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4 key Senate seats Republicans aim to flip in 2026 midterms to expand their majority
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Republican Sen. Tim Scott’s goal in next year’s midterm elections is not only to defend the GOP’s 53-47 margin in the Senate, but to expand the majority.
Scott, the conservative senator from South Carolina, told Fox News Digital soon after taking over late last year as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) that he aimed to increase the GOP’s control in the chamber to at least 55 seats.
And he’s standing by his goal.
«The bottom line is, I believe that we can defend our current seats while adding at least two more seats to our numbers,» the NRSC chair told Fox News Digital earlier this year.
THIS REPUBLICAN JUST JUMPED INTO BATTLEGROUND GEORGIA’S HIGH-PROFILE SENATE RACE
Sen. Tim Scott spoke to a South Carolina GOP delegation breakfast on Wednesday (pictured speaking on the RNC stage). (Getty Images)
Senate Republicans enjoyed a favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red to win back the majority.
But the party in power—clearly the Republicans right now—traditionally faces political headwinds in the midterm elections. Nevertheless, a current read of the 2026 map indicates the GOP may be able to go on offense in some key states.
In battleground Georgia, which President Donald Trump narrowly carried in last year’s White House race, Republicans view first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democrat incumbent up for re-election next year.
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They’re also targeting battleground Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring at the end of next year, and swing state New Hampshire, where longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen decided against seeking a fourth six-year term in the Senate.
Also on the NRSC’s target list is blue-leaning Minnesota, where Democratic Sen. Tina Smith isn’t running for re-election.
At the top of their list is Ossoff, who narrowly won election to the Senate in a January 2021 runoff contest.
Republicans view Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democrat running for re-election in the 2026 midterm elections. (AP)
But Ossoff is off to a very hot fundraising start, and a GOP primary in Georgia between Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former college and professional football coach Derek Dooley, is starting to turn combustible.
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Republicans are also confident they can flip Michigan, another battleground Trump narrowly carried last November.
Former Rep. Mike Rogers, the 2024 GOP Senate nominee who lost last year’s race by a razor-thin margin, has at this point cleared the Republican primary field, thanks in great part to Trump’s endorsement.
Former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican Senate candidate in Michigan for a second straight election cycle, is interviewed by Fox New Digital in Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 2, 2024. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News )
Democrats, meanwhile, have a very competitive primary on their hands. The primary race includes three well-known Democrats: Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who enjoys the backing of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
With Shaheen, who made history as the first woman in the nation’s history to win election as a governor and a senator, out of the running in New Hampshire, the GOP is hoping to win a Senate election in the Granite State for the first time in 16 years.
Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, seen at a policy event in Concord, N.H. on Oct. 22, 2024, isn’t seeking a fourth term in the Senate when she’s up for re-election in 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
They’re encouraged by the gains Trump made in New Hampshire in last year’s election, as he improved on his showing from four years earlier and came close to carrying the state.
But four-term Rep. Chris Pappas’ announcement in early April that he would run to succeed Shaheen has cleared the Democratic primary field, as of now, of any potential rivals for the party’s Senate nomination.
Meanwhile, a Republican primary in the state—where the GOP hasn’t won a Senate race in 15 years—is heating up between former Sen. Scott Brown and state Sen. Dan Innis, with the possibility of more candidates entering the race.
In Minnesota, the leading candidates in the Democratic primary to succeed Smith are Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig.
Former professional basketball player Royce White, who won the 2024 Senate nomination in Minnesota, and former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze are currently running in the GOP primary. But another Republican Senate hopeful may soon enter the field.
While Republicans will work to defy political history in next year’s midterms, they point to the Democratic Party’s current brand issues.
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«Democrats have historically low approval ratings because candidates like Jon Ossoff and Chris Pappas keep prioritizing radical policies like men in women’s sports, protecting sanctuary cities for criminal illegal aliens, and raising taxes on working families,» NRSC communications director Joanna Rodriguez argued in a statement to Fox News.
And Rodriguez touted that «Republicans are delivering on policies that keep Americans safe and let families and workers keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. Voters will reward us for it in 2026.»
midterm elections,elections,senate elections,republicans elections,georgia,michigan,new hampshire,minnesota
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Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is facing mounting criticism for his government’s inability to stop pro-Iranian militias and the Islamic Republic of Iran from attacking American, French, Italian and Kurdish military personnel and facilities in Iraq.
On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said that all U.S. citizens in Iraq should leave «immediately,» as «Iran-aligned terrorist militias have attacked the International Zone in central Baghdad on multiple occasions.»
The announcement came after a missile reportedly struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad early Saturday.
Speaking on background, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, «The United States strongly condemns attacks by Iran and Iran-backed terrorist militias against U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities, civilian targets and energy infrastructure in Iraq, particularly in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.»
US EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD TARGETED AS IRAN LAUNCHES ATTACKS DURING OPERATION EPIC FURY
A billboard featuring a photo of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader who was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, is seen along a street in Baghdad on March 9, 2026. (Murtadha Al-Sudani/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The statement added, «As Secretary Rubio has said, the Iraqi government must take all possible measures to safeguard U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities and ensure militia groups cannot use Iraqi territory to threaten the United States or the region. Doing so is in Iraq’s interest,» the spokesperson noted, «We retain a range of options to protect our interests. We do not preview sanctions or sanction actions.»
A Kurdish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Fox News Digital that the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq «are paid and armed by the Iraqi government. They are on the Iraqi payroll. This is not the first time they have fired on the U.S., the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] and the energy sector. These PMF have brazenly attacked U.S. military bases.»
According to the official, «Many of these leaders [from the PMF] are part of al-Sudani’s government and his very coalition.»
In a statement to Fox News Digital on Sunday, an official for Iraq’s Embassy in Washington D.C. flatly denied the allegations against al-Sudani. «We would like to unequivocally confirm that the allegations claiming the Prime Minister granted a ‘green light’ to any armed group to target U.S. or Western interests are completely false. The Iraqi government has repeatedly emphasized its firm rejection of any attacks on diplomatic missions or foreign interests.»
The representative added, «The Prime Minister has also issued several statements condemning such acts, describing them as terrorist activities, and has directed the relevant authorities to pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.»
Al-Sudani raised eyebrows last week when he congratulated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s selection of its new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the assassinated second Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei. «We express our confidence in the ability of the new leadership in the Islamic Republic of Iran to manage this sensitive stage, and continue to strengthen the unity of the Iranian people in facing the current challenges,» al-Sudani reportedly said.
When asked about the congratulatory statement to Khamenei, the Iraqi Embassy official said, «This action falls within the scope of standard diplomatic practices carried out by many countries, including several Gulf states. Iraq maintains diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, including Iran, while simultaneously ensuring balanced relations with all its regional and international partners.»
IRAN PROXIES WAGE WAR ON ISRAEL, THREATEN US INTERESTS AS IRAQ SLAMMED FOR NOT DISARMING THEM
A member of the Imam Ali Battalions, the armed wing of the Islamic Movement of Iraq — a member faction of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) paramilitaries — holds up a picture depicting Iraqi PMF commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (who was in a US drone strike in early 2020), as other group members gather with its flags during a rally to mark annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day commemorations in Baghdad on April 5, 2024. (Murtaj Lateef/AFP via Getty Images)
The intensified attacks on the international anti-jihadi coalition in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region on Friday resulted in the death of a French soldier and injuries to six other people. According to France 24, the commanding officer, Colonel Francois-Xavier de la Chesnais, said the French soldier, Arnaud Frion, was murdered by an Iranian-designed Shahed lethal drone.
The Iraqi Kurdish news outlet Rudaw reported on Saturday that the «Kurdistan Region was targeted with seven explosive-laden drones early Saturday as Iran and its proxy forces in Iraq continue to target the U.S. consulate in Erbil and other military and civilian sites in the Region.» Rudaw said since the start of U.S. Operation Epic Fury the Kurdistan area has been targeted with over 300 drone and missile attacks, resulting in the killing of seven people and 35 injured.
The Kurdish official complained that al-Sudani’s «government is not serious about taking on militias because the militias are part of the government.» However, the official praised the U.S. «The Americans are going after them aggressively over the last week with attacks on their [PMF] positions.»
U.S. embassy personnel inspect damage caused by a bombing in Baghdad, Iraq, on Saturday, March 14, 2026. (Hadi Mizban/AP)
According to a Long War Journal report, «Airstrikes, likely conducted by the U.S. as part of the U.S.-Israeli operation against the Islamic Republic, have continued targeting Iran-backed Iraqi militias.» Neither the U.S. or Israel have not commented on reports that they are striking the PMF.
Fox News Digital secured information in early March from the Israeli Defense Forces that drones have bee fired at Israel from Iraqi territory since the start of the war.
The PMF told the Iraqi News Agency that American military forces have conducted 32 airstrikes against PMF headquarters since February 28.
The Kurdish official urged the Trump administration to «demand that Iraq’s government stop paying and arming the PMF and target their banking system that finances the PMF.» The official continued, «We have shared information with the Iraqis and the Americans, who have in turn shared information with the Iraqi government.» On the terrorist activities of the PMF the official said, «The al-Sudani government has been unwilling to confront them.»
TRUMP THREATENS TO END IRAQ SUPPORT OVER AL-MALIKI COMEBACK BID TIED TO IRAN INFLUENCE
Supporters gather in Baghdad’s Sadr district holding Iranian flags and posters of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following the announcement that he was killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks, on March 1, 2026 (Murtadha Al-Sudani/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The official bemoaned that the al-Sudani government initiated a «handful of arrests last year, and they were released on bail and were able to flee to Iran.» The Kurdish official said the KRG «provided the information to the Iraqi government about the perpetrators» who fled to the Islamic Republic.
An Iraqi official dismissed the reports on PMF terrorists, stating,» I have not heard of such a thing. I guess that’s not true.»
The Kurdish official cited two PMF groups as the most bellicose toward the U.S.: Asaib Ahl al Haq (League of the Righteous) and Kataib Hezbollah. The Trump administration sanctioned Asaib Ahl al Haq in March 2024. The State Department said Asaib Ahl al Haq «and its leaders are violent proxies of the Islamic Republic of Iran» and the group «is extensively funded and trained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force.»
The U.S. government sanctioned Kataib Hezbollah in 2023. The Kurdish official also charged the al-Sudani’s government with imposing an embargo on imported goods to Iraqi Kurdistan as way «to strip away our autonomy and everything we can built over 30 years.» The autonomous Kurdish government is widely considered a robust pro-American ally.
Iran-backed shi’ite groups fighters celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Basra, Iraq, October 1, 2024. (Essam Al-sudani/Reuters)
The Iraqi official denied the embargo, stating, «The federal government does not pursue a policy of ‘embargo’ against the Kurdistan Region. The current measures aim to unify the legal, customs, and trade framework across all Iraqi borders in line with the federal constitution.
«No country can afford contradictory internal trade and customs regimes, as this risks harming the national economy as a whole. Our objective is a unified, fair economic framework that protects state revenues while respecting the region’s specificities, and we believe this is best achieved through dialogue and cooperation.»
Smoke rises from the U.S. embassy building in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (Ali Jabar/ AP Photo)
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Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesman for the deputy prime minister of Iraq, told Fox News Digital that «One could even describe the PMF as the Iraqi branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, effectively functioning as an Iraqi Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The PMF operates through a network of militias that frequently attack U.S. forces, foreign interests, and targets in Kurdistan.»
He argued for «The dismantling of the mother organization — the PMF itself. As long as the PMF exists, militias operating under its umbrella will continue to attack U.S. forces and regional targets.»
Fox News Digital reporter Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.
war with iran,iraq,terrorism,national security,mojtaba khamenei
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Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy winner and music star, once said he would pursue Mexican citizenship and described himself as a «winter Texan» for spending much of the year south of the U.S. border, drawing scrutiny for his time spent internationally as he pursues a seat in Congress.
«It gets hot here, bro. Like real hot — like real hot. I’m a summer Mexican,» Pulido told interviewers in 2023.
«It sounds better: winter Texan. It sounds better to say, ‘I’m a winter Texan.’»
His comments, which Pulido says he made in jest, run counter to statements he made to NBC News earlier this month.
TEXAS BORDER DISTRICT DEM CUELLAR BEATS BACK PRIMARY CHALLENGERS
Bobby Pulido, Democratic Congressional candidate for Texas, speaks on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Gabriel V. Cardenas/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«I live in Texas. We’ve always lived in Texas. Since COVID, really — that’s just not true,» Pulido said, responding to accusations that he only sometimes lived in the district he is running to represent.
Pulido is best known for his Tejano and Mexican–Spanish folk-style songs, such as «Desvelado» and «Se Murió de Amor,» and has received five nominations for a Latin Grammy Award.
He won Best Tejano Album in 2022 and 2025.
Pulido’s career still takes him south of the border on a regular basis, leading him to tell local newspapers in Mexico that he was considering dual citizenship in 2015.
«I’m going to be Mexican because I want the same Mexican passport you have,» Pulido told El Norte, a Mexican outlet.
His last five concerts have been in Mexico, according to his tour website.
Pulido made headlines last fall when he announced a congressional bid in one of the country’s most competitive districts. Shortly afterward, he also drew scrutiny for a resurfaced history of posting links to explicit websites on his personal X account — as well as for a social media post of what appeared to be him urinating on President Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
TRUMP’S PARDON OF HOUSE DEM CUELLAR BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT AS HIS BROTHER FACES INDICTMENT
Bobby Pulido, left, pictured alongside Trump’s Hollywood star, right. (Photo by Medios y Media/Getty Images; David Livingston/Getty Images )
He has also received backlash over his past vulgar attacks against Trump, including posting the Spanish translation of «f— your mother.»
«I’d like to give you the biggest ‘f— you» you piece of s—, a–hole, d— head, son of a b—-,» Pulido said to Trump in another post.
Despite those controversies, Pulido recently captured the Democratic nomination to run in Texas’ 15th Congressional District — a seat currently held by Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas.
De La Cruz, a two-term incumbent, needled Pulido over his time spent in Mexico through a post to X. She quipped that Pulido «only belongs at quinceañeras,» referring to the lavish, coming-of-age parties traditionally thrown for girls turning 15 in Latin cultures.
«Don’t threaten me with a good time,» Pulido shot back.
His campaign said Pulido asked local quinceañeras if he could attend them, drawing nearly 1,000 invites to parties in the district.
Pulido’s ties to Mexico extend beyond his music career.
A person familiar with Pulido’s background said his wife still lives in Mexico along with children from previous marriages. He also owns a house there and told interviewers in 2025 that he goes to Mexico for healthcare.
«We live on the border. My wife and I have a house in Mexico. So, we travel there, and we spend time over there. And I’ve had a pretty unique perspective of experiencing healthcare over there and healthcare here,» Pulido said.
TRUMP ENDORSES CUELLAR OPPONENT AFTER PARDONING DEM REP
Bobby Pulido holding his award at the Annual Latin Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony on Nov. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Greg Doherty/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy)
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His campaign confirmed that Pulido does not have dual citizenship.
«Bobby has one citizenship — American, and he’s proud of it. And, frankly, there’s nothing wrong with people having ties to family and heritage across borders,» Pulido’s spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
congress,elections,democrats elections,politics
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