Southern United States

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.

Florida's two marquee 2026 statewide races present unusual racial pairings, and candidates are handling the dynamic very differently. In the Senate race, Democrat Angie Nixon, a progressive from Jacksonville, faces Republican Ashley Moody, the former state attorney general appointed to the seat Marco Rubio vacated. In the governor's race, Republican Byron Donalds, who could become Florida's first Black governor, is running against David Jolly, a former Republican turned Democrat with strong Black voter support.

Analysts say Donalds has mostly avoided Black-specific outreach and race-focused messaging, emphasizing the economy and school choice instead, reflecting a common strategy for Black conservative candidates wary of alienating their base. Despite recent efforts to court Black voters, polling shows Jolly holding a commanding lead among Black voters. Nixon, by contrast, has leaned into discussing race directly while also courting white working-class voters with economic messaging, trailing Moody in current polling but with strategists calling her a credible underdog capable of winning with strong turnout.

Donalds has continued to draw national attention on other issues, recently criticizing far-left Florida Democrats who have called to abolish ICE amid the broader immigration debate.

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering companion bills (H.3351/S.2134) to create a permanent state commission focused on Muslim residents' interests, including recommending Muslim appointees for government boards. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), a candidate for Alabama governor, publicly rejected the idea on X, saying no similar measure would pass in Alabama under his watch.

The response has fueled broader commentary urging Tuberville to go further than a social media post, proposing that Alabama pursue legislation asserting the state's Protestant Christian heritage and testing constitutional limits on religious liberty, drawing comparisons to past Alabama fights over Ten Commandments displays and local zoning disputes involving Muslim institutions, such as a withdrawn rezoning request in Hoover. Proponents frame this as a "history and tradition" argument akin to reasoning used in other Supreme Court cases, while acknowledging existing First Amendment doctrine sharply limits what any state could actually enact. The episode highlights ongoing national tension over religious identity, government recognition of minority faiths, and the boundaries of state authority.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom capped a multi-state "take it back tour" with eight public events across South Carolina, plus stops in Alabama and North Carolina, intensifying speculation about a 2028 Democratic presidential run. In North Carolina, Newsom campaigned for U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper in Charlotte and rallied Labor Day weekend crowds in Monroe, urging Democrats to focus on the 2026 midterms rather than 2028. He accused Trump of ruthlessness, corruption and attempting to "nationalize" elections through mail-in voting restrictions, telling supporters it's time to "fight fire with fire." Newsom told the Associated Press a 2028 decision could come before year's end.

Voters and strategists increasingly frame California itself as Newsom's central liability, with critics warning his state's liberal image could hurt him against rivals like Josh Shapiro and Pete Buttigieg. Republicans, including North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Whatley and local officials, mocked the visits with "Wrong Coast" signs and accused him of trying to "California" their states. Newsom's team counters that his progressive record on health care, wages and climate could be an asset in a Democratic primary. South Carolina, hosting Democrats' first 2028 primary, remains a key early proving ground alongside hopefuls like Cory Booker.

An op-ed from policy directors at the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute and the James Madison Institute argues that decades of civil justice reform in Texas and Florida helped fuel the two states' outsized economic growth, citing recent comments from SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins praising the "Boom Belt" region's investor protections and business-friendly legal climate. Texas's reform efforts trace to the 1969 Tort Claims Act, while Florida's date to a 1986 tort and insurance overhaul, most recently updated in 2023.

The authors warn these gains are under threat from trial-lawyer-aligned political spending, pointing to a $10 million contribution from a major Texas law firm to a new political action committee and extensive donations from the Florida Justice Association across both major parties. They call for continued legislative action, including limits on large jury verdicts and disclosure requirements for third-party litigation financing, to preserve the legal environment they credit for the region's growth.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) begins a four-day "Take it Back" tour through South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama this week, notably skipping Georgia, home to Sen. Jon Ossoff's competitive reelection race. Newsom aides say the omission reflects scheduling constraints, not distance from Ossoff — Newsom has raised nearly $142,000 for the senator this cycle and more than $2.2 million for southern Democrats overall, and his office is discussing future Georgia dates before November.

Strategists note the arrangement may benefit both sides: Ossoff can keep his race focused on kitchen-table issues rather than 2028 speculation, while Newsom, a frontrunner in early Democratic presidential polling, targets Super Tuesday states. Ossoff's own national profile has grown after a viral confrontation involving Trump, and recent polling shows him gaining traction as a potential future contender even as he insists his focus is reelection. The tour also comes as South Carolina prepares to vote first in the 2028 Democratic primary calendar.

The Sumner County Commission voted Aug. 17 to appoint Don Scruggs to fill a vacancy on the county's Library Board that had existed since June. The appointment was not on the original agenda, so it went to a vote without prior public discussion. Before being appointed, Scruggs told commissioners he would not allow library books that people "wouldn't take to church with," and he has since said he opposes LGBTQ+-themed books for children in the library. His social media history, including posts supporting the Confederate flag, has drawn additional scrutiny.

Critics, including local library activist Jill Fernelius, argue the process lacked transparency and note Scruggs is the fifth board member appointed this way. Commissioner Jeremy Mansfield acknowledged the usual nomination process was not followed. Scruggs says he has no specific agenda beyond improving the library and adding a legal reference section. The board meets next on Sept. 16.