Alex Roarty

Maine State Auditor Defies National Democrats, Launches Primary Against Moderate Jared Golden Officials at the DCCC warned that if the incumbent loses the primary, Democrats will lose a seat in the general election.

Dunlap defies national Democrats, makes primary bid against Golden official in Maine’s right-leaning 2nd district.

The dccc is threatening to pull ad $$$ in the battleground district if Golden loses his primary, saying the race might be unwinable in a general election www.notus.org/2026-electio...

Bipartisan Funding Deals Are Hard to Do. The Supreme Court Might Have Made Them Impossible. “What’s the point of passing a bill if they just do whatever the hell they want to do anyway?” one Senate Democrat said.

New: The Supreme Court tentatively green-lit Trump's pocket rescissions, which will make ending a shutdown hard — and the *entire* approps process harder

"What’s the point of passing a bill if they just do whatever the hell they want to do anyway?," one Senate Dem said
www.notus.org/courts/scotu...

Iowa Democrats Look for Their Senate Star State lawmaker Josh Turek’s buzzy campaign announcement has caught Democrats’ attention.

New from @alexroarty.bsky.social at @notus.com on the D primary for #IASen:

"In interviews with NOTUS, several Iowa Democratic insiders said they believed that [state Rep. Josh] Turek has the tacit backing of Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee."

Democrats Are Desperate for Mary Peltola to Run for Something, Anything in Alaska A Peltola Senate campaign would mark the latest recruiting win for Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Senate Democrats desperately want Mary Peltola to run for Senate. But a gubernatorial bid, according to just about everybody, would offer a much easier pathway back to elected office

On the Peltola dilemma, the talk of Alaska politics w/
@riley-rogerson.bsky.social

www.notus.org/2026-electio...

‘We Trudge On’: CDC Employees Return to Work With Bullet Holes Still in the Windows “I was thinking they would have at least enhanced security going into campus,” one CDC employee told NOTUS.

"A CDC employee sent NOTUS photographs of windows still pockmarked with bullet holes on Monday afternoon. Handwritten signs taped to chairs warned employees to avoid glass on the carpet."

www.notus.org/health-scien...

Oyster Farmer Announces Democratic Senate Bid in Maine Graham Platner doesn’t have any real political experience, but he’s the latest Democrat to argue that’s a strength.

A new Senate candidate in Maine is going to test the appetite of Democratic voters for someone new, previously apolitical, and decidedly progressive www.notus.org/2026-electio...

Rep. LaMonica McIver is urging a federal court to dismiss the federal charges against her — and using the dismissed cases of over 160 Jan. 6 rioters as the reason why

www.notus.org/courts/mcive...

‘A Serious Misuse of My Research’: Climate Scientists Say New Trump Energy Report Botches Their Work “Our work has no relevance,” an astrobiologist whose research was cited in the administration’s climate change report said.

🚨 At least 10 scientists, all cited in the Trump admin's new climate change report, told me that the report completely mischaracterizes their research.

I also found five citations with significant errors, and a paragraph missing an important citation.

‘They Have To Figure Out If They Can Trust The Software’: Inside the FDA’s AI Push The AI rollout at the FDA has been rocky. But even critics are optimistic.

“I love and loved my job, we did good work with some of the smartest people, and they’re being routinely disrespected and lied to."

Inside the FDA's AI push, w/ @taylorgiorno_ www.notus.org/health-scien...

The White House Is Pushing Republicans to ‘Defund’ Gender-Affirming Care Through Appropriations Bills “The president is very committed to this,” one House GOP appropriator told NOTUS. “I don’t think that’s an issue that’s really negotiable.”

NEW: The White House is pressuring Republicans to 'defund' gender-affirming care through the appropriations process, after they failed to ban Medicaid from covering these treatments in reconciliation

Trump "is very committed to this," one House R said
www.notus.org/congress/whi...

‘Knife Fight in a Telephone Booth’: Roy Cooper Jumps Into Hotly Contested North Carolina Senate Race The former governor ended months of speculation about his future Monday when he announced that he would run for the state’s open Senate seat.

Democrats in DC and Maine are also growing more optimistic about Janet Mills running for Senate — one Maine Dem said she’s been signaled more openness to a bid in recent conversations with people www.notus.org/north-caroli...

‘Knife Fight in a Telephone Booth’: Roy Cooper Jumps Into Hotly Contested North Carolina Senate Race The former governor ended months of speculation about his future Monday when he announced that he would run for the state’s open Senate seat.

Senate Dems had three major recruitment targets when the cycle started. One of them, Roy Cooper, just announced he’s running.

But in a year with a very tough map for Dems, even getting their best recruits is no guarantee of success www.notus.org/north-caroli...

Republicans Embrace a Huge Political Risk: Trump’s Bill The reconciliation bill could undercut Republicans with working-class voters. “I can’t see how they couldn’t pay a price for it,” one conservative ally said.

“I can’t see how they couldn’t pay a price for it,” one conservative ally said.

Republicans embrace a huge political risk: Trump’s reconciliation bill.
www.notus.org/2026-electio...

Inside the Democratic Effort to Kill the GOP’s Gender-Affirming Care Restriction in Reconciliation Democrats are having a hard time figuring out how to message on trans issues — but they quietly killed a provision in the reconciliation bill that would have restricted access to gender-affirming care...

NEW: Democrats have been struggling to figure out how to message on trans issues — but they quietly killed the GOP's Medicaid ban on gender-affirming care in reconciliation

Here's an inside look into how Dems, led by Rep. Sarah McBride and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, did it
www.notus.org/congress/dem...

Republicans Embrace a Huge Political Risk: Trump’s Bill The reconciliation bill could undercut Republicans with working-class voters. “I can’t see how they couldn’t pay a price for it,” one conservative ally said.

"Make no mistake about it: They just cut their own throats, they just slit their own throats with the very people who got them elected"

On the political risk of the GOP's reconciliation bill, a challenge they embrace but remains daunting nonetheless

www.notus.org/2026-electio...

Eyeing 2028, Dems Turn Focus to Vance’s Role in Passing Trump's Bill “Of all the people who betrayed folks this week and today, the one we’re going to make sure pays for it is JD Vance,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said.

Dems already turning to JD Vance's role in passage of the reconciliation bill, with an eye on 2028.

Ken Martin: “Of all the people who betrayed folks this week and today, the one we’re going to make sure pays for it is JD Vance."

www.notus.org/trump-white-...

James Uthmeier on X: "Denaturalize and Deport." / X Denaturalize and Deport.

good story. Utheimer, an actual AG, has also embraced it x.com/JamesUthmeie...

Colin Allred Launches Comeback Bid for Texas Senate Seat Allred will try again to win a spot in the upper chamber after losing by nearly 9 percentage points against Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024.

Collin Allred will once again run for a Texas Senate seat, despite losing to Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024 by nearly 9 percentage points.
www.notus.org/2026-electio...

three tight ends + DK puts a whole lot of size on the field

Democrats Have Basically Given Up Trying to Message on Transgender Rights “The Supreme Court has ruled,” said one House Democrat. “We’re either a party that supports the rule of law or not.”

NEW: Democrats have used SCOTUS rulings to galvanize their base — but they won’t do that with Skrmetti, which green lit gender-affirming care bans

One Dem said it’s now a states issue

Another said trans issues don’t poll well

A third pointed me to the Cass report
www.notus.org/democrats/tr...

Sen. Thom Tillis Announces His Retirement After Opposing Trump's Bill “It’s not a hard choice, and I will not be seeking re-election,” the North Carolina Republican said.

per two sources familiar, Tillis considered outright re-signing from his seat before ultimately deciding he'd serve out the remainder of his 18 months. Story with @reesegorman.bsky.social www.notus.org/senate/thom-...

Thom Tillis will NOT run for re-election, opening an opportunity for Dems in a state they already considered their top pickup target of '26 www.notus.org/senate/thom-...

i wrote a whole story about this! www.notus.org/biden-2024/v...

Dead members of Congress can’t stop posting The accounts for recently deceased lawmakers have continued to post on social media, highlighting how little official policy there is for how to handle their online presence after they die.

“I still, if I wanted to, could go post to Facebook as Congressman Young — I could still tweet today as Congressman Young. And nobody from archives or records or from House administration, or anybody, seems to give a shit.”

Republican Rep. Don Bacon to Announce Retirement from Congress Bacon’s formal announcement that he is retiring from Congress is expected next week.

Omaha's Republican House member, Don Bacon, announces he is retiring, so the seat immediately catapults near the top of Democratic pick-up opportunities: www.notus.org/republicans/...

Surely Bacon was aware of what happened in his district a few months ago: bsky.app/profile/tani...

Per our calculations, Don Bacon sits in the bluest district held by a Republican anywhere in the nation. Kamala Harris carried #NE02, which includes Omaha and some surrounding communities, by a 52-47 margin last year.

Full data set here: www.the-downballot.com/p/the-downba...

Democratic State Attorneys General Are Now the Most Powerful People in the Trump Resistance And they're running an uphill battle.

New: SCOTUS' decision in Trump v. CASA has made Dem AGs the most important people in the Trump resistance

AGs are now "in the unique position of retaining the ability to secure injunctions that protect the rights of all," Jamie Raskin said

w/ @annackramer.bsky.social
www.notus.org/courts/democ...

Republican Rep. Don Bacon to Announce Retirement from Congress Bacon’s formal announcement that he is retiring from Congress is expected next week.

Don Bacon will NOT seek re-election, imperiling GOP control of a battleground district Democrats were already targeting next year.

from me and @reesegorman.bsky.social www.notus.org/republicans/...