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The Hill
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Virginia nail-biter: Early takeaways from the Democratic primaries
Tuesday's Democratic primaries in Virginia saw incredibly close contests for lieutenant governor and attorney general. While The Hill's partners at Decision Desk HQ did not call either of the races as of late Tuesday night, state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D) and former Del. Jay Jones (D) both declared victory in their respective races, which were both characterized by razor-thin margins. The races will help set the table for arguably the most notable off-year election of 2025. Here are three early takeaways from Democratic primary night in Virginia: Former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney (D), state Sen. Aaron's Rouse (D) and Hashmi were seen as the three front-runners going into Tuesday. As of the 10 p.m. ET hour on Tuesday, Hashmi led with 27.5 percent support, while Stoney trailed at 26.6 percent. Rouse narrowly followed Stoney at 26.2 percent, according to DDHQ. While the race was not officially called, Hashmi declared victory shortly after 10 p.m. ET. A Hashmi win is likely to be seen as an upset. While she had the support of progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Stoney had the backing of a number of even bigger names, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D). Hashmi narrowly trailed in the fundraising race. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Stoney raised over $2 million, while Rouse brought in $1.8 million and Hashmi raised more than $1.7 million. If Hashmi formally wins the primary, the results could be read as a loss for establishment figures like Buttigieg and McAuliffe. His loss would be a particular embarrassment for Buttigieg, who is considering a 2028 presidential bid. Meanwhile, the primary for attorney general also proved to be a heated contest. The Associated Press called the race for former Del. Jay Jones (D) late Tuesday night. DDHQ has not yet called the race. Jones and the Virginia Democratic Party both released statements declaring victory. 'To the Democrats across the Commonwealth who supported this campaign, I am honored to accept your nomination for Attorney General. I am ready for this fight and to win this November,' Jones said. Jones went up against Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor. The intraparty contest saw the state's two most influential energy donors pitted against each other, with Clean Virginia backing Jones and Dominion Energy backing Taylor. Last week, Clean Virginia launched a six-figure attack ad against Taylor. Jones was backed by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), along with McAuliffe and former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. Booker, like Buttigieg, is seen as a likely 2028 presidential contender. Jones would face incumbent Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares in November. Legally challenging President Trump will likely be a theme of Jones's messaging going into the general election. During the primary, Jones and Taylor invoked how they would push back on Trump if elected attorney general. Jones told The Hill's sister station WRIC in Richmond that the job of Virginia attorney general 'in this particular moment' is 'taking on this chaotic administration.' Early vote turnout was already high going into Tuesday's Democratic primaries. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, more than 204,000 Virginians cast ballots as of June 15, when early voting wrapped. Of those ballots cast, more than 189,000 were cast in the Democratic primary. In 2021, more than 124,000 ballots were cast in the Democratic primary. Regardless of the results, Tuesday's high turnout will most certainly give Democrats hope going into November. With the general election seen as a referendum on the second Trump administration so far, a fired up primary electorate could be a good sign for Democrats.
The Hill
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Democrats fend off GOP in San Antonio mayor runoff election
Former Biden administration official Gina Ortiz Jones has won a runoff election in San Antonio's mayoral race, fending off a Republican opponent that the GOP hoped could pull off an upset, Decision Desk HQ projects. Jones defeated former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos in an officially nonpartisan election that still in practice played out as a partisan election as Jones is a registered Democrat and Pablos is a registered Republican. The two candidates had advanced from the first round of the election in which many competed on the same ballot. Since no candidate received a majority of the vote in that round last month, the top two performing candidates advanced to face each other in the runoff. The city of San Antonio hasn't elected a Republican mayor in more than 20 years, and the past two elections for outgoing Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who has served since 2017, haven't been close. Nirenberg is term-limited from running again after serving four two-year terms. But Republicans had hope that they could notch a win with Pablos, who served as secretary of state for about two years under Gov. Greg Abbott (R). The GOP made some gains in the city in November after three presidential races in a row in which the city swung toward Democrats, though former Vice President Harris still comfortably won the area. Pablos also had a significant fundraising advantage, outraising Jones by a margin of 1.5 to 1, while outside spending from PACs contributed more than triple the amount in favor of Pablos compared to Jones, according to DDHQ. That includes a PAC with ties to Abbott and San Antonio's police union, The Texas Tribune reported. Pablos also picked up an endorsement from the editorial board of the San Antonio Express-News, uncommon for a Republican. But Jones was still the favorite in the Democratic-leaning city, even despite the gains that President Trump and the GOP has made with Hispanic voters recently. She finished first in the first round of voting in May, receiving 27.2 percent of the vote in a crowded field to Pablos's 16.6 percent. Jones previously served as undersecretary of the Air Force during the Biden administration from 2021 to 2023. Before that, she was the Democratic nominee for the House seat in Texas's 23rd Congressional District in 2018 and 2020, losing narrowly both times. She will be San Antonio's third female mayor and the first person to serve a four-year term after voters in the city approved a measure in November extending the mayor's term from two years to four. She will also be the city's first openly lesbian mayor.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Memo: Trump Cabinet, facing sinking polls, lashes out at media
President Trump's Cabinet members sharpened their attacks on the media Wednesday, as the administration grappled with falling poll numbers. A plethora of polls have been released to coincide with Trump hitting the 100-day mark in his second term — and they overwhelmingly show the president losing altitude. A new poll released Wednesday by Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ), The Hill's polling partner, found Trump 12 points underwater on job approval. Only 44 percent of Americans approved of his performance so far, while 56 percent disapproved. Especially striking was his poor performance with independents, who disapproved of his job performance by more than 2-to-1, 68 percent to 32 percent. In the DDHQ polling average, which aggregates surveys from reputable pollsters, Trump is 9 points into negative territory. The share of Americans disapproving of him has climbed 14 points since his inauguration, from 39 percent to 53 percent. The broad reasons for the decline are plain to see. Trump's tariff policies have sparked serious volatility on the financial markets and appear to be feeding into broader economic worries. Economic experts are predicting an increase in inflationary pressure, the chances of a recession appear to be rising — the economy contracted in the first quarter, according to new data out Wednesday — and retailers are expressing concern about empty shelves. Trump has also suffered some controversies that have raised concerns beyond just the ranks of his usual critics. The most notable was the inadvertent inclusion of a journalist on a group chat where the most senior members of his administration were discussing an imminent attack on Yemen's Houthis. Given all of that, it was telling that so many members of Trump's Cabinet used their remarks before the press on Wednesday to do two things — pay extravagant tribute to the president and insist that he was being wronged by the media. Vice President Vance contended the media should be giving more coverage to successful military recruitment efforts than to the controversy over the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Vance also insisted 'the reason the media attacks this administration as chaotic is because the president is solving the problems the American people set about to solve.' Attorney General Pam Bondi referred to fentanyl seizures during the administration. She then turned to reporters and said those actions had 'saved — are you ready for this, media? — 258 million lives.' It's not clear how Bondi arrived at that figure, which amounts to roughly 75 percent of the American population. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, for her part emphasized investigations into leaks to the media. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem contended the 'fake news' had been unfairly stating that Trump had been deporting fewer people than former President Biden. Noem added, 'They're letting the Biden administration get away with manipulating and cooking the books.' NBC News reported in March the Trump administration deported fewer people in February than the Biden administration did in February 2024, citing Immigration and Customs Enforcement data. However, NBC also acknowledged in the second paragraph of its story that 'one major reason for the higher numbers under the Biden administration was higher traffic from attempted border crossings, both legal and illegal, in 2024 compared to 2025.' Trump apportions some blame for many things — including inflation, egg prices, the situation in Gaza and the war in Ukraine — to Biden. On Wednesday, he sought to pin the stock market's faltering performance on his predecessor, saying in a morning Truth Social post, 'This is Biden's Stock Market, not Trump's.' He added that a 'boom … will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS.' It's impossible for any fair-minded analysis to concur with that assessment. The major stock indices cratered immediately after Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariff announcement on April 2, and only began a semi-sustained recovery a week later, when he announced a 90-day suspension for many of the tariffs he had pledged to impose. In addition, there are troublesome signs in the broader economy. The Wednesday data from the Commerce Department that showed GDP shrinking by an annualized rate of 0.3 percent in the first quarter is just one example. Part of the reason for that figure was a rush of imported goods in advance of the imposition of tariffs. But The Wall Street Journal noted the data also showed 'consumer spending, the economy's main engine, rose at a 1.8 percent pace in the first quarter, the smallest increase since mid-2023.' The sputtering economy carries serious political risks for Trump because it can affect him detrimentally with the small sliver of voters in the center ground. Trump retains a fervent base and also draws equally intense opposition from millions of Americans. But economic competency — or the lack of it — poses a danger for him with 'soft' supporters who may have voted for him with reluctance. Even assuming he does not try to run for office a third time — an unconstitutional option with which he and allies have nevertheless toyed at times — a loss of support among those centrist voters could cause GOP lawmakers to distance themselves from him, complicating his legislative agenda. At a more basic level, Trump — ever concerned with his image and averse to any defeats — would simply dislike his approval rating to fall further. The 'attack the media' gambit seems likely to reassure Trump's base but to have more modest appeal with the voters he is losing. Americans have listened to Trump's attacks on reporters for roughly a decade now. Despite the media's own low levels of trust, members of the public who are tightening their spending or feeling the beginnings of an economic chill are likely to feel at least some frustration toward the president. Even the chorus of media criticism around the Cabinet table seems unlikely to change that. The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
The Memo: Trump Cabinet, facing sinking polls, lashes out at media
President Trump's Cabinet members sharpened their attacks on the media Wednesday, as the administration grappled with falling poll numbers. A plethora of polls have been released to coincide with Trump hitting the 100-day mark in his second term — and they overwhelmingly show the president losing altitude. A new poll released Wednesday by Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ), The Hill's polling partner, found Trump 12 points underwater on job approval. Only 44 percent of Americans approved of his performance so far, while 56 percent disapproved. Especially striking was his poor performance with independents, who disapproved of his job performance by more than 2-to-1, 68 percent to 32 percent. In the DDHQ polling average, which aggregates surveys from reputable pollsters, Trump is 9 points into negative territory. The share of Americans disapproving of him has climbed 14 points since his inauguration, from 39 percent to 53 percent. The broad reasons for the decline are plain to see. Trump's tariff policies have sparked serious volatility on the financial markets and appear to be feeding into broader economic worries. Economic experts are predicting an increase in inflationary pressure, the chances of a recession appear to be rising — the economy contracted in the first quarter, according to new data out Wednesday — and retailers are expressing concern about empty shelves. Trump has also suffered some controversies that have raised concerns beyond just the ranks of his usual critics. The most notable was the inadvertent inclusion of a journalist on a group chat where the most senior members of his administration were discussing an imminent attack on Yemen's Houthis. Given all of that, it was telling that so many members of Trump's Cabinet used their remarks before the press on Wednesday to do two things — pay extravagant tribute to the president and insist that he was being wronged by the media. Vice President Vance contended the media should be giving more coverage to successful military recruitment efforts than to the controversy over the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Vance also insisted 'the reason the media attacks this administration as chaotic is because the president is solving the problems the American people set about to solve.' Attorney General Pam Bondi referred to fentanyl seizures during the administration. She then turned to reporters and said those actions had 'saved — are you ready for this, media? — 258 million lives.' It's not clear how Bondi arrived at that figure, which amounts to roughly 75 percent of the American population. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, for her part emphasized investigations into leaks to the media. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem contended the 'fake news' had been unfairly stating that Trump had been deporting fewer people than former President Biden. Noem added, 'They're letting the Biden administration get away with manipulating and cooking the books.' NBC News reported in March the Trump administration deported fewer people in February than the Biden administration did in February 2024, citing Immigration and Customs Enforcement data. However, NBC also acknowledged in the second paragraph of its story that 'one major reason for the higher numbers under the Biden administration was higher traffic from attempted border crossings, both legal and illegal, in 2024 compared to 2025.' Trump apportions some blame for many things — including inflation, egg prices, the situation in Gaza and the war in Ukraine — to Biden. On Wednesday, he sought to pin the stock market's faltering performance on his predecessor, saying in a morning Truth Social post, 'This is Biden's Stock Market, not Trump's.' He added that a 'boom … will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS.' It's impossible for any fair-minded analysis to concur with that assessment. The major stock indices cratered immediately after Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariff announcement on April 2, and only began a semi-sustained recovery a week later, when he announced a 90-day suspension for many of the tariffs he had pledged to impose. In addition, there are troublesome signs in the broader economy. The Wednesday data from the Commerce Department that showed GDP shrinking by an annualized rate of 0.3 percent in the first quarter is just one example. Part of the reason for that figure was a rush of imported goods in advance of the imposition of tariffs. But The Wall Street Journal noted the data also showed 'consumer spending, the economy's main engine, rose at a 1.8 percent pace in the first quarter, the smallest increase since mid-2023.' The sputtering economy carries serious political risks for Trump because it can affect him detrimentally with the small sliver of voters in the center ground. Trump retains a fervent base and also draws equally intense opposition from millions of Americans. But economic competency — or the lack of it — poses a danger for him with 'soft' supporters who may have voted for him with reluctance. Even assuming he does not try to run for office a third time — an unconstitutional option with which he and allies have nevertheless toyed at times — a loss of support among those centrist voters could cause GOP lawmakers to distance themselves from him, complicating his legislative agenda. At a more basic level, Trump — ever concerned with his image and averse to any defeats — would simply dislike his approval rating to fall further. The 'attack the media' gambit seems likely to reassure Trump's base but to have more modest appeal with the voters he is losing. Americans have listened to Trump's attacks on reporters for roughly a decade now. Despite the media's own low levels of trust, members of the public who are tightening their spending or feeling the beginnings of an economic chill are likely to feel at least some frustration toward the president. Even the chorus of media criticism around the Cabinet table seems unlikely to change that.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HBCUs will not be subjected to federal spending cuts, Trump says
(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump told NewsNation on Wednesday that historically Black colleges and universities should not be concerned about federal funding cuts to their budgets. In 2019, during his first term in office, President Trump signed a bipartisan bill that permanently provides more than $250 million a year to the nation's historically Black colleges and universities. 82% of US voters are concerned about a recession: DDHQ poll 'I took care of the Black colleges and HBCUs,' Trump said. 'You know that better than anybody.' Last week, Trump signed an order establishing a White House Initiative on HBCUs to enhance capacity and 'deliver high-quality education to a growing number of students,' according to the White House. 'I got them more money than they ever dreamt possible and they're in great shape now,' Tump said. 'They have long term financing. Nobody did that but Donald Trump.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
