More on War and Political Primaries - “The Sunday Political Brunch” - July 26, 2026

Politics continues to heat up with additional primary results. It’s becoming clear the war with Iran is taking on additional importance at the ballot box. Let’s “brunch” on all of that and more this week.

“Iran Fighting Escalates” – For two weeks, the U.S. and Iran have intensified fighting. Various structures in Iran have been destroyed and four more U.S. troops have been killed. President Donald Trump says the U.S. will blow up a bridge or power plant inside Iran, every time Iran fires on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. But under international law, such attacks are generally frowned upon unless the bridges and plants are being used for military purposes. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutteras called Trump’s threat “unacceptable.” Trump added he had “no interest” in restarting talks for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, oil has risen to just over $100 per barrel, up from $72 earlier this month. Gas is now averaging $4.06 per gallon. This continues to stand out as a key campaign issue.

“Hegseth Before Senate” – Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testified before a Senate Committee and said the cost of the Iran war is already at $37.5 billion. The White House is seeking an additional $88 billion. It was testy at times. Sen. Gary Peters (D) Michigan told Hegseth, "You, sir, are the failure. Not the men and women who are on that frontline. Not the men and women who hold up their honor with distinction. But if there's a lack of a winning strategy, they're in harm's way, their leaders have failed them. And that's what's happening … You don't have a strategy. You don't have a long-term plan to win this war. Win this war!" Hegseth fired back at Peters, saying Democrats “stand and play partisan politics, while you don't give us the money. You want to stand up here and talk about the troops? You won't show any political courage to actually fund our department, because you have Trump Derangement Syndrome and can't actually commit to anything meaningful." The House passed a $95 billion supplemental budget, with at least $60 billon earmarked for the Pentagon. $13 billion is set aside for other national security needs. It goes to the Senate next. Meanwhile, the House has again voted on a War Powers Act Resolution to stop the war. We’ll see how it plays out in the Senate.

“The Maine Event” – Maine Democrats are coalescing around a candidate to challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R) Maine, as she seeks a sixth term. Union-backed logger Troy Jackson is now the nominee after the scandal-plagued Democratic nominee Graham Platner dropped out. A hastily-called convention of Democrats chose Jackson on Saturday. He is a former state senate president. But the moderate Collins now has a clear advantage with millions in campaign funds, while her opponent will have only about 100 days to raise donations and votes. The wild card here is the lack of involvement by President Trump. While he wants to hold the Republican majority in the Senate, he does not like, nor has he endorsed Collins, who often votes against him. His non-endorsement may actually help her. Democrats had a shot at this seat, but I think that has faded.

“South Carolina Surprise” – To the surprise of many, Sen. Darline Graham (R) South Carolina announced this past week that she will be entering the primary to succeed her late brother, Lindsey. When she was first appointed to serve the remaining five months of his term, it was assumed she would serve as a placeholder and not run for a full term. But then came a surprise. President Trump urged her to run for the seat, and he endorsed her. Many predicted that Trump would back Rep. Russell Fry (R), South Carolina, a strong White House ally with 11 years in the House. Despite Trump’s decision, Fry is in the race anyway, as is Rep. Ralph Norman (R) South Carolina. Norman has nine years of experience. Rep. Nancy Mace (R) South Carolina, who finished last in the primary for governor, will pass on the Senate race. But at least three other well-known Republicans are thinking about running, in what could become a six-person primary. Most of them have far more legislative experience than the rookie Graham. In such a big field, a person could win with just 17 percent of the vote if everyone is bunched up.

“Arizona Primary” -- Arizona held its primary on Tuesday. It’s a state to watch in November. The once solid red state is decidedly purple. Democrats hold the governorship, and the state’s other top two offices, plus the two U.S. Senate seats. Republicans still hold a 6-3 advantage in Arizona's U.S. House delegation. The race for governor will be one to watch. Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) Arizona is seeking a second term and is being challenged by Rep. Andy Biggs (R), who defeated another sitting member of Congress in the Republican primary by a landslide. Biggs was endorsed by President Trump, and border security could be a crucial issue. The Hobbs-Biggs race could be expensive and nasty. Right now, Republicans hold 26 governorships, to 24 for Democrats

“More Canadian Tariffs” – President Trump is ratcheting up the trade war between the U.S. and Canada. He has now imposed a 50% tariff on certain Canadian imports, including hockey equipment and alcohol. Most of Canada has banned imports of alcoholic drinks from the U.S. Trump says part of the reason for new tariffs is to punish Canada for the heavy smoke from wildfires that has drifted across the U.S. border. He said on Truth Social, “The cost is incalculable.” He added, “This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.” It is likely these new tariffs will be judged by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled earlier this year against Trump’s first round of tariffs, saying he lacked the authority without consulting Congress.

“Lettuce Eat in Peace” – In efforts to push his MAHA initiative, or Make America Healthy Again, Trump has approved cuts to agencies including the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC. Some investigative and enforcement branches were gutted. Fast forward, and certain portions of this country have been hit with massive cases of intestinal distress. At first, the FDA said many people became ill from Taco Bell foods tainted by Taylor Farms of Mexico’s lettuce that contained Cyclospora. The next day, the FDA issued a statement contradicting the first, saying it "concluded that the finding does not represent true amplification and should be considered a false positive." So now, you have a company that may have been irreparably harmed by shoddy or lax government oversight. Taylor Farms issued a statement, saying the FDA apologized and emphasizing that the "FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora."

“Flights to Lebanon” – President Trump says he will allow U.S. commercial airlines to resume flights to Lebanon, after the practice was banned forty years ago. The announcement comes at an odd time, with U.S.-Iran clashes escalating and the State Department just issuing a travel advisory for Americans worldwide to proceed with caution. It will be interesting to see how many U.S. airlines respond to a potentially risky route.

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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