Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* It took a while, but the final U.S. House race has been called: Democrat Adam Gray has defeated Republican Rep. John Duarte in California. Now that we know the makeup of the incoming Congress, I hope you’ll read my piece from the other day on why the tiny GOP majority in the House is likely to struggle.
* Michigan’s open gubernatorial race is still two years away, but Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has already launched his 2026 statewide bid. While Duggan has long been associated with Democratic politics, he’s now running as an independent.
* Appointed Democratic Sen. George Helmy of New Jersey, who succeeded former Sen. Bob Menendez a few months ago, will step down this weekend and allow incoming Democratic Sen. Andy Kim to be sworn in. In a chamber where seniority matters, this will give Kim a small advantage over other senators who were elected last month.
* For those interested in Capitol Hill elections, Senate Democrats this week elected their leadership team for the next Congress. Perhaps the most notable shift in the lineup was the promotion for Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who’ll now serve in the #3 leadership post.
* Donald Trump’s political operation launched a curious fundraiser this week, asking its supporters to donate in response to the Hunter Biden pardon. * As Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine prepares to run for a sixth term, incumbent Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is letting locals know she’s open to the possibility of running against her. * And while there’s plenty of chatter about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who’s giving up his leadership post, retiring in 2026, his spokesperson said this week that the Kentucky Republican “hasn’t made an announcement” about his electoral plans. If McConnell were to run, he’d be 84 years old on the next Election Day.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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