Bloomberg Government @BGOV reporter covering elections, redistricting, Congress • @PressClubDC member • @TCM, trivia buff • Views mine
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Articles by Greg Giroux
Trump, Attendance Issues Threaten Permitting Win in Lame Duck Original
Oct. 16, 2026, 9:00 AM UTC Congress is poised to enact significant changes to federal permitting, making it easier to build more energy and infrastructure projects. If lawmakers can pass a bill before the end of the year, it will be a legacy achievement for Republicans and Democrats, decades in the making. But close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, as the saying goes.
These Dozen States Will Decide Senate Control in Tight Races
For the next three weeks, the biggest question in US politics is who wins the Senate. It’s a contest with national and potentially global implications that hinges on a few percentage points in a handful of states. Democrats must gain four Senate seats to win a majority, which means at least two victories in states that supported Trump by double digits — and more if they slip up on liberal-leaning turf. Here are the races to watch as we approach Election Day Nov.
These Dozen States Will Decide Senate Control in Tight Races
Election 2026 Oct. 14, 2026, 9:00 AM UTC For the next three weeks, the biggest question in US politics is who wins the Senate. It’s a contest with national and potentially global implications that hinges on a few percentage points in a handful of states. Democrats must gain four Senate seats to win a majority, which means at least two victories in states that supported Trump by double digits — and more if they slip up on liberal-leaning turf.
BGOV Hill Watch Live: Midterms Preview and Reporter Roundtable
Election 2026 Oct. 13, 2026, 7:02 PM UTC Candidates are in full campaign mode with just three weeks to go until the midterm elections. Tuesday’s BGOV Hill Watch Live dug into the contests likely to determine which party wins a majority in each congressional chamber and gave an overview of the issues shaping the election. Senior Elections Reporter Greg Giroux highlighted key factors in the most competitive Senate and House races.
Paxton Divides Former Texas GOP Foes in Race for US Senate Seat
Election 2026 Oct. 9, 2026, 9:00 AM UTC Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s campaign to win a US Senate seat is drawing some unlikely allies: Republicans who voted to impeach him three years ago. They include state Reps. Jeff Leach and Matt Shaheen, both of whom backed Sen. John Cornyn through this year’s primary and runoff. Shaheen even spoke at a Collin County campaign rally at Paxton’s invitation. “The Republican voters decide on who our nominee is, and they chose Paxton,” Shaheen said.
How a Democratic Wave Threatens to Upend Trump’s Final Two Years
Illustration: Baptiste Virot (Bloomberg) -- When the same party controls both the US presidency and Congress, ambitious legislation can happen.
How a Blue Wave Risks Upending Trump’s Last Two Years: Explainer
When the same party controls both the US presidency and Congress, ambitious legislation can happen. Look at the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, passed under Democrats in 2010, or the tax-cut measures that congressional Republicans enacted in 2017 and 2025. Strong public disapproval of President Donald Trump’s job performance could bring one-party Republican government to a crashing halt in the Nov.
How a Blue Wave Risks Upending Trump's Last Two Years: Explainer
When the same party controls both the US presidency and Congress, ambitious legislation can happen. Look at the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, passed under Democrats in 2010, or the tax-cut measures that congressional Republicans enacted in 2017 and 2025.
How a Blue Wave Risks Upending Trump’s Last Two Years: Explainer
When the same party controls both the US presidency and Congress, ambitious legislation can happen. Look at the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, passed under Democrats in 2010, or the tax-cut measures that congressional Republicans enacted in 2017 and 2025. Strong of President ’s job performance could bring one-party Republican government to a crashing halt in the Nov.
Virginia Rematch of Navy Veterans Mirrors Wider Battle for House
Election 2026 Oct. 5, 2026, 9:00 AM UTC Philip Harrell, an Army veteran, started life poor in Compton, Calif., and now runs two ice cream shops with his wife Sibs in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. The Harrells pay their staff well above Virginia’s prevailing $12.77 minimum wage. But he’s still concerned too many people are getting priced out of opportunities like higher education — including his student employees who yearn for medical and law degrees but can’t afford them.
Trump and Fundraising Give GOP Senate Edge, Campaign Chair Says
Election 2026 Sept. 30, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC Sen. Tim Scott, head of Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, acknowledged there’s an expansive field of competitive Senate races this fall but touted an influx of resources from national allies as he projected confidence in the GOP maintaining control of the chamber. Republicans are in a strong fundraising position thanks to money from GOP-affiliated groups including MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting President Donald Trump, Scott told reporters Wednesday.
GOP Worries Trump Immigration Plans Will Sink Midterm Prospects
Election 2026 Sept. 17, 2026, 6:53 PM UTC Republicans are separating themselves from the Trump administration’s hardline immigration agenda they fear is alienating Hispanic voters heading into the midterm elections. Hispanic Republicans have spent the past year pressing the White House to soften its approach to deportations and detentions of undocumented immigrants or risk reversing the party’s historic gains made among Latino voters in 2024.
Look Ahead to the 2026 Midterm Elections: BGOV OnPoint
Election 2026 Sept. 15, 2026, 2:55 PM UTC Affordability, political corruption, and artificial intelligence are top of mind for voters preparing to vote in the Nov. 3 midterm election that will likely be a referendum on the Trump administration and the governing Republican trifecta. President Donald Trump’s unpopularity threatens GOP control of both chambers, with the House hinging on a few dozen competitive seats and Democrats needing a net gain of four seats to win a Senate majority.
Missouri Map Fight Turns St. Louis Suburbs Into Competitive Seat
Election 2026 Sept. 11, 2026, 6:34 PM UTC Missouri Democrats are confident they’ll hold onto both of their House seats and could make a stronger bid for a mildly Republican district in a political environment that favors the party out of power. The Missouri Supreme Court directed officials to use the state’s previous congressional map instead of a mid-decade Republican gerrymander designed to oust Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D) and bolster Rep.
Missouri Map Fight Cool-Down Sets Lines for Nov. 3: BGOV OnPoint Original
Missouri will elect its eight House members under the same congressional maps used in the 2022 and 2024 elections after courts blocked the Republican legislature’s more aggressive gerrymander just weeks before the Nov. 3 balloting. Current lines favoring Republicans in six of eight districts can’t be superseded by the GOP’s new 7-1 map targeting Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D) unless a majority of Missouri voters approve it in a statewide referendum.
Experienced Lawmakers Beat Younger Challengers in Massachusetts
Sept. 2, 2026, 8:30 AM UTC Three Massachusetts Democrats with more than 110 years of service in Congress between them held off much younger challengers in Tuesday’s primaries. Sen. Ed Markey, an outspoken progressive, trounced Rep. Seth Moulton, a more moderate candidate, by 65%-35% in nearly complete returns. Moulton, 47, ran an anti-establishment and generational-change campaign that tried to make the case that Markey, 80, shouldn’t be given another six-year Senate term he would finish at age 86.
Democratic Fights Lead Massachusetts Ballot: BGOV Election Day
Several veteran Massachusetts lawmakers find out today how they fared against younger primary challengers pushing for new blood in the state’s all-Democratic congressional delegation. Sen. Ed Markey, 80, is up against Rep. Seth Moulton, 47, whose direct case for generational succession struggled to resonate with a mostly progressive voter pool concerned less with age than with policy and who will aggressively confront President Donald Trump and his administration.
Georgia Democrat Blair Elected to Fill David Scott’s House Seat
Georgia Democrat Everton Blair will narrow the House Republican majority after winning a special House election runoff Tuesday to finish the term of the late ex-Rep. David Scott. Blair, a former Gwinnett County school board chair, defeated Scott’s daughter Marcye Scott (D) in Georgia’s strongly Democratic and Black-majority 13th District east and southeast of Atlanta. Blair led by 53% to 47% with 95% of the estimated vote counted at 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
Trump Goes All In to Save Darline Graham: BGOV Election Day
South Carolina Republicans are choosing a new Senate nominee today in a closely watched test of President Donald Trump’s power. Trump put his clout on the line in backing Sen. Darline Graham over Rep. Ralph Norman in a Republican runoff to replace her late brother on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. The president has endorsed hundreds of Republican candidates on social media, including many incumbents with little or no opposition in the primary.
California Democrat Wahab Wins House Race to Succeed Swalwell
Aug. 20, 2026, 11:51 PM UTC California state Sen. Aisha Wahab prevailed in a special House election to complete the term of ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell, according to the Associated Press. Wahab (D) led Melissa Hernandez (D), the president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors, by 53% to 47% in an updated count of the Aug. 18 election vote when the AP called the race Thursday.
Fetterman Campaign Paid Tax Interest to IRS, According to Filing
Aug. 20, 2026, 8:51 PM UTC The campaign of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) paid the IRS almost $50,000 last year in tax interest, according to a document the campaign’s lawyers mistakenly filed in court. The document consists of a letter to the IRS dated Aug.
Mistaken Court Filing Shows Fetterman Campaign Paid Tax Interest
The campaign of paid the IRS almost $50,000 last year in tax interest, according to a document the campaign’s lawyers mistakenly filed in court. The document consists of a letter to the IRS dated Aug. 10 asking the agency to confirm in writing that “no penalties or fees remain outstanding” and asks that “the IRS regard this matter as closed.” The letter, filed in US Tax Court, also includes a copy of a receipt for a payment the Fetterman campaign made to the IRS for $49,751.33 in April 2025.
Fetterman Campaign Paid Tax Interest to IRS, According to Filing
Aug. 20, 2026, 8:51 PM UTC The campaign of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) paid the IRS almost $50,000 last year in tax interest, according to a document the campaign’s lawyers mistakenly filed in court. The document consists of a letter to the IRS dated Aug.
House Democrats Add Military Veterans to ‘Red to Blue’ Roster
Aug. 20, 2026, 9:15 AM UTC Three military veterans, a former member of Congress, and a progressive who wasn’t the top choice of Democratic leaders made the party’s updated roster of top-tier House candidates in the Nov. 3 general election.
Florida’s GOP-Friendly Map Faces Stress Test as Democrats Surge
Aug. 19, 2026, 7:51 PM UTC Florida’s new Republican-skewing congressional map will be tested Nov. 3 in a bright red state where Democrats are seeking gains in a political environment working to their advantage. The mid-decade replacement lines signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) favor Republicans in up to 24 of Florida’s 28 districts and provide a GOP advantage in four more seats, aiding the party’s uphill quest to save its precarious House majority.
Florida’s Mid-Decade Redistricting Battlegrounds Put to Test
Aug. 18, 2026, 9:30 AM UTC Some congressional districts Florida Republicans redrew earlier this year in an aggressive bout of mid-decade redistricting are receiving more attention than others. But with razor-thin margins in the House and only a few dozen competitive races in the midterm elections, every battleground could morph into the frontline. Rep.
Minnesota sets record nominating women for governor and senator
Minnesota voters this week made history for women in politics. The state’s Democratic and Republican parties Aug. 11 nominated women for U.S. Senate and governor in the Nov. 3 general election, the first time a state has chosen women to be major-party nominees for both offices in the same year. In the Senate race, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) and Republican Michele Tafoya (R), a former NFL reporter, will compete to succeed retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D). For governor, Sen.
Graham Wins Ex-Rival Fry’s Support in South Carolina Senate Race
Aug. 14, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC South Carolina Republican Darline Graham’s bid for a full six-year Senate term won backing from Rep. Russell Fry, a former rival who could boost her Aug. 25 runoff primary campaign to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham as the party’s nominee. Fry, the third-place finisher in the Aug. 11 primary behind Darline Graham and Rep.
Minnesota Sets Record Nominating Women for Governor and Senator
Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg (Bloomberg Government) -- Minnesota voters this week made history for women in politics. The state’s Democratic and Republican parties Aug. 11 nominated women for US Senate and governor in the Nov.
Minnesota Sets Record Nominating Women for Governor and Senator
Aug. 14, 2026, 4:34 PM UTC Minnesota voters this week made history for women in politics. The state’s Democratic and Republican parties Aug. 11 nominated women for US Senate and governor in the Nov. 3 general election, the first time a state has chosen women to be major-party nominees for both offices in the same year. In the Senate race, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) and Republican Michele Tafoya (R), a former NFL reporter, will compete to succeed retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D). For governor, Sen.
Ex-Convicts and Castoffs Flock to Florida for Wild GOP Primary
Even in a state renowned and ridiculed for its quirkiness and transplants, next week’s Republican primary for an open House seat in Southwest Florida stretches the boundaries of odd. Six of the ten GOP candidates in the 19th District have run for House seats in other states — one is on his seventh run for Congress, two are Hill veterans attempting comebacks after leaving under a cloud, and two have prison records and pardons from President Donald Trump.
Ogles, Blackburn Face Tennessee Primary Tests: BGOV Election Day
The first Thursday of August is unique on the election calendar: it’s primary day in Tennessee, as enshrined in its 1796 constitution and a departure from Tuesday party contests in most other states.
BGOV Hill Watch Live: Election Preview with Greg Giroux
Five states head to the polls today, kicking off a several-week stretch of primary voting. The races are headlined by a Democratic primary in Michigan between establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed, though several House races are also worth watching. Senior Elections Reporter Greg Giroux, who highlighted the key contests in Tuesday’s Election Day Newsletter, offered a preview of the primaries and November contests on this week’s Hill Watch Live.
South Carolina Republicans Dash for Cash in Tight Senate Primary
Name recognition. Leftover campaign funds. Personal wealth. Super PACs. The top five contenders to replace the late Lindsey Graham as South Carolina’s Republican Senate candidate are benefiting from one or more of those factors as they race for the party nomination on a compressed primary schedule. Sen. Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s younger sister, faces Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry, ex-Gov. Mark Sanford, and businessman Mark Lynch in a nine-way party election Aug.
Michigan at Center of Pitched Battle for Control of Congress
I’m Greg Giroux, senior reporter for Bloomberg Government covering campaigns, elections, Congress and more. You can email me with feedback and comments here. If this newsletter was forwarded to you sign up here.
House Ethics Committee Recommends Censure of Rep. Chuck Edwards
The House Ethics Committee is recommending the chamber censure Rep. Chuck Edwards after the panel determined the congressman violated House rules regarding sexual harassment and hostile workplaces. Ethics Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and ranking member Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.) said they will file a privileged resolution to censure Edwards (R-N.C.), forcing leadership to bring it up for a House vote within two legislative days. The House is scheduled to be out of session until Aug. 31.
Final Midterm Primaries Feature Democratic Incumbents At Risk
Democratic incumbents are staring down huge risks to their seats in the last tranche of primaries before the Nov. 3 general election. Some of the Democratic Party’s oldest lawmakers drew primary opposition in the 2026 election, with their challengers making a case for generational succession. Other primaries are exposing ideological rifts in the Democratic Party, such as on US policy toward Israel and corporate power.
Darline Graham Gets K Street Fundraiser for Senate Campaign
Sen. Darline Graham’s campaign will raise money from Washington lobbyists next week at an event with fellow GOP Sens. Katie Britt and Tom Cotton, according to an invitation and people familiar with the plans. The Aug. 5 event is slated to take place in Washington, a week after funeral and memorial services in the nation’s capital and South Carolina for Graham’s brother, the late-Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) whom Darline Graham seeks to replace long-term.
House Democrats Add Five More Candidates to ‘Red to Blue’ List
The campaign organization of House Democrats expanded its roster of candidates that party leaders say will help them win control of the chamber on Nov. 3. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Tuesday added five candidates to its “Red to Blue” program, which provides organizational and fundraising support to candidates running competitively in Republican-leaning districts. Democrats need a net gain of three seats for a majority in the House.
Maine Democrat Jackson Begins Sprint to Oust Senator Collins
Democratic hopes of securing a Senate majority and thwarting President Donald Trump may hinge on what the party leaders and activists ask Troy Jackson to execute in the next 100 days. Jackson, a former longtime state lawmaker and fifth-generation logger, was nominated at a Maine Democratic convention Saturday to oppose Sen. Susan Collins (R) in one of the most consequential elections on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Ex-South Carolina Governor Sanford Joins Race for Graham’s Seat
South Carolina Republican Mark Sanford, a former governor and House member, is joining a speedy Senate primary to replace the late Lindsey Graham as the party’s nominee in the Nov. 3 general election. “For the first time, America is borrowing from the future faster than we’re building it,” Sanford, a deficit hawk who emphasizes fiscal restraint, said in a video his X account posted on Thursday.
Arizona Doctor Wins Democratic Primary Over Party Leaders’ Pick
Arizona physician Amish Shah won the Democratic nomination in one of the nation’s most competitive House districts, defeating a rival preferred by the party’s leaders and campaign organization. Shah, a former state representative, had 39% of the vote in Tuesday’s election compared with 34% for former TV journalist Marlene Galán-Woods, according to an Associated Press tally of Democratic primary votes in Arizona’s 1st District.
Louisiana Democrat Fields Won’t Run Again After Redistricting
Rep. Cleo Fields, a Louisiana Democrat, won’t seek reelection after a US Supreme Court redistricting ruling and new congressional map left him without a viable path to return to the House. Fields said Tuesday he would instead run to fill a vacancy in the Louisiana state Senate, where he previously served about two decades over three separate tenures.
House Republicans Add Redrawn Districts to Midterm Target List
House Republicans augmented their list of targeted districts in the Nov. 3 midterm election to include seven that tilt more Republican after mid-decade redistricting. Some Republican state governments revised congressional maps to rescue a slim House GOP majority that’s at risk as President Donald Trump’s approval rating falters. Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to win control of the House, though the more Republican-friendly lines make that task tougher.
Midterm Duel Triggers Cash Gusher for Democrats, Republican PACs
Whatever happens in the Nov. 3 election for control of the House and Senate, the losing side won’t fall short for lack of funds. Buoyed by a favorable midterm election environment, Democratic candidates generally reported robust campaign cash reserves at the end of June.
Thune Pivoted to Aid Paxton With PAC Donation After Texas Runoff
Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s political operation is aiding the US Senate campaign of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who’s laboring to keep the seat in Republican hands after ousting Thune’s preferred candidate, Sen. John Cornyn. Thune’s leadership PAC, Heartland Values PAC, sent $5,000, the maximum allowed contribution, to Paxton’s campaign on June 10, according to a campaign finance disclosure Wednesday.
Darline Graham’s Appointment Brings Senate Women to Record High
Photographer: Grant Baldwin/Getty Images (Bloomberg) -- The Senate will have a record 27 women serving simultaneously when South Carolina Republican Darline Graham takes the oath of office Tuesday afternoon. Graham was appointed by Gov.
BGOV OnPoint: Redistricting Reshapes Contests for House Control
Mid-decade redistricting efforts by both parties work out to a possible 10-seat net swing in favor of House Republicans, boosting their chances of staving off a Democratic takeover after November’s midterms. With new maps in place for 2026, Republicans have drawn 16 additional GOP-leaning districts, while Democrats will benefit in six races. Texas kicked off a series of redraws last year with new maps eliminating up to five Democratic seats, drawing a tit-for-tat response from California.
Alaska’s Dan Sullivans Among Many Same-Named Political Rivals
Alaska voters have two Dan Sullivans among their candidate choices for a Senate seat this year. The state Supreme Court ruled this week that an Aug. 18 primary ballot with Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan must also include Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher and registered Republican not related to the lawmaker. On a sample ballot posted by Alaska’s elections division, the senator is identified as Dan S. Sullivan and as an incumbent, and the challenger is identified as Daniel J.
Leftist Democrats String Together More Wins in Colorado Primary
Colorado Democratic voters took an anti-establishment tack and prioritized opposition to President Donald Trump in primaries Tuesday that ousted 30-year House member Diana DeGette and rejected Sen. Michael Bennet’s bid for governor. DeGette, a progressive who’s the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health panel, lost by 49%-43% in her deep-blue Denver-based 1st District to Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old democratic socialist and former corporate lawyer.
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