Elections

Roll Call -   The progressive momentum in Democratic Senate primaries continued Tuesday, with Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeating the more moderate Rep. Angie Craig in a high-stakes contest. But progressives were dealt a setback in neighboring Wisconsin, with state Rep. Francesca Hong, a self-described democratic socialist and the perceived front-runner in the Democratic primary, losing to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. …

Flanagan is now set to face Republican Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter, who comfortably won a nine-way Republican primary. If elected, Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, would be the first Native American woman to serve in the Senate.

Meanwhile, Minnesota appears poised to elect its first female governor this fall. Amy Klobuchar, the state’s senior senator, easily won the Democratic primary Tuesday in the race to succeed Gov. Tim Walz, who is stepping down after two terms. The Republican primary represented another defeat for President Donald Trump, with his endorsed candidate, former MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, losing to state House Speaker Lisa Demuth.

Congressional Insider -   During weekend comments covered by a New York outlet, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez encouraged voters to judge a Wisconsin candidate by what she is saying now, not only by older quotes that backed "defund the police." … Her remarks mark a softer tone than her 2020 push for the phrase. The shift comes as both parties argue over crime, police staffing, and how to keep people safe.

TNR Blue Book -  You may have seen some right-wingers trying to compare what Donald Trump did in Ankara, Turkey, to something Bill Clinton did in Pakistan in March 2000. Don't buy it. Yes, Clinton secretly boarded a different plane in that global hotspot, but the press was informed, and human beings were not used as a decoy.