stephen fowler

@raleighreporter.bsky.social

25 June

Tired: 2026 midterm coverage Wired (and also tired): 2026 newborn coverage Inspired: Taking *some* of my parental leave between now + Labor Day to hang out with this cool little dude, his excited big sister and my awesome wife. See you on the radio and the campaign trail…. much later!

stephen fowler reposted

Colin Campbell

New from me: A sign of an unusual election year: Incumbent Republicans in Congress from seven conservative districts in North Carolina are running TV ads to help their re-election campaigns www.wunc.org/politics/202... #ncpol

wunc.orgNC Republican Congressmen buy TV ads in deep-red districts as election loomsIncumbent Republicans in Congress from seven conservative districts in North Carolina are running TV ads to help their re-election campaigns. It's a sign that the GOP could be worried about districts ...

stephen fowler reposted

n.prCan Black voting power and Trump fatigue break Mississippi's red wall?Mississippi has the largest proportional Black population in the country. It's one reason the U.S. Senate race has seen millions in last-minute spending and high-profile campaign visits.

10h

Mississippi has the largest proportional Black population in the country. It's one reason the U.S. Senate race has seen millions in last-minute spending and high-profile campaign visits. n.pr/3WsYr3t

stephen fowler reposted

npr.orgCan Black voting power and Trump fatigue break Mississippi's red wall?Mississippi has the largest proportional Black population in the country. It's one reason the U.S. Senate race has seen millions in last-minute spending and high-profile campaign visits.

Replying to @stphnfwlr.com

Mississippi has the highest share of Black voters in the country, is a rural, agriculture-heavy state that is also among the poorest, so higher prices are felt harder. But President Trump won the state by 23 points in 2024, and it's extremely racially polarized.

"The reality is, Mississippi has never been a lost cause, we've been a betrayed cause," @scolom.bsky.social told me. "The Democratic Party has not been trying to win Mississippi. Let's stop kidding ourselves, right?"

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COLUMBUS, Miss. — On paper, Mississippi's U.S. Senate race seems like the perfect place for a political upset this year, an assertion President Trump's Monday rally there seems to support. My latest @npr.org report from the edges of the midterm map:

In a midterm environment that has seen hundreds of millions of dollars poured into Senate races in conservative-heavy states like IA/TX/OH/AK and KS, the Magnolia state has been left off of many peoples' radar — and largely out of campaign investments.

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npr.orgIn Arkansas, Democrats see an opening at the edge of the competitive midterms mapIn a sign of the potentially dire midterm political environment, Republicans have spent millions of dollars playing defense in Arkansas, one of the most conservative states in the country.

HOPE, Ark. — For Senate candidate @hallieshoffner.bsky.social, the most important political label she wears isn't that she's a Democrat. Or that she's not a Republican. Instead, it's that she is an Arkansan. A dispatch from the outer edge of the midterms map:

Since the end of September, one of the Congressional races that's seen the biggest % growth in ad spending has been... ...Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District, where Republican spending has been roughly 5x'd and Democrats have 4x'd. Here's why:

Even in a midterm cycle where Senate races like KS/IA/OH/TX are viewed as tossups, and where the landscape of potentially competitive House races stretches deep into conservative territory, Arkansas seems a bridge too far for election forecasters.

stephen fowler reposted

In a sign of the potentially dire midterm political environment, Republicans have spent millions of dollars playing defense in Arkansas, one of the most conservative states in the country.

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n.prIndependent candidates sense a moment. Some Democrats hope they're right.As they look to win the Senate, Democrats are hoping that independent candidates in Nebraska and Montana can help them topple Republicans in a part of the country where their own brand is hurting.

As they look to win the Senate, Democrats are hoping that independent candidates in Nebraska and Montana can help them topple Republicans in a part of the country where their own brand is hurting. n.pr/47FTruR

stephen fowler reposted

n.prIn Arkansas, Democrats see an opening at the edge of the competitive midterms mapIn a sign of the potentially dire midterm political environment, Republicans have spent millions of dollars playing defense in Arkansas, one of the most conservative states in the country.

In a sign of the potentially dire midterm political environment, Republicans have spent millions of dollars playing defense in Arkansas, one of the most conservative states in the country. n.pr/4sqbGOq

In a sign of the potentially dire midterm political environment, Republicans have spent millions of dollars playing defense in Arkansas, one of the most conservative states in the country.

Hello from Arkansas, where I am spending the day with Senate nominee @hallieshoffner.bsky.social + AR-02 nominee Chris Jones for a look at how Democrats are approaching the edge of the competitive map in the 2026 midterms. More on Weekend Edition Sunday.

Greetings from Mississippi, and the long line outside tonight’s @kamalaharris.com x @scolom.bsky.social rally. This has become yet another surprisingly competitive Senate race where both parties have scrambled to invest millions of dollars into this final stretch of the midterms.

Mississippi has the highest share of Black voters in the country but is incredibly racially polarized when it comes to voting, so even good years for Democrats nationally haven’t been enough to win statewide. Colom + some national D’s think this year’s environment is different.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking in Columbus, Mississippi in support of Senate nominee Scott Colom.

open.spotify.comDemocratic Surrogates Campaign, US & Israel Plan Iran Strikes, Tesla SpaceX MergerUp First from NPR · Episode

On today’s @npr.org Up First — a look at the Democratic surrogate surge in key races, VP Harris (and President Trump!) in Mississippi and the 2028 of it all.

stephen fowler reposted

n.prA GOP congressman voted to cut Medicaid. It covers 62% of his district. Can he win?Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao is fighting for reelection in central California. 6 in 10 residents of his district are covered by Medicaid, which he voted to cut last year.

Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao is fighting for reelection in central California. 6 in 10 residents of his district are covered by Medicaid, which he voted to cut last year. n.pr/47xDZkw

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n.prPoll: Voters want Congress to be a check on Trump, trust Democrats more on issuesA new poll shows record support for Democratic congressional candidates ahead of the midterms, as voters feel the party is better attuned to handling their top issues.

A new poll shows record support for Democratic congressional candidates ahead of the midterms, as voters feel the party is better attuned to handling their top issues. n.pr/4dQdcDx

npr.orgPoll: Voters want Congress to be a check on Trump, trust Democrats more on issuesA new poll shows record support for Democratic congressional candidates ahead of the midterms, as voters feel the party is better attuned to handling their top issues.

A new Strength in Numbers/Verasight poll shows record support for Democratic congressional candidates ahead of the midterms, as voters feel the party is better attuned to handling their top issues.

blog.fiftyplusone.newsFiftyPlusOne just caught a pollster faking data — and they copped to itIn response to a request for comment on a FiftyPlusOne investigation, Wedgewood Polls admitted their data was bogus

“Last week, we received a credible tip from a trusted source that Wedgewood Polls might be faking data.”

Enjoyed doing my Up First segment live in person with @steveinskeep.bsky.social bright and early live at @wabe.org this morning. Our new show “Steve Squared” coming to a made up place near you soon. www.npr.org/2026/10/20/n...

stephen fowler reposted

n.prDemocrats — and Elon Musk — continue to dominate midterm campaign fundraisingDemocratic candidates are on offense with fundraising, and Republican super PACs continue to play defense heading into the final weeks of the midterm.

Democratic candidates are on offense with fundraising, and Republican super PACs continue to play defense heading into the final weeks of the midterm. n.pr/4yYGpol

npr.orgDemocrats — and Elon Musk — continue to dominate midterm campaign fundraisingDemocratic candidates are on offense with fundraising, and Republican super PACs continue to play defense heading into the final weeks of the midterm.

The 2026 midterms are on track to be the most expensive on record, driven by enthusiasm for Democratic candidates and massive contributions by Republican megadonors, especially Elon Musk. www.npr.org/2026/10/19/n...

Democratic candidates are on offense with fundraising, and Republican super PACs continue to play defense heading into the final weeks of the midterm.

baby’s first C-SPAN segment www.c-span.org/program/wash...

The newest 2026 Senate swing state is… Kansas? I hit the campaign trail in the Sunflower State this week for @NPR.org to see myself.

npr.orgIn Kansas, a newly competitive Senate race tests limit of Trump's unpopular policiesKansas voters could send a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in nearly a century — and flip the governor's office back to Republican control, even in what could be a tough year for the GOP.

Both parties have redirected tens of millions of dollars in recent weeks to try and shape the surprising toss-up Senate race in Kansas. The president announced Tuesday he would campaign for Republicans in Wichita next week.

stephen fowler reposted

n.prIn Kansas, a newly-competitive Senate race tests limit of Trump's unpopular policiesKansas voters could send a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in nearly a century — and flip the governor's office back to Republican control, even in what could be a tough year for the GOP.

Kansas voters could send a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in nearly a century — and flip the governor's office back to Republican control, even in what could be a tough year for the GOP. n.pr/4s2TwSL

Kansas voters could send a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in nearly a century — and flip the governor's office back to Republican control, even in what could be a tough year for the GOP.

npr.orgIn Kansas, a newly-competitive Senate race tests limit of Trump's unpopular policiesKansas voters could send a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in nearly a century — and flip the governor's office back to Republican control, even in what could be a tough year for the GOP.

Kansas voters could send a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in nearly a century — and flip the governor's office back to Republican control, even in what could be a tough year for the GOP.

The first day of in person early voting in Georgia (since yesterday was a holiday) saw ~190,000 people show up, smashing the state's midterm day 1 record. Overall, ~200k votes. Too early to say much except... a record number of people voted today. #gapol sos.ga.gov/page/electio...

Here in Dodge City, Sen. Roger Marshall just wrapped another stop on the statewide Kansas GOP bus tour as news came out of President Trump coming on Monday for a rally in support of his campaign. Will try to get his thoughts on it at last stop of the day.

I’m in the swing state of Kansas (!) the next two days for some reporting on the competitive U.S. Senate and governor’s races. Will be driving across most of the state — send food and activity recs (and talk to me about politics!)

Talked to Adam Hamilton about his insurgent Senate run, now a tossup, at a voter registration event in Lawrence.

Good morning from the Kansas GOP statewide bus tour, where Sen. Roger Marshall and other statewide candidates are stressing the importance of getting out the vote. At the first stop of the day in Newton, Marshall was heckled by a small group of protestors.

stephen fowler reposted

n.prNPR App - The best of public radio at your fingertips : NPRThe NPR app, available on iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets, offers a unique, curated mix of NPR news, podcasts, public radio programs and stories from your local station.

The 2026 midterms are almost here. Tap into the 2026 election tab in the NPR app for deep-dive political analysis and local updates 📲 n.pr/4yCPJhe

npr.orgToss-ups, triage and targets: How to read the wide-open 2026 House mapBoth parties are spending heavily in roughly 60 House districts — where Trump won by an average of 9 points in 2024 — that could be key to deciding control of the chamber, an NPR analysis finds.

Many of the House targets named by Democrats have no real spending from either party behind them. But if money talks, there are a number of deep red seats that scream competitive in these final weeks.

stephen fowler reposted

I always enjoy the journey that opening feedback emails takes me on. Thank you for listening, Butter Ball! Subject line: PASTA

npr.orgToss-ups, triage and targets: How to read the wide-open 2026 House mapBoth parties are spending heavily in roughly 60 House districts — where Trump won by an average of nine points in 2024 — that could be key to deciding control of the chamber, an NPR analysis finds.

Democrats think the 2026 House competitive landscape is wide open (and Republican spending doesn't inherently disagree)

I always enjoy the journey that opening feedback emails takes me on. Thank you for listening, Butter Ball! Subject line: PASTA

stephen fowler reposted

n.prToss-ups, triage and targets: How to read the wide-open 2026 House mapBoth parties are spending heavily in roughly 60 House districts — where Trump won by an average of nine points in 2024 — that could be key to deciding control of the chamber, an NPR analysis finds.

Both parties are spending heavily in roughly 60 House districts — where Trump won by an average of nine points in 2024 — that could be key to deciding control of the chamber, an NPR analysis finds. n.pr/4ye7aUD

Both parties are spending heavily in roughly 60 House districts — where Trump won by an average of nine points in 2024 — that could be key to deciding control of the chamber, an @npr.org analysis finds.

New @npr.org: With just under a month to go until Election Day, $$$ decisions made by both parties appear to suggest the question being asked is not *if* Democrats take control of the House, but how large the majority may be.

stephen fowler reposted