Five Important Political Stories for America [OPINION]

There are lots of important political changes going on around America that are important for you to know.

1. The Democrats rightfully celebrated when their candidate, Doug Jones, won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama in a special election. The seat, formerly held by now U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, flipped from Republican to Democrat until at least 2021. The biggest issue in the U.S. Senate is the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. This lifetime appointment of a conservative judge is a dagger into the heart of the liberal movement and their allies in the Senate. Now Democrat Senator Doug Jones is indicating he may break with his party and vote for President Trump's choice. He wants to stay in the Senate, and he has to serve his state and have a reason for the conservative voters of Alabama to support him over a Republican challenger like Congressman Bradley Byrne in 2020.

2. The Montana U.S. Senate race is one of the most important races in the country. The seat is currently held by Democrat Jon Tester and he is facing a strong challenge from Montana State Auditor Matt Rosendale. The pressure on Tester to win reelection in November may force him to break party ranks and support Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Vice President Mike Pence was out in Montana campaigning for Rosendale and adding to the pressure on Tester to support Kavanaugh in the Senate. President Donald Trump has been to the state to campaign, and his son Donald Trump, Jr. has also gone out to Montana to support his father's agenda and the GOP.

3. Missouri voters are being asked to decide if they want to become a "right to work" state, or continue to give unions the legal right to represent all workers on specific projects. Missouri is a battleground state for control of the U.S. Senate this year, and this ballot question has the potential to split union workers (not the left-leaning union bureaucrats who slavishly vote Democrat) from the Trump's GOP. The question of union representation is on the state ballot in August, and the results could influence the turnout and motivations of voters in November.

4. With all of the discussion focused on the House and Senate elections in November, the elections of state governors has been pushed aside. The Republican Party is defending nine seats that are currently considered toss-ups or favor the Democrats. State governors control massive budgets and power and are the backbone of both political parties. Today there are 33 Republican governors and 16 Democrat governors. Of the endangered nine seats currently held by the GOP, seven don't have an incumbent using the power of the office to seek re-election. The Democrats have no danger of losing a single gubernatorial seat this year.

5. There is a serious effort by movement conservatives to derail the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and it is being mostly ignored by the media. The effort is principled and is lead by experienced operatives who are too hardened to be intimidated or bribed off their position. These veteran conservatives understand the Senate, and are looking to convince a single conservative Senator to oppose Kavanaugh. That would cause a complete collapse of support for the nominee among conservatives, as well as the Democrats who are feeling pressure to vote with Trump to save their own job in the Senate.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.