Elections

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Democratic Party are sending 134 election law attorneys, 1,000 voter protection volunteers, and 54 hotline operators to five congressional districts for the midterms, after the White House accused the state of allowing noncitizens to vote illegally. The move follows a federal judge blocking the Justice Department from forcing California to set aside 20,000 ballots it alleged were fraudulently cast; data scientists reviewing that list found it riddled with errors, including thousands of names that don't match state voter rolls. Newsom has since warned federal courts that agents may try to seize ballots before results are certified, calling it an attempt to undermine Democratic midterm gains.

An Ada County judge denied a preliminary injunction sought by the Idaho Family Policy Center and the Too Extreme for Idaho PAC to halt television ads supporting Idaho's Proposition 1, which would expand abortion access. Judge Davis VanderVelde cited insufficient evidence that Idahoans United for Women and Families, Prop 1's main backer, violated campaign finance law by routing over $620,000 through the state Democratic Party to secure candidate-level ad rates. The ruling follows VanderVelde's earlier denial of a temporary restraining order. Prop 1 supporters and the state Democratic Party deny wrongdoing, calling the suit frivolous, while opponents maintain the arrangement unfairly gamed advertising rules ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

Alaska's Republican-run state government has urged a federal judge to dismiss, with prejudice, the Justice Department lawsuit filed at President Trump's direction to block certification of a possible Senate win by Democrat Mary Peltola over GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan. In a Saturday filing, the state's attorney general's office called the suit "meritless" and said there was no reason for the court to entertain it further. The suit claims voters may have been confused by a second, unrelated candidate also named Dan Sullivan and had asked the court to segregate ballots cast for him, a step Alaska's attorneys called "disturbing and impossible" and a violation of voter privacy, noting the ballot clearly distinguished the two by party and incumbency. Trump has also called for Peltola's prosecution over reports her campaign helped recruit the spoiler candidate. U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason is weighing whether to dismiss the case without a hearing.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, seeking a fourth term against Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, faces a closer-than-expected race amid rural backlash over data centers, school vouchers, and an unpopular Iran conflict. Public polling shows Hinojosa within striking distance, an unusual position for Texas' dominant GOP leader. Abbott is deploying his extensive "Abbott Impact App" turnout operation, built on thousands of volunteers and voter data, to aid his own campaign and that of Attorney General Ken Paxton, who faces Democrat James Talarico in a competitive Senate race.

Democrats are meanwhile building new grassroots infrastructure in traditionally Republican counties like Brazoria, hoping demographic shifts and sustained organizing can finally end the party's three-decade statewide losing streak.