RandySF
RandySF's JournalPA-01, PA-07, PA-08, PA-10: Pennsylvania expected to be a key battleground for Congress in 2026
Pennsylvania is likely to play a crucial role in determining the balance of power in Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, with four U.S. House seats expected to be competitive — more than any other state.
“Each of these districts are within a couple of points,” said pollster Berwood Yost of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster. “There aren’t a lot of competitive districts across the United States, and so both parties want to retain those districts.”
Yost is the director of the Center for Opinion Research and the director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy at the school
Tight margins in three races — two of which were Republican pick-ups in 2024 — make them targets for Democrats looking to regain control of the House. Another seat in the Philadelphia suburbs is a perennial goal for the Democratic Party, but voters have remained loyal to the GOP.
Though all 19 of the commonwealth’s congressional districts will be on the ballot next year, the four closely watched races and their incumbents are:
- First Congressional District, held by U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
- 7th Congressional District, held by U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie
- 8th Congressional District, held by U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan
- 10th Congressional District, held by U.S. Rep. Scott Perry
https://penncapital-star.com/election-2026/pennsylvania-expected-to-be-a-battleground-for-congress-in-2026/
NJ-11: Democrats return to democracy messaging in NJ special election
Democrats are bullish that a laser-focus on the economy — which helped deliver wins across the country in 2025 — will buoy them in the midterms.
But in one of the first major races of 2026, some candidates are betting that affordability messaging lends itself to a familiar issue — and one that Democrats have increasingly moved away from in recent years: democracy.
Ahead of the February special election for New Jersey’s 11th District, former Rep. Tom Malinowski recently hosted a town hall with Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin about “defending our democracy from Trump,” followed by a “democracy dialogue” with New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim. In a screening process for an endorsement from county leaders, Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett discussed his experience with addressing affordability — only after he argued that sending a voting rights lawyer to Congress is “essential” to “protecting American democracy.” And visitors to Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way’s campaign site see her prominently described as a “democracy champion.”
In the years after the 2021 Capitol riot, Democrats have grappled with how to message on democracy — an issue that has proven to motivate their base but has not been as effective with swing voters who have rising costs top of mind. In 2024, some Democrats expressed concern about then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ focus on fascism criticisms while Donald Trump led on the economy. And further down the ballot, even Democrats running against Republicans who had connections to the insurrection said that their message had to be about more than just democracy.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/02/democrats-return-to-democracy-messaging-in-nj-special-election-00704771
MI-GOV: Michigan gubernatorial funding over $25M, on pace to resemble state's most expensive elections
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s first bid for the governor’s office in 2018 against Republican stalwart Bill Schuette reached record fundraising and spending, outpacing the previous high in 2006 when Dick Devos’ mega billions gave then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm a literal run for her money.
But the money already raised in the 2026 gubernatorial race shows that it could be on pace to get close to the record-breaking fundraising and spending totals seen in 2006, which saw nearly $80 million in spending, and 2018, which exceeded $90 million.
Year-end 2025 campaign finance reports aren’t due until the end of January, which will detail fundraising between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 while also wrapping up the contribution and spending totals for the previous year.
But the public campaign finance data available over two quarters of fundraising and spending, up until October, show that donors have given more than $25 million to Michigan’s gubernatorial primary candidates and the lone independent candidate, Mike Duggan, who is already playing like he’s in a general election.
https://michiganadvance.com/2026/01/02/michigan-gubernatorial-spending-over-25m-on-pace-to-resemble-states-most-expensive-elections/
FL-GOV: David Jolly campaign says he's raised $3 million-plus so far in race for governor
The David Jolly campaign announced Friday that it raised more than $1 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 and more than $3 million overall in his race for the Democratic nomination for Florida governor.
That number pales in comparison to the $40 million Republican Byron Donalds’ gubernatorial campaign announced last month.
Jolly is a former Pinellas County Republican U.S. representative who announced his candidacy in early June, and for much of 2025 was the only high-profile Democrat in the race to succeed Ron DeSantis in November 2026.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings entered the Democratic race in November. His campaign has yet to announce any fundraising amounts (and did not respond to a request for comment).
https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/david-jolly-campaign-says-hes-raised-3-million-plus-so-far-in-race-for-governor/
TX-SEN: Talarico brings in nearly $7M with latest haul for Texas Senate race
Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) hauled in nearly $7 million in the fourth quarter of fundraising last year in the Texas Senate race, raking in more than $13 million since launching his bid in September, his campaign announced Friday.
His campaign said he raised $6.8 million between October and December and said the more than $13 million he’s hauled in overall came from more than 215,000 individual donors.
His team said Talarico accepted no money from corporate PACs and that 98 percent of the donations he’s received since he launched have been small-dollar donations — a maximum of $100. Overall, he’s received contributions from donors in all 50 states and 240 of Texas’s 254 counties.
“With the help of more than 215,000 neighbors, we are building a campaign to win the primary, win the general, and deliver for working people across Texas,” Talarico said in a statement.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5669726-talarico-crockett-senate-race/
No. 18 Notre Dame women's basketball upset by Georgia Tech
This was always a deceptive game on paper ― New Year's Day, on the road, sub .500 opponent.
That doesn't excuse No. 18 Notre Dame women's basketball's 95-90 overtime loss to Georgia Tech Thursday. Especially not when junior Hannah Hidalgo goes for 26 points, 10 assists and eight steals, or when senior Cass Prosper goes for 19 points and 10 rebounds.
The fact is, no matter what your opponent's record is (Yellow Jackets are now 6-9), it's tough to consistently play six players and be successful. When junior KK Bransford went down with a right knee injury December 11, the Irish's already lacking depth was bound to be exposed at some point.
Notre Dame didn't need much firepower vs. opponents like James Madison, Bellarmine or Pittsburgh, beating each by at least 13 points, but going six deep finally caught up to the Irish New Year's Day against the Yellow Jackets.
https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/sports/college/basketball/2026/01/01/georgia-tech-notre-dame-womens-basketball-new-years-day-yellow-jackets-irish-ncaa/87986532007/
Tonie Morgan's late 3-pointer lifts Kentucky in upset at LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Tonie Morgan hit a 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left to lift No. 11 Kentucky to an 80-78 win over No. 5 and previously unbeaten LSU on Thursday night.
It was a stunning loss before a crowd of 11,485 that included new LSU football coach Lane Kiffin, who walked hand-in-hand with Tigers' coach Kim Mulkey onto the floor before the game.
Morgan, a Georgia Tech transfer, led the Wildcats (14-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Asia Boone had 18 points, including five 3-pointers; Teonni Key added 17 points and 16 rebounds; and Clara Strack had 15 points.
Mikaylah Williams had 26 points to lead the Tigers (14-1, 0-1). Flau'jae Johnson had 15 points while Jada Richard and Amiya Joyner had 14 apiece.
https://www.espn.ph/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/47478008/tonie-morgan-late-3-pointer-lifts-kentucky-upset-lsu
Napheesa Collier to miss 4-6 months after surgery on ankles
WNBA star Napheesa Collier will undergo surgery on her ankles, sidelining her for four to six months and forcing her to miss the upcoming Unrivaled season, the league announced Thursday. The operations are scheduled for the first week of January and will be performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley in New York City, sources said.
Collier hurt her ankles during the WNBA season while with the Minnesota Lynx. On Aug. 2, she sprained her right ankle against the Las Vegas Aces, forcing her to miss three weeks. She was the clear favorite to win league MVP at the time but ended up finishing second to Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson for the second straight year. In September, Collier tore three ligaments in her left ankle in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury. The top-seeded Lynx lost the series in four games.
Collier had expressed confidence she would be able to return from the injuries in time for the start of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league she co-founded with New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart that begins its second season Monday. During a virtual news conference for the league Dec. 16, Collier said she did not need surgery but was "still working to get back to 100%." She added that her rehab was getting better each day and that she was planning on being healthy enough to play by January.
However, following additional consultation from a joint medical staff in Miami and Minnesota, it was determined that her recovery should have been further along at this point and that surgery would be necessary.
https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/47470089/sources-napheesa-collier-miss-4-6-months-surgery
Kansas election law and USPS changes means voters have less time to mail ballots in 2026
Kansas voters will have less time to return mail ballots in 2026 after state lawmakers eliminated a three-day grace period and the U.S. Postal Service changed how it postmarks mail.
Previously, Kansas voters had until three days after Election Day for their mail ballots to arrive at election offices. Now, ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day to count.
In December, USPS announced that in 2026 it will postmark mail when it's processed at regional facilities rather than when it's dropped off. This processing delay could take several days, meaning a ballot mailed on time could still arrive too late to count.
We spoke to lawmakers and advocates in Kansas when the law was passed in March 2025.
https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/kansas-election-law-and-usps-changes-means-voters-have-less-time-to-mail-ballots-in-2026
BLOOMINGTON CELEBRATES STRONG VOTER ENGAGEMENT WITH 27.8% TURNOUT IN 2025 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
As Bloomington closed the chapter on its 2025 municipal elections, the city saw a strong turnout, suggesting a community engaged and invested in its local governance. According to an official release from the City of Bloomington, 27.8% of registered voters, translating to 16,477 individuals, made their voices heard through their ballots. Within those numbers, standing out was the 3,500 absentee voters, including 2,322 who voted early in person at Civic Plaza.
In the wards where democracy was at play, Dwayne Lowman and Shawn Nelson successfully held their posts in Council Districts 1 and 2, respectively. Joining the ranks of city overseers, Danielle Robertson secured an at-large seat, stepping into the City Council chambers for her first term. They will assume their roles officially on January 5, bearing the trust of their constituencies.
The smooth operation of the election, a ballet of civic duty, didn't unfold without the hands of many. City Clerk Jamy Hanson was quoted expressing gratitude for the collective effort: "Bloomington’s elections rely on teamwork across every department," Hanson said. "Thank you to our election judges, staff and community members who helped ensure a smooth and secure election process."
This shared sentiment bespoke of a communal toil where a tapestry of unseen labors ensured the integrity of the democratic process. The city illustrated, through its 27.8% turnout, an emphatic statement on the importance of local elections. It is through such local platforms that the larger American narrative on democracy is often written, one voter at a time.
https://hoodline.com/2026/01/bloomington-celebrates-strong-voter-engagement-with-27-8-turnout-in-2025-municipal-elections/
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