Democratic Senate incumbent Joe Donnelly has a slight advantage over Republican challenger Mike Braun in Indiana’s closely-watched Senate contest, according to a new NBC News/Marist poll. … Donnelly, a low-key freshman senator in a state that voted for President Donald Trump by nearly 20 points, has long been considered one […] Read more »
Red state Democrats in tight spot over Kavanaugh confirmation
The fight over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been fiercely waged between the bases of both political parties, but it’s those senators stuck in the middle who find themselves in the most precarious position. As the confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh begin Tuesday, the pressure is increasing on a small […] Read more »
‘It’s a Terrible Vote’: Red-State Democrats Face an Agonizing Supreme Court Choice
Democratic senators running for re-election in Trump Country face an agonizing choice over President Trump’s coming Supreme Court nominee: Vote to confirm the pick and risk demoralizing Democratic voters ahead of the midterm elections, or stick with the party and possibly sacrifice their own seats — and any chance at […] Read more »
Red waves, scrambled Democrats, ideal Republicans: Three myths about this week’s primaries
Republicans spent Wednesday in a perpetual state of high-fiving after coal baron and convicted criminal Don Blankenship lost his bid for the party’s U.S. Senate nomination in West Virginia. The party, according to President Trump, had nominated candidates “who have a great chance of winning in November.” Turnout, according to […] Read more »
Democrats in Rust Belt: Stay Close to Trump, but Not Too Close
A day after the first major primary contests of 2018, the political armies on the left and the right repositioned themselves for an intense general election across Rust Belt states that President Trump carried two years ago — and where his personality and record will define the battles leading to […] Read more »
The Eroding GOP Resistance to Trump’s Immigration Agenda
The results of Tuesday’s primary elections simultaneously bolstered the Republican Party mainstream and demonstrated how much ground it has yielded to Donald Trump, particularly on the volatile issue of immigration. In several key races, GOP primary voters rejected candidates who presented themselves as the most ardent acolytes of Trump, in […] Read more »