Voting

MS NOW -   Just as some Democrats around the country fervently hoped, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff. Had Cornyn prevailed, he likely would have easily won re-election against Democratic nominee James Talarico. But with Paxton on the ballot, Democrats have at least a chance at nabbing the seat. This election is about more than control of the Senate, as important as that is. It also spotlights the issue of corruption, which Democrats can run on not just in Texas, but across the country.

Though for years Democrats have hoped that the right combination of circumstances could turn Texas blue, the state remains consistently red. Democrats have not won any statewide race since 1994. Cornyn was re-elected to his seat by nearly 10% in 2020 and Donald Trump won the state by 12% in 2024. Paxton’s record, however, gives Democrats new hope. Much like Trump, it’s hard to list the Texas attorney general’s scandals because there are so many of them.  MORE 

Roll Call - A federal court blocked Alabama from using its new congressional map in this fall’s elections, ruling Tuesday that it is still “intentionally discriminatory” against Black voters. The unanimous decision from a three-judge panel to grant a preliminary injunction adds to the legal drama around the state’s redistricting efforts, part of a flurry of fast-moving court fights that already includes a trip to the Supreme Court and rescheduled primary elections.

NY Times - South Carolina’s Senate refused to approve a Trump-backed voting map, which aimed to eliminate the state’s lone majority-Black district.

A judge in Florida let a new map there stand while a lawsuit against it moved through the courts. The map could give Republicans four additional House seats.