韩前官员：中国加强对朝关系可同时遏俄制美

2026年6月10日 08:53 / 联合早报

韩前官员：中国加强对朝关系可同时遏俄制美

朝中社发布的照片显示，朝鲜领导人金正恩 （白领带者）星期二（6月9日）在平壤国际机场为结束访朝、即将离开的中国国家主席习近平（红领带者）送行。 （路透社）

中国国家主席习近平星期二（6月9日）结束对朝鲜的两天国事访问回到北京，此访被认为巩固对平壤的影响力。韩国统一部前发言人郑俊熙研判，加强中朝关系对北京有绝对益处，不仅可通过拉拢与莫斯科关系日益密切的平壤来“遏俄”、巩固中国在地区事务中的核心利益，同时还能让美国将注意力集中在伊朗战争等问题上。

郑俊熙是韩国政府资助智库统一研究院现任监事。他星期二在香港《明报》采访中分析，台海一旦发生冲突，对北京而言，朝鲜还能利用其核能力威慑美国。

在经济方面，中朝关系良好也确保了中国进入日本海的通道，从而有助东北地区的发展。图们江下游属俄朝界河，中国在当地并没有实际出海口。

郑俊熙认为，对朝鲜而言，改善与中国的关系对于削弱国际制裁至关重要；借助与俄罗斯的密切关系制衡，此次访问也使北京默许平壤的核计划。如果朝鲜与中俄形成一种稳固的关系，其国际政治地位也必将得到加强。

习近平2019年首次访朝时，表明“支持朝鲜半岛无核化”，相较之下，此次访朝则未提到无核化一词，受到首尔关注。

据韩联社报道，韩国外交部发言人朴一星期二在记者会上表示，韩国外交部认为中国既有立场不变，但政府同时留意到，北京近期对外不太使用无核化这一表述，“在此背景下，（韩国）政府可能将通过外交渠道与中方进行沟通，了解中方就朝鲜无核化的立场”。

Pamela Evette, Alan Wilson head to runoff in crowded GOP primary for South Carolina governor, CBS News projects

June 9, 2026 / 10:23 PM EDT / CBS News

By Kathryn Watson

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.

Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson are heading to a runoff in South Carolina’s Republican primary for governor after none of the six candidates in the primary reached the required majority threshold of votes to avoid a runoff. The runoff election will be June 23.

Evette is South Carolina’s current lieutenant governor and had President Trump’s backing. Alan Wilson has been South Carolina’s attorney general for over 15 years.

The South Carolina GOP gubernatorial race was one of the widest open primaries in the country, with there being no clear frontrunner heading into Tuesday night.

Candidates knocked out of the race include GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, who has had some disagreements with Mr. Trump in the past. She condemned Mr. Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, and he endorsed a primary challenger in her House reelection race in 2022, but she prevailed in that race. Although she and Mr. Trump had warmer interactions afterward, Mace was instrumental in the House push to release the Epstein files.

Mr. Trump snubbed Mace by endorsing Pamela Evette shortly before the primary.

Mace conceded on Tuesday and endorsed Wilson. In a post on social media on Tuesday night, Mace said “as a survivor, I chose to stand on principle and stand against the Epstein cover-up.”

“And apparently, I chose wrong if the goal was winning an election,” Mace added.

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During early voting, the president called Evette a “good friend, fighter, and WINNER.” The president’s endorsement echoed term-limited South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who is also backing Evette.

South Carolina state Sen. Josh Kimbrell, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman and former business executive Rom Reddy also lost out on primary night.

South Carolina hasn’t had a Democratic governor since Gov. Jim Hodges, who left office in 2003, and Mr. Trump Trump won the state with 58% of the vote in 2024, making the Republican candidate the favorite to win in November.

Trump’s endorsement power faces another GOP test in South Carolina after Alan Wilson advances

2026-06-09T21:13:09-04:00 / Fox News

Trump’s endorsement power in Republican showdowns faces new test in South Carolina governor primary

By Paul Steinhauser Fox News

Published June 9, 2026 9:13pm EDT

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson addresses claims made by Alex Murdaugh’s defense attorneys and discusses the potential pursuit of the death penalty on ‘America Reports.’

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One week after President Donald Trump’s endorsement-winning streak in high-profile Republican primaries was snapped, the president’s immense clout over the GOP was on the line again, this time in South Carolina.

And the president easily passed the test.

The candidate Trump endorsed in the Palmetto State’s GOP gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, finished first in a crowded field of candidates and clinched one of the two tickets in the race for the nomination, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

Evette, who repeatedly spotlighted Trump’s support, now advances to a Republican runoff election in two weeks against South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, the second place finisher, in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Henry McMaster.

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South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced his candidacy for governor on Monday, June 23, 2025, accompanied by his family.(Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service)

Since no candidate topped 50% of the primary vote to land a majority, Evette and Wilson will battle for the nomination in the June 23 runoff, and the winner will be considered the clear favorite in the general election in the solidly red southeastern state.

Meanwhile, in the South Carolina GOP Senate primary, longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham did win a majority of the vote, and will avoid a runoff, the Associated Press reported.

Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, was facing primary challenges from five candidates, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who took aim at the senator over his support for the war in Iran. Lynch was backed by some MAGA leaders who have been critical of the president.

Graham’s campaign and allied political groups spent nearly $20 million to highlight Trump’s support. And the president joined Graham and Evette for a primary eve tele-rally.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) won renomination on Tuesday in South Carolina’s Republican Senate primary, as he runs for a fifth six-year term in the Senate(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

While he wasn’t on the ballot, Trump’s immense clout over the GOP was facing another key test in South Carolina.

The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past month, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention.

But his 11th-hour endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa a week and a half ago — which came on the same day he also backed Evette — in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to muscle the three-term congressman to victory.

TRUMP-ENDORSED FEENSTRA CONCEDES TO MAHA-BACKED LAHN IN GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY UPSET

Zach Lahn raises his fist in celebration after winning Iowa’s GOP gubernatorial nomination, on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.(Zach Lahn for Governor via Facebook)

Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.

In the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, the major contenders had long been highlighting their support for Trump and his agenda, in hopes of landing his support.

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette announces her bid for the Republican nomination for governor at The Smokestack at Judson Mill in South Carolina on July 14, 2025.(Joshua Boucher/The State/Tribune News Service/Getty Images)

Trump, after staying neutral for months, endorsed Evette, praising her as an “America First Patriot” and a “WINNER” in his announcement.

After Trump backed Evette, Mace said that her very vocal push last year for the Justice Department to release the files related to its probe into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contributed to the president’s backing of her rival.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in South Carolina in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Henry McMaster.(Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service)

“I know I put the likelihood of an endorsement on the line when I demanded transparency on the Epstein files,” the lawmaker wrote. “I demanded it because you deserved the truth — ALL OF IT,” Mace emphasized in a post on X.

Trump, in a social media post endorsing Evette, also said he expected Evette to choose Henry McMaster Jr., the governor’s son, as her running mate for lieutenant governor.

The comment by the president led to blowback in South Carolina political circles and speculation that McMaster, who succeeded then-Gov. Nikki Haley when she stepped down to serve as U.N. ambassador during Trump’s first term and who is in his 10th year as governor, was trying to give his son a political boost.

Republican Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2026.(Jeffrey Collins/Associated Press)

But McMaster denied any deal or pressure, and Evette has said she wouldn’t name any running mate until after the primary is over.

And on Friday, the younger McMaster took his name out of contention, saying it was “incredibly humbling” to be mentioned as a possible lieutenant governor candidate, but that “now is simply not the right time.”

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But the episode didn’t appear to sidetrack Evette.

Either Evette or Wilson will face off in November against state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who captured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.

韩国70岁以上就业人口首破200万大关

2026年6月10日 10:46 / 联合早报

韩国70岁以上就业人口首破200万大关

在首尔举办的首届“乐龄就业展”，吸引逾2000名60岁以上求职者积极参与，为老年群体提供了丰富的私营部门就业机会。 （档案照片）

最新数据显示，2025年韩国70岁以上就业人口显著增长，同比增加9.2%，达到216.2万人。这一数据首次突破200万大关，凸显了韩国劳动力结构的变化。

韩国国家统计门户（KOSIS）网站星期一（6月8日）公布的数据显示，这一群体就业人数从2018年的121.9万人稳步攀升，于2021年超越150万人，达到156.6万人，至2025年更飙升至216.2万人，是2018年的1.8倍。

受此趋势推动，70岁以上人口在韩国就业总人数中的比重也从2018年的4.5%提升至2025年的7.5%。

分析人士指出，70岁以上就业人口持续增长，主要得益于两方面因素：一是社会老龄化进程加速，导致70岁以上人口基数扩大；二是专门面向老年人的工作岗位日益增多。

展望未来，鉴于韩国当前的人口结构特点，预计70岁以上就业人口在可预见的一段时间内将持续维持在200万人以上水平。

Trump administration urges judge to reject bid to block White House UFC event

June 10, 2026 2:20 AM UTC / Reuters

By Mike Scarcella

Updated 1 hour ago

Construction continues on a temporary arena that will host the UFC Freedom 250 fight card at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration asked a judge on Tuesday to reject an effort to halt an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on ​the White House lawn this weekend, arguing that the event was ‌lawful and the challengers had waited too long to sue.

Two Washington-area residents have asked U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta for a temporary restraining order to stop the June 14 UFC ​match. They contend that sporting events are barred on the White House’s ​South Lawn and the large metal arena being constructed for ⁠the fight lacks required approval from Congress.

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The Trump administration also said in a court filing that the plaintiffs had not shown they are likely to succeed in ​their claims as they had not shown how they would be harmed.

“It would be easy enough to simply avert their gazes for the weekend,” the filing said. “Instead, they seek to ​enlist the power of a federal court to impose their idiosyncratic preferences ​on the rest of the country and ruin an event designed to celebrate the United ‌States of ⁠America.”

Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The White House event, dubbed “UFC Freedom 250” and coinciding with Trump’s 80th birthday, plans to hold bouts inside a 92-foot-tall (28-meter-tall) octagon-shaped structure with weigh-ins at the ​Lincoln Memorial.

The lawsuit alleges ​the National Park ⁠Service and Interior Department unlawfully approved the event and seeks to set that authorization aside.

“This nation’s public monuments should ​not be loaned out for private exploitation,” it said.

The administration ​countered that ⁠the regulations do not bar events and that the White House South Lawn has a history of hosting public events.

Trump’s ties with UFC date back to the ⁠early ​2000s, when he agreed to host events at ​his since-bankrupt Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. UFC Chief Executive Dana White is a ​close Trump ally.

Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by David Bario and Edwina Gibbs

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Graham Platner projected to win Maine Democratic Senate primary, setting up race against GOP Sen. Susan Collins

2026-06-09T21:27:00-0400 / CBS News

Washington — Democrat Graham Platner and GOP Sen. Susan Collins will face off in a November contest that could determine which party controls the Senate next year, a race that was shaken up in recent weeks by a spate of allegations against Platner.

Platner won the Democratic primary on Tuesday night after facing minimal opposition, CBS News projects. Collins was unopposed in the Republican primary.

The primaries set up a race that could be key to Democrats’ hopes of winning control of the Senate. Democrats have long been trying to oust Collins, a five-term GOP senator who’s survived a handful of tough reelection fights since coming to the Senate in 1997. The 73-year-old, who wields significant power as chair of the Appropriations Committee, is known for regularly breaking with her party and is among the most independent-minded in the GOP conference. But her Democratic opponent has campaigned against that record, saying for Maine, “symbolic opposition” isn’t enough.

Platner, a 41-year-old veteran and oyster farmer, had seen surging support among Democrats in Maine when he jumped in the race last year, billing himself as a working class, anti-establishment candidate with a focus on opposing the “billionaire class.” He quickly gained support from leading progressives like Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and later, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

But Platner’s introduction on the political scene also unearthed a series of allegations and controversies. And in the lead up to Tuesday’s primary, the allegations ramped up.

In the days ahead of the primary, The Wall Street Journal reported that Platner’s wife told his campaign that he sent sexually explicit text messages to other women soon after the couple were married in 2023. Then, The New York Times reported on allegations of Platner’s “unsettling” behavior toward women he dated, including one claim that he was physically abusive. Platner has denied that he was physically abusive and suggested that the allegations are politically motivated.

The allegations came after Platner effectively locked up the nomination when Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race in April. The 78-year-old governor was recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and had the backing of national Democrats. But Mills was unable to catch up to Platner in the polls or fundraising efforts, leaving skeptical moderates no choice but to fall behind Platner.

Although she suspended her campaign, Mills’ name was still on the ballot on Tuesday.

Schumer, asked repeatedly about his support for Platner amid the allegations last week, told reporters that “we’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate.”

Platner’s supporters in Congress have largely come to his defense in light of the allegations. Sanders told reporters that instead of worrying about Platner’s personal life, people should “worry about what’s happening to the working families in this country.” Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California said on “Face the Nation” that there should be acknowledgement that Platner’s actions were “misogynistic” and “wrong.” Then, Khanna said the attention should be on “moving on with redemption” and a focus on the issues on which Platner has campaigned.

The most recent allegations followed a handful of other personal controversies that have punctuated Platner’s campaign. He’s apologized for a number of problematic internet comments he made years ago and covered up a tattoo he got during his time in the Marines that is widely recognized as a Nazi symbol.

On the eve of the primary, Platner’s former political director, Genevieve McDonald, wrote an op-ed arguing that he shouldn’t be a U.S. senator, telling Maine Democrats that they “don’t have to accept” him as the sole choice to take on Collins. McDonald, who exited the campaign amid upheaval over Platner’s posts last fall, suggested that Platner could withdraw after the primary and allow for Maine Democrats to select a different nominee.

Maine election law dictates that a nominee can be replaced if they withdraw before 5 p.m. on the second Monday in July, at which point a political party would have two weeks to select a new nominee.

In an acceptance speech Tuesday evening, Platner said: “I’ve made mistakes in my life — mistakes that I regret, that I live with and that I continue to learn from. I’m still far from perfect, but every day, I wake up and I try to be a little bit better and a little bit kinder than I was the day before.”

Five months out, the race is expected to be one of the most competitive this cycle. Collins is the only Republican seeking reelection in the Senate in a state that Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024. The Cook Political Report rates the race a toss up.

With 53 seats controlled by Republicans in the upper chamber, Democrats would need to flip four seats and defend a handful of incumbents in tight races to win back the Senate, making the task an uphill battle — and one they likely can’t do without Maine.

中国联通警告 美拟议电信禁令恐扰乱全球通信

2026年6月10日 10:24 / 联合早报

中国联通美国分公司警告称，特朗普政府拟禁止美国电信运营商与被视为“国家安全风险”的中国电信企业互联互通，此项提议恐将对全球通信网络造成严重破坏。

据路透社报道，中国联通在星期二（6月9日）提交给美国联邦通信委员会（FCC）的一份文件中表示，该禁令将“对在中国拥有重大商业和供应链利益的美国公司造成伤害”。

FCC此前提议以国家安全风险为由，禁止美国本土及其他在美运营的电信企业与中国联通、中国移动、中国电信等中资公司进行互联。

中国联通对此回应称，中资电信运营商共同构成了中美这两个全球最大经济体之间通信流量的主要网关。“全面切断与这些实体的互联，将从根本上割裂全球通信网络的关键一环。”

此外，代表AT&T、威瑞森（Verizon）、T-Mobile等美国运营商的行业组织美国电信协会（USTelecom）也向FCC提交文件，反对撤销对中国运营商的互联授权。

延伸阅读

美FCC拟禁中国三大电信公司在境内运营数据中心

该组织指出，这项提议“可能会降低美国网络服务提供商对高风险流量的可见度，迫使通信数据通过外国或缺乏监管问责的中间商进行传输，不仅给日常商业和运营通信带来不确定性，还会破坏那些依赖已知联系节点和既定上报路径的技术保障措施。”

近年来，FCC持续加强对中国电信企业的限制。

2021年，FCC将华为、中兴通讯、海能达、海康威视和大华股份的电信及视频监控设备列入受限清单，认定这些企业对美国国安构成风险。2022年11月，FCC决定不再批准这些企业新型号设备在美国销售或进口。

美国称美墨边境墙主体工程将于2027年底完工，并结合电子监控等技术强化边境管控。 （法新社）

美国预计将在2027年底前完成总统特朗普长期承诺兴建的美墨边境墙主体工程，并在2028年中前后安装电子监控和其他辅助设备。

法新社报道，美国海关与边境保护局（CBP）局长斯科特（Rodney Scott）星期二（6月9日）说，美墨边境屏障由强化金属梁构成，计划从圣迭戈延伸至墨西哥湾，但部分地区将不会建墙。“主要边境墙将在2027年底前完成。”

斯科特补充，边境线上仍会保留少数缺口，只有在美方“有意识地认为不需要”的地方才不会修建，例如大弯国家公园（Big Bend National Park）等偏远、地势险峻的地区。

斯科特还说，边境墙还将辅以电子监控和其他设备，相关装置预计在2028年7月左右、最迟8月前完成安装。

在德克萨斯州边境、沿美墨两国绵延超过1900公里的里奥格兰德河（Rio Grande）一带，美方也将设置相应实体屏障。斯科特指出，完整系统将包括必要地区的第二道屏障、沿河水域屏障，以及相关科技设备。

这道边境墙旨在遏制非法移民和毒品从墨西哥进入美国。官方指标显示，相关活动已有所下降。

但斯科特也承认，单靠实体屏障不足以遏制跨境犯罪活动。走私集团已使用地道、无人机等方式规避巡逻并运送毒品。

“我们看到无人机沿着里奥格兰德河飞行，监视并拍摄我们人员的位置。这就是他们的运作模式，无人机确实让这些活动变得更容易。他们也利用无人机走私毒品。”

Collins secures GOP nod in Maine Senate battle that could decide GOP majority

2026-06-09T22:59:02-04:00 / Fox News

Collins challenger Platner faces scrutiny over tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, inflammatory Reddit posts and new allegations

By Paul Steinhauser Fox News

Published June 9, 2026 10:59pm EDT

Asked by Fox News Digital if Democratic Senate challenger Graham Platner is too far to the left, GOP Sen. Susan Collins says ‘I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters.’

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As she runs for a sixth six-year term in the U.S. Senate in left-leaning Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins is now officially her party’s nominee in a crucial race that’s one of a handful across the country that will determine whether Republicans keep control of their slim Senate majority.

Collins can toss the “presumptive nominee” title after formally landing her party’s nomination on Tuesday by running unopposed in Maine’s Senate GOP primary.

As she fights for re-election, the 73-year-old Collins is once again a top target for Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority in this year’s midterms.

“I have been the No. 1 target of Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, not only in this campaign, but the last two campaigns as well. I’m always his No. 1 target,” Collins said in a recent Fox News Digital interview.

SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine tours a food bank in Harrison, Maine, on May 5, 2026. The food bank was able to expand thanks to federal funding that the senator helped obtain.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Facing Collins will be military veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner, the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment, dropped out of the race earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling.

While Collins has focused on her Senate agenda, and on Friday she received bipartisan praise after reaching a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote, Platner has been playing defense amid multiple controversies, ranging from inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, to new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes.

Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder from his four tours of duty in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, has said he’s “been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self-medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend.”

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Graham Platner, the Democrats’ presumptive Senate nominee in Maine, holds an energy event in Ellsworth, Maine, on Monday, May 11, 2026.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

“I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated,” Platner added. “I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine.”

The candidate apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign. Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He said that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. But new allegations raise questions about Platner’s timeline regarding knowledge of the tattoo.

‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN

Platner, who is supported by progressive champions Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Ro Khanna of California, is pushing an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class.

Asked if Platner is too far to the left for voters in her northern New England state, Collins recently told Fox News Digital, “I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters. But, obviously, I don’t take anything for granted.”

Collins said that when it comes to her Democratic challenger’s growing political baggage, “Obviously, I’m going to be contrasting my record of achievement and accomplishments with Graham Platner’s approach.”

An outside political group aligned with the senator has already been blasting Platner, running ads spotlighting his multiple controversies.

Platner, who is running as an outsider, emphasizes that Collins is part of a “broken Washington” and “a generation of politicians who have failed us.”

He has described Collins’ moderate Republican image as a “charade,” highlights her support for some of President Donald Trump’s agenda and accuses her of being part of a political system that benefits the wealthy.

“She and Republican politicians like her have prioritized the interests of billionaires and corporations over people,” he has charged.

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner stand together during a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour stop at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono, Maine, on May 24, 2026.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Republicans — as the party currently in power in Washington, D.C. — were already up against traditional political headwinds that typically lead to a loss of congressional seats. Add to that the challenging climate fueled by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s underwater approval ratings.

Asked how she can overcome the blame pointed at Republicans over the high cost of living, Collins recently told Fox News Digital she’s championed the low-income heating assistance program, which “helps low-income families and seniors stay warm during the cold winter months. I just recently made sure the final tranche of money was released because there is a lot of need in the state of Maine, and the cost of living is high here.”

Collins also emphasized her opposition to cuts “in food stamp benefits and in other programs that are designed for low-income families because I know how important they are.”

The latest public opinion polls point to a competitive contest between Collins and Platner.

But Collins has a history of defeating the Democrats’ efforts to oust her from the Senate.

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Six years ago, she trailed Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, the then-Maine House speaker, but the senator ended up winning re-election by nearly nine points.

Pointing to the expected wave of attack ads targeting her, Collins said, “Fortunately, the people of Maine are smart, and they know lies and distortions when they see it.”

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.

Nevada GOP Gov. Joe Lombardo projected to face Democrat Aaron Ford in one of this year’s most competitive races

June 9, 2026 / 11:56 PM EDT / CBS News

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo won their parties’ primaries in this year’s Nevada gubernatorial race, CBS News projects, setting up the November ballot in one of the races Democrats are targeting.

Ford, who is from Clark County, defeated several primary opponents on Tuesday, with his most formidable challenge coming from progressive Alexis Hill. According to University of Nevada-Las Vegas political science professor Rebecca Gill, Ford had entered the race with name recognition and a structural advantage as the highest-ranking Democrat elected statewide.

Lombardo also defeated multiple primary opponents on Tuesday.

Democrats in the state have already begun zeroing in on Lombardo, and the Democratic Governors’ Association has identified Nevada as one of its top targets.

The Cook Political Report has rated the Nevada gubernatorial race as a toss up.

The November election is expected to be largely a referendum on President Trump, as the state has been hit hard by some of Mr. Trump’s signature policies, including immigration and tariffs. Canadians account for half of Las Vegas’ foreign tourism, which has dropped by 17% in 2025.

Tourism, which accounts for 30% of the region’s jobs, in 2025 declined 7.5% overall, the largest visitor drop outside of the pandemic since 1970, when the city started tracking data.

As attorney general, Ford signed onto more than 40 lawsuits in 2025 against the Trump administration, something that will figure prominently in his effort to unseat Lombardo.

Lombardo told Politico earlier this year that he is “concerned” about reelection.

“Not only because of my re-elect but because of Nevada, right?” Lombardo said. “What’s the proverbial line — all politics are local? It’s no longer that way. What’s happening worldwide, nationally, either we embrace it or we don’t.”

Gill, the political scientist, said Lombardo will have an “uphill battle” in November.

Nevada had voted for Democrats in most presidential elections since 2008, and the state has two Democratic senators. But the state’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, which was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdowns, leading Nevadans to vote Lombardo into office as governor in 2022. Two years later, Mr. Trump won the state by three points.

Voters across 4 states gear up for primaries

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/voters-across-4-states-gear-up-for-key-primaries-ahead-of-2026-midterm-elections/