Seth McLaughlin

Democrats shatter primary turnout records, bank on anti-Trump enthusiasm to deliver Congress

Democrats saw a surge in voter turnout in primaries in flyover country this month, leaving party leaders salivating over a potential enthusiasm gap they hope will deliver control of Congress and several major governorships in November.

August 16, 2018

Leah Vukmir wins Republican Senate primary in Wisconsin

Leah Vukmir emerged victorious in the hard-fought and costly GOP Senate race in Wisconsin, giving her a chance to take on Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in the November election.

August 14, 2018

Randy Bryce, ‘Iron Stache,’ wins Democratic House primary in Paul Ryan’s district

Randy Bryce emerged victorious in the Democratic primary race in Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, notching another win for liberal activists and putting the man known as "Iron Stache" a step closer to flipping House Speaker Paul Ryan's seat in the fall election.

August 14, 2018

Christine Hallquist win ‘defining moment’ for U.S., transgender rights advocates say

Transgender rights advocates touted Christine Hallquist's victory in Vermont's Democratic gubernatorial race as a "defining moment" for the United States.

August 14, 2018

Jeff Colyer concedes to Trump ally Kris Kobach in Kansas governor race

Gov. Jeff Colyer of Kansas on Tuesday conceded defeat in the Republican primary race, paving the way for Secretary of State Kris Kobach to seize the party's gubernatorial nomination a week after voters went to the polls.

August 14, 2018

Ron Paul Revolution falls victim to frustration, Donald Trump

Although Ron Paul's 2008 and 2012 presidential runs didn't make much of a mark on the election, they did threaten to upend the Republican Party, with Paul acolytes grabbing control of state parties and sparking major rules changes and demanding that the party adopt his libertarian-infused ideas. But somewhere along the way, the revolution ran aground.

August 14, 2018

Iowa Democrats raising money for toilet paper ahead of midterm election

The Iowa Democratic party pulled back the curtain Tuesday on one of the bare essentials needed to run a well-oiled political machine in 2018: toilet paper.

August 14, 2018

Heidi Heitkamp’s record on ‘sanctuary cities’ attacked in NRSC ad

The National Republican Senatorial Committee released a new attack ad Tuesday accusing Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of being soft on "sanctuary cities."

August 14, 2018

NRA endorses Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi Senate race

The National Rifle Association picked sides Monday in Mississippi's special Senate election, throwing its support behind Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

August 13, 2018

Chris Collins, New York Republican, suspends campaign following arrest for insider trading

Rep. Chris Collins announced Saturday he is suspending his re-election campaign days after getting arrested on charges of insider trading.

August 11, 2018

House Democrats: Collins arrest shows ‘fish rots from the head’ in Trump era

Looking to capitalize on Rep. Chris Collins' legal problems, House Democrats on Thursday said the New York Republican's arrest for insider trading shines a bright light on the corruption that has infected the GOP on President Trump's watch and gotten in the way of good governance.

August 9, 2018

Donald Trump casts himself as deciding factor in GOP election wins

President Trump said he's the magic touch for struggling Republican candidates after his picks won a series of victories Tuesday.

August 8, 2018

Tom Perez, DNC chair: Narrow Ohio special election loss is ‘good sign’ for Democrats in midterms

The head of the Democratic National Committee said their House candidate's near victory in Ohio's 12th Congressional District bodes well for the party's chances of flipping control of the House this fall.

August 8, 2018

Kris Kobach holds narrow lead in Kansas GOP gubernatorial race

The fate of the GOP gubernatorial race in Kansas between Gov. Jeff Colyer and Kris Kobach, the secretary of state, remained in limbo Wednesday as votes from the election continued to trickle in.

August 8, 2018

Liberals tout successes, ride ‘progressive wave’ in primaries

Liberals celebrated a number of primary victories Tuesday, saying voters will have the opportunity this fall to send more bold leaders to Congress as part of a "progressive wave."

August 8, 2018

Troy Balderson-Danny O’Connor Ohio House special election too early to call as polls close

Republican Troy Balderson clung to a narrow lead over Democrat Danny O'Connor in a barn burner of a special election race for an open House seat in Ohio, with the candidates separated by less an a percentage point hours after polls closed.

August 7, 2018

Scott Taylor re-election bid roiled by allegations of bogus signatures

Rep. Scott Taylor is facing scrutiny over allegations that his staffers collected bogus campaign signatures on behalf of an independent candidate in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District -- part of an effort that, according to political observers, appears to be aimed at siphoning votes away from his Democratic challenger Elaine Luria.

August 7, 2018

Donald Trump backs GOP nominee Troy Balderson in Ohio special election

President Trump's political reputation is on the line in a special congressional election in Ohio, where the White House is trying to pull Republican Troy Balderson over the finish line Tuesday.

August 6, 2018

Abdul El-Sayed leads liberal ‘identity politics’ push for Democrat diversity

The liberal push to remake the Democratic Party into a more progressive and diverse political organization will be tested this week in Michigan, where a coalition of grassroots groups has unified behind Abdul El-Sayed's underdog quest to become the nation's first Muslim governor.

August 5, 2018

Kamala Harris: Black women deserve bigger role in Democratic politics

Sen. Kamala Harris said Friday black women deserve to have a bigger voice in the upper echelons of the Democratic Party and launched a preemptive strike against those that might try to criticize her vision as "identity politics."

August 3, 2018