State of play: What to know about California showdown to replace Swalwell after massive scandal
The special election to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., remained undecided in the early Wednesday morning hours. The battle to succeed Swalwell comes after he resigned in April amid sexual assault allegations from at least five women. Prior to the allegations, Swalwell was also making a bid for California’s gubernatorial race, but he dropped that bid as well. Vying for Swalwell’s seat are two women: progressive state Sen. Aisha Wahab and moderate Democrat and Bay Area Rapid Transit Board (BART) President Melissa Hernandez. Tuesday’s primary race will determine who will immediately fill Swalwell’s seat for the remainder of the term. However, it is also serving as the primary race for the midterms, meaning that Wahab and Hernandez will face each other again in November. STATE OF PLAY: HIGHLY WATCHED HONG RACE REMAINS TOO CLOSE TO CALL AS PROGRESSIVES NOTCH KEY PRIMARY WINS Wahab and Hernandez both emerged as the “top-two” vote getters in the special election’s jungle primary race held on June 16 for California’s 14th Congressional District. Under California law, elections have open primaries, meaning whoever the top vote getters are, regardless of their party affiliation, will move on to the general election. The race between Hernandez and Wahab mirrors a larger trend reflected across Democratic primary races, as far-left progressive candidates, often backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, are seeking to defeat establishment-backed Democratic candidates. Wahab, who has served in the state Senate since 2022, is running on a campaign platform centered on cracking down on ICE, having co-authored legislation making it easier for citizens to sue agents, lowering prescription drug prices and pushing for investments in green and renewable energy. She has received the backing of Our Revolution, a group that was founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Attorney General Rob Bonta, and fellow progressives Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Congressman Greg Casar. Hernandez, on the other hand, has taken a moderate approach on key issues such as immigration. Hernandez, who is the daughter of Mexican immigrants, acknowledged that the immigration system is “broken” but that she “supports smart border security and regional cooperation.” She has received the endorsement of close to a dozen Congressional members. But despite Wahab’s critical stance of ICE, she found herself in the hot seat when her father took to Facebook calling for his daughter’s supporters to “call ICE” on Hernandez. The mishap led to Wahab’s campaign to issue an apology on its website.
Jharkhand Paper Leak Case: CID arrests mastermind Abhay Tiwari’s wife, brother for alleged exam fraud
The two are being interrogated for their suspected links to the exam fraud and any benefits they may have received from the recruitment process. Tiwari, a key accused in the case, is already in judicial custody.
Kolkata hotel fire kills 9 Bangladeshi nationals, leaves 6 injured, rescue operation underway
The fire started around 2 am, prompting fire and emergency crews to rush to the site. Reports said several people fainted due to smoke inhalation and were rescued before being taken to hospital.
Gen Alpha protest: Bhopal Regional School students oppose Kendriya Vidyalaya merger
Bhopal saw a “Gen Alpha” protest as Regional School students demonstrated against merging Demonstration Multipurpose School with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangatha
What to know about possible border barriers in Big Bend
The Trump administration has said the remote West Texas region needs measures to stop illegal immigration. But a bipartisan group of elected officials is pushing to halt that plan, especially in the national park.
TribCast: Should we believe the polls about Paxton and Talarico?
In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin about the polls showing a tight race for U.S. Senate. Are they reliable? Is Talarico really in the lead?
Gov. Abbott proposes ban on H-1B visa use for Texas public schools during campaign stop
Some districts use the temporary work permits to fill critical teacher shortages in roles such as bilingual education.
America’s reddest state crowns GOP governor nominee
Wyoming Republicans chose former state House Speaker and current state Sen. Eric Barlow on Tuesday as their nominee for governor in the race to succeed outgoing Gov. Mark Gordon. The selection tees up the likely next person to move into the governor’s mansion in January, considering the deep-red roots that run in Wyoming’s statewide officials. Gordon considered seeking a third term and challenging Wyoming’s two-term-limit law, before ultimately deciding against another bid. This left Republicans with an open contest to replace him in November’s midterms. Trump-endorsed State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder came in second behind Barlow Tuesday, while Marine Corps colonel and 2022 gubernatorial candidate Brent Bien finished third. 2026 MIDTERMS: PRIMARIES, KEY RACES AND ELECTION RESULTS Barlow emerged from a four-way primary that featured Degenfelder, Bien and professional bull rider Curt Blake who had less than 1,000 votes with 26% of the total counted. He will face Democrat Kenneth Casner in the Nov. 3 general election. REPUBLICAN SURVIVES PRIMARY ON TIM WALZ’S OLD CONGRESSIONAL TURF AS DEMS EYE SEAT FLIP Degenfelder and Barlow entered the final stretch of the campaign on roughly similar financial footing, reporting about $1.3 million and $1.2 million raised, respectively, according to campaign finance figures cited by The Associated Press. Bien reported raising about $192,000, while Blake reported no money raised. Republicans enter the general election with a substantial political advantage in Wyoming. Every statewide elected office is currently held by a Republican. The governor’s race is one of several open-seat contests at the top of Wyoming’s ballot this year. The state also has open races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, secretary of state and superintendent of public instruction, creating an unusually large turnover in Wyoming’s political leadership.
Democrats pick their fighter for uphill bid to flip deep-red Senate seat
Former state representative James Byrd advanced Tuesday against former golf club greenskeeper Billy Benavidez in Wyoming’s Democratic primary race for the newly opened Senate seat. Incumbent Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis announced in December that she would not seek re-election, saying she did not have the energy for another six-year term and creating an open Senate seat in deep-red Wyoming. Byrd was an exploration geophysicist in the energy industry then later became an IT project manager and software consultant. WYOMING OFFICIAL FACES BACKLASH AFTER POSTING ‘HANG BAD JUDGES’ COMMENT ON ABORTION RULING He served in the Wyoming House of Representatives for a decade, beginning in 2009, and has touted his bipartisan approach to lawmaking in a majority Republican legislature. The Senate seat has been held by Republicans since 1962. Joseph O’Mahoney was the last Democrat elected to the seat, winning in 1954, while Democrat John J. Hickey was appointed to the seat in 1961 and served until November 1962. The moderate Democratic candidate ran a Wyoming-first campaign running on protecting public lands, supporting energy jobs and lowering rural healthcare costs. SON OF REPUBLICAN MEGADONOR THROWS HAT IN THE RING FOR OPEN AT-LARGE HOUSE SEAT IN WYOMING His opponent, Benavidez, ran as a more libertarian-leaning Democrat, campaigning on individual liberty, opposition to government surveillance, free-market policies, congressional term limits, and reducing the power of the federal government. Byrd has criticized President Donald Trump over tariffs, arguing they have hurt Wyoming beef and agricultural products by reducing access to foreign markets. TRUMP BET TARIFFS WOULD BRING BACK AMERICAN FACTORY JOBS. NEW REPORT SAYS IT DIDN’T WORK On immigration, Byrd has taken a more moderate stance than many Democrats, supporting stronger border security and enforcement while opposing family separation and backing broader immigration reform and expanded legal pathways for workers. Byrd has also backed expanding data centers in Wyoming, arguing they could diversify the state’s economy, create jobs and take advantage of Wyoming’s abundant energy resources.
Republican who kicked Liz Cheney out of Congress seeks higher office in reddest state
Wyoming Republicans chose Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wy., on Tuesday as their nominee for U.S. Senate in the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis. Lummis, elected to the Senate in 2020 after serving four terms in the U.S. House , announced she would not seek a second term, opening the seat in one of the nation’s most reliably Republican states. Hageman emerged from a five-way Republican primary featuring former Kirby Mayor Sam Mead, Jill Edwards, John Holtz and former environmental services business owner Jimmy Skovgard. 2026 MIDTERMS: PRIMARIES, KEY RACES AND ELECTION RESULTS Hageman, in the country’s most red state based on registered voter percentage, entered the race as the best-known and best-funded candidate in the field. She is seeking a promotion to the upper chamber. President Donald Trump endorsed Hageman after also backing her successful 2022 campaign to unseat former Rep. Liz Cheney in Wyoming’s Republican House primary. Now serving her second term as Wyoming’s lone U.S. House member, Hageman rose to national prominence with her victory over Cheney. Cheney became Trump’s biggest target in 2022 after she served as one of the only two Republicans on the House Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riots alongside fellow GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-IL, who did not seek reelection that year. The ousted Wyoming congresswoman, daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, become one of Trump’s most prominent Republican critics. TRUMP-BACKED NOMINEES DOMINATE PRIMARY CONTESTS AS PRESIDENT TIGHTENS PARTY VICE GRIP Hageman will now face the Democratic nominee in the Nov. 3 general election — though with Wyoming’s deep red roots, it’s highly unlikely the single U.S. House seat will flip blue this year. The at-large seat is ranked by the bipartisan Cook Political Report as solidly Republican with a R+23, the best odds of any Senate race this election cycle. Republicans enter the general election with a substantial advantage in Wyoming. All of the state’s statewide elected offices are currently held by Republicans. The Senate contest is part of an unusually large turnover in Wyoming’s political leadership. For the first time in 32 years, the state has open races for governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House in the same election cycle.