Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is taking on a lead role for Democratic efforts to win governorships in the 2026 midterm elections.

The White House has dropped plans to nominate an anti-abortion lawyer backed by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell for a federal judgeship in Kentucky.

This combination of photos shows Democratic candidate for Senate Jon Ossoff, left, on Nov. 10, 2020, and Republican candidate for Senate Sen. David Perdue on Nov. 2, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)ATLANTA – President Donald Trump won’t be on the ballot in January when Georgia voters settle two Senate runoffs that will determine control of the U.S. Senate. The two Senate contests offer an early measure of Trump’s lasting political imprint and whether both parties can sustain momentum in the post-Trump era. For now, both the incumbents and their Democratic rivals are largely avoiding direct mention of Trump, instead focusing on Senate control. Republicans have dominated statewide runoffs in Georgia recently, proving more adept at returning their core supporters to the polls.