The Downballot

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The premier source of information for the thousands of elections below the presidency, from Senate to city council. Our site:

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The Downballot@the-downballot· 26d

State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole's first attack ad hitting Rep. Ed Case, whom he's challenging in next month's Democratic primary. Be sure to stay for the catchy jingle at the end featuring some traditional Hawaiian ukulele sounds. (Ad first shared by @andrewsolender.bsky.social)

The Downballot@the-downballot· 27d

Just two Republicans in contested races responded when Politico asked them if they'd attend the GOP's midterm convention in Texas in September—and one wouldn't say. The rest all went silent. www.politico.com/newsletters/...

The Downballot@the-downballot· 28d

Kind of wild that there are *14* open Senate seats this year.

The Downballot@the-downballot· 29d

Have you bookmarked The Downballot's chart of 2024 presidential election results calculated for all 435 congressional districts—including updated data for all 10 states with new maps this year? Here it is! the-db.co/presbycd

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 10

Graham Platner finally files withdrawal paperwork. Dems can now officially pick a replacement. x.com/hollyotterbe...

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 9

It's funny you should mention that. We *do* have an alternative map that we're in the process of updating. This is what it looks like, though please note that this is for the *2024* maps, not the 2026 maps. As I say, we're working on a new version!

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 9

We also publish detailed calculations for each state that show how every county—and county sub-part, since many counties are split between districts—voted. The screenshot here shows South Florida, for instance. Find every state here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 9

As a result, there are now 23 "Trump-Democratic" seats and eight "Harris-Republican" seats. That's a big increase: Following the 2024 elections, there were 13 of the former and three of the latter. Here's the complete list.

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 9

A very unusual development, via @scottbraddock.bsky.social x.com/scottbraddoc...

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 9

Republicans can't decide whether Graham Platner was a martyr (Senate Leadership Fund) or a "racist, woman-hating Nazi" (RNC)

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 8

Via @igorbobic.bsky.social x.com/igorbobic/st...

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 8

New video from Maine Dem Party says Platner's team is trying to "put their thumb on the scale" of what the process for picking a replacement will look like. "We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner's team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate"

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 7

Just a few weeks ago, the @wsj.com published a piece on the Democratic strategist who recruited and vetted Graham Platner, Dan Moraff. www.msn.com/en-us/news/p... An excerpt:

Moraff’s backers call him a brilliant disrupter with a fresh perspective who doesn’t mind rubbing people the wrong way to win. But his work for Platner fits a pattern of management of previous campaigns, according to more than a dozen people who have worked with him over the last decade. In particular, candidate vetting has been a frequent source of tension.

In Pittsburgh, he was involved in Turahn Jenkins’s 2018 campaign to take on the county’s district attorney, Stephen Zappala Jr. Less than a week into his campaign, progressive groups backed away from Jenkins when it emerged that he belonged to a church that held antigay views. Jenkins, who lost the election, declined to comment on the race or on Moraff.

Moraff said he did a vet for Jenkins that was beyond what would normally have been done for local office.

Brandi Fisher, who leads a police-accountability organization in Pittsburgh, where Moraff worked with progressive groups and a small corps of Democratic Socialists of America, called the campaign “a debacle.” But she said she holds Jenkins, rather than Moraff, responsible for not revealing the views of homosexuality that undermined his support.

She acknowledged that Moraff’s work has caused friction with other activists. “Daniel moves fast,” she said. “Daniel makes mistakes, because he’s aggressive. Any time you’re a very aggressive, risk-taking person, things are going to come up.”

In New York, Moraff worked as campaign manager for state Senate candidate Debbie Medina. Her 2016 admission that she beat her son as a child with a belt derailed her campaign. The revelation came after older testimony from the sentencing of her son in a murder trial surfaced.

Moraff later touted her getting 40.5% of the vote despite “a major scandal in the middle of her campaign” in a 2017 op-ed for a progressive magazine, In These Times. Moraff told The Wall Street Journal he didn’t recruit Medina, who had previously run for office.

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 6

Hannah Pingree, the Dem nominee for #MEGov, calls on Platner to drop out

Statement from Hannah Pingree on Graham Platner

MAINE — Hannah Pingree, Democratic nominee for Governor of Maine, released the following statement:

“These allegations are deeply disturbing. Jenny Racicot is a woman who has shown real courage in sharing her story — what she's describing is serious, credible and cannot be dismissed.

For Maine, for the future of control of the US Senate, and because no party should stand behind a candidate facing allegations of assault, Graham Platner should exit the race immediately. Democrats need a nominee who can beat Susan Collins in November. Graham Platner is no longer that candidate.

Graham Platner tapped into something real — voters hungry for change showed up with real passion and energy. That energy doesn't have to go away. It needs a new candidate to carry it forward.”

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 6

A large number of prominent figures have endorsed Platner. Eric Swalwell's campaign for #CAGov imploded after his top backers all quickly rescinded their support following sexual assault allegations. Something similar could happen here.

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 6

New Platner video: "So regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward" x.com/grahamformai...

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 6

From @politico.com: "A woman who dated Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner says he forced her to have sex with him nearly five years ago despite her repeated objections, an allegation Platner denies." www.politico.com/news/2026/07...

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 6

New poll: www.thehousemajoritypac.com/news/hmp-pol...

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 6

Attorney Eric Chung, one of the three Democrats running to flip open #MI10, reports raising $400,000 in the second quarter of 2026 and having $1 million on hand. Primary is Aug. 4.

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 2

Lots more in our newest Digest, including our first look at candidates' newest fundraising totals from the just-completed second quarter!

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 1

Well well well. Look who just took the lead in the #COGov GOP primary.

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 1

Oh man. This chart of the #COGov GOP primary is an all-timer from the gambling markets. They know the winner neither before polls close nor after! (And we don't, either: The race remains uncalled, with Kirkmeyer ahead by just 953 votes.)

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 1

The second quarter of 2026 ended Tuesday evening, and candidates are sharing their totals ahead of the July 15 deadline. Democrat Cait Conley, who is running to flip a swing seat in New York's Hudson Valley, says she raised $1.6 million for the quarter and has $1 million cash on hand. #NY17

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jul 1

In a statement congratulating Phil Weiser on winning the #COGov Dem nomination, Sen. Michael Bennet does not mention anything about seeking reelection or serving out his term.

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jun 29

So amend this law? Would require a 2/3rds vote of the lege to call itself into a special session ... or the assent of Polis. 😬

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jun 29

Coloradans for a Level Playing Field on the state Supreme Court rejecting Dem-backed initiatives to redraw the state's map: "While Trump and his MAGA allies regularly sidestep the law and ignore voters, efforts to respond have once again been dealt a legal setback over a technicality."

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jun 29

We've just published new policies governing our use of AI and prohibiting political gambling by our staff. You can find them on The Downballot's About page: www.the-downballot.com/about#%C2%A7...

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jun 29

In a separate opinion, the CO Supreme Court also rejects related redistricting measures on a more traditional single-subject basis www.coloradojudicial.gov/system/files...

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jun 29

CO Supreme Court rejects Dem-backed ballot measures to allow passage of a new congressional map, ruling that an "initiative violates the single subject requirement when its effectiveness is conditioned on the passage of a separate initiative." www.coloradojudicial.gov/system/files...

The Downballot@the-downballot· Jun 26

We wrote about Espaillat's attack ads on that topic www.the-downballot.com/p/morning-di...