Manny Rutinel, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, won a primary race on Tuesday evening, securing his party’s bid to challenge incumbent Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo.

Rutinel, a member of the state’s House of Representatives, faces one of the country’s most competitive races that could help decide the balance of power in Washington, D.C., where Republicans hold a governing trifecta across the House, Senate and Oval Office.

Democrats see seats like this district as a prime opportunity to pry away the GOP’s narrow grip on the House, where they have a slim majority.

Evans, the current seat holder, won the election in 2024 by just 0.8%.

REPUBLICAN GABE EVANS WINS COLORADO’S 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, BEATING INCUMBENT YADIRA CARAVEO

Rutinel, a former state legislator, has pitched himself as a Democrat ready to protect government programs against GOP cuts and protect minorities against government overreach.

On his website, he lists protecting Social Security and Medicaid, expanding tax credits, ending Trump’s immigration crackdown, and lowering housing costs among his top priorities.

“I was raised on Medicaid. It’s deeply personal for me and now Donald Trump and Gabe Evans are trying to destroy it to give tax breaks to their billionaire buddies,” Rutinel said in a campaign video posted to Instagram.

“I’m afraid of Donald Trump continuing to destroy our democracy and our economy and making life impossible for working people and Latino immigrants across the country.”

REPUBLICANS TARGET 2 KEY DEMOCRATIC RACES WITH MAMDANI CONNECTION STRATEGY

Because his platform includes elements like expanding taxes on the rich and universal healthcare, Republicans have made efforts to paint Rutinel as in the same vein as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“Those policies may sell in New York, but Coloradans aren’t buying it,” a spokesperson for Gabe Evans told Fox News Digital when asked about the similarities back in November.

Moreover, the Congressional Leadership Fund, an arm of the House Republican fundraising apparatus, highlighted a video posted to Instagram of a Mamdani campaign rally, offering it as proof that Rutinel belongs in the same bucket as Mamdani.

The video briefly shows someone who appears to be Rutinel standing behind Mamdani.

SCOOP: HOUSE REPUBLICANS LINK MAYOR-ELECT MAMDANI TO VULNERABLE CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS

“What does the CO-08 race have in common with the NYC Mayoral Race? Democrat Manny Rutinel is campaigning in both,” CLF pointed out in one of its ads.

Having secured his party’s nomination, Rutinel will face off against Evans in the general election on Nov. 3.

The Trump administration says it has complete support from the Venezuelan government amid humanitarian efforts just months after the removal of former dictator Nicolás Maduro, which sparked rage among the president’s opponents.

After magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck the northern part of the South American nation last week, the American government stepped in to help in a move that the administration says has been welcomed by the Venezuelan government and citizenry alike.

“We have seen total compliance from the interim authorities in Venezuela as a result of the unprecedented response by the United States to these deadly earthquakes,” a State Department official told Fox News Digital Tuesday.

US MILITARY TOUTS WORK TO ASSIST IN VENEZUELA FOLLOWING DEADLY EARTHQUAKES

The death toll from the natural disaster stands at nearly 2,000 and continues to rise.

“Every request we have made has been immediately granted and in turn, we have seen an incredible outpouring of support from the Venezuelan people towards Americans on the ground,” the official continued.

TRUMP ‘SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING’ PLAN TO MAKE VENEZUELA AND ITS $40 TRILLION IN OIL PERMANENT PART OF USA

On Jan. 3, U.S. special forces successfully took Maduro into custody after a daring nighttime mission that overwhelmed the dictator’s armed guards. After penetrating Maduro’s palace, they took him into custody. He was relocated to the United States where he remains in jail awaiting trial on narco-terrorism and gun charges.

The progressive political left rushed to the defense of the brutal socialist authoritarian in the wake of his capture.

US CAPTURE OF MADURO THROWS SPOTLIGHT ON VENEZUELA’S MASSIVE OIL RESERVES

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., warned that the event risked violating international law, while Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., called the United States a “rogue state.”

“Trump’s illegal and unprovoked bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of its president are grave violations of international law and the U.S. Constitution. These are the actions of a rogue state,” Tlaib wrote on social media.

“The American people do not want another regime change war abroad,” she added.

“Maduro’s illegitimate election does not give the president the power to invade without congressional approval, nor does it create a national security justification. That contention is laughable,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

The Trump administration has taken swift action to help the Venezuelan people amid the crisis, including mobilizing $150 million in humanitarian relief.

It has assembled a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) composed of more than 250 people, including three specialized Urban Search-and-Rescue (USAR) teams. The administration says the teams have conducted critical life-saving measures.

The U.S. military has assisted with logistics.

Venezuela’s Supreme Court installed Delcy Rodríguez as the country’s interim president.

Since then, diplomatic relations with the country have been restored, though officials in Washington have made it clear that such cooperation is temporary, while emphasizing the U.S. does not view her presidency as a permanent solution.

A moderate Democrat mounting his last campaign staved off a progressive challenger in Colorado, marking a small speed bump in the rapid far-left evolution of the Democratic Party. 

Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., a longtime fixture in Colorado politics, overcame a challenge from state Sen. Julie Gonzales, his progressive challenger, who has argued that Democrats need to be more aggressive in their pushback against President Donald Trump. 

Hickenlooper, who is vying for a second term in the upper chamber, said this would be his final campaign for the Senate. Gonzales hoped to speed up his exit with a campaign that went after the lawmaker’s moderate position and votes in favor of some of Trump’s nominees. 

DEMOCRATS TORN BETWEEN PROGRESSIVE FIRE AND CENTRIST CAUTION AS NOVEMBER ELECTIONS LOOM

“John Hickenlooper has been in office for over 20 years,” Gonzales said in her campaign launch ad. “I know that we’re not fooled by his so-called ‘commonsense approach,’ cause there is no sense in voting for Donald Trump’s nominees.”

Still, Gonzales’ defeat Tuesday night was a stumble for the progressive wave that has swept the Democratic Party during this midterm election cycle, which has seen new blood hungry for change challenging the old guard and party leadership in Washington, D.C. 

Hickenlooper, 74, who served two terms each as Denver’s mayor and Colorado’s governor before launching a failed bid for president, has been a stalwart fixture in the Centennial State, while Gonzales, 43, positioned herself as part of the new wave. 

THE PLOT TO STOP MAMDANI: DEMOCRATS SCRAMBLE TO BLOCK FAR-LEFT TAKEOVER IN NEW YORK

Their battle for the Democratic nomination came just a week after a trio of progressive candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani clinched their Democratic nominations. Notably, Mamdani-backed Darializa Avila Chevalier, a community organizer and socialist, toppled five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y.

And the battle between Hickenlooper and Gonzales was not the only intraparty fist fight between a moderate incumbent and progressive in Colorado. 

‘IT’S A MESS’: GOP TURNS ON HOUSE CONSERVATIVES AS VOTER ID BLOCKADE STALLS TRUMP’S AGENDA

Melat Kiros, a socialist, is squaring off against longtime Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District. Kiros also sported the endorsement of one of Hickenlooper’s colleagues: Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Meanwhile, Hickenlooper will now face state Sen. Mark Baisley in November. Baisley, who ran unopposed in the Colorado GOP primary, initially launched a campaign for governor in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Jared Polis but dropped out of the contest to run for the Senate. 

Fox News Digital did not immediately receive comment from the Hickenlooper and Gonzales campaigns.

Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., clinched the GOP nomination against a right-wing challenger Tuesday, as the freshman lawmaker seeks to hold a competitive House district Democrats are seeking to flip in November’s midterm elections. 

Hurd defeated former state Rep. Ron Hanks, R-Colo., in the Republican primary for a sprawling House district covering nearly all of western and southern Colorado, according to The Associated Press.

Hurd ran with President Donald Trump’s endorsement after the president initially revoked his support, following Hurd joining Democrats in support of a largely symbolic measure terminating Trump’s Canada tariffs in February.

TRUMP PULLS ENDORSEMENT FROM GOP LAWMAKER OVER ALLEGED LACK OF SUPPORT FOR ADMINISTRATION’S TARIFF AGENDA

Trump later re-issued his endorsement in March and asked Navy veteran Hope Scheppelman, who was challenging Hurd from the right, to suspend her campaign and join his administration. Scheppelman, a former vice chair of the state’s Republican Party and acute care nurse, now serves as a senior advisor on substance abuse in the Department of Health and Human Services.

“I will be fully supporting Jeff’s Re-Election to the House of Representatives, giving him my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Every true MAGA supporter and Republican, if they truly care about saving our Country, will do everything in their power to unify together, and defeat the Crazed Radical Left Democrats this November.” 

Following Scheppelman’s exit, Hanks entered the Republican primary to challenge Hurd. He previously ran against Hurd in the 2024 GOP primary, where the now-incumbent lawmaker won with just over 40% of the vote. 

Hanks, an Air Force veteran, has alleged, without evidence, that former President Joe Biden was “fraudulently elected.” He was also present during the Jan. 6 riots, though he said he did not enter the U.S. Capitol complex and was not criminally charged.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., previously represented the Republican-leaning district before moving across the state in 2024 to run for a more Republican-leaning seat in eastern Colorado. 

GOP FIREBRAND LASHES OUT AT REPORTER OVER MASSIE ALLEGATION: ‘F— YOU, FIRST OF ALL!’

Businessman Alex Kelloff and Army veteran Dwayne Romero are seeking the Democratic nomination.

Democrats are hoping to unseat Hurd after he won Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District by just five points in 2024. The GOP-leaning district contains Democratic strongholds concentrated in several wealthy ski towns and Pueblo.

Hanks cast Hurd as a “fake conservative” in an interview with The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel and insufficiently loyal to the president.

Hurd has bucked Trump on tariff policy and a Russia sanctions package, but he has voted with the president on most high-profile pieces of legislation.

He also joined Boebert in a failed vote to override Trump’s veto on a water pipeline project in Colorado’s Arkansas Valley.

Hurd is a lawyer who previously served as chair of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce. He is a vice chair of the Western Caucus and is a member of the House Natural Resources and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees.

Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., clinched her Republican primary after running unopposed to represent Colorado’s 4th Congressional District on Tuesday evening, setting herself up to pursue a fourth term.

Despite notable clashes with House GOP leadership and President Donald Trump, Boebert emerged from her primary largely unscathed, separating herself from the three other Republicans who voted with Democrats to advance the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

If reelected in the state’s Nov. 3 general election, she will be the only one remaining next Congress among fellow GOP rebels Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.; and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.

Greene, a once-outspoken backer of the president, resigned her seat at the beginning of the year when the two split on foreign aid, government transparency and federal spending.

THE REVOLT OF MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, NOW DONALD TRUMP’S FIERCEST CRITIC

Although he’s presently still in office, Massie lost a primary bid to a Trump-backed challenger earlier this year.

And Mace, who ran for governor in the Palmetto State, fell woefully short of capturing the GOP nomination after Trump declined to endorse her.

Despite outlasting her fellow GOP colleagues, Boebert hasn’t fully escaped Trump’s wrath. The president noted that Boebert had changed districts to run for a considerably safer seat and appeared ready to test the waters against her.

TRUMP THREATENS TO PULL BOEBERT ENDORSEMENT, CALLS CONGRESSWOMAN ‘WEAK MINDED’ OVER MASSIE SUPPORT

“Is anyone interested in running against weak-minded Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s fourth congressional district?” Trump said in a post to Truth Social in May.

“You remember Lauren moved to the district when it became obvious that she couldn’t win in her original congressional district. Boebert is campaigning for the worst ‘Republican’ congressman in the history of our country, Thomas Massie. Even though I long ago endorsed Boebert, if the right person came along, it would be my honor to withdraw that endorsement and endorse a good and proper alternative.”

Boebert announced her decision to switch districts in December 2023, before her vote on the Epstein Files.

Despite her disagreements with the White House, Boebert has said she remains an ally to Trump.

“Below is my friend Thomas Massie,” Boebert said in a post to X, posting a picture of Massie alongside Trump.

“He loves America and is fighting to save it. Also below is my friend and President Donald Trump. He’s put his life on the line to save this great country. I support both of these men. I’ve worked with both to preserve freedom and liberty. And if that makes you angry, bless your heart,” Boebert wrote.

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Virginia from enforcing a new law that would prohibit federal agents — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol — from wearing masks while carrying out enforcement operations, siding with the Trump administration in a dispute over federal authority.

Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne granted the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request for a preliminary injunction, preventing the law from taking effect Wednesday while the legal challenge proceeds. The injunction will remain in place while the case is litigated.

Payne found the federal government is likely to succeed on the merits because Virginia’s law attempts to regulate how federal officers enforce immigration laws, violating the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.

MINNESOTA SENATE VOTES TO BAN ICE FROM WEARING MASKS, ALLOW RESIDENTS TO SUE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS

The judge also found the government demonstrated it would likely suffer irreparable harm because enforcing the law could expose federal employees to “real risk of physical harm” while carrying out immigration enforcement duties.

The ruling stems from a lawsuit the DOJ filed last week challenging two laws signed by Democrat Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

The DOJ argued the measures would subject masked federal agents to criminal penalties and threaten agreements between federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement.

DOJ ESCALATES BLUE-STATE ICE STANDOFF AFTER STATES REFUSE KEY FEDERAL REQUEST

“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe, and they do not deserve to be doxed or harassed simply for carrying out their duties,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said when the lawsuit was filed.

“Virginia’s anti-law enforcement policies regulate the federal government and are designed to create risk for our agents,” he added. “These laws cannot stand.”

The lawsuit argued Virginia was attempting to dictate how federal officers carry out law enforcement operations by restricting when they may wear face coverings, requiring them to display identifying information and placing conditions on cooperation agreements between local agencies and ICE.

MINNESOTA SENATE VOTES TO BAN ICE FROM WEARING MASKS, ALLOW RESIDENTS TO SUE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS

According to the DOJ, federal officers who violated Virginia’s mask and identification law could have faced a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.

The lawsuit names Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones and Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano as defendants.

Payne’s order applies only to Virginia’s mask and identity law. The judge noted the Justice Department’s separate challenge to another provision governing immigration enforcement agreements will proceed on a different briefing schedule, with a hearing scheduled for Aug. 3.

Spanberger, Jones and Descano have all taken steps to counter the Trump administration’s ICE agenda in Virginia.

In February, Spanberger rescinded an executive order issued by former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin directing state law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Spanberger’s office for comment on the development.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Tuesday to announce the Republican Party will host its very first “Midterm Convention” this fall in Texas.

The two-day event, scheduled to take center stage on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10 in Dallas, aims to celebrate the “great American comeback” and highlight the ongoing achievements of the administration’s America First Agenda, the president said.

“It will be in Dallas, Texas — One of my favorite places in the World,” Trump wrote in the announcement. “It has never been done before, and will be a truly Historic Event.”

MIDTERM ALARM BELLS: DEMOCRATS FACE STEEP FAVORABILITY DEFICIT DESPITE ELECTION GAINS

In his post, the president touted a list of policy victories and economic milestones that will serve as the focal point of the convention, including eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security, as well as securing stronger borders and safer communities.

BIDEN JUDGE OVERRULED ON KEY TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY

He also highlighted American energy dominance alongside dropping oil prices, progress on denuclearizing Iran, and driving affordability for Americans.

“We are delivering on the promises that politicians talked about for decades, but never got done,” Trump wrote.

The president said the “rally like none other,” will feature “lots of great entertainment” and spotlight the nation’s first responders, innovators, entrepreneurs, manufacturers and job creators.

National political conventions, where party delegates from around the country formally nominate their party’s presidential candidates, normally take place during presidential election years.

But with Republicans aiming to protect their narrow control of the Senate and their razor-thin House majority in this year’s elections, Trump announced last September that the GOP would hold a convention ahead of the midterms “in order to show the great things we have done” since recapturing the White House.

The Republican National Committee in January approved a change to the party’s rules that would allow Chair Joe Gruters to convene a convention during a midterm election year.

Gruters told reporters at the time that the convention would be a “Trump-a-palooza” where “we can really highlight all the incredible things that this president has done.”

And Gruters told Fox News Digital earlier this year, “I think the President of the United States is our secret weapon.”

But the president’s approval ratings remain well underwater, with many Americans giving him a big thumbs down on the job he’s doing with the economy and the issue of affordability.

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Director of Rapid Response Kendall Witmer told Fox News Digital on Tuesday evening, “The American people can’t afford their bills or to fill up at the pump because of Donald Trump, and Republicans’ response is to throw a multi-million dollar televised celebration for Trump that will only remind Americans of his failed promise to them and tie already flailing Republican swing-seat candidates to a historically unpopular president.”

The DNC, which significantly trails the RNC in fundraising, last year considered a midterm convention, but earlier this year decided against going forward with holding what is an expensive event.

Witmer emphasized that “Democrats are already hitting the trail and speaking directly with American voters about our plans to cut costs and make health care affordable.”

First lady Melania Trump pointed to a passage from her bestselling memoir Tuesday after the Supreme Court ruled that states may limit women’s and girls’ sports teams to biological females, saying the decision aligns with a position she has long supported.

In a post on X, Trump highlighted a passage from Melania that was published months before the court’s landmark 6-3 decision, which held that states may determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause.

“As many of you may know, I fully support the LGBTQIA+ community. But we must also ensure that our female athletes are protected and respected,” the first lady wrote on X, pointing readers to page 156 of her memoir, “Melania.”

U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE MAKES NEW TRANS ATHLETE FINDINGS AGAINST USA HOCKEY

“The U.S. Supreme Court has now legally confirmed this opinion: ‘Under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, may schools maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females? … The answer is yes,’” Trump continued, citing the court’s decision.

“America, we can support the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and also protect opportunities for female athletes,” she added. “Respect everyone and keep girls’ sports fair. Both ideals are essential.”

The first lady’s comments came just hours after the Supreme Court established a new nationwide precedent allowing states to maintain women’s and girls’ sports teams for biological females.

U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE MAKES NEW TRANS ATHLETE FINDINGS AGAINST USA HOCKEY

In the consolidated cases West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, the justices ruled 6-3 in favor of West Virginia and Idaho, upholding state laws requiring student-athletes to compete on teams that correspond with their biological sex at birth rather than their gender identity.

Writing for the majority, the court held: “Consistent with Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, we hold that the States may maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females. They may determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex.”

The decision marks a major victory for supporters of so-called “Save Women’s Sports” laws, validating similar legislation enacted in 27 states in recent years. The ruling also clears the way for those states to continue enforcing the laws without the legal uncertainty that surrounded them while the cases moved through the courts.

LAWYERS FIGHTING SJSU OVER VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL RESPOND TO FEDERAL TITLE IX PROBE FINDINGS

Justice Sonia Sotomayor filed an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey praised the ruling, calling it “a monumental victory for every female athlete who has ever competed, or dreamed of competing, on a fair and safe playing field.”

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador likewise hailed the decision, saying it confirmed states’ authority to “preserve fair competition and protect the opportunities that generations of women fought to secure.”

The cases centered on West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act and Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, both of which had been blocked after legal challenges brought by transgender athletes.

Fox News Digital’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

The Maine Senate race is shaping up to be a close contest. 

While majorities have concerns about both major party candidates, the worries about Democratic candidate Graham Platner are more intense.  That’s according to a Fox News statewide poll that also suggests voter motivation is helping keep the race competitive. 

The new poll finds Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins has a small three percentage-point advantage, receiving 50% to Platner’s 47% among Maine registered voters. 

But among the two-thirds of voters who say they are extremely motivated to vote, Platner leads by 9 points, 53-44%. 

FOX NEWS POLL: LOOKING AHEAD TO AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

That’s driven by a 15-point enthusiasm gap, as more Democrats (76%) than Republicans (61%) describe themselves as highly motivated to cast a ballot this year.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS EMBRACE HEALTH AGENDA WHILE RATING RFK JR NEGATIVELY

Maine voters express concern about both Senate candidates. More than half say Platner lacks the judgment to serve as a U.S. senator, while a similar share believes Collins has been in office too long. 

Yet concerns about Platner run a bit deeper. Nearly 4 in 10 are extremely worried about his judgment compared with 3 in 10 who say the same about Collins’ lengthy tenure.

Roughly one-third of independents are extremely concerned about both Platner’s judgment (33%) and Collins’ tenure (30%). Only 10% of Democrats express concern about Platner, and only 10% of Republicans about Collins.

About 1 in 10 of those concerned about Platner’s judgment still support him, while 2 in 10 of those worried Collins has served too long continue to favor her. 

In 2024, Harris beat Donald Trump statewide by nearly 7 points. 

“Along with North Carolina, Maine is the Democrats’ most obvious Senate target — a blue state with a restless electorate and a 30-year establishment Republican incumbent,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. “How do you blow that?  Maybe by nominating someone facing allegations of sexual abuse, racism, and dishonesty.  This race could demonstrate whether partisan and populist loyalties trump all else.”

In the horse race, Collins’ edge primarily comes from men (+10 points), voters without a college degree (+15), gunowner households (+21), and rural voters (+8).  For the most part, she is matching her performance among these groups compared to her most recent re-election, according to the 2020 Maine Fox News Voter Analysis election survey. 

Platner is preferred among women (+5 points), voters with a college degree (+15), and suburban voters and moderates (+10 each). He is underperforming former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 support among those groups.  The 2024 Maine FNVA finds she won women by 10 points, voters with a degree by 42, suburban voters by 27, and moderates by 24. 

Despite Collins’ reputation as a moderate Republican, 97% of MAGA Republicans favor her.  Among non-MAGA GOPers, 82% go for Collins and 15% for Platner. 

Collins garners more within-party support than Platner, getting 93% of Republicans, while he gets 86% among Democrats. Independents favor Platner by 2 points, 47-45%. 

While Platner is a veteran, he trails Collins by 18 points among military voters.

About 8 in 10 of both Collins (79%) and Platner backers (81%) are committed to their choice, while 2 in 10 voters say they could still change their mind. 

Only 1 in 10 Maine voters say they are getting ahead financially.  More than 4 in 10 say they’re falling behind, while about half are holding steady. 

The most important issue to Maine voters in deciding their Senate vote is inflation (30%). That’s followed by political divisions within the country (19%), healthcare (17%), and immigration (14%).  Far fewer prioritize unemployment, Iran, abortion, or crime as their top issue.

Inflation ranks first among independents and Democrats, while Republicans narrowly put immigration and border security ahead of inflation.

Collins, first elected to the Senate 30 years ago, won reelection by 9 points in 2020.  Still, slightly more view her negatively than positively by 3 points (47% favorable, 50% unfavorable).  Platner’s personal rating is weaker, with negative ratings by 10 points (43-53%).  President Trump’s ratings are negative by 19 (40-59%).  

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Hannah Pingree has a 17-point positive rating (53 favorable vs. 36% unfavorable).  Republican Bobby Charles is viewed about evenly (39-40%), although some 21% are unable to rate him.

In the gubernatorial race, Pingree leads Charles by 11 points, 53-42%.  Her lead expands to 18 points among those who are extremely motivated to vote in November.

Seventeen percent of those favoring Collins in the Senate race cross party lines to support Pingree for governor, while 5% of Platner backers go for Charles, the Republican.

Sitting Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who is term limited, has served since 2019. She suspended her campaign in the U.S. Senate race in April but has yet to endorse Platner.  

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

Conducted June 23-27, 2026 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,003 Maine registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file.  Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (102) and cellphones (653) or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (248).  Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher.  In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.  Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population.  Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100. 

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly backed a measure Tuesday that would force the disclosure of lawmakers who used taxpayer funds to settle sexual harassment claims.

The resolution, introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., would require the House Ethics Committee to “preserve and publicly release” records related to monetary settlements involving sexual misconduct. 

Massie, a frequent thorn in House GOP leadership’s side, forced a vote on the resolution, arguing that gaps in reporting requirements enacted in 2018 may still allow taxpayer-funded settlements to remain hidden.

The Kentucky lawmaker said he discovered there were no reported cases involving any members repaying sexual harassment settlements since then.

MASSIE LASHES OUT WHEN PRESSED ON EX-GIRLFRIEND’S ALLEGATIONS OF AFFAIR WITH GOP FIREBRAND

His resolution would specifically direct the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to publicly report sexual misconduct cases involving lawmakers and their staff that resulted in taxpayer-funded settlements, along with the total amount of taxpayer money spent.

“We need to know what’s been going on here in the House of Representatives in order to convince the people and assure the people that we are conducting the people’s business with the utmost integrity and treating offices and employees of this institution with the respect they serve,” Massie said.

The final vote was 420-0-1. No lawmaker spoke against the resolution during debate on the House floor.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., was the lone lawmaker to vote “present,” arguing Tuesday’s vote was “nothing more than political theater” after she released information earlier this year showing the federal government paid out more than $330,000 to settle sexual harassment claims since the early 2000s.

“Now Congress wants to vote on doing what we already did,” the South Carolina Republican wrote on social media.

ETHICS PANEL CLEARS GALLEGO AS LUNA DECLARES, ‘ONCE A CREEP, ALWAYS A CREEP’

Mace, who helped orchestrate a transparency push targeting lawmakers’ behavior toward women amid several high-profile resignations, subpoenaed the Congressional Office of Workplace Rights through her position on the House Oversight Committee for a bevy of settlement documents involving at least six lawmakers or their offices.

Former Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, who resigned in disgrace in 2018 amid a House ethics probe into sexual misconduct allegations, was among the lawmakers named in the documents.

Former Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., who similarly resigned in 2018 amid reports he used taxpayer funds to settle a sexual harassment suit filed by a former staffer, was also listed.

Ten lawmakers did not vote, as the chamber was scheduled to begin the July 4 recess immediately following the vote amid a conservative blockade of the House floor in protest of the stalled SAVE America Act.

The resolution’s passage comes after Cynthia West, a former Massie girlfriend, accused the Kentucky lawmaker of emotional abuse in May. West also alleged that Massie attempted to pay her $5,000 to drop a wrongful termination lawsuit against the office of Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., who fired her shortly after taking a position in the office.

The House in March rejected a resolution offered by Mace to require the House Ethics Committee to release all documents compiled by the panel involving probes into members of Congress related to sexual misconduct.