Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Why do polls show Sen. John Cornyn trailing state Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas’ Senate Republican primary? According to the incumbent, it’s “primarily name identification,” which seems like an odd thing for a 23-year incumbent to say.
* In South Carolina, Democrat Keishan Scott, a 24-year-old minister, won a state House special election this week by 42 points, which is notable in part because Kamala Harris only carried this same district by five points last fall.
* In case Rep. Elise Stefanik’s interest in New York’s gubernatorial race weren’t obvious already, the Republican congresswoman has created a new political action committee that will focus on supporting GOP candidates across the Empire State in this year’s elections.
* Seizing on Donald Trump’s anger about recent “TACO” (“Trump Always Chickens Out”) criticisms, the Democratic National Committee this week served free tacos near the Republican National Committee’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
* In Pennsylvania’s 2026 gubernatorial race, Republican Rep. Dan Meuser hasn’t yet launched a statewide campaign, but the congressman has already picked up public support from Trump.
* Adam Jentleson, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman’s former chief of staff, is leading a new effort called Searchlight, which will reportedly serve as a new party think tank, policy outlet and messaging hub.
* And in Rhode Island, the latest poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found Democratic Gov. Dan McKee with an approval rating of just 19% — no, that’s not a typo — prompting another round of questions about whether the governor should run for re-election next year. (Click the link for more information on the poll’s methodology and margin of error.)
