Friday’s Campaign Round-Up, 10.9.26: To the GOP’s relief, Bankhead won’t budge in Montana

Democrats in Nebraska, South Dakota and Idaho are skipping their own Senate nominees and backing independents against Republicans. Montana might follow suit: independent Seth Bodnar is running against Republican Kurt Alme, who polls consistently show below half of voters. Yet Democratic nominee Alani Bankhead won't leave, a stance Republicans welcome. In a Washington Post op-ed, she said more than 200 people urged her to quit, and that a senator, a governor, former Montana Governor Steve Bullock and a former Cabinet official all approached her. She declined every overture, according to MS NOW.

In Texas, Donald Trump said Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican Senate hopeful, ought to square off with Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. Talarico replied that Paxton now has to act.

Polls elsewhere show Oregon Governor Tina Kotek edging Christine Drazan 46% to 44%, within the margin of error, and Kathy Hochul leading Bruce Blakeman 53% to 42% in New York. Richard Hudson, who heads the National Republican Congressional Committee, must boost ad spending in his own North Carolina district, which Trump carried by 16 points two years ago.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →