Welcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
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that → welcome → House
In today’s edition, Kristen Welker dives into the first big decision facing the class of incoming Democratic senators.
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Welker → dive → senators
Plus, Natasha Korecki explains why the midterm results could make Democrats’ 2028 presidential primary even more unwieldy.
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primary → explain → ?
— Adam Wollner
Newly elected Democrats in the spotlight as Senate leadership fight kicks off
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fight → elect → spotlight
Analysis by Kristen Welker
The first battle in the fight for the future of the Democratic Party will come next month, when Senate Democrats choose who their leader will be when they are in the majority next year.
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they → come → majority
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., announced last night that he is challenging Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who has led the Democratic caucus in the chamber for a decade.
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who → announce → decade
And all eyes will be on the 13 newly elected Democrats joining the Senate.
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eyes → elect → Senate
Many of the incoming freshman Democrats have been calling for change, but Schumer’s role in recruiting some of them and helping them win their races also looms large.
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them → call → races
Schumer’s supporters have likened ousting him to firing a baseball manager who just won the World Series.
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who → liken → Series
Two newly elected Democrats — Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan and Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota — have already said that they will support Van Hollen for majority leader.
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they → elect → leader
Four others — Maine’s Troy Jackson, South Carolina’s Annie Andrews, Illinois’ Juliana Stratton and Kansas’ Adam Hamilton — have publicly said they would oppose Schumer.
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they → say → Schumer
“What I’d be looking for is a leader who can lead from the center, somebody who can bring Republicans and Democrats together, somebody who can bring the various factions in Democratic Party together, somebody with fresh ideas,” Hamilton told me on “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
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Hamilton → look → Sunday
Just, it feels like there’s time for — it is a time for fresh and new ideas and somebody who can unite us instead of dividing us.
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who → feel → us
Just one incoming Democratic senator has said he will back Schumer: Ohio’s Sherrod Brown, who served three terms in the chamber before losing in 2024.
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who → say → 2024
Brown told NBC affiliate WCMH of Columbus that he was supporting Schumer “because I think he knows how to govern.”
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he → tell → Schumer
“He’s controversial, people think he hasn’t fought hard enough.
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he → ’ → ?
But that’s up to people like me to make sure he does,” said Brown, whom Schumer encouraged to run.
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Schumer → ’ → whom
Another candidate Schumer heavily recruited, former Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, told CNN earlier this year that he has “made no commitments” about whom he would support as leader.
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he → recruit → leader
Schumer also recruited former Rep. Mary Peltola, who is locked in a close race in Alaska that is too early to call, and it is not clear how she would vote if she wins.
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she → recruit → Alaska
The other newly elected Democrats have been noncommittal.
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Democrats → elect → ?
Iowa’s Josh Turek told me late last year that “the party needs change” and he would press candidates for leader on what they could do for his state.
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they → tell → state
Texas’ James Talarico told CBS News after winning his race that he wants to meet with every leadership candidate.
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he → tell → candidate
And New Hampshire’s Chris Pappas told CNN earlier this year that “it’s time for new voices” and he would wait to see who is running.
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who → tell → voices
The latest Democrat to flip a Senate seat — Mississippi’s Scott Colom — has expressed concerns about Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the likely next speaker of the House, both hailing from the same New York City borough.
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both → flip → borough
But he told MS NOW this morning that he is “not a no” on Schumer and he wants the next leader to prioritize the Deep South and “actually fight for rural America.”
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leader → tell → America
Ultimately, Schumer will need to secure majority support from the Senate Democratic caucus.
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Schumer → need → caucus
After Van Hollen joined the race, Schumer expressed confidence, saying on X, “I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader.”
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I → join → Leader
Colom will join me to discuss all of this and more on “Meet the Press” this Sunday.
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Colom → join → Press
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who recently suggested he could make another run for the White House, will also join for an exclusive interview.
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he → suggest → interview
Blue wave ignites a wild, wide-open 2028 race
By Natasha Korecki
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wave → ignite → Korecki
DENVER — Last week’s Democratic midterm sweep reached so far and so wide that it is already recasting conventional thinking about who can forge a winning path to the White House in 2028 — blowing the doors off of what was already expected to be a wide-open presidential race.
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what → reach → doors
Moderates won, but so did progressives.
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progressives → win → ?
Women scored victories in deep-red, statewide races.
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Women → score → races
Candidates who didn’t have the most money won.
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who → have → money
Democrats won in the South and in rural states and districts.
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Democrats → win → states
They scored big gains among young men and noncollege white voters.
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They → score → men
They also showed they could win back Hispanic voters.
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they → show → voters
It has all scrambled the thinking for an upcoming 2028 presidential primary, potentially opening more paths to winning the Electoral College than Democrats have had or considered in years.
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Democrats → scramble → years
That’s likely to lure even more White House hopefuls to join what is expected to be a crowded field.
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what → ’ → ?
“It’s going to be the craziest, most wide-open primary,” said Brian Stryker, a longtime Democratic pollster.
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Stryker → go → ?
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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