district since 2013 and remains one of Nevada’s most established political figures.
Gaming-world veteran who ripped ‘woke’ culture scores Trump-backed battleground primary win
Trump-endorsed candidate Marty O’Donnell advanced in a crowded GOP primary race to face off against Democratic incumbent Rep. Susie Lee in Nevada’s 3rd congressional district. O’Donnell is best known as the composer for the popular “Halo” and “Destiny” video game franchises and has run his campaign on putting “families first,” as well as promoting small businesses and community safety. The district is among Nevada’s most fiercely contested battlegrounds, with its suburban electorate often deciding close races. President Donald Trump carried the district in 2016 and again in 2024, while former President Joe Biden flipped it in 2020. O’Donnell entered the primary with major GOP backing after securing endorsements from Trump and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo. ‘HALO’ COMPOSER RUNNING FOR CONGRESS DRAWS PARALLELS TO DECLINE OF WOKENESS IN GAMING TO TRUMP’S RE-ELECTION “Susie Lee wants Open Borders, Men playing in Women’s Sports, Transgender for Everyone, Defund the Police, and wants to take away your Second Amendment, meaning, your guns. Sadly, she voted against the Biggest Tax Cut in History (including NO TAX ON TIPS!), and fought ferociously to knock out Rural Healthcare, a big factor in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District,” wrote Trump in his endorsement on Truth Social in April. “In contrast, Marty O’Donnell is a World-Class Composer and Entrepreneur who knows the America First Policies required to Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote NO TAX ON TIPS, Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Champion our Nation’s Golden Age. As your next Congressman, Marty will fight tirelessly to Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Strengthen our Brave Military/Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,” said Trump. The video game composer has compared the battles against “woke” ideology in both video games and politics during his run for Congress. “I believe the enthusiasm for the re-release of the original ‘Halo’ is in large part due to the wokification of the gaming industry,” he wrote in 2025 of “woke” ideology in gaming. “After years of gamers fighting the infiltration of DEI in the industry, we are finally winning.” “I saw firsthand the beginning of DEI in the industry,” he continued, describing how the industry has faced backlash over games that alienated players with identity politics. “How did gamers react to having things forced on them by non-gamers developing these characters in the studio? They revolted.” The “Halo” games, centered on humanity’s war against alien invaders, have sold tens of millions of copies, becoming one of the most recognizable and enduring video game franchises since 2001. DEM SENATOR REVEALS HOW SHE NARROWLY WON KEY STATE THAT TRUMP FLIPPED: ‘BE PRACTICAL TO FIND RESULTS’ The large suburban electorate voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election even as Lee narrowly won the congressional race — a seat she has held since 2019. Lee, an education advocate, has strongly opposed Trump’s call to eliminate the Department of Education, advocating instead for increased federal funding for public schools, special education and after-school programs. The self-proclaimed moderate Lee also campaigned on the cost of living and healthcare, pushing to lower costs for families. DEM TIED TO CARTEL OPERATIVE SAYS ‘WHITE NATIONALISTS’ JOINING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT TO ‘HUNT DOWN PEOPLE’ O’Donnell supports strict border control, a finished border wall and targeting human and drug trafficking. Lee has occasionally supported tougher border-security measures but is against Trump’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship and has criticized some aspects of his immigration policies.
Top GOP target Dina Titus fends off House primary challengers
U.S. Rep. Dina Titus won the Democratic primary in Nevada’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating challengers Gabriel Cornejo, Joy Hoover and Luis Paniagua to secure her party’s nomination for an eighth term in Congress. Titus, who has represented the Las Vegas-area district since 2013, entered the race as the clear frontrunner, backed by labor unions and Democratic organizations while also holding significant advantages in fundraising. The veteran lawmaker faced a challenge from candidates who argued Democrats should embrace a new generation of leadership, a criticism Titus largely dismissed during the campaign. Titus pointed to her experience in Congress and her record on issues important to Southern Nevada voters, including tourism, transportation and veterans affairs, helping her win the Democratic primary. MINIVAN MOM PUTS DEM INCUMBENT ON NOTICE IN TOP GOP TARGET DISTRICT: ‘SHE HAS DONE NOTHING FOR US’ First elected to Congress in 2008 from Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, Titus returned to the House in 2012 after redistricting reshaped Nevada’s congressional map. Before serving in Congress, she spent two decades in the Nevada Senate and worked as a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her primary opponents struggled to gain significant traction in a race largely overshadowed by higher-profile statewide contests. Hoover, a businesswoman and nonprofit founder, Cornejo and Paniagua all sought to present themselves as alternatives to the longtime incumbent but ultimately failed to beat Titus. NEW GUARD OF GOP WOMEN SAYS DEMOCRATS CAN’T ‘PIGEONHOLE’ FEMALE VOTERS AS THEY TARGET KEY HOUSE RACES The focus now turns to the general election, where Titus is expected to face the Republican nominee in a district that has become more competitive in recent years following redistricting. Still, the Cook Political Report rates Nevada’s 1st Congressional District as “Likely Democrat,” reflecting both the district’s Democratic lean and Titus’ incumbency advantage. Nevada’s 1st District includes much of eastern Las Vegas, Henderson, Paradise and surrounding communities in Clark County. According to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, the district carries a D+2 rating. Republicans have not held the seat since former Rep. John Ensign left Congress in 1999.
Nevada’s top cop wins Dem primary, takes on Gov Lombardo
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford defeated Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, advancing to a showdown with Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in one of the nation’s most competitive governor’s races. Ford entered the race as the Democratic frontrunner in a field that included Hill, Sunshine Arterburn, Miqehl Bayfield, Emile Bouari and James Cooper. Before becoming Nevada’s first Black attorney general, he served in the Nevada Legislature, where he led the chamber as majority leader. REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TARGETED BY DEMOCRATS LAUNCHES RE-ELECTION BID IN KEY BATTLEGROUND Housing affordability emerged as a key issue in Ford’s campaign, with Ford pledging to lower costs and expand access to housing, according to his campaign website. Ford’s primary victory comes as the two-term attorney general faces growing criticism over his extensive travel record. DEM SENATOR REVEALS HOW SHE NARROWLY WON KEY STATE THAT TRUMP FLIPPED: ‘BE PRACTICAL TO FIND RESULTS’ State records reviewed by Fox News Digital in March found Ford accumulated more than $410,000 in travel costs since taking office in 2019, while local outlets have reported he spent more than 100 days outside Nevada during his tenure. A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office defended the travel, saying the trips were tied to Ford’s official duties and campaign activities, including coordinating with law enforcement agencies across the country, and were permitted under Nevada law. REPUBLICANS CUT INTO DEM VOTER REGISTRATION ADVANTAGE IN CRUCIAL SWING STATE AS EARLY VOTE WRAPS UP Ford is also under investigation by the Nevada Commission on Ethics over whether he solicited improper gifts or used his office to improperly benefit himself, according to documents recovered by local outlets. Nevada’s gubernatorial race is expected to be one of the most closely watched contests of the midterm elections as Democrats attempt to reclaim control of the governor’s office in the Silver State. Lombardo, who defeated Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak in 2022, is seeking a second term and will face the Democratic nominee in November. Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.
Joe Lombardo cruises past six GOP challengers to secure Nevada Republican gubernatorial nomination
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo secured the Republican nomination for a second term Tuesday, defeating six GOP challengers and advancing to the general election as Democrats vie for the chance to reclaim the governor’s mansion in November. The first-term governor entered the primary as the overwhelming favorite. Lombardo, a former Clark County sheriff, was elected governor in 2022 when he defeated Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, becoming the only Republican challenger to unseat an incumbent Democratic governor that year. He now heads into the general election against the Democratic nominee, who will emerge from a primary field that includes state Attorney General Aaron Ford and Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill. 2026 MIDTERMS: PRIMARIES, KEY RACES AND ELECTION RESULTS Lombardo defeated a field of mostly lesser-known Republican challengers that included Donald Beaudry Jr., Irina Hansen, Kameron Hawkins, Matthew Winterhawk, Jose Zelaya and Barak Zilberberg. Beaudry Jr., a financial engineer, is a hedge fund manager and founder of an artificial intelligence company. He campaigned on his private-sector experience. Hansen, a realtor and small-business owner who previously ran for mayor of Las Vegas, positioned herself as an outsider candidate challenging the political establishment. Winterhawk, a businessman and nonprofit founder, entered the race as a political newcomer and also promoted himself as an alternative to Nevada’s political establishment. REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TARGETED BY DEMOCRATS LAUNCHES RE-ELECTION BID IN KEY BATTLEGROUND Hawkins, a Navy veteran, publisher and conservative activist, previously sought the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Nevada in 2022. Zelaya, a real estate investor who also sought a bid in the GOP race in 2022, maintained a relatively low public profile throughout the campaign and released limited information about his candidacy. The race for the governor’s mansion in Nevada is among the most closely watched gubernatorial contests of the 2026 midterm election cycle. The winner in the key swing state could gain national prominence ahead of the 2028 presidential election and help shape their party’s political strategy in Nevada. It also comes as Democrats try to flip back the mansion after losing it in 2022. With no U.S. Senate race on Nevada’s ballot this cycle, the governor’s race has served as the state’s marquee contest and the primary driver of campaign advertising spending. Beyond the gubernatorial race, Nevada voters also weighed in on primaries for U.S. House seats and a variety of state offices, while voters in Henderson, Nevada’s second-largest city, cast ballots in the city’s mayoral election.
South Carolina GOP race to replace Nancy Mace heads to runoff
Jenny Honeycutt, a business owner, and Mark Smith, a state legislator, advanced in a crowded GOP primary to replace outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on Tuesday evening. Because no candidate garnered more than 50% of the vote needed to win outright, the primary now heads to a runoff that’s slated to take place on June 23. The vacancy arose when Mace, a firebrand conservative, announced her decision to run for governor of the Palmetto State. During her time in Congress, Mace has attracted attention for being one of the eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to remove former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023, for championing legislation on cybersecurity and forcing a vote on releasing the Epstein Files earlier this year. FIRST ON FOX: RETIRED AIR FORCE COLONEL WHO PILOTED LAST FLIGHT OUT OF AFGHANISTAN REVEALS NEW MISSION Mace, who has taken on a national profile, said she would look to continue her work at the state level. “South Carolina needs a governor who will drag the truth into sunlight and flip the tables,” Mace said during her announcement speech. S.C. 01, a safely Republican district, has been held by the GOP for much of the past forty years. Aside from Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-S.C., who held the seat from 2019 to 2021, Republicans have controlled the district since 1981. FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN FIREBRAND NANCY MACE LAUNCHES BID FOR SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR Mace last won reelection in 2024 in a 58.2% to 41.6% victory over Democratic challenger Michel Moore, a businessman. Honeycutt, who runs a law firm that helps clients navigate regulations, has positioned herself as a pro-family political outsider, highlighting issues like law and order, the country’s fiscal picture and family finances as key priorities on her website. According to FEC records, Honeycutt raised just north of $345,600 as of the end of May. Mark Smith, also a small business owner, led a funeral home service before running for the South Carolina House of Representatives. He has served in state legislator since 2020, and, according to his biography, helped cut taxes and support local law enforcement in that role. Smith garnered $750,700 in campaign donations, according to FEC records. WATCH: MACE SAYS TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT HASN’T SEALED SC GUBERNATORIAL RACE: ‘IT’S A DOG FIGHT’ A third contender in the race, Jay Byars, raised $220,600. He began a political career in 2011 when he was elected to the Dorchester County Council and has remained in the job for four terms. On the private side, Byars began several companies, including a storage service and Good Faith Caregivers, a home care business. Notably, Mace has not endorsed in the race to replace her.
Collins secures GOP nod in Maine Senate battle that could decide GOP majority
As she runs for a sixth six-year term in the U.S. Senate in left-leaning Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins is now officially her party’s nominee in a crucial race that’s one of a handful across the country that will determine whether Republicans keep control of their slim Senate majority. Collins can toss the “presumptive nominee” title after formally landing her party’s nomination on Tuesday by running unopposed in Maine’s Senate GOP primary. As she fights for re-election, the 73-year-old Collins is once again a top target for Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority in this year’s midterms. “I have been the No. 1 target of Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, not only in this campaign, but the last two campaigns as well. I’m always his No. 1 target,” Collins said in a recent Fox News Digital interview. SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY Facing Collins will be military veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner, the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment, dropped out of the race earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling. While Collins has focused on her Senate agenda, and on Friday she received bipartisan praise after reaching a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote, Platner has been playing defense amid multiple controversies, ranging from inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, to new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder from his four tours of duty in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, has said he’s “been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self-medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend.” DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB “I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated,” Platner added. “I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine.” The candidate apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign. Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He said that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. But new allegations raise questions about Platner’s timeline regarding knowledge of the tattoo. ‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN Platner, who is supported by progressive champions Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Ro Khanna of California, is pushing an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class. Asked if Platner is too far to the left for voters in her northern New England state, Collins recently told Fox News Digital, “I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters. But, obviously, I don’t take anything for granted.” Collins said that when it comes to her Democratic challenger’s growing political baggage, “Obviously, I’m going to be contrasting my record of achievement and accomplishments with Graham Platner’s approach.” An outside political group aligned with the senator has already been blasting Platner, running ads spotlighting his multiple controversies. Platner, who is running as an outsider, emphasizes that Collins is part of a “broken Washington” and “a generation of politicians who have failed us.” He has described Collins’ moderate Republican image as a “charade,” highlights her support for some of President Donald Trump’s agenda and accuses her of being part of a political system that benefits the wealthy. “She and Republican politicians like her have prioritized the interests of billionaires and corporations over people,” he has charged. Republicans — as the party currently in power in Washington, D.C. — were already up against traditional political headwinds that typically lead to a loss of congressional seats. Add to that the challenging climate fueled by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s underwater approval ratings. Asked how she can overcome the blame pointed at Republicans over the high cost of living, Collins recently told Fox News Digital she’s championed the low-income heating assistance program, which “helps low-income families and seniors stay warm during the cold winter months. I just recently made sure the final tranche of money was released because there is a lot of need in the state of Maine, and the cost of living is high here.” Collins also emphasized her opposition to cuts “in food stamp benefits and in other programs that are designed for low-income families because I know how important they are.” The latest public opinion polls point to a competitive contest between Collins and Platner. But Collins has a history of defeating the Democrats’ efforts to oust her from the Senate. Six years ago, she trailed Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, the then-Maine House speaker, but the senator ended up winning re-election by nearly nine points. Pointing to the expected wave of attack ads targeting her, Collins said, “Fortunately, the people of Maine are smart, and they know lies and distortions when they see it.”