GOP Gerrymandering in Florida, Corporate Power in Lakers Dispute, and Alaska Senate Race Highlight Tuesday Primaries
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Tuesday's primaries were dominated by Republican efforts to entrench minority rule in Florida through aggressive gerrymandering, a bizarre Alaska Senate race, and a high-stakes battle over billionaire control of the Lakers.
Voters in Florida, Alaska, and Wyoming went to the polls Tuesday in primaries that could further entrench conservative power and corporate interests in American politics. In Florida, the Republican-dominated legislature pushed through a congressional map designed to steal up to four seats for the GOP, targeting Democratic incumbents and undermining fair representation ahead of the 2026 midterms. The race to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis drew attention as well, with Rep. Byron Donalds—backed by Donald Trump and wealthy Republican donors—emerging as the establishment favorite, highlighting the ongoing influence of right-wing money in state politics.
Alaska’s all-party primary saw incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan face a challenger with the same name, in a spectacle that underscores the dysfunction of the current electoral system. A court fight over ballot access was resolved, but the process exposed the flaws in election administration. Former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola also advanced, offering a glimmer of hope for progressives under Alaska’s top-four primary system, which at least allows for more voices in the general election.
Meanwhile, in a stark example of corporate power struggles, Jeanie Buss, controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, denied reports that her family would sell its remaining 17.8% stake in the franchise. The dispute, involving billionaire investors Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, and majority owner Mark Walter, highlights how elite interests dominate professional sports, with little regard for fans or community. Buss’s lawyer contradicted ESPN’s earlier report, emphasizing the lack of transparency in these high-dollar deals.
Other ballot items included a California primary to replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell and a Wyoming contest that, predictably, drew little national attention due to the state’s small population and conservative lean.
"We have not agreed to sell our remaining stake in the Lakers," Jeanie Buss’s lawyer wrote, underscoring the opaque nature of billionaire negotiations.
In a tragic development, South Carolina authorities confirmed the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, with emergency responders finding her in cardiac arrest. An autopsy showed no trauma, but the cause remains under investigation, raising questions about the pressures faced by public figures.
On the foreign policy front, President Donald Trump continued his reckless saber-rattling, telling Fox News he would "bomb the s--- out of" Oman if it interfered with U.S. interests in the Strait of Hormuz—an irresponsible threat that risks further destabilizing the region amid delicate negotiations between Oman and Iran.
Finally, the day’s news included a House Ethics Committee review of sexual misconduct allegations against Rep. Jimmy Gomez and a temporary halt by the administration on a destructive border wall project in Texas’s Big Bend National Park, a small but welcome reprieve for the environment.