News chronological

Both the Republican Congressional Leadership Fund and the Democratic House Majority PAC pulled down $1.1 million in advertising for this seat. Both sides appear to agree that there is no obvious path for Republican Brinker Harding to win the seat left open by retiring GOP Rep. Don Bacon.

After the Republican Senate Leadership Fund pulled out of North Carolina, the Senate Democrats' group also decided to "go dark" there. However, an allied group, Fresh Start SC PAC, took over an ad reservation in the Greenville market of South Carolina to attack Republican Sen. Darline Graham.

President Trump campaigned in San Antonio to boost Ken Paxton, and also campaigned in Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio, and Nebraska, with plans for another trip to Alabama. Vice President Vance appeared in Alaska and was scheduled to be in Ohio during the weekend of the report.

The Senate Leadership Fund pulled out of North Carolina and shifted funds to other states, specifically putting a fresh $14 million into Kansas and a $5 million "insurance policy" into South Carolina to boost Republican Sen. Darline Graham.

While Republicans have a cash advantage, the battlefield has shifted toward Democrats in recent reports; the Cook Political Report shifted 15 House races toward Democrats last month, and Sabato's Crystal Ball moved 11 races toward Democrats days later. Notably, many of the most competitive races are currently in districts that President Trump carried in 2024.

In addition to his fundraising efforts, Johnson is crisscrossing the country to help House Republicans by traveling to more than 40 districts across 22 states. He stated that his focus is on getting "unprecedented resources" to the districts that will decide the majority to defend the House against the far-left.

The NRCC ended August with $13 million more in cash on hand than the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. This represents the largest-ever advantage for the NRCC at this point in an election cycle.

When Mike Johnson first became speaker in October 2023, there were concerns regarding whether the Louisiana Republican could replace the "formidable fundraising operation" of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. However, Johnson's fundraising operation has since brought in more than $220 million for House Republicans since he took the gavel.

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing whole foods as part of the "Make America Healthy Again" campaign. Gallup polling indicates that Republicans have digested the food safety message from this campaign better than Democrats and independents.

Significant shares of Americans reported concerns or strain about affording groceries. During this period, the food-at-home CPI (Consumer Price Index) for grocery store or supermarket food purchases rose by 2.2% between August 2025 and 2026.

The federal government declared the end of an outbreak of Cyclospora, a parasite that caused stomach illnesses, two deaths, and more than 500 hospitalizations across 21 states. Health officials traced the surge to iceberg lettuce from supplier Taylor Farms.

The partisan chasm flipped and widened under the second Trump administration. In 2024, nearly three-quarters of Democrats had a great deal or fair amount of confidence, while half of Republicans agreed. By 2026, Democrat confidence fell to 30%, while Republican confidence rose from 62% in 2025 to 70% in 2026.