Recent articles
October 18, 2026
Anti-party, anti-politician candidates surge in midterms
In red states and blue, unconventional candidates are downplaying — or even disowning — party labels to tap into voters' deep disdain for Washington.Why it matters: They might not all win, but the ...
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October 16, 2026
Democrats post "mind-blowing" numbers ahead of 2026 midterms
Data: FEC, Axios research. Chart: Noah Bressner/AxiosIf money is momentum, Democratic Senate candidates are poised for a monumental Election Day."Oh my god, holy crap," said Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-O...
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October 15, 2026
YOLO Chuck: Schumer's final fight
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is on the cusp of leading his party to midterm victory and reclaiming his title as Senate majority leader.Winning the majority isn't guaranteed. But th...
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October 13, 2026
Mike Johnson's Latino voter problem keeps getting worse
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) needs Latino voters to stick with Republicans as they did in 2024. But new polling shows they're drifting back toward Democrats at levels not seen in years.Why it...
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October 9, 2026
Chuck Schumer has a 2028 problem that's not even in New York
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is going to have his hands full next Congress, even without a threat to his leadership or a primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).Why it...
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October 8, 2026
Republican midterm triage puts bleak outlook into focus
Republican super PACs are flooding the airwaves in once-safe states, and pulling down ads for races that look like lost causes. President Trump, his approval ratings near record lows, is popping up...
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September 28, 2026
Exclusive: AI giants, unions join forces for data center fight
AI companies, private equity firms and unions are looking beyond 2026 in the data center debate, banding together to form a new multimillion-dollar coalition to make the case for responsible growth...
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September 24, 2026
Senate Democrats put Trump's D.C. makeover on notice
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) plans to force a Senate vote next week on two new resolutions aimed at preventing President Trump from demolishing the Kennedy Center or building his proposed triumphal a...
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September 21, 2026
GOP's war for eyeballs
Republicans are starting to trounce Democrats in political spending across the Senate map, and that advantage is now showing up in one of the metrics campaigns care about most: impressions.Why it m...
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September 17, 2026
Exclusive: Scalise puts GOP high-water mark at 225 House seats
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) is staring at a scary political environment for Republicans and claiming to see something very different: a path to 225 seats.Why it matters: Republican ...
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September 14, 2026
Trump's $5,000 checks get chilly Senate GOP reception
Data: OMB; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsSenate Republicans are doubtful — and, in some cases, dismissive — of President Trump's proposal to give Americans $5,000 checks if Republicans keep contro...
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September 7, 2026
The math behind a Democratic wave — or a GOP upset
Data: The Downballot and Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. (Balance of power accounts for opposing party gains due to redistricting.) Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios...
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August 23, 2026
Dems turning more GOP Senate strongholds into midterm battlegrounds
Ten weeks from Election Day, the Senate battlefield is sprawling, scattered — and stretching deep into Trump country.Why it matters: In a normal year, Republicans wouldn't think twice about Alaska,...
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August 7, 2026
Sen. Cassidy throws Blanche a lifeline for attorney general nomination
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced Friday that he will vote for Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general, boosting his prospects for confirmation before the Senate leaves for its August rece...
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August 6, 2026
Inside the GOP's mad dash to recess finish line
Senate Republicans are racing toward the August recess with a legislative to-do list worthy of a Joe Rogan podcast: crypto, college sports and hemp.Why it matters: They likely won't get to all of i...
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August 6, 2026
Schumer's path to the majority runs through his Democratic critics
On a good day, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer can see a Democratic majority in 2027.Why it matters: On a bad one, he can see the caucus that comes with it.Abdul El-Sayed's 48.5% to 47.5% vict...
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August 4, 2026
Susan Collins opposes Todd Blanche for attorney general
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Tuesday she will vote against Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general. Why it matters: Collins' vote won't sink Blanche's nomination on its own. But it make...
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August 4, 2026
Poll: Talarico has slim lead over Paxton in Texas Senate race
Three consecutive polls have now shown Democrat James Talarico narrowly ahead of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in that state's crucial race for the U.S. Senate. The latest, released Tuesday mor...
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July 30, 2026
Inside Trump's Senate playbook
President Trump has three go-to moves for GOP senators who frustrate him: persuade them when he can, ignore them when he must and bully them at will.Why it matters: The approach doesn't always prod...
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July 29, 2026
Thune-Trump tensions escalate as clock ticks on megabill 3.0
Senate Majority Leader John Thune repeated to White House officials in private what he's been saying in public for weeks: We don't have the votes.Why it matters: President Trump isn't buying it — a...
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July 29, 2026
Senate goes on record to oppose any possible pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell
The Senate unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday declaring that Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker who aided Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of underage girls, should never receive a presi...
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July 29, 2026
Thune and Johnson both plan to attend Trump's Dallas convention
House and Senate Republican leaders are heading to Dallas to embrace the president who has done the most to shape — and complicate — their political fortunes.Why it matters: Majority Leader John Th...
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July 26, 2026
100 days out from Election Day, our insider shares his intel
Data: The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. Map: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsThe midterm elections are 100 days out. Political reporter Hans Nichols, lead author of the Hill Leaders newsletter, sh...
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July 23, 2026
Senate preparing to vote on Russia sanctions next week
Democrats are indicating to their Republican counterparts that they are prepared to vote as early as next week on a Russia sanctions package that includes an 11th-hour demand from President Trump t...
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July 23, 2026
Scoop: Democrat Senate Super PAC targets 4 Republican seats
The Democrats' main Senate super PAC is booking another $54 million in TV ads for the midterm campaign's final stretch, targeting four Republican-held seats.Why it matters: The new reservations off...
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July 22, 2026
Senate feeling good about avoiding pre-election shutdown
Senators on both sides of the aisle are quietly hopeful about avoiding a third government shutdown this year. Why it matters: Time is short, patience is wearing thin and neither party wants to head...
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July 22, 2026
Scoop: Progressives scorch Gillibrand over crypto
Progressive groups are opening a vicious new front in the fight over crypto legislation, targeting Sen Kirsten Gillibrand as she tries to broker a compromise on the CLARITY Act, which has unresolve...
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July 21, 2026
Senate watches the House on reconciliation 3.0
Senate Republicans are warming to the idea of using a third reconciliation package to replenish the Pentagon's depleted weapons stocks.Why it matters: They still view reconciliation 3.0 as Plan B.F...
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