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Wisconsin Democrat Rebecca Cooke has raised $8.6 million in her bid for the state's 3rd district seat, putting her among the top 0.4% of House challengers nationwide by fundraising. Yet voters heading into next week's primary won't have a full picture of her personal finances until after they've already voted.

Cooke requested an extension on her personal financial disclosure, pushing her deadline to Aug. 13, two days after the primary. The timing has become a point of contention in recent weeks, drawing a formal complaint from a Wisconsin resident and criticism from both her Democratic primary rival Emily Berge and Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden.

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Wis. House race: Rebecca Cooke’s cash & disclosures - OpenSecrets News Few House challengers have raised more than Wisconsin's Rebecca Cooke. But voters won’t see her personal finances until after the primary.

Reminder: Tomorrow, Aug. 6, we're hosting an AMA on Instagram all about the role of money in politics, including campaign finance, lobbying and where the dollars actually go.

Bring your questions to or drop them on our Instagram story. Feel free to share with anyone who might want to ask something ahead of the 2026 elections.

Jay Clayton, 59, was confirmed by the Senate as director of national intelligence on July 28. President Trump nominated the former SEC chairman in June, after Tulsi Gabbard stepped down from the post.

His confirmation faced pushback from Democrats and others who questioned his lack of relevant experience.

We dig into his professional background and past political activity.

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Trump administration profile: Jay Clayton - OpenSecrets News Who is Jay Clayton, President Trump's new director of national intelligence? Follow the money that led to his nomination.

Northern Virginia residents have voiced concerns about unchecked data center expansion, and their congressional representatives have already raised questions.

But three Democrats representing what's been called "data center alley" have received tens of thousands of dollars from industries positioned to benefit from the AI and data center boom.

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NoVa lawmakers take AI cash while residents resist data centers - OpenSecrets News Virginia lawmakers have received tens of thousands of dollars from industries positioned to benefit from the data center boom.

July 30 is the deadline for semi-annual LD-203 reports. Every registered lobbyist and firm has to disclose political contributions made from January through June.

In addition to the lobbying and FEC reports earlier this month, it provides a larger picture on political influence ahead of the midterms.

Follow for our continued analysis.

Most Senate primaries cost millions to win. In Nebraska, Democrat Cindy Burbank spent less than $20,000, captured nearly 90% of the vote, and then withdrew in mid-July, clearing the Democratic line off the November ballot entirely.

The move consolidates non-Republican support behind independent Dan Osborn, a Navy veteran and mechanic who has raised almost $5.8 million for his campaign. Nebraska's secretary of state called the sequence a cynical manipulation of the ballot process, and it has already triggered a lawsuit from the candidate Burbank defeated.

Experts note the shift does little to change Osborn's financial picture. It preserves the war chest he's built, but doesn't reduce what he needs to raise or spend heading into the fall against Republican incumbent .

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Cindy Burbank won the Democratic nod in Nebraska. Then she quit - OpenSecrets News In Nebraska, Democrat Cindy Burbank spent less than $20,000 to easily win the Senate primary – and then she dropped out.

State of Disclosure: Campaign finance enforcement isn't just a federal job. 50 different state agencies handle it too.

Our interview series "The State of Disclosure: Campaign Finance Enforcement Across America" digs into how each state's transparency officials do their work.

Next up is Jeff Sigurdson, executive director of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, who runs the state's campaign finance reporting and lobbying disclosure programs.

🎙️ Full interview:

A conversation with Minnesota’s campaign finance director - OpenSecrets News Jeff Sigurdson, executive director of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, spoke with us about following the money.

Pennsylvania is home to three toss-up House races, the most of any state, according to the Cook Political Report's House Race Ratings. All three seats are currently held by Republicans, and Democrats view them as central to reclaiming the House majority.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has been actively investing in these races, recently announcing a multimillion-dollar statewide campaign to help elect Democrats across Pennsylvania.

Through June 30, Republican candidates outraised their Democratic opponents in two of the three races. Despite that, two of the Democratic candidates enter the final stretch with more cash on hand than their opponents.

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Millions pour into PA races that could decide control of the House - OpenSecrets News Millions of dollars have poured into three tossup House races in Pennsylvania that could determine which party takes control of the chamber.

Outside spending has come to dominate Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, with super PACs pouring in more money than the candidates have raised on their own.

Super PACs have spent more than $52 million on the race as of mid-July, second nationally only to Texas. Four groups are behind most of that spending, much of it supporting Rep. Haley Stevens over opponent Abdul El-Sayed, with AIPAC-aligned money playing a central role.

Stevens has also gone after the main super PAC backing El-Sayed over ties to his father-in-law.

Meanwhile, the candidates themselves, including Rep. Mike Rogers, unopposed on the Republican side, have raised a combined $34 million.

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Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary is a super PAC battleground - OpenSecrets News Outside spending has overtaken the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, with super PACs flooding the race with tens of millions of dollars.