Susan Wild

Trump will claim the election was rigged, and if he loses will challenge the results. Last time, the guardrails of democracy held. How about this time?

Recent polls show Trump with more support among Latino voters than he has had in past elections.

House Republicans see a path to keeping their majority on Nov. 5 by picking up seats in the Rust Belt that they contend could help offset potential losses on the coast. Why it matters: Political strategists have pointed to clusters of seats in New York and California as the key to which party will have a majority next year, but the National Republican Congressional Committee sees a window in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania to keep control or grow their numbers. Driving the news: The House GOP's campaign arm has been paying for ads in the Michigan districts held by Democratic Reps. Hillary Scholten, Elissa Slotkin, who is running for Senate, and Dan Kildee, who is retiring. The NRCC is also investing in the Pennsylvania districts held by Democrats Susan Wild, Matt Cartwright and Chris Deluzio, as well as Ohio Rep. Emilia Sykes's (D) district. Zoom in: Congressional Leadership Fund, a group with ties to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), similarly has ramped up spending by about $9 million in the past five weeks, according to a person familiar with the matter. CLF added $2.3 million in Lansing, Mich., bringing the total to almost $7 million for the open seat currently held by Slotkin, and $1.8M in Flint, Mich., bringing the total there $4 million in spending for the seat being vacated by Kildee — districts Democrats have said are two of their tightest races.Johnson's PAC also added $3.8M to its initial $5.4 million Philadelphia reserve for Wild's seat and is spending an additional $1.1 million in Toledo, Ohio, bringing their total to over $4 million in an attempt to unseat Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur.What they're saying: "Holding the line on the coasts is how Republicans keep the House majority; Winning races in the Rust Belt is how Republicans expand the majority," one GOP operative said. The operative said former President Trump's appeal in the region could be boon for Republican House candidates there. CLF Spokeswoman Courtney Parella said in a statement that the group was focused on highlighting Democrats' failures "on key issues such as illegal immigration, fentanyl trafficking, and the rising cost of living," adding that they were "confident that voters will turn away from Democrats' extremism."The other side: Democrats dismissed the GOP's bullishness in the region, arguing their spending strategy is flawed and taking out Democratic incumbents will be a heavy lift. Operatives noted Democrats have been outspending in a number of seats including Skyes.' "Republicans struck out recruiting candidates in Ohio, have massive fundraising disadvantages in Pennsylvania, and are running far-right extremists across the Heartland who would ban abortion nationwide," Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Aidan Johnson told Axios."This is a last ditch effort to save face, and nobody is buying it."Go deeper: Jeffries and Johnson plow cash into House "squinter" races

Letter to the editor: Politics has always been a dirty messy game but I feel it’s sunk to a new low in recent years. We’re better than this.

Opinion: Our immigration system has been broken for decades, and throughout my time in Congress, I have taken every opportunity to work across the aisle and advance commonsense, bipartisan solutions to address this crisis.

Opinion: The record-breaking catastrophe at our Southern border has had devastating consequences for our communities.

Opinion: If elected to another term in Congress, my next priority is to bring down the cost of child care for working families across the country.

Opinion: I’ll work to scrap the corporate handouts and wasteful spending, and return the savings to middle-class families and seniors. I’ll fight to reduce costs for working families and retirees, starting with eliminating taxes on tips and Social Security.

What is the Democrats’ position on abortion? It’s difficult to say with certainty because Democrats have been shy of stating their views directly.

Your View: As necessary as it sometimes is to get help navigating government services and red tape, this year’s election shouldn’t be about which politician is most helpful to me personally.

Mail ballots are available in some of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. The state's 19 Electoral College votes are considered critical for candidates running for president in 2024.

Letters: As I once again found myself stuck behind someone trying to make a left turn onto Fourth Street from the southbound Route 378 lane in south Bethlehem, I wondered exactly how much of an improvement all the proposed changes to the Hill to Hill Bridge would make to the southbound traffic on 378.

Letters: More than 1 in 5 Americans say they have had a family member fatally shot, including suicides, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey.

We should put the lives of our citizens first and ban such assault-style weapons.

'Wear your Union Colors'

Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., talks with Gen. Eric M. Smith, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, left, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Navy budget request, on May 1.

Letters: Two of the justices have received millions in unreported gifts and refuse to recuse themselves when conflicts arise, even when one justice’s wife could be affected by the decision.

Opinion: In the 89 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law Aug. 14, 1935, Social Security has served as the backbone for our nation’s working families.

If Vice President Kamala Harris ends up selecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, he will in part have his former congressional colleagues to thank.Why it matters: A House member from 2007 to 2019, Walz' congressional relationships have manifested into what one senior House Democrat described as "quiet diplomacy" on his behalf.Walz's political bases of support are members from the Midwest and progressives, but others with whom he has deep personal relationships are campaigning for him as well."People like me think the world of him. A truly great human being," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) a House veteran who serves as ranking member of the House Rules Committee.Zoom in: Walz is believed to be a finalist along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has his own base of support on Capitol Hill.Several House Democrats from Pennsylvania, including swing-seat Reps. Susan Wild and Matt Cartwright, have lobbied hard for Shapiro, as Axios previously reported.What we're hearing: In addition to public pronunciations of support, many lawmakers have privately reached out to the Harris campaign voicing support for Walz, according to lawmakers familiar with the outreach.A second senior House Democrat told Axios that "a lot of members really like Tim, myself included, and have made that known to the campaign."The senior lawmaker estimated that dozens of members are advocating for Walz in public and private.Another House Democrat told Axios that Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), a veteran progressive from Walz's home state, has reached out to colleagues urging them to "to call [Harris] and talk to press" in favor of Walz.Between the lines: Walz's record as governor has made him the favorite of the party's left flank."A number of [members] on the progressive caucus side like him most," Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), the former chair of the Progressive Caucus, told Axios, noting that some have taken to social media to tout their support.Another House Democrat said of Walz's support among progressives and Midwesterners: "He definitely seems to be the only one who can draw from both of those camps within our caucus."The bottom line: "Whoever she picks I — and I think all Democrats in the house — will enthusiastically support," said McGovern.

The Democrats' House Majority PAC is zeroing in on three new Republican incumbents as part of a major $24 million addition to their fall ad campaign. The television reservations, which add to an initial $186 million in television and digital reservations announced earlier this year, put Wisconsin Reps. Derrick Van Orden (R), Bryan Steil (R) [...]

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) on Monday announced a slate of 26 Republican candidates as part of its “Young Gun” program, which highlights non-incumbent candidates and challengers in competitive districts. The initial list of 2024 candidates includes 24 Republicans who are either challenging incumbent Democrats or seeking a seat that a Democrat is vacating, [...]

A number of Democratic lawmakers, governors and past leaders were quick to rally behind Vice President Harris as she pursues the Democratic Party's presidential nomination following President Biden's withdrawal from the race. Shortly after dropping out of the presidential race, Biden endorsed Harris as his successor, stating it is "time to come together and beat" [...]

Letters: If you don’t like “old” Biden, then vote for the party that is for women, stopping climate change and freedom.