Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District House Race 2026

Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, sustained minor injuries late Saturday when the small plane he was traveling in lost power while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport and made an emergency landing on Lake Wausau. Tiffany, 68, was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner in Onalaska when the pilot warned him seconds before impact that they were going down. The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza hit the water hard; the two men forced the door open, called 911, and swam to a shallow area as the plane began sinking, waiting there until emergency responders arrived by fire department airboat.

Both men were treated at Aspirus Wausau Hospital and released; Tiffany required 12 stitches for a cut above his eye, while the pilot needed four stitches. Speaking emotionally at a Sunday news conference, Tiffany said it was "by the grace of God" they survived and thanked first responders. The FAA confirmed the aircraft had engine-related problems and is investigating; the NTSB is awaiting a damage assessment. Tiffany, endorsed by President Trump, said he will continue his campaign against Democrat David Crowley in the November 3 race, which recent polling shows as closely contested.

A little-known outlet called the Buckeye Bulletin, which presents itself as an Ohio local news source, has been running Facebook and Instagram ads promoting Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, including a controversial ad featuring opponent Amy Acton's estranged mother. The site has no bylines, staff list, or funding disclosure, but its social accounts are managed by the Lincoln Media Foundation, tied to the Orange County-based Lincoln Club, a major California conservative donor group.

Researchers say the tactic mirrors "pink-slime" sites the foundation ran in 2024 targeting swing states. The outlet mixes political attacks on Acton with local-news-style filler to appear legitimate, raising concerns about undisclosed partisan influence ahead of Ohio's closely watched governor's race.

Alaska's U.S. House primary has narrowed to a general-election contest between Republican incumbent Nick Begich, independent Bill Hill, an incarcerated New York Democrat, and a Fairbanks Libertarian, after several Democratic contenders dropped out. Certified results showed Begich winning the primary with 44.6% to Hill's 32.5%, a 12-point gap. Anchorage Democrat Matt Schultz, the party's former front-runner, suspended his campaign in July, citing weak institutional support, and endorsed Hill; other Democratic candidates also withdrew to consolidate anti-Begich votes.

Hill, a Dena'ina Athabascan educator and fisherman, is campaigning on healthcare costs and inflation while also backing oil and gas development alongside renewables. Begich, part of a prominent Alaska political family who unseated Mary Peltola in 2024, is running on legislative wins including energy development measures and the Trump-backed tax and spending law. Begich holds a large fundraising edge. Political analysts are split: some see a plausible path for Hill given Alaska's heavy independent registration and a national climate favoring Democrats and independents, while others call Begich's reelection all but certain under Alaska's ranked-choice general election system.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana told an Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition banquet crowd in Des Moines that the roughly seven-month conflict with Iran is "the genesis" of current inflation, arguing that elevated oil prices have "affected the price of everything." He predicted the war would be "concluded within the next six months," which he said should bring oil prices and inflation down with it. Iowa gas prices have risen sharply over the past year, with diesel hitting a record high in the state.

Kennedy's remarks came as he campaigned for Iowa Republicans ahead of competitive 2026 midterm races, including Rep. Ashley Hinson's bid for the state's open Senate seat. His comments also highlight a growing split within the GOP: some House Republicans, including two Iowa members facing tough reelection races, recently broke with President Trump to support curbing his war powers over the Iran operation. The remarks underscore how the conflict's economic fallout is becoming a flashpoint in midterm campaigns, with both parties seizing on cost-of-living concerns tied to energy prices.

Jon Kyl, a longtime Arizona Republican who served in Congress for nearly three decades, has died. His death came months after he announced he was withdrawing from public life following a dementia diagnosis disclosed last December.

Kyl represented Arizona in the U.S. House from 1987 to 1995 and in the Senate from 1995 to 2013, at one point serving as Senate minority whip. After leaving the Senate, he joined the lobbying firm Covington & Burling. In 2018, then-Gov. Doug Ducey appointed him to temporarily fill the seat left vacant by the death of Sen. John McCain, before Kyl returned to lobbying. In that role, he helped steer the Senate confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Ducey and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell were among those honoring Kyl, citing his legislative leadership and advocacy for victims of sex crimes.

Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, centered on Omaha and one of just eight districts nationally that backed Kamala Harris in 2024 while electing a Republican to the House, is shaping up as a marquee 2026 midterm contest following Rep. Don Bacon's retirement. Republican Omaha City Councilmember Brinker Harding, who has President Trump's endorsement and backing from House GOP leadership, faces Democratic activist Denise Powell, co-founder of Women Who Run Nebraska, who has campaigned alongside potential 2028 Democratic hopefuls Pete Buttigieg and Rahm Emanuel.

Trump plans to headline a Republican midterm convention in Dallas and has been visiting contested districts to energize the GOP base despite low approval ratings. Democrats, meanwhile, are betting that anxiety over Medicare and affordability, plus backlash to Trump, can flip the historically Republican-held seat, building on a local "Blue Dot" movement. Nebraska has voted Democratic for president only once since 1964, but the district has split its electoral vote three of the last five cycles, making it a rare swing-district test of Trump's midterm influence.

Iowa, long reliable MAGA territory, is showing signs of competitiveness. Polls show Democratic state auditor Rob Sand consistently ahead of Republican Zack Lahn in the governor's race, despite outgoing Gov. Kim Reynolds winning by 19 points four years ago and Trump carrying the state by over 13 points. Grassroots activity has grown alongside the polling shift, including No Kings rallies in Dubuque and Des Moines and early-voting pushes. In the Senate race to replace retiring Joni Ernst, Trump-endorsed Republican Ashley Hinson faces organized opposition from Iowans for Decency, a bipartisan PAC formed by her former teachers and fellow alumni, ahead of Democrat Josh Turek's campaign.

President Donald Trump traveled to Clarksville, Tennessee, Saturday to rally Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections, speaking at F&M Bank Arena four days before the state's early voting begins Oct. 14. The Republican National Committee framed the event as part of a broader push to help the GOP maintain its congressional majorities.

Analysts note the visit comes as several Senate races once considered safely Republican—including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska—have become more competitive, even as Tennessee and Kentucky remain considered solidly in Trump's column. ABC News political director Rick Klein said voter frustration tied to the economy, gas and diesel prices, tariffs, and foreign policy issues like the Iran war could shape outcomes, giving voters a chance to judge two years of unified Republican control in Washington.

Local authorities warned of traffic disruptions, road closures, and limited parking near the arena. Tennessee's early voting runs through Oct. 29, with Election Day set for Nov. 3.

Records obtained by LAist show the L.A. Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) continued awarding contracts worth millions to the nonprofit Abundant Blessings even after its own compliance team labeled the group "High-Risk" in May 2024. The nonprofit's leader, Alex Soofer, was charged earlier this year with fraud; prosecutors allege he diverted at least $10 million in homelessness funds through the nonprofit and a related for-profit company, spending it on a Westwood house, a Range Rover, private jet travel and luxury goods. Soofer has pleaded not guilty and agreed to repay LAHSA $1.25 million without admitting wrongdoing.

Despite red flags, LAHSA finalized new contracts totaling over $3 million in mid-2024, and Mayor Karen Bass's office directed additional funding for a homeless services program a month after the warning. Auditors found LAHSA took eight months to report the suspected fraud to federal officials as required by law. County supervisors have since pulled funding from LAHSA, and federal officials briefly suspended funds to the agency, citing the case among broader oversight failures. Separately, records show Bass has skipped more than half of LAHSA Commission meetings since appointing herself to the board in 2023, raising further questions about oversight of the agency. Soofer's trial is scheduled for November 10.