Morning Digest, sponsored by Campaign Hub: A critical race for attorney general is underway in Nevada

Dems land a major candidate—and the GOP could run an conspiracy theorist nutbar

Nevada Treasurer Zach Conine, Democratic candidate for state attorney general (credit: Zach Conine campaign website)

Leading Off

NV-AG

Nevada Treasurer Zach Conine announced Tuesday that he would seek the Democratic nomination for state attorney general, which makes him the first prominent candidate to enter the race for one of this swing state's most important offices.

Conine is campaigning to succeed term-limited Democratic incumbent Aaron Ford, who is preparing to challenge Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo.

---

A message from our sponsor, Campaign Hub:

Campaign Hub Is Here to Support You

Campaign Hub isn’t just about the right tools—it’s about building a community that has your back.

Whether you’re new to campaigning or a seasoned organizer, you’ll find the support you need to focus on what matters most: organizing, messaging, and winning. Connect with fellow candidates, share strategies, and learn from campaign professionals who understand your challenges.

Campaign Hub gives you the resources and the community to succeed—and it’s all free.

Join today and run a campaign built to win!

---

Ford has spent much of his time in office countering election conspiracy theorists. His office is currently prosecuting the bogus electors who hoped to steal Nevada's electoral votes for Donald Trump in 2020.

The attorney general also has joined his Democratic colleagues in other states in suing the administration for attempting to withhold federal funding for states that have refused to adopt its anti-immigration policies.

Conine, who won tight races in 2018 and 2022, launched his new campaign with a video touting his work as treasurer and pledging to stand up to Trump.

"Donald Trump's ongoing tariffs have put pressure on businesses, workers, and families," Conine tells the audience. "And he's attacking our constitutional rights." He adds, "And if Trump, Elon, or anyone messes with Nevada, we will see them in court."

But Conine, who kicked off his bid with an endorsement from veteran Rep. Dina Titus, may not have next year's primary to himself.

The Nevada Independent's Tabitha Mueller writes that state Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro is also a potential candidate to succeed Ford. Cannizzaro responded to an inquiry from the Reno Gazette Journal about her interest by saying she would wait until the current legislative session ends on June 2 to "make a decision about my future in public service."

Republicans are sure to target this office, and one of the Silver State's most persistent election conspiracy theorists could make a play for it. Mueller mentions attorney Joey Gilbert, a former professional boxer who has said that he was "definitely on the Capitol steps" on Jan. 6, as a possible contender.

While Gilbert, who denies participating in any violence, has insisted that he understood Trump's 2020 defeat couldn't "be changed," he was more determined to reverse his own loss. Gilbert's team responded to his 38-27 defeat against Lombardo in the 2022 primary for governor by saying that he "100% believes he received the most votes." Gilbert went on to file a lawsuit that baselessly claimed that an "illegal formula" was used to tally the results.

Gilbert eventually acknowledged that he wouldn't be able to prove his charges in court—an admission that came just a month before Lombardo unseated Democratic Gov. Steve Sisokak—even as he continued to insist the primary had been rigged against him. A judge, however, still ordered Gilbert to pay sanctions for the "frivolous" suit.

The Downballot Podcast

Another huge Dem flip

After bursting onto the scene as the newest swing state just a few years ago, Georgia will be a top battleground in next year's midterms up and down the ballot. Joining us on this week's episode of The Downballot podcast is Charlie Bailey, the new chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, to share his insights on 2026. Bailey tells us about the most critical tasks he faces in building up the party and shines a spotlight on key races—including the "full-on MAGAthon" he expects to see consume Republicans.

Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard also dive into the huge election in Omaha on Tuesday night, which saw Democrats win the mayor's office for the first time since 2009. The race offers a smart playbook for Democrats seeking to fight back against transphobic GOP attacks. It also serves as a warning sign for Republicans as they try to protect a vulnerable House seat in the area next year.

The Downballot podcast comes out every Thursday morning everywhere you listen to podcasts. Click here to subscribe and to find a complete transcript!

Senate

GA-Sen

Republican state Sen. Greg Dolezal, whose name had come up as a possible candidate for lieutenant governor, is considering a bid for Senate, reports the AP. There's no direct quote, however, from Dolezal about his interest in taking on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Two other Republicans are already seeking the nod, Rep. Buddy Carter and state Insurance Commissioner John King.

Governors

AK-Gov

Bernadette Wilson, a longtime Republican operative and former radio host, joined the race for Alaska's open governorship this week, making her the third notable Republican to enter next year's contest.

Wilson, who is also a great-niece of former Gov. Wally Hickel, is also one of the most prominent supporters of an effort to repeal the state's unique top-four primaries and ranked-choice general elections. An initiative to do so on last year's ballot failed by just 737 votes out of more than 320,000 cast statewide, but organizers are trying again.

Morning Digest: Alaska's top-four primary and ranked-choice elections survive repeal attempt

The two Republicans who were already in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy are Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and former state Sen. Click Bishop. Democrats have yet to land a candidate, but former Rep. Mary Peltola has frequently been mentioned.

FL-Gov

Republicans have grown skeptical that former TV anchor Casey DeSantis will enter next year's race to succeed her husband, David Catanese writes in the Miami Herald.

While Florida's first lady hasn't ruled out entering the Republican primary, one consultant told Catanese, "She’s leaning against running now." Several others doubt that DeSantis would have much of a chance against Rep. Byron Donalds, who has Donald Trump's endorsement, even if she defied the naysayers. One lobbyist argued that such a campaign would merely be "a struggle to be relevant."

DeSantis, the wife of termed-out Gov. Ron DeSantis, has also spent the last several weeks dealing with negative headlines concerning Hope Florida, the high-profile charity she founded. The public learned last month that the DeSantis administration directed $10 million from a Medicaid settlement to the group, but the money was not used to fulfill Hope Florida's aim of helping people get off government assistance.

The funds instead quickly went to political organizations that sought to defeat last year's unsuccessful ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana. The GOP-run legislature, which has spent the last several months battling the once-powerful governor, began investigating the matter last month. The probe abruptly ended a few weeks later, though Speaker Daniel Perez warned that "all options are still on the table with Hope Florida."

Ron DeSantis has repeatedly argued that he and his wife are being unfairly targeted. At an event on Wednesday, he insisted that critics were using an "intentionally fraudulent and contrived" narrative to "obliquely hit the first lady even though she wasn’t involved."

Casey DeSantis, for her part, used that same venue to attack the "slanderous false accusations hurled at Hope Florida" even as she deflected questions about Catanese's story. She told reporters, "I get why this is a big conversation, but I will also say, it’s more than a year away from qualifying."

Morning Digest: Ron DeSantis uses 'officially nonexistent' clout to tout wife as successor

KS-Gov, KS-Sen

Lt. Gov. David Toland is "widely expected to run for governor" in next year's race to replace term-limited Gov. Laura Kelly, reports the Kansas Reflector. Another Democrat, state Sen. Cindy Holscher, also tells State Affairs that she's considering bids both for governor and for Senate.

Apart from Kelly, Toland is the only Democrat who holds statewide office in Kansas. The pair ran together in 2022 after Kelly appointed Toland to fill a vacancy and defeated the Republican team of Derek Schmidt and Katie Sawyer 50-47.

Holscher, meanwhile, is the first Democrat to express an interest in taking on Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, who has yet to confirm whether he'll seek a second term in 2026. As for Kelly, she ruled out a Senate bid shortly after last year's elections, telling KCUR, "It is really time for me to move on and to let others come up and serve."

MI-Gov

Two members of the ultra-wealthy DeVos family, a major presence in Michigan politics, have given $5 million to a super PAC supporting Republican Rep. John James in next year's race for governor.

The donation came from Dan and Pamella DeVos; Dan is the brother of Dick DeVos, whose wife, Betsy, served as Donald Trump's education secretary during his first term. Crain's Detroit Business reports that other DeVos family members have yet to weigh in on the race.

Three years ago, though, the DeVos clan, led by Dick and Betsy, spent heavily to support a different candidate for governor, conservative commentator Tudor Dixon. Dixon is considering a second bid but has yet to announce.

Morning Digest: Michigan Republicans get a big candidate for governor, but it's not all good news for GOP

House

FL-27

Businessman Richard Lamondin kicked off his bid against Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar on Wednesday, making him the second notable Democrat to join the race after former Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey.

According to new calculations from The Downballot, Donald Trump carried Florida's Miami-based 27th District by a 57-42 margin last year, a huge jump from 2020, when he won by less than one point.

IL-08

Democrat Yasmeen Bankole, a local elected official and a staffer for retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, announced a bid for Illinois' open 8th Congressional District on Wednesday.

Bankole, who serves on the board of the small Chicago suburb of Hanover Park, is the third notable Democrat to enter the race since Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi announced he would run to succeed Durbin. Already in the primary are Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison and businesswoman Sanjyot Dunung.

NC-05

Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, who is 81 and has served in the House for 20 years, says she's running to represent North Carolina's conservative 5th District for a 12th term. And just in case any up-and-coming Republicans had any ideas, Foxx also scored the good ol' "Complete and Total Endorsement" from you-know-who.

NJ-07

Criminal justice professor Beth Adubato tells the New Jersey Globe that she plans to enter the Democratic primary to take on Republican Rep. Tom Kean, though the site reports that a launch is "likely months away."

Adubato's family is politically well-connected in the Garden State, though her most famous relative is her father, Richie Adubato, a former NBA and WNBA coach who skippered both the Dallas Mavericks and the New York Liberty.

Several other Democrats are already running in New Jersey's 7th District, a suburban seat southwest of New York City that voted for Donald Trump by a narrow 50-48 margin last year.

Legislatures

Special Elections

Democrats in two very different special elections turned in double-digit overperformances on Tuesday night, continuing a pattern of strong showings across the country this year.

Republican Bryan Logan defeated Democrat Nathan Brewer 62-30 in Oklahoma's deep-red 8th Senate District, while independent Steve Stanford took 9% of the vote. However, this Tulsa-area constituency voted for Donald Trump by a daunting 75-24 margin last year, meaning Brewer outran the top of the ticket by 19 points.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts Democrat Hannah Bowen turned back Republican Medley Long by a 73-26 margin to defend Essex County's 6th House District. That was 13 points better than Kamala Harris, who carried this district north of Boston by a 66-32 spread.

As a result of Tuesday's overperformances, Democrats are, on average, running 12 points ahead of the 2024 presidential results in special elections. You can keep track of every special election by bookmarking our tracker.

Mayors & County Leaders

New York, NY Mayor

A new poll from Marist University shows that efforts by those hoping to stop former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in next month's Democratic primary have yet to coalesce. Cuomo leads Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani 44-22 among voters' first-choice preferences, but the gap fails to close in later rounds, with Cuomo prevailing in 53-29 in the fifth round of ranked-choice tabulations.

It's a poignant problem for the anti-Cuomo faction. As Inside Elections' Jacob Rubashkin notes, Mamdani and the next two candidates, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Comptroller Brad Lander, collectively exceed Cuomo's share of the vote in the fourth round. Ultimately, though, many supporters of both Adams and Lander break for Cuomo rather than Mamdani after their candidate is eliminated.

Washington, D.C. Mayor

Mayor Muriel Bowser has not yet announced if she'll seek a fourth term as leader of Washington, D.C. next year, but WAMU's Alex Koma reports that she's "given every indication" she'll run again.

Bowser would be the first mayor elected to a fourth consecutive term in the nation's capital. The late Marion Barry, whose political survival still bedevils many observers, also served for four terms, but his tenure was interrupted by his arrest and conviction on a drug charge toward the end of his third term. (Four years later, he came back to win a fourth.)

The only prominent politician who appears to be considering opposing Bowser in the Democratic primary is Councilmember Robert White, who lost to the mayor 49-41 in 2022.

White informed City Cast DC last October, "I ran for mayor because I have a vision for the city and once I saw that vision, I can’t unsee it." His team responded to Koma's inquiries this week by saying that the councilmember was focused on his current job.

The winner of next year's party primary is all but assured victory in the loyally Democratic District of Columbia, but it's not quite clear which set of electoral rules will be in place.

Voters last year overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to overhaul primary elections by introducing ranked-choice voting. It would also allow registered independents to participate in party primaries. Because the proposal would have a fiscal impact, though, the D.C. Council would need to provide funding for it to go into effect—something that has not happened yet.

Bowser would be more than fine if D.C. continues to allow candidates to win with a simple plurality, which is how she prevailed in both 2014 and 2022.

"I am totally against ranked choice voting," she said last year. "I don’t think that our very good experience with elections suggests that we need to make any change."