A few months ago, we started noticing a lot of handwringing about Maine’s Senate race—specifically, the paucity of Democratic candidates. Just wait, we wrote. It’s still early. Remember Elizabeth Warren? She wasn’t well-known when she ran for the Senate, and she didn’t kick off her bid against Scott Brown until September of 2011. Well, now it’s September, and Maine Democrats have three options to choose from—with several more potentially on the way. We knew to counsel patience because we’ve been covering downballot elections for a long, long time. Over the decades, thanks to our obsessive attention to detail, we’ve learned how to spot patterns that many others miss. This was one of them. We know that lots of publications are asking for your hard-earned dollars these days, but if you want to be the most informed person in your circle when it comes to elections, you’d be hard-pressed to find a greater value than The Downballot’s Morning Digest. We ask for just $7 a month or a heavily discounted $60 a year to support our work and gain access to special subscriber-only content and features. Thank you, David Nir, Publisher Morning Digest: Suddenly, Maine has a three-way Senate primaryDespite earlier Democratic fretting, interest in taking on Susan Collins has soared
Leading OffME-SenBusinessman Dan Kleban, who is the co-founder of Maine Beer Company, announced Wednesday that he was entering what's quickly become a closely watched Democratic primary to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins. While some Democrats fretted just months ago that they wouldn't be able to field a strong candidate if Gov. Janet Mills, whom national Democratic leaders are still trying to recruit, were not to run, voters now have three options to choose from.
Kleban launched his effort just two weeks after Graham Platner, an oyster farmer who served in the Marines and Army National Guard, attracted national attention with his kickoff. The field also includes former congressional staffer Jordan Wood, who announced his own campaign in April. But while both Platner and Wood say they'll keep running whether or not Mills gets in, Kleban was noncommittal about whether he'd defer to her. "I don't know what Governor Mills is going to do, and I'm not going to commit to doing one thing or the other," he told the New York Times. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Kleban was far more interested in talking about why Mainers should ditch Collins. In a launch video, the new entrant says that he and his brother responded to the devastation of the Great Recession—and their anger at the people and institutions that caused it—by creating a company where "anybody we hired would get a living wage, employee healthcare, fully paid, profit sharing, and a retirement plan." Kleban goes on to say that Collins is the wrong person to represent the state at a time when "Donald Trump is trampling on the values of Mainers and tearing this country apart." He tells the audience, "She lied about protecting abortion rights, and she refuses to stand up to Donald Trump when it really matters. Enough is enough." The Democratic primary may expand again before long. Former state Sen. Cathy Breen told the Bangor Daily News on Tuesday that she remains interested in opposing Collins. State House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, likewise, told the Times, "I'm exploring the opportunity and thinking about what a run would look like." Fecteau, though, once again indicated that he wouldn't oppose Mills, saying he has "a lot of respect for" the governor. Mills, for her part, informed reporters last week that she'd make her decision "maybe [in] November, mid-November." Democrats will still be closely watching the 77-year-old governor, who would be the oldest first-term senator ever, but they now know that an energetic primary will unfold no matter what. The Downballot PodcastThree huge retirementsLabor Day weekend was anything but slow on the news front, with three giant retirements dominating the political headlines. On this week's episode of The Downballot podcast, we examine all three, starting with longtime Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler's selfless embrace of generational change. Things were less happy on the other side of the ledger, though, with Joni Ernst bailing in Iowa and a conservative Supreme Court justice calling it quits in Wisconsin. Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard also speak with Jennifer Rodriguez, a top official at the AFL-CIO who explains how exactly her organization—a "union of unions"—supports the labor movement. Noting that organized labor is a rare institution that maintains high levels of public trust, Rodriguez tells us how her federation identifies pro-labor candidates and helps elect them to office. The Downballot podcast comes out every Thursday morning everywhere you listen to podcasts. Click here to subscribe and to find a complete transcript! Election RecapsSpecial ElectionsFlorida Democrats turned in sizable overperformances with a pair of blowout victories in the Orlando area on Tuesday night. In the vacant 15th Senate District, Democratic state Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis defeated Republican Willie Montague in a 73-27 landslide. According to calculations by The Downballot, Kamala Harris carried the district 61-38 last year, meaning Bracy Davis ran 22 points ahead of the top of the ticket. And in the 40th House District, which Bracy Davis had to give up under Florida's "resign to run" law, Democrat RaShon Young cruised to a similar 75-25 win. Young, a former staffer for Bracy Davis, beat Harris' 67-32 showing by 15 points. Across 38 special elections for state legislatures and the U.S. House this year, Democrats are outperforming the 2024 presidential results by an average of 15.7 points. Love The Downballot’s one-of-a-kind coverage of special elections? Upgrade to a paid subscription today to support our work and unlock access to special subscriber-only content and features! SenateGA-SenGeorgia Rep. Buddy Carter has launched what his campaign tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is a new seven-figure ad campaign touting him as a "proven MAGA warrior trusted by Trump." The buy comes at a time when Carter is making it no secret how badly he hungers for Trump's seal of approval ahead of next year's Republican primary to face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. "We intend to get that endorsement," the congressman told the AJC. "It's going to be one of the things that carries us across the finish line." While Carter doesn't have that endorsement, that's not stopping his team from mocking one of his opponents for receiving the backing of a Republican who isn't named Donald Trump. A Carter aide reacted to the news that Gov. Brian Kemp had publicly come out for former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley—a childhood friend whom Kemp recruited to run in the first place—by telling the AJC, "There's only one endorsement that matters in Georgia—and with all due respect, it ain't this one."
Kemp, though, believes that neither Carter nor Rep. Mike Collins, who is the third major GOP candidate in the race, can defeat Ossoff. "Another congressman from a heavily Republican district with a congressional voting record isn't going to work," the governor told donors last week in comments reported by the AJC's Greg Bluestein. "Ossoff will have hundreds of millions of dollars to define anyone's voting record in the worst possible light." LA-Sen, LA-05Republican Rep. Julia Letlow told Talk 107.3 on Wednesday that she would not pursue the presidency of Louisiana State University. Such a career switch would have kept Letlow from challenging Sen. Bill Cassidy in next year's primary, but political observers will now keep watching to see if she'll run statewide. MS-SenMississippi Democrat Scott Colom, who serves as district attorney for four counties in the eastern part of the state, announced Wednesday that he would challenge Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. Colom, who is the incumbent's first notable opponent, faces a challenging battle in a conservative state that's long been hostile to Democrats. But Colom, who would be the Magnolia State's first Black senator, argued to Mississippi Today that Hyde-Smith would experience a backlash for supporting Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and the major cuts that come with it. Colom rose to prominence in 2015 when he unseated a longtime district attorney in the state's 16th Circuit Court District, which is located in a region known as the Golden Triangle. Joe Biden nominated him for a federal judgeship in 2023, but Hyde-Smith prevented him from being confirmed. The senator didn't wait for Colom to enter the race before bragging about her efforts to thwart his confirmation. Hyde-Smith told her audience at her campaign launch last week, "He thought he was going to be a federal judge, and I blocked him." NH-SenFormer Republican Sen. John Sununu unexpectedly expressed interest on Wednesday in running to succeed retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the New Hampshire Democrat who decisively unseated him back in 2008. Sununu's remarks came out just hours before a new poll showed Rep. Chris Pappas, the likely Democratic nominee, decisively beating the two notable Republicans already in the race. "Over the next month, I'll travel across the state," Sununu told WMUR, comments that came not long after NOTUS' Reese Gorman first reported that he was considering a comeback. Sununu added he'll "make a decision by the end of next month." While Sununu, who is the older brother of former Gov. Chris Sununu, hasn't appeared on the ballot in 17 years, national Republicans apparently prefer him to the candidates who are already running. The current field consists of former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who lost a close 2014 race to Shaheen, and state Sen. Dan Innis.
That pair has left Republicans searching for an alternative. Gorman reports that Senate Majority Leader John Thune has called for Sununu to run, while the New York Times writes that Donald Trump's team sees the ex-senator "as a potentially strong candidate." A new survey from Saint Anselm College finds that Brown and Innis don't exactly fit Trump's bill. Pappas leads Brown 48-37, while he enjoys a 48-30 advantage over Innis. The poll, which was conducted Aug. 26-27, did not inquire about Sununu. Democrats have largely consolidated around Pappas, who is the heavy favorite to beat progressive activist Karishma Manzur in next September's primary. TX-SenTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton posts a small 39-36 lead over Sen. John Cornyn in the March Republican primary, the GOP pollster co/efficient finds. The firm says its survey was "[n]ot sponsored by any candidate or candidate's committee." GovernorsFL-GovFormer Florida House Speaker Paul Renner entered the Republican primary for governor on Wednesday by touting himself as an ally of termed-out incumbent Ron DeSantis, but the governor's response was less than helpful. "Governor of what?" DeSantis mockingly reacted after a reporter inquired at a press conference whether he'd back the new contender. "I'm not supporting Paul Renner. I think it was an ill-advised decision to enter the race." Florida's chief executive did not elaborate. DeSantis is still trying to land a candidate he can support over Renner and Rep. Byron Donalds, who has Donald Trump's endorsement. Recent speculation has centered around Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, whom DeSantis appointed to his current post last month. Former TV anchor Casey DeSantis, however, still hasn't ruled out running to replace her husband. Renner, though, hasn't given up trying to get the incumbent to come around and back him over Donalds, whom DeSantis has been on the outs with for years. Renner told the Florida Phoenix, "The governor and I had a fantastic partnership making us the Free State of Florida, and I'm confident I'll earn his support along the way." NJ-GovMikie Sherrill and her allies at the Democratic Governors Association are both launching their first ads of the fall general election for New Jersey's open governorship. Sherrill's inaugural spot touts her background as a Navy helicopter pilot before the candidate addresses soaring energy costs in the state. "Day one as governor, I'm declaring a state of emergency on utility costs," she says. "Using emergency powers to end these rate hikes and drive down your bills." Sherrill's campaign did not say how much it was spending on the buy but called it "part of a multi-million dollar statewide TV and digital campaign running through the general election." The DGA is taking a very different tack. Its initial ad slams Republican Jack Ciattarelli as the "Trump of Trenton," featuring audio of the candidate saying, "I support the president wholeheartedly, and my job is to help him." The committee announced in July that it had booked $20 million for TV, digital, and streaming ads for the fall, though AdImpact reported on Wednesday that it had made $16 million in future reservations. Ciattarelli also went on the air this week, but he has yet to receive help from outside Republican groups. VA-GovRepublican Winsome Earle-Sears is spending what little cash her campaign has on a classic GOP message: straight-up transphobia. "Abigail Spanberger won't just change direction. She'll transform Virginia," warns a narrator in Earle-Sears' latest ad. "Spanberger wants boys to play sports and share locker rooms with little girls. And Spanberger will let children change genders without telling their parents." Earle-Sears is also pushing similar rhetoric on digital platforms. Political analyst Sam Shirazi flags a different spot that reuses Donald Trump's most infamous tagline from 2024: "Spanberger is for they/them, not us," says the narrator. How many people might see these advertisements, though, is a serious question. According to data from AdImpact shared by CNN, Spanberger has reserved $10 million in fall airtime. Earle-Sears, however, has just $33,000 booked. WI-GovWisconsin Senate President Mary Felzkowski tells the Associated Press' Scott Bauer that she'd only consider running for governor if Rep. Tom Tiffany, a fellow Republican, decides not to enter the race. Tiffany, for his part, says he'll finally decide in the next few weeks whether he'll campaign to succeed Democratic incumbent Tony Evers, who is not seeking a third term. The congressman, who has been flirting with a bid since last year, informed the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Lawrence Andrea he'd make up his mind "by the end of September." But don't expect to welcome in next month knowing for sure what Tiffany's plans are. The congressman added, "The only caveat I'd put on that is if we get mixed up in some last-minute budget negotiations that force us to be here—I mean, does it bleed into the first few days of October? Maybe." The GOP field currently features Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and businessman Bill Berrien, while Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez remains the only notable Democratic candidate. HouseCA-07Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang filed paperwork with the FEC this week for a potential campaign against Rep. Doris Matsui, a fellow Democrat who has represented California's capital city since 2005. Vang, who at 40 is four decades the congresswoman's junior, did not initially say anything about her plans. Sacramento Bee columnist Marcos Breton, however, wrote last week that she was "expected to formally announce" sometime this month. But Matsui, who turns 81 this month, doesn't intend to go anywhere. The incumbent told Axios in May she was running again, and she publicized endorsements on Tuesday from Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and two other local mayors. California's 7th District will remain Democratic-leaning whether or not voters approve the new congressional map this November, but that vote could still have a big impact on this race. Democratic mapmakers reduced Kamala Harris' margin of victory here from 63-33 to 55-42 to help Democratic candidates in other constituencies, a change that would make it easier for a Republican to advance out of the June top-two primary. Such an outcome would avert an expensive and potentially unpredictable general election between two Democrats. CA-48San Diego Councilmember Marni von Wilpert announced Wednesday that she'll challenge Republican Rep. Darrell Issa if voters approve the new congressional map that would transform California's reliably red 48th District into a light-blue constituency.
Von Wilpert, who won her current post in 2020 following a competitive race, touted that success as she launched her new effort. She declared that she was "the only Democratic candidate running who has won an election, flipped a seat from red-to-blue and actually delivered for working people." Von Wilpert joins a Democratic field that includes attorney Anuj Dixit and businessman Brandon Riker, who have both been campaigning against GOP Rep. Ken Calvert in the current 41st. Navy Reserve officer Ammar Campa-Najjar, who lost to Issa in 2020, has also said he'd run for the 48th if the new boundaries go into effect. IA-02Two Republicans are eyeing Iowa's newly open 2nd District, including a former congressman that national Republicans had hoped they'd seen the last of. "Thank you to the countless supporters from across Iowa's Second District who have reached out today to encourage me to run again for Congress," former Rep. Rod Blum wrote on Facebook Tuesday shortly after GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson announced she would run for the Senate. "Stay tuned!" State Rep. Shannon Lundgren, likewise, took to social media to say she was interested, adding that she would reveal her plans "in the days ahead." Donald Trump carried this northeastern Iowa seat 54-44 last year, but Democrats were hoping to put it into play even before Hinson launched her campaign to succeed retiring Sen. Joni Ernst. Indeed, none other than Blum lost a previous version of this constituency, which was then numbered the 1st District, during Trump's last midterm cycle. Blum narrowly flipped the 1st when it was an open seat in 2014, thanks to the GOP wave that swept unheralded candidates like him to victory. Two years later, Trump's huge gains in Iowa helped him secure a second term. But Blum always had an uneasy relationship with Republicans in Washington, and they largely left him to fend for himself in 2018 against Democrat Abby Finkenauer and her allies. It was only in the final weeks of the campaign that GOP groups began spending real money to defend Blum's seat, but it was too late to save him from a 51-46 defeat. Blum soon signaled that he wanted to run again, but party leaders had already turned to Hinson. Blum sat out the race, while Hinson went on to narrowly unseat Finkenauer in 2020. A trio of notable Democratic candidates were campaigning here back when they thought they'd take on Hinson: retired Army nurse Kathryn Dolter, state Rep. Lindsay James, and pastor Clint Twedt-Ball. KY-06Businesswoman Erin Petrey, who works for both Amazon Web Services and as cocktail editor for a website devoted to bourbon, this week became the fourth Democrat to enter the race for Kentucky's open 6th District. Petrey, the Kentucky Herald-Leader writes, is a Kentucky native who recently moved to Lexington after spending her career in Washington, D.C. The new candidate, though, said she was anything but a stranger to her home state. "I have been coming back to the state every four-to-six weeks," she told the paper. "I spent the first 18 years of my life here, and I've always been looking for a way to come back." Petrey will compete for the Democratic nomination against former federal prosecutor Zach Dembo, former state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson, and David Kloiber, a former member of Lexington's governing body. The GOP contest is a three-way race between former state Sen. Ralph Alvarado and state Reps. Ryan Dotson and Deanna Gordon. The Democratic nominee will face a difficult task in the general election to succeed Republican Rep. Andy Barr, who is giving up this central Kentucky seat to run for the Senate—but not an impossible one. Calculations by The Downballot show that while the 6th backed Donald Trump 57-42 last year, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear carried it in a 60-40 landslide in 2023. MO-05Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver told Axios' Andrew Solender that he "would reevaluate" his plan to seek reelection if the GOP implements a new gerrymander that would transform his safely blue 5th District into a constituency Donald Trump would have carried 58-40.
But Cleaver, who is 80, maintains that he wants to remain in Congress. He informed Solender that "we already got our consultants and [are] doing all the stuff we normally do," adding, "I plan on running." NC-01Republican state Sen. Bobby Hanig announced Wednesday that he would challenge Democratic Rep. Don Davis in North Carolina's 1st District in the eastern part of the state. First, though, the newcomer must face Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson, who self-funded $2 million through June, in next year's GOP primary. Hanig, reporter Danielle Battaglia writes in the News & Observer, backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential bid, a decision he says he made because he mistakenly believed Donald Trump would not run again. But Hanig, who is known for donning what Battaglia describes as "flamboyant suits," now says, "I've got a sports coat, a red and white sports coat, with Donald Trump's face all over it." Given the swingy nature of the seat he's targeting, though, he may want to keep that particular outfit in the closet. Trump, according to calculations by The Downballot, carried the 1st 51-48 last year, four years after Joe Biden took it by a 50-49 margin. NM-03Republican state Rep. Martin Zamora, who set up a fundraising committee in July, told the New Mexico Political Report on Friday that he'd challenge Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez in New Mexico's 3rd District. Not too many people noticed that filing, though, because the "Zamora for New Mexico" committee identified Minnesota's 3rd District as the seat he'd be seeking. Leger Fernandez's constituency, which is based in the northern and eastern parts of the state, favored Kamala Harris 52-46 last year. That's at least better for the GOP than Minnesota's 3rd, which backed Harris 60-38. NY-12A brief but intense round of speculation about Chelsea Clinton's interest in running for New York's open 12th District ended Wednesday when a spokesperson told USA Today that the former first daughter was "not considering a run." However, a member of a different presidential family is talking about entering the Democratic primary to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler. Writer Jack Schlossberg, who is the grandson of John F. Kennedy and the son of Caroline Kennedy, told the New York Times' Nicholas Fandos it was "certainly a possibility" he'd enter the race. In addition to the many names we ran down in our last Digest, several others have publicly or privately talked about getting in. One well-known potential candidate is former Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who badly lost in 2022 after a court-drawn map triggered an incumbent vs. incumbent primary between her and Nadler. While Maloney, who is 79, has yet to publicly say anything, Politico's Jeff Coltin reports that she's "putting herself back into the running." Jewish Insider's Matthew Kassel also says that a trio of well-established members in the local Jewish community are interested: Natalie Barth, a former president of Park Avenue Synagogue; Simon Wiesenthal Center official Michael Cohen (no, not that Michael Cohen); and Elisha Wiesel, the son of the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel. Like Maloney, none has publicly said anything about their plans. Shabbos Kestenbaum, a pro-Israel activist who has accused Harvard of ignoring antisemitism, and investor Whitney Tilson have both said they're considering, though. Neither is likely to go far, though: Kestenbaum supported Donald Trump's election last year, while Tilson failed to clear 1% in the June primary for mayor. City Council Member Julie Menin, meanwhile, is reportedly focused on her campaign to become speaker, but a source tells Coltin she might reevaluate if she calls short in January. Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen (yes, that Michael Cohen), who talked about opposing Nadler as a Democrat last cycle, also gets a mention from Coltin for 2026. Former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, however, told The Bulwark, "I'm not interested in running to join Congress." Lindsey Boylan, a former Andrew Cuomo aide who was the first to publicly accuse the then-governor of sexual harassment, additionally informed City & State she wouldn’t run. A spokesperson for Rep. Dan Goldman, who represents the 10th District, also told Kassel there was "[n]o truth at all" to speculation he could switch seats and said she had "no idea where that's coming from." NY-21Dylan Hewitt, a Democrat who worked as a trade official during the Biden administration, announced Wednesday that he would wage a campaign for New York's 21st District. This constituency is held by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is likely to leave it behind to run for governor. Hewitt, though, will need to get past a well-funded primary opponent before he can focus on the general election for the 21st, which is based in the North Country and includes part of the Albany area. Dairy farmer Blake Gendebien hauled in a giant $3 million for a special election that never happened after Donald Trump withdrew Stefanik's nomination as UN ambassador in late March. The aborted election, though, left Gendebien flush with just under $2 million left over for his bid for a full term next year. No prominent Republicans have announced for what's not yet an open seat, though there's sure to be plenty of interest here if Stefanik does indeed run statewide. Trump carried this constituency by a wide 60-39 spread, though it may not be secure for the GOP: Trump pulled Stefanik's nomination amid escalating Republican worries about their ability to win special elections in red districts. PA-03State Rep. Morgan Cephas on Wednesday joined the busy Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Dwight Evans in Pennsylvania's safely blue 3rd District. Cephas, whom the Philadelphia Inquirer's Julia Terruso says has a strong base of support in West Philadelphia, may not be the last notable candidate to enter. Terruso relays that physician Ala Stanford, who is a former official in the Department of Health and Human Services, is "rumored to be considering." SC-01Mayra Rivera-Vazquez, a former official in the South Carolina Democratic Party, entered the race for the conservative 1st District on Wednesday. Rivera-Vazquez, who would be the first Latina to represent the state in Congress, will compete against attorney Mac Deford in next year's primary. The 1st, which Republican Rep. Nancy Mace is leaving behind to run for governor, favored Donald Trump 56-43 last year. TN-07The nihilistic House Freedom Caucus has endorsed state Rep. Jody Barrett in the Oct. 7 Republican primary for Tennessee's vacant 7th District, a packed contest that lacks an obvious frontrunner. The group's campaign arm has also spent about $150,000 so far on radio and digital ads to promote Barrett, who is campaigning to replace former GOP Rep. Mark Green in a December special election. TX-35Republican state Rep. John Lujan announced Wednesday that he was entering the race for Texas' 35th District, a Democratic-held constituency that Lujan and his colleagues dramatically overhauled as part of their new gerrymander. The revamped district, which now includes part of San Antonio and rural areas to the east and south, would have backed Donald Trump 55-44 last year. Lujan, who represents one of the few competitive seats in the state House, joins businessman Christopher Schuchardt in a primary that's likely to attract additional Republicans. Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, whose base is in Austin, is running in the 37th rather than defending a district that has little in common with the one he currently represents. Secretaries of StateMI-SoSBusinesswoman Monica Yatooma on Wednesday became the first notable Republican to announce a campaign for Michigan secretary of state, a post that Democratic incumbent Jocelyn Benson is termed out of. Yatooma, who unsuccessfully ran in a 2022 primary for a spot on the Oakland County Commission, was more than willing to entertain Donald Trump's lies about his own defeat in 2020 in an interview following her kickoff. "Whether you believe it was stolen or not, I know one thing is clear: There were documented, massive irregularities," she claimed after the Detroit News' Craig Mauger asked if Joe Biden had won. Yatooma faces only a pair of little-known Republicans ahead of next year's convention, which will select the nominee. (Traditional primaries will be held for governor and for Congress.) Mauger, though, says that Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini might enter the GOP contest. Democrats have two serious candidates for this post: Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum and Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie. Mayors & County LeadersMiami, FL MayorMiami officials have abandoned their effort to move this fall's municipal elections to 2026, an announcement that came just days after they suffered yet another setback in state court. The officially nonpartisan contest to succeed termed-out Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican, will move ahead as originally planned on Nov. 4, with a runoff set for Dec. 9 if no one takes a majority in the first round. Suarez has called a city commission meeting for Friday to place a referendum on the November ballot that would permanently move elections to even-numbered years, but it would not go into effect until 2032. New York, NY MayorDonald Trump's political advisors have discussed trying to woo Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa out of New York City's mayoral race by giving them jobs in the administration, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, with Politico adding that Adams has been offered a post at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In response to a reporter's question, Adams, who is running as an independent, did not rule out the possibility of accepting such a position. "To say, 'Would you take a job in the administration?' or would I take it somewhere else — that's hypothetical," he said at an unrelated press conference. "I'm running for office. And I'm going to finish doing that. I've got work to do. I've got more ribbons to cut before I finish up this term." Adams' campaign insisted in a statement that the mayor was not quitting the race, but in an interview with PIX11 that came out just before the Times story ran, Adams himself sounded much less committed to the race than he has in the past. "I'm a retired captain in the Police Department, former state senator, former borough president," he said. "I've never had a problem finding jobs as I transition. And that's not what I'm looking for right now. I'm looking to continue to serve the people of the City of New York." Sliwa, the Republican nominee, was less keen, saying on social media that he's "not interested in a job with the White House" and is instead "committed to carrying this fight through to Election Day." The machinations appear aimed at setting up a direct matchup between Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who handily won the Democratic primary in June, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost the nomination to Mamdani but is still running as an independent. Polls of a one-on-one race have generally shown Mamdani again defeating Cuomo by double digits, but even if any contenders were to quit now, it's too late for their names to be removed from the November ballot. Editor's note: In yesterday's Morning Digest, we incorrectly stated that New Jersey Democrat Mikie Sherrill had started advertising for her general election campaign in August. She began advertising this week. Thank you so much for being a free subscriber to The Downballot! To support our work, we’d be grateful if you’d become a paid subscriber. |
