{"id":29285,"date":"2026-08-06T02:38:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T21:38:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=29285"},"modified":"2026-08-06T02:38:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T21:38:38","slug":"progressives-had-another-big-primary-night-with-a-notable-exception-from-the-politics-desk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=29285","title":{"rendered":"Progressives had another big primary night \u2013 with a notable exception: From the Politics Desk"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit_1500w\/rockcms\/2026-08\/260804-Rep-Wesley-Bell-vsb-2255-3b270f.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-ef1f30\" class=\"body-graf\"><em>Welcome to <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/link.nbcnews.com\/join\/5cj\/nbc-news-politics-signup\" target=\"_blank\"><em>From the Politics Desk<\/em><\/a><em>, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team\u2019s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-06be57\" class=\"body-graf\"><em>In today\u2019s edition, we explore one Democratic primary where a progressive challenger was rejected last night. Plus, Andrea Mitchell dives into the clash between President Donald Trump and Jeanine Pirro. <\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-b37129\" class=\"body-graf\"><a href=\"https:\/\/link.nbcnews.com\/join\/5cj\/nbc-news-politics-signup\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-7642b3\" class=\"body-graf\"><em>\u2014 Adam Wollner<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"body-hori-rule\"\/>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-eead9b\" class=\"body-heading\">Progressives had another big primary night \u2014 with a notable exception<\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-cf107e\" class=\"body-graf\">Last night\u2019s primaries <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/progressives-expand-reach-money-finds-limit-takeaways-tuesdays-primari-rcna590774\">brought more success<\/a> for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-c8b686\" class=\"body-graf\">Former public health official <strong>Abdul El-Sayed<\/strong> defeated Rep. <strong>Haley Stevens<\/strong> in Michigan\u2019s high-profile <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/abdul-el-sayed-wins-michigans-democratic-senate-primary-notching-midwe-rcna589750\">Democratic Senate contest<\/a>. Activist <strong>William Lawrence<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/progressive-activist-wins-democratic-primary-one-nations-biggest-house-rcna590892\">won the party\u2019s nomination<\/a> in Michigan\u2019s battleground 7th District. State Rep. <strong>Donavan McKinney<\/strong> unseated Rep. <strong>Shri Thanedar<\/strong> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/democratic-rep-shri-thanedar-loses-primary-progressive-challenger-mich-rcna590894\">the state\u2019s 13th District<\/a>. And in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/kansas-governor-masterson-trump-holscher-corson-republican-democrat-rcna590030\">Kansas\u2019 Democratic gubernatorial primary<\/a>, state Sen. <strong>Cindy Holscher<\/strong> beat state Sen. <strong>Ethan Corson<\/strong>, who was backed by outgoing Gov. <strong>Laura Kelly<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-93999b\" class=\"body-graf\">But that trend notably did not not extend to a key House race in Missouri. In the Democratic primary in the 1st District, Rep. <strong>Wesley Bell<\/strong> fended off a challenge from former Rep. <strong>Cori Bush<\/strong> in a rematch of their 2024 clash. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-9a8619\" class=\"body-graf\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/moderate-democrat-flipped-script-fiery-progressive-one-primary-battle-rcna590587\">Sahil Kapur and Brennan Leach report from St. Louis<\/a>, Bush ran on a platform of cutting off U.S. funding for Israel and taking a more combative approach to push Democratic leaders to the left \u2014 causes that have powered other successful challengers against incumbents in solidly blue districts. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a54a51\" class=\"body-graf\">Still, Bell managed to pull off a 22-point victory thanks to two key factors.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-7bfe50\" class=\"body-graf\">First, Democratic voters broadly saw him as a workhorse who is focused on results and more interested in delivering locally than garnering national headlines. One voter who flipped their support from Bush to Bell over the last two years told Sahil and Brennan that \u201cpolitics is really complicated, and it\u2019s about the practice and art of compromise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-dfc47f\" class=\"body-graf\">Second, he enjoyed a massive financial edge. Bell and his allies \u2014 including United Democracy Project, the super PAC aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee \u2014 together outspent Bush by a 27-to-1 margin, according to AdImpact.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-f506d2\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cThere was no secret sauce,\u201d Bell told NBC News when asked how he won his primary while other colleagues have fallen. \u201cThere was no shortcut or workaround. It was about getting things done for the people in the St. Louis region.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-bd9d5e\" class=\"body-graf\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/moderate-democrat-flipped-script-fiery-progressive-one-primary-battle-rcna590587\"><strong>Read more \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-423a3a\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>\ud83d\uddf3\ufe0f Related: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/abdul-el-sayed-won-michigan-results-illustrate-challenges-ahead-rcna590586\" target=\"_blank\">How Abdul El-Sayed won in Michigan \u2014 and how the results illustrate his challenges ahead<\/a>, by Bridget Bowman, Stephen Pettigrew and Makenzie Kerneckel<\/p>\n<hr class=\"body-hori-rule\"\/>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-d3ecf7\" class=\"body-heading\">Trump\u2019s \u2018beautification\u2019 campaign becomes his latest loyalty test<\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"anchor-20fe78\" class=\"body-heading\">Analysis by Andrea Mitchell<\/h3>\n<p id=\"anchor-226c3d\" class=\"body-graf\">With all the other headlines making news in Washington this week \u2014 the ongoing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/iran\/trump-iran-war-deal-strait-hormuz-deal-oman-rcna590920\">Iran war<\/a>, <strong>Abdul El-Sayed\u2019<\/strong>s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/abdul-el-sayed-wins-michigans-democratic-senate-primary-notching-midwe-rcna589750\">victory in Michigan<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/embattled-gop-rep-max-miller-requests-ethics-investigation-rcna590796\">ethics investigation<\/a> to Rep. <strong>Max Miller<\/strong> \u2014 perhaps none is more surprising than President <strong>Donald Trump<\/strong>\u2019s fallout with his longtime friend and appointee <strong>Jeanine Pirro<\/strong>, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.  <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-21cdc1\" class=\"body-graf\">What came between the former Fox News host and the president? Something near to his heart, one of his pet \u201cbeautification\u201d projects \u2014 the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool \u2014 and his stance that his promised cleanup failed because of anti-Trump vandalism.  <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-de093c\" class=\"body-graf\">The president\u2019s focus on the Reflecting Pool is not casual. In May, he drove in his armored limousine right up to its edge to visit the construction and spoke admiringly about the plan to paint the gray stone \u201cAmerican flag blue.\u201d He said it would cost $1.8 million and be finished in a week or two, with no leaks. But within weeks of completion, D.C.\u2019s hot temperatures, interacting with the shallow, still water, produced algae blooms, turning the water green. In mid-June, NBC News photographed Park Service teams pouring hydrogen peroxide into the water and vacuuming the algae. Soon, the admiral blue paint lining the pool began peeling off with large pieces floating on the surface.  <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-2e906c\" class=\"body-graf\">Based on Interior Department evidence, Pirro said she charged an Olympian canoeist with a felony for allegedly causing the damage. On Friday, she dropped the charges, blaming it instead on a \u201cbotched construction job.\u201d Trump sharply criticized her, angrily saying she had \u201cchoked\u201d and \u201cfolded like an umbrella.\u201d <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-def32c\" class=\"body-graf\">That set off a confrontation with one of Trump\u2019s newer allies, Interior Secretary <strong>Doug Burgum<\/strong>, whose department has greenlit many of the president\u2019s special projects on National Park Service land around the nation\u2019s capital. In addition to the Reflecting Pool, the Interior Department holds sway over a proposed Trump golf course along the Potomac River, the paving of the White House Rose Garden, and a proposed triumphant arc that would loom over Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.  <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-868163\" class=\"body-graf\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/justice-department\/jeanine-pirro-job-status-uncertain-oval-office-meeting-trump-reflectin-rcna590822\">NBC News reported<\/a> that Pirro \u201chad it out\u201d with Trump in the Oval Office on Monday as she defended her decision to drop the case and did not offer her resignation. Trump was still \u201cpretty furious\u201d with her yesterday, one source said, and the president told reporters last night he was still undecided about whether to fire her.  <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-f1d114\" class=\"body-graf\">The controversy has been front-page news, highlighting the amount of time Trump spends talking about his D.C. makeover projects, frequently showing visitors and reporters architectural models. It has led to questions about whether this is politically smart when the country is involved in an unpopular war and polls show that voters are much more concerned about the price of gas than beautifying the nation\u2019s capital.        <\/p>\n<hr class=\"body-hori-rule\"\/>\n<div class=\"summary-box\" data-testid=\"summary-box\" id=\"anchor-3e8421\">\n<div class=\"summary-box__content\">\n<h2 class=\"summary-box__headline\">\ud83d\uddde\ufe0f Today&#8217;s other top stories<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"summary-box__items\">\n<li>\ud83d\udd34 <strong>Calling it quits:<\/strong> Rep. <strong>Chuck Edwards<\/strong>, R-N.C., said he is dropping his bid for re-election, days after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured over sexual harassment allegations. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/rep-chuck-edwards-drops-re-election-bid-censure-sexual-harassment-rcna590919\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>\ud83d\udd35 Calling it quits, cont.: Julian Beaudion<\/strong>, the Democratic nominee for the Senate in South Dakota, ended his campaign, clearing the way for independent <strong>Brian Bengs<\/strong> to take on GOP Sen. <strong>Mike Rounds<\/strong> this fall. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/democrat-drops-out-south-dakota-senate-race-independent-candidate-rcna590883\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>\ud83d\uddfa\ufe0f Redistricting roundup<\/strong>: Maryland\u2019s Democratic-controlled Legislature voted to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would pave the way for a new congressional map before the 2028 election. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/democrats-put-redistricting-amendment-marylands-midterm-ballot-rcna590550\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/li>\n<li>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>Warning sign: <\/strong>Asian American groups in Texas say they are \u201csounding the alarm\u201d on Democrat <strong>James Talarico<\/strong>\u2019s Senate campaign, warning that if he wants to pull off an upset in November, he must change course on his outreach to voters in their community. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/asian-american-groups-james-talarico-senate-rcna589470\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>\ud83c\udfeb 2028 watch<\/strong>: Former Virginia Gov. <strong>Glenn Youngkin<\/strong> has founded a national policy group that will launch with a push to promote a new school choice program. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/glenn-youngkin-empowering-americas-parents-school-choice-program-rcna590860\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>\ud83c\udf3f Hemp happenings: <\/strong>The White House has been actively engaged in pushing to delay an impending ban on intoxicating hemp. Such a move would benefit a family member of White House chief of staff <strong>Susie Wiles<\/strong>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/white-house\/republican-lawmakers-complain-white-house-hemp-push-rcna590830\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>\u2611\ufe0f The ayes have it:<\/strong> The Senate confirmed Dr. <strong>Erica Schwartz<\/strong> to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making her the health agency\u2019s first permanent director in roughly a year. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/new-cdc-director-confirmed-erica-shwartz-rcna590994\">Read more \u2192<\/a><strong\/><\/li>\n<li><strong>\u2708\ufe0f Prepare for landing:<\/strong> <strong>Eric Trump<\/strong> said an old Air Force One will be displayed at his father\u2019s presidential library once he leaves office, leaving the fate of Qatari-gifted jet uncertain. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-will-display-old-air-force-one-library-son-says-leaving-qatari-j-rcna587312\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"body-hori-rule\"\/>\n<p id=\"anchor-9d2f15\" class=\"body-graf\"><em>That\u2019s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today\u2019s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Annelise Hanson.<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-73cd05\" class=\"body-graf\"><em>If you have feedback \u2014 likes or dislikes \u2014 email us at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/mailto:politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com\" target=\"_blank\"><em><strong>politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-42098d\" class=\"endmark body-graf\"><em>And if you\u2019re a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/link.nbcnews.com\/join\/5cj\/nbc-news-politics-signup\" target=\"_blank\"><em><strong>here<\/strong><\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"body-hori-rule\"\/><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team\u2019s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today\u2019s edition, we explore one Democratic primary where a progressive challenger was rejected last night. Plus, Andrea Mitchell dives into the clash between&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_nbcnews-fp-1200-630,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-08\/260804-Rep-Wesley-Bell-vsb-2255-3b270f.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29285"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29285\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/29286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}