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

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‘Seismic Victory’ in New York as Mamdani-Backed Progressives Trounce Establishment Democrats and AIPAC Cash
By Jake Johnson
June 24, 2026

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) Three progressive candidates emerged victorious from US congressional primaries in New York on Tuesday, overcoming millions of dollars in spending by corporate interests and AIPAC with grassroots campaigns that centered the working class.

Brad Lander, the former New York City comptroller, defeated Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman in New York’s 10th Congressional District, nearly doubling the incumbent’s vote count with over 90% of ballots tallied. In New York’s 13th, Darializa Avila Chevalier—who was recruited by Justice Democrats—defeated five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat. Claire Valdez, a New York state assemblymember and democratic socialist recruited by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, defeated Brooklyn borough president Antonio Reynoso in the race for the 7th District seat left open by retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez.

The wins marked a clean sweep for Mamdani-backed candidates, each of whom campaigned on Medicare for All, affordable housing, stronger union protections, and an end to US military support for Israel’s genocidal assault on Palestinians. The primary wins for Lander, Valdez, and Avila Chevalier essentially guarantee them seats in the US House in the heavily Democratic districts.

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/prog ... ew-york

Edit: I suppose that it should also be noted that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez easily won her primary in New York's 14th Congressional District.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-p ... pilot.com

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George Conway, Jack Schlossberg Go Down in Flames During Primary to Replace Jerry Nadler
By Nicole Silverio
June 23, 2026

Introduction:

(Daily Caller) Democratic New York state Rep. Micah Lasher defeated Lincoln Project co-founder George Conway and Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg Tuesday in his bid to replace Democratic New York Rep. Jerry Nadler.

Schlossberg and Conway were not able to capitalize on their political connections and media notoriety in the New York 12th District primary. Lasher narrowly won in a tight matchup against Democratic New York state Rep. Alex Bores, who previously worked for Palantir and campaigned on a platform that included placing guardrails on artificial intelligence (AI), according to Decision Desk HQ and NBC News.

Lasher received endorsements from Nadler, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Democratic New York Gov. David Paterson, according to his campaign website. His platform includes “fighting back against Trumpism,” allowing children to undergo transgender surgeries and procedures and fighting climate change.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politic ... 80&ei=53

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In the 1st Congressional District of Utah, a new map created a seat more friendly to Democrats in the Salt Lake City area. With 71% of the vote counted in the Democratic primary for that district, Ben McAdams leads with 56.2% of the votes. Trailing are Nate Blouin with 25.1% and Liban Mohamed with 14.8%.

Source: https://www.ms.now/elections/2026-prima ... 2026-r4je

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In the 3rd Congressional District of Utah, with 77% of the vote counted in the Republican primary for that district, Celeste Maloy is projected to win with 67.4% of the vote versus Phil Lyman's 32.6%.

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/election/2026/p ... ing=false

Prior to this primary, I posted this article from Mother Jones concerning this contest: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/20 ... -in-utah/

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Here are the Election Results for Maryland's 2026 Primary
June 24, 2026

Introduction:

(CBS News) The results of Maryland's 2026 primary election are in.

Candidates for several big races were chosen. In November, incumbent Gov. Wes Moore and Republican nominee Dan Cox will face off in a rematch after Moore beat Cox in 2022.

Adrian Boago won the Democratic nomination in a crowded race to replace Congressman Steny Hoyer in District 5. Boafo will face Republican nominee Chris Chaffee in November.

The race for Maryland Comptroller is uncontested, meaning Democratic incumbent Brooke Lierman and Republican Sonya Dunn will face off in the November election.

Here are the results (see link provided below) from Tuesday's primary (includes other Maryland Congressional races).

Read more here: https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news ... ilot.com

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Just...wow!

Only 2 Votes Separate Candidates in Mayor’s Race for South Dakota’s Largest City
By Finya Swai
June 24, 2026

Introduction:

(The Hill) The race for mayor of Sioux Falls, S.D., is headed for a recount after two candidates were separated by a two-vote difference in Tuesday’s election.

When ballots were tallied that evening, former state legislator Christine Erickson (R) pulled ahead of state Sen. Jamie Smith (D) by just two votes, in a city of more than 210,000 people

“When people think, ‘My voice doesn’t count,’ this is a prime example — every vote matters,” Erickson told reporters.

Both candidates acknowledged Tuesday night that the contest will likely be decided through a recount.

“We anticipate a recount, and we hope that these results stay true and stay even further than where we are tonight,” said Erickson.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politic ... 28&ei=35

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In a Blow to Trump, the Supreme Court Just Saved Mail-In Voting—For Now
By Ari Berman
June 29, 2026

Introduction:

(Mother Jones) In a surprise victory for voting rights, the Supreme Court on Monday upheld a Mississippi law allowing mail-in ballots to be counted up to five days after Election Day, as long as they had been postmarked by the day of the election.

The 5-4 decision by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, which was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s three liberal justices, averts a major election disaster that would have injected chaos into the midterms. Fourteen states have mail-in ballot grace periods on the books, and 30 states accept ballots from overseas and military voters sent before or on Election Day but only received after. The New York Times found that during the 2024 election “at least 725,000 ballots were postmarked by Election Day and arrived within the legally accepted post-election window.” Changing mail-in ballot deadlines months before the general election could have disenfranchised hundreds of thousands of voters who could have been unaware of the stricter rules, or have their ballots thrown out because of postal delays, or because they live in remote, rural locations in states like Alaska.

Overruling the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Barrett affirmed that such laws are constitutional. “In sum, the election-day statutes require the electorate’s choice to be made on election day,” she wrote. “That occurs so long as election day is the deadline for individuals to vote—as it is in Mississippi. But the election-day statutes do not set a deadline for ballot receipt, so they do not prevent Mississippi from counting ballots postmarked before election day yet received afterward.”

Justice Samuel Alito dissented, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh. “The acceptance of these late-arriving ballots effectively postpones the date on which the electorate’s choice is made, and federal law precludes that postponement,” Alito claimed, even though late-arriving ballots do nothing to change a voter’s choice on Election Day, since ballots are still required to be submitted by then.

Read more here: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2 ... for-now/

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‘A Disaster for Democracy’: Report Shows Surging Corporate Spending in 2026 Elections
By Julia Conley
June 30, 2026

Introduction:

(Common Dreams )As the right-wing majority on the US Supreme Court on Tuesday handed down a 6-3 ruling that campaign finance reform advocates warned would give special interest groups and rich donors yet another way to curry favor with politicians, a new report from government watchdog Public Citizen revealed how “corporate supremacist” groups have already set records for spending in this year’s midterm elections.
There are still more than four months to go until the general election, but according to “The Rise of Corporate Supremacist Super PACs,” by research director Rick Claypool, this campaign cycle accounts for nearly one-third of all corporate political spending since the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (FEC) ruling.

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/scot ... pending

“The Rise of Corporate Supremacist Super PACs
By Rick Claypool
June 30, 2026

(Public Citizen)
Key Findings
• Cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, Big Tech and online betting corporations have collectively spent $294 million to influence federal elections in the 2026 midterm cycle, reflecting a strategic move to spend directly on political action committees to influence federal elections.
• These corporate super PAC political contributions make up 57% of the $517 million that corporations have reported spending on the 2026 midterms so far.
• The 2026 total so far amounts to nearly one third of the $1.58 billion that corporations have spent since the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC to allow direct corporate spending in federal elections.
• The half-billion in midterm spending by corporations breaks the previous record of $461 million in disclosed federal corporate spending set during the 2024 cycle.
• The primary beneficiaries of the $60 million in spending by Big Tech and AI corporations are the sector-focused Leading the Future ($50.1 million) and MAGA Inc. ($6 million)

Read More Here: https://www.citizen.org/article/corpor ... -betting/

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Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros Topples a Nearly 30-year Incumbent to Win Colorado House Primary
By William Steakin
July 1, 2026

Introduction:

(Politico) Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated 15-term Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette on Tuesday, delivering one of the biggest shocks of the Democratic primary season amid a growing streak of wins for the insurgent left.

Kiros’ win in the contest for Colorado’s 1st District topples a 68-year-old representative who had held the seat since before her 29-year-old challenger was born.

It’s a victory that echoes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) stunning 2018 upset over 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley in New York, and delivers democratic socialists fresh momentum.

DeGette’s loss, after representing the district since 1997, seemed unthinkable in the state just months ago, but Kiros rode the same anti-incumbent wave that swept through New York’s Democratic primaries last week, where Reps. Adriano Espaillat and Dan Goldman were ousted in a dramatic show of the left’s growing strength.

The defeat is a stunning one for the Democratic establishment, though warning signs had been building for months inside DeGette’s campaign, with allies privately acknowledging the race was tightening and the representative’s team spending weeks urging national Democrats and allied groups to come to her aid.

Read more here: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/ ... 00983237

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Takeaways from Colorado's Primary Elections
By John Fraank
July 1, 2026

Extract::

(Axios) Colorado progressives flexed their muscle in Tuesday's Democratic primary, scoring marquee wins up and down the ballot.
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In the race for secretary of state, the Democrat recommended by the local democratic socialist chapter, Amanda Gonzalez, handily defeated veteran state Sen. Jessie Danielson.
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U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper won the Democratic nomination (for U.S. Senate) by a double-digit margin, but state Sen. Julie Gonzales defeated him in Denver — the state's Democratic bastion — while taking at least 44% of the vote overall.
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In a stunning upset, Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated (Senator Michael) Bennet, 55% to 45%, for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politic ... b9&ei=52

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Progressive Manny Rutinel Wins Primary in Battleground Colorado House District
By Andrew Howard
June 30, 2026

Introduction:

(Politico) Progressive state Rep. Manny Rutinel will take on GOP Rep. Gabe Evans this fall, setting up a contentious general election in one of Democrats’ top pickup targets — and giving Republicans the candidate they hoped to face.

Rutinel defeated the more-moderate former state Rep. Shannon Bird in Tuesday’s primary for Colorado’s 8th District, bolstered by big spending from his campaign and its allies, including prominent Latino groups that see Rutinel as the best candidate to court the key voting bloc back to Democrats. The district is 40 percent Latino.

But Republicans believe they have a better chance at beating Rutinel than they would have Bird in the battleground seat. They’ve boosted pictures of the progressive rallying alongside democratic socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and are quickly recycling statements from Bird’s allies who said Rutinel would be unable to win in November.

Rutinel has softened his positions on some of the left’s top issues, including his previous support for Medicare for All and opposition to fracking.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politic ... 82&ei=80

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Relying on 270 to Win for polling results (unless otherwise indicated), here is an updated review of close U.S. Senate races.

Maine - Platner (D) 48% to Collins (R) 43%. Platner has won the Democratic party nomination. Platner is facing recent sex related scandal headlines. Collins has a history of dramatically overperforming over poll results. This would be a pickup for the Democrats should Platner win. A FOX News poll conducted June 23 to June 27 shows Platner trailing with 47% to Collins with 50%. This was a poll of 1003 registered voters, so voter enthusiasm and relative turnout could be critical.

Ohio - Brown (D) 53% to 45% for his Republican opponent. This would be a pickup for the Democrats should Brown win. A New York Times Sienna poll conducted June 15 to June 28, 2026 showed Brown trailing 47% to 50% among likely voters.

North Carolina - Cooper (D) 50% over Whatley (R) 39%. This would be a pickup for the Democrats should Cooper win. A New York Times Siena poll shows Cooper with 50% and Whatley at 43%. That poll was conducted between June 15, and June 29. Source: https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/ ... s-whatley

Michigan - Stevens (D) 48% to Rogers (R) 41%. Other poll results show Rogers at 42% versus Stevens at 39%. Stevens leads in polling results in the primary to win the Democratic party nomination. This would be a pickup for the Republicans should Rogers win in the general election. According to a Mitchell Research and Communications poll, former Congressman Mike Rogers has a 4%-6% lead over Haley Stevens and Mallory McMorrow, but trails Abdul El-Sayed by 5%. This statewide poll was of 827 likely voters and was conducted June 11 through June 13, 2026. A Quantas Insight poll has Rogers at 44% and E-Sayed at 45%. That poll was conducted on June 29 - June 30, 2026 and was of 947 likely voters. Source: https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/ ... s-el-sayed

Texas - Talarico (D) 47% to Paxton (R) 44%. Expect a lot of money to boost Paxton's chances of reversing this early result. This would be a pickup for the Democrats should Talarico win. A New Times Sienna poll showed both candidates tied at 47%. That poll was conducted June 19 through June 27, 2026 and was of 656 likely voters.

Alaska - Peltola (D) 48% to 44% for her Republican opponent. This would be a pickup for the Democrats should Peltola win. A New York Times Sienna poll conducted June 15 to June 29, 2026 showed Peltola with 45% trailing Republican Sullivan with 47%.

Florida - Vindman (D) 47% to Moody (R) 45%. Another poll shows Moody winning 48% to 40% over Vindman. This would be a pickup for the Democrats should Vindman win.

Nebraska - Osborn (Independent) 47% to 42% for his Republican opponent. In the absence of a strong Democratic contender, Democrats are hoping for a win for Osborn. Presumably, Osborn would caucus with the Democrats should he win. This seat is currently controlled by a Republican.

Source of 270 to win polling results: https://www.270towin.com/polls/latest-2 ... pilot.com

Iowa. According to a Fox News poll “Democrat Josh Turek has an early 4-point advantage over Republican Ashley Hinson: 50% vs. 46%. It’s an edge that’s within the poll’s margin of error.” This poll was conducted June 23-27, 2026. This would be a pickup for the Democrats should Turek win.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-ne ... ewing-iowa

Summary. While Maine, Texas and Alaska appear to be slipping out of Democrat control, Iowa is now recognized as in the mix of close Senate races. Many of the races shown are within the margin of error. Election results may depend upon whether candidates over-perform versus these early polling results.

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[firestar464]

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Let's be honest..Colins is going to win as this man sucks and is probably on his way out...

So Maine, Texas and Alaska are probably at least lean Republican.

[firestar464]

I don't think this is going to have any impact on Texas and Alaska, as neither Talarico nor Peltola are known for vigorously defending this guy.

[firestar464]