Many Democrats left House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' annual California fundraising event last week convinced Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is running for president, according to four attendees.

• 🍷 Jeffries' event at the luxury Lodge at Torrey Pines is the successor to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi's wine-soaked summer donor party in Napa, California.

Why it matters: Democrats lapped up the message from the two-term governor, who told big dollar donors and vulnerable House Dems that the key to winning over Trump voters is staying true to your values.

• Beshear's biggest applause line came when he explained why he vetoed a bill in 2023, when he was up for reelection, that restricted some medical care and bathroom use for transgender people.
• Beshear called it "the nastiest anti-trans bills in the nation — and I vetoed it," according to attendees.
• "There are some things worth losing over," Beshear, who went on to win by five percentage points, said.

Zoom out: Democrats are eager to find candidates — and messages — that they think will appeal to voters in red and blue states.

• Both Beshear and Jeffries spoke of the importance of authenticity and using words that voters actually use.
• Don't be afraid to say "addiction," Beshear said, when discussing the opioid crisis.

Zoom in: In both public and private conversations, the looming mid-cycle redistricting battle was frequently discussed. Democrats promised their donors that they would respond to GOP gerrymander efforts.

• "We are working on an aggressive plan to make sure we fight fire with fire on redistricting," according to a member of Congress in attendance.

In addition to Jeffries, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar attended, along with roughly a dozen "Frontline" lawmakers and some California members as well.

• After Beshear's Friday night fireside chat with Jeffries, donors got a political update from DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene and Mike Smith, the president of the House Majority PAC, which can accept unlimited donations.
• Jared Bernstein, Biden's former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and Wally Adeyemo, Biden's deputy treasury secretary, provided an economic overview.
• Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, and Susan Rice, one of his domestic policy advisers, discussed foreign affairs and immigration.

Between the lines: Beshear adviser Eric Hyers told Axios: "Andy knows how critical it is that Democrats take back the House next year and was happy to join Leader Jeffries for a conversation about how Democrats can win tough elections."

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— Hans Nichols

President Trump has added an unsolicited, high-profile confirmation fight to the Senate's plate when they're back from August recess.

Why it matters: With a 140+ person backlog on civilian confirmations, Senate Republicans left Washington vowing to fast-track the rules.

• Senate GOP leaders told senators to be ready to move as soon as they return to D.C. in September, sources familiar tell us.
• Senators have suggested everything from shorter debate time to allowing more nominees to be voted on en bloc.

🌶 But the newest nominee's a doozy: Trump said yesterday he'll nominate Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics after he fired Erika McEntarfer.

• Antoni is already sparking concern by suggesting suspending BLS's monthly jobs report.
• Economists left and right are panning his qualifications.

Zoom in: Antoni's confirmation process will first have to go through the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee which is chaired by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.)

• Cassidy called McEntarfer's removal "understandable," and he had previously demanded answers as to why BLS's jobs reports were inaccurate. He's also up for re-election next year.
• But HELP includes frequent Trump critics: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Me.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
• "BLS's years-long failure to produce reliable data — especially when that data has broad market-moving implications — is unacceptable," a Cassidy spokesperson told Axios. "Cassidy looks forward to meeting with Dr. Antoni to discuss how he will accomplish this."

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— Stef Kight

House Speaker Mike Johnson kicked off the week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, joining Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) for discussion on the "big, beautiful bill" today.

• Guests included Palantir CEO Alex Karp, Katherine Boyle of Andreessen Horowitz, House Homeland Security Chair Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.).
• NRCC Chair Richard Hudson and CLF President Chris Winkelman also discussed 2026 midterm elections.

— Stef Kight

100+ events: Senate Democrats had a busy first week of their summer recess.

• The events included town halls, hospital visits and huddles with small business owners, along with visits to food banks.

Why it matters: The hyper-local focus pushed by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer gives Senate Dems an opportunity to build a brand and reputation that is independent of the deeply unpopular national party.

• Schumer wants his caucus to localize the impact of policies Trump and the Republican Congress have embraced in Washington — specifically cuts to health care, tariffs, rising energy costs and tax cuts for the wealthy.

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— Stephen Neukam