Federal Level
Rep. Chuck Edwards Won’t Seek Re-Election After Ethics Panel Findings
Early Wednesday morning, North Carolina Republican Representative Chuck Edwards announced on social media that he will not seek reelection, two days after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured. The committee’s report found substantial evidence Edwards made unwanted advances toward two former female staffers, including remarks about their appearance and gifts such as jewelry, designer purses, vacations and a personalized handgun. One staffer said she felt obligated to wear items he gave her and felt pressured to join him on a personal trip to Las Vegas after leaving his office, fearing it could hurt her career. Investigators said Edwards failed to produce, and may have deleted, more than 400 relevant text messages, and found his explanations not fully credible. Edwards said in his post that he would complete his current term representing western North Carolina. His lawyers called the report a vindication, noting it found no evidence of sexual activity or direct propositioning. House Republican leaders had privately pressed Edwards for days to abandon his campaign for the competitive seat. 1, 2
State Level
Arizona’s Democratic Governor Set to Pick a Republican Running Mate
On Tuesday, people close to Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’s campaign confirmed she plans to select John Giles, a Republican and former mayor of Mesa, as her running mate for lieutenant governor. Giles previously drew national attention when he urged fellow Arizona Republicans to vote against President Trump in the last presidential election, and his selection signals an attempt by Hobbs to court bipartisan support in a tightening race. Hobbs, a Democrat facing a competitive reelection campaign, has not yet made the selection official, though multiple news outlets reported it was set to be announced within days. She will face Republican Representative Andy Biggs, who was endorsed by President Trump and who named former state Senator Sine Kerr, a dairy farmer and former Trump administration official, as his own running mate last week. This will be the first Arizona election in which voters choose a lieutenant governor running alongside the governor, under a 2022 ballot measure that created the position. The secretary of state’s office has set an August 7 deadline for campaigns to submit their selections. 3, 4
Progressive Democrat Wins Primary in Battleground Michigan House District
On Tuesday, progressive Democrat William Lawrence won the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, a swing district covering Lansing and the surrounding mid-Michigan counties. Lawrence, who was endorsed by independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, took 42.7 percent of the vote in a three-way race, edging out Bridget Brink, who finished with 29.5 percent, and Matt Maasdam, who received 27.8 percent. The Associated Press called the race shortly before midnight as Lawrence’s lead held across the district’s counties. Lawrence will face Republican Representative Tom Barrett, who ran unopposed in his primary, in what both parties consider one of the most competitive House races in the country this November. Lawrence’s win adds to a string of primary victories for progressive candidates during this election cycle, further intensifying an ongoing debate within the Democratic Party over its ideological direction heading into the midterms. 5, 6
Pro-Israel Democrat Fends Off Democratic Socialist’s Comeback Attempt in Missouri
On Tuesday, Missouri Representative Wesley Bell, a Democrat who supports the United States’ relationship with Israel, defeated former Representative Cori Bush in a primary rematch for the state’s 1st Congressional District, which covers St. Louis. With roughly a quarter of votes counted, Bell led Bush 71 percent to 26 percent, prompting the Associated Press and other outlets to quickly call the race in his favor. Bell first defeated Bush two years ago after a super PAC linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent heavily against her, and the group again contributed more than two million dollars to Bell’s campaign this cycle. Bush, a former member of the progressive group known as the Squad, is a longtime critic of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and has accused the country of committing genocide. Bell outraised Bush by roughly three to one and will be heavily favored to win the safely Democratic seat in November. 7, 8
Michigan Senate Primary Goes Down to Wire as Democrats’ Leftward Shift Is Tested
On Tuesday, Michigan’s Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Gary Peters remained too close to call late into the night, with progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed holding a narrow lead over Representative Haley Stevens as votes continued to be tallied, particularly in Wayne County. The race has become a proxy fight over the direction of the Democratic Party, with El-Sayed drawing support from the party’s left flank and Stevens positioning herself as the more centrist choice heading into November. Both campaigns spent heavily in the race’s final weeks, and the contest is being closely watched alongside a similar ideological battle playing out in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District primary the same night. Former Representative Mike Rogers won the Republican Senate nomination unopposed and will face the winner of the Democratic primary in a contest both parties view as competitive. 9, 10
Kansas Voters Reject an Amendment to Elect State Supreme Court Justices
On Tuesday, Kansas voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have replaced the state’s merit-based system for selecting Supreme Court justices with direct popular elections. Unofficial returns showed about 71.5 percent of voters opposed and 28.5 percent in favor, a wide margin of defeat. Under the current process, in place since 1958, a nominating commission recommends finalists to the governor, who fills vacancies on the court, and justices later face retention elections after serving. Opponents argued that switching to direct elections would inject campaign money and partisan politics into judicial decisions, expressing particular concern about the Kansas Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling that established a state constitutional right to abortion. Supporters of the amendment said it would remove what they described as an elitist, lawyer-dominated selection process in favor of letting voters decide. The result is being viewed as a significant win for abortion rights advocates in the state. 11, 12
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Article Sources
1. The Washington Times, “Rep. Chuck Edwards withdraws from reelection bid after ethics panel recommends censure,” Aug. 5, 2026.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/5/rep-chuck-edwards-withdraws-reelection-bid-ethics-panel-recommends/
2. The Wall Street Journal, “Embattled Congressman Accused of ‘Inappropriate’ Conduct Won’t Seek Re-Election,” Aug. 5, 2026.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/embattled-congressman-accused-of-inappropriate-conduct-wont-seek-re-election-cd75ef5f
3. The New York Times, “Arizona’s Democratic Governor Set to Pick a Republican Running Mate,” Aug. 4, 2026.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/us/elections/arizona-governor-running-mate.html
4. Political Wire, “Arizona’s Governor to Pick a Republican Running Mate,” Aug. 4, 2026.
https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/04/arizonas-governor-to-pick-a-republican-running-mate/
5. NTD, “Progressive Democrat Wins House Primary in Michigan Swing District,” Aug. 5, 2026.
https://www.ntd.com/progressive-democrat-wins-house-primary-in-michigan-swing-district_1164321.html
6. USA Today, “Michigan primary election results for August 4, 2026,” Aug. 4, 2026.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/04/michigan-primary-election-results-2026/91148143007/
7. The New York Times, “Pro-Israel Democrat Fends Off Democratic Socialist’s Comeback Attempt in Missouri,” Aug. 4, 2026.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/us/politics/bush-bell-missouri-democratic-primary.html
8. The Washington Times, “Wesley Bell easily fends off Cori Bush’s socialist challenge in Missouri Democratic primary,” Aug. 4, 2026.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/4/wesley-bell-easily-fends-cori-bushs-socialist-challenge-missouri/
9. The Guardian, “Will Missouri be the next primary win for a democratic socialist challenger?,” Aug. 3, 2026.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/03/missouri-senate-primary-cori-bush-wesley-bell
10. The New York Times, “Michigan Primary 2026: Live Election Results,” Aug. 4, 2026.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/08/04/us/elections/results-michigan-primary.html
11. The New York Times, “Kansas Voters Crush a Measure to Elect Supreme Court Judges,” Aug. 4, 2026.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/us/elections/kansas-judicial-referendum-supreme-court.html
12. KCUR, “Kansas voters reject electing state Supreme Court justices as constitutional amendment fails,” Aug. 4, 2026.
https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2026-08-04/kansas-voters-reject-electing-state-supreme-court-justices-as-constitutional-amendment-fails