By Brian Lyman | Editor
“Everybody talks about blue waves and flipping things, and I don't. I talk about just change. My goal, one of my goals, has always been to just have a competitive two-party system in this state.” - Doug Jones, Democratic gubernatorial nominee
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Doug Jones speaking at a mock debate on Oct. 21, 2026, in Birmingham, Alabama. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)
ELECTIONS 2026
By Anna Barrett
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Doug Jones says he faces an “uphill chug” as he tries to become the first Democratic candidate to win an Alabama gubernatorial election since 1998. Recent polling has shown him behind Republican gubernatorial nominee Tommy Tuberville. But for Jones, the campaign is just as much about building an infrastructure for the state party as it is winning the contest.
Voters in Alabama's 1st Congressional District will choose between former U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl, R-Mobile, and Clyde Jones, a retired U.S. military veteran to represent them in Congress. (Photos courtesy of candidate; graphic by Andrea Tinker/Alabama Reflector)
ELECTIONS 2026
By Andrea Tinker
The state’s only open contest for a U.S. House of Representatives seat is in the 1st Congressional District centered on Mobile, with Republican Jerry Carl, a former congressman, facing Democratic nominee Clyde Jones, a retired military veteran. Both candidates say they want to prioritize health care. Carl says he wants to improve the business climate in his district, while Jones wants to restore money cut from the Affordable Care Act.
A ballot drop box sits outside the library at Virginia Avenue Park in Santa Monica, California on July 14, 2026. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)
DC BUREAU
By Jonathan Shorman
Congressional Democrats Tuesday filed a lawsuit asking a federal court in Washington, D.C. to block President Donald Trump from interfering in the midterm elections, citing the U.S. Constitution giving states authority over election administration. The lawsuit comes as the U.S. Department of Justice has sued California, demanding it not count the ballots of 20,000 people it calls noncitizens, which state officials have called intimidation.
ICYMI
City, state employees are proud of their work but face burnout, harassment | Kevin Hardy, Stateline
US Supreme Court allows gender-affirming care for trans people in federal prisons | Ariana Figueroa, DC Bureau
Birth centers are linked to better health outcomes, research shows | Kelcie Moseley-Morris, Stateline
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