Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In a bit of a surprise, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire has decided not to seek re-election next year. She’s one of three Democratic incumbents who’ve announced they’ll step down in 2026, joining Michigan’s Gary Peters and Minnesota’s Tina Smith.
* In Minnesota, Democrat David Gottfried won a state House special election, restoring a tie in the state legislative chamber. Gottfried prevailed in this St. Paul-area district with 70% of the vote, slightly outpacing support for the Democratic ticket last fall.
* The news was better for Republicans in Iowa, where GOP candidate Blaine Watkins prevailed in a state House special election. Note, however, that Donald Trump won this district by 24 points in November, while Watkins won by three points.
* The latest national CNN poll found the president with a 45% approval rating, but just as notable was the fact that a 56% majority disapproves of his handling of the economy. That’s the worst the Republican has ever fared on this question. (Click the link for more information on the poll’s methodology and margin of error.)
* Republican legislators in Indiana are moving forward with a measure that would ban the use of student IDs for voting. The proposal has already passed the GOP-led state Senate. * Arthur Schwartz, a conservative political consultant with close ties to Trump’s orbit, suggested last week that Republican Sen. Thom Tillis can’t win re-election in North Carolina next year and the party needs a new candidate. The incumbent senator did not take this well. “Arthur Schwartz is a political hack that should probably just keep on being a smart guy and a billionaire, because he’s a s—– political consultant,” Tillis said. * In the 2024 election, Republican Rep. David Schweikert of Arizona held on for a four-point re-election victory, but he’s seen as vulnerable in 2026. With this in mind, Marlene Galan-Woods, a former local TV anchor and a former Republican, announced that she’s taking on the GOP incumbent next year. This will be her second attempt at elected office.
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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