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Leigh Ann Caldwell, Peter Hamby, Julia Ioffe, Marianna Sotomayor, John Heilemann, & Abby Livingston
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Sunday through Thursday
Puck’s daily political newsletter from Washington—featuring Leigh Ann Caldwell, Peter Hamby, Marianna Sotomayor, Julia Ioffe, John Heilemann, and Abby Livingston—on what’s really happening in this town, from the White House to the Pentagon to Capitol Hill, K Street, the campaign trail, and beyond.
THE LATEST ARTICLES
Abby Livingston
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February 23, 2026
Fairshake 451
The crypto-backed super PAC Fairshake is on a bipartisan search-and-destroy mission to take out congressional critics this cycle, starting in the Democratic primaries. “They are becoming really, really organized,” one strategist said. And they’ve got nearly $200 million in cash on hand.
Abby Livingston
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February 19, 2026
Jasmine Crockett Counter Theories
For a moment, the Texas Senate primary seemed straightforward for Democrats. But while James Talarico has capitalized on his Colbert media moment and a commanding financial lead, Crockett’s strong polling and social media recognition will keep the party guessing until the end.
Abby Livingston
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February 9, 2026
Inside Democrats’ Primary From Hell
Michigan’s three-way Democratic Senate primary is attracting historic gobs of money, drawing national talent, and providing an early preview of the sort of swing-state chaos the party can expect in 2028. It might also end up costing Democrats the seat.
Abby Livingston
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February 2, 2026
Trump’s ’26 Tsunami Warning
Republicans are grappling with a stunning Democratic upset: a swing of 30+ points away from the G.O.P. in a deeply conservative part of the state. While the race was local, political operatives are already gaming out the impact on the midterms, how it could scramble the fundraising race, and what it portends for the Hispanic vote in the age of ICE.
Abby Livingston
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January 26, 2026
Virginia Is for Vengeance
Critics complain that Abigail Spanberger’s first moves as governor of Virginia contradict her centrist campaign message. Her supporters contend she’s merely fighting fire with fire. Now, as the commonwealth heads toward redistricting, the question is: How far will she go?
Abby Livingston
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January 19, 2026
Klobuchar’s Minnesota Succession Mess
Two days before the killing of Renee Good, news leaked that Senator Klobuchar was weighing a bid to succeed Tim Walz as governor of Minnesota. But while the chatter about Klobuchar has receded from the headlines, Democrats are quietly discussing the political impact of a second open Senate seat in 2026.
Abby Livingston
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January 12, 2026
Pelosi Succession Chatter & Gavin-mander Aftershocks
Nancy Pelosi’s retirement in San Francisco, an Obama alum’s generational challenge in L.A., and a redrawn Orange County could end careers and launch new California stars.
Abby Livingston
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January 8, 2026
The Wolves of First Street
The once quixotic, bipartisan crusade to ban congressional stock trading is gaining real momentum—but in the least productive Congress in history, getting Washington’s best-informed traders to give up their Robinhood accounts may be a long shot.
Abby Livingston
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December 29, 2025
The Real House Members of Potomac
Ready or not, the midterm primary season is just days away. And, as analyst Jacob Rubashkin explains, just about anything can happen… including a congressional surprise in Texas and a Senate upset in Michigan.
Abby Livingston
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December 22, 2025
“The Mini Mamdanis Are Coming”
Dan Goldman, the popular resistance-lib congressman repping downtown Manhattan and much of brownstone Brooklyn, was a star on MSNBC. But in a year in which his rival was just endorsed by Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, Democrats fear he could be among the biggest names to fall in a Tea Party–style reckoning.