The 2026 Senate Race Already Attracting Big Attention… and Big Money

The Fox News Rundown

FOX News Podcasts

Politics, Daily News, News

3.4 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 18 August 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In what promises to be a decisive clash for control of the Senate, North Carolina's high-stakes Senate race is shaping up to be one of the most costly of 2026. This next cycle, Republicans will be fighting to preserve their 53– 47 Senate majority. Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley is running for that North Carolina Senate seat; he joins the Rundown to share his outlook on GOP prospects in the midterms, the weight of President Trump's endorsement, and the sharp divide he sees between Republican and Democratic platforms. As acting NASA administrator, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, a strategic initiative he says will be crucial to compete with the growing lunar ambitions from China and Russia. Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine joins the podcast to explore Secretary Duffy's call for American nuclear reactors in space, the evolving legal debate over ownership in space, and why he predicts mining rare metals on the moon will become very lucrative. Plus, commentary from FOX News Digital columnist David Marcus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Brian Kilmead. I'm Martha McCallum. I'm David Asman, and this is the Fox News Rundown.
0:08.1	Monday, August 18th, 2025. I'm Lisa Brady. Control of the U.S. Senate could hinge on a flip or a hold in this 2026 race.
0:18.5	There's no path forward for the Democrats unless they can win in North Carolina.
0:22.6	And this is definitely going to be the marquee race in the entire country.
0:26.8	And I feel very good about our ability to hold this race.
0:30.9	I'm Chris Foster, the race in space.
0:33.9	You know, we need to have a presence on the surface of the moon for really national prestige is among the highest priorities to demonstrate American technological prowess.
0:45.0	And I'm David Marcus. I've got the final word on the Fox News Rundown.
1:17.6	Less than two months after Republican North Carolina Senator Tom Tillis announced he would not seek a third term, the race for his soon-to-be-open seat has taken shape, with some potential candidates moving on, and the two now considered most likely to face each other next November moving in. I want to serve as your next United States Senator because even now, I still believe our best days are ahead of us.
1:19.2	Former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper launching his run in late July with a campaign video calling
1:24.4	this a fragile moment for the country, and warning that decisions made
1:28.0	in the next election will determine whether we even have a middle class in America anymore.
1:33.1	In a recent Emerson College poll, more than half of North Carolina voters surveyed had a favorable
1:37.9	view of the former governor. But no Democrat has won a North Carolina Senate seat since 2008.
1:43.3	In just a few days after Cooper entered
1:45.0	the race, Republican National Committee Chair Michael Watley jumped in.
1:48.8	I know that North Carolina wants to see our economy do better. More jobs created, safer communities,
1:59.0	and a stronger military. And so do I.
2:02.1	When he made that announcement, Watley already had the endorsement of President Trump,
2:06.4	who praised his support of shared priorities and had publicly urged him to run.
2:10.9	An absolutely fantastic response, really from all around the country,
2:14.6	but most importantly, in North Carolina.
	...

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