Turek Wins In Iowa and Bennett Wins in NJ-07, Bass & Becerra Seem Ready To Advance, The Supremes Rip Their Hoods Off (Again), Slava Ukraini!!!

Paid subscribers gather tonight at 7pm ET to review the election returns, and talk about what comes next......

Morning all. Lots of news this morning……

First, the elections. The match up for Joni Ernst’s Iowa Senate seat is set - Rep. Josh Turek will be taking on Congresswoman Ashley Hinson in a race polling suggests we can win this November. Turek had an impressive win last night in a hard-fought primary, and is now officially a Hopium-backed candidate for US Senate.

In the Republican primary for governor the Trump-backed candidate, Rep Randy Feenstra, lost to an even further right, and relatively unknown candidate, Zach Lann. As our candidate for governor Rob Sand has led in recent polling this is not the development Rs wanted in Iowa (yes the losses keep mounting for Trump). Rob Sand will be joining Hopium tomorrow - be on the look out for the interview, and be sure to catch our recent interview with Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart for a deep dive on what has become an exciting year of opportunity for us in Iowa.

Hopium-backed Rebecca Bennett won her primary last night in NJ-07 despite almost $2m of GOP dark money spent against her in the last two weeks of the election. She is now on to the general against Rep. Tom Kean, who has not been seen in public for almost three months. NJ-07 one of our very best pick-up opportunities this cycle, and grateful to all of you who helped this terrific candidate win last night.

There is still a lot of vote out in California but as of this morning it looks like a Becerra-Hilton runoff in the governor’s race:

And Bass and Pratt will go on to a runoff in Los Angeles:

Bass and Becerra will be favored to win their general elections if these results hold. Things are still too close to call in CA-22 for those following that race.

G. Elliott Morris has posted an excellent new analysis showing how Talarico can win in Texas. It reminds us that in the last blue wave mid-term in 2018 Beto O’Rourke came within 2.6 points of defeating Ted Cruz. So, yes, hard, but not impossible. Watch our new interview with TX Dem Chair Kendall Scudder for a general election overview of our year of opportunity in the Lone Star State.

Talarico did a huge rally on Tuesday in Ken Paxton’s home county. Enjoy this powerful clip from what was clearly a very raucous and joyous event:

Friends, we need to keep our heads down and keep working for Trump and the corrupt Roberts Court keep doing everything they can to prevent us from retaking power next January. This latest ruling from “SCOTUS” has shocked even long time observers of the Court. Hoods off now for the virulent white supremacists waging war against our civil rights and even human decency. Here’s how Democracy Docket is covering this rancid shadow docket ruling this morning:

Meanwhile the evidence of Trump’s failed global project is all around us today. This morning Ukraine launched a comprehensive, successful, and humiliating strike on Russia’s second most important city, St. Petersburg:

In the last several hours Iran has struck both Bahrain and Kuwait, disrupting air traffic throughout the Middle East, and doing significant damage to the main Kuwaiti airport:

Yesterday at the French Open two Ukrainian women squared off in the quarter finals, a remarkable achievement. Here is an incredibly inspiring aftermatch video of the victor, Marta Kostyuk, thanking her opponent and fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, and talking about the bravery of the Ukrainian people. If there is one thing you watch on the Internet today watch this short video. Kostyuk will be the first Ukrainian woman to ever reach the semi-finals (the final four) of the French Open, the most important tennis tournament in Europe. Sound on people….

Slava Ukraini!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In related news Senate Dems are stepping up to block Trump’s ridiculous, dangerous appointment of Bill Pulte to be acting DNI. From Punchbowl News this am:

News: Senate Democrats are privately urging GOP leaders to pressure President Donald Trump to withdraw his appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence — and threatening to tank a bipartisan FISA deal if the president refuses.

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Tuesday to use his influence with the White House to reverse Trump’s move to install Pulte as overseer of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Warner, who’s been critical in building Democratic support for a bipartisan deal to extend FISA Section 702, made clear to Thune that all options are on the table to reverse what Democrats see as a dangerous Trump pick to lead ODNI. Pulte, who currently leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has no national security experience and has used his existing role to exact revenge on Trump’s political foes.

From Warner’s perspective, it’s impossible to convince enough Democrats to support a reauthorization of Section 702 when Pulte would be the one overseeing the program. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has also privately told senators that the Pulte appointment makes passing a FISA deal much more difficult.

Plus, Democrats believe they’d be doing Republicans a favor because they also see Pulte as unqualified for the job, even if few openly say it. As we scooped Tuesday, the White House had indicated to top Republicans that Aaron Lukas, whom Trump announced as the acting DNI 12 days ago, would remain in the role for an extended period. Senate Republicans felt blindsided.

Here are our working recommendations for things to call your Senators and Reps about today and every day:

• Pass HR 2913, the Ukraine Support Act

• Pass the war powers resolution in the House, reining in Trump’s failed war

• No to the big Senate ICE/CPB funding bill that gives DHS years of funding with no reform of the out of control agency

• No to the ballroom, the Arch, the gilded statues, the slush fund, the corruption, self-enrichment……

• No to Bill Pulte, a reckless and dangerous pick to lead the US intelligence community in a time of conflict and war

And yes, my friends, we have much more to do, so….

Let’s Go Elect Some More Democrats Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hopium paid subscribers gather tonight to talk about last night’s elections and so much more at 7pm ET - register here. So much to discuss!

Winning The Midterms, Competing In Red States and Red Places, Expanding The Map

Hopium’s Winning The House Campaign - $752,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal (new ambitious, audacious even, q2 goal) - Donate to all twelve of our endorsed House challengers with a single contribution split twelve ways | Get to know Jamie Ager (NC-11), Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Paige Cognetti (PA-08), Rebecca Cooke (WI-03), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Sean McCann (MI-04), Jo Mendoza (AZ-06), Chaz Molder (TN-05), Jonathan Nez (AZ-02), Janelle Stelson (PA-10), Shannon Taylor (VA-01), and Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-03) by watching our recently recorded Hopium interviews.

Friends if these twelve win, the House will flip, no matter redistricting madness the Rs execute in the coming days. So eyes on the prize here everyone!

Hopium’s Winning The House - Second Wave - $65,700 raised, $250,000 goal - We’ve launched a second House fund, one targeting candidates who’ve recently emerged from primaries or have to run in new districts. Our initial crew is Rebecca Bennett (NJ-07), Bob Brooks (PA-07), Johnny Garcia (TX-35), Bob Harvie (PA-01), Denise Powell (NE-02), and Bobby Pulido (TX-15). A donation to the Second Wave Fund is split evenly among these six, and more as other worthy candidates emerge for their primaries. We are off to a great start here people!

Josh Turek For Iowa Senate - $250 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more and volunteer | Watch this video Josh’s campaign released last night:

Mary Peltola For Alaska Senate - $98,700 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my uplifting conversation with Mary Peltola as she fights to turn Alaska blue

James Talarico For Texas - $82,300 raised, $250,000 - Donate | Learn more from my inspiring interview with Rep. Talarico as he fights to turn Texas blue

Winning Ohio - $153,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Our new campaign splits contributions evenly among Sherrod Brown, the Acton/Pepper ticket, and the Ohio Democratic Party | Donate today and help us turn this critical 2026 battleground blue

This total includes $21,000 sent by a Hopium community member directly to each of our three Buckeye State partners!

Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $581,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal (new stretch goal) - Join our campaign that has helped expand our map by investing in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas, all now central battlegrounds in the 2026 election | Catch interviews with the five intrepid state chairs leading their troops into battle this year - will get you fired up! | Contribute to all five state parties with one contribution split evenly among these five new battlegrounds

Many thanks to two generous Hopium community members who have audaciously donated $20,000 to each of our five state parties over the past two years

Roy Cooper for NC Senate - $119,700 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my new discussion with Gov. Cooper

Jon Ossoff GA Senate - $182,300 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my uplifting conversation with Senator Ossoff

Be sure to self-report the good trouble you make each day in our daily chat, below.

Keep working hard everyone. We have a country to save, and elections to win, together! - Simon