(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Election News Digest: June 8 [1] ['Citizen Earth'] Date: 2026-06-08 SENATE RACE DEADLOCKED AS PLATNER IMAGE CRATERS In a just completed survey of Likely Voters statewide in Maine (see methodology on the last page), Fabrizio, Lee & Associates found that the U.S. Senate race is tied and that Graham Platner’s image had cratered with his unfavorables nearly doubling. Since January, Platner has become near universally known and defined with roughly 9 in 10 holding a firm opinion of him. But his growth in awareness has been heavily skewed towards negative growth. Since January he only gained 5 points in favorability while his unfavorable growth has outpaced that by 4:1 growing by 20 points. Now roughly half of Maine voters hold an unfavorable opinion of Graham Platner. Senator Collins and Graham Platner are tied at 46% each in the ballot. But the recent revelation about Platner can further erode his support. Nearly 6 in 10 voters say they’d be less likely to vote for Platner if they knew about his posting on a social media site known to be a child “predator’s paradise.” https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000019e-95c1-d71f-a5df-97e7612c0000 UAW endorses Abdul El-Sayed for Senate, Jocelyn Benson for governor Lansing — The United Auto Workers, a powerful labor union with hundreds of thousands of members in Michigan, endorsed on Friday Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat and Democrat Jocelyn Benson for governor. The union’s backing of a progressive candidate from Ann Arbor running against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak in the Democratic primary could send shockwaves through the high-profile race. Labor support in the primary was supposed to be a given for Stevens. “UAW members in Michigan want a fighter in Washington, D.C., who isn’t afraid to push forward a strong working-class agenda with moral clarity,” a statement from the UAW said of its support of El-Sayed. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/05/uaw-endorses-jocelyn-benson-governor-abdul-el-sayed-senate/90418915007 Democrat Xavier Becerra advances to general election in race for California governor SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democrat Xavier Becerra advanced to the general election for California governor Friday after pitching himself as an experienced choice to lead the nation’s most populous state and succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Becerra leaned on his more than 35 years in public office, including as state attorney general and U.S. health secretary, to argue that he was the most qualified candidate in a crowded field. “The people of the great state of California, in the greatest nation on earth, have spoken — loudly and proudly,” Becerra said in a statement. “We are never backing down. November, here we come.” https://apnews.com/article/california-governor-election-primary-2026-98b2b4dcca6813c3ffeb9754bd09805d Why Lindsey Graham may be worried about a primary upset Allies of South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham have now spent over $10 million to help him fend off wealthy businessman Mark Lynch in next week’s Republican primary, while the well-funded incumbent has spent months attacking his opponent. Graham and Lynch, though, may have to keep slugging it out for another two weeks, according to a new poll of this rarely surveyed contest. The Citadel, the famed Charleston military academy that polls its home state twice a year, finds Graham leading Lynch 46-36, with the remaining 18% saying they’re undecided. Because candidates need to win a majority of the vote to avert a runoff, four minor Republicans on the ballot may get enough support to force a second round on June 23. https://www.the-downballot.com/p/morning-digest-why-lindsey-graham New York lawmakers tee up redistricting battle with move to change state constitution Republicans and Democrats are gearing up for a public campaign in 2027 after state lawmakers took the first step to allow New York to draw new congressional districts for 2028. Democrats who control the state Assembly and Senate approved a constitutional amendment late Wednesday that removes the state’s anti-gerrymandering prohibitions and allows New York to follow other states in redrawing their lines before the release of a new U.S. Census. The amendment must be approved again by legislators next year, and then by voters, before it can take effect. As a result, both supporters and opponents of the amendment said they plan to spend big on advertisements and other campaigning during what is normally a sleepy year in the electoral cycle. The stakes are high: Mid-decade redistricting in states across the country is having a major effect on control of the U.S. House of Representatives, officials in both parties said. https://gothamist.com/news/new-york-lawmakers-tee-up-redistricting-battle-with-move-to-change-state-constitution [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/6/8/800052335/community/election-news-digest-june-8/ 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/