🚨🚨🚨 PACKED HOUSE of nearly 100 people at an organizing event for Bench candidate @nancylacore.bsky.social in Beaufort. “Nancy Mace has been focused on headlines…people are ready for a work horse” she says to applause. There’s something happening in South Carolina…

"[It’s] silly to think that patriotism belongs to one particular party” - @nancylacore.bsky.social "As somebody who watched Baghdad & Kabul roads get fixed…I want to see Michigan's roads get fixed.” - @mattmaasdam.bsky.social Bench candidates reclaiming patriotism 💪🏻🇺🇸 abcnews.com/Politics/dem...

Can Democratic veterans running for Congress reclaim the patriotism narrative from the GOP?

Can Democrats reclaim the mantle of patriotism? They’re leaning on a slate of military veterans running for Congress in the 2026 midterms to try.

abcnews.com

Lots of chatter about New York this week. Lis Smith reminding us that we should also be focusing on the fact that we have real opportunities to flip reach districts with The Bench candidates like @nancylacore.bsky.social and @caitfornewyork.bsky.social who were also victorious on Tuesday:

“We weren’t waiting on an autopsy,’ said Rep. @repauchincloss.bsky.social, who chairs Majority Democrats, a new organization meant to reshape the Democratic Party. ‘We’ve been out talking for the last year to the voters Democrats lost.’” puck.news/dnc-post-aut...

The D.N.C.'s Post-Autopsy Autopsy

Insiders knew they'd get blowback from the half-baked report whether it came out or not. But they also say that despite this latest fumble, Ken Martin isn't going anywhere.

puck.news

“It was clear that folks were looking for something a little different” - @deniseforcongress.bsky.social punchbowl.news/archive/5182...

Powell’s takeaways from a high-stakes primary win

For years, Democrats have fixated on flipping Nebraska’s 2nd District blue. Despite the Omaha-area seat voting for Democrats at the presidential level, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) has consistently beat ba...

punchbowl.news

“Good God! Consider yourself fortunate that you have John Adams to abuse, for no sane man would tolerate it!” #Fords1776

💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻THE BENCH MUSCLES THROUGH THE MIDTERMS: New this AM in @playbookdc.bsky.social via @adamwren.bsky.social “The Bench is suddenly among the ascendant Democratic primary kingmakers.” 🤴🏼 www.politico.com/newsletters/...

#TeamPete 🤝 Team @joshturek4iowa.bsky.social Winning the Era. HUGE news out of Iowa today as the winner of the 2020 caucus - @petebuttigieg.bsky.social - endorses the next Senator, Josh Turek. More from @adamwren.bsky.social : www.politico.com/news/2026/05...

“The Bench encourages candidates to be the most authentic versions of themselves and there’s nothing more authentic than ‘a pissed off mom.’ @deniseforcongress.bsky.social ran a disciplined campaign that was true to herself and voters responded." HUGE win in Nebraska-02! Full statement:

Sign waves and live shots: with two hours left until polls close, @deniseforcongress.bsky.social is running through the tape at full speed.

Good morning and happy Election Day from Omaha where we’re all smiles while meeting the press as Bench candidate @deniseforcongress.bsky.social casts her ballot:

First in @punchbowlnews.bsky.social : New Shannon Bird ad highlighting the clear contrast in this race: youtu.be/AKA_JDull84?...

“Fears have resurfaced that the blue dot may soon be on death watch again, with inadvertent help from Dems…” @msnowreports.bsky.social on what to watch for in NE & how an easy pick-up could turn into an electoral college disaster unless @deniseforcongress.bsky.social makes it onto the ballot

“We have fought so hard for fair representation, our Blue Dot, and to retain that electoral power. We cannot afford a candidate whose campaign hands Republicans the votes to gerrymander us into oblivion.” - @DeniseForNE When it comes to Nebraska, always read @jeffzeleny 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Timothy McBride@mcbridetd.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Nebraska’s ‘blue dot’ becomes the center of a closely watched Democratic primary fight | CNN Politics www.cnn.com/2026/05/09/p...

New from @notus.com - a reminder ahead of the primary in #NE02 tomorrow - this race is “bigger than one house seat.” The only way to protect the “Blue Dot” and ensure Democrats keep their path to 270 in 2028 is by voting for @deniseforcongress.bsky.social www.notus.org/2026-electio...

“Candidates like @samforstag.bsky.social have the right strategy…The candidates’ first task must be to regain credibility with working people by tackling their more immediate, material concerns.” Sam’s campaign is writing a new playbook: liberal but not alienating www.nytimes.com/2026/05/09/o...

Opinion | Democrats Don’t Have to Campaign on Climate Change Anymore

nytimes.com

“For Democratic veterans making midterm pitches, the Iran war is personal.” Love to see Bench candidates dominate an article! More from @nancylacore.bsky.social @caitfornewyork.bsky.social and @mattmaasdam.bsky.social in @nbcnews.com 👇🏻 www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...

“Rather than navel-gazing and hand-wringing, we just need to focus on what will put us over the top here, which is educating voters not just about Trump, but what his enablers in Congress have done.” - Lis Smith www.nytimes.com/2026/05/09/u...

10 Days That Shook the House Map and Democratic Confidence

nytimes.com

“A Democrat Who Makes Me Listen.” #ICYMI: @repauchincloss.bsky.social gets the Bret Stephens treatment: “[He is] the inaugural chair of Majority Democrats…What Auchincloss and other Majority Democrats have in common is a determination to meet voters where they are.”

Tom Harkin: “There’s a saying that ‘rough weather makes good timber.’ @joshturek4iowa.bsky.social has had some pretty rough weather in his life, and he is ‘good timber.’ In fact, Josh is as strong and resilient as a good Iowa Burr Oak!” HUGE endorsement this AM:

“‘The Democratic Party needs leaders like Luke Bronin in Congress,’ @petebuttigieg.bsky.social said.” Welcome @lukebronin.bsky.social to #TeamPete, everyone! Let’s go win the era www.ms.now/news/buttigi...

Yikes! Amid a housing crisis and with rising costs the key issue for voters, @ryanbusse.bsky.social tried to pass off a staffers home as his own in an ad. The truth? Bussee lives in a $1.6 million dollar estate that didn’t make the cut… As embarrassing as it is disingenuous

“Meet the Montana Smokejumper Who Wants To Put Out Fires in Congress.” @samforstag.bsky.social joins @contrariannews.org: www.contrariannews.org/p/meet-the-m...

There were lots of hot (bad) takes heading into this weekend about the White House Correspondents Dinner & whether or not folks should participate. I believe we should always pause to celebrate the special relationship between flacks & the press & acknowledge the beauty of the First Amendment.

"To put it simply, if @johncavanaugh.org advances through the primary & wins...Hundreds of thousands of women would be forced to face the consequences." Take a break from #WHCD content to read this powerful oped from @jessicamackler.bsky.social @ @emilyslist.bsky.social thehill.com/opinion/camp...

Nebraska should support the Democrat whose win won’t erase its ‘blue dot’

We could lose the very last district where Democratic competitiveness currently exists in Nebraska.

thehill.com

“A new kind of Democrat is emerging in Montana—& he’s not coming from Washington…” The Bench’s @samforstag.bsky.social joined “The Two Joes” - @joetrippi.bsky.social & Joe Klein on @lincolnsquare.media to talk about his grassroots campaign & how Democrats can win back working voters:

🗳️ He’s a member of The Bench 💁🏼‍♂️ He’s a @bfswedeserve.bsky.social 📺 And now he’s on TV! First in @punchbowlnews.bsky.social - @samforstag.bsky.social is launching his first ad today. $32k in broadcast - more than the only other candidate communicating. WATCH: youtu.be/I5gN5Go-Hi4?...

“That’s why conversations like the one at the diner are important to @shannonbird4co.bsky.social …‘Meeting voters where they're at, coming & hearing directly from people...building the broadest coalition possible. It's how I've won every other campaign..." www.cpr.org/2026/04/21/8...

These three Dems hope to take back Colorado’s swingiest district

But first, one of them will have to win a hard-fought primary. They are vying to take on Gabe Evans in November.

cpr.org

Always great to celebrate the work we do on the Victory Fund campaign board! @andybeshearky.bsky.social on winning the ally award this year: “I never thought I’d get an award for just doing what’s right…there should never be a false choice between discrimination and winning elections.”

If we’re really going to have a blue wave we need candidates who are actually viable & competitive. That’s why The Bench exists & why we’re with @nancylacore.bsky.social @thebulwark.com on the one candidate in SC-01 who can “navigate rough political seas…” 👇🏻 www.thebulwark.com/p/can-this-f...