CA-GOV: Swalwell Suspends His Campaign for California Governor
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) is “suspending” his campaign for governor, he announced Sunday night.
Washington Post: “Swalwell’s abrupt exit from the California governor’s race marks a remarkable downfall for the longtime congressman, who was considered a leading candidate. The fallout from reports of sexual assault and misconduct continued Sunday, as pressure mounted for Swalwell to also vacate his congressional seat.”
Inside Trump’s Effort to “Take Over” the Midterm Elections By Doug Bock Clark and Jen Fifield
April 13, 2026
Introduction:
(ProPublica)
Reporting Highlights
• Safeguards Destroyed: In advance of this year’s midterm elections, President Donald Trump has systematically demolished federal guardrails that prevented him from overturning the 2020 election.
• Changing of Guard: At least 75 career staff are gone. Two dozen appointees, including many from the election denial movement, have been hired. Ten helped try to overturn the 2020 vote.
• Political Interference: Once-fringe actors now have access to vast powers, which they’ve already used to push forward unprecedented actions that critics say amount to partisan interference.
^^^Looks like a reasonably plausible prediction. What I came here to post:
After Swalwell’s Fall, Tom Steyer’s $120 Million Gamble is Paying Off By Jeremy B. White
April 16, 2026
Introduction:
(Politico) Nearly half a billion dollars, two campaigns, and one Eric Swalwell implosion later, Tom Steyer suddenly appears closer than ever to winning elected office.
Sacramento elected officials and strategists initially rolled their eyes when the billionaire climate activist began ramping up for his run for California governor, recalling how he plowed some $340 million into a failed 2020 presidential bid that resembled a high-priced vanity project. But Steyer vaulted himself into the top tier of the wide-open race with a $120 million advertising blitz and a concerted courtship of the state’s progressive powers.
He is spending more on advertising than any other campaign in America so far this cycle, including Democrats’ all-in gerrymandering push in California. Weeks before the June primary, he has already nearly quadrupled the roughly $33 million spent by Gavin Newsom’s 2018 run for governor.
And with Swalwell’s exit in the face of sexual misconduct and assault allegations, Steyer — more than any other contender here — is picking up the pieces. On Tuesday, the heavy-hitting California Teachers Association, which had endorsed Swalwell, threw its support behind him. Even President Donald Trump has taken notice — likely to Steyer’s benefit.
“I’d been hoping Tom would break out of the pack for a long time, and I want to be part of that momentum,” said Rep. Jared Huffman, who endorsed Steyer on Sunday. “This pie is going to be carved up in a very different way now, and Tom has a tremendous opportunity to catapult himself to the front of this pack.”
Democrat Analilia Mejia Will Win House Special Election in New Jersey, Further Narrowing GOP Majority By Arit John
April 17, 2026
Introduction:
(CNN) Analilia Mejia has won a special election in New Jersey’s 11th District, allowing Democrats to further narrow Republicans’ razor-thin majority in the US House.
Mejia will defeat Republican Joe Hathaway, a member of the Randolph Township council. She will fill the remainder of the term for the seat Mikie Sherrill vacated after being elected New Jersey governor in November.
After winning a crowded primary in February, Mejia was heavily favored in a district where there are about 65,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, according to the state’s Department of Elections. Mejia united most of the Democratic Party behind her, including former Rep. Tom Malinowski, who ran in the primary and lost after facing a barrage of spending from a group linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Her win is a boon for progressives, notably Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who endorsed her after she was national political director for his 2020 presidential campaign.
It also shrinks House Speaker Mike Johnson’s majority. When Mejia is sworn in, Johnson will only be able to afford a single GOP defection on party-line votes and still pass legislation. The partisan breakdown will stand at 217 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent and three seats vacant.
The one independent, California Rep. Kevin Kiley, was elected as a Republican and continues to caucus with the GOP even though he officially left the party earlier this year.
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist Wins Democratic Nomination for Michigan Secretary of State By Sam Robinson
April 20, 2026
Introduction:
(Michigan Chronicle) Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist will face Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini in the November 3 general election after winning votes from party delegates at a Democratic Party endorsement convention Sunday.
Michigan Democrats held their endorsement convention Sunday where party delegates, not voters, decide which candidates will be the party nominees for Attorney General and Secretary of State.
Gilchrist, along with Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit won the election among party members for Secretary of State and Attorney General.
Both were viewed as the more progressive candidates in their respective races.
Gilchrist defeated former lottery commissioner Suzanna Shkreli and Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum in his victory
When No One Was Looking, Ohio Became a Swing State Again By Philip Elliott
April 20, 2026
Introduction:
(Time) Need proof the political map is turning against Republicans? Just spy the $79 million that the Senate GOP’s super PAC set aside this month for Ohio, a state President Donald Trump carried all three times and where Democrats last won a statewide election in 2018. Or the fact that that eye-popping sum wasn’t enough to keep D.C.’s gospel of political handicapping from shifting the race’s status from “Lean Republican” to “Toss Up.” Or the fact that the Republican incumbent in that seat just keeps giving the digital Democratic trolls fodder to make his campaign more difficult.
None of this was on the radar when Trump returned to office a little more than a year ago. The thinking around Washington was that Jon Husted, who was put in his seat after J.D. Vance left it to become Trump’s right-hand hatchet man, would be a responsible custodian who could coast through this November’s special election to finish out the balance of Vance’s term. After all, Husted had done just about every job in state politics and had been around long enough to get the game.
But then Democrats persuaded Sherrod Brown back onto the field. Brown, a progressive who can credibly slide into Trump’s populist register, was the runner-up to become Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016 and he eyed his own race for the top billing in 2020 before deciding against it. A union hall hero and disheveled everyman, Brown had been the rare Ohio Democrat who would win statewide—at least until an unexpected defeat in 2024 that was driven by the national mood more than anything. (Despite it being the most expensive Senate race that year, Brown still ran eight points ahead of Kamala Harris’ White House campaign.)
Even with Brown on the ballot, Republicans were still feeling confident as recently as December that Ohio wouldn’t be a trouble spot on the Senate map. Ohio, like Florida, the other ultimate swing state, no longer offered much swing in its election results. Republicans had been running the table in Ohio for years now.
Emerson Poll shows Xavier Becerra at 19%. One point behind Steyer.
“In the first Emerson poll since Eric Swalwell’s departure from the race for Governor, Democrats now split their vote between Tom Steyer (20%), Xavier Becerra (19%), and Katie Porter (15%), with Becerra gaining 15 points among Democrats without Swalwell on the ballot,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said.
A plurality of voters under 50 support Steyer at 15%, followed closely by Becerra at 13%, and Katie Porter at 11%. Voters over 50 support Hilton at 24%, followed by Bianco at 14%, Steyer at 13%, Porter at 10%, and Becerra at 8%.
The economy is the top issue for California voters at 41%, followed by housing affordability at 20%, threats to democracy at 10%, crime at 6%, immigration at 6%, and healthcare at 6%.
There is one thing that bothers me about the MS Now coverage of these redistricting results (as distinct from the reporting shown above). That is the tendency to drop the "likely gain for Democrats" and just assume the Democrats will pick up certain seats due to redistricting. As if they do not have to go through the trouble of fielding candidates and campaigning. As if the actual will of voters and quality of candidates no longer matters. Hopefully, the Democratic party itself will realize that it still needs to recruit and support quality candidates, especially in flipping seats to their party.
Polls Show Democrat Rob Sand Could Flip State Donald Trump Won Three Times By Mandy Taheri
April 21, 2026
Introduction:
(Newsweek)
• Poll Advantage: Recent surveys show Rob Sand leading Republican Randy Feenstra with 51% to 39%, gaining strong support among independents (57% to 29%).
• Fundraising Edge: Sand holds $13.2M cash on hand, far surpassing Feenstra’s $3.2M, boosting his statewide media presence through November.
• Upcoming Primary: The Iowa gubernatorial primary is set for June 2, 2026, with the race now considered a “Toss Up” after 15 years of Republican control
New Poll Shows James Talarico Leads Both GOP Senate Candidates in Texas By Alex Griffing
April 28, 2026
Introduction:
(Mediaite) A new poll from Texas Public Opinion Research (TPOR) out on Tuesday found that Democratic state Rep. James Talarico is currently leading his two potential GOP general election opponents for U.S. Senate in Texas.
Talarico holds a 44% to 41% lead over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and a 46% to 41% lead over Attorney General Ken Paxton – who is locked with Cornyn in a bruising primary run-off.
The poll was conducted among 1,018 likely general election voters and carries a margin of error of 3.3% – which is greater than Talarico’s lead over Cornyn, but not Paxton.
TPOR is a non-partisan public opinion research group and conducted the survey from April 17 to the 20th.
Democrats have not won a statewide race in Texas since 1994, despite several cycles where big-name candidates, like Beto O’Rourke, were touted as potential winners only to fall short on Election Day.
