President Donald Trump's campaign to politically punish Republicans who stand in his way moves through Indiana on Tuesday, when seven state senators face Trump-backed primary challengers.
In neighboring Ohio, primaries for U.S. Senate and governor will lock in the candidates for two major races with national implications.
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Jason Tunney, Republican candidate for the 35th Senate District, speaks with supporters at Otherside Bar and Grill Monday, April 27, 2026, in Freeland, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Chedrick Greene, Democratic candidate for the 35th Senate District, speaks with Juanita Foxx at a rally Monday, April 27, 2026, in Saginaw, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown speaks to supporters during a campaign event ahead of primary elections at the Paladin Brewery in Austintown, Ohio, Thursday, April, 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy greets supporters before the Warren County Republicans Lincoln Day Dinner at the Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Donald Trump talks with small business owners in the Grand Foyer of the White House, Monday, May 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
And in Michigan, voters in a bellwether district will fill a vacancy in the state Senate, a race with implications for the balance of power in a battleground state.
Here's what to watch for.
Trump is taking aim at seven Republican state senators in Indiana who opposed his plan to redraw congressional district boundaries to help the party gain seats in the U.S. House.
Groups allied with the president have spent more than $8.3 million on advertising, an extraordinary flood of cash and attention into races that are typically low profile.
The races are a test of Trump's enduring grip over his party as Republicans grow increasingly anxious about the midterm elections in November.
The results will signal to Republicans everywhere about how high a price they'll pay with their voters if they distance themselves from Trump even as his popularity fades. And it will show the president whether he can still credibly threaten consequences for Republicans who cross him.
The Trump-targeted state senators all represent districts he carried in 2024, mostly by 20 percentage points or more.
The key races to watch are in the 1st, 11th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, 38th and 41st districts, respectively.
The state's primary is the wind-up to the big show. Although Ohio has become increasingly conservative, Democrats believe their path back to a U.S. Senate majority runs through the state.
They're putting their hopes behind former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost Ohio's other Senate seat to Bernie Moreno in 2024.
He's expected to face off with Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed last year to fill the vacancy created when JD Vance became vice president.
The race is a special election to fill the last two years of Vance's term.
In the campaign for governor, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has parlayed his national name recognition, tech industry connections and alliance with Trump into a record fundraising haul. He's largely ignoring Republican rival Casey Putsch, focusing his rallies and television ads on the general election.
An engineer and vehicle designer who calls himself “The Car Guy,” Putsch has attracted fans with provocative YouTube videos that troll Ramaswamy and criticize national Republicans over their handling of the Epstein files, positions on energy-guzzling data centers and support for Israel.
Amy Acton, Ohio's former public health director, is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. She played a key role in the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The special election for a state Senate seat in central Michigan carries outsized importance.
It's another test of enthusiasm in a series of special elections that have swung almost universally toward Democrats since Trump returned to the White House. It also could affect the balance of power in the Michigan State Capitol. A Democratic victory would give the party a firm majority in the state Senate, while a Republican win would deadlock the chamber in a 19-19 tie.
The district is closely matched. Democrat Kamala Harris beat Trump there by less than 1 point in the 2024 presidential election.
The seat has been vacant for more than a year, since Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet resigned to take a seat in Congress.
Democrats are showing surprising strength in special elections and off-year contests across the country, winning races in unexpected places and significantly narrowing the gap, even when they fall short.
There's no guarantee the trend will continue through the midterms, when turnout will be much higher, but it has nonetheless energized Democrats and spooked Republicans worried about keeping their congressional majorities.
Jason Tunney, Republican candidate for the 35th Senate District, speaks with supporters at Otherside Bar and Grill Monday, April 27, 2026, in Freeland, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Chedrick Greene, Democratic candidate for the 35th Senate District, speaks with Juanita Foxx at a rally Monday, April 27, 2026, in Saginaw, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown speaks to supporters during a campaign event ahead of primary elections at the Paladin Brewery in Austintown, Ohio, Thursday, April, 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy greets supporters before the Warren County Republicans Lincoln Day Dinner at the Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Donald Trump talks with small business owners in the Grand Foyer of the White House, Monday, May 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
New York (AP) — Whether dressed in a jewel-encrusted skeletal form, sculpted breast plates or anatomy-evoking trompe l’oeil, Met Gala guests physically evoked the theme “fashion is art” Monday evening as they masterfully pulled from a kaleidoscope of references to embody living works of art.
“Everyone who attended the Met Gala this year really leaned into fashion is art, using your body as a canvas, and that really came across in some of the best-dressed looks of the night,” said Kevin Huynh, fashion director of InStyle.
Fashionable A-listers gave into the theme and had fun with it. First-time Met Gala attendees included actors Chase Infiniti and Hudson Williams, as well as Olympian Alysa Liu, all of whom commanded the carpet in dramatic ensembles. Infiniti, for example, donned an enchanting Thom Browne sequined gown using trompe l’oeil to depict the female form.
Meanwhile, Met Gala mega stars and repeat attendees rose to the occasion: Vogue red-carpet correspondent Emma Chamberlain playfully dressed in a dramatic long-sleeved gown that appeared dipped in a rainbow of color from indigo to the brightest yellow-gold. And after 10 years of skipping the Gala, Beyoncé arrived to reclaim her throne, wearing a glittering crown and radiant Olivier Rousteing silver gown designed in the shape of a skeleton.
Maybe it was the theme or something in the air, but Met Gala guests ran with the dress code, embracing color, sculpture and a plethora of artistic references from Gustav Klimt and John Singer Sargent to the Winged Goddess of Samothrace.
Madonna even delivered performance art on the carpet, arriving with seven women carrying her cape, which was attached to her pirate-ship headpiece in reference to a painting by Leonora Carrington.
“The Met Gala has finally settled the question of ‘Is fashion art?’” said Nancy Hall-Duncan, an art historian and author of “Art X Fashion: Fashion Inspired by Art. “It is, according to the Met Gala, Anna Wintour and Andrew Bolton.”
For Lynette Nylander, executive digital director of Harper’s Bazaar, there were wins from Infiniti to Cardi B, though some guests steered more toward costume than couture. Heidi Klum, for example, arrived in full costume as a statue.
“It was the kind of loudest Met Gala that we’ve seen in a while, probably since the ‘Camp’ theme,” Nylander said. “It felt very ostentatious."
Despite all the artistic opportunities to draw from, some celebrities chose sophisticated all-black looks instead of color. Zoë Kravitz and Connor Storrie both wore black custom Yves Saint Laurent.
Yet the examples in solid black only amplified the more colorful ensembles, like Chamberlain's hand-painted Mugler dress with cascading fringe sleeves and a spiral deep rainbow train.
“It looked like an artist’s palette and it’s just stunning, colorful and interesting,” Hall-Duncan said. “This isn’t addressing a specific painting. It’s addressing the whole concept of color in artistic work.”
Artistic illusions of the body stood out throughout the night, with celebrities playing with the dress code and the “Costume Art” exhibit inside the Metropolitan Museum, which examines the dressed body and thematic body types.
Naomi Osaka wowed in a white Robert Wun overcoat featuring tiny slits that allowed a glimpse of her sparkling red dress underneath. In a dazzling red carpet moment, Osaka removed the overcoat to reveal a two-toned red gown with the human anatomy beaded into the dress. Nylander said designer Wun was one of several independent designers who dominated the carpet, dressing stars including the tennis pro and singer Lisa.
Actor Jeremy Pope was on theme for the menswear look of the night. Pope sported a Vivienne Westwood corseted jacket filled in with pearls in the shape of a chest.
And fashion darling Colman Domingo is never one to disappoint with his menswear attire.
“He was wearing a Valentino look that was color blocked in these beautiful tulle squares that were really reminiscent of Pablo Picasso’s harlequin paintings,” Huynh said. "I thought that was such a clever way to tap into the artistic side of things, whereas Hudson Williams, hot off all the ‘Heated Rivalry’ madness, wore a matador-inspired look that really harkened back to Cristóbal Balenciaga's Spanish roots.”
Several Olympians hit gold twice for taking risks with their looks. Bubbles filled the carpet as Olympian free style skier Eileen Gu walked up the steps in her mini Iris van Herpen dress covered with bubbles. Lindsey Vonn made a surprise appearance following multiple surgeries after a fracture took her out of the Winter Olympics.
Other athletes on the carpet included NFL players Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson.
NFL Fashion Editor Kyle Smith, who dressed Burrow in a custom navy Bode look, said the Met Gala allows athletes to shine off the field.
“It’s this opportunity to express yourself and when you put on your uniform and your helmet, you’re part of a team and you’re working toward this really big shared goal,” he said. “But when you’re dressing for the tunnel or any red carpet event, it’s an opportunity to express themselves and show their identity.”
The night's fashion put a spotlight on some underlying politics: Billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos sponsored the gala and exhibit and served as honorary chairs, prompting some protests and a few absences.
Their involvement added another layer of interest in some of the fashion choices of the night. Actor Sarah Paulson arrived in a Matières Fécales gray tulle gown from their collection titled “The One Percent," which she accessorized with a $1 bill mask covering her eyes.
Chase Infiniti departs The Mark Hotel prior to attending The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
Naomi Osaka arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Naomi Osak arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Chase Infiniti arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Emma Chamberlain arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Jay-Z, from left, Beyoncé, and, Blue Ivy Carter arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
