Author: Joseph Brusgard
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Prediction markets approach $200 million in settled contracts
An NBC News analysis found that in this election cycle, approximately $200 million has been wagered in prediction markets, where users have bet on election outcomes across the country. According to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a prediction market is a platform where users buy and sell contracts tied to the outcome of future…
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A total of 107 state executives are retiring in 2026; the most retirements in a year since 2018
In July, the filing deadline passed in one state, Delaware, on July 14. Delaware is the final state holding state executive elections in 2026 to have a filing deadline pass. There are six state executive offices in Delaware. Three, the governor, lieutenant governor, and insurance commissioner, were up for election in 2024. Three other offices…
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Senate control is at stake for both parties in the competitive race for U.S. Senate in Georgia
Incumbent Jon Ossoff (D), Mike Collins (R), and five other candidates are running for United States Senate in Georgia on November 3, 2026. Georgia Recorder's Ross Williams wrote, "[I]f Democrats want a chance to gain control of the Senate, they’ll need to defend Georgia and other states with vulnerable Democratic incumbents while picking up at…
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Generational change versus experience a theme in the Democratic primary for Massachusetts' 8th Congressional District
Incumbent Stephen Lynch (D) and Patrick Roath (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Massachusetts' 8th Congressional District on September 1, 2026. WBUR's Anthony Brooks wrote, "The race is one of many primary contests across the country pitting the power of incumbency against a call for generational change." Roath has criticized Lynch's record, saying…
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Second-most incumbents retiring in a midterm year in Kansas since 2010
Seventeen Kansas state legislative incumbents are retiring in 2026, the second-highest number in any midterm election since 2010. This is a 29% decrease in the number of incumbents retiring compared to 2022. In Kansas, state representatives are up for election every two years, while state senators are up every four years (presidential election years). Fourteen…
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Von Wilpert (D) and Desmond (R) face off in CA-48 after Prop 50 redraw shifted district 18 points toward Democrats
Marni von Wilpert (D) and Jim Desmond (R) are running in the general election for California's 48th Congressional District on November 3, 2026. Incumbent Darrell Issa (R) is retiring from public office. Times of San Diego's Andrew Keatts wrote the election "is among the most-watched contests in the nation, and could determine partisan control of…
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Lindsey Graham's death will set off a special primary election for a Senate seat that's open for the second time since 1956
A special Republican Party primary is scheduled for August 11, 2026, in South Carolina to determine which Republican candidate will run in the state's general election on November 3, 2026. The special primary became necessary after incumbent Lindsey Graham (R), the Republican nominee selected at the June 9 primary, died on July 11, 2026. Graham…
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Lindsay Graham is the fifth U.S. Senator to die during a re-election campaign since 1918
On July 11, 2026, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) died at the age of 71. He is the first U.S. Senator from South Carolina to die in office since Olin D. Johnston (D-S.C.) died on April 18, 1965. He is also the fourth member of the U.S. Senate since 2013 to die in office and the…
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Incumbent Rep. Cory Mills faces three Republican challengers in Florida's 7th District primary
Four candidates are running in the Republican primary for Florida's 7th Congressional District on August 18, 2026. Two candidates have led in media attention: Incumbent Cory Mills (R) and Ryan Elijah (R). Mills has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee since 2025. According to Politico's Hailey Fuchs, Mills "allegedly held weapons contracts with…
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97% of Trump-endorsed candidates won primaries this election cycle
Candidates who Donald Trump (R) endorsed in 2026 primaries have won 220 of 227 (97%) of their races so far — one percentage point less than the 2020 election cycle, when 98% of Trump-endorsed candidates won their primaries. Those figures include scenarios in which Trump endorsed two candidates in the same race. In total, Trump…