September 4, 2026

Election 2026

Speaker Johnson Backs DeSantis on Florida’s Redistricting Plan– slaynews.com

pgnewser April 24, 2026 0

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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is urging Florida Republicans to move forward with a new congressional map, signaling a counteroffensive after Democrats narrowly pushed through a controversial redistricting referendum in Virginia.

The Virginia measure, approved Tuesday by a razor-thin margin, is expected to dramatically reshape the state’s congressional delegation in Democrats’ favor ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Viriginia Says Yes to Progressive Gerrymandering

pgnewser April 23, 2026 0

The Progressives won a major battle in the ongoing gerrymandering wars, this time scoring a narrow victory in Virginia. The ballot measure allows the progressives to change U.S. House Districts to effectively take 4 Republican seats away. The now-passed ballot measure faces legal challenges.

Dems Win In Virginia, Could Lose In Court– thefederalist.com
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Democrats and their well-heeled funders have won their rigged referendum to rig Virginia’s congressional maps, but the political boundary battle isn’t over yet.

Now come the court challenges, and that’s where the redistricting revisionists could lose their big win thanks to their unabashed manipulation of Virginia law.

“It’s illegal actually for a number of reasons,” Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, told me last week, a few days before Tuesday’s election, on The Dan O’Donnell Show in Milwaukee.

Snead asserts that Virginia Democrats, who hold the commonwealth’s political trifecta, have steamrolled the process while abandoning their plastic principles. His election watchdog organization is involved in one of several lawsuits challenging the maps and the referendum that gave Democrats the shaky imprimatur to implement them.

GOP’s Outside-Money Edge Is Being Built by Billionaires, Oil, and Crypto– readsludge.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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The two giant super PACs closely tied to Republican leaders in the House and Senate are relying on billionaire donors, the fossil fuel industry, cryptocurrency firms, and Big Tobacco to bankroll their defense of Congress.

Around half of the combined haul of the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) and the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) has come from billionaires—at least $133.5 million—according to a Sludge analysis of Federal Election Commission data from the start of 2025 through March 2026. The billionaires include reclusive President Trump megadonor Timothy Mellon, casino mogul Steve Wynn, Republican megadonors Christopher and Jude Reyes, poultry magnate Ronald Cameron, and cryptocurrency tycoons the Winklevoss twins. It’s possible that more billionaires have donated to the SLF and CLF through their “dark money” affiliates, which hide the names of donors from the public.

The SLF and CLF were the top-spending outside groups nationwide in the 2022 midterms—though this time around, many more super PACs are loaded up with record amounts of cash to spend. The groups, aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), spend heavily on attack ads against Democrats and independent expenditures supporting Republicans each cycle.

GOP Knows Only Way They Could Keep House ‘Was If They Cheated’– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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On Tuesday’s broadcast of MS NOW’s “The Last Word,” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) argued that Republicans “understood that the only way they could possibly maintain a majority in the House of Representatives” “was if they cheated, if they went seeking seats in places like Texas, which is why the president began this effort.”

Host Lawrence O’Donnell asked, “You’ve just come from the House of Representatives, to the governorship, in this last election. In your view, what would it mean if the Republicans were able to conspire with Donald Trump to increase the number of Republicans in the House of Representatives so that they could cling to control of the House of Representatives for two more years?”

Spanberger answered, “Well, I think they very much understood that the only way they could possibly maintain a majority in the House of Representatives — of course, they have a slim, slim majority at the moment — was if they cheated, if they went seeking seats in places like Texas, which is why the president began this effort. Because he knew that, at the midterms, much like, back in 2018, when I was first elected to Congress, that his poor leadership, the chaos that he is creating, the war he’s begun with Iran, skyrocketing gas prices, failed promise after failed promise, would be enough to propel yet another blue wave in a midterm, in the 2026 midterm election.”

Trump Just Cost Republicans The House As Virginia Voters Pass New Map Boosting Democrats– www.politicususa.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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Trump’s scheme to steal the midterm election by getting red states to gerrymander more Republican House seats was a poorly thought-out effort with great potential to backfire from the moment it was launched.

The president assumed that Democrats would not fight back. Trump also assumed that red states would line up around the country to carry out his wishes.

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Democrats did fight back by playing by the same rules that Trump established. In California, Democrats romped to a new map that could net them five House seats. While in red states like Kansas and Indiana, Republicans refused to redraw their maps. Ohio Republicans rejected a full-scale gerrymander and went with a fairer map after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries threatened them with a ballot referendum.

‘The GOP should’ve done more’: Virginia Republicans point fingers after gerrymandering loss– www.politico.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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After a narrow loss in Virginia, Republicans are pointing fingers as President Donald Trump’s national gerrymandering fight slips into a stalemate.

Multiple Republicans say the party should’ve spent much more, much earlier to have a better shot at blocking Democrats’ Virginia map, which could give the party as many as four more House seats. And pressure is now growing on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to make up for Democrats’ gains with a GOP-led redistricting effort in his state, as soon as next week.

“You’d be hard pressed to find a single Republican tonight who doesn’t think the GOP should’ve done more in Virginia. It actually hurts more that it was so close,” said a GOP operative, granted anonymity to speak candidly, like others in this article.

There are mounting signs that Trump and the GOP have used valuable time and political capital on an arduous tit-for-tat that is so far looking like it will be close to a draw. Even if Republicans squeeze out gains in a new Florida map, their total gains are likely to be modest at best.

It’s Not Over — the Courts Could (And Should) Neuter Virginia’s Anti-Democratic Gerrymandering Gambit – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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For the moment, the Democrats have won. Their Machiavellian gerrymandering scheme passed by a slim margin Tuesday night, slicing and dicing Virginia’s congressional districts into a ridiculous jigsaw puzzle that most closely resembles Illinois’ comical maps — meaning they have no logic, other than to rig the result and disenfranchise millions of voters.

 

DUKE: Virginia Approves Heinous ‘Lobster District’ Map That Rips Power From Rural Voters– dailycaller.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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Virginians voted Tuesday to approve a redistricting map introduced by Democrats that allows wealthy, Democratic residents in northern Virginia to outvote rural residents in the state. 

The new gerrymandered map changes the balance of power from 6-5 to 10-1 in Democrats’ favor, even though the state went just under six points to Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Democrats claim it is a “temporary measure” — existing through the 2030 Census — to combat President Donald Trump.

Former President Barack Obama was one of the chief spokespeople for the new map, alongside Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, who ran in the 2025 election as a moderate Democrat. 

The map itself is truly something to behold. The so-called “lobster district” — Virginia’s new 7th congressional district proposed by the map — starts up north with a sliver of blue Fairfax County and then splits into two arms just north of Charlottesville, where the University of Virginia is located. The proposed 8th district similarly starts in Fairfax and then snakes down to the area east of Richmond. 

Dems brace for a close finish on Virginia redistricting effort– www.politico.com

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

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Democrats hope gerrymandering Virginia will give them the edge they need to win back the House. But Tuesday’s special election is proving more competitive than they’d like.

Tight polling and concerns over voter turnout in an atypical April election have many Democratic party strategists and officials preparing for a close finish.

“I always thought this campaign would be close [and] 24 hours out, I believe that to be the case,” Democratic strategist Jared Leopold said on Monday, before the final day of voting.

“Anytime you’re on the ‘yes’ side of a referendum, you’ve got the burden of proof,” he added. “It doesn’t matter what the referendum is, but anytime you’re arguing for ‘yes,’ the other side is going to be arguing for the status quo.”

National Popular Vote Empowers States With Lax Election Security– thefederalist.com

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

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Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill making Virginia the latest participant in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact last week, as the compact draws perilously close to upending our constitutional order. Every American who cherishes our republic should take notice.

For years, left-leaning pundits and politicians have campaigned to scrap the Electoral College, the method the founders gave us for choosing presidents. Their vehicle is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. With Virginia’s recent entry, the compact now includes 19 jurisdictions (18 states plus the District of Columbia) controlling 222 electoral votes. That falls short of the 270 needed to trigger the scheme, but the trajectory is clear and troubling.

Virginia’s action carries special irony. This is the state of James Madison, the Father of the Constitution. Yet in April 2026 Virginia has joined an effort that effectively rewrites a core feature of the document Madison helped design.

California Governor Frontrunner Releases Radical Plan To Throw Federal Immigration Officers In Prison– wltreport.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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A billionaire running for governor of California just released a plan so radical it makes Gavin Newsom look like a moderate.

Tom Steyer, the hedge fund billionaire and failed 2020 presidential candidate who now leads the Democrat primary field for California governor, published a five-point immigration platform this week that calls for abolishing ICE, jailing federal immigration agents, and using state funds to bring deported illegal aliens back to California.

You read that right. He wants to arrest the people enforcing federal law and roll out the red carpet for those who broke it.

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin laid out the details:

A new, telling sign emerges about GOP’s midterm fears– www.dailykos.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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It’s been about a week since now-former Rep. Tony Gonzales resigned from Congress after the Texas Republican admitted to having an unethical sexual relationship with at least one former aide, who later died by suicide.

Yet the state’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, has yet to set a special election to fill Gonzales’ seat—and that silence is telling.

President Donald Trump carried Gonzales’ seat by just over 15 percentage points in 2024, according to data from The Downballot. In a normal year, that would make this seat a GOP lock.

However, this election cycle has been anything but normal.

Last year, Trump pulled New York Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to serve as ambassador to the United Nations because he worried her seat would be competitive in a special election. And Trump carried Stefanik’s seat by nearly 21 points—making her Upstate New York district even stronger Republican territory.

More Signs Point to 2026 Blue Wave

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

New polls have come out that show four key Senate Races are shifting from toss-up to leans Democrat. This reflects other polls that show similar rises in Democrat numbers, along with rises in funding.

Four Key Senate Races Shift Toward Democrats › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
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An independent, nonpartisan newsletter that analyzes state, federal, and presidential elections says four key U.S. Senate races has shifted toward the Democrats in the upcoming November midterm elections.

According to The Hill, The Cook Political Report shifted the ratings to the left on Monday for the North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, and Nebraska senate races but says the GOP is still favored to maintain its majority in the upper chamber.

Jessica Taylor, the senate and governors editor for the report, said the economy is creating an increasingly sour national environment for Republicans and moving a handful of states toward the Democrats.

ABC News Uses Trump Pope Leo XIV Clash to Target Catholic Voters in 2026– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

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The Elitist Media continue to treat the exchanges between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV as an opportunity to try to drive Catholics from the President’s coalition ahead of the midterms. And absolutely no one is more ham-handed about it than ABC News.

Watch Rachel Scott’s report rehashing the controversy, with a sprinkling of Vice President JD Vance’s remarks at a Turning Point USA Event in Georgia, as aired on ABC’s World News Tonight on Wednesday, April 15th, 2026 (click “expand” to view transcript):

Republicans could lose House and Senate majorities—and they know it– www.dailykos.com

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

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Republicans have expressed fears both publicly and privately that their congressional majorities are in serious danger in November, as voters angry with President Donald Trump’s war in Iran and the fact that it’s making life even more unaffordable in the United States threaten to punish the GOP at the ballot box.

But now they have moved on from merely talking about those fears to taking concrete steps that make it clear they know their prospects are dire and that they are on track to lose control of not just the House but the Senate, too.

On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he is taking steps to ensure that Republicans will be ready to replace Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito should he choose to retire this summer, giving a little hint-hint to the 76-year-old with a lifetime appointment who was recently hospitalized with an unspecified illness.

Pappas holds cash advantage over GOP rivals in New Hampshire– www.politico.com

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

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Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) holds a sizable cash advantage over his GOP rivals in the race for New Hampshire’s open Senate seat.

The Democrat raked in $3.3 million to his campaign account over the first quarter of the year as he vies to succeed retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). Pappas, who faces only nominal opposition for his party’s nomination, entered April with $4.2 million in his war chest, according to his Federal Election Commission filing.

Pappas’ leading GOP competitor, former Sen. John E. Sununu, raised $1.1 million directly to his campaign account and had nearly $1.9 million in cash on hand. He spent just $349,000, per his filing — a significantly lower burn rate than Pappas, who spent $2.3 million over the last three months.

Sununu’s primary rival, former Sen. Scott Brown, lagged even further behind. Brown raised a modest $321,000 and entered the second quarter with $783,000 in his campaign coffers. He spent more money than he brought in, according to his filing.

Maine’s Dem Senate Hopeful Apparently Likes Watching Jewish People Die– townhall.com

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

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The New York Times published a detailed article about how national Democrats are losing enthusiasm for Maine’s Senate race. Incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins is at risk, but the leading candidate in the Democratic primary is an oyster farmer with Nazi tattoos, who also trained with an Antifa-like militia. He apologized for getting the tattoo, removed it, then withdrew the apology, and now appears to suggest that his military service turned him into a Nazi, or something similar.

Ossoff builds massive cash edge as Georgia GOP field remains unsettled– www.politico.com

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

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Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff holds a massive fundraising advantage over the Republicans hoping to unseat him in November, giving him a head start as the GOP field remains fractured.

Ossoff, considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents of the cycle, raised $14 million during the first quarter of the year and ended with more than $31 million cash on hand — a significant war chest that dwarfs the combined totals of his Republican challengers, according to filings from the Federal Elections Commission.

On the GOP side, Rep. Mike Collins led in first-quarter fundraising, raising just over $1 million and entering the second quarter with $2.1 million in cash on hand. Collins has been a front-runner in public polling of the race, but with a large share of voters still undecided ahead of the May primary, the contest appears increasingly likely to head to a June runoff.

Virginia Should Look to Maryland on Redistricting– www.dailysignal.com

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

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Maryland’s Legislature is run by Democrats, yet it refuses to gerrymander the congressional districts in its state. Virginia Democrats could learn something from the Free State.

Like it or not, Virginia is constantly comparing herself to next-door Maryland. Out of the 47 seats in the Maryland Senate, 34 are held by Democrats.

Still, those senators chose to leave mid-decade redistricting in a committee drawer rather than comply with former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and his nationwide redistricting campaign.

To be fair, President Donald Trump did say it would be nice if Texas — when ordered by the courts to redraw a few districts because they failed the Voting Rights Act “majority-minority” litmus test — made a few more Republican-majority seats.