🚨 Beyond thrilled and honored to be named co-author of @POLITICO Playbook and work alongside incredible journalists @AdamWren and @DashaBurns !! SEND NEWS: Signal: @wsteaks.90 Email: wsteakin@politico.com

The Bench is supporting the next Democratic stars across the country. We endorsed early and fought tough primaries to make sure incredible candidates like @CaitforNewYork in #NY17 make the general election. Got to talk to Politico about our theory of telling those stories.

Are Democrats choosin’ Texas? The Playbook team dives into the frenzy around James Talarico and why the Lone Star State’s Senate race could be the tipping point for Dems to take back the chamber. 🔗 Playbook Pod: politi.co/4ybblB9

Interesting to stick to smaller venues given all the hype right now

Me when I’m trying to figure out what to get for dinner

Guess we'll see! tinyurl.com/5bdfp67t

“What Talarico is representing is a Texas Democrat, not a national Democrat. And that’s how you win Texas,” @AshleyEtienne09 tells @playbookdc. politico.com/newsletters/pla…

First in @playbookdc: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who is definitely not running for president, is headed to Las Vegas on Saturday.

The Republican mood in Texas. Via @playbookdc

“The Monday morning quarterbacking is going to be biblical,” a veteran Texas GOP operative told @playbookdc. “The hand-wringing and the blaming. Paxton will blame Cornyn. Trump will blame Paxton. Trump should blame himself.” Republicans reconcile themselves to an uphill battle in Texas. politico.com/newsletters/pla…

New: @jamestalarico appears to be withstanding $160m in GOP spending so far — all as he runs a Texas-textured campaign, sidestepping campaigning with 2028ers. Via @playbookdc

New: @jamestalarico, speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival, challenges @KenPaxtonTX to a debate on Fox News.

AOC on the trail:

New from El-Sayed Spox @roxierichner on his remarks pointing to a woman nominee in ‘28: "Abdul is focused on 2026 and has not made an endorsement for 2028. He would support whoever most closely aligns with his goals of getting money out of politics, money back in pockets, and passing Medicare for All to support folks here rather than buy bombs and tanks for foreign governments—whoever he or she may be."

It is settled

I’m going all in on the midterms with a special series for #TheConversation. First up: Texas Democrat @GinaHinojosaTX, taking on Greg Abbott for governor with a message on affordability, public schools and data centers. She’s made it a real race for the first time in a long time in the red state. Why does she think this time is different? And what can national Democrats learn from her campaign?

The president has kinder words for Xi’s physical appearance than Ken Paxton’s.

A POLITICO reporter was denied access to the White House and his press credentials confiscated after a judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore access for news organizations that President Donald Trump banned from the complex last week. politi.co/4dU7YX4

So most people in MI never heard of the Twitch streamer guy Mike Rogers has spent time campaigning on

Judge restores White House access for POLITICO, CNN and MS NOW politi.co/4xJLYpb via @politico

Waiting on a ruling from Dark Woke Commander @KyleKulinski