Federal investigators are examining suspicious letters mailed to election offices and Democratic senators nationwide, some carrying unknown powder, less than three weeks before the midterms.

The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said they are looking into the mailings after state election offices and congressional offices reported envelopes with unknown substances. CBS News reported the letters reached addresses across the country, including secretary of state offices and related election offices.

Top election officials in at least eight states reported suspicious packages in recent days. At least six Democratic Senate offices were sent letters as well, and most of those were intercepted before delivery.

No motive has been stated. No arrests have been announced. Field tests in several states found no hazardous material, and officials said no one was injured.

Postal inspectors and the FBI open a joint probe

U.S. Postal Inspection Service Deputy Chief Inspector Brendan Donahue told reporters some letters contained an unknown substance and went to various addresses nationwide. Federal officials are working to identify who is responsible and have already intercepted some of the mail.

Donahue declined to give an exact number of incidents or say whether the mailings are connected, citing the open investigation.

"We are committed to protecting our nation's election officials from threatening and dangerous mail. Any threat or attack on an election official is unacceptable,"

Donahue said. He added that partners including the FBI “will bring all of our resources to bear on these investigations.”

The Senate sergeant at arms issued a notice to congressional staff that offices were among those who received the suspicious letters. The House sergeant at arms sent a separate notice stating that no House members were known to have been targeted.

Democratic senators among the intended targets

Fox News reported that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office was an intended target of a mysterious envelope containing an unknown substance, confirmed by a source familiar with the matter. Fellow Democrats Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Alex Padilla of California were also informed their offices had been sent suspicious letters.

Schumer’s office has drawn heavy attention in other recent fights on technology and regulation, including when OpenAI hired Chuck Schumer’s daughter as Congress weighed AI rules.

A spokesman for Murphy, Josh Sorbe, said the office was told promptly and that safety protocols worked.

"Our office was promptly informed of the letter by FBI, SAA, and Capitol Police, and we continue to work closely with them and federal law enforcement,"

Sorbe said. He added that “the Senator and staff were not in immediate danger.”

A spokesperson for Padilla said the FBI notified the office that one location was mailed a letter containing a suspicious substance, but the U.S. Postal Service intercepted it before delivery.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s office in New York City was among the locations where a letter meant for her was found, with postal inspectors on the scene. Delaware Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Chris Coons also had offices tied to the suspicious mail, with staff saying they were working with law enforcement.

Readers who follow Senate Democrats on other fights will recognize the same cast of players who appear when Democrats block energy and infrastructure bills in closely watched votes.

State election offices report white powder and evacuations

The pattern hit election administrators as well. Delaware’s Department of Elections said on X that staff “received and opened a letter which was discovered to contain a white powdery substance” and that workers followed security and USPS instructions on handling suspicious mail.

Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry said an employee in the Elections Division opened a package and found white powder. She wrote on Facebook that law enforcement responded and ran tests.

"Law enforcement responded to today's incident and conducted tests that found no evidence of harmful substances,"

Landry stated.

In Oklahoma, the State Election Board received an envelope containing “suspicious” white powder on Tuesday morning. The office was evacuated. Secretary of the State Election Board Paul Ziriax said no one was hurt and that law enforcement is investigating.

Wisconsin’s Elections Commission received a “suspicious mail piece” on Wednesday. Field testing confirmed no hazardous material was detected.

Secretaries of state in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Mississippi also reported that suspicious mail was sent to their offices. In those cases, deliveries were intercepted by the Postal Service or law enforcement before arrival.

Federal investigators probed a similar series of suspicious letters ahead of the 2024 elections. The new wave arrives with little time left on the clock before voters head to the polls.

Threats against election workers demand a full accounting

Election officials keep the machinery of voting running. They certify results, manage ballots, and absorb pressure from every side. Mailing powder, even powder that later tests clean, forces evacuations, pulls law enforcement off other work, and puts frontline staff at risk of panic and exposure.

Congressional offices face the same problem. Safety protocols and interceptions limited the damage this time. That does not make the mailings acceptable.

Schumer remains a central figure in Democratic leadership fights that extend well beyond the Capitol mailroom, from technology policy to family business ties such as when Chuck Schumer’s daughter led Amazon’s lobbying against a New York City delivery worker bill.

Other Senate Democrats under the same media microscope, including coverage of how Fetterman’s renegade image collides with party-line votes, show how quickly attention shifts when the minority party’s ranks are tested.

Donahue’s message was plain: threats against election officials are unacceptable, and the Postal Inspection Service and FBI intend to use their full resources. Taxpayers and lawful voters have every right to expect that promise to be kept, with names, charges, and a clear public record when the evidence is ready.

Election integrity starts with secure ballots and secure people. Whoever mailed this powder wanted fear. The proper answer is arrests, not excuses.