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New York Post
7 minutes ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Democrat Mikie Sherrill holds single-digit lead over Jack Ciattarelli in NJ gov race: poll
Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill holds a small but clear lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli in their battle to become governor of New Jersey, according to a poll out this week. Sherrill (D-NJ) has a 45%-37% edge over her GOP foe among likely voters, with 16% undecided, according to the Fairleigh Dickinson University survey released Tuesday. The poll found support for Ciattarelli slightly softer than support for Sherrill, with 87% of Democrats saying they would 'definitely' or 'probably' vote for their nominee and 86% of Republicans saying the same of theirs. Advertisement 'Unless something goes horribly awry, partisans are going to vote for their party's candidate,' said FDU Poll Executive Director Dan Cassino. 3 Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill has distanced herself from the New York City mayoral race after socialist Zohran Mamdani's shock win. AP 3 Republican Jack Ciattarelli overperformed the polls and shocked political observers with his narrow defeat in the 2021 contest. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post Advertisement 'While Republicans have been narrowing the gap, there are still more Democrats than Republicans in the state, and Ciattarelli needs to start pulling in more independents and Democrats if he wants to win.' The survey found a plurality of independents (41%) undecided in the race, with 30% supporting Sherrill and 23% supporting Ciattarelli; and just 2% of self-described Democrats backing the GOP nominee. Polling of the race has been sporadic, but shown Sherrill as the favorite to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy A Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS survey earlier this month pegged Sherrill with a roughly 20-point lead following the June primaries. Advertisement Ciattarelli is aiming to become the first Republican to win a New Jersey gubernatorial election since Chris Christie in 2013 after he came within 2.8 percentage points of besting Murphy four years ago. Back then, Democrats had to reckon with voter backlash to some of former President Joe Biden's policies. Now Republicans are the ones in political power in Washington, DC, changing the national dynamic that colors the race. 'There's a reason why Ciattarelli is focusing so much on local issues, and trying not to talk about President Trump,' Cassino said. 'The more nationalized this race is, the worse Ciattarelli does overall, even as it helps him a bit among Republicans.' The poll found 81% of voters who approve of President Trump's performance say they will back Ciattarelli, while 77% who disapprove plan to back Sherrill. Advertisement 3 Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill has long been considered the frontrunner in the New Jersey gubernatorial race. AP 'Ciattarelli is walking a fine line with Trump: he needs to consolidate Trump supporters, but do so without making the race too national, or turning off voters who don't like what's happening in Washington,' Cassino added. 'For Sherrill, on the other hand, there's no downside to bashing Trump as much as she likes.' The FDU poll sampled 806 likely voters by phone July 17–23 with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.4 percentage points.
New York Post
7 minutes ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani, back from Uganda, dodges questions after meeting with slain NYPD cop Didarul Islam's family
Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, fresh from an ill-timed trip to Uganda, dodged questions after meeting with the family of slain NYPD Officer Didarul Islam Wednesday morning. Mamdani spent an hour in Islam's family home in the Bronx — two days after the senseless mass shooting that left the 36-year-old married officer dead. The socialist pol — who, if elected, has vowed to 'disband' the elite police unit that responded to the Midtown mayhem on Monday — quickly hopped from an unmarked NYPD SUV with a big bouquet of flowers. 5 Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani hugs an unidentified person as he tries to make a discreet exit after bringing flowers to the family of slain NYPD Officer Didarul Islam. Matthew McDermott Advertisement 5 Mamdani seen visiting the family of the killed NYPD cop. Matthew McDermott His campaign waved off The Post and other reporters during the visit, which followed the bloodshed by crazed gunman Shane Tamura, who killed the hero cop Islam and three innocent civilians inside a Midtown skyscraper. 'We're not really going to have a lot of time for many questions,' a Mamdani campaign worker said. Advertisement Mamdani hugged Islam's family members as he left the home – and scowled at a Post photographer as he entered the SUV. 5 Didarul Islam seen in a family photo. Obtained by NYPost 5 Mamdani brings flowers to the cop's family. Matthew McDermott 5 Members of the New York City Police Department gather as the body of NYPD officer Didarul Islam is transferred from the medical examiner's office to a funeral home following his murder. James Keivom Advertisement The mayoral frontrunner, who spent the last several days in Uganda celebrating his recent wedding, faced a torrent of criticism for his tardy response to the shooting. He's expected to hold a news conference at 2 p.m. addressing the tragedy.
The Hill
7 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Grassley says he was ‘offended' and ‘disappointed' by Trump's insults
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the Senate's president pro tempore and chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee, said he was 'offended' and 'disappointed' by the tirade President Trump unleashed against him on social media over the obscure Senate tradition of respecting blue-slip objections to nominees tapped to serve as district court judges and U.S. attorneys. 'Last night I was surprised to see President Trump on Truth Social go after me and Senate Republicans over what we call the blue slip,' Grassley said in a statement to open a Judiciary Committee hearing on nominations. 'I was offended by what the president said, and I'm disappointed it would result in personal insults,' he said. Trump reposted an item on Truth Social calling for term limits and to 'dethrone the kings.' The post noted that Grassley has served in Congress for more than 50 years, while Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) has served in Congress for 44 years and former Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) has served for more than 40 years. The president also reposted a Truth Social post that accused Grassley of being a 'RINO,' short for 'Republican in name only,' and 'sneaky.' Trump vented his frustration at Grassley over his decision to respect blue-slip objections from Democratic senators who oppose candidates nominated to serve as district court judges and U.S. attorneys in their states. 'Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the U.S. Senate when he was down, by a lot, in the Great State of Iowa, could solve the 'Blue Slip' problem we are having with respect to the appointment of Highly Qualified Judges and U.S. Attorneys, with a mere flick of the pen,' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'Democrats like Schumer, Warner, Kaine, Booker, Schiff, and others, SLEAZEBAGS ALL, have an ironclad stoppage of Great Republican Candidates,' Trump fumed, referring to objections to nominees from the Senate Democratic leader and Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-V.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). Traditionally, the Senate Judiciary Committee's chairs haven't proceeded on federal district-level judicial and prosecutorial nominees unless both senators representing the state where those districts are located return blue-slip documents signing off on the nominees. Other Republicans backed Grassley in pushing back against Trump's criticism. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, said it would be a mistake to get rid of blue-slip objections from home-state senators to district court-level nominees. 'I do not agree with the president on that. I understand his frustration. President Biden had the same frustration,' Kennedy said of Trump's anger over stalled nominees to key law-enforcement positions in Democratic states. 'It's a cherished and very needed Senate tradition,' he said. 'Particularly for district court judges, senators are much better able to … pick a lawyer from their community that satisfies community standards,' Kennedy said, noting that Republicans also benefit from having oversight over judges and federal prosecutors in their states.
USA Today
37 minutes ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Texas redistricting: Republicans propose new map, Democrats try to counter
WASHINGTON − An ongoing effort by Republicans to redraw Texas' congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections continues to agitate Democrats across the country, as they search for ways to block or counter an initiative sought by President Donald Trump. The White House has urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and state Republicans to advance on a rare mid-decade redistricting, with the hope that shifting boundaries could help the party pick up as many as five seats in next year's race for control of the U.S. House. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, and the GOP are hoping the boost can help them hang onto their razor-thin lower chamber majority during the final two years of Trump's second term and amid the 2028 race for the White House. Texas Democrats balked when Abbott agreed to add redistricting to their to-do list for a 30-day special session that began July 21 in Austin. Now, liberal lawmakers are crying foul with blue state governors threatening tit-for-tat responses and Texas Democrats weighing their own limited protest options as the GOP seeks to make major changes to the critical voter boundary lines that make up the nation's second largest congressional delegation. Here's the latest to know on the controversial redistricting effort happening in the Lone Star State. What could a new map look like? Texas Republicans released their proposed new map on July 30. Ahead of the official release, Punchbowl News first reported that the anticipated redraw would shift district boundaries around Dallas, Houston, Austin and the Rio Grande Valley. There would still be 38 total seats in the Texas delegation under the new maps - leaving it second only to California's 52 seats. But five Texas seats would be redrawn in a bid that Republican envision giving their candidates a leg up with more GOP voters. Democrats who at risk of losing their spot in Congress include Reps. Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez and Marc Veasey, according to Punchbowl. Democrats charge partisan law violation The rare push to redraw the boundary lines has led Democratic senators to accuse Trump administration officials of breaking a decades-old law limiting executive branch employees from engaging in partisan activities − such as advocating for a state's redistricting in order to benefit their political party. In a letter to the Office of Special Counsel, California Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with Rhode Island's Sheldon Whitehouse and Illinois' Dick Durbin, called for an investigation into members of Trump's White House and Justice Department, accusing them of breaking the Hatch Act. "The purpose of this redistricting push is to defeat Democratic Members of Congress and elect Republicans to affect the balance of political party power in the 120th Congress," the senators wrote. "While such goals are appropriate for a political party organization, they are not appropriate for executive branch officials," they added, "especially at the Department of Justice which must take greater steps to ensure it acts with impartiality." The Hatch Act does not apply to the president or vice president. Hakeem Jeffries took a trip to Texas House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, made a trip to Texas July 30, the same day Republicans released their proposed map. While there, Politico reported that Jeffries planned to meet with Rep. Al Green, a Houston lawmaker whose district could be caught in the crosshairs of a major map shake up. "We understand that this is all hands on deck for us in the Democratic Party," Green told Politico. Jeffries has been vocal in his opposition to the redistricting plans, saying in a July 15 press conference, "Texas Republicans are likely going to continue to act like political punks and bend the knee to Donald Trump's extreme agenda." Later, he told CNN, regarding Democrats' response: "Let me just simply say the maps in New York are not as fair as they could be." Redistricting arms race could ensue Jeffries is not the only blue state lawmaker proposing an equal and opposite reaction to Texas. Democrats coast-to-coast have promised a full-scale counterattack, should the Lone Star State move forward with redistricting. "We're not going to be sitting back with one hand tied behind our back while Republicans try to undermine the voices of the American people," Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Democrat from Washington and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told reporters at a meeting July 23. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has suggested a redistricting in his state to offset Republican actions. (But unlike in Texas where legislators decide district lines, Newsom does face a major obstacle in the form of a bipartisan redistricting commission, which oversees California's maps.) The response from Democrats has enticed other Republican-controlled states to potentially jump in too. Missouri Republicans are pondering a plan to give their party a geographical leg up, and legislatures in other states such as Florida and New Hampshire have the ability to reevaluate maps like Texas. Texas Democrats eye leaving the state Back in Texas, Democrats have a limited number of options to counter a GOP-controlled state House and Senate. Their primary tool is a controversial and seldom used move to flee the state and break the quorum necessary to proceed in the legislative session. State Democrats last used the measure in 2021 to protest new voting restrictions. After that episode, in which representatives halted operations for 38 days, Republicans approved a $500 a day fine for breaking quorum. The monetary punishment could be enough to give Democrats pause about leaving the state this time. However, the Texas Tribune reported deep-pocked Democratic donors are ready to assist and enable a potential walkout.
Los Angeles Times
37 minutes ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
LA Times Today: Will she or won't she? The California governor's race waits on Kamala Harris
Former Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to Democratic women back in April in her first public address since leaving the White House and ignited a swirl of speculation about her next political she run for president a third time? Does she have her sights set on the governor's mansion? The will-she-won't-she has put the California governor's race on ice. L.A. Times politics reporter Laura Nelson has the story.
