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The Independent
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Biden was ‘general failure' and Kamala ‘ran away' says Michigan Democrat vying to be first Muslim senator
Why did Kamala Harris lose the 'Blue Wall,' and every other swing state in 2024? For the three leading candidates vying to win the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, providing an answer could determine their political futures. At least one already has: Abdul El-Sayed argued on Monday that his party ran away from its voters — not towards them. Polling within the margin of error against Rep. Haley Stevens, El-Sayed, 40, is very well positioned to pull off the historic feat of becoming the first-ever Muslim member of the United States Senate. A poll conducted by the NSRC, the GOP's Senate campaign arm, put him within the margin of error against Rep. Haley Stevens, a Democratic congresswoman and reportedly the Democratic party establishment's favorite to win the seat. Mallory McMorrow, a state senator, trailed both but was nearing striking distance. 'Democrats still haven't learned this lesson,' El-Sayed insisted on Monday. 'It's frustrating because these people made a calculated decision about who they needed and who they didn't. And it turns out that that decision was way off.' El-Sayed spoke to The Independent two days before he was set to visit a Yemeni coffeeshop in Dearborn Heights for a meet-and-greet with voters, an area of Michigan that saw one of the sharpest drop offs among Democratic-leaning voters last year. Across the state, El-Sayed is running the exact opposite kind of campaign as an increasingly frail Joe Biden ran in 2024. In some ways, his strategy contrasts with Harris,' too, in ways which clearly didn't sit well with the former Detroit health commisioner. On a recent interview with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker (HasanAbi), the two discussed the Israel-Hamas war and starvation crisis in Gaza, which El-Sayed labels a genocide. But in the hourlong conversation — the likes of which Harris avoided to some dismay from Democrats — the two also bro'd out, chatting about fitness as well as the YouTube and Twitter 'shorts' seemingly consuming social media and transforming it into slop. 'I watched this campaign actively run away from certain groups of voters because they did not want to take questions that would expose the inconsistency of their values,' said El-Sayed. 'Whether that was Joe Rogan's audience, whether that was Hasan's audience, there are just groups of people that Democrats have said, 'you know what? We're going to give up on you, because we don't think we need you to win an election. 'That's not how you do politics,' he continued. 'Your job is not about just trying to architect a winning coalition. Your job is about trying to identify the issues that all people need, and then being able to be clear, specific and direct about how you solve them in an effort to win an election, because your agenda would deliver for the most people in the ways that they need.' He pinned much of the blame for the party's stiffness in 2024, exemplified in both Biden and Harris' campaigns, on a steady stream of donor money the two-time Bernie Sanders-backed candidate argued was poisoning the party. Democratic policies were being winnowed down through a narrow lens of what would be palatable to both the party's base and their corporate-backed financiers, El-Sayed argued. The devastation in Gaza and the Democratic Party's complicity in not pressuring Israel over it under Biden highlighted a gulf between those two groups he argued was growing for years. The man who could very well be the Democratic Party's champion in a crucial Senate race spared no criticism for those Democratic elites he argued were responsible for the mess within which the DNC was now mired. "Joe Biden's handling of Gaza was indicative of a general failure to be able to do the job,' El-Sayed told The Independent. "I wasn't in those rooms,' said El-Sayed. 'What I can tell you is what I watched, and what I think the American public watched, [which] is an American president who was struggling to give a coherent statement, to get through a debate, [and] ... to manage a extremely complicated situation in Gaza. 'I also know that there was this effort to silence those voices who were willing to state what was obvious before our eyes,' he added. A disrupting voice in the party, El-Sayed is pledging to shake up the geriatric halls of the Senate as well should he become his party's nominee. As senator, El-Sayed says he'd back leveraging Democratic votes on legislation to fund the government: the kind of shutdown politics Chuck Schumer refused to play earlier in 2025. He also supports ending the filibuster, according to a staffer. El-Sayed also would not commit to supporting Schumer for another term as leader of the caucus, telling The Independent he wanted to look at his options as 2027 came into view. First he'll have to win the 2026 primary as well as a general election against Mike Rogers, the Republican Trump-supporting congressman on a path to be crowned the GOP nominee. With a unified Republican Party backing Rogers, El-Sayed is well aware that his Muslim background and stance on Gaza could be weaponized by Republicans in an attempt to overshadow a Zohran Mamdani-like focus on affordability and Michiganders' financial stability. Republicans see Michigan as a path to expanding a majority and giving Donald Trump the breathing room he needs to further his legislative agenda in 2027. The loss of Michigan would be a massive blow for a battle-weary DSCC, and a pro-Israel site has already attacked El-Sayed over his sitdown with Hasan Piker. El-Sayed argued that the momentum was on his side, and that Democrats needed to be ready to brawl. 'I think we need to stop being afraid,' he said. 'I just think we need to punch back harder, right? They want to come after us on this issue, punch back harder. 'I don't back down, I don't pull my punches, and I am more than happy to go at this issue or any other issue with lying MAGA types,' El-Sayed continued. ' I think we can win the American public, but we gotta stop being afraid of our own shadow.'
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat Joe Jaworski to run for Texas attorney general again
Joe Jaworski, an attorney and former Galveston mayor, is running for Texas attorney general again, three years after making an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination to become the state's top civil lawyer. Jaworski will face another competitive primary this cycle, with state Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, launching his own bid for attorney general earlier this week. Since his 2022 runoff loss, Jaworski said he has spent much of the last three years reflecting on how he can best serve Texas, as well as building name recognition through social media and a radio show. He said his 35 years as an attorney 'fighting for clients' constitutional and civil rights against notorious offenders and wrongdoers,' as well as his term as Galveston mayor, have equipped him to lead the attorney general's office. 'AG, to me, that's the sweet spot in state government if you want to make a change in one office,' he said in an interview, adding that he was running 'to be an advocate for the people of Texas, rather than a general counsel for a political party.' In 2022, Jaworski eked out a second-place finish in the March primary, finishing well behind civil rights attorney Rochelle Garza, who went on to easily defeat him in the runoff. 'I immediately endorsed Ms. Garza, and I was sad to see her lose to the most reprehensible attorney general in America,' Jaworski said. 'Maybe it wasn't my time then, but I feel that the time is right now.' He said he is better prepared this time, with a stronger team that includes campaign manager Diana Arévalo, a Democratic strategist who served one term representing San Antonio in the Texas House. As Garza's 10-point defeat showed, Democrats face a tough road to statewide office in Texas. Jaworski is hopeful that he'll benefit from a midterm boost akin to 2018, when Texas Democrats had their strongest showing in years, as well as the first attorney general's race in over a decade without an incumbent on the ballot. With Paxton forgoing reelection to run for the U.S. Senate, a crowded GOP field has shaped up to succeed him on the ballot, including state Sens. Joan Huffman of Houston and Mayes Middleton of Galveston and former Department of Justice attorney Aaron Reitz. Jaworski predicted that by November 2026, there would be a 'growing sense of alarm' among moderate Republicans opposed to some of Trump's more extreme policies, and whoever wins the Democratic nomination for attorney general will be facing an opponent 'who will be parroting Trump's talking points. And I think that person will be very vulnerable.' He plans to roll out a platform in the coming weeks but said his focus would be on things like making it easier for eligible Texans to vote, including encouraging more high school students to register, and consumer protection, as well as pivoting away from the office's current focus on blocking liberal policies from going into effect. 'Texas specifically needs a Democrat to serve as attorney general to investigate corruption, to hold those who are corrupt responsible, and to form coalitions with other states attorneys general to fight the administration's assault on individual rights and on the United States Constitution,' Jaworski said. Shape the future of Texas at the 15th annual , happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin! We bring together Texas' most inspiring thinkers, leaders and innovators to discuss the issues that matter to you. Get tickets now and join us this November. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why Andrew Cuomo thinks he'll win the NYC mayoral election: Interview
The Brief Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo came on Good Day New York to go over why he feels he lost the Democratic nomination for the mayoral race. "I did not run a great primary campaign," he told Good Day's Rosanna Scotto and Curt Menefee. President Donald Trump has expressed support for Cuomo's campaign: "I think Andrew would have a good shot of winning." NEW YORK - Not only is he still in the game, he's in it to win it. Cuomo on why he lost the primary election What they're saying Four months out of the general election for New York City mayor, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo came on Good Day New York to go over why he feels he lost the Democratic nomination for the mayoral race. "I did not run a great primary campaign," Cuomo told Good Day's Rosanna Scotto and Curt Menefee. Citing his lead earlier in the campaign – a survey from Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill showed Cuomo leading Mamdani by over 10 percent in late May – Cuomo explained that he hadn't pursued the nomination aggressively enough. Cuomo specifically refers to fellow mayoral candidate and front runner Zohran Mamdani'shuge gains with young Democratic voters. "I didn't do enough to reach out to the younger people." "I played it safe… it was a mistake." New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo Menefee pointed out that Cuomo is sporting a more casual look than usual in his recent video announcing he will stay in the race as an independent. "Other than campaigning differently, why do you see the results being different this time around?" The answer: "I didn't make my case." Cuomo responds that he did not properly explain to New Yorkers how Mamdani's proposed policies, such as freezing rent for all stabilized tenants, are not realistic. "New Yorkers are not fools. They know the answer isn't as simple as make everything free." MORE:Current endorsements for NYC mayoral candidates He goes on to mention that this is a critical point in New York City's history, and that New Yorkers deserve a more vigorous debate because of this. When asked about his proposal for other mayoral candidates – Mayor Eric Adams, Curtis Sliwa and Jim Walden – to drop out come September if they are trailing him and Mamdani, Cuomo doubled down. "It's harder to win in a multi-candidate field." Only Walden has currently agreed to this proposal. Trump backing Cuomo It may not have been a proper endorsement, but President Donald Trump has expressed support for Cuomo's campaign. "I think he has a shot," Trump told reporters, regarding Cuomo's run for mayor. "I think Andrew would have a good shot of winning." The president went on to say Cuomo is "running against a communist," referencing Mamdani, who is a Democratic socialist. This isn't the first time Trump has taken aim at Mamdani – earlier this month, the president threatened to arrest the candidate if Mamdani interferes with ICE operations. The comment was made in response to Mamdani's pledg to "Trump-proof" New York City, vowing to kick ICE out of the five boroughs. The Source This article includes information from an interview from Good Day New York, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani's campaign website and an Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey.
