Illinois results solidify JB Pritzker’s ‘powerhouse’ role — and set up a White House run
By Natasha Korecki Carol Moseley Braun — the former U.S. senator from Illinois and first Black woman to hold the office — had just ended a call with newly minted Democratic Senate nominee Juliana Stratton on Wednesday when she reflected on why the victory was “obviously” good for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. “He’ll have a senator on his side,” Moseley Braun said in an interview with NBC News. “Running for the presidency — different offices, different dynamics involved — but the more senators on your side, the better.” Moseley Braun said the quiet part out loud. Officially, Pritzker is seeking a
Conservative voter fraud hunters pitch new computer programs to state officials
By Jane C. Timm The creators of a controversial program designed to hunt for voter fraud that was promoted by conservative activists are pitching two new programs to state election officials ahead of the midterms. The first election software from Dr. John W. “Rick” Richards Jr. and his son, John W. Richards III, called EagleAI, promised to help officials and activists root out inaccurate voter registrations in the run-up to the 2024 election. The program was embraced by members of the Election Integrity Network, the group founded by Cleta Mitchell, a former election lawyer for President Donald Trump. But it was also criticized
Republicans resist calls for Iran war hearings, creating a new standoff with Democrats
By Stephen Groves The United States’ war with Iran is entering its third week, but Congress has yet to publicly test the Trump administration’s case for the conflict. Republicans in Congress have so far side-stepped public debate over the war, even as Senate Democrats reach for every tool at their disposal to demand hearings with Trump administration officials. Increasingly frustrated, Democrats are threatening this week to force a series of votes on the war, hoping that the effort to gum up the Senate’s voting schedule will prod Republicans to action. “We’ve had no oversight whatsoever over what the executive is doing as
Senate begins debating Trump-backed SAVE America Act, but it’s unlikely to pass
By Sahil Kapur, Frank Thorp V and Ryan Nobles The vote was 51-48, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, joining unified Democrats in opposition. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., didn’t vote. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has promised “an extended debate” on the legislation, which President Donald Trump has labeled his “No. 1 priority.” But it doesn’t have a viable path to pass in the Senate. The legislation would require Americans to show proof of citizenship — passports or birth certificates — in person to register to vote. It would require voters to show photo identification to cast ballots, including by mail. And it would
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton wins Democratic Senate primary in Illinois
By Bridget Bowman, Kailani Koenig and Shaquille Brewster Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has won the Democratic Senate primary in Illinois, NBC News projects, vaulting ahead of two members of Congress with a boost from Gov. JB Pritzker in the expensive race. Stratton defeated Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, taking aim at members of her party in Washington, D.C., for not standing up to President Donald Trump. Stratton was leading vote-rich Cook County with 40% to Krishnamoorthi’s 29% and Kelly’s 23%, with around 80% of the expected vote in. Stratton, a South Side native,
Illinois primary puts Democratic divides on display up and down the ballot
By Bridget Bowman, Ben Kamisar and Natasha Korecki Virtually all of the different battles simmering inside the Democratic Party this year are on display in Tuesday’s primaries in Illinois, where retirements by key House Democrats and the state’s senior senator opened new theaters for intraparty hostilities. Deep disagreements over issues like immigration and Israel policy, tactical battles over how best to take on the Trump administration, questions about age and whether to empower a new generation of leaders, and the enduring tug of war between progressives and moderates for influence in the party are all at the forefront as Illinois Democrats weigh potential successors
Most Americans support requiring photo ID to vote. Democrats in Congress reject it.
By Sahil Kapur WASHINGTON — Republicans are aggressively touting a popular provision in their sweeping SAVE America Act to overhaul elections nationwide: requiring photo identification to vote. It’s a policy long opposed by Democrats in Congress, who liken it to nefarious Jim Crow-era laws aimed at preventing African Americans from voting. But that message is increasingly falling flat with the American public, including Black voters, as photo IDs are increasingly required for common activities, like flying. A Pew Research Center poll in August tested a variety of election rules and found that 83% of U.S. adults support “requiring all voters to show government-issued photo identification to
As Trump pressures Congress on the SAVE America Act, states push their own versions
By Jane C. Timm As a Republican push to pass the SAVE America Act has stalled in Congress, even amid escalating pressure from President Donald Trump, efforts are underway at the state level to fill in the gaps. Lawmakers in a dozen states have advanced legislation this year that would require residents to prove their U.S. citizenship to register to vote or bring photo ID to the polls, according to the Voting Rights Lab, a nonpartisan group that tracks election legislation. Those proposals are two of the central planks of the SAVE America Act at the national level. The latest example comes in Florida, where
Voters who say economic and political systems are stacked against them tie a record high
By Bridget Bowman Nearly 6 in 10 voters say the economic and political systems are stacked against people like them, tying a record high over roughly 40 years of national NBC News polling. According to the latest NBC News survey, 59% of registered voters agreed that those systems are stacked against them, while 38% disagreed with that sentiment and 3% were not sure. The share who agreed with that notion tied a high point in April 1992, a record set after NBC News began polling this question in 1988. An overwhelming share of voters (84%) say they agree with the statement that
GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom to face off in Mississippi Senate race
By Bridget Bowman GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith will face off against Democrat Scott Colom in November in Mississippi, with NBC News projecting that both have won their respective primaries on Tuesday. It will be a difficult race for Colom, a district attorney. A Democrat has not won a Senate race in Mississippi since 1982 and President Donald Trump won the state by 23 points in 2024. And Ty Pinkins, who was the Democratic Senate nominee against GOP Sen. Roger Wicker in 2024, is running for Senate again, but as an independent. But some Democrats, including Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Kirsten
