Politics

Senate Democrats face ‘tough map’ as a slate of retirements hit Dem-friendly states

Published

2 years ago

March 12, 2025

Senate Democrats’ already difficult 2026 map just got even worse.

After losing the majority last November, the party faced a very narrow path out of the wilderness. Then Sen. Jeanne Shaheen piled on. The New Hampshire Democrat announced her retirement Wednesday, forcing the Democrats to defend a third Senate seat in 2026, in addition to retiring Sens. Gary Peters’ and Tina Smith’s seats in Michigan and Minnesota.

“It’s no secret that we face a tough map,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said, though he remained upbeat: “I don’t think you can read into losing one senator in a state where I think we will do very, very well.”

There might be more departures for Democrats to come, though in much bluer states: Sen. Dick Durbin is on retirement watch in Illinois and Sen. Michael Bennet is eyeing a possible run for governor in Colorado.

Durbin, who is 80, declined to share his own reelection plans on Wednesday but acknowledged that the party’s 2026 Senate map is “challenging.”

Democrats’ biggest challenge was always going to be a limited number of pick-up opportunities as they try to claw their way back to power: Sens. Susan Collins’ and Thom Tillis’ seats in Maine and North Carolina, respectively, are their best options. And, critically, winning both wouldn’t win back control of the Senate on their own — and neither are slam dunks for Democrats.

It all amounts to a reality check for the embattled party, even with the next election more than a year and a half away. While they’ve got less of a headwind than they had last year, when they lost four seats, 2026 is in many ways shaping up to be a stepping stone to their actual shot of flipping the Senate in 2028.

“The map is better in ‘26 than ‘24. It’s not as good in ‘26 as it will be in ‘28,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said in a brief interview.

Republicans, for their part, view Democrats’ string of retirements as an acknowledgement that their GOP majority is likely to prevail during the midterms, even though the party is at real risk of losing their narrow grip on the House.

“Another one!” Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who chairs the Senate GOP campaign arm, wrote on X. “Shaheen’s retirement is welcome news for Granite Staters eager for new leadership. New Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicans — and will do so again in 2026!”

There could be competitive primaries for both parties across all three states. Democrats likely enter all three open-seat contests as at least light favorites; former Vice President Kamala Harris carried both New Hampshire and Minnesota, and while President Donald Trump won Michigan, Republicans have not won a Senate race there in decades.

Still, all three retirements this early in the cycle have Republicans crowing.

“It’s hard to beat an incumbent,” said Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) “Statistically, it’s very, very difficult. So it gives Republicans an opportunity.”

Republicans are also helped by few Maine Democrats relishing the idea of challenging Collins, a rare GOP moderate, and that’s especially true because the state will have an open governor’s race. And North Carolina’s Senate races have long foiled Democrats, even though some of Trump’s allies are flirting with trying to recruit a primary for Tillis. The GOP’s third potential headache – Louisiana – is a less of a risk in November because even if Sen. Bill Cassidy loses, the party is confident that whoever replaces him will be a Republican.

Democrats still believe they could get a tailwind that boosts their chances of picking up more seats next year: Namely Donald Trump and Elon Musk, whose efforts to dramatically reduce the size of the federal government have roiled Washington and even sparked public grumbling from fellow Republicans.

“I happen to believe the dynamic is going to be pretty good. That’s a huge factor,” Kaine said, while acknowledging things are a “long way out” from the election.

David Bergstein, a spokesperson for the Senate Democratic campaign arm, said in a statement that the midterm map “is ripe with offensive opportunities Democrats can take advantage of” plus “Republicans have more seats to defend, and they’re doing it in a hostile political environment.”

All three of the open Democratic seat states have a strong bench of Democratic House members elected in the 2018 wave. Privately, some Democratic operatives are relieved that older senators are bowing out during Trump’s first midterm, when the party in power traditionally loses seats. It’s perhaps a more opportune time to get fresh blood into the Senate Democratic caucus, which is still helmed largely by longtime members.

And the party has already been in an active recruitment effort as they shore up their roster for the midterm elections.

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich) is taking steps toward a run, as is Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow for a possible bid in Michigan.

In Minnesota, Democratic Rep. Angie Craig is seriously considering a run.

In New Hampshire, Democrats could face a crowded primary, something they are hoping to avoid. Rep. Chris Pappas, who’s won four terms in a purple district, is considering a run for Shaheen’s seat, as is first-term Rep. Maggie Goodlander. If Pappas doesn’t run, former Rep. Annie Kuster, who retired from the House earlier this year, told Blue Light News she would “take a serious look at the race.”

Republicans are also gearing up for a fight. Former GOP Sen. Scott Brown (who represented neighboring Massachusetts), has been taking steps to stand up another bid in New Hampshire as he looks to make a political comeback after losing to Shaheen in 2014. Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who shrugged off Republicans’ attempts to recruit him to run against Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in 2022, is apparently reconsidering for 2026.

“We’re going to need every dollar that can be raised to retain the seat — and an expensive primary I feel would not be helpful,” said veteran New Hampshire Democratic strategist Jim Demers.

Kelly Garrity contributed to this report

Politics

Byron Donalds says he is not a ‘yes man’ to Trump

Published

19 hours ago

October 9, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Byron Donalds says he is not a ‘yes man’ to Trump

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Politics

Justice Democrats announce new executive director

Published

2 days ago

October 8, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

The progressive political action committee Justice Democrats has appointed Rev. Hodari Williams as its new executive director. The change sets the organization up to hone a civil rights message ahead of the 2028 election cycle, Williams told Blue Light News.

His appointment, shared first with Blue Light News, comes at a time when self-proclaimed progressives (and socialists) are flooding the scene. The PAC has had its most successful election cycle ever, helping seven candidates — including Donavan McKinney in Michigan, Melat Kiros in Colorado and Darializa Avila Chevalier in New York — defeat incumbents in the primaries. While those candidates are heavily favored to win on Election Day, the fates of three other Justice Democrats candidates, including Tennessee’s state Rep. Justin Pearson, remain less certain going into November.

At one point, the group tried to get Williams to run for office. Though he declined, Williams said now is the right time to force change.

“America and its present-day politicians, from my experience, have a high blood pressure of promises and anemia of political courage,” Williams said in an interview, using a common Kenyan political expression. “Right now, JD is producing candidates who have the political courage to deal with the crises that are existing in marginalized and disenfranchised communities, and I want to be a part of that.”

Rev. Hodari Williams is the new executive director of the progressive PAC Justice Democrats.

Williams, 46, was born and raised in Lakewood, New Jersey. His parents were activists and community organizers who raised him on the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. After graduating from Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina, with his bachelor’s degree, he joined the NAACP as a field organizer for voter rights and empowerment while pursuing his Master’s of Divinity at the Interdenominational Theological Center. In his time with the NAACP, Williams traveled across the Black Belt, where he said he witnessed poverty and inequity up close.

“Civil rights traditionally has been something that people have tried to separate from progressivism … but these movements are inseparable,” said Williams. “What I witnessed in the South as a worker in voter rights and voter empowerment and education, and as a regional representative for the NAACP, was that the conditions that created inequity still existed and needed to be confronted and challenged.”

His work took him to Kenya, where he served as a program coordinator with the Presbyterian Church USA. In Nairobi, he supported the Green Belt Movement’s work against deforestation and its mission to highlight environmental justice as a tool for economic empowerment and self-determination.

Now, as some Black and brown voters express concerns of being tokenized by traditional Democratic candidates, Williams plans to bring his experience working in racial justice circles to his new role.

“I have worked in communities that have borne the brunt of failed promises from the current Democratic leadership,” Williams said. “I have opened the doors of my congregations to politicians and have experienced the absence of those politicians after the elections.”

He continued: “Black communities have become destinations for environmental hazards and data centers. Unemployment has risen. Black federal employees have been targeted. The list goes on. I’ve pastored these people. I’ve prayed with them. I’ve listened to them as they’ve shed tears. Now I’ve decided I want to move from triage work to really transformational work.”

Some of that work will require challenging other Black leaders.

“Unfortunately, many of our Black politicians have become victims of corporate capture, and their voices have been taken by entities like AIPAC,” said Williams, referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “They have not really been able to stand for the issues that are affecting the communities that that many of us are fighting for, and JD candidates are free from that, and they’re free to take bold and significant action to move forward legislation.”

But with the 2026 election cycle nearly over, the PAC is already brainstorming how to establish a strong progressive coalition for the 2028 presidential election. That will mean convincing the mainstream Democratic party that Justice Democrats have built a lasting coalition of the party’s base, said Williams.

“We hope that the Democratic Party would see that we’re developing a blueprint to show them how the base is being energized around the issues that are kitchen table issues that people want us to deal with,” said Williams.

“It’s not enough for us just to have a call to defeat a fascist president. We don’t want a fascist president. We want him out, but we also want a vision of what America could look like when affordability, healthcare, civil rights, housing, and livable wages — all of those things are at the top of the political agenda,” he added.

Williams succeeds current executive director and co-founder Alexandra Rojas, who will become president of Justice Democrats’ board and will support Williams as a senior adviser.

Politics

Iowa’s Ashley Hinson slams the savings habits of millennials

Published

2 days ago

October 8, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson took a swipe at the savings habits of millennials as she fielded a question Wednesday about Social Security during a Senate campaign debate.

Hinson, the Republican candidate facing off against Democrat state Rep. Josh Turek, was asked about ensuring the solvency of Social Security when she raised the broader prospect of savings by millennials, the demographic consisting of people born from 1981-1996.

She said the country needed to have a “serious conversation” about “how young people are saving money,” as part of the discussion about the future of Social Security.

“We also need to be talking about millennials saving money,” she later added. “Millennials are the worst group of savers in the country right now and have the least amount of savings. So those are ways where I think we can help have a bigger conversation around saving in general, planning for retirement, and making sure we’re all able to experience a robust retirement.”

Hinson faces a tough race in Iowa against Turek amid a difficult political environment for Republicans. Voters are overwhelmingly pessimistic about the state of the economy and their own personal finances, and they support Social Security while being concerned about the program’s future.

Hinson said she would not support cutting benefits and suggested creating a bipartisan commission to present suggestions to Congress to save the program. When pushed on her statement that “all options should be on the table,” she turned her attention to young people.

“I think my dad and I had this discussion when I was in sixth grade, looking at a ledger book and trying to figure out, hey, how are we going to make sure you’re set up for your life?” she said. “So we need to be having a conversation simultaneously to all solutions on the table, to make sure that it can stay solvent, while we’re also talking about, how do we get more young people to save?”

Hinson’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

Turek, when asked about Social Security, said he supports removing the payroll tax cap.

“The best way we can keep this solvent is by taking off the cap,” Turek said. “Let’s make sure that billionaires and large corporations are paying their fair share. That will move the needle in a very serious way to keep Social Security solvent.”

Hinson disagreed. “The only thing I’m hearing from him is that the only solution to everything is to raise taxes,” she said.