October 2026
Senate Democratic candidates in red states dominate third-quarter fundraising
With less than three weeks until Election Day, the Senate landscape of competitive races has expanded into deep-red territory, where new filings show Democratic candidates dominating their Republican opponents in fundraising. According to third-quarter reports spanning July to September, Democratic Senate hopefuls once again reported massive fundraising hauls as the party seeks to win control […]
Leadership barnstorming continues ahead of midterm elections
Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to rally the Republican faithful — and keep them from staying home in the midterms — arguing that polling is bad and the party of President Donald Trump can still defy political gravity. “Even even some of our own candidates who are doing internal polling, even they have a hard […]
Roll Call on the Road: Courting the Carolinas
North Carolina has long been a Senate battleground, and this year its neighbor to the south is also part of the fight for control of the chamber. South Carolina hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1998, but Darline Graham, the appointed Republican incumbent, faces a tighter-than-expected contest against Democrat Annie Andrews. Meanwhile, polls in the […]
Trump’s Russia moves could complicate lame-duck agenda
Lawmakers in both parties are assailing President Donald Trump for a series of decisions this month that critics say ally the U.S. government with the Kremlin amid its ongoing war on Ukraine, now in its fifth year. In the last 10 days, the U.S. government: Zelenskyy has also said Ukraine is being pressured by U.S. […]
North Carolina Republicans battle headwinds in district redrawn in their favor
NEW BERN, N.C. – In the race for control of Congress, Democrats have history and momentum on their side. But there was no sense of panic among Republican loyalists at a recent campaign rally here in North Carolina’s Inner Banks, where a newly redrawn House seat represents one of the GOP’s best pickup opportunities this […]
Data center anxiety plays out in Senate campaign debates
In debates and advertisements ahead of the midterm elections, Democratic candidates for Senate are consistently pressing their opponents on artificial intelligence data center policy, often as a proxy for voter fears about the economy and local impacts. In Ohio, former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is fond of calling Republican incumbent Sen. Jon Husted “the face […]
Security official warns of more suspicious letters to lawmakers
A wave of suspicious letters mailed to members of Congress is likely to continue, House officials warned Monday, describing a white powder in the envelopes. So far, “none of the letters received by Congressional offices have been determined to contain hazardous substances,” according to a memo sent to members and staff and obtained by CQ […]
Homeland Security investigative unit in spotlight in Omar probe
The agency at the center of the raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home this week, Homeland Security Investigations, isn’t exactly a household name. But some Republicans hailed HSI last spring, as they sought to end a shutdown of its parent agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal […]
Journalists mourn former press gallery director Laura Lytle
Laura Lytle, a former director of the Senate Daily Press Gallery, died Tuesday at age 51. She was a fierce advocate for press access at the Capitol and brought a sense of humor to a job that could sometimes feel fraught, according to reporters who got to know her during her time on the Hill. […]
‘Suspicious substances’ target senators on anniversary of attack
On the 25th anniversary of anthrax attacks that shook Capitol Hill in 2001, authorities are investigating “multiple letters containing suspicious substances that were mailed to various addresses nationwide, including multiple Congressional offices,” according to a notice from the Senate sergeant-at-arms. “Law enforcement are working to intercept any additional letters before they are delivered, however, it […]