Republican National Convention

Utah's last congressional debate of the cycle took place Tuesday evening in Logan, hosted by the Utah Debate Commission at Utah State University, featuring District 2 candidates Rep. Blake Moore (R) and Peter Crosby (D).

Moore has represented Utah's 1st Congressional District since 2021 but is running in the newly redrawn District 2 following statewide boundary changes. He defeated primary challenger Karianne Lisonbee, a state representative who qualified for the ballot through delegate support at the Utah Republican Convention. Moore previously co-chaired the 2018 Better Boundaries campaign behind Proposition 4, Utah's anti-gerrymandering law, and this year opposed efforts to repeal it via ballot initiative, instead urging a public vote.

Crosby, a northern Utah native and adjunct professor at Utah State University's Center for Anticipatory Intelligence, secured the Democratic nomination at his party's April convention. He previously held leadership roles in a Fortune 500 company after starting his career in customer service.

The debate marked the final event in Utah's series of congressional matchups ahead of the election.

Nashville remains in limbo awaiting a Tennessee Supreme Court decision on whether the Metro Council must shrink from 40 members to no more than 20. The dispute dates to 2023, when Republican state lawmakers, angered after Metro Council rejected a bid to host the Republican National Convention, passed a law capping council size. Metro sued, arguing a state constitutional provision blocks the law from applying to Nashville's existing government structure. A lower court sided with Metro before an appeals court ruled for the state, prompting Metro's appeal to the Supreme Court.

Oral arguments took place in February, but no ruling has followed. In June, justices asked both sides for additional briefing on a technical legal question, and the legislature subsequently passed a correction to the 2023 law that undercut part of Metro's case. With no deadline for a decision, candidates considering 2027 council races don't know whether to prepare for district or at-large seats, and officials question whether there's enough time to redraw district maps if Metro loses.

South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson, a Republican, has endorsed Democratic candidate Terrence Davis to succeed her, breaking with her party after losing the GOP nomination to Heather Baxter at the state convention in June. In a column for South Dakota War College, Johnson cited Davis's law enforcement background, criminal justice degree and public policy graduate work, saying he prioritizes transparency, voting rights and functional government systems. She urged voters to look past party labels, arguing Davis is best prepared for the role.

Baxter pushed back, defending party loyalty and standards including paper balloting, photo ID requirements and opposition to same-day voter registration, calling the office too important for a "consolation prize." Davis has said restoring public trust in elections is his central focus. Democrats have not won statewide office in South Dakota since 2015, and the state has voted heavily for Donald Trump in the last three presidential elections, making the race a notable test of party lines in a deep-red state.

Republicans convened in Dallas for the first-ever midterm Republican National Convention, a two-day rally and fundraiser aimed at rallying the party ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. President Donald Trump, though not on the ballot, was a central presence at the gathering, with his influence shaping much of the discussion among attendees and speakers.

The event drew national newsmakers and party insiders who weighed in on the convention's significance for GOP strategy heading into the midterms. Local coverage, including ABC13's "This Week in Texas," examined the proceedings and their potential implications for upcoming campaigns. While the convention itself is not a prediction market event, it underscores the political dynamics—particularly Trump's continued dominance within the party—that will likely factor into forecasts and betting markets tracking control of Congress and other 2026 races.

A Republican gathering in Dallas drew heavy television coverage, with Bloomberg's Texas Edition examining how the event played out on screen and what it signals for state and national politics. Coverage touched on prominent Republican figures including Doug Burgum, Ken Paxton, and Jim Jordan, alongside broader themes tying Texas's economy — energy, data centers, artificial intelligence, and finance — to the political moment.

The reporting also noted Texas Democrats such as James Talarico, Wendy Davis, and Beto O'Rourke, framing the convention within the state's competitive political landscape ahead of upcoming House and Senate races. For prediction markets, the coverage underscores continued attention on Texas as a battleground for control of Congress and on how Republican messaging around energy and technology could shape voter sentiment in a state central to national election forecasting.

Tensions between Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and fellow Pennsylvania Democrats have escalated. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) told CNN's Jake Tapper that Fetterman is "nowhere to be found" while other Democrats campaign for competitive congressional races in the state, adding that constituents feel disrespected by the senator's approach to his office.

The criticism follows a Wall Street Journal report alleging Fetterman skipped meetings with disabled veterans to appear on Fox News and expressed frustration about meeting with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia representatives. Fetterman further angered Democrats by appearing at the Republican National Convention to introduce Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), with whom he shares a close relationship.

Deluzio said he has received encouragement to challenge Fetterman for his Senate seat in 2028 but has not made a decision, saying his current focus is down-ballot races. Polling from The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and Siena University shows Fetterman is now far more popular among Pennsylvania Republicans than among Democrats.

Ohio Sen. Jon Husted addressed the Republican National Convention in Dallas, one of several speakers on the event's first night alongside House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso. The two-day convention, headlined by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, comes less than two months before the November midterms.

Husted centered his remarks on affordability, citing conversations with Ohioans he says have benefited from tax cuts signed into law last year, including provisions eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security income. He pointed to workers in Cleveland, Findlay, and Dayton as examples of people using the savings to pay down debt, save for a home, or stay in their houses as they age.

Husted is running to keep his Senate seat against Democrat Sherrod Brown, the former senator who lost to Bernie Moreno in 2024 and is seeking a return to Washington. Brown has recently campaigned in the Cleveland and Canton areas. Election Day is November 3.