This Week in Democratic Politics

Happy Friday, and thank you for making our first full week of coverage so successful. The response to our stories and rankings have been incredible. As I mentioned last week, each Friday I’ll write a wrap up of the week’s top stories, what you may have missed, and provide a bit of commentary along the way.

We’re 46 days out from election day, and this week saw numerous polls and ratings shift towards the Democratic side. On Tuesday we moved the ratings for seven high-profile races, and each one moved towards the Democratic candidate: Four House races, one Senate race, and two governor’s races.

I’ve worked in politics for over a decade, so I’m well aware that six weeks is a lifetime in campaigns, and you can’t forget the possibility of an October surprise. But the overall narrative seems to be forming that it could be a generational blue wave. The question would then become what do Democrats do with it?

The Caucus’ Alex Rifaat had a fantastic in-depth look at Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s plan to take on CVS and the other big healthcare monopolies. While Surina Venkat broke down Sherrod Brown’s proposal to cap energy rates. Brown, who is running in a special election to return to the Senate after losing Ohio’s other seat two years ago, is such a good campaigner we moved the race in our ratings from Leans Republican to a Toss Up. 

Lastly, our columnist Aleigha Cavalier’s debut piece on the unique re-election campaign being run by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is absolutely mandatory reading for anyone who wants to understand the inner workings of a rising Democratic star. 

As always, thank you for reading and being a part of The Caucus community. The responses and interactions have been beyond what we expected this early, and I can’t thank you enough for that. 

Keep the questions and comments coming, reach us at [email protected].  

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— Jake Rakov, The Caucus Co-Founder

James Talarico wants to break up the companies that are your hospital, your pharmacy and your insurer all at once. He has backed the Break Up Big Medicine Act, a Warren-Hawley bill that would ban any company from operating as a provider, an insurer and a pharmacy benefit manager simultaneously. His example is CVS, which is the country’s largest drugstore chain, one of the three dominant PBMs, and a major insurer.

Talarico is making the argument from a position of strength. He leads Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton by five points in a poll out this week, up from a two-point deficit in June, and Republican super PACs have started spending heavily against him. Read Alex Rifaat’s story at The Caucus.

— Even Republicans are now publicly disagreeing with President Trump’s immigration policies, with Rep. María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) going as far as running an ad directed at the president from in front of the White House. In her re-election ad, the Congresswoman says Hispanics “feel betrayed.” (The Washington Sun)

— Opposition to data center construction has motivated candidates across the country to run for local office to push for bans. “The datacenter fight has illustrated the power of the people to shape their environment,” said Steven Kung, who led the effort to prohibit data center construction in Monterey Park, a city of about 60,000 residents outside of Los Angeles, and is now running for city council. (The Guardian)

— California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he plans to take some kind of action on AI before he leaves office early next year. The governor is considering a special legislative session or executive action because of “the tendency of the Trump administration to do absolutely nothing.” (POLITICO)

— While Virginia’s ban on gay marriage hasn’t been enforced since 2014 — after being adopted in 2006 — the amendment is still in the state’s constitution. Voters will decide whether or not to get rid of the ban in November. (The 19th)