https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election 2026 Election en-US Mon, 21 Sep 2026 01:24:49 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/republican-senate-campaign-coordinated-spending-surges Jenna Monnin The National Republican Senatorial Committee opened the floodgates after the Supreme Court struck down limits on party committees’ coordinated spending. Mon, 21 Sep 2026 01:24:49 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/republican-senate-campaign-coordinated-spending-surges The National Republican Senatorial Committee’s spending sharply escalated in August following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down federal limits capping how much parties could coordinate to spend on their candidates.

The NRSC logged less than $3 million in coordinated expenditures prior to the Supreme Court’s decision on July 30. In its most recent Federal Election Commission filing, the NRSC reported spending almost $46 million for candidates across the county.

The three largest coordinated spending allocations were more than $10 million for Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio, more than $8 million for Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa and nearly $8 million into Michael Whatley’s Senate race in North Carolina.

The committee also spent millions on Senate races for John Sununu in New Hampshire, Mike Rogers in Michigan, Rep. Mike Collins in Georgia and Sens. Susan Collins in Maine, Dan Sullivan in Alaska and Darline Graham in South Carolina.

The NRSC listed the purpose of the expenditures as media or direct mail production.

“The NRSC entered August with a record high cash on hand and invested it in coordinated communications,” spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez told The Washington Sun. “Republicans have already booked more in coordinated media and voter contact than our counterpart even has available in cash on hand.”

The NRSC had a more than $16 million cash-on-hand advantage over the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, according to FEC filings from July.

The DSCC did not increase its spending nearly as much. It spent less than $200,000 before the Supreme Court struck down the limits, and spent just over $1 million after the ruling, according to its most recent filing.

The coordinated spending totals reported to the FEC can represent future ad reservations, vendor contracts, polling, message testing and media training, as well as anything else the committees plan with candidates ahead of Election Day.

Before the Supreme Court ruling, campaign arms like the NRSC could only make coordinated spends of up to $61,800 per House candidate (or $123,600 if the state had only one seat). On the Senate side, the limits in 2024 ranged from $123,600 to almost $3.8 million depending on each state's voting-age population.

The NRSC teamed up with Vice President JD Vance when he was a senator from Ohio to file the lawsuit against the spending limits in 2022.

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the 6-3 majority opinion that spending of campaign organizations like the NRSC should be interpreted as an expression of free speech and the limits constituted a “severe infringement” on those rights.

“In light of the other meaningful prophylactic measures available to the Government, and given the severe infringement on First Amendment-protected political speech that ensues from limiting a political party’s spending in support of its candidates, we conclude that the political-party coordinated-expenditure limits are ‘disproportionate’ and are not ‘necessary’ and ‘narrowly tailored’ for the circumvention interest it seeks to protect,” Kavanaugh wrote.

He also wrote that eliminating the spending caps would allow party committees such as the NRSC to “participate more freely and compete more fully in the political process.”]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/jd-vance-iowa-speech-voters-crazy-democrats Associated Press The vice president spoke in Iowa in support of Republican candidates. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:58:21 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/jd-vance-iowa-speech-voters-crazy-democrats By Josh Boak and Seung Min Kim

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — Vice President JD Vance on Friday mounted a vigorous defense of the Trump administration's policies and Iowa GOP candidates on the November ballot, arguing that the Democrats had turned into the party of “lunatics," in his second trip to the politically consequential state this year.

While in Iowa, Vance tried to nationalize the elections, invoking Democratic candidates in other states such as Kansas, Texas and New York at a time when the state's Democratic ticket has tried to keep its focus local. But he took plenty of swings at Iowa Democrats, saying their candidate for governor, Rob Sand, was a “career politician" and not a moderate, despite his public persona.

“Let's send the crazy packing and get them out of Washington, D.C., and get them out of Des Moines,” Vance told the crowd at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, located on the western edge of the once-Republican stronghold state. Iowa has found itself with competitive races for the Senate and the governor’s mansion this year.

Zach Lahn, the GOP nominee for governor, campaigned alongside Vance, who showered him with effusive praise. But missing was Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, the party’s Senate candidate, who did not attend the rally Friday due to previously scheduled events, according to her campaign.

Council Bluffs is home to Josh Turek, the Democratic nominee for the Senate who represents the area in the Statehouse.

“It’s no mystery why Vance is here,” Turek wrote in a fundraising appeal ahead of Vance’s visit. “It’s because his billionaire bosses are terrified that their grip over Iowa is slipping — and with it, their narrow Senate majority.”

Vance spoke about job growth under the Trump administration and was greeted with cheers for the administration’s work on immigration and border security. Continuing on his laundry list of White House accomplishments, Vance mentioned the administration’s work to get “most favored nation” prescription drug prices and highlighted the policies on not taxing tips or overtime and protecting Social Security.

In the agriculture-heavy state, Vance said he was perhaps “most proud of what we’ve been able to do for Iowa farmers,” pointing to efforts by the administration to open up more global markets to American-grown food.

Still, Vance urged voters to be patient.

“Whenever you hear me talk during this midterm campaign, I’ll say Rome was not built in a day because we know there’s a lot of work to do,” Vance said.

Vance took his first trip to the state as vice president in May, campaigning alongside Rep. Zach Nunn, one of the party’s most endangered incumbents this year. Nunn and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, another Iowa Republican, voted earlier this week in a symbolic measure to halt the war in Iran, underscoring how the military conflict that Trump launched is causing political troubles for his own party.

The vice president has been one of the most visible surrogates on the midterm campaign trail, jetting to locations such as Kansas, Wisconsin and his native Ohio to promote Republican candidates and the administration’s achievements.

Friday’s rally location is in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, which is being vacated by Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra after his failed bid for governor. Democrat Dave Dawson and Republican Chris McGowan are vying for the seat. That race is not considered one of the more competitive races in this election.

Vance’s visit to the state shows Republican candidates are in political trouble in November, said Katie Smith, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in a statement.

“Iowans have had enough of their D.C.-first, Iowa-last priorities and will hold them all accountable for their agenda that’s caused skyrocketing prices at the pump, grocery stores, and doctor’s office,” Smith said.

___
Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report from Des Moines, Iowa.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/money/trump-maga-inc-my-money-fec-complaint Taylor Giorno Federal law bars officeholders from soliciting, directing or spending super PAC funds. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 17:43:36 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/money/trump-maga-inc-my-money-fec-complaint In early September, President Donald Trump told reporters that his super PAC, MAGA Inc., had close to $1 billion — which he described as “my money.”

A campaign finance watchdog says that statement, among others Trump has made in the past few months asserting personal control of the super PAC, violated federal law, according to a new complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission this week.

Federal officeholders are prohibited from soliciting, directing or spending funds controlled by outside groups like MAGA Inc., which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money. The Campaign Legal Center pointed to Trump’s previous comments in their filing, as well as private and public meetings involving PAC spending and fundraising efforts.

“Trump’s public statements are thus a remarkable admission of a serious campaign finance violation,” Campaign Legal Center wrote in the complaint, which was first reported by The New York Times.

MAGA Inc. spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer called the complaint “frivolous” in a statement to The Washington Sun and dismissed Campaign Legal Center’s “smears” against the Trump administration.

“MAGA Inc. fully complies with the law,” Pfeiffer said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

Trump has repeatedly staked his claim to control of the super PAC’s funds. In addition to his Oval Office comments Sept. 4, the president corrected Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman in August when Sherman characterized MAGA Inc. as being controlled by Trump’s allies during a sit-down interview.

“Not my allies, I control it,” the president interjected.

A couple weeks after that, on Aug. 21, Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One that he would pour “a lot” of MAGA Inc. money into the midterms.

“I’ll be spending a lot of that money for — and my own money — but I’ll be spending a lot

of that money for candidates that I think are good, Republican candidates,” Trump said.

The FEC does not have enough commissioners to conduct an investigation or otherwise act on the complaint.

While Trump nominated two Republicans in February, a Senate committee has not scheduled a hearing to advance the commissioner candidates — and it is unlikely to do so before the 2026 election.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/jd-vance-iowa-appearances-sept-18 Associated Press Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson will not attend the rally Friday. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:08:29 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/jd-vance-iowa-appearances-sept-18 By Josh Boak And Seung Min Kim

Vice President JD Vance is headed to Iowa for the second time this year to campaign for Republican majorities in Congress as he lays the groundwork for his own political ambitions.

Vance will be the headliner Friday at a midterm rally in Council Bluffs, on the western edge of the once-Republican stronghold state, which has found itself with competitive races for the Senate and the governor’s mansion this year.

Council Bluffs, located along the Missouri River, is home to Josh Turek, the Democratic nominee for the Senate who represents the area in the Statehouse.

But his opponent, Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, will not attend the rally Friday due to previously scheduled events, according to her campaign.

Zach Lahn, the Republican nominee for governor, will attend. He is in a competitive race against Democrat Rob Sand, the state auditor and one of the party’s most highly touted candidates.

Vance took his first trip to the state as vice president in May, campaigning alongside Rep. Zach Nunn, one of the party’s most endangered incumbents this year. Nunn and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, another Iowa Republican, voted earlier this week in a symbolic measure to halt the war in Iran, underscoring how the military conflict that Trump launched is causing political troubles for his own party.

At the May event, Vance touted the administration’s tax and tariff policies at a steel manufacturing facility while warning that this year was “not a normal election” and “not a normal political environment.”

The vice president has been one of the most visible surrogates on the midterm campaign trail, jetting to locations such as Kansas, Wisconsin and his native Ohio to promote Republican candidates and the administration’s achievements.

Friday’s rally location is in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, which is being vacated by Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra after his failed bid for governor. Democrat Dave Dawson and Republican Chris McGowan are vying for the seat. That race is not considered one of the more competitive races in this election.

Vance’s visit to the state shows Republican candidates are in political trouble in November, said Katie Smith, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in a statement.

“Iowans have had enough of their D.C.-first, Iowa last priorities and will hold them all accountable for their agenda that’s caused skyrocketing prices at the pump, grocery stores, and doctor’s office,” Smith said.

___
Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report from Des Moines, Iowa.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/courts/naacp-lawsuit-federal-agents-voting-locations Angie Orellana Hernandez The Trump administration has not backed down on the idea of deploying troops or federal agents to polling places in November. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:48:59 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/courts/naacp-lawsuit-federal-agents-voting-locations The NAACP, labor unions and other advocacy organizations sued the Trump administration on Friday, seeking to stop the potential deployment of federal agents at voting locations during the midterm elections.

The administration has sought more federal control over elections as part of President Donald Trump’s plans to address his unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud. Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and other senior administration officials have not shut down the idea of deploying troops or federal agents to polling places in November, prompting Democratic lawmakers to plan resistance efforts.

The NAACP’s lawsuit is asking a federal court in Washington to stop the Trump administration from “deploying agents in a manner that unlawfully intimidates voters or anyone urging

or aiding voters,” according to court records.

“The result is predictable: voters across the country—particularly Black, Latino, and

Asian voters, naturalized citizens, and members of mixed-status families—are afraid to vote, help others vote, and participate in civic life,” the lawsuit says, arguing that the result is “unlawful voter intimidation” in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

The White House referred The Washington Sun to February comments from then-press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said she has not heard Trump “discuss any formal plans” to station federal immigration agents outside of polling locations and said asking about it was a “very silly hypothetical question.”]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/campaigns/dnc-grassroots-fundraising-summer-numbers Elena Schneider The Democratic National Committee had a big summer with grassroots donors, taking some of the edge off a difficult year. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:30:00 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/campaigns/dnc-grassroots-fundraising-summer-numbers The Democratic National Committee racked up two of its biggest grassroots fundraising months in a midterm cycle this summer, bringing in more than $14 million combined in July and August.

The grassroots totals surpassed what the DNC hit in those two months in 2018, the midterm cycle during President Donald Trump’s first term, according to data the committee shared first with The Washington Sun. The committee also hit 1 million unique individual donors for the cycle this summer, a traditionally sleepy time for fundraising.

The surge got some help from several potential 2028 presidential candidates who lent their fundraising muscle to the party committee’s efforts, a DNC official said, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, another potential 2028 candidate, helped to raise $640,000 through a contest to win a trip to Washington, D.C., and tour the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum with him.

But the DNC’s strength with small-dollar donors doesn’t close the gaping hole in the party committee’s bank account, especially when compared to the Republican National Committee. As of July, the DNC had $16 million in cash on hand, but $18 million in debts. The RNC ended July with more than $130 million in cash.

Both committees will file their full financial fundraising disclosures for August with the Federal Election Commission on Sunday.

The DNC has faced months of bad headlines, including its financial woes and its botched 2024 election autopsy. DNC Chair Ken Martin, who has endured a rocky tenure atop the committee, indicated to allies last month he was open to overhauling how the DNC raised money, including bringing in more fundraising talent.

“I’d rather not be in the red, but if you look at ActBlue versus WinRed totals, you wouldn’t come away thinking Democrats are underfunded,” said Kenneth Pennington, a Democratic digital fundraising consultant, referring to the small-dollar donation platforms affiliated with the Democratic and Republican Party respectively. “When you look at the spending advantages on the hard side that Democrats have, they’re sizable. Where we’re falling behind is on some of the soft side stuff, party support stuff, that has historically been driven by big donors.”

Pennington also said that the DNC’s grassroots fundraising is a sign of voter enthusiasm that will translate into votes come November, just as it did in 2018. That confidence is born out in public and private polling, where Democrats regularly hold an intensity advantage. Republicans are anxiously eying Democrats’ voter turnout surge throughout the 2026 primary season as another indicator for that enthusiasm edge.

“I’m feeling good about our party’s base, that’s motivated, donating $20 by huge numbers of people, rather than the party that’s raising money by Elon Musk cutting one check,” he added.

So far, the DNC has raised nearly $16 million more from small-dollar donors at this point in the cycle than it did in 2018, $52.3 million to $36.6 million, when Democrats netted 40 congressional seats.

“While Republicans rely on billionaire donors to try and bail them out from their unpopular policies and tanking approval ratings, Democrats are powered by grassroots donors,” Martin said in a statement shared with The Sun. “It’s clear they are fired up heading into the midterms.”]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/jon-rosenthal-fundraising-bo-french-posts Marissa Martinez, Jenna Monnin The candidate’s financial windfall follows Bo French’s viral post targeting South Asian students at a University of Texas-Austin football game. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 23:42:52 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/jon-rosenthal-fundraising-bo-french-posts Republican Bo French’s racist social media posts targeting South Asian university students have resulted in a fundraising windfall for his Democratic opponent in Texas’ railroad commission race.

State Rep. Jon Rosenthal told The Washington Sun on Thursday that he’s raised around $150,000 — major dollars for a Democrat in what is normally an under-the-radar race — after French posted a photo of a crowd of South Asian students at the University of Texas-Austin football game celebrating the school’s comeback win Saturday, saying, “the problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”

The comment drew national attention to the race. Rosenthal said his phone began “ringing off the hook” Sunday morning after the posts went viral and brought in a slate of new donors for him.

“For me, that’s monumental,” Rosenthal said. “It’s good to have the resources for the campaign, but certainly it’s even better to have the moral support and feel like people are with me.”

The Railroad Commission of Texas is a crucial regulatory agency: Commissioners, who are elected statewide for staggered six-year terms, no longer directly oversee the state’s railroads but rather its powerful oil, natural gas and utilities industries. A Democrat hasn’t served on the panel since 1999.

Rosenthal said the new influx of money will allow him to travel more throughout Texas in hopes of flipping people who supported French’s primary runoff opponent, Jim Wright, who lost by 14,800 votes in May, or less than one percentage point. The state representative also hopes to put spots up on AM radio and increase digital advertising across new counties.

“There’s no avoiding that this will be, in some part, a referendum on Bo French and his brand of politics,” Rosenthal said. “It does make this an opportunity to change the direction of politics in the state — and maybe even in the country.”

Rosenthal said that the donations he’s received since the remarks average $50. Campaign disclosures verifying the amounts he shared with The Sun aren’t due until October.

French did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Part of what’s made the backlash to French’s post so stunning is how many of the state’s most prominent GOP voices distanced themselves — particularly as the Republicans in the state are fighting to keep a Texas Senate seat and are seeing a drop-off in support among Latinos and other voters of color, despite stronger turnout among those communities over the last few election cycles.

Sen. John Cornyn told The Washington Examiner on Thursday that he would not vote for the Republican candidate, calling French an "embarrassment" to the party who would “drag the whole ticket down because of his racist comments.” And Karl Rove, a former George W. Bush adviser and longtime Republican political consultant, said he was going to vote for Rosenthal this week — his second time ever voting for a Democrat.

Rosenthal joked that he did not have winning Rove's support on his “bingo card” for the year.

Sabinal Mayor Erik Gomez, a Republican, said on Wednesday that he doesn’t know how to tell constituents in his majority-Hispanic region that they are welcome in the party.

“No Latino is going to see his comments and feel he resonates with them,” Gomez told The Sun in an email, saying he would still encourage fellow Republicans to vote within their own conservative views.

Despite losing the public support of several prominent politicians, French’s posts may not have turned off much of his base. This includes Republicans of color.

Ramesh Cherivirala, one of the founders of the Indo-American Conservatives of Texas, told The Sun that while members of his community were upset, many are still planning to vote for Republican candidates, including French, “in spite of his comments.”

But he still criticized the rhetoric French posted over the weekend.

“Most of the people I can think of in that arena, 99% of those kids — whether they are Pakistanis or Indians or any other race, Mexicans — they are born and raised here,” he said of the fans at the game. “He has absolutely no reason to say what he said.”
]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/maria-elvira-salazar-ad-trump-immigration Jenna Monnin The Florida congresswoman called on Trump to think about the Hispanic voters who helped him win in 2024 who now feel “betrayed.” Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:00:32 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/maria-elvira-salazar-ad-trump-immigration Rep. María Elvira Salazar released an ad on Thursday directly criticizing some of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts and calling on him to remember the Hispanic voters who propelled him to the White House in 2024.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far,” the Florida Republican, who is running for reelection in Florida’s 27th Congressional District, said in the 30-second spot. “In July, 50% of the 50,000 people that were detained had no criminal record. Be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policy.”

Salazar added that Trump needed to consider that “the same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today,” and compared what the president could do for the immigrant community to “what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism.”

Salazar is running against Democratic nominee Eliott Rodriguez, a former TV anchor, in the red-leaning district, which includes parts of Miami.

Salazar previously criticized Trump’s immigration rhetoric. She has advocated for maintaining Temporary Protected Status for some immigrant groups, including Venezuelans, and sponsored legislation to protect their status in the U.S. She has also attempted to force votes on legislation that would provide pathways to permanent citizenship for individuals with TPS and dreamers, undocumented individuals who were brought to the U.S. as children.

“I'm not talking about giving them amnesty. I'm talking about giving them a dignified life in this promised land,” Salazar said in the ad, which is also running in Spanish.

In the ad, Salazar appeared to be near Lafayette Park in front of the White House, which is an area that has been fenced off from the public since January. Newsmax White House producer Marisela Ramirez posted a photo to X of Salazar with a film crew in front of the park, saying she took it on Sept. 3.

The park has historically served as an area for protests, and Trump announced in June that the renovation to the park was almost complete.

Salazar cited July detention data in the ad, so it appears that it was filmed in the last few months.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/democrats-talarico-paxton-senate-texas Igor Bobic Democrats have been reluctant to invest in traditionally red Texas, but the polls show the party’s prospects are looking better in 2026. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:47:07 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/democrats-talarico-paxton-senate-texas Republicans are pouring in tens of millions of dollars to shore up the Senate campaign of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has faced major struggles in his race against Democrat James Talarico. But Democrats are divided on whether to direct valuable resources to what’s been a solidly red state.

Some Democrats want their party to commit more money to aid Talarico on the expensive Texas airwaves. Republicans are outpacing Democrats in the spending race by more than $70 million this month, with Election Day fast approaching.

“I think we need to make sure that Talarico’s campaign gets the help it needs,” Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen told The Washington Sun this week.

A super PAC linked with Senate Republican leadership has spent more than $60 million in ads that will run this month, including a stunning drop of $54 million in a single day this week. President Donald Trump's super PAC threw in another $10 million, while Elon Musk's PAC is spending nearly $2 million for Paxton. There’s likely even more to come.

“I actually think Texas is worth investing in,” California Sen. Alex Padilla told The Sun.

Recent polls show a tight race in Texas, including an AARP poll where Talarico led Paxton 48% to 44% among likely Texas voters. A Siena Research/ReconMR poll released Thursday found Talarico with a slightly larger lead, 49% to Paxton’s 43%.

The flood of Republican cash is part of a larger effort by the party to save its congressional majorities in November. After some doubts about whether Trump’s political operation would open its wallet, and even with pleading by top GOP leaders, it has now reserved over $130 million to boost Republican candidates across several battleground states.

Talarico isn’t totally outgunned in the money race, however. His fundraising has set records in Texas this year, and he ended June with $21.5 million in the bank compared to Paxton’s $1.8 million. The disparity on the candidate side will likely only grow at the end of the third fundraising quarter next month.

But national Democrats haven’t committed significant resources in the race. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced a $40 million spend across 10 different Senate battleground states, including Texas, in July. Senate Majority PAC, the Democratic leadership aligned PAC, has not reported direct major spending investments in the race.

“Paxton is a weak, unimpressive candidate, and national Republicans coming in with millions to bail out his campaign only proves it,” said Lauren French, a spokesperson for Senate Majority PAC. “This is not a sign of strength for Trump or [Senate Majority Leader John] Thune, it’s a confirmation that nominating a scandal-plagued liability is indeed a liability. We are closely watching the state to ensure victory here.”

Senate Democrats believe they have the best chance of turning Texas blue in decades given Paxton’s ethical baggage, Trump’s low approval ratings and the sour political environment for Republicans this year. But they’re divided on how much to spend in a red state that has dashed their hopes before. And they know they’ll ultimately be outspent by well-funded Republican groups.

“Let me just say this about the money: They have the money, we have the people. I'll take the people any day,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told The Sun, touting the quality of Democratic Senate candidates in Texas and elsewhere in the country.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said his party should “obviously” commit more resources in Texas, but he argued that Democratic candidates ought to use the Republican spending as an issue to campaign against money in politics.

“We’re not going to have as much money as they are. So the question is, how do we talk about the money with the limited resources we have?” Murphy said.

“Money is important, but it's not everything,” added Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith. “More money does not equal more votes, and what I think is happening around the country is people are fed up and kind of ignoring all of these TV ads.”

Another problem for Democrats is that resources are limited, and money is needed for candidates in other competitive battlegrounds. In Michigan, for example, Democratic Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin asked their colleagues this week to help Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed with financial support. El-Sayed met with Democratic senators in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, after which the main Democratic Senate PAC committed an additional $10 million for Michigan.

In New Hampshire, top Democrats are ringing alarms about the campaign of Rep. Chris Pappas, who has lagged in some polls to Republican nominee and former GOP Sen. John Sununu.

Democrats are also eyeing pickup opportunities in other red-leaning states like Alaska, Ohio, North Carolina and Iowa, where Republicans are dropping large sums of money.

Republicans have their own money problems. Every dollar that they spend defending a seat in Texas is a dollar that isn’t going elsewhere, including trying to unseat vulnerable Democrats like Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia.

“At some point, I think you know, given scarce resources, they’re going to have to figure out where the money is going to do the most good, and it may or may not be a place like as big and as expensive as Texas,” Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn told The Sun this week.

Cornyn warned earlier this year that nominating Paxton would require Republicans to spend huge sums of money, and they could potentially lose his seat anyway, but Trump ignored him. The president endorsed Paxton, ousting the incumbent senator in a primary runoff.

Talarico has made fighting corporate and dark money in elections a core pillar of his Senate campaign. On the campaign trail, he frequently criticizes wealthy megadonors and billionaires for buying political influence. He dubbed last week’s Republican midterm convention in Dallas, where Trump raised money for Paxton, as a “Billionaire Ball” that ignored voters’ economic hardships.

Although national Republicans are spending large sums of money to bail out Paxton in Texas, they won’t get the same bang for their buck as Talarico’s campaign. Super PAC ads don’t receive TV discount rates that candidate ads do, per federal law, and are therefore much more expensive.

“Money does not change the fundamentals of the race,” said Luke Warford, the chair of the Democratic Party in Travis County, Texas, and the founder of the Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund, which raises money and provides structural support for Democratic candidates. “Super PAC money doesn’t go as far in terms of what you can buy on TV. It’s not as easy as just dropping a bunch of money.”

“Of course the Republican money is a challenge, but it also feeds into the narrative that Democrats are running against billionaires buying elections,” he added. “The money doesn’t come really without heavy baggage.”

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said that ultimately, voters would make a judgment on the economy and high prices under Trump more so than any ads on television.

“Each of our candidates needs enough money to be able to respond [to Republican attacks],” she said. “But the real heart of this race is out there in plain view, without spending a nickel. Donald Trump's economy is not working for the American people, but Donald Trump's corruption is definitely working for Donald Trump.”
]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/congress/jeffries-clark-aguilar-look-to-find-own-lanes-midterms-house-majority Kadia Goba Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar ran as a "unit," but lawmakers are starting to see the differences in their leadership styles. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 09:08:00 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/congress/jeffries-clark-aguilar-look-to-find-own-lanes-midterms-house-majority Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer held a top leadership role for more than a decade before Nancy Pelosi was elected in 2001 as minority whip, becoming the highest-ranking woman in either party. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina would join them in 2007 as the No. 3 leader.

The veteran trio of Democrats, for the most part, were viewed as three distinct leaders. Pelosi commanded the progressives. Hoyer wrangled the moderate flank of the caucus while Clyburn steered the Southern delegation and the powerful Congressional Black Caucus.

Now, as a new generation of untested leaders enters the spotlight with the prospects of taking back the majority, the distinctions between Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, are less obvious, as the trio rose to power in unison and positioned themselves as one team.

“Essentially, Hakeem, Clark and Aguilar ran together. Clyburn, myself and Nancy also got to the positions on our own,” Hoyer told The Washington Sun. “I think while we worked very closely together, we were not perceived — because we didn't run together — as a unit.”

But with the possibility of leading Congress with a tight majority next year, that unified front could be tested.

The three have already faced some fractures in the caucus after two moderate members, Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Washington), broke ranks twice to help Republicans move their priority bills forward.

So far, their united front has quelled the kind of intraleadership squabbling that defined other leadership teams: Pelosi and Hoyer were famously competitive, with Pelosi leapfrogging Hoyer in leadership positions. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) maintained their own hot-and-cold rivalry — with McCarthy often opting to deputize preferred allies for important jobs in lieu of his No. 2.

The three Democrats’ close ties helped stave off succession fights — Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar won their positions unanimously in 2022 without public discourse and with the blessing of their predecessors. They were reelected in 2024 without any challenges.

But the absence of public rivalries has not masked their differences. Fellow Democrats don’t believe they have finite lanes, even as there are clear differences based on their backgrounds and alliances.

“We have three distinct leaders in their own right that represent the broad array of the caucus,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, adding “I think the thing is, every constituency cuts across many different axes.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan told The Sun, referring to Clark and Jeffries, “I come from a big family, and so for me, depending on what the ask is or what the issue is, I decide whether or not I’m going to go to mom, who I’m sure will say yes, or to dad, who I’m sure will say yes,” adding, “It depends on the issue.”

Illinois Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood did lay out some style differences, calling Clark “very polished” and “very aware. ... She’s always watching and always listening.” She characterized Aguilar as “laid back” and said he has an “ease” about him. As for Jeffries, she said he can be “kind of dry” and can be “very somber” when he's handling business, but she also said he will “get very animated around certain things, and like he will light up.”Some clear lines are emerging among how rank and file view the top three leaders.

Progressives say they align with Clark the most. Her decision to break with Jeffries and Aguilar back in July on a vote to strip Israel of around $3 billion in security funding cemented her bona fides with many on the left-leaning side of the caucus.

Clark explained her decision as dealing with “stunts from congressional Republicans,” but she also added about Israel, “However, it is clear that the status quo is not tenable.”

“I mean she said ‘genocide’ in her town hall. Even if she later clarified it — she went there,” one chief of staff who works for a progressive Democrat in Congress told The Sun, referring to Clark discussing the Israel-Gaza war in an event in her district.

The Massachusetts Democrat is known for advocating for women’s issues, including championing the “Child Care is Infrastructure Act,” her signature legislative proposal designed to provide much greater access or subsidies for working parents.

“I think that you know Clark will probably have to really work with our far left, maybe DSA members who are coming in, and work with the Progressive Caucus to bring them into the fold of the larger caucus,” said Rep. Andrea Salinas, a Democrat from Oregon.

One member characterized her whip style as sort of diplomatic.

“She is also someone who’s careful to make sure that when she has to push, she will do that, and when she needs to observe the situation and be thoughtful, she’ll back up,” Rep. Nellie Pou of New Jersey told The Sun.

Aguilar hails from a moderate district in California. His tenure has been rooted in his relationships with moderates and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He quickly eyed leadership posts, serving as whip of the New Democrat Coalition — a group of Democrats made up of center-left members — and the CHC.

And with Pelosi’s departure next year, Aguilar becomes the most powerful lawmaker in the 52-member California delegation, even as his and the former speaker’s politics are vastly different.

“He’s a bit more conservative, so I think that he's got a unique lens from which, you know, folks will go and sort of bounce ideas off of,” Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York told The Sun.

For another member, Aguilar has helped navigate tough floor votes.

“So he’s been super supportive,” said Pou, a freshman in a competitive district, describing Aguilar as a resource. “There’s been times that, you know, I've had to take some very difficult votes and he helped to provide some clarification by discussing the pros and cons.”

When it comes to Jeffries, who is in line to become the first Black speaker, Democrats view him as the team’s “strategist” and “motivator.”

“Hakeem obviously is like the tip of the spear for all macros, but someone who really understands the challenges that larger, denser urban cities face because he's from New York, and obviously, as a brother, you know the Black Caucus,” Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California said.

Jeffries has strong ties to the Congressional Black Caucus as the highest ranking member. Once viewed as an insurgent who tried unsuccessfully to oust a popular incumbent for a New York Assembly seat he eventually won, Jeffries has settled in as an establishment Democrat, earning the respect and support of his delegation in the 119th Congress.

The dozen or so members The Sun spoke with about this story all said Jeffries is an approachable leader who takes the time to speak to members. But leading a big tent means maintaining relationships across different ideologies, race and geographies rather than championing any single caucus constituency.

So far, these members say, he’s been able to navigate that space, but it has led to ambiguity among some members.

“I think we’ll see Jeffries doing both, like you know, two feet in different places, trying to build probably a little bit more trust,” said Salinas, who also described the caucus as being confused about where he stands on the ideological spectrum. “People were saying, ‘Oh, he's actually a CPC member.’ Yes, but everybody’s like, ‘He seems so centrist.’”

That is particularly true of newcomers, especially those coming from New York, his hometown, where a band of Democratic Socialists bested two incumbents during the June primaries.

One progressive noted the anger around Jeffries meeting this summer with the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. “Can I just tell you how annoyed people were that he met with Kushner? Come on, what are we doing? Who is that person? Relative to our party, relative to the leadership of this country. Why are you sitting in that meeting with them?” Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Arizona) told The Sun.

If Jeffries is successful and gains the gavel next year he will face a constant tug from the left of his caucus to be hard-line when it comes to the Trump administration, with centrists urging some degree of cooperation to govern.

“It is incumbent upon us to have a leadership team that is going to be able to work with someone like me and someone that’s a lot more moderate, like Cuellar,” Grijalva said, referring to Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar.
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