Paxton-mentum

Today’s notice: The big takeaways from Texas. Iowa Democrats would really like people to trust them to run a caucus again. A proposed AI tax. Sen. Andy Kim talks to NOTUS about being pepper-sprayed. And: A plutonium fire sale?

THE LATEST

The two John Cornyns: How does one face the humiliation of being an incumbent Republican who loses a primary thanks to Donald Trump? Does one quietly walk off the field and hand the ball to the next guy? Or does one angrily blame the voters for making a huge mistake?

How about both? “I’ve always supported the Republican ticket and I intend to do so in this general election,” Cornyn told reporters after being soundly trounced in the Texas Republican Senate primary runoff by the Trump-backed state attorney general, Ken Paxton.

He then pivoted to a less-magnanimous tone. “In this runoff election, approximately 8% of registered voters made their voices heard,” Cornyn said. “And of that 8% who voted, roughly 60% said they were ready for a different direction. Another reminder that those who show up decide for those who do not.”

What happens next depends on which Cornyn was the honest one. Paxton needs Republicans to see him as simply a vote against Democrats. But the Democratic nominee, state Rep. James Talarico, is hoping that the second Cornyn is the truth teller — the one who suggested a vocal minority hijacked traditional politics last night. “To Senator Cornyn’s supporters: you have a place in our campaign,” Talarico posted after the race was called.

Notably, Cornyn did not actually mention Paxton’s name once, NOTUS’ Daniella Diaz reports from Texas.

Other Texas races: House Freedom Caucus member and sometime Trump critic Chip Roy lost the Republican primary runoff for Paxton’s current job. Trump’s preferred candidate in the 9th Congressional District defeated the candidate backed by the state’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott.

Democrats can reasonably claim the 35th Congressional District to be an outside-win possibility after the DCCC-backed candidate, sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia, won a runoff against an incendiary candidate Democrats said had Republican help.

GOP redistricting forced Democrats into uncomfortable races across the state. Two incumbents ran against each other in the 18th Congressional District. The race became focused on age, and 78-year-old Rep. Al Green lost a runoff to 38-year-old Rep. Christian Menefee. Former Rep. Colin Allred also defeated Rep. Julie Johnson in the 33rd Congressional District in a race that got pretty nasty.

Open tabs: U.S. Races to Set Up Quarantine Facility in Kenya for Americans Exposed to Ebola (WSJ); Biden Sues to Halt Release of Interview Tapes With Ghostwriter (NOTUS); Immigration courts are using a new tactic to speed up deportations (NPR); Exclusive renderings of Penn Station overhaul show Trump’s name with presidential seal (Gothamist)

From Iowa

Two-word jumpscare: “Unsanctioned caucus” is an idea gaining steam among Iowa Democrats as they try to regain their first-in-the-nation status after being stripped of it by the DNC for, you know, royally screwing it up in 2020. NOTUS’ Elena Schneider reports on how Iowans are using the threat of going rogue to convince national Democrats to give them back their early calendar slot.

Please, no is the message from several DNC members Elena talked to. The party will be deciding its 2028 primary calendar soon and there is not a lot of excitement about returning the convoluted caucus to prominence. Many say this argument was already ended by the post-2020 calendar reshuffle. “If we’re going back to Iowa and New Hampshire as the first states, why did we say we wanted to change the calendar in the first place?” one DNC member said.

From the campaign trail

A middle path for Democrats and AI? The U.S. Senate primary in Michigan has largely settled into a clear split over artificial intelligence that reflects the divisions among Democrats on the topic. Progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed is pushing the party to be skeptical — even obstructionist — when it comes to AI. The establishment-backed Haley Stevens says Democrats should be more open to working with the growing industry.

Today, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who has gained some attention for positions that buck both leftists and centrists, is embracing a growing third option, NOTUS’ Samuel Larreal reports. Her U.S. Senate primary campaign is announcing support for a “modest” tax on AI usage by large companies. That revenue would be used to create an “AI workforce reinvestment fund” to pay for apprenticeships in AI-resilient fields and expand unemployment benefits for workers laid off by automation. In other words, embracing innovation while getting serious about its impacts.

McMorrow says upheavals in the auto industry show that this is the path Democrats need to take. “We hope for the best case scenario, but Michigan has seen the impact of when we hope for the best and don’t plan for the worst,” she told Sam.

From the Hill

Sen. Andy Kim, after being pepper-sprayed by immigration agents: “It just shows you the lack of accountability, just the lawlessness,” the Democrat from New Jersey told NOTUS’ Igor Bobic yesterday — one day after his visit to an ICE detention center in Newark ended with him caught in a cloud of pepper spray. Kim tried to deescalate a tense confrontation between ICE agents in an armored car and a group of protesters attempting to barricade the site. Following the interaction, he’s doubling down on his push for reforms to DHS.

The department’s response: “This is nothing more than a political stunt by New Jersey sanctuary politicians for fundraising clicks,” Secretary Markwayne Mullin posted on X.

ON NOTUS PODCAST

From your favorite podcast app: A potential preelection reconciliation bill is on ice as congressional Republicans clash with Trump administration priorities including funding for a new White House ballroom and the “anti-weaponization” fund. NOTUS’ Reese Gorman is joined by Igor Bobic and Avani Kalra on today’s episode of On NOTUS to discuss the daylight between the two branches of government and how Republicans will manage their relationship with Trump through November.

NEW ON NOTUS

Plutonium fire sale: Private nuclear companies are one step closer to receiving Cold War-era plutonium from the Trump administration after the Department of Energy reportedly selected five firms to engage in “advanced negotiations” on the highly radioactive material, NOTUS’ Jenna Monnin reports.

Since returning to office last year, the president has been attempting to offload the U.S. government’s supply of aging fissile material. Oklo, a potential front-runner for the transfer, has deep ties to Energy Secretary Chris Wright and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

More: Republican Rep. Mike Flood Jeered at Another Contentious Nebraska Town Hall, by Torrence Banks

NOT US

• The Midwestern Exodus Is Finally Ending, by Jeanne Whalen and Paul Overberg for The Wall Street Journal; photography by Brian Kaiser
  
• California influencer disclosures offer a glimpse at how secret money distorts American politics, by Max Tani for Semafor
  
• Elise Stefanik Cozied Up to Trump. Where Does She Go Next? By Ben Jacobs for Politico
  
• Todd Blanche Is Trump’s Legal Enforcer. But There’s One Wild Case From His Past He Can’t Seem to Escape. By Noah Shachtman for Vanity Fair

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