Politics

With House primary delay, Louisiana thrust into election chaos

Published

2 months ago

May 1, 2026

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s abrupt decision to postpone the state’s House primaries just days before voting was scheduled to begin has sent Republican officials scrambling.

Local election heads are convening open meetings to educate voters about the change, which Landry triggered immediately after the Supreme Court ruled earlier this week that its map was unconstitutional, blowing a hole in the Voting Rights Act. That’s giving Republicans the narrowest of windows to gerrymander one or two new seats before the 2026 midterms — and is leaving candidates guessing where they might be running.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed late Thursday challenging Landry’s ability to issue the sweeping emergency executive order threatens to further upend Louisiana’s election season. And the move only suspended the House races — meaning the rest of the primaries will continue on as scheduled, including the hotly contested Senate race, whether voters realize it or not.

“You have to move mountains to change the map to a constitutional one, and obviously shift the election,” said John Fleming, a Republican and former House Freedom Caucus member running for Senate. “It’s going to be tough.”

Matt Gromlich, a Democrat running in Louisiana’s 4th District, said he has had to pause his two-week early voting plan, and is considering taking legal action against the state. “It is completely anti-Democratic to cancel an election that has already begun,” he said.

As one Louisiana Republican strategist working on a House race, granted anonymity to speak freely about the fallout, put it: “It is an unmitigated shit show fever dream.”

Altogether, the chaos in Louisiana over the last few days underscores how the latest chapter of the redistricting wars will be defined by a complicated legal and political battle as both red and blue states race to draw new maps.

Landry on Thursday delayed House elections until at least mid-July, saying it was necessary to comply with the court’s ruling. All other races will proceed as normal, with early voting beginning on Saturday. Absentee ballots have already been sent out. But the governor’s decision means tremendous burdens will be placed on local election officials, placing significant administrative costs on the state and sowing confusion among voters.

“Imagine being a voter in Louisiana right now,” said David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, a nonpartisan nonprofit. “Imagine having looked at who you might want to vote for, educating yourself on the process, and all of that is thrown up in the air. Every voter in Louisiana right now doesn’t know whether this election is going to go on or not.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy, who is facing off against Fleming and Rep. Julia Letlow in a contentious, close Senate GOP primary, called Landry’s decision to proceed with other races as scheduled “disappointing.”

“Now, it’s up to all of us to help people understand what’s happening and make sure voters know how to cast their votes over the next two weeks,” Cassidy said in a statement.

Louisiana had already changed its election process this year by throwing out its jungle primary for a closed primary process to give parties more control over their nominees. Now, with the House primaries on hold, some Republicans are tossing around returning to the open primary system just for those races.

“It’s crazy and it’s confusing,” said Bryan Kelley, the Winn Parish registrar, who said he has been informing the community about the change and posting information flyers in voting locations. “Whatever the legislature and the legal people decide, we’ll figure out how to make it work in practice so that people can voice their opinions.”

“Everybody just take a deep breath, be calm and just wait and see how that plays out,” he said.

Democrats are warning that Louisiana previews how other GOP states will approach the midterms, given the last-minute opportunity to reshape their maps and scramble election timelines.

“What is happening in Louisiana right now is both a redistricting power grab and a dry run for authoritarian election subversion this fall,” said voting rights attorney Mark Elias.

Before the Court’s ruling, Louisiana Republicans were planning to draw out Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields from his district, shifting the delegation to consist of five Republicans and one Democrat. Now, Republicans are considering being even more aggressive. At least one map has been submitted to be reviewed by the state legislature that would create lines giving the GOP an edge in all six districts, though some of those seats would still likely be in play for Democrats. At risk is the elimination of all majority-minority districts in Louisiana, a state with a population that is one-third Black.

“I believe the district lines should be and will be drawn based on shared interests and regional commonalities,” said GOP Rep. Thomas Pressly. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that happens.”

In the meantime, House candidates are stuck in limbo, stretching their campaign cash further than expected and extending some brutal match-ups, like in Louisiana’s 5th District where seven Republicans are competing to replace Letlow as she runs for Senate.

At a press conference with the Congressional Black Caucus following the Court’s decision, Fields acknowledged that Louisiana GOP state lawmakers are targeting his district. “If you tell me that I got to jump a certain height, I could probably do that,” he said. “Tell me [if] I got to run a certain distance, I could probably do that too. But if you tell me I have to be white to serve in Congress from Louisiana, I can’t do nothing about that.”

Alec Hernández contributed reporting.

Politics

Dutch deputy leader slams Moroccan football fans after riots

Published

27 minutes ago

July 10, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius on Friday lambasted Moroccan football fans who clashed with police across the Netherlands following their team’s World Cup defeat to France.

“One by one, countries are knocked out. That’s what a football tournament is all about. We’re disappointed, but we move on with our lives. Except for these ‘supporters.’ Whether they win or lose, they act like madmen,” the leader of the center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) wrote on X.

“Don’t you feel ashamed that this is how the world sees you?” Yeşilgöz asked.

Dutch media reported several incidents after Moroccan fans took to the streets in multiple cities Thursday night, following their team’s 2-0 loss to France in the World Cup quarterfinal.

Fans threw glass bottles at the police, prompting anti-riot officers to disperse crowds, according to the daily newspaper De Telegraaf.

In Rotterdam, police were pelted with eggs, while in Amsterdam rioters reportedly fired fireworks at law enforcement and behaved aggressively toward journalists.

Yeşilgöz is known for her tough stance on migration. “There are too many people coming into our country,” she wrote on X last year, prior to becoming minister. “This has to be different. And fast too.”

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders also weighed in, accusing Yeşilgöz’s VVD party — which is part of the governing coalition, alongside Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s liberal D66 party and the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) — of having let “scum” into the country.

This is not the first time disturbances have occurred in the aftermath of a Morocco match. Following Morocco’s victory over the Netherlands in the Round of 32, police in The Hague arrested 13 people on suspicion of public violence or disrupting public order. Earlier in the year, after unrest linked to the Africa Cup of Nations final, authorities in The Hague detained a further 14 individuals.

Politics

Friday’s Campaign Round-Up, 7.10.26: Democrats pour into Maine race to replace Platner

Published

52 minutes ago

July 10, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.

* In Maine’s closely watched Senate raceGraham Platner has until Monday to officially withdraw his Democratic candidacy. And according to multiple reportshe intends to wait until Monday to file the paperwork. It’s not at all clear why he’s dragging out the process.

In the meantime, the field of contenders hoping to replace him on the general election ballot is growing quickly. Former state Senate President Troy Jackson, for example, announced his candidacy less than an hour after Platner left the race. Dan Kleban, co-founder of Maine Beer Company, is also in, along with former gubernatorial hopeful Nirav Shah, who led the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention during the pandemic.

As Thursday progressed, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows joined the party’s field, as did Jordan Wood, who recently lost a competitive House primary race in the northern part of Maine.

Over the past 30 years, there have been only nine instances in which a major party replaced its Senate nominee. Two of those nine won.

* Despite credible concerns about Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s eligibility to run for governor in Alabama, a state judge this week dismissed a lawsuit that argued he does not meet the residency requirement to run.

* In Texas’ closely watched Senate raceRepublican Attorney General Ken Paxton raised over $9 million in the second quarter (spanning April through June), while Democratic state Rep. James Talarico raised a staggering $30 million over the same three months. According to The Texas TribuneTalarico’s haul “is a record total for a U.S. Senate candidate in the second quarter of an election year.”

* As Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s Republican gubernatorial campaign prepares for an Aug. 6 primary, the senator launched a new television ad this week that has been widely panned as racist.

* Rep. Mike Collins’ Republican Senate campaign in Georgia was already facing long oddsand it probably won’t help that the far-right congressman is now struggling with staffing issuesincluding the departure of two chiefs of staff.

* And while it’s undeniable that Republicans enjoy a financial advantage headed into the midterm electionsSenate Majority PAC, a super PAC aligned with the Senate Democratic leadership, and its affiliated nonprofit raised $147 million in the second quarter. That’s the best quarter it’s ever had.

Steve Benen is a producer for “The Rachel Maddow Show,” the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He’s also the bestselling author of “Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans’ War on the Recent Past.”

Politics

Belgium’s Red Devils get royal pep talk

Published

57 minutes ago

July 10, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Belgium’s Red Devils received some regal encouragement Thursday evening as King Philippe dropped by the team’s hotel less than 24 hours before its World Cup quarterfinal against Spain. He’s also the latest European royal to make a pilgrimage to this summer’s tournament.

According to Belgian news agency Belga, the king joined the squad for dinner before posing for a team selfie later shared on the official Belgian Red Devils X account, alongside coach Rudi Garcia. Philippe, who earlier in the tournament also joined Garcia, captain Youri Tielemans and striker Romelu Lukaku for a video call, kept his message short.

“A few days ago, my daughter and I watched you at 2 a.m. It was magnificent,” he told the players. “I have only one message for you: You must win. And I am confident that you will. But it will depend on you.” Soccer federation boss Pascale Van Damme presented the monarch with a signed Belgium shirt.

Philippe joins an increasingly crowded royal supporters’ club. Spain’s King Felipe VI, Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, and Norway’s Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus have all turned up to cheer on their national teams, while elected leaders have been thinner on the ground.

Portugal’s prime minister attended matches and faced blowback, while Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney recently had to fend off criticism that his own World Cup trip amounted to a taxpayer-funded “jolly.”

Belgium and Spain kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, with a place in the semifinals against France at stake.