Stories

Browse major news stories and see what officials have said.

Jun 30, 2026

Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros Unseats 15-Term Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado 1st District Primary

On June 30, 2026, 29-year-old democratic socialist and first-time candidate Melat Kiros defeated 15-term incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary for Colorado's Denver-based 1st Congressional District. The Associated Press called the race at 10:03 p.m., with Kiros leading roughly 49.3% to DeGette's 43.5%, a margin of about six points, with Wanda James third. Kiros, a lawyer who immigrated from Ethiopia as an infant, was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Socialists of America, and Justice Democrats, and built her campaign from viral Instagram videos into a volunteer operation that knocked on roughly 100,000 doors. The upset ended DeGette's nearly three-decade career in Congress and marked one of the biggest wins to date for the DSA-aligned left. Kiros is now heavily favored in the solidly Democratic district's November general election.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Limits on Coordinated Party Campaign Spending (NRSC v. FEC)

On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. FEC that the federal cap on "coordinated party expenditures" — how much political parties may spend in coordination with their own candidates — violates the First Amendment. Writing for the conservative majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh held that the Watergate-era limit in the Federal Election Campaign Act unconstitutionally restricts core political speech, and the Court overruled its 2001 decision in FEC v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee. Justice Elena Kagan dissented, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, warning the ruling lets party committees act as a conduit for large donors to evade contribution limits. The decision allows national and state party committees to spend unlimited sums coordinated with candidates, reshaping the 2026 midterms and beyond.

Supreme Court Upholds Mississippi Law Counting Mail Ballots Postmarked by Election Day

On June 29, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Watson v. Republican National Committee that states may count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day even if they arrive afterward, rejecting a Republican challenge to Mississippi's law allowing receipt up to five business days after the election. Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the court's three Democratic appointees, holding that federal "election-day" statutes set a deadline for casting ballots but do not bar states from counting ballots received later. Justices Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh dissented. The RNC, the Mississippi Republican Party, and the Libertarian Party of Mississippi had challenged the grace period, which is one of roughly 18 similar state laws. The decision was a defeat for President Trump and Republicans, who had pushed to require ballots be received by Election Day.

Trump Claims California Primary Is Being "Stolen"; AG Bonta Calls Claims "Unhinged"

Following California's June 3, 2026 primary elections, President Trump repeatedly posted on Truth Social claiming Democrats were "stealing" the vote as mail ballots continued to be counted — a normal process in a high-mail-vote state. The US Attorney's office in California opened "multiple" election fraud investigations at Trump's urging with no specific evidence provided. California AG Rob Bonta called Trump's claims "truly embarrassing, unhinged, wild-eyed, dangerous, reckless, desperate," and Gov. Newsom's press office mocked the president. Analysts warned the episode previewed midterm election denial tactics.

Federal Judge Allows Trump's Mail-In Voting Executive Order to Stand

On May 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols — a Trump appointee in Washington, D.C. — declined to temporarily block President Trump's March 31 executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration to build citizenship lists for mail ballot eligibility. Nichols ruled it was premature to block the order because it has not yet been implemented. The executive order directs DHS to compile lists of confirmed adult U.S. citizens in each state, with the U.S. Postal Service then delivering mail ballots only to verified citizens. Democrats and voting rights groups sued immediately, arguing the order risks disenfranchising millions of lawfully registered voters because the underlying data can be outdated or contain errors. A parallel legal challenge filed by a coalition of Democratic-led states is pending before U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston, who was scheduled to hear arguments June 2. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer led Democratic condemnation of both the order and the ruling.

Bulgaria's Eighth Election in Five Years: Radev Wins Landslide

Former president Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria party won a decisive victory in Bulgaria's April 19, 2026 parliamentary election — the country's eighth in five years. Exit polls showed Progressive Bulgaria winning 37–39% of the vote, far ahead of former PM Boyko Borissov's GERB-UDF coalition at 15–16%. Radev, a former fighter pilot who resigned the presidency in January to launch his political movement, campaigned as an "oligarchy breaker." He declared the result "a victory of hope over distrust, a victory of freedom over fear" and pledged to form a stable government. Radev struck a notably eurosceptic tone, saying Europe "has become a victim of its ambition to act as a moral leader" and called for "pragmatic action." The election came one week after Hungary's voters ousted Viktor Orbán, raising questions about whether a broader anti-establishment wave is reshaping Central and Eastern European politics.

Orbán Loses Hungarian Election After 16 Years in Power

On April 12, 2026, Hungarian voters ousted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in a landslide, ending 16 years of increasingly authoritarian rule. Opposition leader Péter Magyar's Tisza party won 138 of 199 parliamentary seats (53.6%) — a two-thirds supermajority — to Fidesz's 55 seats (37.8%), with a record 77% turnout. The defeat came five days after Vice President JD Vance traveled to Budapest to campaign for Orbán, accusing the EU of election interference while openly endorsing the incumbent. European leaders celebrated the result, with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declaring "Hungary has chosen Europe." Orbán conceded, calling the result "painful but clear."

JD Vance Campaigns for Orbán Ahead of Hungary Election

Vice President JD Vance traveled to Budapest on April 7, 2026 to campaign for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of the April 12 election — an extraordinary move by a sitting U.S. vice president to openly support a foreign leader's reelection. At a joint press conference, Vance said Orbán's leadership "can provide a model for the continent" and accused the EU of "one of the worst examples of foreign election interference" he'd ever seen. Opposition leader Péter Magyar, whose Tisza party leads in polls, responded by asking Vance not to make Hungarian taxpayers foot the bill for his visit. The trip overlapped with Vance's role managing the Iran crisis, leading to the surreal moment where he learned of Trump's "civilization will die" threat from a reporter while onstage with Orbán.

Trump Calls on Republicans to 'Nationalize' Elections

During a nearly two-hour appearance on Dan Bongino's podcast on February 2, 2026, President Trump called on Republicans to "take over" and "nationalize" voting in at least 15 unspecified places, claiming without evidence that noncitizens were being brought to the country to vote illegally. The remarks drew bipartisan pushback, with legal experts noting such a move would contradict the Constitution's elections clause, which delegates election administration to state governments. The comments came days after the FBI executed a search warrant at a Fulton County, Georgia election office seeking 2020 election records.