Some Republican candidates are quietly distancing themselves from President Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has asked the state Supreme Court on Tuesday to remove from office a top state lawmaker he called the “ringleader” of Democrats who left the state to block a vote on a new congressional voting map pushed by President Donald Trump.

Candidates who have to play to their party’s base during primaries or nominating conventions often shift toward the center when the time comes to seek support from a wider range of voters for the general election.

A Michigan election board has approved a November ballot question on whether the state should expand opportunities to vote.

The Michigan Bureau of Elections has recommended approval of a ballot initiative that seeks to enshrine abortion rights into the state’s constitution after a review of the campaign's petition signatures.

Abortion rights are poised to come before Michigan voters in November after an abortion rights campaign turned in a record-breaking number of signatures for a ballot initiative.