New Mexico’s 3rd District House Race Heads Toward 2026 Vote

Many Republicans facing tough November races are avoiding next week's GOP midterm convention in Dallas, the first held by a major party in over four decades. A POLITICO survey found roughly 45 of more than 70 GOP candidates and members contacted are skipping or undecided, citing scheduling conflicts, high attendance fees, and reluctance to appear alongside President Donald Trump, who is set to headline with Vice President JD Vance. Top leaders including Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune plan to attend, along with 2028 hopefuls like Sen. Ted Cruz.

Separately, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is weighing disciplinary action against Reps. Jared Golden and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez after the two Democrats helped Republicans pass a procedural rule, prompting a referral to the caucus's rules panel. Other pending items include a bipartisan bill policing lawmaker misconduct, a possible September floor vote on Russia sanctions legislation, and an unresolved GOP split over regulating data centers ahead of the midterms.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has sued Jeffrey Epstein's longtime attorney Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn, accusing them of concealing Epstein's sex trafficking operation at his Zorro Ranch near Santa Fe. The suit seeks to block the pair from receiving payments from Epstein's estate, valued at more than $100 million, arguing those funds should instead go to survivors. Torrez said the abuse "could [not] be done by just one man" and was facilitated by handlers, lawyers and accountants who have faced no real consequences.

Indyke and Kahn have told Congress they were unaware of the abuse, a claim Torrez disputes. Witnesses at Ghislaine Maxwell's trial alleged abuse occurred at the ranch, which Epstein bought in 1993 and later sold to the family of Texas Comptroller Don Huffines; probate proceedings continue in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Utah's U.S. House race is drawing attention ahead of the midterms as Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy debated Democratic challenger Kent Udell on Friday in St. George. Maloy, who has represented Utah's 2nd Congressional District since 2023, is running this cycle in the newly drawn 3rd Congressional District following mid-decade redistricting. She secured the GOP nomination after defeating former state Rep. Phil Lyman in a June primary, triggered when neither candidate won outright at the state convention.

Udell, a retired University of Utah mechanical engineering professor, ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination. The 3rd District spans southern and eastern Utah, including Provo and St. George, and is considered heavily Republican territory, with the Cook Political Report rating it "Solid R." The debate, hosted by the Utah Debate Commission and PBS Utah, gave voters a direct look at both candidates as the race heads toward November, though the contest is not viewed as competitive for control of the House.

Residents in North Long Beach intervened Saturday after federal immigration agents tackled and detained Ricardo Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen and former city employee, while he rode an e-bike near Elm Avenue and 56th Street. Witnesses said agents tased him twice, knelt on his back and broke his arm, accusing him of smashing a government vehicle's mirror while allegedly impeding agents arresting another individual. As roughly 50 neighbors gathered, agents briefly detained two U.S. citizen women before releasing them and used pepper spray on the crowd. Long Beach police helped free Gonzalez, who was hospitalized and remains in treatment; a GoFundMe organized by his daughter is raising funds for his recovery.

Mayor Rex Richardson filed a formal complaint demanding a Homeland Security inspector general investigation, and Rep. Robert Garcia and Sen. Adam Schiff condemned the arrest. DHS says Gonzalez is under investigation for vehicle damage and claims agents faced "anti-ICE agitators." Protesters rallied outside Long Beach City Hall demanding ICE leave the city. A ProPublica report found 506 U.S. citizens detained by ICE since President Trump took office; legislation has been introduced to ease lawsuits against federal agents for wrongful arrest.

Twelve U.S. House seats covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area are on the Nov. 3 midterm ballot, with early voting running Oct. 19-30. Most races feature Republican incumbents—Keith Self, Pat Fallon, Lance Gooden, Jake Ellzey, Craig Goldman, Ronny Jackson, Beth Van Duyne and Roger Williams—facing Democratic challengers, plus a Libertarian in District 26. Three open seats stand out: District 30, vacated by Jasmine Crockett after her Senate run; and Districts 32 and 33, left open by Julie Johnson and Marc Veasey, respectively, after mid-decade redistricting reshaped them from Democratic-leaning to Republican-favored territory. In District 33, Colin Allred faces Patrick David Gillespie. Results are expected after 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Rebecca Cooke defeated Emily Berge in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary, setting up a third consecutive matchup against Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden. Cooke, who grew up on a dairy farm near Eau Claire and works as a waitress and small-business owner, narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 by less than three percentage points after also losing the 2022 primary. She entered this year's primary with backing from the DCCC's "Red to Blue" program, while Berge campaigned as a local alternative skeptical of national party influence. Cooke holds a fundraising edge, having raised about $8.6 million to Van Orden's $7.5 million, though he retains nearly $3 million more cash on hand.

The western Wisconsin district, covering Eau Claire and La Crosse, has trended Republican in presidential races but is rated a toss-up, making it Democrats' top target in the state as they seek to retake the House majority in November. Cooke is campaigning on rural frustration over Trump administration policies, including tariffs that have hurt farm exports, cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and rising fuel and fertilizer costs tied to the Iran conflict, while Van Orden defends his record backing Trump's agenda. The race is part of a broader Wisconsin battleground that includes the 1st District, where nurse Mitchell Berman will challenge GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, and the solid-red 7th District, won by Sean Duffy's son-in-law Michael Alfonso in the Republican primary.

A Denver man, Austin Breen, has filed a lawsuit against Denver Police Sgt. Lee Ingersoll, alleging he was "brutally tackled and wrongfully arrested" during an Oct. 18, 2025 "No Kings" protest. The suit targets Ingersoll individually rather than the police department.

According to the complaint, Breen was among roughly 70 peaceful protesters who were stopped by a police line near Santa Fe and 6th Avenue. Officers reportedly told the group to disperse, which they attempted to do, before officers allegedly charged and fired tear gas at the retreating crowd. Breen claims drone footage shows Ingersoll running through the police line and tackling him, causing hand and knee injuries and aggravating a prior ACL injury. He was arrested, jailed for several hours, and released early the next morning. All charges against Breen were dismissed in February 2026. The lawsuit also alleges Ingersoll has a history of wrongful arrests tied to First Amendment activity. Denver police declined to comment, citing pending litigation.