Latest news with #Democrat-affiliated
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Multiple controversies confuse voters in Hilliard City Council's first Democratic primary
Hilliard's first Democratic primary in recent memory is not without its share of controversy. The candidates had a civil discussion and found ample common ground at one of the only public events featuring all of them hosted by the Hilliard Chamber of Commerce in early April. But behind the scenes, there's some confusion amok in the Columbus suburb that elected its first Democrat to city council in 2019. Here's what you need to know about three interesting stories of the race so far: mailers attacking incumbent Andy Teater, endorsements from different Democrat-affiliated organizations and mismatched fundraising. Teater was a Republican for much of his life. He followed in his parents' footsteps of running as Republicans for local offices, serving on the City Council for multiple terms and on the School Board before that. But Teater has never supported President Donald Trump and left the party a few years ago because of Trump's policies, he wrote in an April 29 Facebook post: 'I have been working closely with Hilliard Democrats since then.' After he left the party, he accepted an award from the Franklin County GOP in 2024 on behalf of his mother and late father for their public service. A photo of that is featured on mailers the Hilliard Conservative Club PAC recently sent to voters, alleging Teater was accepting the award and is working to 'infiltrate and take over the Hilliard Democratic Party from the inside' with Tony Moog, a planning and zoning commissioner on the same slate as Teater. 'We strongly encourage everyone to support this true MAGA patriot with your vote in the Democratic Primary,' the mailer says, which includes multiple photos of Trump that appear to be pointing to Teater. The organization that sent out the mailers was created March 31, according to campaign finance records. Council member Les Carrier, who is running in the uncontested GOP primary to keep his seat, is the primary contributor to the organization — Carrier's campaign wrote a $2,000 check, and he personally made a $1,780 loan. The mailer, which Carrier referred to as satire in an interview with The Dispatch, was intended to get more people talking about the primary and highlight the 'hypocrisy' of local Democrats. Trish Barker, the founder of the Hilliard Democrats PAC, said the mailers are sparking confusion among voters — Teater has been working with Hilliard Democrats for a few years, she said. Carrier said people were already confused by Teater's party switch after his longtime affiliation with the GOP. Several candidates defended Teater, including Moog, whom the mailer identifies as his campaign manager. Moog was Teater's campaign treasurer after the death of the previous treasurer two years ago until the end of last year. 'These mailers appear to be an attempt to misrepresent Andy's history and values, but anyone familiar with his track record knows his commitment to putting the community first, above any partisan divides,' Moog said. 'As public officials, our only job is to do what is best for our community. It is disappointing that some choose to divide and confuse our community during election campaigns,' Teater told The Dispatch. Carrier said the underlying message was not about Teater but rather the Democratic Party and its process. 'Andy's a good guy. It's really not necessarily so much about Andy as it is about the party and what they're doing and how they act like they're the party of inclusion — they didn't even really give those other candidates a chance,' Carrier said about the mailers. Hilliard Democrats has been working to organize candidates for the recent city elections since last fall, and the group was not expecting a contested primary, the group's founder Trish Barker said. They had already met with Teater, fellow incumbent Tina Cottone, Tony Moog and Kathy Parker-Jones before some of the other candidates filed petitions to run. A few other candidates also initially expressed interest — one did not make it through the vetting process, and another opted not to run to avoid a primary. 'We already had an endorsed slate and a commitment to these folks … it was very late in the game,' Barker said about when the group first heard in mid- to late-January about Dorothy Hassan, Nadia Rasul and Samer Bazerbashi deciding to run. Rasul said she first heard Jan. 21 that the Franklin County Democratic Party was holding interviews for endorsements but previously hadn't heard anything about it, even though her contact information is in the paperwork she submitted to the board of elections. She questions why the local organizations hold interviews and decide on whom to endorse before the filing deadline, which isn't until Feb. 4. 'I believe in a true democracy in letting the people decide and whatever the voters decide on May 6 is how we will proceed. No matter the outcome, I will continue to be active in the betterment of Hilliard and be a liaison,' Rasul said. Bazerbashi said: 'When big party platforms come down and make their picks, it creates an uneven playing field for candidates that come with a fresh perspective. I come with unique experiences in that I'm the only candidate that has to survive off of community engagement and feedback.' Barker started Hilliard Democrats in late 2018 as a coalition of volunteers working to get Democrats elected at all levels of government amid shifting electoral trends favoring Democrats and an embezzlement scandal of missing swimming pool money. Cynthia Vermillion was the first Democrat to succeed, in the fall of 2019 — she won re-election in 2023. Now, there's a 5-2 majority of Democrats on one of the only partisan city councils in suburban Columbus. When people are interested in running, Barker said they have previously always contacted local party infrastructure early on for questions and support. 'We're not a gatekeeper,' Barker said. Hassan and Barker told The Dispatch they have discussed changing the process moving forward. 'We're going to fix that and make sure that it is a more democratic process,' Hassan said. The Franklin County Democratic Party just endorsed the incumbents, Cottone and Teater, Executive Committee Chairman Mike Sexton confirmed with The Dispatch. Hassan, Rasul and Bazerbashi got an endorsement from the Hilliard Democrats PAC, which is not affiliated with the Hilliard Democrats or the Franklin County Democratic Party. The PAC was formed April 16 by Ammar Khawam, who said in a text to The Dispatch that he founded the group amid the lack of support from Hilliard Democrats. Khawam said he knows Rasul the best and has encouraged her to run for public office for years. He said Hilliard Democrats 'deviated from one of the core values of the Democratic Party, which is inclusivity.' The non-PAC candidates said they had not heard from that PAC about supporting them. 'These endorsements were made without engaging or consulting the other four candidates, which raises questions about transparency and fairness in the process,' Moog said. Khawam said the main issue is that Hilliard Democrats didn't include all of the candidates running as Democrats. Most of the funding for the Hilliard Democrats PAC comes from the Building Better Communities PAC, founded by Fadi Suleiman in January. Suleiman is on the board for Noor Islamic Cultural Center, but he said in an interview with The Dispatch that the PAC he founded has nothing to do with the mosque. An entity affiliated with Noor recently sued the city in local and federal courts for rejecting its request to rezone a vacant office building. Suleiman's PAC is nonpartisan, nonreligious and will support other candidates in other local elections around central Ohio this year, he said. The PAC has received nearly $34,000 in donations, including $2,500 from Suleiman. The PAC has donated $3,000 each to Hassan, Rasul and Bazerbashi, as well as $5,000 to the Hilliard Democrats PAC. Suleiman said he is not affiliated with the Hilliard Democrats PAC; The BBC PAC will support other organizations and candidates that have 'similar objectives,' he said. Bazerbashi and Rasul said they are not affiliated with either PAC, and Hassan did not respond to a follow-up question ahead of The Dispatch's deadline. Hassan, Bazerbashi and Rasul have each raised more funding than the Hilliard Democrats-supported candidates combined, which is just over $7,000 among the four candidates. Some of the Hilliard Democrat slate candidates said volunteers drive their campaigns. 'Our grassroots approach means we're out in the neighborhoods every day, relying on dedicated volunteers and supporters to help amplify our message. It's not just about how much money you raise — it's about how well you connect with the community and ultimately, the voters,' Cottone said. Parker-Jones said that people should pay attention to where the funding is coming from. 'When a newly formed PAC based outside of Hilliard out-raises a slate of long-time residents and community advocates, it raises fair questions about influence and priorities. At the end of the day, I believe voters in Hilliard care more about values and vision than outside interest campaign spending,' Parker-Jones said. Teater and Parker-Jones have personally loaned money to their campaigns. Hassan said the support her campaign has received is serious. 'The outpouring of support from my community just the sisterhood of women who are excited to see another woman run; women who are excited to support the first African American woman on the ballot in Hilliard; educators,' Hassan said. 'It's a wonderful thing to see how all that intersectionality came in a circle of support.' Anna Lynn Winfrey covers the western suburbs for The Columbus Dispatch. She can be reached at awinfrey@ This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Hilliard City Council Democratic primary controversies confuse voters
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Justice Democrats launch new primary challenge
Justice Democrats are back to primarying incumbents. The progressive group that aimed to oust moderate Democrats, known for helping power members of the 'Squad' into office, is endorsing a Michigan state lawmaker's primary challenge against Rep. Shri Thanedar. The group is hoping to capitalize on anti-incumbent sentiment among the Democratic base, with liberals calling on party leaders to mount a more effective and visible resistance to President Donald Trump. 'Democratic voters in the face of unprecedented attacks on our livelihoods and liberties are fed up with a Democratic Party overrun by do-nothing career politicians who are totally unequipped to lead in this moment,' Alexandra Rojas, the executive director of Justice Democrats, said in a statement endorsing state Rep. Donavan McKinney in the Michigan House race. 'Donavan represents the future the Democratic Party should be fighting for: working class people taking our power back from multimillionaires to deliver for everyday people.' It's a change in strategy after the group pivoted to protect its incumbent progressives last cycle who had faced primary challenges of their own. But Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) still lost their races amid a flood of outside spending led largely by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Now, the progressive group is hoping to recapture the base energy that propelled the first group of Justice Democrat-affiliated lawmakers into office during the first Trump midterm election in 2018. McKinney is formally kicking off his campaign in the Detroit-area district, a seat POLITICO had previously reported his interest in. Some Black Democrats have sought to oust Thanedar, calling for Black representation in the district, and McKinney had discussed a bid with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. "I'm running for Congress because we deserve better. We deserve a Democratic Party that leads the fight against the billionaires robbing us blind. That stands up to corporate PACs, that doesn't sell out to them. Our country and our children can afford nothing less," he said in a video announcing his bid. "People like our congressman — Shri Thanedar — are the problem. A multimillionaire who spent millions to buy a seat in Congress, who has more in common with Donald Trump and Elon Musk than people like us." It's a jab at Thanedar's wealth after he self-funded previous campaigns. McKinney, 32, was first elected to the state legislature in 2022 and has ties to the state's powerful labor groups. He has served as a legislative director in the state House, worked for SEIU Healthcare Michigan and had a spot on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's Environmental Justice council. Michigan Democrats see Thanedar as vulnerable to a primary challenge amid controversy over his office's spending and unorthodox legislating style. But McKinney won't have the primary field to himself, with former state Sen. Adam Hollier running for the seat a third time and potentially dividing the anti-Thanedar vote. And House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said he will stand by all Democratic incumbents. Hollier lost to Thanedar in a crowded 2022 primary. He locked up substantial support from Michigan Democratic leaders and Black Democrats ahead of the 2024 primary but was disqualified from the ballot over a scandal with his petition signatures. Another potential wrinkle: AIPAC could spend significant money to protect Thanedar — and block McKinney. That would mark a reversal of their stance during the 2022 primary, when the powerful group backed Hollier. But since then, Thanedar has taken more pro-Israel stances and has been endorsed by the group. He's already received donations earmarked through AIPAC, too. Thanedar could put substantial sums of his own money toward a competitive primary. But Thanedar's most recent campaign finance filings raised eyebrows among Democrats after he reported losing $1.35 million in investment income in two months. Thanedar had previously invested part of his campaign war chest in cryptocurrency, which declined in value.
Politico
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Justice Democrats launch new primary challenge
Justice Democrats are back to primarying incumbents. The progressive group that aimed to oust moderate Democrats, known for helping power members of the 'Squad' into office, is endorsing a Michigan state lawmaker's primary challenge against Rep. Shri Thanedar. The group is hoping to capitalize on anti-incumbent sentiment among the Democratic base, with liberals calling on party leaders to mount a more effective and visible resistance to President Donald Trump. 'Democratic voters in the face of unprecedented attacks on our livelihoods and liberties are fed up with a Democratic Party overrun by do-nothing career politicians who are totally unequipped to lead in this moment,' Alexandra Rojas, the executive director of Justice Democrats, said in a statement endorsing state Rep. Donavan McKinney in the Michigan House race. 'Donavan represents the future the Democratic Party should be fighting for: working class people taking our power back from multimillionaires to deliver for everyday people.' It's a change in strategy after the group pivoted to protect its incumbent progressives last cycle who had faced primary challenges of their own. But Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) still lost their races amid a flood of outside spending led largely by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Now, the progressive group is hoping to recapture the base energy that propelled the first group of Justice Democrat-affiliated lawmakers into office during the first Trump midterm election in 2018 . McKinney is formally kicking off his campaign in the Detroit-area district, a seat POLITICO had previously reported his interest in. Some Black Democrats have sought to oust Thanedar, calling for Black representation in the district, and McKinney had discussed a bid with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. 'I'm running for Congress because we deserve better. We deserve a Democratic Party that leads the fight against the billionaires robbing us blind. That stands up to corporate PACs, that doesn't sell out to them. Our country and our children can afford nothing less,' he said in a video announcing his bid. 'People like our congressman — Shri Thanedar — are the problem. A multimillionaire who spent millions to buy a seat in Congress, who has more in common with Donald Trump and Elon Musk than people like us.' It's a jab at Thanedar's wealth after he self-funded previous campaigns. McKinney, 32, was first elected to the state legislature in 2022 and has ties to the state's powerful labor groups. He has served as a legislative director in the state House, worked for SEIU Healthcare Michigan and had a spot on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's Environmental Justice council. Michigan Democrats see Thanedar as vulnerable to a primary challenge amid controversy over his office's spending and unorthodox legislating style. But McKinney won't have the primary field to himself, with former state Sen. Adam Hollier running for the seat a third time and potentially dividing the anti-Thanedar vote. And House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said he will stand by all Democratic incumbents. Hollier lost to Thanedar in a crowded 2022 primary . He locked up substantial support from Michigan Democratic leaders and Black Democrats ahead of the 2024 primary but was disqualified from the ballot over a scandal with his petition signatures. Another potential wrinkle: AIPAC could spend significant money to protect Thanedar — and block McKinney. That would mark a reversal of their stance during the 2022 primary, when the powerful group backed Hollier. But since then, Thanedar has taken more pro-Israel stances and has been endorsed by the group. He's already received donations earmarked through AIPAC , too. Thanedar could put substantial sums of his own money toward a competitive primary. But Thanedar's most recent campaign finance filings raised eyebrows among Democrats after he reported losing $1.35 million in investment income in two months. Thanedar had previously invested part of his campaign war chest in cryptocurrency, which declined in value.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge Susan Crawford Won a Seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in Spite of Elon Musk
Illustration: Gabrielle Langdon; Photo:We've reached the end of another week. But before we clock out for the weekend, we're giving credit where it's due. Judge Susan Crawford is the latest champion in our Winner of the Week series. Elon Musk, President Trump's favorite billionaire, made himself the main character of this week's Wisconsin state Supreme Court election, throwing around PAC money to 'supporters' of his preferred candidate in a move that really seems like buying votes, even if, upon closer inspection…yeah, it still seems like he's buying votes. His bizarre and costly stunts were all in service of defeating Judge Susan Crawford, Dane County circuit court judge with reasonable, liberal-leaning positions on issues like abortion and voter ID laws. Crawford is a former prosecutor and mother of two with experience in the state attorney general's office and strong labor and union support. Her opponent, Brad Schimel, positioned himself as the 'tough on crime' candidate, but as with so many state-level elections that gain national attention, the battle wasn't really between the people running. It was about the parties (though judgeships are technically nonpartisan, Crawford has been endorsed by the Democrats, Schimel by the Republicans), and laying the groundwork for the next election. To sum up, Wisconsin is a swing state that had a 4-3 liberal majority on its bench, but with Democrat-affiliated Justice Ann Walsh Bradley's retirement, as goes this election, so goes Wisconsin, and possibly the nation. A redistricting line here, a voter ID law there, and Wisconsin's electoral votes could make or break 2028 (last year, President Trump won the state by almost 30,000 votes). That's why Musk cared enough to put on a cheese hat. And despite her opposition's best efforts, Wisconsin voted in her favor. 'Today, Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy, our fair elections and our Supreme Court,' Crawford said in her victory speech, per the New York Times. 'Wisconsin stood up and said loudly that justice does not have a price.' No one deserves a weekend more than Crawford. And to be clear, we aren't taking a side on her record. Whether or not she's a good judge was up to the people of Wisconsin to decide, and they have. This is about the broader issue of how elections are run in this country. Crawford isn't the first public official to come up against the antics of the Trump agenda, and she certainly won't be the last, and her dignity throughout the campaign is what we commend. I mean, if a tech billionaire who's not even from here started handing out million dollar checks to stop me from getting a job, my head would explode. Whether this outcome gives you hope or hives for the midterms, one thing is clear: Trump & Co. are not afraid to throw their cash around in increasingly inappropriate ways. But, to quote Crawford's victory speech, 'our courts are not for sale.' Elon Musk's Wives, Women, and Kids: A Deep Dive Into His Long and Messy Relationship History By examining Musk's complicated relationship history (he's been married three times and reportedly has 14 known kids with four different women), perhaps we can understand a little more about what's driving him. Originally Appeared on Glamour
The Independent
21-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Trump angrily denies Elon Musk will be part of sensitive Pentagon briefing on China: Live updates
Top law firm offers $40m in legal services to Trump to escape order The Trump administration and a Democrat-affiliated law firm have reached an agreement for the White House to drop an executive order targeting the firm in exchange for the company doing tens of millions of dollars in free legal work to support administration initiatives. The unusual development marks a new chapter in the White House's retribution campaign against law firms it deems to have opposed its agenda or unfairly targeted Donald Trump. Under the agreement, Trump will drop his executive order last week aimed at the firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. The order suspended the firm's security clearances, barred it from federal buildings and threatened government contractors that did business with the firm. In exchange for dropping the order, Paul, Weiss agreed to represent clients from 'the full spectrum of political viewpoints,' commit to not using diversity hiring, and offer $40 million in pro bono legal services to support administration initiatives in areas like aiding veterans, promoting fairness in the justice system and combating antisemitism. The president announced the deal on social media last night and singled out Mark Pomerantz, a former Paul, Weiss partner who later helped the Manhattan District Attorney's Office build a criminal case against Trump. Josh Marcus reports. Joe Sommerlad21 March 2025 13:00
