Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Eight months after the late Rep. Sylvester Turner passed away, his Houston-area district still doesn’t have a representative in Congress, but it’s getting closer: Two Democrats advanced to a runoff this week, though the general election won’t be held until February.
* The White House has pushed Kansas Republicans to redraw their congressional map to defeat Rep. Sharice Davids, the only Democrat in the state’s four-person House delegation. Such a move is not imminent: The Associated Press reported that the Kansas House’s top Republican has “dropped efforts to force a redraw of U.S. House districts that would have thrust the state into a widening national battle for partisan advantage in the 2026 elections.”
* Speaking of redistricting, some key legislative leaders in Maryland have balked at redrawing their state’s district map, but Democratic Gov. Wes Moore initiated the process this week anyway, announcing a redistricting commission to draft proposed maps ahead of the midterms.
* In a bit of a surprise, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla announced this week that he will not be a gubernatorial candidate in his home state of California next year, choosing to instead remain on Capitol Hill.








