Latest news with #BillHuizenga
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Inside Trump's plan to keep control of Congress in 2026
President Donald Trump and senior White House aides in recent weeks have privately, and sometimes publicly, steered Republican candidates in House races in Iowa, Michigan and New York and Senate contests in Maine, Iowa and North Carolina, in hopes of staving off contentious primaries and shoring up swing districts with Trump-loyal candidates. The kingmaker moves are part of a broad White House strategy designed to ensure Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in next fall's midterm elections, according to a White House official granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics. The president intends to get on the trail in support of Republican candidates and his senior aides are putting together a 2027 policy agenda so Trump can spell out for voters what a continued GOP trifecta would get them. Rep. Zach Nunn of Iowa was seriously considering a run for governor and was told by Trump to 'stay put,' the official said. Nunn, shortly after, announced his reelection campaign for his House seat. Trump steered Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan out of a potentially messy Senate primary, telling him in a private meeting after the signing of the GENIUS Act that he planned to back Mike Rogers. He made it official in a social media postThursday. The administration followed a similar playbook with Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, who recently forewent the governor's race. The lawmakers' offices did not return requests for comment. On the Senate side, top White House officials held a private meeting with Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa last week, encouraging her to run for reelection as some Senate Republicans braced for the two-term senator to retire. In Maine, a seat Democrats would have a better chance of winning than Iowa, the White House has proactively discussed potential candidates if Sen. Susan Collins elects to not run again, according to a second White House official also granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. 'President Trump is the unequivocal leader of the Republican Party —-just look at those who have bet against him in the past because they are no longer around,' said former Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is now White House press secretary. 'The President will help his Republican friends on Capitol Hill get reelected, and work to pick up new seats across the country.' Typically, midterms favor the party that doesn't control the White House, and for Trump, the possibility of Democrats retaking Congress carries risk of not only ending his legislative agenda but also opening congressional investigations into his administration. During the midterms in Trump's first term, Republicans took a shellacking in the House and Democrats broke the GOP trifecta. 'I'm sure there's some memories from 2018, but it's all about these last two years of his presidency and his legacy, and he doesn't want the Democrats nipping at his heels all the time for the last two years,' said Tony Fabrizio, the president's pollster. Fabrizio, along with former campaign manager Chris LaCivita, has become the White House's political eyes and ears — and the most in-demand Republican consultants — of the coming midterm cycle. LaCivita is involved in Rogers' campaign in Michigan, Sen. Lindsey Graham's in South Carolina and is running super PACs. Fabrizio and his firm are active in more than a dozen statewide races. The two are joined at the hips of chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff James Blair. 'Daily — could be phone, could be text,' Fabrizio said of his contact with the White House's political shop. 'They are very engaged. They are very, very engaged.' Those ties are so strong that a disagreement between the duo and Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson over when to run TV ads touting Trump's endorsement led to their departure from her campaign. 'We don't have to get our way. But you have to at least listen — and acknowledge and come half way — if you don't, it's not worth the time,' LaCivita said. Riding on the success of the GOP's domestic policy megabill, Trump is itching to return to the stump and hold rallies. It is something he has brought up in multiple meetings in the past couple weeks, according to the two White House officials. The president 'told me last week, 'We're going to have to campaign in the states and really get out there a lot, huh? Because really, it's just me that can pull them out in a lot of places,'' one of the officials said. White House officials say the 2024 campaign will serve as the playbook: a focus on targeting nontraditional Republican constituencies including working-class voters of various backgrounds and younger age demographics, like Gen-Z — groups that helped send Trump back to the White House. Even though Trump is not on the ballot, the White House plans to underscore the need for his party to control Congress by announcing a midterm legislative agenda. 'One of the main strategies is to put Trump on the ballot in the midterms,' said one of the officials. 'We'll have a midterm agenda that we're running on. Not only here's what we've done, but here's what we're going to do next.' Trump is often careful about where — and when — he gets involved. The president has been reluctant to endorse a candidate in the increasingly contentious Texas Senate primary as the White House weighs the impact of recent adultery allegations swirling around Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. One of the officials said Trump 'might engage in the primary, but not yet,' pointing to the 'bad news' cycle Paxton — who currently leads incumbent Sen. John Cornyn by double digits in recent polling numbers — doesn't seem to be shaking anytime soon. 'The incumbent is behind by 15 to 20 points in most polls. If the gap starts to close, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it,' the official said. 'But also, things are unsettled. I mean, Paxton just got a lot of bad news dropped on his head.' Still, the presence of LaCivita and Fabrizio on a congressional campaign is often seen as a 'soft endorsement' from the president, according to a South Florida surrogate for Trump in the 2024 election. LaCivita is working on a Cornyn super PAC and Fabrizio on the senator's campaign. 'Send in Tony and LaCivita and see how the campaign shapes up, and then maybe the president will endorse,' the former surrogate said. Alex Bruesewitz, CEO of the political and corporate consulting group X Strategies who worked with LaCivita and Fabrizio on Trump's 2024 election, described the former as a 'great enforcer and executor' and the later as 'forward thinking.' Bruesewitz noted that Fabrizio had polling showing podcasts were the main way people, especially low-propensity voters, were getting their information as opposed to mainstream outlets last year. 'Now they're able to do those roles they did for the president for some of the most intense and sought-after campaigns this cycle,' Bruesewitz said. In North Carolina, Democrats are hoping that Sen. Thom Tillis' decision to not run for reelection – one made a day after Trump promised to primary him– will help them pick up the seat. The Trump influence is still prominent: Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley plans to enter the race with the president's support. Democrats, for their part, are eager to see Republicans run on the Trump record. 'The White House has the DNC's full support in their plans to put Trump on the campaign trail with frontline Republicans to tell the American people that they took money out of their pockets, took food off their table, and took away their health care in order to give massive handouts to billionaires,' said Democratic National Committee spokesperson Rosemary Boeglin. Last week, Trump told Republican senators gathered for dinner at the White House that he's confident in their chances and committed to fundraise and help focus Republican messaging. 'He wants to help. He's all in,' said Graham. 'He'll do tele-townhalls, make sure our people turn out, and he's willing to raise money.' 'I expect him to be very active,' said Cornyn, who is hopeful of a Trump endorsement in his primary. 'The president gets a lot of attention that other people can't get.' Kimberly Leonard contributed to this report.
Toronto Star
7 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
GOP House members want to run in other races. Trump is telling them to stay in their seats
WASHINGTON (AP) — Michigan Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga was ready to launch a U.S. Senate bid. All he needed was President Donald Trump' s blessing. But in a White House meeting last week, the president encouraged Huizenga to run for reelection rather than challenge former Rep. Mike Rogers for Senate in the battleground state, hoping to keep his west Michigan seat secure, according to two people with direct knowledge of the conversation.
Al Arabiya
7 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Gop house members want to run in other races. Trump is telling them to stay in their seats
Michigan Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga was ready to launch a US Senate bid. All he needed was President Donald Trump's blessing. But in a White House meeting last week, the president encouraged Huizenga to run for reelection rather than challenge former Rep. Mike Rogers for Senate in the battleground state, hoping to keep his west Michigan seat secure, according to two people with direct knowledge of the conversation. On Wednesday, Huizenga announced he was skipping the Senate race. 'After careful consideration… as well as in consultation with President Trump, I have decided against a bid for US Senate in Michigan,' he said in a statement. It's the latest example of Trump's increasingly heavy-handed efforts to keep incumbent House members in their seats and keep those seats in GOP hands as he and his political team try to avoid what happened in his first term when Republicans lost the chamber after just two years. From Michigan to New York to Iowa, Trump has actively worked to reshape Republican primary fields, demonstrating the enormous influence he wields over a party that by and large answers to him. Trump puts his thumb on the scale for the 2026 midterms. In Iowa, Rep. Zach Nunn had been weighing a run for governor until his own conversation with Trump, after which he opted to seek reelection to a seat that national Republicans feel would have been more competitive without an incumbent on the ballot. Trump offered a full-throated endorsement of Nunn's reelection after he said he spoke with him. And on Wednesday, New York Rep. Mike Lawler announced he would defend his pivotal swing seat rather than launch a gubernatorial bid after a private meeting with Trump last week. 'He obviously encouraged me to run for reelection to the House,' Lawler said about his conversation with Trump. 'That's where his focus is.' The efforts are the latest demonstration of Trump and his political operation's intense focus on keeping control of the House next year. The party in power historically loses seats in midterm elections. But Trump, according to people familiar with his thinking, is determined to avoid a repeat of 2018 when Democrats took over the House and proceeded to block his legislative agenda and then impeach him twice. Trump is hoping he can buck history and maintain maximum power for the next three-and-a-half years despite his lame duck status. To that end, he and his team have worked to dissuade incumbents in potentially vulnerable seats from stepping down to pursue runs for the Senate or governor, delivering the message that they are all on the same team and that it is in the party's best interest to keep control of the chamber. 'We have a tight margin. These competitive districts are going to be determinative of the outcome,' said Lawler. 'Of course, the president has a focus on wanting to keep these seats and avoid unnecessary primaries.' Trump still wields power over GOP members. Trump's success in dissuading members from pursuing what are effectively promotions is yet another demonstration of the enormous power he wields over members, many of whom have made clear that they will not run unless they have the president's blessing. At the same time, he's shown a willingness to greenlight bids from members in safer seats. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, who represents a deep red district, continues to move toward a potential run for governor. Trump also signaled support for a Senate bid by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia, though she ultimately decided against it. Republican House candidates this year are generally trying to run in lockstep with the president – a reflection of his sky-high popularity with Republican voters and his success last November in drawing new voters to the party. Republicans are eager to replicate that model after struggling in the past to turn out Trump's supporters when the president isn't on the ballot. Democrats, meanwhile, have tried to cast the moves as a sign that Republicans are nervous about 2026. 'They know their prospects for reelection are grim. They have been ordered by Donald Trump to seek reelection. In other words, Donald has signed their political death sentence,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters Wednesday. 'They chose to bend the knee.' Huizenga steps aside. Huizenga for months had been contemplating challenging Rogers in the Republican primary, waiting for a more formal discussion with Trump about the race, although they had spoken on the phone multiple times. Some Republicans in the state felt that Rogers should be challenged since he lost last year even as Trump won by nearly 80,000 votes. Rogers has hired a number of Trump's staffers including his former campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita. While the emphasis from the White House was on keeping the House seat – which Huizenga won by just under 12 percentage points – he has not yet made a final decision on reelection. 'Every two years Bill sits down with his wife to discuss what is best for their family,' Brian Patrick, Huizenga's spokesperson, said in a statement. 'This election cycle is no different.' Lawler said that while Trump shared his desire for the congressman to stay in the House, 'I didn't get here by doing as told. It's something that I've thought extensively about and went through a very unemotional process and a more data driven process than anything,' said Lawler. Not everyone has abided by Trump's wishes. Rep. John James of Michigan is running for governor in a crowded GOP field, leaving open a competitive House seat. 'He's running for governor, but I'm not sure I'm too happy about that John,' said Trump during an event in June with James in the audience. 'Do we have somebody good to take your seat? 'Cause otherwise we're not letting him run for governor,' Trump said with a laugh. James' spokesperson, Hannah Osantowske, said in a statement that James 'has earned the President's endorsement in every race and is committed to earning it again. He's a proven winner and President Trump backs winners who've stood by him,' Osantowske said. Trump has leveraged other power over Republicans. Beyond discouraging members from running, Trump is flexing his power in other ways. In Texas, he has pushed Republicans to try to redraw House district maps to help protect Republicans' slim majority next year. He wants Republicans to carve out as many as five more winnable congressional districts – a high-risk high-reward maneuver that could energize Democratic voters. The intense involvement in House races stands in contrast to the Senate where Trump until now has generally avoided wading into contentious and open primaries in crucial battleground states like North Carolina and Georgia as well as in Texas. In the Lone Star State, a longtime ally Ken Paxton is challenging incumbent Sen. John Cornyn to the dismay of many national Republicans who fear Paxton would be toxic in a general election. Even in Michigan where Rogers is now expected to be the lone high-profile Republican in the open race, Trump has yet to endorse. The contrast allies say reflects the more disciplined approach his political operation is taking compared to years past. That includes subjecting candidates Trump may endorse to a careful vetting process that includes an assessment of their teams and fundraising capacity.
Associated Press
7 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
GOP House members want to run in other races. Trump is telling them to stay in their seats
WASHINGTON (AP) — Michigan Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga was ready to launch a U.S. Senate bid. All he needed was President Donald Trump' s blessing. But in a White House meeting last week, the president encouraged Huizenga to run for reelection rather than challenge former Rep. Mike Rogers for Senate in the battleground state, hoping to keep his west Michigan seat secure, according to two people with direct knowledge of the conversation. On Wednesday, Huizenga announced he was skipping the Senate race. 'After careful consideration ... as well as in consultation with President Trump, I have decided against a bid for U.S. Senate in Michigan,' he said in a statement. It's the latest example of Trump's increasingly heavy-handed efforts to keep incumbent House members in their seats and keep those seats in GOP hands as he and his political team try to avoid what happened in his first term, when Republicans lost the chamber after just two years. From Michigan to New York to Iowa, Trump has actively worked to reshape Republican primary fields, demonstrating the enormous influence he wields over a party that, by and large, answers to him. Trump puts his thumb on the scale for the 2026 midterms In Iowa, Rep. Zach Nunn had been weighing a run for governor until his own conversation with Trump, after which he opted to seek reelection to a seat that national Republicans feel would have been more competitive without an incumbent on the ballot. Trump offered a full-throated endorsement of Nunn's reelection after he said he spoke with him. And on Wednesday, New York Rep. Mike Lawler announced he would defend his pivotal swing seat rather than launch a gubernatorial bid after a private meeting with Trump last week. 'He obviously encouraged me to run for reelection to the House,' Lawler said about his conversation with Trump. 'That's where his focus is.' The efforts are the latest demonstration of Trump and his political operation's intense focus on keeping control of the House next year. The party in power historically loses seats in midterm elections. But Trump, according to people familiar with his thinking, is determined to avoid a repeat of 2018, when Democrats took over the House and proceeded to block his legislative agenda and then impeach him twice. Trump is hoping he can buck history and maintain maximum power for the next three-and-a-half years, despite his lame duck status. To that end, he and his team have worked to dissuade incumbents in potentially vulnerable seats from stepping down to pursue runs for the Senate or governor, delivering the message that they are all on the same team and that it is in the party's best interest to keep control of the chamber. 'We have a tight margin. These competitive districts are going to be determinative of the outcome,' said Lawler. 'Of course, the president has a focus on wanting to keep these seats and avoid unnecessary primaries.' Trump still wields power over GOP members Trump's success in dissuading members from pursuing what are effectively promotions is yet another demonstration of the enormous power he wields over members, many of whom have made clear that they will not run unless they have the president's blessing. At the same time, he's shown a willingness to greenlight bids from members in safer seats. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, who represents a deep red district, continues to move toward a potential run for governor. Trump also signaled support for a Senate bid by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia, though she ultimately decided against it. Republican House candidates this year are generally trying to run in lockstep with the president — a reflection of his sky-high popularity with Republican voters and his success last November in drawing new voters to the party. Republicans are eager to replicate that model after struggling in the past to turn out Trump's supporters when the president isn't on the ballot. Democrats, meanwhile, have tried to cast the moves as a sign that Republicans are nervous about 2026. 'They know their prospects for reelection are grim. They have been ordered by Donald Trump to seek reelection. In other words, Donald has signed their political death sentence,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters Wednesday. 'They chose to bend the knee.' Huizenga steps aside Huizenga, for months, had been contemplating challenging Rogers in the Republican primary, waiting for a more formal discussion with Trump about the race, although they had spoken on the phone multiple times. Some Republicans in the state felt that Rogers should be challenged, since he lost last year even as Trump won by nearly 80,000 votes. Rogers has hired a number of Trump's staffers, including his former campaign co-manager, Chris LaCivita. While the emphasis from the White House was on keeping the House seat — which Huizenga won by just under 12 percentage points — he has not yet made a final decision on reelection. 'Every two years, Bill sits down with his wife to discuss what is best for their family,' Brian Patrick, Huizenga's spokesperson, said in a statement. 'This election cycle is no different.' Lawler said that while Trump shared his desire for the congressman to stay in the House, 'I didn't get here by doing as told.' 'It's something that I've thought extensively about and went through a very unemotional process and a more data driven process than anything,' said Lawler. Not everyone has abided by Trump's wishes. Rep. John James of Michigan is running for governor in a crowded GOP field, leaving open a competitive House seat. 'He's running for governor but I'm not sure I'm too happy about that, John,' said Trump during an event in June, with James in the audience. 'Do we have somebody good to take your seat? 'Cause otherwise we're not letting him run for governor,' Trump said with a laugh. James' spokesperson, Hannah Osantowske, said in a statement that James has earned 'the President's endorsement in every race and is committed to earning it again.' 'He's a proven winner, and President Trump backs winners who've stood by him,' Osantowske said. Trump has leveraged other power over Republicans Beyond discouraging members from running, Trump is flexing his power in other ways. In Texas, he has pushed Republicans to try to redraw House district maps to help protect Republicans' slim majority next year. He wants Republicans to carve out as many as five more winnable congressional districts — a high-risk, high-reward maneuver that could energize Democratic voters. The intense involvement in House races stands in contrast to the Senate, where Trump, until now, has generally avoided wading into contentious and open primaries in crucial battleground states like North Carolina and Georgia, as well as in Texas. In the Lone Star State, a longtime ally, Ken Paxton, is challenging incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, to the dismay of many national Republicans who fear Paxton would be toxic in a general election. Even in Michigan, where Rogers is now expected to be the lone high-profile Republican in the open race, Trump has yet to endorse. The contrast, allies say, reflects the more disciplined approach his political operation is taking compared to years past. That includes subjecting candidates Trump may endorse to a careful vetting process that includes an assessment of their teams and fundraising capacity. ___ Colvin reported from New York.
Axios
7 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Huizenga skips Michigan Senate race
Rep. Bill Huizenga won't run in the Michigan Senate race, he said in a statement on Wednesday. Why it matters: Huizenga's decision to pass on the Senate opens up a clearer path for former Rep. Mike Rogers, the National Republican Senatorial Committee's preferred candidate. Huizenga hasn't given a clear indication that he has decided to run for reelection to the House. "I look forward to announcing my future plans later this year," he said in a statement. Huizenga raised $747,000 in the second quarter, leaving him with $1.4 million in cash on hand. Zoom in: The White House has been putting pressure on House Republicans in swing districts to forgo senate or gubernatorial campaigns to help President Trump retain the House majority. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) became the latest House Republican to officially take a pass on a statewide bid when he announced his plans to run House on Wednesday morning. "I've decided the right thing to do for me, my family and my district is to run for re-election," Lawler said said on "Fox & Friends" after telling the New York Times that he wouldn't be running for governor. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) decided to run for House reelection and forgo a governor's bid after pressure from the White House.
