At the Races: Operation Republican rescue – Roll Call

## Summary
While Republicans — including Trump in his prime-time address Wednesday — have sought to emphasize the anticipated short-term nature of the Iran war, Democrats are seeking to tie GOP candidates to the conflict. ICYMI Off the map: A panel of judges in Wisconsin dismissed a lawsuit brought by Democratic voters seeking to redraw the state’s congressional map ahead of the November elections, saying the state Supreme Court should have say over the current district lines. The group also rolled out endorsements of two other Texas Democrats: Tejano singer Bobby Pulido in the 15th District and former teacher Katy Padilla Stout in the 23rd. #FL16 : Former congressional staffer Sydney Gruters, the wife of RNC Chairman Joe Gruters, has launched a campaign to succeed her onetime boss, retiring GOP Rep. ActBlue, which has processed nearly $19 billion in contributions to the Democratic Party and its candidates since its founding in 2004, is currently the subject of investigations by the Justice Department and congressional Republicans.

## Article Content
By
Mary Ellen McIntire
and
Daniela Altimari
Posted April 2, 2026 at 4:00pm
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Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can
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By Mary Ellen McIntire and Daniela Altimari
Republican leaders
have landed on a plan
to end the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, but implementing it would likely involve passing a reconciliation bill to fund two immigration agencies in the coming weeks.
As GOP lawmakers showed last year, passing a reconciliation bill, which almost always occurs along party lines, is difficult. Doing so months before the midterm elections will further test them, just as the party hopes to bounce back from new polls showing most voters disapprove of the war with Iran and more blame Republicans for the DHS funding impasse.
A CNN
poll
released Wednesday found approval of Donald Trump’s handling of the economy falling to 31 percent, a new low for the president. And 63 percent of respondents said higher gas prices had led to some financial hardship in their household in the wake of the Iran war.
Republicans remain hopeful that they can buck historical trends and keep control of Congress in this fall’s elections, though polling suggests that could be an uphill climb.
While Republicans — including Trump in his prime-time address Wednesday — have sought to emphasize the anticipated short-term nature of the Iran war, Democrats are seeking to tie GOP candidates to the conflict.
VoteVets Action Fund announced a $250,000
ad campaign
targeting Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden and urging him to oppose a supplemental funding package for the war. The group said it expects to roll out additional ads targeting other Republican veterans in Congress.
Starting gate
Back on the trail:
Former South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford
is seeking a comeback
, joining the crowded Republican field for the open Charleston-area seat he held for five full terms. The former Palmetto State governor gained national notoriety in 2009 following revelations that he had traveled to Argentina to meet a woman he’d been having an affair with after his office initially said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Graves retires:
Rep. Sam Graves, the Missouri Republican who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,
is joining a growing list of lawmakers
deciding not to seek reelection this year.
Spending panel shuffle
: The powerful House Appropriations Committee is
set for a major shake-up
next year, with nearly a third of the panel’s Republican members either retiring, running for Senate or locked in tough reelection fights, our colleague Aidan Quigley reported.
White House written record
: The transcripts of Trump’s
prime-time address
on the Iran war can be found on Roll Call’s
Factba.se
, where you can also access transcripts of the president’s other public speaking appearances, as well as his social media posts, daily calendar, official White House press releases and more.
ICYMI
Off the map:
A panel of judges in Wisconsin
dismissed a lawsuit
brought by Democratic voters seeking to redraw the state’s congressional map ahead of the November elections, saying the state Supreme Court should have say over the current district lines. It’s unclear whether the state Supreme Court, where liberals hold a majority, could rule in time to affect this year’s elections.
Republican endorsements:
The conservative Club for Growth PAC
is backing
insurance broker Jim Kingston in the Republican primary to succeed GOP Senate hopeful Earl L. “Buddy” Carter in Georgia’s 1st District. The PAC is also backing Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin in the race for Missouri’s Democrat-held 5th District, which state Republicans redrew last year to be safely red. A judge
ruled last week
that Missouri’s new congressional map is currently in effect, though the decision is expected to be appealed. In Nevada’s open 2nd District, Republican former state Sen. James Settelmeyer has
picked up the support
of Gov. Joe Lombardo and Rep. Mark Amodei, who is retiring from the seat.
Democratic endorsements:
The progressive group Justice Democrats is backing Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in the Democratic primary for former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco-anchored seat. The Bench, which backs what it describes as the “next generation” of Democratic leaders, is endorsing Bexar County Sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia in the May primary runoff for Texas’ redrawn 35th District. Garcia also picked up the support of BOLD PAC, the campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The group also rolled out endorsements of two other Texas Democrats: Tejano singer Bobby Pulido in the 15th District and former teacher Katy Padilla Stout in the 23rd.
#FL16
: Former congressional staffer Sydney Gruters, the wife of RNC Chairman Joe Gruters, has
launched a campaign


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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Recent Stories Courts likely to block Trump’s effort to curtail mail-in voting At the Races: Operation Republican rescue Pamela Bondi, staunch Trump ally, out as attorney general Democrats eye 2028 for bigger health care push Senate Democrats call on CMS to rein in Medicare Advantage abuses Senate tees up bill to end Homeland Security shutdown

### Areas for Consideration
- As GOP lawmakers showed last year, passing a reconciliation bill, which almost always occurs along party lines, is difficult.
- It’s unclear whether the state Supreme Court, where liberals hold a majority, could rule in time to affect this year’s elections.

### Implications
- Doing so months before the midterm elections will further test them, just as the party hopes to bounce back from new polls showing most voters disapprove of the war with Iran and more blame Republicans for the DHS funding impasse.
- Republicans remain hopeful that they can buck historical trends and keep control of Congress in this fall’s elections, though polling suggests that could be an uphill climb.
- ICYMI Off the map: A panel of judges in Wisconsin dismissed a lawsuit brought by Democratic voters seeking to redraw the state’s congressional map ahead of the November elections, saying the state Supreme Court should have say over the current district lines.
- It’s unclear whether the state Supreme Court, where liberals hold a majority, could rule in time to affect this year’s elections.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers district, former, democratic topics. Notable strengths include discussion of district. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1776.