Latest news with #6thDistrict
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Manhunt launched after 7 teenagers wounded in Chicago drive-by shooting
A manhunt has been launched after seven teenagers were wounded in a drive-by shooting in the early hours of Saturday morning, police in Chicago said. 'An unknown vehicle drove by, and began firing shots at the crowd striking several victims,' as officers were 'trying to disperse a large gathering of people,' in the city's southeastern 6th District, the Chicago Police Department said in a statement. Three of the victims were 17-years-old, three of them 18 and one 19. All suffered injuries to their legs, two were struck in the arm, one in the back and one in the buttocks, the statement said, adding that they were taken to local hospitals. All were listed as being in 'fair condition' apart from one who was hit in the leg and the chest, whose condition was listed as 'serious.' 'The vehicle immediately fled the scene,' the statement said. 'No officers were injured.' It added that no one was in custody and detectives were 'investigating the circumstances involving the incident.' In 2024, there were 2,758 shooting victims in Chicago, according to the city's police department, a 4.1% decrease from the previous year. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrats' anti-Musk campaign pays off in Wisconsin
Democrats held onto their majority on Wisconsin's state supreme court on Tuesday, while Republicans retained two deep red House seats in Florida by margins lower than previous elections. The Wisconsin race had been seen by both parties as the most competitive, after a high-profile and expensive investment from Elon Musk. The loss was a setback for Republicans, who'd hoped that by starting early and nationalizing the race, they could excite enough 2024 Donald Trump voters to change the swing state's electorate. They came up short, with Judge Susan Crawford running ahead of Kamala Harris's 2024 numbers across the state. Still, Trump and Republicans celebrated the Florida wins, while Democrats saw each result as a sign of strength. 'Dems just set $20 million on fire to lose two House seats by double digits,' wrote Will Kiley, communications director at the National Republican Congressional Committee, after the state's 1st District was called for Rep.-elect Jimmy Patronis and the 6th District was called for Rep.-elect Randy Fine. But heavy Democratic fundraising in both races, especially the $14 million raised by Josh Weil in the Daytona Beach-based 6th District, convinced Republicans to spend money in what had been a very safe seat. Trump carried the 6th District by 30 points last year, and the Panhandle-based 1st District by 37 points. His party won on Tuesday by 14 and 15 points, respectively. And the GOP did worse in Wisconsin, where hopes that they could turn out a critical mass of 2024 Trump voters ran up against higher Democratic enthusiasm. Wisconsin Democrats branded the final stretch of the race 'the People v. Musk,' highlighting the DOGE figurehead's spending and touting polls that found him to be toxically unpopular with their base. (Their first anti-Musk rally was held in Sauk County, which Trump won last year but Crawford won on Tuesday.) 'What Dems learned? The power of the people to take on billionaires — and win,' Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin told Semafor. 'What Trump and Elon learned? That they better brace themselves for November 2026.' Republicans tried something new in Wisconsin this year, and with a lot of help. They backed Brad Schimel for the court seat, a former attorney general who'd won statewide and wasn't afraid to tie himself to Trump. They worked with Turning Point Action, which poured resources into a ballot chase, and with Musk's PACs, which told Republican voters that a vote for Schimel was a vote to support Trump and DOGE. 'We are going to win in Wisconsin and send a message to the radical left,' Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a former congressman from the state's northwest, said at Sunday's rally with Musk in Green Bay. 'Don't mess with Trump. Don't mess with DOGE. Don't mess with Elon, and don't mess with Wisconsin.' Here's the problem with calling an election a referendum on your agenda: You could lose. Democrats will now control the state's high court for years, and have fresh evidence that campaigning against Musk and DOGE works, after 71 days of ineffectively whacking at them in DC. When I reported from Wisconsin last month, Republicans said that Schimel could win if he found 200,000 Trump voters who usually skipped these races. They amended the usual playbook for these races — judicial candidates promising to rule fairly and put crooks in jail — with MAGA messaging that warned of Democrats halting the Trump agenda and redrawing maps to erase two Republican House seats. That did pull out more conservative voters than their recent campaigns. But Democrats found more votes for Crawford, drawing from a base — more highly educated, more attuned to traditional news and political developments — that is wired to vote in every election. And they effectively portrayed Musk, romping across a Green Bay stage in a foam cheesehead, as an interloper trying to buy an election. 'Growing up in Chippewa Falls, I never imagined that I would take on the richest man in the world,' Crawford said in her victory speech on Tuesday. The party didn't expect to win in Florida. Indeed, a few weeks ago, I was hearing frustration from Democrats that Weil was tapping so many small donors for his race, when the resources might be better spent in more competitive elections. But Democrats have now shown that at least some of their voters are more motivated than Republicans, despite polling that has found record-low support for the party. 'Anyone who counted Democrats out was dead wrong,' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said after Crawford declared victory. Republicans did win those Florida races, and they easily passed an amendment that locked Wisconsin's existing voter ID policy into the state constitution, blocking any possibility that the liberal court would limit or strike down the 10-year-old policy. As Crawford took the podium in Madison, she was in the only part of the state that opposed that amendment. In the New York Times, longtime Wisconsin beat reporter Reid J. Epstein breaks down the Democratic win: 'Judge Crawford's victory puts the party on its front foot for the first time since last November.' For The Associated Press, a team of reporters got Fine's take on his victory in Florida. 'It's hard to say that's an underperformance,' Fine said, standing below a 'Trump is still my president' sign.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Randy Fine overcomes fundraising deficit to win congressional race
On Tuesday, Randy Fine woke up without a job for the first time in more than eight years. On Wednesday, though, that gap in employment will cease, as he was elected to Florida's 6th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Fine, a former Florida House member, resigned his post from the state Senate, as required by Florida law, but will soon be sworn into Congress after voters elected him over Democrat Josh Weil in a special election. The race was called for Fine just half an hour after polls closed in the heavily Republican district by the New York Times and CNN, according to USA Today. Fine made millions as a tech entrepreneur who supplied software to the gaming industry. Weil eschewed a pursuit of millions as a public school teacher until he got into politics, where he was able to attract more than $10 million in campaign donations, largely from small-dollar donors across the nation. Through March 12, that far outpaced Fine's fundraising, nearly $1 million. But money can only go so far in a district where nearly half of the 559,000 eligible voters were registered Republicans, as opposed to 25.5% Democrats. In a district where primary voters embraced two outsiders, Weil from Orlando and Fine from Melbourne Beach, Tuesday's election was as much about President Donald Trump as it was about anything going on in DeLand, Bunnell or Palatka. Many voters embraced Fine after he received Trump's endorsement. Morgan Leet of Holly Hill voted for Fine, even though she called him the lesser of two evils. But Leet said she believes in some of Trump's efforts to reduce government waste and cut the budget. She also approves of the attempt to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, saying what works in Chicago might not be what's best for Florida or Oklahoma. 'It shouldn't be a party issue. It should be a policy issue,' she said. Weil voter Candace Feinstein, an Ormond Beach retiree, said Trump and the Elon Musk-led DOGE have turned the United States into something she doesn't recognize. 'My son-in-law just lost his contracts with the federal government – he lives in D.C. – the same day they had a baby,' Feinstein said. '... There is no concern for people, and it's just whoever they can get rid of. And where is all of this money going, that they're supposedly saving? Do you know?' Feinstein added she is concerned about the concentration of power among the wealthiest people. 'The rich get richer and the oligarchies just keep growing," she said. "It doesn't look like the country I was born in. It doesn't look like the country I was raised in and it's a sad state of affairs when we just throw people under the bus.' This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Randy Fine wins Florida's 6th Congressional District election
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
LIVE BLOG: Randy Fine or Josh Weil? Eyes of the nation are upon us as voters head to polls
No foolin': We've reached our April Fool's Day election. Gov. Ron DeSantis chose the date for a special election last November, when two newly reelected Florida members of Congress, Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz, resigned to pursue key jobs in Trump Administration II. Gaetz didn't make it, withdrawing his controversial nomination for attorney general after getting "thoughtful feedback" from senators required to confirm him. Waltz didn't need Senate confirmation and has gone on to become the national security advisor, now starring in his own controversy. So voters in Florida's 1st and Florida's 6th districts are being asked to return to polls to elect new representatives. Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis is hoping to replace Gaetz and is opposed by Democrat Gay Valimont, while GOP state Sen. Randy Fine faces Democrat Josh Weil, Libertarian Andrew Parrott and Randall Terry, a non-partisan candidate. For 6th District voters, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday in Flagler and Putnam counties, plus northern Volusia, southern St. Johns, eastern Marion and northern Lake counties. Also, Edgewater in Volusia County is holding a special City Council election. Eric Rainbird and Renee Sortman are vying for the District 4 seat that opened when Rob Wilkie resigned in January. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Voters will choose Mike Waltz's Congress successor in Florida district
Fox News
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
First election test for Trump's term surprisingly close in FL, GOP looks to increase razor-thin House majority
Voters in two congressional districts in Florida head to the polls on Tuesday, as Republicans aim to keep control of both solidly red seats and give themselves slightly more breathing room in the House, where they hold a razor-thin majority. However, the Democratic Party candidates in the two special elections have vastly outraised the Republican nominees - thanks to an energized base eager to resist President Donald Trump and his sweeping and controversial agenda. The races, in Florida's 1st and 6th Congressional Districts, which Trump carried by 37 and 30 points in last year's presidential election, are being viewed as early referendums on the opening couple of months of Trump's second tour of duty in the White House. While the GOP was expected to sweep both races, some public and private polling suggests the 6th District showdown is now a margin-of-error race. Additionally, Trump, pointing to the Democratic candidates' massive fundraising advantage, voiced growing concerns by Republicans as he told reporters on Friday that "you never know what happens in a case like that." Jimmy Patronis, the Florida chief financial officer, is favored over Democrat Gay Valimont in a multi-candidate field in the race to fill the vacant seat in the 1st CD, which is located in the far northwestern corner of Florida in the Panhandle region. However, Valimont topped Patronis in fundraising by roughly a five-to-one margin. Republican Matt Gaetz, who won re-election in the district in last November's elections, resigned from office weeks later after Trump selected him to be his nominee for attorney general in his second administration. Gaetz later withdrew himself from Cabinet consideration amid controversy. However, it is the race in the 6th CD, which is located on Florida's Atlantic coast from Daytona Beach to just south of Saint Augustine and inland to the outskirts of Ocala, that is really raising concerns among some in the GOP. The race is to succeed Republican Michael Waltz, who stepped down from the seat on Jan. 20 after Trump named him his national security adviser. Republican state Sen. Randy Fine is facing off against teacher Josh Weil, a Democrat, in a multi-candidate field. Weil grabbed plenty of national attention in recent weeks by topping Fine in the campaign cash battle by roughly a 10-to-1 margin. The cash discrepancy in the 6th CD race spurred GOP-aligned outside groups to make last-minute contributions in support of Fine, with conservative super PACs dishing out big bucks to launch ads spotlighting Trump's support of Fine and to take aim at Weil. "Liberal Josh Weil wants to roadblock the Trump agenda," the announcer in a spot from the Conservative Fighter PAC charges. America PAC - which is bankrolled by billionaire Elon Musk, Trump's top donor last year - made infusions as well during the closing days ahead of the election. "I would have preferred if our candidate had raised money at a faster rate and gotten on TV quicker," Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), told reporters last week. However, Hudson added that Fine is "doing what he needs to do. He's on TV now," and he emphasized, "We're going to win the seat. I'm not concerned at all." Neither the NRCC nor the Congressional Leadership Fund, the top super PAC backing House Republicans, put any resources into the race. However, Trump headlined tele-town halls for both Fine and Patronis late last week, and he also took to social media on Saturday to praise both candidates, in efforts to turn out Republican voters. "Randy has been a tremendous Voice for MAGA," Trump wrote about Fine. "In Congress, Randy will be an incredible fighter." While Trump was optimistic about sweeping both Florida elections - saying "they seem to be good" - concerns about holding the seat in Florida's 6th CD may have contributed to the president's pulling last week of his nomination for GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve as United Nations ambassador. Stefanik represents New York's 21st Congressional District, a large, mostly rural district in the northernmost reaches of the state that includes most of the Adirondack Mountains and the Thousand Islands region. She cruised to re-election last November by 24 points. "We don't want to take any chances. We don't want to experiment," Trump said as he pointed to what would have been a special election later this year to fill Stefanik's seat if she had resigned if confirmed as U.N. ambassador. "She's very popular. She's going to win. And somebody else will probably win, too, because we did very well there. I did very well there. But the word 'probably' is no good," the president added as he once again emphasized he did not "want to take any chances." Trump was not the only Republican expressing some concerns about the race in Florida's 6th District. Former top Trump political adviser and conservative host Steve Bannon warned last week that Fine "isn't winning." Additionally, two-term Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters last week that the GOP would underperform in the special election, arguing that "it's a reflection of the candidate running in that race." However, it is worth pointing out the contentious history between DeSantis and Fine, who was the first Florida Republican to flip his endorsement from DeSantis to Trump during the 2024 Republican presidential nomination battle. On the eve of the election, a Florida Republican official told Fox News the party is not panicked about the race, but rather "concerned." However, the official, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, said a win is still likely by about 7-10 points. The GOP currently holds a 218-213 majority in the House - with the two vacant seats in Florida and two where Democratic lawmakers died in March. Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, in a Fox News Digital interview on Friday as he kicked off his 2026 campaign for Florida governor, predicted "it would be difficult" for the GOP House majority if the party lost one of Tuesday's elections. However, he added, "I'm not looking forward to that. I think we're going to win both those seats on Tuesday. I think Republican voters in those districts are going to turn out because, at the end of the day, the choice is clear." House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer told Fox News Digital that "Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine are exactly who House Republicans need to join our team." Emmer, the number three Republican in the House, emphasized that "their votes and leadership will be key as we work to advance President Trump's agenda in Congress and Make America Great Again." While the races in the two Republican-dominated districts are far from ideal for the Democrats to try and flip, the elections are the first opportunity for voters and donors to try and make a difference in federal contests since Trump's return to power in the White House. Democrats say the surge in fundraising for their candidates is a sign their party is motivated amid voters' frustrations with the sweeping and controversial moves made by Trump in his opening weeks back in office. They also point to last week's state senate election in battleground Pennsylvania, where the Democrats flipped a seat from red to blue that Trump easily carried in November's presidential election. "The American people are not buying what the Republicans are selling," House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries told reporters. Jeffries and other Democrats are not predicting victory, and the House Democrats' campaign arm - the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee - has not invested resources in either race. However, Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House, highlighted that "these districts are so Republican there would ordinarily be no reason to believe that the races will be close, but what I can say almost guaranteed is that the Democratic candidate in both of these Florida special elections will significantly overperform."
