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Texas Democratic Party: State Democrats Question Strange Timing of Abbott's Special Election for HD 93
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 21 -- The Texas Democratic Party issued the following news release on Aug. 20, 2026:
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Texas Democrats Question Strange Timing of Abbott's Special Election for HD 93
DALLAS, TX -- Gov. Greg Abbott has called a special election to fill the vacancy in Texas House District 93, even though voters are already scheduled to choose the next representative for the district in the November 3 general election. The seat became vacant July 2nd when former Rep. Nate Schatzline resigned to become Abbott's Senior Adviser on Election Policy. Schatzline's successor for the full upcoming
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AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 21 -- The Texas Democratic Party issued the following news release on Aug. 20, 2026:
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Texas Democrats Question Strange Timing of Abbott's Special Election for HD 93
DALLAS, TX -- Gov. Greg Abbott has called a special election to fill the vacancy in Texas House District 93, even though voters are already scheduled to choose the next representative for the district in the November 3 general election. The seat became vacant July 2nd when former Rep. Nate Schatzline resigned to become Abbott's Senior Adviser on Election Policy. Schatzline's successor for the full upcomingterm is already on the November ballot: Democrat Ericka Lomick or Republican Alan Blaylock.
The timing raises serious questions. Abbott notified the Secretary of State that he would call the election but the public has still not been alerted to the special election - just hours before today's 6pm filing deadline. And why does Abbott want to fill the seat early, given that there is no legislative session scheduled between now and next year's regular session? The special election would put someone into the seat weeks before the person voters choose in November would take office on January 12. Texans deserve a clear explanation for why the governor is rushing to fill a seat that voters are already scheduled to decide in just a few months.
The timing is particularly notable because Abbott has now moved to fill multiple Tarrant County vacancies through special elections. The first one, a January special election for Senate District 9, backfired on him when Democrat Taylor Rehmet won the seat with a 31-point shift from 2024, when Trump won the district. Rather than allowing voters to make their choice in the regularly scheduled November election, Abbott is creating an opportunity for a temporary representative to take office early. Texas voters should decide who represents them, not backroom political calculations in the Governor's Mansion.
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Original text here: https://www.texasdemocrats.org/media/texas-democrats-question-strange-timing-of-abbotts-special-election-for-hd-93
ICYMI: The Wall Street Journal - U.S. Workers Are Paying More for Healthcare, and Next Year Will Be Worse
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Aug. 20, 2026:
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ICYMI: The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Workers Are Paying More for Healthcare, and Next Year Will Be Worse
Workers are expected to face the largest healthcare price increase in at least 20 years in 2027
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Donald Trump and Republicans have spiked healthcare costs for millions of Americans. First, they cut Medicaid by nearly $1 TRILLION -- the largest cut to healthcare in history -- to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-rich. Then, they refused to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Aug. 20, 2026:
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ICYMI: The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Workers Are Paying More for Healthcare, and Next Year Will Be Worse
Workers are expected to face the largest healthcare price increase in at least 20 years in 2027
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Donald Trump and Republicans have spiked healthcare costs for millions of Americans. First, they cut Medicaid by nearly $1 TRILLION -- the largest cut to healthcare in history -- to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-rich. Then, they refused to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Actpremium tax credits, hiking premiums by an average of 58%. Trump and Republicans' cuts have already forced three million people to drop their coverage, with more expected to drop coverage in the coming months as premiums are expected to see another double-digit increase next year.
Now, new reporting reveals that Americans with employer-sponsored health coverage are expected to pay an average of $5,297 for healthcare this year, nearly $400 more than last year. Workers are expected to pay even more next year, as they face potentially the largest health insurance price increase in at least 20 years.
More than half of Americans already could not reliably afford healthcare in 2025 -- a five-year low -- and nearly one in four American workers report staying in unwanted jobs just to maintain consistent health insurance.
In response, DNC Spokesperson Jaelin O'Halloran released the following statement:
"Donald Trump and Republicans' endless cuts to healthcare have jacked up costs for millions of Americans. Everyday Americans are dipping even further into their savings and taking on record amounts of debt to afford a trip to the doctor's office or lifesaving medicine -- and Trump doesn't care. While Trump prioritizes his White House vanity projects and tax cuts for the rich, working families are pinching pennies to pay their medical bills or forgoing healthcare coverage because they can't afford it -- and they will hold Trump and Republicans accountable in November."
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Workers Are Paying More for Healthcare, and Next Year Will Be Worse
[Anna Wilde Mathews and Peter Loftus, 8/20/26]
"Surging healthcare costs are walloping U.S. workers, and they will only worsen next year. For 2027, employers may be facing the biggest health-insurance increase in at least two decades.
"Americans with workplace coverage spent an average $5,297 this year on healthcare, $388 more than 2025, according to a new estimate from benefits-consulting firm Aon. The spending represents a combination of payroll deductions for premiums and out-of-pocket charges like deductibles and copays.
"The burden is likely to grow significantly next year, when U.S. employers expect their healthcare costs to go up by 11.1%, according to a new survey from WTW, another big benefits consultant--the steepest rise in more than 20 years. [...]
"As companies are forced to pay more for insurance, their workers, who typically pay a share of the premium, are seeing their own costs rise roughly in tandem. That means more dollars are held out of their paychecks each month. [...]
"Americans are paying more out of pocket for healthcare in the form of deductibles, copayments and coinsurance, as well as expenses not covered by their insurance, according to federal data.
"'Healthcare spending recently has risen more quickly than income,' said Michael Chernew, a healthcare-policy professor at Harvard Medical School."
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/icymi-the-wall-street-journal-u-s-workers-are-paying-more-for-healthcare-and-next-year-will-be-worse/
ICYMI From WLNS: "Unknown US House Candidate Who Secured Green Party Nod With Little Vetting Donated to Republicans in 2023"
LANSING, Michigan, Aug. 21 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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ICYMI from WLNS: "Unknown US House candidate who secured Green Party nod with little vetting donated to Republicans in 2023"
WLNS has reported that Shane Dedrick, the Green Party nominee in Michigan's 7th congressional district, donated to Republican Perry Johnson and that "party officials say they have not been able to reach him" following his nomination - raising concerns from "a spokesperson for the Green Party [who] said there is a possibility [the nominee] is a Republican operative."
Both
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LANSING, Michigan, Aug. 21 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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ICYMI from WLNS: "Unknown US House candidate who secured Green Party nod with little vetting donated to Republicans in 2023"
WLNS has reported that Shane Dedrick, the Green Party nominee in Michigan's 7th congressional district, donated to Republican Perry Johnson and that "party officials say they have not been able to reach him" following his nomination - raising concerns from "a spokesperson for the Green Party [who] said there is a possibility [the nominee] is a Republican operative."
BothWLNS and The Bulwark have reported that the nominee "joined the meeting around two hours in -- with his camera off," and was then nominated within the next half hour "despite saying that he was not a member of the party and no one within the party could vouch for him."
WLNS reported they were "unable to find evidence of Dedrick's campaign, including fundraising efforts, an active campaign website or a campaign committee registered with the Federal Election Commission." They reached out to Dedrick "multiple times" with no response and even went to his listed address and were still unable to speak with him: "a six-bedroom condominium in a Brighton suburb worth nearly $1 million...which property records show is owned by a family trust."
"This report raises serious questions about potential Republican interference in the 7th Congressional District race," said Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel. "No matter the dirty tricks Republicans try to play, Tom Barrett's record is toxic and Michiganders will fire him in November."
Read more:
* "It is equally likely that Dedrick was planted by Republicans, or that he just changed his beliefs," said Green Party of Michigan spokesperson Doug Marsh, who is also running on the Green Party ticket in the U.S. Senate race alongside Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers. He called the situation "unusual."
* 6 News was unable to find evidence of Dedrick's campaign, including fundraising efforts, an active campaign website or a campaign committee registered with the Federal Election Commission.
* It's not the first time third-party candidates have faced controversy in elections. In 2020, a "ghost candidate" in Florida testified that he was paid $50,000 to run for office as an independent, according to NBC 6 Miami. The candidate shared the incumbent Democrat's surname, and the seat flipped to a Republican. NBC 10 Philadelphia reported last week that some Democrats questioned the candidacy of a Green Party candidate, as Democratic insurgent Bob Brooks challenges an incumbent Republican in a Pennsylvania U.S. House district.
* During the Green Party's April convention, which the party recorded via Zoom and posted online, Dedrick, who did not appear to be known to Green Party of Michigan delegates, joined the meeting around two hours in -- with his camera off -- and told members that he wanted to run in Michigan's 7th Congressional District. He was nominated with relative ease and virtually no objections, despite saying that he was not a member of the party and no one within the party could vouch for him.
* Less than seven minutes after Dedrick announced to the group he'd like to run for the district, a delegate announced a motion to nominate Dedrick. A few minutes later, another delegate acknowledged that Dedrick had not yet been vetted.
* Marsh admitted that the party has not been able to contact Dedrick since the April 25 convention, and that he has not appeared at any convention events.
* "To my knowledge, no one has heard from him since April 25," Marsh told 6 News via text message on Aug. 8.
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Original text here: https://michigandems.com/icymi-from-wlns-unknown-us-house-candidate-who-secured-green-party-nod-with-little-vetting-donated-to-republicans-in-2023/
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee: Republican Corruption Creates Major Midterm Liabilities for GOP Senate Candidates
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release on Aug. 20, 2026:
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Republican Corruption Creates Major Midterm Liabilities for GOP Senate Candidates
With less than three months until the midterm elections, new reporting highlights how Democratic candidates are taking on corruption, which is "shaping up to be a major campaign battlefront."
Across the country, voters are expressing anger and concern about "the elite and the wealthy... and those close to power getting ahead or benefiting" while hardworking Americans "can't even pay their
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release on Aug. 20, 2026:
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Republican Corruption Creates Major Midterm Liabilities for GOP Senate Candidates
With less than three months until the midterm elections, new reporting highlights how Democratic candidates are taking on corruption, which is "shaping up to be a major campaign battlefront."
Across the country, voters are expressing anger and concern about "the elite and the wealthy... and those close to power getting ahead or benefiting" while hardworking Americans "can't even pay theirrent and their healthcare in the same month."
As warning signs continue to mount for Republicans, polling finds "voters tilted toward associating the Republican Party with corruption," and voters now ranking "government ethics and reform" high among issues they care about.
Here's what they're saying about how Republican corruption has become a political liability for the GOP:
HuffPost: Bribery, Sex Crimes And Stock Trades: Republicans' Corruption Problems Go Beyond Trump (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bribery-sex-crimes-stock-trades-republicans-corruption-problems-go-beyond-trump_n_6a84a67be4b072505bad28a8)
* President Donald Trump's corruption scandals are well-documented: his family's cryptocurrency company; his acceptance of a Qatari-owned jet to serve as Air Force One; the delayed opening of a bridge between the United States and Canada to help a campaign donor.
* Democrats plan to run against these scandals in November, but as their candidates and incumbents return to their districts for August recess, the party's hopes of winning back control of Congress' upper chamber may rest on reminding voters about local-level scandals and everyday Washington corruption GOP Senate candidates have engaged in rather than the industrial-scale self-dealing in Trump's White House.
* This isn't to say those scandals are small. There's a massive bribery scandal involving an Ohio utility company, a House ethics investigation into hiring a former chief of staff's girlfriend in Georgia, a generous plea deal for a well-connected sex offender in Texas. The GOP candidates in both Michigan and New Hampshire made fortunes traveling through the revolving door.
* From Georgia to Alaska, the party's nominees are counting on being able to turn voters' belief that widespread corruption in Washington is contributing to higher grocery, healthcare and energy costs down into votes against the individual Republicans they're facing in November.
* "This is something that can mobilize voters at the primary level and especially at the general election level, when you're bringing in those swing voters," said Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who has pushed Democrats to run harder against corruption. "That message appeals to people who are not just diehard tribal political voters, but to people who have real concerns about both parties and are uncertain about who to vote for."
* The attacks are clearly part of the Democrats' broader strategy. Shortly before Congress left for the August recess, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation which would combine existing anti-corruption agencies into one Anti-Corruption Bureau and give citizens and state attorneys general the ability to sue government officials who defraud the public.
* "We see a new grift every day," Schumer said during a speech introducing the legislation at the National Press Club. "But the scheme is always the same. Trump profits, Americans pay."
* For both Sen. Jon Ossoff and state Rep. James Talarico, inveighing against corruption is a key part of their political identities, with their broadsides against Trump and the broader political system key to their viral popularity among liberals.
* Both have also been gifted opponents who make for target-rich environments. [...] Rep. Mike Collins, the target of the aforementioned House Ethics investigation [...] made a fortune in the trucking industry and has backed policies helping it. Talarico is running against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who handed out the plea deal to a sex offender, faced an indictment on securities fraud charges and was once impeached by the Texas House of Representatives.
* What's notable is how even comparatively moderate Democrats are joining in: In one of Rep. Chris Pappas' first ads in New Hampshire's Senate race, he slams his Republican opponent, former Sen. John Sununu for voting for tax cuts for the pharmaceutical and health insurance industries before making "$35 million" working for them.
* "In Washington, I'm taking on this kind of corruption," Pappas says.
* At a campaign appearance last week, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper attacked former RNC Chair Michael Whatley as a "longtime lobbyist for big oil and utility companies" and pointed out his opponent owned stock in Duke Energy.
* "He's been fighting for them for years," Cooper said while campaigning in Vance County.
* The line of attack is also expected to be prominent in Maine, where the party is trying to convince voters longtime Sen. Susan Collins has changed over her decades in Washington [...]. Troy Jackson's campaign is highlighting Collins' marriage to a longtime lobbyist, and the reward she received at a "lobbyist prom" this year.
* And in Michigan, [Democrats are] slamming Rogers for his post-congressional activities.
* "Mike Rogers stayed in Washington, cashed in on the favors he did for big special interests, pocketing millions from corporations doing business before his old committee," a male narrator says. "Rogers got so rich he bought himself a Florida mansion, complete with two luxury yachts."
* Rogers' opponent, [...] Abdul El-Sayed, is ready to level similar attacks. He's holding a press conference on Wednesday to attack Rogers. The topic? The Republican's "pattern of corruption and serving corporate special interests."
Bloomberg Government: Trump Opponents See Opening to Make Corruption a Midterm Issue (https://news.bgov.com/bloomberg-government-news/trump-opponents-see-opening-to-make-corruption-a-midterm-issue)
* Combined with the rising cost of living, corruption is shaping up to be a major campaign battlefront in races that will determine control of the U.S. Congress.
* Polling suggests voters are eager to see lawmakers take on conflicts of interest and self-enrichment by leaders, including a president whose personal wealth has surged since he returned to office last year.
* "This issue is popping in a different way this cycle than it has in previous cycles," said Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, a group that backs Democrats who support campaign finance reform.
* Voters are concerned about "both the corruption that they see with the elite and the wealthy getting ahead, and those who are close to power getting ahead or benefiting, at a time when they feel like they can't even pay their rent and their healthcare in the same month," said Melissa Toufanian, managing director at Navigator Research.
* Senator Jon Ossoff...has made graft a central focus of his reelection campaign. "The Mar-a-Lago mafia has taken American corruption to spectacular new heights," he said in a recent speech.
* James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas, has also focused on the issue. "Once we defeat the most corrupt politician in America, we can defeat this corrupt system," he wrote on X on Wednesday.
The Washington Post: Democrats toughen their midterm message: 'Hold the crooks accountable' (https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2026/07/29/democrats-toughen-their-midterm-message-hold-crooks-accountable/)
* When Pew Research Center asked registered voters earlier this month what issue they would most like to hear congressional candidates in their districts talk about, economic ones -- unsurprisingly -- dominated. But "government ethics and reform" came in second.
Puck News: The Art of the Self-Deal (https://puck.news/voters-are-finally-starting-to-care-about-trumps-corruption/?_gl=1*1kawhpy*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTQ3MDY4MjA4Ny4xNzg2OTcwMDkz*_ga_SEFD191RFM*czE3ODY5NzAwOTIkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODY5NzAwOTIkajYwJGwxJGg0NjUyNTU5NjM.)
* Corruption has been creeping up as a concern for voters in the second Trump administration. In December of 2024, just before Trump's inauguration, only 8 percent of Americans named "political corruption" as the biggest issue facing the country, according to our polling partners at Echelon Insights. At the time, voters were more anxious about the cost of living, jobs, the state of democracy, and immigration.
* One year later, however, the corruption number had crept up to 14 percent. Today? Echelon's most recent survey, out this week, finds that 17 percent of voters name political corruption as the biggest issue facing the country, putting it behind only the cost of living.
* Overall, voters tilted toward associating the Republican Party with corruption (42 percent) more than the Democratic Party...
Axios: Dems weaponize Epstein in anti-GOP midterm ads (https://www.axios.com/2026/05/24/dems-weaponize-epstein-in-anti-gop-midterm-ads)
* Several top Democratic candidates in the midterms are airing scathing ads linking their Republican foes to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal -- betting that the Trump administration's reluctance to release the Epstein files still resonates with voters.
* Democrats are mostly focusing on high prices, health care and Trump's war against Iran, but some also are trying to tie Republicans to the late sex offender as part of a broader message accusing the GOP of protecting the corrupt elite.
* Trump has previously dismissed economic concerns, assuring voters that prices will come down and that affordability is an issue made up by political rivals to hurt his administration and the GOP.
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Original text here: https://www.dscc.org/article/republican-corruption-creates-major-midterm-liabilities-for-gop-senate-candidates/
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee: Breaking - Cook Political Report Shifts Texas and Iowa Senate Races Toward Democrats, Declares Senate Control a Toss-Up
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release on Aug. 20, 2026:
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BREAKING: Cook Political Report Shifts Texas and Iowa Senate Races Toward Democrats, Declares Senate Control a Toss-Up
Race raters at the Cook Political Report shifted the Texas and Iowa Senate races to Toss-Up today as Republicans' "sagging candidates" contend with a "sizable voter enthusiasm gap" - making "the overall battle for the Senate [...] a tossup." Now, it is "increasingly hard to ignore both public and private polling showing them to be more competitive."
In
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release on Aug. 20, 2026:
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BREAKING: Cook Political Report Shifts Texas and Iowa Senate Races Toward Democrats, Declares Senate Control a Toss-Up
Race raters at the Cook Political Report shifted the Texas and Iowa Senate races to Toss-Up today as Republicans' "sagging candidates" contend with a "sizable voter enthusiasm gap" - making "the overall battle for the Senate [...] a tossup." Now, it is "increasingly hard to ignore both public and private polling showing them to be more competitive."
InTexas, "the deeply flawed Paxton is underwater by as much as double digits in some surveys and is notably underperforming even a generic Republican in GOP polling," as state Rep. James Talarico "remains right-side up in his favorables."
And in Iowa, "the political environment is uniquely challenging for the GOP" thanks to "rising fertilizer and diesel prices, in addition to tariffs, [which] have uniquely harmed the state's agriculture-dependent economy," and "state Rep. Josh Turek up within the margin of error."
With Democrats "on offense" across key Senate battleground states, the path to the majority now runs through six GOP-held states rated toss-up or lean D, with only four seat flips required to win Senate control. This comes as Democratic Senate candidates are "raking in far more than their Republican opponents" as they continue to "dominate" in fundraising thanks to "a slate of star recruits" - opening up "a wider path for Democrats to take the [Senate] majority."
See for yourself:
Cook Political Report: Texas and Iowa Senate Races Move to Toss Up; Races for Governor Also Move in Democrats' Direction (https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/senate/senate-overview/texas-and-iowa-senate-races-move-toss-races-governor-also-move?check_logged_in=1)
* The battle for the Senate is about to intensify ahead of the traditional Labor Day starting gun [...] as we recently wrote, in a wave election akin to 2006, even states that President Donald Trump won by double digits could move within Democrats' reach.
* That's what we see happening in Texas and Iowa. These two races, which had been in the Lean Republican column, now are close enough to merit a move to Toss Up. Even though, on paper, it should be extraordinarily difficult for Democrats to flip seats that Trump won by more than 13 points, it's increasingly hard to ignore both public and private polling showing them to be more competitive than the Lean category reflects.
* [Republicans] may not be able to make up for the sizable voter enthusiasm gap that Democrats have on their side.
* That's because we may be at a point where voters' perceptions of the economy (spoiler alert: they're not good) and Trump's stewardship of it are baked in. Even if the war in Iran were to be resolved and the Strait of Hormuz permanently reopened, voters across the country -- particularly in agriculture-heavy states -- may not soon forget skyrocketing gas prices, along with rising diesel and fertilizer costs. And there's no guarantee any of those prices will fall enough to help Republicans by the time voters begin casting ballots.
* Texas Senate: Lean Republican to Toss Up
* The Lone Star State has long been Democrats' "Lucy and the football." Just when they seem poised to finally kick it through the uprights, political gravity yanks the ball away at the last possible moment.
* The last time Democrats had such hope in 2018 was Rep. Beto O'Rourke's close matchup against GOP Sen. Ted Cruz. But O'Rourke's polling was never as consistently competitive as state Rep. James Talarico's numbers are against Republican nominee Ken Paxton, the state's longtime attorney general. While Talarico remains right-side up in his favorables -- at least so far -- the deeply flawed Paxton is underwater by as much as double digits in some surveys and is notably underperforming even a generic Republican in GOP polling. In addition to a bevy of public polls, private Republican polling has had the race tied for some time.
* Republicans in Washington and Texas have known that Paxton's compounding weaknesses would almost certainly create a worsening headache for them -- so much so that they poured $59 million into Sen. John Cornyn's attempts to stop his nomination. For as polarizing as Cruz is, he had nowhere near the personal and ethical vulnerabilities that Paxton brings to this race.
* What Republicans haven't settled on yet is who will pony up the hundreds of millions of dollars they may need to save this seat and shore up Paxton -- though they're running out of time to decide.
* Getting to 50% of the vote as a Democrat in Texas is a tall order, but Talarico also may not need to, given the presence of a libertarian on the general election ballot. If GOP voters who don't want to vote for Talarico but can't stomach pulling the lever for Paxton decide to vote third party, that would still benefit Democrats.
* Iowa Senate: Lean Republican to Toss Up
* [...] the political environment is uniquely challenging for the GOP here. Three of the four congressional seats are competitive, and the open governor's race is moving away from them (more on that race below). Rising fertilizer and diesel prices, in addition to tariffs, have uniquely harmed the state's agriculture-dependent economy.
* Some private Democratic polling has Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek up within the margin of error. Republicans acknowledge it's tighter than they'd like, [...] Republicans will privately admit that Turek -- a former Gold Medal basketball paralympian who's in a wheelchair due to spina bifida -- is hard to demonize [...] Turek on Wednesday released an ad emphasizing the 700 times he voted with Republicans in the state legislature, saying he will work with Trump if elected.
* The early spending Republicans are already deploying to define Turek shows they're concerned about their prospects in this now-battleground state. As in Texas, there's also a libertarian on the ballot who could attract protest votes away from Hinson if voters are particularly fed up with the White House. With Texas shifting into Toss Up, Iowa belongs in the same bucket. Both now move into our most competitive category.
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Original text here: https://www.dscc.org/article/breaking-cook-political-report-shifts-texas-and-iowa-senate-races-toward-democrats-declares-senate-control-a-toss-up/
Democratic Governors Association: Kansas Carpetbagger Zach Lahn Wants to Be Governor of Iowa "For The Next Two Decades"
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news:
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Kansas Carpetbagger Zach Lahn Wants to Be Governor of Iowa "For The Next Two Decades"
New reporting from Heartland Signal reveals that Kansas carpetbagger and career political operative Zach Lahn floated the possibility of being governor "for the next two decades," despite backing term limits for other offices. Lahn has spent the campaign trying to deflect from his decades as a political insider and his Kansas residency, while wholeheartedly embracing Gov. Kim Reynolds' failed status quo, and the newly
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news:
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Kansas Carpetbagger Zach Lahn Wants to Be Governor of Iowa "For The Next Two Decades"
New reporting from Heartland Signal reveals that Kansas carpetbagger and career political operative Zach Lahn floated the possibility of being governor "for the next two decades," despite backing term limits for other offices. Lahn has spent the campaign trying to deflect from his decades as a political insider and his Kansas residency, while wholeheartedly embracing Gov. Kim Reynolds' failed status quo, and the newlyuncovered audio only underscores how unfit he is to serve as Iowa's next governor.
"After a long career as a political operative, it's not surprising that Kansas carpetbagger Zach Lahn wants to cling to power for twenty years so he can continue pushing Kim Reynolds' failures for decades to come," said DGA spokesperson Izzi Levy. "Iowans don't want a governor who can't be bothered to reside full-time in their state, whether it's for four years, or -- like Lahn would prefer -- for decades."
Heartland Signal: Iowa governor candidate Zach Lahn backs term limits -- except for the office he wants
* Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn frequently pitches himself to Iowa voters as a political outsider who opposes establishment norms. However, his public comments about term limits reveal a notable exception.
* While Lahn stated during a May Des Moines Register interview that he favors term limits "for most things," he explicitly defended Iowa's lack of gubernatorial term limits.
* "One of the things I like about the governor not having term limits, and I am actually in favor of term limits for most things. I don't think they solve everything," Lahn said.
* Days later on the "Barn Talk" podcast, Lahn remarked that he could serve as Iowa governor "for the next two decades." In the same breath, Lahn contended that he does not want to be a "career politician."
* "No, I have no interest in running for anything else. If I could be the governor of Iowa for the next two decades to turn the ship around," Lahn said in May. "And I don't want to be a career politician, but I think that's one of the things about Iowa that we can do, like, is have a long-term impact."
* Lahn's term limit exception comes as he faces criticism for his loose connections to Iowa. Multiple outlets, including The Des Moines Register and The Daily Beast, reported on Lahn's frequent private jet travel to Kansas. The Daily Beast reported that Lahn and his wife own a $2 million mansion in Wichita, Kansas. Lahn, who holds a pilot's license and owns an airplane, told the Des Moines Register in April that his flights to Kansas allow him to visit the children he and his wife have from prior marriages.
* Lahn also voted in Kansas elections in 2018, 2020 and 2022. He claims he moved to Iowa full-time in 2023, which narrowly secured him the two-year residency requirement to run for governor. Lahn says he lives on a homestead in Belle Plaine that has been in his family for six generations, and that he travels to Kansas to see family members.
* Capodilupo did not address questions about Lahn's inconsistent stance on term limits or why he chose to run for governor in Iowa instead of Kansas, where term limits are imposed on the governorship.
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Original text here: https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/kansas-carpetbagger-zach-lahn-wants-to-be-governor-of-iowa-for-the-next-two-decades/
DNC: Shot/Chaser - Wright Assured Americans Gas Prices Could Fall Under $3 by Summer, Now Says "I Don't Know The Future"
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Aug. 20, 2026:
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SHOT/CHASER: Wright Assured Americans Gas Prices Could Fall Under $3 by Summer, Now Says "I Don't Know The Future"
SHOT: Energy Secretary Chris Wright promised in March that gas prices could be back under $3 per gallon by summer...
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Wright in March: "There's a very good chance" gas would be back under $3 a gallon by summer.
CHASER: ...Wright this week said, "I don't know the future" when asked when traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will return to pre-war levels and, in turn,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Aug. 20, 2026:
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SHOT/CHASER: Wright Assured Americans Gas Prices Could Fall Under $3 by Summer, Now Says "I Don't Know The Future"
SHOT: Energy Secretary Chris Wright promised in March that gas prices could be back under $3 per gallon by summer...
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Wright in March: "There's a very good chance" gas would be back under $3 a gallon by summer.
CHASER: ...Wright this week said, "I don't know the future" when asked when traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will return to pre-war levels and, in turn,lower gas prices.
The price of gas currently sits at $4.10 per gallon, as Donald Trump's war with Iran rages on and Trump and JD Vance fail to reach an agreement to end the war. Americans have already spent $60 billion more on gas since the beginning of the war -- approximately $504 per household.
In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:
"Donald Trump and his administration officials are desperate to deflect from the mess he created when he started his deadly and costly war with Iran. First, they tried to placate Americans by telling them gas prices would come down by summer. But now, as Labor Day approaches, working families are still pinching pennies to fill up at the pump and Trump's administration is out of answers and is still offering no solutions. Voters won't forget who made their lives unaffordable come November."
High gas and diesel prices are pushing up prices on everything else, from groceries to housing. Even Vance repeatedly claimed in 2024 that "when you increase the cost of energy, you increase the cost of everything else" and warned that rising energy prices result in food prices going up.
REMINDER: Earlier this week, Trump said he is "not in a hurry" to end the war and last week said he would "never apologize" for higher prices from the war.
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/shot-chaser-wright-assured-americans-gas-prices-could-fall-under-3-by-summer-now-says-i-dont-know-the-future/
