Illustration: BallotWire
By BallotWire
09/18/2026
Top Election Developments
A weekly recap of major election news: key race developments, candidate moves, and shifts that could shape upcoming contests.
Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s Mail Voting Restrictions for November
The U.S. Supreme Court on September 14 rejected the Trump administration’s request to enforce new U.S. Postal Service restrictions on mail ballots ahead of the November midterms, leaving a lower court injunction in place. In a brief order, the court said the administration had not shown it was likely to succeed in overturning the lower court’s decision blocking the new requirements.
The USPS rule would require states to submit lists of mail-ballot voters and use approved ballot envelopes with unique barcodes, among other requirements. A federal judge blocked key provisions after the final rule was issued in August, finding that the challengers were likely to succeed in arguing that the requirements exceeded federal authority over elections.
The decision means the new restrictions will not take effect for the November 3 election while the legal challenges continue. The rules stem from President Trump’s March 31 executive order directing USPS to establish new standards for mail and absentee ballots. Other provisions of the order, including creating state citizenship lists using federal data, have faced separate legal challenges.
Coons and Katz Win Delaware U.S. Senate Primaries
Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Coons easily won renomination in Delaware on September 15, taking 78.0% of the vote in a four-way primary. Jeff Appelhans finished second with 10.6%, followed by Mary Louve at 7.5% and E. Hansen at 3.9%. Coons, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, is running for a third full term.
On the Republican side, former State Senator Michael Katz won the nomination with 77.3% of the vote, defeating John Shulli, who received 22.7%. Katz previously ran for U.S. Senate as the Independent Party of Delaware nominee in 2024, receiving 19,555 votes, or just 3.91% statewide.
Coons enters the November 3 general election as a heavy favorite. Republicans have not won a U.S. Senate election in Delaware since 1994.
DCCC Adds Three Candidates to Red to Blue Program, Bringing Total to 40
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) added three candidates to its Red to Blue program on September 15, bringing the program to 40 candidates with fewer than 50 days until the election. The program provides selected candidates with strategic guidance, staff resources, training, and fundraising support.
The additions include independent Bill Hill in Alaska’s At-Large Congressional District, a commercial fisherman, union construction worker, and longtime educator challenging Republican U.S. Representative Nick Begich; Will Lawrence in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, a Lansing-area native who has worked on manufacturing and affordable housing issues and is challenging Republican U.S. Representative Tom Barrett; and Mitchell Berman in Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, an emergency room nurse and longtime veterans’ caregiver running against Republican U.S. Representative Bryan Steil.
Johnson Launches Reelection Bid in Crowded Chicago Mayor’s Race
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson launched his reelection campaign on September 13, seeking a second term in an increasingly crowded 2027 race. Johnson highlighted declines in homicides, expanded mental health services and youth employment programs as accomplishments of his first term.
Johnson, a former Cook County commissioner, was elected mayor in 2023, defeating Paul Vallas 52.1% to 47.8% in the runoff. He now joins a field of more than a dozen candidates, including Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley, and businessman Willie Wilson. The election is on February 23, with an April 6 runoff if no candidate receives a majority.
Data & Polling Roundup
New polling and data insights on the current electoral landscape and emerging trends.
Cost of Living Weighs on Trump as Democrats Lead Congressional Ballot
A new Fox News poll finds widespread concern over the cost of living, with 62% of voters calling grocery prices a major problem, 61% saying the same about gas prices and 54% about housing costs.
President Trump’s approval rating stands at 39%, with 61% disapproving. His rating on inflation sits at just 24%, matching a previous low, while 37% rate him on foreign policy and 43% on immigration.
Trump's standing has also become a liability for Republican candidates. Voters say a Trump endorsement makes them 26 points less likely to support a candidate, 51% to 25%, up from a 15-point gap four years ago.
Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot 51% to 44%, a seven-point edge that grows to 11 points among voters certain to vote and holds at nine points in counties where less than 10 points decided the 2024 presidential race. Independents break for Democrats 53% to 31%.
Democrat Hamilton Leads Marshall in Kansas U.S. Senate Race
A new Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media poll of 750 likely voters finds Democrat Adam Hamilton narrowly leading Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, 45% to 43%, in a state where Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate race since 1932. Libertarian David Graham receives 4% and 8% are undecided.
Hamilton leads among independent voters 42% to 27%, while independents favor Masterson 47% to 45% in the governor’s race. Marshall has a 41% favorable and 48% unfavorable rating, while Hamilton is at 41% favorable and 30% unfavorable.
The economy is the top issue for 48% of Kansas voters, followed by health care at 14%. President Trump has a 40% approval rating and 53% disapproval rating in the state.
Brown Leads Husted by 4 Points in Ohio U.S. Senate Race
A new Trafalgar Group poll finds Democrat Sherrod Brown leading Republican U.S. Senator Jon Husted 45.4% to 41.5% in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race. The poll surveyed 1,085 likely voters from September 14 to 16 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
Brown leads among women 47.2% to 39.4% and has his strongest support among voters under 40. Husted leads among voters 65 and older.
The poll follows other recent surveys showing Brown ahead. A Bowling Green State University/YouGov poll found Brown leading 48% to 45%, while an August Fox News poll had Brown ahead 53% to 45%.
Peltola and Sullivan Tied at 39% in Alaska U.S. Senate Race
A new Rasmussen Reports poll finds Republican U.S. Senator Dan S. Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola deadlocked at 39% apiece.
Two minor candidates could prove decisive. Republican Daniel J. Sullivan, who shares the incumbent's name, draws 7%, while Republican candidate Gerald Heikes takes 6%, with 9% unsure. Because Alaska uses ranked choice voting, the incumbent may benefit disproportionately from second-choice votes, as he is the only major Republican in a four-candidate field with three Republicans and one Democrat.
The race features a reversed gender gap, with men favoring Peltola 43% to 39% while Sullivan leads among women 38% to 34%. Peltola also leads by eight points among voters 65 and older, 46% to 38%, while Sullivan dominates among voters aged 50 to 64. Sullivan holds 59% of Republicans while pulling 15% of Democrats, and Peltola takes 73% of Democrats and 18% of Republicans. Unaffiliated voters split narrowly for Sullivan 36% to 34%, with 24% still undecided.
Alaska's ranked choice system, adopted in 2020, faces its own repeal referendum on the November ballot.