Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In New Jersey’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill prevailed, defeating Newark Mayor Ras Baraka by roughly 14 points. The Garden State is one of only two states that will host statewide elections this year.
* As for New Jersey’s Republican gubernatorial primary, former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli cruised to a lopsided victory, bolstered by Donald Trump’s endorsement. Radio host Bill Spadea, who hired Trump’s former campaign manager, ended up losing the primary race by roughly 46 points.
* At an Oval Office event on Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly urged California voters not to re-elect Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. What Noem might not have realized was that her comments were an obvious ethics violation — the Hatch Act still exists — and Newsom can’t run for a third term anyway due to term limits.
* Despite lingering questions about her abilities, Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents the nation’s capital in the U.S. House, told NBC News she intends to run for re-election next year. The incumbent, who’ll celebrate her 88th birthday this week, added, “I don’t know why anybody would even ask me.”
* Again discarding the wishes of his party leadership, Democratic National Committee vice chair David Hogg and the political group he leads are wading into a contested primary, this time backing a young state lawmaker running to succeed the late Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly in Virginia. * Ahead of next year’s closely watched U.S. Senate race in Georgia, Republicans are already running attack ads against Sen. Jon Ossoff, specifically focused on the issue of transgender student athletes — an issue the Democratic incumbent doesn’t appear to have done any work on. * And in Texas, Democrats are increasingly convinced that state Attorney General Ken Paxton might defeat Sen. John Cornyn in their 2026 primary, creating a Democratic pickup opportunity. The party, however, does not yet have a top-tier contender running for the Senate seat.
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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