2025-2026 election thread for Senate, House, State and cities

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https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3943

also HOW IS THE GOP STILL LEADING ON THE ECONOMY

It's interesting to see that Trump is a drag on the GOP's image

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The State- Here’s who Lexington County voters picked to replace RJ May in SC state House

https://archive.ph/LxQvq

Pretty big swing towards Ds here.

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It's been confirmed now:

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/ ... race-2026/

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‘No Blood for Oil’: Platner Slams ‘Spineless’ Susan Collins for Backing Illegal Attack on Venezuela
By Jessica Corbett
January 6, 2026

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) “This is not foreign policy. This is gangsterism on an international scale,” Platner said to cheers. “We must not be fooled by the childish lies being used to justify this illegal aggression. Be wary of the establishment voices in media and in politics who, over the next few weeks, will work tirelessly to manufacture consent, even when they sound like they are opposed.”

“Keep an ear out for ‘this operation is bad, but’ followed by words about democracy, dictatorship, and international law,” he warned. “If those were justifications for invasion and abduction, we’d have invaded many of our allies a long time ago.”

“Those voices are doing the work of empire, and we must be vigilant for their duplicitousness,” he continued. “If they are media figures, change the channel. If they are political figures, work tirelessly to remove them from power.”

President Donald Trump—who was elected with the backing of fossil fuel billionaires—addressed the nation after the attack on Saturday and again made clear that he has set his sights on Venezuelan oil.

In response to Trump, Platner called “bullshit,” adding, “I watched my friends die in Iraq in the wake of speeches like this one.” He also posted photos from the Portland protest and declared, “No blood for oil.”

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/platner-venezuela

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Mary Peltola’s Alaska Bid Lifts Democrats’ Long-shot Senate Chances
By Lindsay Wise
January 12, 2026

Introduction:

(Wall Street Journal) Former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola said she would challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska, a move that could put the red-leaning state in play as Democrats make a long-shot bid to retake control of the Senate.

Democrats had heavily recruited Peltola, 52 years old, in an effort to expand the map of competitive states in this year’s midterm elections. They would need to flip at least four Senate seats from red to blue—and successfully defend the ones they currently hold—to win back the majority.

In announcing her campaign on Monday, Peltola promised to give priority to Alaska’s needs, regardless of party, and to take on corruption in Washington.

“My agenda for Alaska will always be fish, family and freedom. But our future also depends on fixing the rigged system in D.C. that’s shutting down Alaska, while politicians feather their own nest,” Peltola said.

Republicans currently control the Senate, 53-47. Democrats are hoping to flip seats in Maine and North Carolina, and then manage to score an upset in deeper-red states such as Iowa, Ohio or Alaska. They also need to fend off Republicans in what are expected to be tight races in Georgia and Michigan, both of which were won by President Trump in 2024.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politic ... 69&ei=47

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NBC Host Chris Matthews Indicates GOP Now Looks Set to Lose 30 Seats in Midterms
By Tom Boggioni
January 12, 2026

Extract:

(Raw Story) Speaking with MS NOW host Jonathan Lemire, Matthews, a longtime political observer, suggested the Democrats are putting together an exceptional team of candidates for the midterms who could rein in Donald Trump’s excesses.
…
He also suggested Republican Rep. Mike Johnson’s time as House Speaker will come to an end in a devastating blowout in November.

Asked about the Democrats' recruitment efforts to field strong candidates, Matthews told Lemire, “First of all, I think the Democrats are poised now to pick up 30 seats in the House. I do that based upon the margins that have been pulling off in these recent elections; 13-point pickup beyond what the expectations were.”

Matthews also discusses possible opportunities to swing Senate seats in North Carolina, Ohio, and Maine.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politic ... 3cb&ei=92

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Federal judges allow California to use new US House map ahead of 2026 election

https://apnews.com/article/california-r ... f4c44f244f

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18 House Races Shift Towards the Democrats

January 15, 2026 at 1:02 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 53 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2026/01/15/18 ... democrats/

Cook Political Report: “Ten months out from Election Day, it’s increasingly clear that Democrats are in a strong position to win control of the House this November.”

“All the major indicators — the president’s unpopularity, special election results and the generic congressional ballot — point to a favorable environment for Democrats. President Donald Trump’s approval rating sits at 42%, driven by Americans’ widespread frustration over the economy. And Democratic candidates’ consistent overperformance in special elections shows their voters are more motivated to turn out than Republicans — despite the fact that many Democratic voters have a dim view of their own party.”

“As the contours of the battleground map come into view, we’re shifting 18 ratings in favor of Democrats.”

Perhaps even more important is that four races moved from Lean Republican to Toss Up.

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Talarico: ‘If You are Neutral, you are Taking the Side of the Powerful’
By Jeff Brumley
January 15, 2026

Introduction:

(Baptist News Global) Progressive people of faith must demonstrate how religion can inspire opposition to Christian nationalism and the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine democracy, James Talarico said during a webinar hosted by Vote Common Good.

The Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Texas said moderate and liberal Christians in particular must proclaim a vision of Christ and Scripture that counters the racist and authoritarian religion promulgated by President Donald Trump and his right-wing evangelical supporters.

The Jan. 13 virtual session was co-sponsored by Pastors for Texas Children and Faithful America. Talarico, a current state representative, is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate against Baptist laywoman Jasmine Crockett, currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“For too long, Christians have stayed out of politics by saying they’re nonpolitical or they are neutral,” Talarico said. “There’s no such thing. If you are neutral, you are taking the side of the powerful, you are protecting the status quo.”

Americans who value pluralism and democracy are called to take a political stand against divisive federal policies designed to attack public education, government institutions, immigrants and other marginalized communities, he said. “We as Christians, we as people of faith from all traditions, have a responsibility to take our faith from the sanctuary to the streets to not just love God, but to love neighbor.”

Read more here: https://baptistnews.com/article/talari ... powerful/

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Musk Reportedly Drops $10 Million in Race to Replace McConnell
By Max Rego
January 19, 2026

Introduction:

(The Hill) Billionaire Elon Musk donated $10 million last week to a super PAC affiliated with Republican Kentucky Senate candidate Nate Morris, who is part of a competitive field running to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Axios reported Monday.

The contribution to Fight for Kentucky marks the most Musk has donated to a single Senate candidate. The world’s richest person donated at least $250 million to President Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Additional extract:

The George Washington University graduate founded waste management company Rubicon Technologies and is the CEO of Morris Industries, a holding company.

Morris also slammed Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R), two other GOP Senate candidates, as “McConnell-ites.”

In a Monday press release, Barr’s campaign manager, Blake Gober, slammed Morris as a “DEI promoting CEO” who he claimed supported former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley over Trump in the 2024 GOP primary.

Read more here: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/ ... -senate/

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Navy Admiral Removed by Hegseth Announces Run for Congress
By Benjamin Siegel
January 20, 2026

Introduction:

(ABC) A senior Navy official removed from her post by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last year is running for Congress.

Nancy Lacore, who served in the Navy for 35 years as a Navy helicopter pilot, three-star admiral and the chief of the Navy Reserve, announced a run for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District on Tuesday.

"After decades of service to our country, a career that started as a Navy pilot and finished as a three-star admiral, I was removed from my position without cause. I still have more to give, more to fight for, more work to do -- and I am not done serving," the now-retired officer said in an X post announcing her campaign.

Lacore was removed in August, along with Rear Adm. Milton Sands, who led the Naval Special Warfare Command, and Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, who led the Defense Intelligence Agency and oversaw the DIA's preliminary assessment of the U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear sites.

Additional extract:

South Carolina's 1st District, a right-leaning seat that includes Charleston, was won by President Donald Trump in 2024 and 2020. The seat is currently represented by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, who is running for governor of South Carolina.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politic ... obArticle