August 6, 2025
⏰ Tick Tock
Days to Utah's 2025 municipal primary elections (8/12/2025) - 6
Days until Election Day (11/4/2025) - 90
Days until the 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026) - 456
Days until the 2028 presidential election (11/7/2028) - 1,189
A wild overperformance in Rhode Island
There's not much you can glean about what might happen in the 2026 midterms from a special election to fill a vacancy in the Rhode Island Assembly, but what happened on Tuesday night is eyebrow-raising nontheless.
Democrat Stefano Familigetti is currently walloping Republican Alexander Asermely by nearly 67 points according to unofficial results. The vacancy came after the death of the late Senate President Dominick Ruggerio.
You can't really compare Famiglietti's win to past results—Ruggerio was unopposed in the last 7 elections.
Here's why Tuesday's results could be significant. The Downballot (who you should be following, btw) estimates that Democrat Kamala Harris carried the seat by 11 points over Republican Donald Trump in 2024. To see a Democratic candidate do nearly 56 points better less than a year later certainly gets your attention.
Looks like a WILD Democratic overperformance in a Rhode Island special election. Per our calculations, #SD04 went for Harris by 11, but Dem Stefano Famiglietti looks to have won by 66 points—a 56-point overperformance. electionresults.ri.gov/results/publ...
[image or embed]— The Downballot (@the-downballot.com) August 5, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Is this a harbinger of a Democratic "blue wave" next year? That's difficult to say since the election is nearly 500 days away and a lot can happen between now and then.
But it is something you should probably keep your eye on.
Wednesday morning's headlines
Utah and the West
A top Utah official helped his cousin get $200K in state grants. [Salt Lake Tribune]
Alpine School District votes to raise property taxes despite public opposition. [Fox 13]
The University of Utah is slashing these 81 academic programs under state-mandated budget cut. [Salt Lake Tribune]
Utah unveils new water distribution plan for Great Salt Lake mineral extraction companies. [KSL]
Utah, Western states continue to burn in scorching summer heat. [Deseret News]
Resistricting wars
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked the Texas Supreme Court to remove a top Democratic lawmaker from office, arguing he abandoned his job when he fled with dozens of his colleagues to block the legislature's redistricting plan. [Washington Post]
Vice President JD Vance will urge Indiana Republicans to redraw their congressional maps for the 2026 midterms when he visits the state on Thursday. [Indianapolis Star]
Nation
President Donald Trump doubled down on attacking federal jobs data, claiming the information is "totally rigged" without offering any evidence to back up his claim. [Washington Post]
President Trump suggests JD Vance is the heir apparent to the MAGA movement. [New York Times]
The National Guard is stepping up its involvement in aiding immigration enforcement in mostly Republican states. [Christian Science Monitor]
President Trump named himself the chair of a task force overseeing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The president says he's prepared to use the military for security during the games. [Los Angeles Times]
Lindsey Langston, the reigning Miss United States, has filed a restraining order against Florida Republican Congressman Cory Mills. Langston claims Mills has threatened to release sexual videos and to harm her future boyfriends. [Drop Site News]
Healthcare
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that 22 projects developing mRNA vaccines will be halted. [Associated Press]