Four scandal-plagued House Republicans whose seats should be gimmes for the GOP have instead turned their races into unexpected battlegrounds. Why it matters: These aren't districts you'd expect to be in play — Donald Trump carried all four comfortably in 2024. But the incumbents' ethical troubles are making Republicans spend time and money defending the seats — in a cycle where neither party has any room for error. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) dropped his reelection bid after the Ethics Committee found he violated House rules by sexually harassing female aides and creating a hostile work environment. That's set off a scramble to find a replacement just three months before the election. - The race was shifted to "toss-up" last week by…
Data: The Downballot, Dave's Redistricting Atlas, The Texas Tribune; Table: Andrew Solender/Axios House Democrats' campaign arm announced Wednesday it is adding a dozen districts that President Trump won handily in 2024 to their midterm target list . Why it matters: The additions are meant to project Democratic confidence that they can compete in solidly Republican territory come November. - "House Democrats are expanding the battlefield deep into Trump terrain," Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) said in a statement. - Republicans aren't buying it. National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella said the DCCC has "officially entered the hallucination phase of the election…
Democrats are learning a hard lesson Republicans know all too well: The party out of power doesn't just ride the anti-incumbency wave — it can also get swept up in it. Why it matters: The populist energy surging through the left after President Trump's return to the White House is roiling Democratic primaries and fueling establishment fears about the party's general election chances. - Just ask Senate Republicans how that went for them in 2010 , 2012 and 2022 . "We saw it in Missouri , we saw it in Indiana more than a decade ago," said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition. - GOP candidates who were "off-putting" and held "positions that don't reflect the majority of the state" helped…
The House Democratic campaign arm has stepped up its interventions in high-profile contested primaries. But this week, it suffered its third primary defeat in two months.
House Democrats are publicly and privately pushing for changes at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee after it spent more than $500,000 backing a failed primary candidate in Arizona. Why it matters: The House Democratic campaign arm has faced persistent criticism this year from its members for getting more heavily involved in primaries than in past election cycles. - "I don't think they should get involved in primaries — I've said that before, I've said that directly to them," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus' PAC. - "I think we need to let voters do their thing. ... as the Democratic Party we should stay out of Democratic primaries." Driving the news: This latest…
Dr. Amish Shah, who beat the choice of the party’s House campaign arm, will face Jay Feely, a Republican, in a battleground district that covers parts of Phoenix.
House Democrats are demanding a reckoning after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent over $500,000 backing a candidate in Arizona who is on track to lose her primary. Why it matters: This is the third time in 2026 the House Democratic campaign arm has tried and failed to intervene in a party primary, leading some lawmakers to argue that its money is better spent elsewhere. - Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a top DCCC dues payer , said the party should be "rationing our resources to win general elections," calling for "a conversation about ... what the involvement in primaries looks like." - "That's $100,000 that I put in," Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) said of her dues, arguing that the DCCC "shouldn't be spending…
In the Texas race, Democratic nominee James Talarico brought in $54.5 million through his campaign committee, compared with $3.9 million that Republican nominee Ken Paxton has raised.
The House Republicans' campaign arm brought in $17.6 million in June, leaving them with $92.7 million in cash on hand, Axios has learned. Why it matters: The National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee is entering the final midterm stretch with a cash advantage over House Democrats, giving GOP leaders another talking point as they try to defy the historical trend that typically favors the party out of power. - The NRCC outraised its counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, by $1.2 million in June. - That brought the NRCC's cash on hand to $92.7 million, versus $79 million for the DCCC. Yes, but: The DCCC outraised the NRCC in the full second quarter of 2026, bringing in $37.4 million, compared to $35.4…