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Articles by David Wright
How cancer has scrambled Iowa’s midterm politics Original
Iowa Republican nominee for Governor Zach Lahn speaks to fairgoers at the Iowa State Fair on August 14, 2026. Scott Olson/Getty Images See all topics Email Link Copied! As the debate season kicked off in Iowa’s heated gubernatorial race, one question seemed to animate and, in some ways, unify the candidates.
House Republicans are scrambling to save incumbents in districts Trump won by double digits Original
• GOP majority on the brink: Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans are pleading with the White House for more resources in competitive House races. GOP campaign operatives have been forced to abandon places where they usually go on offense and are focused on protecting incumbents in traditionally red turf. • Closer-in-chief: Former President Barack Obama is reprising his role as a closer on the campaign trail with stops for Democratic candidates in Ohio and Michigan today.
Mike Johnson asks Trump for more midterm money as Republicans seek to avert disaster in House races Original
House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks in support of Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks during a campaign event at the Scott County Republican headquarters on October 9 in Davenport, Iowa. Scott Olson/Getty Images See all topics Email Link Copied! In the final sprint to the midterms, Speaker Mike Johnson went to President Donald Trump with a crucial ask, according to a person familiar with the exchange. Johnson’s message: Could Trump spare more cash to help House Republicans in this tough political climate?
The latest sign of Republican midterm problems: A top super PAC is buying ads in Mississippi Original
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith speaks to an aide off the Senate floor at the Capitol on June 30, 2025, in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/File See all topics Email Link Copied! Republicans working to keep the Senate are increasingly anxious about holding onto a seat in Mississippi — a GOP stronghold in the deep South — and are investing money in the final weeks to shore up incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.
The top 10 Senate seats most likely to flip, less than two weeks before the midterms Original
Above are Democratic US Senate candidates Roy Cooper, Sherrod Brown, Mary Peltola, Troy Jackson, and James Talarico. Below are Republican US Senate candidates Michael Whatley, Jon Husted, Dan Sullivan, Susan Collins and Ken Paxton. AP/Getty/Reuters See all topics Email Link Copied! With the November election in sight, Democratic excitement about the party winning control of the US Senate is running high, but it’s far from a sure bet.
‘Far too close for comfort’: An under-the-radar Senate race embodies Democrats’ midterm worries Original
See all topics Email Link Copied! An open Senate seat in Minnesota. A massive GOP spending advantage in almost every battleground. A lingering sense of unease that polling could be underestimating Republican support. With many Democrats awash in optimism, those are just some of the potential obstacles facing the party as it seeks to deliver on expectations of reshaping the political order in Washington.
Musk contributed more than $150 million to bolster GOP in Texas Senate race, filings show Original
Tesla, SpaceX and X CEO Elon Musk attends a meeting on artificial intelligence at the White House on September 29. Finn Gomez/Getty Images See all topics Email Link Copied! New filings with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday are shedding light on tech billionaire Elon Musk’s heavy influence on the 2026 midterm elections, especially the blockbuster Senate race in Texas.
In the midterm ad wars, Republicans are spending more to get less Original
Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, speaks to members of the media while campaigning ahead of the midterm election at the Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, Maine, on October 9, 2026. Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images See all topics Email Link Copied! Republicans are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising in battleground Senate races as they scramble to defend increasingly competitive GOP seats in the final stretch of the midterms.
How the Epstein files fueled $35 million in midterm ad blitz
See all topics Email Link Copied! Jeffrey Epstein has been dead for seven years, but he’s all over campaign ads this election season, invoked overwhelmingly by Democrats — and occasionally by Republicans — to attack opponents or promote themselves. A CNN analysis found that candidates and outside groups have aired more than 160 unique Epstein-related ads in the 2026 midterms, backed by more than $35 million in airtime.
The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2026 Original
The US Capitol on September 23, 2026. Finn Gomez/Getty Images See all topics Email Link Copied! Nearly four weeks out from Election Day, the Senate battleground map is growing after signs of improvement for Democrats in several red-leaning states. For the first time this year, CNN’s list of 9 Senate seats most likely to flip expands to 10 to include Kansas, which hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate in 94 years.
A growing number of House Republicans privately believe they won’t win the House
By Sarah Ferris, David Wright, CNN (CNN) — Four weeks to Election Day, a growing number of House Republicans privately fear their chances of holding onto the majority are vanishing and have begun focusing on how to limit the size of a potential Democratic wave.
AI blurs lines in campaign ads: ‘People are seeing things that didn’t happen’ Original
See all topics Email Link Copied! Dramatic political attack ads hitting the airwaves this year have shown a Senate candidate driving a bus of undocumented immigrants to a polling place, a governor hopeful grabbing bags stuffed full of cash, and a Republican congressman holding hands with two of his Democratic colleagues in what a narrator described as a “throuple.” None of those compromising situations ever happened — the ads were all generated with artificial intelligence.
A Google co-founder is spending $100 million to defeat California’s wealth tax. It could become one of his best investments
(CNN) — Google co-founder Sergey Brin has funneled just over $100 million to a group trying to defeat a one-time state tax on California’s billionaires this November. That seems like a lot of money, except Brin’s net worth – estimated around $270 billion, top five globally, according to Bloomberg’s billionaires index – means he’d face a nearly $14 billion hit under the tax, which proposes a 5% charge on the total assets of state residents with a net worth over $1 billion.
A Google co-founder is spending $100 million to defeat California’s wealth tax. It could become one of his best investments
By David Wright, Clare Duffy, CNN (CNN) — Google co-founder Sergey Brin has funneled just over $100 million to a group trying to defeat a one-time state tax on California’s billionaires this November.
A Google co-founder is spending $100 million to defeat California’s wealth tax. It could become one of his best investments
An attendee holds a sign during a rally in support of Prop 40 in San Jose, California, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. California billionaires would face a one-time 5% tax on their wealth through a ballot initiative that advocates say could bring in about $100 billion to cover state healthcare costs.
The Texas money pit: Republicans are spending big trying to save Ken Paxton’s Senate bid Original
Republican US Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton greets the crowd during a campaign event at Glorious Way Church on September 21, in Houston, Texas. Antranik Tavitian/Getty Images See all topics Email Link Copied! Could running ads during “Judge Judy” salvage Ken Paxton’s embattled Senate bid in Texas?
Facing a barrage of Republican anti-trans ads, some Democrats are changing how they respond Original
A person holds a flag as the Capitol is seen in the background on the day of a Transgender Day of Visibility rally on the National Mall, on March 31, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters See all topics Email Link Copied! Two years ago, President Donald Trump’s campaign buried then-Vice President Kamala Harris with ads on transgender issues as he stormed back into the White House.
Newsom signs executive order to consider AI regulation, including proposal for ‘kill switch’ Original
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at an event in Sausalito, California, on September 10. Jeff Chiu/AP See all topics Email Link Copied! California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on regulating artificial intelligence on Friday that will convene a group of “world-leading experts” to begin developing a framework for state law governing the technology.
One place you won’t find President Trump? Starring in Republican ads Original
US President Donald Trump arrives at a rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, on September 16, 2026. Trump is campaigning for Republican US Senate candidate Michael Whatley. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images See all topics Email Link Copied! Washington — President Donald Trump may be omnipresent in American politics, but one place you won’t find him during the midterm elections: starring in Republican TV ads.
The 9 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2026 Original
Voting booths stand at the ready at polling location for voters on September 8 in Manchester, New Hampshire. CJ Gunther/Getty Images See all topics Email Link Copied! With seven weeks until Election Day, control of the US Senate is up for grabs as Democrats go on offense in red territory and Republicans look to make headway in a small number of blue-held seats.
A look at this week’s GOP midterm convention, including which Republicans are staying away Original
Signage for different state delegates is seen ahead of the GOP Midterm Convention, at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Tuesday. Tristen Rouse/CNN See all topics Email Link Copied! Republicans will gather in Dallas this week for a midterm convention that’s a version of the type normally held in presidential election years.
Rep. Chris Pappas will face former Sen. John E. Sununu in New Hampshire Senate race, CNN projects
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Rep. Chris Pappas will face former Sen. John E. Sununu in New Hampshire Senate race, CNN projects Original
New Hampshire Democratic Senate Candidate Chris Pappas speaks to reporters after he casts his ballot at a polling location on September 8, 2026 in Manchester, New Hampshire. CJ Gunther/Getty Images See all topics Email Link Copied! Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas will face Republican former Sen. John E. Sununu in the race for New Hampshire’s open Senate seat, CNN’s Decision Desk projects. The battle for retiring Democratic Sen.
Republicans fret as Talarico bombards airwaves and Paxton awaits Trump team’s cash
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Republicans fret as Talarico bombards airwaves and Paxton awaits Trump team’s cash Original
Left, Democratic Texas State Rep., and candidate for US Senate, James Talarico, right, Texas Attorney General, and Republican candidate for US Senate, Ken Paxton Getty Images See all topics Email Link Copied! Senate GOP leaders gave President Donald Trump a clear warning before the Texas primary election in May as he weighed endorsing Ken Paxton over longtime incumbent John Cornyn: If the state attorney general won, Trump’s political operation would have to bankroll the expensive general...
Ossoff calls Trump a ‘draft-dodging, crook president,’ intensifying his feud with White House Original
US Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia arrives at a re-election campaign event in Atlanta in February. Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg/Getty Images Email Link Copied! Sen. Jon Ossoff stood next to Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly on Tuesday and delivered the kind of anti-Trump broadside that has become a campaign signature, marking the latest round in an escalating feud with the White House.
Live results: Jerri Green will win Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Tennessee, CNN projects
By David Wright, Katie Doran, CNN (CNN) — Memphis City Councilmember Jerri Green will win Tennessee’s Democratic primary for governor, CNN’s Decision Desk projects. Thursday’s primaries will set the general election matchup in a race for governor in the deep-red state as well as House races being run under a new Republican-drawn congressional map aimed at delivering the GOP a clean sweep of the state’s nine districts in November.
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