Maine Democrats handed progressive firebrand Graham Platner an easy win in Tuesday's Senate primary, looking past his personal scandals in hopes he can oust five-term GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November. Why it matters: Tuesday's results set up what's sure to be a nasty, expensive battle for a seat that will go a long way toward determining control of the Senate. They also illustrated the huge contrasts now animating the political parties: - GOP voters are almost always in lockstep with the leader of their party, President Trump, whose pick for South Carolina governor advanced to a runoff. - As for Democrats, the combination of being desperate for victory and having no one with enough clout to stop an embattled outsider helped set the…
Maine Democrats handed progressive firebrand Graham Platner an easy win in Tuesday's Senate primary, looking past his personal scandals in hopes he can oust five-term GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November. Why it matters: Tuesday's results set up what's sure to be a nasty, expensive battle for a seat that will go a long way toward determining control of the Senate. They also illustrated the huge contrasts now animating the political parties: - GOP voters are almost always in lockstep with the leader of their party, President Trump, whose pick for South Carolina governor advanced to a runoff. - As for Democrats, the combination of being desperate for victory and having no one with enough clout to stop an embattled outsider helped set the…Open
Graham Platner , a scandal-plagued Marine combat veteran, won Maine's Democratic Senate primary Tuesday in a race that's seen as the party's best Senate pickup opportunity in November. Why it matters: Many Democratic strategists and elected officials worry that Platner has too much baggage to defeat Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) — and that his candidacy will doom the party's chances of retaking the Senate in the 2026 midterms. - Controversies that have swirled around his campaign include a Nazi-linked tattoo that he's since covered up, allegations that he sent sexual text messages to women outside of his marriage, and contentious social media posts . Driving the news: But the drip-drip-drip of negative news stories about Platner —…
Graham Platner , a scandal-plagued Marine combat veteran, won Maine's Democratic Senate primary Tuesday in a race that's seen as the party's best Senate pickup opportunity in November. Why it matters: Many Democratic strategists and elected officials worry that Platner has too much baggage to defeat Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) — and that his candidacy will doom the party's chances of retaking the Senate in the 2026 midterms. - Controversies that have swirled around his campaign include a Nazi-linked tattoo that he's since covered up, allegations that he sent sexual text messages to women outside of his marriage, and contentious social media posts . Driving the news: But the drip-drip-drip of negative news stories about Platner —…Open
Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra are headed to the California governor's race in November, according to the Associated Press . The big picture: With 91% of the vote counted as of Tuesday evening: - Hilton has 25% of the vote and Becerra 27.9%. - The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, face off in November. Context: It took a week of vote counting for the winners to emerge, fueling a familiar ritual where early Republican leads slowly vanish. - After a strong showing on Election Night, Hilton's lead slowly diminished, but he still held on to a second-place spot. - The delay is in part because mail ballots postmarked by Election Day are still counted. Friction point: The race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin…
Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra are headed to the California governor's race in November, according to the Associated Press . The big picture: With 91% of the vote counted as of Tuesday evening: - Hilton has 25% of the vote and Becerra 27.9%. - The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, face off in November. Context: It took a week of vote counting for the winners to emerge, fueling a familiar ritual where early Republican leads slowly vanish. - After a strong showing on Election Night, Hilton's lead slowly diminished, but he still held on to a second-place spot. - The delay is in part because mail ballots postmarked by Election Day are still counted. Friction point: The race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin…Open
ABC News’ Perry Russom speaks with Andscape senior writer Justin Tinsley to discuss the 2026 NBA Finals after the San Antonio Spurs broke the New York Knicks’ historic playoff winning streak.
In South Carolina, both Republican candidates for governor are MAGA devotees, but Trump only endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, not Attorney General Alan Wilson. The two are headed to a GOP runoff.
In South Carolina, both Republican candidates for governor are MAGA devotees, but Trump only endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, not Attorney General Alan Wilson. The two are headed to a GOP runoff.Open