February 25, 2026

Michigan GOP leader called opponents 'scum' after hearing on ICE bills

Lansing — State Sen. Jim Runestad, chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, referred to people who opposed him at a committee hearing about federal immigration enforcement as "absolute scum," according to a recording of his remarks provided to The Detroit News.

Runestad, a White Lake Township lawmaker, made the "scum" comment at a Feb. 3 Republican leadership event in Oakland County, five days after a heated meeting of the Michigan Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee in Lansing.

The Democratic-led panel was considering bills to restrict officers' ability to conduct immigration enforcement actions in places like schools, churches, hospitals, courthouses or buildings that house organizations that assist victims of abuse.

Another bill the committee debated on Jan. 29 would broadly prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employees from wearing masks.



https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/25/michigan-republican-party-chairman-jim-runestad-ice-democrats-absolute-scum-state-senate-hearing/88844373007/

February 25, 2026

PA-GOV: Quinnipiac Poll: Shapiro leading Garrity

NOTE: The article also discusses his numbers as a presidential candidate but I don't want to get into 2028 until after November.


At the same time, Shapiro leads Garrity, the state treasurer, by a 55-37% margin. Just more than half – 51% – of voters have a favorable opinion of Shapiro, and a majority – 56% – approve of his handling of the job as governor.

The gubernatorial poll shows little change from Quinnipiac’s poll from Pennsylvania last October, which showed Shapiro holding an early lead in the 2026 contest, but does show his overall approval slipping slightly.

That poll had Shapiro leading Garrity in 2026 and holding an edge in a hypothetical 2028 matchup with J.D. Vance. It also showed U.S. Sen. John Fetterman with greater support among GOP voters than Democrats.

Shapiro’s handling of his job as governor fell from 60% approval last year to 58% this year, with 49% of independent voters approving of the way he does the job. He also has 51% support from Independent voters when matched up against Garrity, with 66% of voters saying they haven’t heard enough about the Republican candidate.





https://www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/2026/02/quinnipiac-poll-shapiro-leading-garrity-showing-weakness-potential-prez-run/411687/?oref=cspa-category-lander-top-story

February 25, 2026

NJ-02: Mullock (D) raises $200k in first week running for Congress

Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock has already raised $200,000 after entering the race for New Jersey’s 2nd congressional district a week ago, his campaign announced today.

Mullock launched his campaign far later than several other Democrats running to unseat Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), giving him less than four months to build up a serious effort before the June primary. His early fundraising haul, though, indicates that at a minimum he’ll be financially competitive with his top Democratic foes.

“Our campaign isn’t powered by Washington insiders or party bosses. It’s powered by South Jersey families who are ready for new leadership,” Mullock said in a statement. “People are stepping up across the 2nd district because they’re tired of watching politicians talk about the stock market while families worry about rent, groceries, and health care. This is about sending someone to Washington who understands what it actually costs to raise a family here.”

Of Mullock’s four Democratic primary foes, the best-funded by far is Bayly Winder, a former USAID official who has raised just over $450,000 for his campaign in total; similar to Mullock, Winder raised $170,000 in his first week as a candidate. Tim Alexander, who previously ran for the same seat in 2022 and 2024, is also a major contender for the nomination, but he’s raised just $37,000 so fa


https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/mullock-raises-200k-in-first-week-running-for-nj-2/

February 25, 2026

Taylor campaign: Judge Chris Taylor's (D) campaign releases new TV ad

MADISON, Wis. – Judge Chris Taylor’s campaign for the Wisconsin Supreme Court released its second TV ad of the election cycle, titled “Survivor.” This ad is part of the campaign’s previously-announced statewide TV and digital campaign and will begin airing today in the Madison, Milwaukee, La Crosse, Wausau, and Green Bay markets.

“Survivor” highlights Judge Taylor’s record working with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and her efforts to strengthen protections for victims. Judge Taylor previously championed Wisconsin’s Safe at Home legislation, which earned support from law enforcement, Republicans and Democrats in the legislature, and was signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker. Thanks to this legislation, victims of domestic violence are able to keep their home address confidential to protect themselves and their family.

The ad features a survivor sharing her own personal story and how Judge Taylor listened to her and championed laws that protect survivors and hold abusers accountable. As Supreme Court justice, Wisconsinites can count on Judge Taylor to uphold justice and keep our communities safe.



https://www.wispolitics.com/2026/taylor-campaign-judge-chris-taylors-campaign-releases-new-tv-ad-highlighting-her-work-to-protect-survivors-and-hold-abusers-accountable/

February 25, 2026

In the Supreme Court race between Taylor (D) and Lazar (R), 'undecided' leads

State Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor, the liberal candidate in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, is leading her conservative opponent, State Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar, by about 5 percentage points — but the vast majority of voters haven't decided whom they are going to vote for in April, according to a new Marquette University Law School poll.

The poll, which was released on Feb. 25, found Taylor had 17% of the vote compared to Lazar with 12% among registered voters, while 66% said they were undecided. The margin of error was about 4 percentage points with 818 Wisconsinites surveyed between Feb. 11 and Feb. 19.

Among likely voters who say they are certain to vote in the election, Taylor led Lazar by about 7 percentage points, 22% to 15% with 62% saying they were undecided.

Charles Franklin, the poll's director, said it's clear people haven't "tuned in" to the races for Supreme Court or Wisconsin governor.



https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/02/25/in-the-supreme-court-race-between-taylor-and-lazar-undecided-leads/88827814007/

February 25, 2026

Fulton County officials argue FBI agent misled judge to seize ballots from 2020 election

Did an FBI agent deliberately mislead a federal judge to secure the warrant that initiated the bureau’s unprecedented seizure of 2020 election records from an election facility in Fulton County, Georgia, last month?

That’s the explosive question that county officials are now attempting to answer in their lawsuit to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to return the sensitive election records, which included original ballots. The county has suspicions it was intentional deception.

At the county’s request, a Trump-appointed federal judge has called for a court hearing this Friday to force FBI special agent Hugh Raymond Evans to testify about the extraordinary affidavit he presented to a court to justify the FBI’s raid.

The FBI has asserted that its seizure of the records was part of its investigation into whether “deficiencies or defects” occurred in Fulton County’s handling of the 2020 election and whether its tabulation of votes resulted in violations of election record retention rules and voter fraud laws. But Fulton County claims that Evans’ affidavit effectively violated the Constitution.





https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/fulton-county-raid-fbi-agent-search-warrant-affidavit-hearing/

February 25, 2026

As Trump Rambles on in His State of the Union Address, Democrats Just Won Three More Special Elections

WASHINGTON — As President Trump delivers his State of the Union address and tries to paper over his disastrous record, state legislative Democrats are hard at work winning more elections. Tonight, DLCC Spotlight candidates Ana Tiburcio and Jen Mazzocco won their special elections in Pennsylvania to preserve the razor-thin one-seat House majority. Not only that, DLCC Spotlight candidate Scott Harriman defended a key House seat in Maine.

State legislative Democrats have “crushed” Republicans in special elections throughout 2025 and 2026 – flipping 26 seats to Republicans’ embarrassing 0 since Trump was elected. The DLCC is carrying our winning strategy to more specials on the horizon and to our ambitious 27-state target map this November.

“Another Tuesday, another defiant round of wins for state legislative Democrats. The split screen tonight couldn’t be starker: As President Trump drones on and tries to cover up his agenda that’s left working families behind, Democrats are winning elections. Republicans’ rambling can’t hide their toxic record from voters.

“Every special election is an opportunity to build power and put Republicans on the back foot heading into the midterms, and that’s exactly what we’ve done tonight in Pennsylvania and Maine. Both states are on the DLCC’s target map this November as we prepare to translate our momentum into the biggest wins this ballot level has seen in nearly two decades.”




https://www.dlcc.org/press/breaking-as-trump-rambles-on-in-his-state-of-the-union-address-democrats-just-won-three-more-special-elections/

February 25, 2026

Under Idaho bill, poll workers would try to verify more voter identities

A bill to require Idaho election poll workers to attempt to verify the identity of voters before giving them ballots is headed to the Idaho Senate.

Senate Bill 1322 would change Idaho’s process for voter affidavits, which are sworn legal documents that registered Idaho voters can provide to cast ballots instead of showing photo identification.

The bill would require affidavits to include the voter’s birth date, or the number for their driver’s license or ID card. The election judge would need to “verify the information against the voter registration records prior to issuing a ballot.”

The Senate State Affairs Committee on Wednesday advanced the bill to the full Senate, where it could be considered in the coming days.




https://idahocapitalsun.com/briefs/under-idaho-bill-poll-workers-would-try-to-verify-more-voter-identities/

February 25, 2026

Underdog Democrats lean into data center concerns

An explosion in data center construction across the nation is fueling underdogs in key races as candidates look to win the messaging war on affordability.

Democrats from Georgia to Michigan are trying to turn concern about the energy-hungry facilities to their advantage as voters fret about its impact on electricity bills.

And while polling suggests the data center debate is far from being a top-tier midterm subject, the issue is bubbling up as a wedge for lesser-known candidates looking to differentiate themselves from the pack.

“Running away from these issues is, frankly, bad politics. It’s cowardly politics,” said Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, a hot spot for data center clashes.




https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/25/midterm-underdogs-rally-around-data-center-politics-00773692

February 25, 2026

Signatures submitted for three Colorado ballot initiatives related to the human trafficking of minors, sex requirements

Initiative 108

The first measure, Initiative 108, would increase the penalties for the sexual trafficking of a minor by raising it from a Class 2 felony to a Class 1 felony. The initiative would also require a life sentence for the felony, without the possibility of parole or release.


Initiative 109

Initiative 109 would require school- and association-sponsored athletic teams to be classified in one of three categories based on biological sex: (1) males/men/boys, (2) females/women/girls, or (3) coeducational or mixed. Teams designated for females, women, or girls would not be open to male students or participants. Teams designated for males, men, or boys would not be open to female students or participants unless no corresponding female team is offered for that sport. The measure would not limit participation in teams designated as coeducational or mixed.


Initiative 110

The last measure filed, Initiative 110, would prohibit healthcare professionals from performing surgeries on minors "for the purpose of altering biological sex characteristics," as well as prohibit state and federal funds, Medicaid reimbursements, or insurance coverage from being used to pay for such surgeries. The phrase altering biological sex characteristics would be defined as "treatment in response to a minor’s perception of sex or gender" and exclude treatment for medically verifiable disorders of sex development or acquired physical or chemical abnormalities and male circumcision.




https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/02/24/signatures-submitted-for-three-colorado-ballot-initiatives-related-to-the-human-trafficking-of-minors-sex-requirements-for-school-sports-teams-and-surgeries-for-transgender-minors/