WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: NOVEMBER 9, 2026

1. Mississippi's Senate race remains too close to call, with Democrat Scott Colom leading Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes, 467,930 to 465,356, about 97 percent counted. Black Delta organizers helped drive turnout, including in Holmes County, where late votes put Colom ahead by 28. Absentee …

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: NOVEMBER 6, 2026

1. Mississippi's U.S. Senate race remains too close to call, with Democrat Scott Colom leading Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by just 1,764 votes out of nearly 1 million cast. Officials Thursday continued counting thousands of absentee and affidavit ballots. Both campaigns are preparing for a …

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: NOVEMBER 5, 2026

1. Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has made history, becoming the fifth Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate. Her win makes Illinois the first state with two women of color in the Senate at once, alongside Tammy Duckworth. It also guarantees three Black women will serve in the Senate simu…

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: NOVEMBER 4, 2026

1. Keisha Lance Bottoms made history Tuesday night, becoming the nation's first Black female governor. The former Atlanta mayor defeated Republican Rick Jackson to become Georgia's 84th chief executive and the state's first Black woman elected to statewide constitutional office. Her platform center…

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: NOVEMBER 3, 2026

Millions of Americans have already voted in the midterms that will decide control of Congress. By Saturday night, more than 52.7 million early ballots had been cast nationally, including about 29.1 million in person. Georgia set a midterm record, with more than 2.8 million early votes. History is o…

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: NOVEMBER 2, 2026

More than half of U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens' staff quit Sunday, protesting her endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate over Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Former chief of staff Justin German said the team was shocked and heartbroken, and urged voters to back El-Sayed and Democrats. …

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: OCOTOBER 30, 2026

Former President Obama knocked the White House response to his Cheesecake Factory jab at President Trump, calling the administration "not serious people." Campaigning in Georgia for Senator Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms, Obama said officials mounted a government-wide response to a joke, not t…

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: OCTOBER 29, 2026

1. History is on the line in this year's Senate races: since 1789, only one of every 400 U.S. senators has been a Black woman. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware recently became the first two Black women to serve at the same time. Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana…

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: OCTOBER 28, 2026

1. Angie Nixon Urges National Investment in Southern Black Voters Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon is calling on national party leadership to increase investments in Southern races and stop taking Black voters for granted as a guaranteed constituency. Nixon expressed frustration among…

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: OCTOBER 27, 2026

1. Abdul El-Sayed Mobilizes Black Voter Support in Detroit Campaign Stop Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed campaigned alongside Detroit civic officials, labor leaders, and community organizers to solidify support among Black voters ahead of the midterm election. Facing Republican nominee Mi…