INCUMBENTS STRIKE BACK: Incumbents had a good night in Massachusetts’s primaries as multiple members of Congress comfortably fended off primary challengers despite some expectations of an upset.
In the most high-profile race of the night, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) routed Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) in the Democratic primary for another term as senator, currently on track to win by about 30 points.
Moulton sought to tap into the generational debate taking place within the Democratic Party and raise concerns about Markey’s age, but he ran from the moderate wing of the party and his campaign never caught fire.
Longtime Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) was looking like he might be in trouble heading into primary day against well-funded opposition from attorney Patrick Roath. The challenger outraised Lynch and had support from high-profile Massachusetts Democrats, including former Gov. Deval Patrick, and sought to attack the congressman for several of his past votes.
But Lynch won fairly easily, leading by 10 points with some 95 percent of votes counted.
Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) briefly appeared that he could be facing an upset as the first votes came in in his western Massachusetts district, but he ultimately dispatched teacher Jeromie Whalen.
▪ The Hill: Markey shrugs off Moulton: Three takeaways from the primaries.
▪ The Hill: Former Biden official wins open House primary.
FRESH STRIKES: The U.S. ramped up its attacks on Iran Tuesday in the latest round of violence, with Trump threatening further escalation if Tehran launches retaliatory strikes.
U.S. Central Command said it had struck air defense sites, radar systems, maritime facilities, mine laying capabilities, among other targets. Iranian officials said significant damage was inflicted on targets in port cities near the Strait of Hormuz, while the Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that four civilians were killed at a wedding ceremony.
The U.S. strikes came after the IRGC fired one-way attack drones and missiles at the King Hussein and Azraq military bases in Jordan and, according to Iranian media, targeted U.S. Central Command forces and helicopters at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
Trump called the U.S. attack “retaliation” for Iran’s “failed attempt” to destroy sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz and for attacks in Jordan.
“If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened Tuesday to “economically asphyxiate” the IRGC and track down and freeze its global assets, arguing Iran would only return to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) under significant financial pressure.
“We know where in the British Virgin Islands your accounts are, at these trust companies, we know the $100 million houses you have around the world, we’re going to freeze those,” Bessent said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would return to the MOU, signed in June with the Trump administration, if the U.S. similarly adheres to its commitments in the documents.
▪ The Hill: Bessent predicts strait will be ‘worthless’ in 2 years.
▪ KATV: Vladimir Putin voices solidarity with Iran as US strikes resume.
FEAR OF FAILURE: A whistleblower complaint is warning that the U.S. Postal Service’s computer system intended to verify mail-in ballots and voter eligibility has significant errors that could jeopardize mail-in voting in November.
The report from the unidentified whistleblower, released by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), states that the Postal Service has attempted to create a complex system in a three-month window that started around June 15 in time for the midterms. It said that process would usually take a year or longer.
The portal was intended to be launched as part of the president’s March executive order that states submit lists of voters who are eligible to vote by mail to the federal government, among other provisions. The Postal Service would only deliver mail-in ballots to those on the list and that meet certain design requirements.
Trump’s order is currently blocked following a lawsuit from a group of Democratic-led states, and the administration has appealed the ruling.
If the order were to be upheld, the tight timeline ahead of the midterms would be a major logistical hurdle. The whistleblower raises other concerns as well, alleging that testing of the portal was eliminated in the interest of time, creating the risk of “catastrophic failure” of the system.
▪ CNN: Whistleblower describes plans for voting by mail hidden from public.
▪ The New York Times: Which states vote by mail the most?
SENATE SCRUTINY: Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was “disappointed” that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is resigning and raised concerns about the turnover of top military officers.
“I’m hearing the same rumors everybody else is that he was frustrated with some of his top generals being released. That’s not the first time I’ve heard that. I think that points to questions that we’re going to be asking when we get back,” he told reporters.
Driscoll submitted his resignation to the president Monday and is expected to leave his position in the coming days. It followed months of tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and high-profile departures of top generals and those close to Driscoll.
Republican senators have been expressing concern about the departures for months, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports.
▪ The Hill: Hegseth imposes will on Army with Driscoll resignation.
▪ NBC News: Hegseth cuts more promotions for Army officers.
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