(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Election News Digest: May 19 [1] ['Thom Hartmann', 'Chitown Kev', 'Belinda Ridgewood'] Date: 2026-05-19 Cornyn, Paxton in dead heat with Talarico as early voting begins for Texas Senate GOP runoff: Poll The winner of the GOP runoff in the Texas Senate race between Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton faces a closely contested matchup against Democratic nominee James Talarico, according to a new poll from the Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at Texas Southern University. The survey, released Monday, found that in a hypothetical general election matchup between Cornyn and Talarico, the incumbent Republican holds a 45 percent to 44 percent edge. Meanwhile, 3 percent of respondents backed Libertarian Ted Brown and 8 percent were unsure. In a Paxton-Talarico contest, the two are tied at 45 percent, while 2 percent supported Brown and 8 percent were unsure. AZGOV: Biggs Nears Majority as Hobbs Holds Early Edge PHOENIX (May 18, 2026)- A new Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP) poll from Noble Predictive Insights (NPI) finds Congressman Andy Biggs continuing to consolidate support in the Republican primary, while Governor Katie Hobbs maintains a narrow but stable early advantage in the general election. This AZPOP, conducted from May 5-7, 2026, surveyed 996 registered voters in Arizona, yielding a margin of error of ± 3.1%. The total sample included 375 registered Republicans, yielding a margin of error of ± 5.01%. GOP Primary Biggs has strengthened his position since the February AZPOP, moving from 40% in February to 48% in May, putting him just shy of the 50% threshold. https://www.noblepredictiveinsights.com/post/azgov-biggs-nears-majority-as-hobbs-holds-early-edge Carolina Forward | NC Statewide | Toplines | May 2026 US House Ballot (with leans) 46% The Democratic candidate 41 The Republican candidate 12 Not sure 1 Would not vote State Legislature Ballot (with leans) 47% The Democratic candidate 41 The Republican candidate 12 Not sure 1 Would not vote US Senate Ballot (with leans) 49% Roy Cooper, the Democrat 42 Michael Whatley, the Republican 6 Not sure 2 Would not vote NC Supreme Court Ballot (with leans) 44% Anita Earls, the Democrat 40 Sarah Stevens, the Republican 13 Not sure 2 Would not vote https://docs.google.com/document/d/1479FIRi2p6IOMOKZoOtgAZ1V0AKzkB3zmY3QyYKJZ6o/edit?tab=t.0 Florida Governor’s Race – May 2026 From May 13 to May 16, Change Research surveyed 2,070 registered voters, of whom 1,593 say they will likely vote in the upcoming 2026 midterm election. Here are our findings: 70% of Floridians say they are falling behind the cost of living. 65% do not think Florida is affordable for them or their family. Democrats’ vote motivation is 13 points higher than Republicans (88% to 75%), which explains the recent special election wins for Democrats, as well as a Democrat being elected Mayor of Miami by 19 points, the first in 30 years. David Jolly leads Byron Donalds 46% to 42% with registered voters who say they will likely vote. Jolly is consolidating Democrats and leads the all-important Florida NPA by 18 points (46% to 28%) with apparent room to grow. Byron Donalds lags Donald Trump’s performance with Hispanics by 10 points, with only 30% of Puerto Ricans and 50% of Cubans currently supporting him. Why Democrats think they actually have a shot at Stefanik’s seat Democrats have only held a North Country congressional seat for five years since the Civil War, but a homegrown candidate, Republican infighting and President Donald Trump’s flagging popularity are giving them hope for another shot. Party officials said at the recent spring meeting of the Democratic Rural Conference that they’re adding candidate Blake Gendebien to a statewide coordinated campaign designed to expand the party’s congressional delegation. Participation in the coordinated campaign means Gov. Kathy Hochul will direct state party resources to open offices and hire canvassers in the district, said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand during the meeting in Saratoga Springs. Two years ago, the coordinated campaign helped defend vulnerable Democratic incumbents and elect U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen on Long Island. https://gothamist.com/news/why-democrats-think-they-actually-have-a-shot-at-stefaniks-seat [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/5/19/800041699/community/election-news-digest-may-19/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/