Mississippi

President Trump traveled to Corpus Christi and Lubbock, Texas, to boost Ken Paxton's Senate bid against Democrat James Talarico, part of a final midterm push through traditionally Republican states. Texas has not elected a Democrat statewide in 32 years, but Talarico has gained traction amid Paxton's legal troubles. Elon Musk has poured significant money into stopping Talarico, a point Democrats are using to highlight wealthy influence in politics, echoing a parallel fight in the governor's race between Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined the trip, fueling speculation about his 2028 ambitions, while Vance and Trump also focus on tight races in Michigan and Alaska.

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.

Alaska's record-breaking Senate race between Democrat Mary Peltola and Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan has taken a new turn as the Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to block certification of results if anyone other than Sullivan wins. The DOJ argues a same-named candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., could confuse the outcome, though the ballot lists the senator's party and incumbent status. Peltola called the suit a "desperate attempt" to cling to power; election integrity advocates and Democratic leaders, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, condemned it as an unprecedented intervention. The lawsuit adds legal uncertainty to a contest already defined by record spending and viewed as pivotal to Senate control.

Peltola has outraised Sullivan roughly $32 million to $13 million since January, with outside groups adding over $80 million more, as early voting continues ahead of the ranked-choice general election.

Michigan's next governor will confront a steep decline in reading proficiency, with just 38.2% of third graders meeting English language arts standards in 2026, down from roughly half in 2015. Republican John James and Democrat Jocelyn Benson both cite Mississippi's reading gains as a model and support evidence-based, phonics-focused instruction, but diverge on execution. James says existing education funding is sufficient if administrative waste is cut and redirected to classrooms; he also backs school choice and a constitutional amendment making the state superintendent report to the governor, plus an A-F school grading system. Benson wants a weighted school funding model, a $60,000 minimum teacher salary, expanded early childhood education, and targeted support for struggling schools rather than a focus on blame.
James and Benson both back science-based reading fixes for Michigan's literacy crisis but split sharply on funding and accountability.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has moved South Carolina's Senate race to "lean Republican" from "likely Republican" and Mississippi's to "likely Republican" from "solid Republican," citing candidate quality and Democrats' broader push into red territory. Democrats are backing the shift with money: the Senate Majority PAC announced a $1.2 million ad buy in Mississippi attacking incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, boosting Democratic nominee Scott Colom. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews is challenging appointed Sen. Darline Graham. Both races remain steep climbs for Democrats given past Republican margins, but the ratings change adds two more contests to the list Republicans must defend amid economic headwinds ahead of the midterms.

Mississippi's attorney general has concluded that a Senatobia police officer was justified in using deadly force during a June shoplifting call that ended with the death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley. Officers responding to a reported theft at a Walmart fired at a moving car they said was driving toward them, striking Kohen and wounding another passenger. His mother, who was not charged, disputes that the car headed toward police, and civil rights attorney Ben Crump says a preliminary independent autopsy suggests Kohen was shot from the side, not the front. Authorities have not released body-camera footage, and use-of-force experts are divided on whether the shooting was justified. The case has intensified long-standing tension between Senatobia police and Black residents.