We are six days away from Election Day, and campaigns across the country are making their closing arguments to voters. While Democrats continue to hammer Republicans over President Donald Trump’s unpopular war in Iran, high gas prices, government corruption, and data centers, Republicans have largely fallen back on their go-to tactics: attacking communities they don’t consider “real” Americans and fearmongering about transgender people, who make up roughly 1% of the population.
In Michigan, Republican Mike Rogers has run one of the ugliest campaigns in modern memory, trying to paint Democrat Abdul El-Sayed as an un-American terrorist. El-Sayed was born in Michigan and happens to be Muslim, which has been enough to make him the target of a smear campaign. Rogers’ rhetoric hasn’t been subtle, and Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., among others, have joined him in launching bigoted attacks against El-Sayed and the Muslim community at large.
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has laughably claimed that Democrat Gina Hinojosa, who was raised Catholic, supports “Sharia law.” It’s just the latest example of the Texas GOP’s increasingly nasty focus on the state’s Muslim and immigrant communities.
And in virtually every state, Republicans have plastered the airwaves with hundreds of millions of dollars in ads targeting the transgender community and any Democrat who has dared to support it.
Rather than try to defend their economic policies, their fealty to Trump, their support for data centers, or their lack of any real health care policy, Republicans have tripled down on gutter politics, buoyed by nearly half a billion dollars from Elon Musk and billions more from other GOP-aligned billionaires.
Republicans spent 2024 targeting these same communities, as well as immigrants, but voters largely elected them that year to do one thing: lower prices after years of spiraling inflation. They have failed at that, and few Americans think the past two years of Republican leadership in Washington have improved their lives.
So this year, all the GOP has left is the other half of the playbook: scapegoating and demonizing others.
Will it work? We’ll find out next week.
‘Thank God you’re building the ballroom’: Joe Mitchell flatters Trump with homemade award in Sioux City
By Zachary Oren Smith, IowaStartingLine
At President Trump’s rally in Sioux City on Oct. 22, Republican Joe Mitchell flattered the president and his planned ballroom enthusiastically and even claimed that Iowans “don’t ride bicycles.”
Flanagan, Ellison bash Elon Musk for his harm to Minnesotans
By Ashley Walker, Courier Minnesota
In a Courier Minnesota Live appearance, Peggy Flanagan and Keith Ellison criticized at Elon Musk for his impacts on the state’s safety and security.
Jay Feely has AI industry backing. Now a $750K campaign wants him out
By Sahara Sajjadi, The Copper Courier
Guardrails Alliance is targeting the Republican nominee over his pro-data center platform and $600,000 in support from an AI industry super PAC.
Will Lawrence targets Tom Barrett’s corporate donors in closing campaign push
By Kyle Kaminski, The ‘Gander
With millions of dollars in outside spending pouring into Michigan’s 7th District, Democrat Will Lawrence is closing out his campaign in diners, coffee shops, and small towns.
Dan Osborn ‘cross-party’ town hall unites black sheep across the political spectrum
By Chase Porter, Courier Nebraska
The coalition of partisan outliers and third-party voices, who may disagree on more issues than not, was brought together by Dan Osborn’s Independent bid for US Senate in Nebraska.
Ayotte won’t say whether she still owns data center stock now worth nearly 1M
By Colin Booth, Granite Post
Data centers have become the fastest-growing liability for New Hampshire candidates in the 2026 midterm elections, and few candidates have felt the heat quite like Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R).
Aaron Ford tells Gen Z voters ‘my generation has failed you’
By Lizzie Ramirez, The Nevadan News
Attorney General Aaron Ford and Rep. Steven Horsford answered questions at The Nevadan’s “On the Ballot” forum, moderated by Gen Z activist Deja Foxx.
Mike Lawler backs Trump’s tariffs as his district faces an affordability crisis
By Audrey Kemp, Courier New York
A Washington Post analysis found the widest affordability gap of any battleground in Lawler’s Hudson Valley district, where families now face tariff- and war-driven price increases he has voted to sustain.
Texans Are Revolting Against “Billion-Dollar Bullies” Buying Their Government
By Courier Texas
In 2025, Black Mountain Energy came to Fort Worth, Texas with one goal in mind. To find a space to build their $10 billion data center campus.
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