Politics and views in the United States

The GOP kicks off first-ever midterm convention. A record number of women run for office and pro-data center labor unions give big to the Kentucky governor's Super PAC.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

The Paxton campaign has been lackluster when it's come to their public-facing elements.

They've struggled in fundraising.

This convention is a shot in the arm for them.

The Senate race in Texas has become one of the most visible in America.

University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus says the first of its kind midterm convention is a chance for the GOP to bolster the Senate campaign of Ken Paxton.

The scandal Texas Attorney General might ordinarily expect to be way ahead of Democratic state representative James Tallarico, but is tied instead.

Rotting House says the coalition that sent President Donald Trump back to the White House is fraying, and gains made with Black, Latino, and younger male voters have all but disappeared.

Tallarico is also getting traction on issues like data centers, tariffs, and flock cameras, and has been advertising, while Paxton has not.

The Postal Service's watchdog is investigating a whistleblower in their allegations that an untested White House system for strictly limiting mail-in voting could disenfranchise thousands and throw the election into chaos.

Trump is asking the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court order stalling the plan.

In a related case, the Justice Department is asking the court to lift a court order preventing the purging of voting rules using a federal immigration database built to help states check the citizenship of people applying for documents.

Critics charged the Homeland Security Department system is unvetted and full of heirs.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh has turned away an appeal to lift a block on new congressional maps in Missouri.

The primary was held under districts designed to give Republicans a seven to one advantage, but a lower court rule that couldn't be used in November.

A record number of women are running for office nationwide, with more than 700 campaigning for Congress or governorships.

Florida State Representative Angie Nixon, a black Democrat running for Senate, says she's unapologetic about who she is.

I am a hardworking person who cares about the people of Florida, and I'm putting people first.

That's the type of label that I want on me.

It's not about Republican or Democrat or DSA or progressive or moderate.

It's about who is going to put people first.

It's not clear if gender played any role in the recent physical attack on the female Democrat candidate for governor in Ohio.

Dr. Amy Acton was unharmed.

Despite tough talk on data centers from Kentucky Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, unions that support their construction are funneling major donations into his political action committee.

Last month, Bashir issued an executive order requiring the centers to pay what he describes as their fair share of taxes.

Jason Bailey with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy says that might not do a lot.

Governors has a role in a lot of this stuff, but some of it depends as well on the Cabinet for Economic Development awarding the subsidies, but also the legislature and what they decide to do moving forward.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, a construction union supporting data centers, donated more than $200,000 to the governors in this together PAC.

The Smithsonian Institute's first black secretary, Lonnie Bunch, announced his retirement following several clashes with Trump.

I'm Zamone Perez for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.