A Mixed Bag of Election Results – “The Sunday Political Brunch” - August 16, 2026

The Democratic Party in the United States remains locked in a philosophical "tug-of-war" between traditional mainstream Democrats and the progressive-socialist Democrats at the far left- wing of the party. We've seen it play out in many primaries. Let's "brunch" on that and more this week.

"Minnesota Blues" – It's no secret that Minnesota is one of the most blue, liberal-leaning states in the nation and has been for some time. Its primary for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate was fascinating. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan ran as the progressive-socialist, while U.S. Rep. Angie Craig ran as the more moderate, mainstream Democrat. In the end, it wasn't even close. Flanagan took 59 percent of the vote, to 39 percent for Craig. The fall race could be competitive with former NFL Sideline Reporter Michele Tafoya as the Republican nominee.

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"On Wisconsin!" – My home state of Wisconsin had one of the closest and most divisive races of the year. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley was backed by the party's leadership in the Democratic Primary for governor. But he faced an uphill fight against progressive-socialist State Rep. Francesca Hong (D), who led most of the polls in this race. In the end, Crowley pulled out an upset, winning 39.8 percent to 39.3 percent for Hong. Wisconsin does not have runoff elections, so Crowley is on the November ballot. He has the tough task of trying to unite a very fractured Democratic Party. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany is the Republican nominee and is endorsed by President Trump. Wisconsin may be a blue-leaning state, but Trump carried it two of his three campaigns for the White House. This could be very competitive.

"South Carolina Runoff" – Sen. Darline Graham (R) South Carolina, is running to succeed her late brother Lindsey. But she was in a ten-person primary with two current members of Congress and a former governor on the ballot. Graham won the primary with 33 percent of the vote, to 25 percent for Rep. Ralph Norman. In South Carolina, you must carry 50 percent of the vote to win the primary outright, so there will be a runoff between Graham and Norman on August 25. A big factor could be who gets the endorsements of Rep. Russell Fry and former Gov. Mark Sanford. They finished third and fourth respectively, carrying a collective 35 percent of the vote. Fry has come out for Darline Graham, while Sanford has yet to endorse. Democrats feel they have a strong nominee in Dr. Annie Andrews, a well-known pediatrician in Charleston.

"Trump's Primary Track Record" – It's been a mixed bag this year for candidates endorsed by President Trump. While many have won, a significant number have lost in high-profile races. In Minnesota, Trump endorsed MyPillow founder and spokesman Mike Lindell, a very vocal Trump supporter. But Lindell was challenged by House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R) Minnesota. Demuth beat Lindell handily, 44 to 33 percent. Minnesota has no runoff primaries, so Demuth is the nominee in November facing Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) Minnesota, who chose to run for governor rather than staying in the U.S. Senate. Given that Republicans now control the State House of Representatives in Minnesota, means the race could be competitive.

"Inflation Eases Slightly" – The Consumer Price Index, or CPI, ticked down in July, to 3.4 percent compared to 3.5 percent in June. The slight easing of gas and food prices is thought to be the reason, following the reduced tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Obviously, these are economic numbers that voters always care about, but especially in an election year. Given the potential for a flare-up in the Middle East, prices could spike again. I mention this because there will be only two more CPI reports before Election Day. Those will come in mid-September and mid-October. What people are paying at the pump and the grocery store will be central in the final weeks of the campaign.

"It's All in a Name" – The Board of Directors of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and now voted to put President Donald J. Trump's name back on that building. Trump, who also chairs the board, ordered his name be put on the building along with Kennedy's earlier this year. This flies in the face of a U.S. District Court ruling in May, ordering the name be removed. Judge Christpher Coppersaid, "The court has concluded that the Board [of Trustees] overstepped its statutory authority bounds by unilaterally renaming the Kennedy Center after President Trump." Judge Cooper added, "Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it." I suspect this "hot potato" is headed to the Court of Appeals and then likely onto the U.S. Supreme Court. The Trump White House argues the name change is similar to it changing the Department of Defense to the Department of War. In another matter, the president asked the Supreme Court to allow construction to resume on the East Wing Ballroom at the White House. Lower courts had halted it saying that Congress was not consulted on the renovation plans.

"Trump Vaccines" – President Trump signed a controversial executive order this past week that changes the protocol for childhood vaccines. Under his order, vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella must be spaced out over three doctor visits, rather than given all at the same time, as has been the practice for decades. Trump believes the widely discredited theory that three shots at once leads to higher rates of autism. Still, he calls his decisions a "major victory for parents' rights, religious and constitutional rights, and for the gold standard science." Sen. Bill Cassidy (R) Louisiana, is also a physician. Cassidy said, "I'm a doctor. This executive order is wrong." He added, "The President does not have the expertise to make these changes." Trump endorsed a different Republican in this year's Louisiana primary against Cassidy, and Trump's candidate won.

"Air Force One Mystery Continues" – Several weeks ago, President Trump was about to leave international meetings in Turkey. He was to fly on the Qatari-constructed and donated Air Force One. Suddenly, there was a change of plans, and Trump was put on the "decoy" Air Force One that accompanies his trips, due to an unspecified threat from Iran. Trump has since confirmed the threat, and the Washington Post and CNN have confirmed that Trump was whisked away in an airport catering truck to make the quick switch and avoid danger. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) New York called the situation "unacceptable" and wants a Congressional briefing on what happened. On social media, Schumer said, "The Senate should be immediately briefed on the Iranian threats against the President, the extraordinary measures taken to get him out of Turkey, any risks posed to U.S. personnel, and any threat to the homeland." I assume that, for national security reasons, it would have to be a closed-door briefing, but the story is fascinating. By the way, the press and staffers still went home on the original plane, which is scary.

"Leavitt Leaving" – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will be leaving the job at the end of August, according to President Trump. Trump said Leavitt "will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!" Leavitt recently had her second child. Trump says she will remain as an outside advisor to the White House, especially with the midterm elections approaching. I knew Leavitt as a press aide during Trump's first term, and she is a nice, smart, and capable young lady. She is just 28 and the youngest person in White House history to hold the top press job. Four years ago, she ran for a seat in Congress, but lost. I suspect we will see her in public life again down the road. I wish her and her family the best.

"A Penny (or a Nickel) for Your Thoughts?" – The U.S. has already halted production of new pennies, in part after studies showed it costs 4 cents to produce one penny. Now the nickel may be in the crosshairs, since it costs 13 cents to mint each nickel. Both the Senate and the House are considering a bill to do just that. It's called the "Common Cents Act," and the Senate approved it unanimously last week. Pennies and nickels in circulation can still be used, but there may be a provision to "round up" or "round down" a purchase to the nearest nickel value, if the retailer is out of pennies. For example, a purchase of $18.21 would be rounded down to $18.20. A purchase of $18.23 would be rounded up to $18.25. So far, this hasn't made huge headlines, but I saw someone post on Facebook, "Doesn't the Senate have more important things to do?" It's an issue I bet will get much public commentary before all is said and done.

Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a South Florida-based political writer and analyst who has covered news and politics nationwide for the past 49 years. He is a multiple award winner, including two prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards. Most recently, he served as the Chief Political Reporter for the seven Nexstar Media TV stations, covering the Washington DC media market, West Virginia, and its five neighboring states. Curtis is a former Congressional Fellow who worked in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Over the years, he has been a contributing writer and analyst at Patch.com. His commentary and analysis can be heard every Friday at 1:45 p.m. ET on the 22-station West Virginia Metro News Radio Network. www.WVMetroNews.com.

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