Delaware Gives Black Voters New Protections Against Election Discrimination
By Brandon Tensley WILMINGTON, Delaware — Wearing his Sunday best, Corey Gordon Jr. drove 30 minutes to Shiloh Baptist Church in Wilmington, Delaware, to witness a historic event that would impact his fundamental right to vote. The 22-year-old graduate of the University of Delaware saw firsthand how anti-diversity backlash could unsettle a campus. Over the past year, the school sparked controversy when it temporarily removed research documenting its ties to slavery and asked organizations that focus on diversity to take down their posters. So when the former president of the university’s NAACP chapter learned that Delaware was preparing to enact legislation to protect Black
David Crowley pulls off upset over Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor
By Adam Edelman Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has won the Democratic primary in Wisconsin’s race for governor, NBC News projects, dealing a major upset to democratic socialist Francesca Hong. The result marks a dramatic turnaround for Crowley, who had dropped out of the race roughly a month ago after initially struggling to gain traction only to re-enter days later with outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement. Hong, a state lawmaker from Madison, had led in the polls in the final stretch of the race, but faced growing scrutiny over her past controversial positions and general election viability. Her loss is
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she hasn’t ruled out a potential run for president or Senate in 2028
By Alexandra Marquez Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Sunday that she hasn’t ruled out a potential run for president or the Senate in 2028, echoing remarks she has made while campaigning for congressional candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections. “I’m focused on winning the midterms. I’m running for Congress right now,” Ocasio-Cortez first told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday when asked whether she plans to run for president in two years. Pressed further by “This Week” host Jonathan Karl, Ocasio-Cortez added, “I haven’t ruled out the possibility. And I’m very humbled to the tremendous amount of support out there.” But she
From Michigan’s Senate and governor primary to Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, a number of key races in primary elections Tuesday could signal the future for Democrats and Republicans.
Courtesy of NPR Five states hold primaries Tuesday, with competitive House and Senate races that could ultimately decide control of Congress next year. Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia and Washington are all holding contests. A number of Democratic primaries are pitting congressional incumbents against progressive challengers. Redistricting efforts will also influence the races. Missouri Republicans redrew their map to squeeze Democrats, while Virginia moved its primary from June to August for a Democratic redistricting push that courts ultimately threw out. Democrats choose between moderates and progressives The open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, a swing state, has two Democratic candidates lodged in a tight
Missouri voters block GOP-led effort to raise bar to pass constitutional amendments
By Jane C. Timm Missouri voters blocked a Republican-led effort to raise the bar for passing citizen-led constitutional amendments, NBC News projects. Under current state law, such ballot measures require a simple statewide majority for passage, a process that has been used in recent years to grant abortion rights, expand Medicaid and legalize marijuana. But Amendment 4 would have required citizen-led ballot initiatives to win a majority in each of Missouri’s congressional districts, boundaries that are drawn by state lawmakers. Other ballot measures, like those referred from the Legislature, would not have been subject to this higher bar. It would have
Rep. Wesley Bell defeats former Rep. Cori Bush in a Missouri Democratic primary rematch
By Sahil Kapur and Brennan Leach ST. LOUIS — Rep. Wesley Bell defeated former Rep. Cori Bush in a Democratic primary rematch, NBC News projects, in the latest chapter of a long-term fight over a deep-blue St. Louis-based district. Bell overwhelmed Bush on the airwaves, fending off her push to make the race a referendum on his support for U.S. aid to Israel. In total, Bell’s campaign and outside allies outspent Bush by a staggering 27-to-1 ratio, according to AdImpact, an ad-tracking service. United Democracy Project — the super PAC linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel advocacy group known
Most Black Texas voters back Talarico over Paxton, poll finds, despite Senate primary tensions
By Alejandro Serrano Fewer than one in 10 Black voters in Texas say they are less likely to vote in November’s midterm elections due to U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s defeat in the Democratic primary, according to a poll released Tuesday that suggests James Talarico could face limited electoral fallout from the racial tensions that have persisted since he secured the U.S. Senate nomination. The survey of 500 Black Texans who voted in recent elections, fielded by Texas Southern University, provides a temperature check of the crucial voter bloc as Talarico continues efforts to coalesce Black Democrats behind his candidacy. While numerous Black political leaders have backed Talarico,
Govs. Kevin Stitt and Wes Moore say civility can win general elections but primaries promote partisanship
By Alexandra Marquez Govs. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., and Wes Moore, D-Md., on Friday blamed partisan primaries for making politics more extreme and called for bringing back “dignity” in politics and government. Asked whether dignity is a quality that could win a presidential election, Stitt told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker, “I would think so.” They were speaking during a moderated conversation with Moore and Tim Shriver at the National Governors Association summer meeting in Oklahoma City. “I think the pendulum is swinging,” the Oklahoma governor added. “Of course, you get to the general election, it wins. But the problem is,
Trump administration urges Supreme Court to allow order targeting mail-in voting before midterms
By Lindsay Whitehurst The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to clear the way for an executive order from President Donald Trump that could dramatically change mail-in voting ahead of November’s midterm elections. The Justice Department asked the justices to halt for now lower court decisions blocking the sweeping changes in nearly half the country. The request comes shortly after Trump delivered a primetime address elevating his yearslong push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of elections, and could be one of several voting-related challenges before the court ahead of the high-stakes midterm contest. Trump ordered the government in March to create a “state
Federal judges allow new Tennessee congressional map that divides majority-Black district in Memphis
By The Associated Press A federal judicial panel has allowed Tennessee to use a new congressional map that breaks apart a majority-Black district in Memphis, providing another legal victory for Republicans who hope to gain an additional seat in this year’s midterm elections. A three-judge panel on Thursday declined to issue a preliminary injunction against the new districts, paving the way for them to be used in the Aug. 6 primary elections. Tennessee had revised its congressional districts in May, shortly after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities. President Donald Trump has urged Republican-led states to redraw districts to their
