Joseph Stepansky

Senior Reporter

About the author

Based in Washington, DC, Joseph writes news, features and analysis for aljazeera.com’s Americas desk, with a particular focus on US foreign policy, the shifting state of civil liberties in the US and human rights. Joseph was previously a crime reporter at the New York Daily News before moving to Al Jazeera to report from the Middle East, Africa and, now, the Americas. Joseph won a New York State Associated Press award for his investigation of alleged NYPD abuses. He has also reported extensively on the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh, people affected by extreme weather in Madagascar and on US citizens calling for accountability for family members killed in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Latest Posts

Republican redistricting largely backfired in Texas and beyond, but one redrawn district delivered for the party.

Voters

Democrats celebrate Talarico’s and Hinojosa’s victories, redefining Texas politics after decades of Republican reign.

TOPSHOT - Democratic US Senate candidate James Talarico waves as he celebrates after winning the Texas race during a midterm election night watch party at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas, on November 3, 2026.

Pivotal Texas race for US Senate breaks spending records, with $573.2m poured into Paxton and Talarico campaigns.

Voters line up to cast their ballots in the US midterm elections on Election Day in Austin, Texas, US, November 3, 2026 Mike Segar/Reuters

Partisan redistricting has transformed elections for Black voters in Houston as Democrats seek new pathways to victory.

Worshippers pray at Mount Hebron Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas [Joseph Stepansky/Al Jazeera]

Texas Muslims grapple with a slate of policies they say stigmatise their community, push for change at the ballot box.

Organisers talk to voters

Voters reassess 2024 swing towards Trump as Republicans and Democrats grapple for Rio Grande Valley votes.

Angeles

Border issues helped propel Trump in the Rio Grande Valley in 2024. His deportation policies could bury Republicans.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Poll finds white evangelicals still outpace other demographic groups in supporting Trump, as he rallies right-wing base.

Trump evangelical

The race between the sister of late Senator Lindsey Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews has tightened in deep-red state.

FILE PHOTO: Republican US Senator Darline Graham takes notes before a debate with US Senate Democrat candidate Annie Andrews and US Senate Libertarian candidate Kasie Whitener in Columbia, South Carolina, US, October 11, 2026. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe/File Photo

Republicans and Democrats jockey for control of Congress, which will set course for Trump’s final two years in office.

A man holds a "Vote Blue" sign while sitting in a golf cart during a Democratic rally in The Villages, Florida, US, October 17, 2026. REUTERS/Maria Alejandra Cardona TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

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