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Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ed Hale switches parties, launches long-shot Republican campaign for governor of Maryland
BALTIMORE — Ed Hale Sr., who previously announced a Democratic gubernatorial campaign, said Wednesday that he is now running as a Republican, acknowledging he is unlikely to defeat Gov. Wes Moore in a primary race. Political analysts say he may face an uphill climb in the Republican primary, too — especially if a former governor gets into the race. 'There's no way I could win [in a] run against Wes Moore with that machine he's got,' Hale said at a campaign event at Canton Waterfront Park — the former site of his trucking business. 'He takes all of the money and oxygen out of the room. I can't do it.' Hale said his decision to re-launch his campaign as a Republican came after consulting Gonzales Research, a Maryland polling firm. '…[T]his may not matter, because his name recognition is low with voters,' Roger Hartley, the Dean of the University of Baltimore's College of Public Affairs, said in an interview with The Baltimore Sun. As of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Hale was a registered Democrat. He has yet to officially file his candidacy with the Maryland State Board of Elections. Some political analysts say the party flip could harm Hale, the owner of the Baltimore Blast soccer team and former CEO of First Mariner Bank, among Republican voters, especially since two former Maryland governors — Republicans Bob Ehrlich and Larry Hogan — are rumored to be considering running in 2026. Hogan teased a run last week in a social media post, suggesting it might be time to get his campaign RV back on the road. Asked if he's concerned that voters will question his loyalty because of his party flip, Hale said, 'I don't care' and that his record as a businessman 'speaks for itself.' 'I have voted for Bob Ehrlich, I have voted for Larry Hogan. I voted for people like this, and that's the way that I am,' he said. 'I want to vote for the winner.' Regarding the potential for Hogan and Ehrlich to join the race, Hale said, 'Let's have at it. Let's have a contest.' Hartley said that, unless the Maryland Republican Party recruits a national candidate to run, most — if not all — candidates in the primary will be people with little-to-no name recognition if Hogan opts out of the race. But, should the former popular Republican governor choose to run for his old seat, the chances of anyone besting him in the primary are slim, Hartley said. 'I would go out on a limb and say, unless they find a massive scandal, it would probably be one of the biggest political upsets in Maryland history if anybody beat Larry Hogan [in a Republican primary], and it would be celebrated as such by those who won,' he said. 'He's near the finish line before he even gets started.' Hale said, should that competitive primary race come to fruition, he would not re-file as an independent, stating that he's 'never heard of an independent winning anything.' Flavio Hickel, an assistant professor of political science at Washington College, said that the party flip is likely to hurt Hale in the primary among voters who may think he has no actual platform, regardless of who ends up running. 'There's no universe where that doesn't come out in a primary,' said Hickel. 'Any Republican running is going to throw that out in a primary.' Hale blasted Moore on Wednesday for the national attention he has received, alleging that the current governor has his eye on the presidency rather than maintaining his position as the state's chief executive. Despite numerous national appearances and political events frequented by presidential primary candidates, Moore has stated several times that he is not running for president in 2028. 'He said he's not running for president, but that's not true,' Hale said Wednesday. 'I think everybody knows about that, and he should be called out for that. I'm here to be the governor of the state of Maryland.' In response to Hale's allegations, Sam Newton, the communications director for the National Governors Association, called him an 'an out-of-touch Republican candidate' who realized that 'running in a Democratic primary was nothing more than a bizarre fantasy.' 'No matter who jumps into this race, Marylanders across party lines will want to keep moving forward with Gov. Moore's strong and popular leadership, which includes cutting taxes for the middle class, turning a $3 billion budget deficit into a surplus and bringing homicides in Baltimore to a 50-year low,' Newton said. Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready doesn't see Moore's record the same way, saying the governor's plans run counter to his goal of growing the state's economy. 'The people he's raised taxes the most on are the people who are the actual small business owners and business/capital investors. They'll just pull back and/or locate elsewhere taking their money and job creation capabilities with them,' he said. Hartley said that, in deep blue Maryland, it would take a significant number of voters to think Moore's potential presidential candidacy is bad for Maryland for it to truly impact his reelection campaign. 'Certainly it will be a narrative, but will it be an effective narrative?' Hartley asked. Hale also lambasted Moore for 'poking the bear,' or publicly clashing with President Donald Trump. Moore and Trump have clashed over policy and ideology, with the governor most recently bashing Trump's deployment of members of the U.S. National Guard to suppress crime in Washington, D.C. In a video posted to his non-official X account last week, Moore, a combat veteran, called Trump's deployment of military personnel in U.S. cities for policing purposes a 'performative decision.' 'Our military, we were trained to fight and win our nation's wars, and our National Guards are trained to respond when states are seeing times of emergency or crises — not to perform municipal policing functions,' Moore said. Hale said Wednesday that he is 'not a Trump guy,' but would work with the president should he be elected. He blamed the uncertainty of the future FBI headquarters location on Moore's relationship with the president. 'It's gotten to the point where Donald Trump said in the press, 'Why am I going to go to a liberal state like Maryland? We're just going to get a building in D.C. and we're going to fix it up,' said Hale. 'You have to have some pragmatism and common sense just to keep this so that you know you're going to be doing the right thing to make jobs in the state of Maryland.' Hale disclosed Wednesday that he met Trump in his former role as the co-chair of the Miss USA pageant when it was hosted in Baltimore. Hale additionally denigrated the Democratic Party in Maryland, which holds a supermajority in the state legislature and, alongside Moore, raised taxes and implemented new fees to close a nearly $3 billion budget deficit during the 2025 legislative session. Hale said that, before deciding to run for governor, he was considering leaving the state of Maryland for New Hampshire because he 'can't stand the taxes and the governance.' 'I changed my mind because I thought, to abandon ship right now, I don't think I'd ever really be able to live with myself — and I'd miss my family,' he said. ---------------
The Hill
27 minutes ago
- The Hill
Texas GOP poised to pass new map
TEXAS REPUBLICANS are on the brink of passing newly drawn congressional maps to help the GOP win more House seats in the 2026 midterm elections after a grueling political battle that sparked a redistricting arms race across the country. The Texas state House convened Wednesday morning with plans to vote on a new bill to implement the map, which could help House Republicans win five more seats next year. The final vote had been delayed by several weeks after Texas Democrats fled the state to deny the legislature a quorum. The drama has continued since the Democrats returned this week, with public safety officers following the lawmakers around to ensure they don't skip town again. Several Democrats slept in the legislative chambers rather than be followed by law enforcement. NBC News reports Texas Republicans expedited the procedural process to bring up the final vote, which could happen as early as Wednesday evening. Once passed by the House, the bill will go to the state Senate, where it passed in the previous special session. From there, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) plans to sign it into law. There is little Texas Democrats can do to stop the bill's passage by the GOP majority, although they're trying to throw up roadblocks. Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu introduced an amendment that would allow a new House map to take effect only after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly releases files related to Jeffrey Epstein. State Rep. Chris Turner (D) proposed an amendment seeking to nullify the new map by arguing it violates the Voting Rights Act. That's not the only political fight happening in Texas. State Attorney General Ken Paxton 's lead over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Senate Republican primary has been cut in half, according to a new survey from Texas Southern University's Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center. MEANWHILE IN CALIFORNIA… Republicans are suing to stop Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) from calling a special election to vote on new gerrymandered maps favorable to Democrats. California Democrats unveiled their newly drawn congressional maps on Tuesday, with the aim of picking up five House seats in 2026. Former President Obama praised Newsom's efforts at a Tuesday fundraiser on Martha's Vineyard. 'I believe that Gov. Newsom's approach is a responsible approach,' Obama said, according to remarks obtained by The Associated Press. 'He said this is going to be responsible. We're not going to try to completely maximize it. We're only going to do it if and when Texas and/or other Republican states begin to pull these maneuvers. Otherwise, this doesn't go into effect.' Newsom has grabbed the national spotlight for his retaliatory redistricting efforts and for co-opting President Trump 's style on his social media accounts. The Hill's Amie Parnes writes: 'In an effort to egg Trump on — and rally his own troops in the Democratic Party — Newsom has taken a page from Trump's playbook, mirroring everything from the president's rants to his social media habits cover.' Newsom is winning the attention wars, getting loads of media coverage that has helped propel him to the top of the Democratic presidential primary polls. A new survey from Politico finds Newsom at 25 percent support in California, followed by former Vice President Harris at 19 percent, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 13 percent and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) at 10 percent. Many Democrats are thrilled to see Newsom fighting Trump. 'Standing up for Dem values doesn't mean you have to play by the old rules, and Newsom in particular is showing he'll go as low as he needs to to take on Trump,' said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons. Still, Newsom's style has not been well-received everywhere. 'The Democrats are trying to find their footing and it's quite embarrassing, actually,' MSNBC host Joe Scarborough said Wednesday. 'Gavin Newsom, have you see what he's doing online? It's like, take a deep breath. Don't try to turn the ship 180 degrees. They don't know what to do. I have a good idea, instead of trying to school Donald Trump, talk into the camera about affordability. Talk about making groceries more affordable. Talk about what you'll do for housing. Talk about what you'd do for energy prices which keep going up.' MORE POLITICS… • The Democratic Party is facing a registration crisis, according to a new analysis from The New York Times: 'Of the 30 states that track voter registration by political party, Democrats lost ground to Republicans in every single one between the 2020 and 2024 elections — and often by a lot. That four-year swing toward the Republicans adds up to 4.5 million voters, a deep political hole that could take years for Democrats to climb out from.' • The Wall Street Journal reports that Elon Musk is pumping the brakes on launching his independent political party, in part because he's developed a friendship with Vice President Vance and might support his potential presidential campaign in 2028. 💡 Perspectives: • Washington Examiner: Is socialism as popular as the media think? • New Republic: Dem establishment's shunning of Mamdani is disqualifying. • New York Post: Newsom's desperate bid to claim the 'new Trump' mantle. • Racket: What's the point of selling Fannie and Freddie? • After Babel: We are rushing into the same mistakes with social media. Read more: • Trump's war on mail-in voting could boomerang on GOP. • Pesticides test MAHA-MAGA alliance. • Trump targets museums as last remaining segment of 'woke'. • Philanthropic organizations commit $37M to fund public media stations. • Education Department threatens funding for Northern Virginia schools over trans student policies. CATCH UP QUICK A federal judge rejected the Trump administration's bid to unseal grand jury materials used to charge disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein with sex trafficking, instead saying the government is the 'logical party' to make any sweeping disclosures. A federal judge tossed a defamation lawsuit against Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) filed after she took to the House floor to accuse a man of being a predator. Bed, Bath & Beyond Chairman Marcus Lemonis announced Wednesday the store will no longer open retail stores in California, saying, 'This isn't about politics — it's about reality.' The Trump administration launched its first TikTok account, even as the fate of the social media app in the U.S. remains unclear. US, allies meet on Ukraine security guarantees U.S. and NATO military officials met Wednesday as they sought to hash out an agreement that provides Ukraine with future security guarantees against Russian aggression. 'Great, candid discussion among NATO Chiefs of Defence, today,' Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, NATO's military chief, posted on X. 'We are united, and that unity was truly tangible today, as always,' he added. President Trump has opened the door to U.S. involvement in securing Ukraine, although he's ruled out NATO membership and U.S. boots on the ground. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading the U.S. efforts on Ukrainian security. NBC News reports that Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hosted several European Chiefs of Defense on Tuesday evening to discuss the matter. Trump reportedly called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban this week to to win his support for Ukraine to join the European Union (EU). However, Russia said Wednesday that discussions around Ukrainian security guarantees are a 'road to nowhere' unless Moscow is involved in the talks. 'This will not work,' said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. A day earlier, Lavrov signaled Moscow would slow-walk a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, even as the White House says Putin already agreed to it. The Trump administration is working to secure the meeting between the two leaders, with Trump set to join a trilateral meeting, if that goes well. 'I thought it would be better if they met without me, just to see,' Trump said in an interview on 'The Mark Levin Show.' 'I want to see what goes on. You know, they had a hard relationship, very bad, very bad relationship.' Meanwhile, the summits Trump has been holding have put his threats of new sanctions against Russia on ice. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) posted on X earlier this week that Congress is ready to pass sanctions if Trump says the word. Israel is preparing to take over Gaza City. 'I instruct you to use all tools and all power to strike the enemy until it is subdued, and to protect I.D.F. soldiers,' Defense Minister Israel Katz told troops in a statement released by the military. The Wall Street Journal reports that Israel called up 60,000 reservists ahead of the invasion. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a new ceasefire proposal that Hamas has reportedly agreed to. In the interview with Levin, Trump described both himself and Netanyahu as war heroes. 'Bibi is a good man. He's in there fighting. He's fighting. You know, they're trying to put him in jail on top of everything else. How about that?' Trump said. 'He's a war hero, because we work together. He's a war hero. I guess I am, too.' The Trump administration announced Wednesday it would impose sanctions on four members of the International Criminal Court, saying they are engaged in efforts to unjustly 'investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute' Americans and Israelis. 💡 Perspectives: • New York Post: Trump redefines what it means to be commander-in-chief. • The Guardian: There is no Trump doctrine. Only chaos. • The Australian: Albanese's Palestine call comes at worst time for allies. • The Hill: Palestinians deserve a state. • BIG: Data centers aren't the main villain behind higher electric bills. Roundup: Trump officials probe DC crime stats The Justice Department launched an investigation into Washington, D.C. 's crime reporting data after Trump accused local officials of understating the severity of crime in the nation's capital. The investigation comes amid the president's surge of troops in D.C. for what he's described as a public safety emergency. The District's own crime data shows a decline in crime following a spike in 2023. Last month, a D.C. police commander was suspended for allegedly manipulating data to make it seem that crime had fallen. A new poll finds that a strong majority of residents in Washington oppose Trump's takeover of the police department. Still, the Trump administration is relishing the fight. Vice President Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller visited Union Station on Wednesday to meet with National Guard troops stationed there. Miller railed against what he called 'stupid white hippies' who were at Union Station protesting the crackdown. Vance praised what he described as progress in cleaning up the historic train hub. 'I think Union Station is a great example of what's possible when you actually have the political willpower to bring law and order and common decency back to the public spaces of the United States of America,' he said. • Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence officials, many of them from the Biden administration. 'Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right,' Gabbard posted on X. 'Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the interests of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold. In doing so, they undermine our national security, the safety and security of the American people and the foundational principles of our democratic republic.' Gabbard previously revoked clearances for former President Biden, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), among others. • Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, created a legal defense fund as he prepares to fight a Trump administration investigation into the purchase of his Maryland home. Trump has accused Schiff of illegally obtaining favorable lending terms. Schiff denies the allegations. 'It's clear that Donald Trump and his MAGA allies will continue weaponizing the justice process to attack Senator Schiff for holding this corrupt administration accountable,' Marisol Samayoa, a spokesperson for Schiff, said in a statement. 'This fund will ensure he can fight back against these baseless smears while continuing to do his job.' • Trump on Wednesday called for the resignation Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook following allegations by the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) that she committed mortgage fraud. FHFA Director William Pulte wrote on social media Wednesday morning that Cook had designated two of her houses as her primary residences. 'Lisa D. Cook, committed mortgage fraud by designating her out-of-state condo as her primary residence, just two weeks after taking a loan on her Michigan home where she also declared it as her primary residence,' he said. Trump called for Cook to step down shortly after.
New York Post
27 minutes ago
- New York Post
Obama says Newsom's Calif. redistricting plan is ‘responsible' as Texas GOP pushes new maps
Former President Barack Obama has waded into states' efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agrees with California Gov. Gavin Newsom's response to alter his state's congressional maps, in the way of Texas redistricting efforts promoted by President Donald Trump aimed at shoring up Republicans' position in next year's elections. 'I believe that Gov. Newsom's approach is a responsible approach. He said this is going to be responsible. We're not going to try to completely maximize it,' Obama said at a Tuesday fundraiser on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, according to excerpts obtained by The Associated Press. 'We're only going to do it if and when Texas and/or other Republican states begin to pull these maneuvers. Otherwise, this doesn't go into effect.' While noting that 'political gerrymandering' is not his 'preference,' Obama said that, if Democrats 'don't respond effectively, then this White House and Republican-controlled state governments all across the country, they will not stop, because they do not appear to believe in this idea of an inclusive, expansive democracy.' Advertisement 3 Former President Barack Obama speaks to attendees at the Obama Foundation Democracy Forum on November 03, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Getty Images According to organizers, the event raised $2 million for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and its affiliates, one of which has filed and supported litigation in several states over GOP-drawn districts. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Eric Holder, who served as Obama's attorney general and heads up the group, also appeared. Advertisement The former president's comments come as Texas lawmakers return to Austin this week, renewing a heated debate over a new congressional map creating five new potential GOP seats. The plan is the result of prodding by President Donald Trump, eager to stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives. Texas Democratic lawmakers delayed a vote for 15 days by leaving the state in protest, depriving the House of enough members to do business. 3 Gavin Newsom announces the redrawing of California's congressional maps, calling on voters to approve a ballot measure, in response to a similar move in Texas being supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 14, 2025. REUTERS Advertisement Spurred on by the Texas situation, Democratic governors including Newsom have pondered ways to possibly strengthen their party's position by way of redrawing U.S. House district lines, five years out from the Census count that typically leads into such procedures. In California — where voters in 2010 gave the power to draw congressional maps to an independent commission, with the goal of making the process less partisan — Democrats have unveiled a proposal that could give that state's dominant political party an additional five U.S. House seats in a bid to win the fight to control of Congress next year. If approved by voters in November, the blueprint could nearly erase Republican House members in the nation's most populous state, with Democrats intending to win the party 48 of its 52 U.S. House seats, up from 43. 3 Protesters gather outside of the House Chamber where Democratic Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier refuses to leave due to a required law enforcement escort, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. AP Advertisement A hearing over that measure devolved into a shouting match Tuesday as a Republican lawmaker clashed with Democrats, and a committee voted along party lines to advance the new congressional map. California Democrats do not need any Republican votes to move ahead, and legislators are expected to approve a proposed congressional map and declare a Nov. 4 special election by Thursday to get required voter approval. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Newsom and Democratic leaders say they'll ask voters to approve their new maps only for the next few elections, returning map-drawing power to the commission following the 2030 census — and only if a Republican state moves forward with new maps. Obama applauded that temporary timeline. 'And we're going to do it in a temporary basis because we're keeping our eye on where we want to be long term,' Obama said, referencing Newsom's take on the California plan. 'I think that approach is a smart, measured approach, designed to address a very particular problem in a very particular moment in time.'
