12m ago / 7:00 AM EDTChris Pappas talks costs, corruption in first TV ad of Senate raceDemocratic Rep. Chris Pappas is launching his first TV ad in the New Hampshire Senate race, focusing on lowering costs and combating corruption.The 30-second spot, shared first with NBC News, begins by featuring the Puritan, Pappas’ family restaurant in Manchester, as Pappas says, “Here, there’s no VIP section. And the only special interests? The people who walk through the doors."“Most politicians in Washington play by their own rules. But while they’re cashing in, I’m fighting to ban stock trading,” says Pappas, adding that he is “working to make sure no family has to choose between buying groceries and paying for a prescription.”The Pappas campaign is also launching a shorter version of the ad on digital platforms.Pappas, who was first elected to the House in 2018, is hitting the airwaves a few months before Republicans choose their nominee. Former Sen. John Sununu, who has Trump’s endorsement and the backing of Senate GOP leaders, is facing off against former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, in the Sept. 8 primary.Pappas’ early advertising underscores the sizable financial advantage he’s built up in the race. His campaign had $4.2 million in its account as of March 31, while Sununu’s campaign had $1.9 million on hand and Brown’s campaign had $783,000. The race could potentially be competitive, especially since it is an open contest to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.12m ago / 7:00 AM EDTTrump’s DOJ struggles to show evidence of widespread voter fraudThe Trump administration has been struggling to demonstrate evidence of widespread voter fraud, with just months to go before midterms and as the president insists that the nation’s elections are “rigged,” according to a review of cases by NBC News. Staff from the Justice Department, Homeland Security and intelligence agencies are focused on the president’s election grievances, hunting for instances where noncitizens voted, and digging into his false claim that he won the 2020 election, even though most suspected criminal conduct from 2020 would be outside the standard five-year statute of limitations for most federal crimes. As part of the effort, the Justice Department sought voter registration data from all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, data they’ve hoped to use to identify non-citizens on voter rolls. While many states have complied with the requests, the department has filed lawsuits against 30 states and Washington, D.C., for refusing.Read the full story here.12m ago / 7:00 AM EDTACLU to monitor election certification as part of $50 million midterm effortThe American Civil Liberties Union will spend more than $50 million on the 2026 midterm election, with half going toward efforts to ensure smooth administration of elections as Trump seeks to exert more control over the process.In plans shared first with NBC News, ACLU officials said they will train and deploy more than 100 paid staff members and more than 3,000 volunteer leaders to encourage people to vote and to ensure voter access while monitoring ballot counting and certification.Those people will coordinate thousands of other volunteers. The ACLU said it has already trained 5,000 people on election work and plans to train 5,000 more.Read the full story here.12m ago / 7:00 AM EDT