Louisiana Senate winner?

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) won her party's primary in Florida's newly drawn 20th Congressional District, a plurality-Black seat centered on Broward County, after her old 25th District seat was eliminated in Republican-led mid-decade redistricting ordered by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Rather than run in a new, whiter district that favored Trump, she chose to compete in the 20th, drawing criticism from local Black leaders, the Broward Black Democratic Caucus, and Congressional Black Caucus members who saw her candidacy as a threat to Black political representation already weakened by the Supreme Court's rollback of the Voting Rights Act; Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to endorse her.

Wasserman Schultz defeated a divided field of four Black challengers — former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, rapper Luther "Luke" Campbell, Elijah Manley, and Dale Holness — leaning on seniority, fundraising, and an Appropriations Committee seat while her rivals split the opposing vote. Her win makes her the only white House member representing a plurality or majority-Black district heading into 2027, following the elimination of Rep. Steve Cohen's Memphis district by Tennessee Republicans. The broader Florida redistricting effort cut four Democratic-leaning seats ahead of the midterms.

Charity Hospital, the New Orleans landmark abandoned after Hurricane Katrina, is set for redevelopment as Louisiana marks the storm's 21st anniversary. Tulane University is leading a $500 million project to convert the 1930s art deco building into a medical research hub, with labs for hundreds of researchers, classrooms, and space for biomedical startups. Construction is expected to begin this fall, with completion targeted for 2029.

The hospital's closure has long symbolized Katrina's toll on the city's health care system: patients and staff were trapped inside for days without power as floodwaters covered roughly 80% of New Orleans. Previous redevelopment attempts stalled for years. City and university leaders now frame the project as a milestone in recovery, alongside nearby Katrina-era hospital sites like Lindy Boggs Medical Center, recently demolished, and the former Memorial hospital, now Ochsner Baptist. Tulane leaders, including President Michael Fitts and medical school dean Lee Hamm, say the effort honors the hospital's legacy as a safety-net provider while positioning New Orleans as a hub for biomedical innovation benefiting the wider Gulf South.

President Donald Trump drew a large crowd to the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Alabama, returning to the city where he held an early breakout rally during his 2016 campaign. The stop kicked off a broader fall campaign push ahead of the November midterms, with the White House planning near-daily appearances in competitive states.

Trump used the rally to back Senator Tommy Tuberville in his gubernatorial bid against former Democratic Senator Doug Jones, Representative Barry Moore's campaign for Tuberville's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat, and state Representative Rhett Marques, who is running for Alabama's redrawn 2nd Congressional District currently held by Democratic Representative Shomari Figures. Republicans see the seat as a pickup opportunity following redistricting.

Earlier in the day, Governor Kay Ivey and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy broke ground on the $3.2 billion Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project. Strategists noted the rally's location also extends media reach into the conservative Florida Panhandle, reinforcing turnout momentum for Republicans heading into election day.

Jamie Davis, a 56-year-old farmer from Waterproof, Louisiana, is running as the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate against Republican incumbent Rep. Julia Letlow, who has backing from President Trump and Gov. Jeff Landry. Louisiana is considered solidly Republican and voted 60% for Trump in 2024, but a July Public Policy Polling survey showed Davis trailing Letlow by only four points, with 22% of voters undecided. If elected, Davis would be Louisiana's first Democratic senator since 2014 and its first Black senator since Reconstruction.

Davis, a farm operator and former parish police juror, has built his campaign around affordability, citing rising fuel, insurance and grocery costs. He has also criticized Letlow over a reported nondisclosure agreement with Meta and delayed stock disclosures tied to a Richland Parish data center project. Despite being outraised roughly three-to-one, Davis says his campaign is emphasizing grassroots organizing, with thousands of volunteers and paid organizers, to boost turnout ahead of the election in a race forecasters still favor Republicans to win.

Louisiana heads into Nov. 3 elections for one U.S. Senate seat and several House seats under unusual circumstances. The U.S. Supreme Court's June 29 ruling in Callais v. Louisiana, which found the state's 6th Congressional District unconstitutionally gerrymandered, forced Gov. Jeff Landry to order a new open primary even after some ballots had already been cast, confusing voters about district lines. The Senate race to succeed Bill Cassidy, between Rep. Julia Letlow and Democrat Jamie Davis, will be decided outright since a May primary already occurred; Cassidy was eliminated after being targeted by state Republicans over his impeachment vote. House races featuring incumbents are expected to avoid runoffs, but open seats in the 5th and 6th Districts likely head to a December runoff. Early voting has surged, particularly among Black voters.

Club for Growth, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative advocacy group, has launched a million-dollar attack ad against Louisiana state Sen. Rick Edmonds, one of the leading Republican candidates in the race for the open 6th Congressional District seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields. The ad accuses Edmonds of "lying" and being a "sellout" over his votes on tax-related bills, including a 2024 measure raising the state sales tax while cutting income taxes, and legislation granting tax breaks to Meta for a Louisiana data center. Club for Growth has endorsed Edmonds' chief rival, state Sen. Blake Miguez, even though Miguez voted the same way on two of the three cited bills.

Edmonds says the ad distorts his conservative record and reflects outside interference in Louisiana politics. Analysts note Edmonds has far less campaign cash than Miguez, who loaned his own campaign $3 million, raising concerns about his ability to respond. Polling shows a crowded, largely undecided field ahead of the November 3 jungle primary, with the top two finishers advancing to a December runoff.

Texas's Rio Grande Valley, a heavily Hispanic region that backed Trump in 2024 after decades as a Democratic stronghold, is showing signs of swinging back toward Democrats in the 2026 midterms. Reporting from the area finds frustration with aggressive ICE enforcement — including arrests of longtime residents without criminal records — compounding concerns over the cost of living and housing. Voters interviewed describe disillusionment with both parties rather than renewed partisan loyalty, suggesting a persistently volatile swing bloc.

Key races, including Texas's 15th and 34th Congressional Districts, illustrate Republicans distancing themselves from Trump's immigration policies while Democrats highlight ICE overreach and affordability as central campaign themes.

Harris County commissioners gave initial approval to spend $3 million in local tax dollars on three community safety initiatives — HART, RISE, and the county's Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention programs — after federal budget cuts and declining philanthropic giving threatened their survival. Final approval is expected Thursday, alongside a proposed 7.6% property tax increase meant partly to cover the programs and close a $180 million budget deficit.

The programs, created after the George Floyd protests, have shown measurable results: HART has diverted thousands of hours from deputies and EMS while connecting over 5,000 residents to care; RISE neighborhoods saw a 36% drop in crime; and domestic violence programs have assisted more than 5,000 survivors. The new funding raises total annual investment to roughly $14 million.

The move comes as federal support collapses — the Department of Justice terminated hundreds of grants worth about $500 million nationwide, with Harris and Fort Bend counties alone losing roughly $4 million. Advocates warn that without local or state backing, similar safety-net programs in surrounding rural counties could disappear entirely.

Louisiana's open primary election takes place Tuesday, Nov. 3, with early voting held Oct. 20-27. The ballot features a crowded U.S. Senate race to replace Rep. Julia Letlow, who is stepping down after President Trump's endorsement, pitting her against Democrat Jamie Davis. Several U.S. House races are also at stake, including incumbents Steve Scalise, Troy Carter, and Clay Higgins, plus a wide-open contest for Letlow's 5th District seat and the newly redrawn, majority-white 6th District vacated by Cleo Fields.

Down-ballot contests include the influential Public Service Commissioner District 1 seat, St. Tammany Parish sheriff (following ex-Sheriff Randy Smith's guilty plea in an assault case), Plaquemines Parish president, and Bogalusa mayor, where incumbent Tyrin Truong faces criminal charges. Races without a majority winner will proceed to a December runoff, a likely outcome in several multi-candidate congressional and local contests.

Final pre-election FEC filings show wide fundraising disparities among Louisiana's congressional candidates. In the 6th District, Republican Blake Miguez leads with $7.6 million raised, far outpacing rival Rick Edmonds and other challengers, though polling suggests the race remains unsettled. In the open 5th District, state Rep. Michael Echols leads fundraising, bolstered by a large personal loan, ahead of Misti Cordell, Gabe Firment, and Stewart Cathey Jr. In the Senate race, GOP Rep. Julia Letlow, endorsed by President Trump, has outraised Democrat Jamie Davis $6.8 million to $4 million. Incumbents Mike Johnson, Steve Scalise, Troy Carter, and Clay Higgins retain major cash advantages over challengers as early voting continues toward the November 3 election.