Latest news with #BattlegroundState
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Roy Cooper enters North Carolina Senate race in win for Democrats
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is entering the state's Senate race, a recruitment win for Democrats who hope the popular former governor will give them a strong chance in one of the most competitive races next year. He announced his intention Monday morning in a social media post that leaned into attracting middle-class voters. 'It wasn't always this hard,' he said in the video launching his bid. 'I never really wanted to go to Washington. I just wanted to serve the people of North Carolina, right here, where I've lived all my life. But these are not ordinary times,' Cooper said. Cooper's decision comes after significant speculation that he would enter following his eight years as governor in the battleground state. He'll be trying to win the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R), who announced last month that he wouldn't seek another term in office. Democrats were already hopeful about their chances of picking up the seat next year, as Tillis was seen as potentially vulnerable. He seemed to potentially be on track to lose reelection in 2020 but pulled off a narrow victory after the Democratic candidate faced controversy stemming from an affair. But party members indicated they liked their chances even more after Tillis, who sought to develop a reputation as a more independent-minded member of the GOP, announced his retirement, particularly as Cooper seemed likely to enter the race. Cooper served an unprecedented four terms as state attorney general over 16 years before he unseated then-incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory (R) to be elected governor in 2016. He won that election and reelection in 2020, by a larger margin, despite President Trump carrying the state in the presidential election in both years. Cooper touted his long background in North Carolina, working on a farm as a child with his father, who was a lawyer and farmer, and starting his family and law practice in the state. He discussed his work as attorney general and governor, balancing the budget and working with Republicans to raise teacher's pay and expand Medicaid. He attacked 'D.C. politicians' for increasing the national debt, taking away health care and cutting off aid to poor people. 'That's wrong, and I've had enough,' Cooper said. 'I have thought on it and prayed about it, and I have decided: I want to serve as your next United States senator, because, even now, I still believe our best days are ahead.' Cooper isn't the only candidate seeking the Democratic nomination. Former Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.) entered the race in April, while others such as Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.) have expressed interest in potentially running. But Democrats in the state previously said they expected Cooper would be the clear choice for the Democratic nomination if he runs. And Semafor reported Nickel is exploring a possible run for district attorney in Wake County with Cooper as the favorite for the Senate nomination. Despite Cooper's popularity, he will face a challenge winning in a state where Democrats haven't won a Senate race since 2008. The party has seen more success in gubernatorial races, but they have frequently fallen short in federal contests despite hope for pulling off a win. Republicans were quick to go after Cooper, with Senate Republicans' campaign arm releasing an ad hitting his record. The ad attacked him over schools being closed and in-person operations being limited in the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic, rising taxes and his veto of a ban on transgender women playing on women's sports teams, among other issues. 'Roy Cooper isn't just off course,' the narrator states. 'He's a wreck.' Joanna Rodriguez, the communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, called Cooper a 'Democrat lapdog' who worked to sabotage President Trump's agenda and do former President Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris's 'bidding.' 'North Carolina wants a senator who will champion working families, safety, and American values, not an incompetent, far-left career politician like Cooper who will wreck everything they care about,' Rodriguez said. The race for the GOP nomination initially seemed wide open with Tillis out, but Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley is planning to run for the seat with support from Trump. The president's daughter-in-law, former RNC co-Chair Lara Trump, had expressed interest in running, but she announced Thursday she ruled out a bid for the seat. Whatley hasn't run for elected office previously but led the state GOP for almost five years before being tapped to lead the national party. While a few other individuals have been rumored possible candidates, including Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) and former Ambassador to Denmark James Cain, Whatley would likely have a clear advantage for the Republican nomination. The North Carolina Senate seat is one of the two main targets for Democrats next year, along with the one held by Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R). They would realistically need to win both to have a chance at flipping the Senate in 2026 along with winning in states considered more of an uphill climb. Updated at 9:42 a.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump team 'pissed off' with Kemp over candidate pick in Georgia's Senate GOP primary battle
President Donald Trump's political team and top advisers to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia apparently aren't on the same page when it comes to the key southeastern battleground state's Republican Senate primary. The race is crucial for Republicans aiming to expand their Senate majority, as Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for re-election in a state that Trump narrowly carried in last year's election, is viewed by the GOP as the most vulnerable Democrat seeking re-election in next year's midterm elections. Kemp, a popular two-term conservative governor whom Trump had heavily criticized in the past, was courted by national Republicans to take on Ossoff. But Kemp, who is term-limited, announced earlier this year that he would pass on a 2026 Senate run. Sources in Trump's political orbit and Republican sources in Georgia confirm to Fox News that there was an agreement between the president's political operation and Kemp's political team that they would work together to find a candidate that they could all unify behind to take on Ossoff in the Senate race. First On Fox: Trump House Ally To Launch Senate Bid Next Week In Key Battleground State Those sources also confirm that Kemp and Trump – the ultimate kingmaker in GOP politics – met two weeks ago to discuss the Senate race in Georgia. Read On The Fox News App But when the governor floated the name of former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, a source close to the president's political team said "they were told to stand down, because Trump's team wasn't ready to move forward on anybody." And when Kemp and his team did move forward with Dooley, it upset Trump's advisers, who, according to sources, were "already pretty annoyed" that Kemp had passed earlier this year on taking on Ossoff in the Senate race. Popular Gop Governor Passes On Senate Bid In 2026 "We had a deal to work together," a top political source in the Trump orbit told Fox News on Friday. "Kemp went out on his own – which has frustrated and pissed off Trump orbit." The source added that "the best option for the GOP in Georgia was and is Brian Kemp. Unfortunately, he has chosen the path of the weak, and – instead of leading – has decided to circumvent and self-anoint a candidate no one has heard of and the president hasn't met." "The operation that delivered the win in Georgia was the Trump organization – not a faux operation – it's hard to see it rallying behind the blind ambition of someone more interested in 2028 than in 2026," the source said, in a not-so-veiled reference to Kemp's potential interest in seeking the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. But a source close to the governor told Fox News that it's factually not true that they were told to stand down on Dooley. And the source added that Kemp meant what he said that he wants to work with the president and his team and remains that way. Kemp's political team first floated the Dooley trial balloon about two months ago. A longtime Georgia-based Republican strategist said the reaction in the Peach State among Republicans "was very negative." Dooley, who is the son of former longtime University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, is close with Kemp, who is a longtime friend. And Dooley has hired two top Kemp political advisers to help with his potential Senate campaign. A Republican source in Georgia says a decision by Dooley on whether he'll run could come as early as next week. Republican Rep. Mike Collins, a Trump ally and supporter in the House, will announce his candidacy for the Senate next week, sources with knowledge told Fox News Digital on Friday. Republican Rep. Buddy Carter, who for a decade has represented a district in coastal Georgia, launched a Senate campaign in the spring. Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King also announced a run, but ended his bid on Thursday. Trump and Kemp have a turbulent political history. Trump backed the then-Georgia secretary of state in his successful 2018 campaign for governor. But during the two years after his 2020 election defeat to former President Joe Biden, which included a razor-thin loss in Georgia, Trump attacked Kemp for failing to overturn the election results in his state. Trump toned down the criticism in 2022 after Kemp crushed Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue in the state's GOP gubernatorial primary, as Kemp successfully cruised to re-election to a second term as governor. Kemp Speaks Out After Trump Flips And Praises The Georgia Governor But last summer, amid the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump went on a 10-minute tirade against Kemp at a rally in Atlanta just blocks from the Georgia State Capitol. Trump blamed the governor not only for failing to overturn the 2020 vote count but also for not stopping a county prosecutor from indicting the former president for his attempts to reverse the results. Trump quickly changed his tune on Kemp days later, and praised the governor in a social media post "for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country." Kemp, in a Fox News Digital interview a few days later, downplayed Trump's tirade against him, calling it a "small distraction that's in the past." As Dooley moves closer to launching a campaign, Collins is just days from declaring his candidacy. Collins, a businessman who founded a trucking company, is in his second term representing Georgia's 10th Congressional District, which includes a large swath of urban, suburban, and rural areas between Atlanta and Augusta. The conservative lawmaker, who's the son of the late Republican Rep. Mac Collins of Georgia, has been moving closer to launching a Senate campaign for weeks. Collins was an early backer of the president, supporting him as Trump first ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 cycle. Collins at the beginning of this year reintroduced the Laken Riley Act, which mandates that undocumented immigrants charged with burglary or theft be detained. It's named after a Georgia nursing student killed by a man who had illegally entered the U.S. The case grabbed national attention. The bill, which quickly passed the Republican-controlled House and Senate, became the first legislation signed into law by Trump as he started his second tour of duty in the White House. A Republican source said that Collins has a "great relationship" with the president and his political team. And a Georgia-based Republican consultant told Fox News that "the lane that Mike is going to run in is the America First fighter who's been with President Trump. Carter is also courting a Trump endorsement in the GOP article source: Trump team 'pissed off' with Kemp over candidate pick in Georgia's Senate GOP primary battle
Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump team 'pissed off' with Kemp over candidate pick in Georgia's Senate GOP primary battle
President Donald Trump's political team and top advisers to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia apparently aren't on the same page when it comes to the key southeastern battleground state's Republican Senate primary. The race is crucial for Republicans aiming to expand their Senate majority, as Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for re-election in a state that Trump narrowly carried in last year's election, is viewed by the GOP as the most vulnerable Democrat seeking re-election in next year's midterm elections. Kemp, a popular two-term conservative governor whom Trump had heavily criticized in the past, was courted by national Republicans to take on Ossoff. But Kemp, who is term-limited, announced earlier this year that he would pass on a 2026 Senate run. Sources in Trump's political orbit and Republican sources in Georgia confirm to Fox News that there was an agreement between the president's political operation and Kemp's political team that they would work together to find a candidate that they could all unify behind to take on Ossoff in the Senate race. Those sources also confirm that Kemp and Trump – the ultimate kingmaker in GOP politics – met two weeks ago to discuss the Senate race in Georgia. But when the governor floated the name of former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, a source close to the president's political team said "they were told to stand down, because Trump's team wasn't ready to move forward on anybody." And when Kemp and his team did move forward with Dooley, it upset Trump's advisers, who, according to sources, were "already pretty annoyed" that Kemp had passed earlier this year on taking on Ossoff in the Senate race. "We had a deal to work together," a top political source in the Trump orbit told Fox News on Friday. "Kemp went out on his own – which has frustrated and pissed off Trump orbit." The source added that "the best option for the GOP in Georgia was and is Brian Kemp. Unfortunately, he has chosen the path of the weak, and – instead of leading – has decided to circumvent and self-anoint a candidate no one has heard of and the president hasn't met." "The operation that delivered the win in Georgia was the Trump organization – not a faux operation – it's hard to see it rallying behind the blind ambition of someone more interested in 2028 than in 2026," the source said, in a not-so-veiled reference to Kemp's potential interest in seeking the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. Kemp's political team first floated the Dooley trial balloon about two months ago. A longtime Georgia-based Republican strategist said the reaction in the Peach State among Republicans "was very negative." Dooley, who is the son of former longtime University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, is close with Kemp, who is a longtime friend. And Dooley has hired two top Kemp political advisers to help with his potential Senate campaign. A Republican source in Georgia says a decision by Dooley on whether he'll run could come as early as next week. Republican Rep. Mike Collins, a Trump ally and supporter in the House, will announce his candidacy for the Senate next week, sources with knowledge told Fox News Digital on Friday. Republican Rep. Buddy Carter, who for a decade has represented a district in coastal Georgia, launched a Senate campaign in the spring. Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King also announced a run, but ended his bid on Thursday. Trump and Kemp have a turbulent political history. Trump backed the then-Georgia secretary of state in his successful 2018 campaign for governor. But during the two years after his 2020 election defeat to former President Joe Biden, which included a razor-thin loss in Georgia, Trump attacked Kemp for failing to overturn the election results in his state. Trump toned down the criticism in 2022 after Kemp crushed Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue in the state's GOP gubernatorial primary, as Kemp successfully cruised to re-election to a second term as governor. But last summer, amid the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump went on a 10-minute tirade against Kemp at a rally in Atlanta just blocks from the Georgia State Capitol. Trump blamed the governor not only for failing to overturn the 2020 vote count but also for not stopping a county prosecutor from indicting the former president for his attempts to reverse the results. Trump quickly changed his tune on Kemp days later, and praised the governor in a social media post "for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country." Kemp, in a Fox News Digital interview a few days later, downplayed Trump's tirade against him, calling it a "small distraction that's in the past." While it's unclear if Dooley will move forward and launch a campaign, Collins is just days from declaring his candidacy. Collins, a businessman who founded a trucking company, is in his second term representing Georgia's 10th Congressional District, which includes a large swath of urban, suburban, and rural areas between Atlanta and Augusta. The conservative lawmaker, who's the son of the late Republican Rep. Mac Collins of Georgia, has been moving closer to launching a Senate campaign for weeks. Collins was an early backer of the president, supporting him as Trump first ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 cycle. Collins at the beginning of this year reintroduced the Laken Riley Act, which mandates that undocumented immigrants charged with burglary or theft be detained. It's named after a Georgia nursing student killed by a man who had illegally entered the U.S. The case grabbed national attention. The bill, which quickly passed the Republican-controlled House and Senate, became the first legislation signed into law by Trump as he started his second tour of duty in the White House. A Republican source said that Collins has a "great relationship" with the president and his political team. And a Georgia-based Republican consultant told Fox News that "the lane that Mike is going to run in is the America First fighter who's been with President Trump. Carter is also courting a Trump endorsement in the GOP primary. Fox News reached out to the governor's political team for comment but had not received a response by the time the story was published.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Scoop: Trump ally to launch key battleground state campaign in bid to flip Democrat-held Senate seat
FIRST ON FOX: Republican Rep. Mike Collins will announce a campaign for the U.S. senate in battleground Georgia early next week, sources with knowledge told Fox News on Friday. Collins is aiming to challenge Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for re-election in the key southeastern battleground state that President Donald Trump narrowly carried in last year's election. The GOP views Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democrat seeking re-election in the Senate in next year's midterm elections. Collins, a businessman who founded a trucking company, is in his second term representing Georgia's 10th Congressional District, which includes a large swath of urban, suburban, and rural areas between Atlanta and Augusta. Mike Collins Teases Senate Run In Battleground Georgia The conservative lawmaker, who's the son of the late Republican Rep. Mac Collins of Georgia, has been moving closer to launching a Senate campaign for weeks. Read On The Fox News App "Tires kicked. Fueling up," Collis wrote Monday in a social media post that was accompanied by a video where he showcased his ties to President Donald Trump. "Congressman Mike Collins, he loves this state," Trump said in a clip in the video. Collins was an early backer of the president, supporting him as Trump first ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 cycle. Popular Gop Governor Passes On Senate Bid In 2026 In the 2024 presidential campaign, when Trump won back the White House, Collins traveled on behalf of Trump to the crucial early-voting primary and caucus states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. He also appeared at multiple Trump rallies during the 2024 cycle and opened three Trump campaign offices in Georgia. And Collins, not facing a difficult re-election in his solidly red House seat, campaigned in ten congressional districts across the country to help elect Trump-aligned candidates as the GOP defended its razor-thin majority in the chamber. Collins at the beginning of this year reintroduced the Laken Riley Act, which mandates that undocumented immigrants charged with burglary or theft be detained. It's named after a Georgia nursing student killed by a man who had illegally entered the U.S. The case grabbed national attention. The bill, which quickly passed the Republican-controlled House and Senate, became the first legislation signed into law by Trump as he started his second tour of duty in the White House. A Republican source said that Collins has a "great relationship" with the president and his political team. And a Georgia-based Republican consultant told Fox News that "the lane that Mike is going to run in is the America First fighter who's been with President Trump." Opinion: What Mike Collins Told Fox News Digital "Mike has the opportunity to run in that lane because it's an authentic lane for him," added the consultant, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely. Trump, who is the ultimate kingmaker in GOP politics and whose endorsements in Republican primaries are extremely powerful, has yet to weigh in on whom he may back in Georgia's burgeoning Senate race. National Republicans were hoping to recruit popular two-term GOP Gov. Brian Kemp to take on Ossoff. But Kemp, who is term-limited, announced earlier this year that he would pass on a 2026 Senate run. Republican Rep. Buddy Carter, who for a decade has represented a district in coastal Georgia, launched a Senate campaign in the spring. Carter is also courting a Trump endorsement in the GOP primary. Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King was also running for the Republican nomination, but ended his bid on Thursday. Former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who is the son of former longtime University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, is also considering a Senate bid. The younger Dooley is close with Kemp, who's a longtime friend. Recent polling indicates that Collins holds the edge over his GOP rivals for the party's Senate nomination and that he would be competitive with Ossoff in next year's general election. While Republicans consider Ossoff vulnerable, beating him won't be easy. The first-term senator hauled in over $10 million in the April-June second quarter of 2024 fundraising, bringing his cash-on-hand to over $15 million. And Georgia Democrats are taking aim at Collins. "Immediately after voting to rip away health insurance from 750,000 Georgians, Rep. Mike Collins now wants Georgians to give him a promotion?" Georgia Democratic Party spokesperson Devon Cruz said in a recent statement to Fox News Digital, as he pointed to the Medicaid cuts in the GOP's megabill that Trump signed into law earlier this month. Cruz argued that "Collins would join a crowded, messy primary that will leave the GOP nominee badly bruised, while Sen. Jon Ossoff is building massive momentum to take on whichever Donald Trump loyalist limps over the finish line."Original article source: Scoop: Trump ally to launch key battleground state campaign in bid to flip Democrat-held Senate seat
CNN
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Trump's Justice Department seeks voter rolls from Michigan, a key battleground
Federal agencies Donald Trump Election security US electionsFacebookTweetLink Follow President Donald Trump's Justice Department is asking the top election official in the key battleground state of Michigan for access to voter registration records and demanding information about its efforts to kick ineligible voters off the rolls. The department's outreach to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, in the form of a letter her office received Monday from two lawyers in DOJ's civil rights division, is the latest development in the Trump administration's effort to gather data on voters around the country. Officials in multiple states, including battlegrounds Arizona and Wisconsin have reported receiving information requests from the DOJ in recent weeks. The moves have unsettled some election officials who have faced threats and harassment recent years as conspiracy theories about election fraud have ballooned. Michigan, a perennial swing state, is home to a closely watched US Senate race next year to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters and several battleground US House contests. Michiganders also will choose a new governor in 2026 to replace the state's term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to a CNN inquiry Wednesday. Benson spokesperson Angela Benander said agency officials are 'still reviewing' the DOJ's request. Trump reclaimed Michigan last year after losing it in the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden. After his 2020 loss, Trump allies fueled baseless conspiracies about massive voter fraud in deep-blue Detroit and claims that rigged voting machines had manipulated results in some rural counties. Benson, who has vocally defended the integrity of elections in the state, is among the Democratic candidates running for governor next year. Monday's letter asked Benson for a range of information, including providing an electronic copy of the state's 'computerized statewide voter registration list' and spelling out steps for removing ineligible voters. It demanded the information within 14 days. Separately, Benson's office also received an email earlier this month from the Justice Department's criminal division, seeking a 'potential information-sharing agreement' on people who may have committed election fraud in the state, according to a copy shared with CNN. Benander said state officials have not yet responded to that inquiry.
