Latest news with #Hoyer
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Rep. Steny Hoyer faces challenge from young political newcomer
WASHINGTON — A volunteer firefighter is challenging Maryland's most indomitable member for his seat in Congress. Harry Jarin, a resident of Anne Arundel County, announced last week that he will run against longtime Rep. Steny Hoyer to represent Maryland's 5th District. 'I don't know how much more losing the establishment of the Democratic Party was planning on doing before they decide to try something different,' Jarin, 35, told The Baltimore Sun. 'A big part of that, and kind of an underrated part of why we're losing, is that we keep putting literally the same people back into office again and again, none more so than Steny Hoyer himself.' Although it isn't unusual for Hoyer to face a primary challenge — he's had primary challengers every election since 2016 — the state of the Democratic Party makes Jarin's challenge more relevant, even if a victory over Hoyer is hard to imagine. The party, for a decade defined by leaders with decades of experience, is facing the fallout over the age of its public leaders after multiple lawmakers died in office and former President Joe Biden's withdrawal and recent cancer diagnosis. Jarin grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and moved to Maryland during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although he grew up around politics, the campaign is Jarin's first run for any political office. And he could hardly have picked a more intimidating opponent. Hoyer, 85, has been in Congress since 1981. He became an integral figure in the party's leadership, serving as House Majority Leader — the chamber's second-highest-ranking Democrat — from 2007 to 2011, and again from 2019 to 2023. He's seen numerous primary challenges over the last decade, including last year. None have come close to unseating him. Facing three younger challengers in the 2024 primary, Hoyer received more than 72%. There's also the matter of money. Hoyer is a well-funded incumbent, with over $573,000 on hand, plus an extensive donor network built over many years in office. Adrian Boafo, a state House delegate from Prince George's County who has worked for Hoyer, told The Sun that age isn't an issue for Hoyer within the district. 'I get the national concern and sentiment; I just don't think this is the same case' as Biden, Boafo said. 'He's around, he's active, and people know who he is.' 'I remember when I used to work for the guy,' Boafo added. 'He was sharper than all of us.' However, Hoyer's challenger identifies vulnerabilities in the party's longest-serving officeholders, continuing a theme that has plagued Democrats since the 2024 presidential election. 'What I see is the Democratic Party on a very, very bad trajectory, where Republicans are slowly but surely peeling away more and more voters from groups that Democrats were able to take for granted for a long time,' Jarin said. He pointed to November, when President Donald Trump won the popular vote and made gains with Hispanic and Black voters, key constituencies for Democratic candidates. Trump also posted strong numbers with young men. Jarin said the modern state of politics, where news is often consumed via TikTok or other social media, is more fitting for a younger candidate. He admitted, though, that he doesn't currently have a strong social media presence. 'I'm not gonna say that I'm some sort of social media whiz here,' he said, with the caveat that he believes he's more physically able to knock on the doors of constituents. Despite Hoyer's advanced age, Boafo said matching the congressman's pace is easier said than done. 'I'm 31 now and as a staffer to him, [I] couldn't keep up with him,' Boafo said. 'I just don't think Harry understands who this guy is and who he's going up against.' Age has become an early test for Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Three Democratic members of the House have passed away since March. Each has been at least 70 years old. Two had previously been diagnosed with cancer, including Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia. Connolly stepped away from his role as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee in late April after his cancer returned. He died weeks later. Despite Jarin's challenge emphasizing Hoyer's age and energy, as well as systemic issues within the Democratic Party, he shied away from criticizing the party's handling of the presidential election, as other new generation Democrats have done. 'Joe Biden is retired. That's in the past,' Jarin said. 'We can't do it over again. We have to look at the future.' 'This happens on both sides of the aisle, to some extent,' Jarin added, referring to lawmakers with health issues. 'Again, this has nothing to do with Joe Biden.' -----------
Newsweek
13 hours ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Cubs President Hints at Potential Trade Deadline Plans
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. With the trade deadline just under two months away, most teams are beginning to understand exactly who they want to target. Players from every position will be moved at the deadline in hopes of helping a team get that one extra piece that they believe can push them over the top. That is exactly how the Chicago Cubs will be approaching the deadline, and after a recent interview appearance by team president Jed Hoyer, it may be clear what Chicago is planning to do at the deadline. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 06: President Jed Hoyer of the Chicago Cubs looks during batting practice prior to the game against the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field on May 06, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 06: President Jed Hoyer of the Chicago Cubs looks during batting practice prior to the game against the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field on May 06, 2025 in Chicago, spoke to reporters before Chicago's May 27 game against the Colorado Rockies and gave this response when asked what the teams plan would be heading toward the trade deadline. "To quote our manager, we just need to get outs, you know?" Hoyer said Tuesday, per Marquee Sports Network. "And so we have to figure that out, whether it's the beginning of the game or the end of the game. (Our depth has) been tested, and we have to assume that that's not going to stop, that we'll continue to be tested. We have to continue to find depth where we can find it." It is no surprise the plan is to acquire pitching help, as the Cubs currently rank 14th in team ERA at 3.84 and 23rd in Wins Above Average from pitchers at minus-2.2 this season. Where is Chicago going to look for the pitching help at? Hoyer also answered that question during his sitdown with the media. "Ultimately, it is going to be somewhat sellers' market dependent," he said, per Marquee Sports Network. "If there's none of one of those things available, you have to zag a little bit, and you have to be prepared to do that. And that could be the nature of this market." With the club off to its best start since the 2016 season, it is instrumental that Hoyer and the rest of the front office make moves that help the Cubs win the NL Central and get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020. More MLB: Highly Touted Prospect Earning MLB Promotion
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrats' generational tensions reach boiling point in House primaries
A growing number of young Democrats have launched primary bids against the party's old guard in recent months, underscoring generational tensions that burst into the open following former Vice President Kamala Harris's defeat in November. Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) last week drew a primary challenger 50 years his junior in Harry Jarin, who cast the incumbent as representative of 'a bygone era.' He follows a number of other young candidates who have launched primary bids against veteran Democratic lawmakers. The trend comes amid renewed anxiety within the party over the issue of age, spurred by new revelations about former President Biden and the recent deaths of several older House members. 'A lot of politicians in Washington, they stew in this environment in D.C., sometimes for decades at a time, and they lose touch with young people and working people and people outside the beltway,' Jarin told The Hill. 'I think that's the reason for the sudden surge of primary challengers: We've now spent our whole lives seeing the same Democratic leaders do the same unproductive things in Congress and not actually deliver results.' Jarin, a 35-year-old volunteer firefighter and former 'Jeopardy!' contestant, is vying for the seat in Maryland's 5th Congressional District that Hoyer, 85, has held since his election in 1981. Hoyer, who won in November by more than 30 points, hasn't announced whether he'll seek reelection to a 24th term in 2026. In California, 39-year-old tech millionaire Saikat Chakrabarti, a veteran of Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) 2016 campaign and former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), is challenging 85-year-old former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D), who hasn't formally announced plans but reportedly filed paperwork to run for her 21st term. Another California incumbent, Rep. Brad Sherman (D), who at 70 is seeking his 16th House term, drew a challenge from a former deputy press secretary, Jake Rakov, 37. In Illinois, social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh, 26, launched a bid in March for Rep. Jan Schakowsky's (D) seat, contending that 'the same old s— isn't working.' Schakowsky, 80, later decided against trying for a 15th term, saying 'it is now time for me to pass the baton.' The campaigns are cropping up as Democrats grapple with broader questions about generational disconnect. 'Frankly, I do think we need sharper, new, fresh perspectives to address the challenges of today,' said Everton Blair, a 33-year-old educator who's challenging 12-term incumbent Rep. David Scott (D), 79, in Georgia's 13th Congressional District. 'When I think about the logistical conversation about age, it's like, you want folks that can last through a couple cycles, get to the place where they're still sharp and still able to get something done, and then they can also be a key part of the conversation and moving us forward for the next generation, and then building a bench while we still have time to build a bench,' Blair told The Hill. The 2024 election also raised red flags for Democrats that young voters, especially young men, are shifting right. 'It's worth noting that Republicans in Congress have definitely had a lot more turnover in the last decade than Democrats have. And I don't know that you could draw a direct line to some of the gains or unexpected dynamics folks are seeing with young voters, but it's certainly the case,' said Kaivan Shroff, a Democratic strategist and veteran of the Generation Z group Dream for America. The conversations have taken on a new sense of urgency in recent weeks with the release of multiple books that have ramped up scrutiny on Biden's health. The public recriminations that have emerged following the release of the books have also played out as the party reels from the recent deaths of three Democrats in the House. 'Six members of Congress have died in the last 16 months, and all of them were Democrats over age 65. So, I mean, I don't see how you can look at the situation and not say, 'Hey, we have a serious problem,'' Jarin told The Hill. 'I'm not putting down any of these people or the work that they've done. But we have to be realistic.' Republicans have also grappled with their own age-related issues for years. But the questions have been felt more acutely by Democrats in recent months as they search for answers following former Harris's devastating loss to Trump in November. Cheyenne Hunt, executive director of Gen-Z for Change, said some may be hesitant to talk about age issues, especially as there are many older lawmakers who are 'clearly still kicking and getting the job done.' 'But at the same time, this is a fundamental threat to our ability to govern, and so it simply cannot continue to be this way,' said Hunt, who mounted a bid to become the first Gen Z woman in Congress last year. 'The unwillingness to make space for new voices, particularly new voices that in general, are further left [than the] party establishment, is going to be a very, very serious threat to the party, and they're moving further and further away from where young voters are.' Still, young candidates and activists alike stress age isn't enough to make a winning pitch for the House. 'To me, it's not really about generational change, because there are older members that are meeting the moment and that are very good at what they do,' said George Hornedo, 34, who's running for the seat held by nine-term Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.). 'There can be younger members of Congress that aren't particularly strong.' 'It's about efficacy and accountability and being results-oriented,' he added. 'It's not enough to just say, 'Hey, I'm young and I'm fresh.' It's about being serious. It's about being strategic. It's about being able to take on a broken system and win.' Leaders We Deserve, a group helmed by Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg, launched an initiative last month aimed at elevating a new generation of leaders by supporting primary challenges against House Democrats in safe seats. The plans drew pushback as some fret about the high stakes in 2026, but Hogg stressed that it's not 'all about age.' 'There are older people who are great; there are young people who suck,' Hogg told MSNBC. He also told The Washington Post that his initiative has ruled out supporting challenges to Hoyer and Pelosi, among others. As 2026 approaches, young Americans are 'looking for new conversations,' Shroff said. 'If this next wave of young candidates doesn't bring that, then it's the same old, same old.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
18 hours ago
- General
- The Hill
Democrats' generational tensions reach boiling point in House primaries
A growing number of young Democrats have launched primary bids against the party's old guard in recent months, underscoring generational tensions that burst into the open following former Vice President Kamala Harris's defeat in November. Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) last week drew a primary challenger 50 years his junior in Harry Jarin, who cast the incumbent as representative of 'a bygone era.' He follows a number of other young candidates who have launched primary bids against veteran Democratic lawmakers. The trend comes amid renewed anxiety within the party over the issue of age, spurred by new revelations about former President Biden and the recent deaths of several older House members. 'A lot of politicians in Washington, they stew in this environment in D.C., sometimes for decades at a time, and they lose touch with young people and working people and people outside the beltway,' Jarin told The Hill. 'I think that's the reason for the sudden surge of primary challengers: We've now spent our whole lives seeing the same Democratic leaders do the same unproductive things in Congress and not actually deliver results.' Jarin, a 35-year-old volunteer firefighter and former 'Jeopardy!' contestant, is vying for the seat in Maryland's 5th Congressional District that Hoyer, 85, has held since his election in 1981. Hoyer, who won in November by more than 30 points, hasn't announced whether he'll seek reelection to a 24th term in 2026. In California, 39-year-old tech millionaire Saikat Chakrabarti, a veteran of Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) 2016 campaign and former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), is challenging 85-year-old former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D), who hasn't formally announced plans but reportedly filed paperwork to run for her 21st term. Another California incumbent, Rep. Brad Sherman (D), who at 70 is seeking his 16th House term, drew a challenge from a former deputy press secretary, Jake Rakov, 37. In Illinois, social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh, 26, launched a bid in March for Rep. Jan Schakowsky's (D) seat, contending that 'the same old s— isn't working.' Schakowsky, 80, later decided against trying for a 15th term, saying 'it is now time for me to pass the baton.' The campaigns are cropping up as Democrats grapple with broader questions about generational disconnect. 'Frankly, I do think we need sharper, new, fresh perspectives to address the challenges of today,' said Everton Blair, a 33-year-old educator who's challenging 12-term incumbent Rep. David Scott (D), 79, in Georgia's 13th Congressional District. 'When I think about the logistical conversation about age, it's like, you want folks that can last through a couple cycles, get to the place where they're still sharp and still able to get something done, and then they can also be a key part of the conversation and moving us forward for the next generation, and then building a bench while we still have time to build a bench,' Blair told The Hill. The 2024 election also raised red flags for Democrats that young voters, especially young men, are shifting right. 'It's worth noting that Republicans in Congress have definitely had a lot more turnover in the last decade than Democrats have. And I don't know that you could draw a direct line to some of the gains or unexpected dynamics folks are seeing with young voters, but it's certainly the case,' said Kaivan Shroff, a Democratic strategist and veteran of the Generation Z group Dream for America. The conversations have taken on a new sense of urgency in recent weeks with the release of multiple books that have ramped up scrutiny on Biden's health. The public recriminations that have emerged following the release of the books have also played out as the party reels from the recent deaths of three Democrats in the House. 'Six members of Congress have died in the last 16 months, and all of them were Democrats over age 65. So, I mean, I don't see how you can look at the situation and not say, 'Hey, we have a serious problem,'' Jarin told The Hill. 'I'm not putting down any of these people or the work that they've done. But we have to be realistic.' Republicans have also grappled with their own age-related issues for years. But the questions have been felt more acutely by Democrats in recent months as they search for answers following former Harris's devastating loss to Trump in November. Cheyenne Hunt, executive director of Gen-Z for Change, said some may be hesitant to talk about age issues, especially as there are many older lawmakers who are 'clearly still kicking and getting the job done.' 'But at the same time, this is a fundamental threat to our ability to govern, and so it simply cannot continue to be this way,' said Hunt, who mounted a bid to become the first Gen Z woman in Congress last year. 'The unwillingness to make space for new voices, particularly new voices that in general, are further left [than the] party establishment, is going to be a very, very serious threat to the party, and they're moving further and further away from where young voters are.' Still, young candidates and activists alike stress age isn't enough to make a winning pitch for the House. 'To me, it's not really about generational change, because there are older members that are meeting the moment and that are very good at what they do,' said George Hornedo, 34, who's running for the seat held by nine-term Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.). 'There can be younger members of Congress that aren't particularly strong.' 'It's about efficacy and accountability and being results-oriented,' he added. 'It's not enough to just say, 'Hey, I'm young and I'm fresh.' It's about being serious. It's about being strategic. It's about being able to take on a broken system and win.' Leaders We Deserve, a group helmed by Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg, launched an initiative last month aimed at elevating a new generation of leaders by supporting primary challenges against House Democrats in safe seats. The plans drew pushback as some fret about the high stakes in 2026, but Hogg stressed that it's not 'all about age.' 'There are older people who are great; there are young people who suck,' Hogg told MSNBC. He also told The Washington Post that his initiative has ruled out supporting challenges to Hoyer and Pelosi, among others. As 2026 approaches, young Americans are 'looking for new conversations,' Shroff said. 'If this next wave of young candidates doesn't bring that, then it's the same old, same old.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Two longtime House Democrats face primary challenges from younger opponents
Two Democrats who've spent decades in Congress this week became the latest in their party to face primary challenges from much younger opponents. Longtime Democratic Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer has yet to announce whether he will seek re-election next year for a 24th two-year term in Congress. If he does, he will face a primary challenger who is making Hoyer's age — the congressman turns 86 next month and would be 89 at the end of his next term — a centerpiece of his campaign. Meanwhile, 78-year-old Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts—first elected to Congress nearly half a century ago—announced last October that he would seek another six-year term in the Senate. He is now facing a primary challenger who has criticized what he calls the senator's "absence" in pushing back against President Donald Trump. Democrats' Vice Chair Ignites Civil War, Targeting 'Asleep At The Wheel' Incumbents In Primaries Harry Jarin, 35, a volunteer firefighter and emergency services consultant, said Thursday in a new video announcing his candidacy, "If you live here in southern Maryland, I want to ask you a tough question. Do you really think that Steny Hoyer, at 89-years-old, is the best person to represent us?" Read On The Fox News App "Here's the bottom line: You don't put out a fire by sending in the same people who let it spread. Send in a firefighter," Jarin said. "Maryland deserves a new generation of leadership, and I'm ready to take up the fight." And in an interview with Fox News Digital, Jarin said: "I think we're facing a really serious constitutional crisis… Congress has really declined as an institution over the last three or four years. Congress has surrendered a lot of its legislative power under the Constitution over to the executive branch. I think that's been very corrosive to our political system." Asked about his motivation to primary challenge Hoyer, Jarin said, "It's not just about getting someone younger and fresher in. It's getting someone in who understands the need to revitalize Congress as an institution." Fox News reached out to Hoyer's office for a response, but a spokesperson declined to respond. Hoyer, who first won his seat in Congress in a 1981 special election, from 2003 to 2023, was the second-ranking House Democrat behind Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. He served as House Majority Leader from 2007-2011 and from 2019-2023, when the Democrats controlled the chamber. Along with Pelosi, Hoyer stepped down from his longtime leadership position at the end of 2022 but remained in Congress. Democrats Predict House Republicans Will Pay Price For Passing Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' "I think all of us have been around for some time and pretty much have a feel for the timing of decisions. And I think all three of us felt that this was the time," Hoyer told CNN at the time, as he referred to the moves by the top three House Democrats — Pelosi, Hoyer and Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. — to step down from their leadership roles. Hoyer has long been a major backer of the Democrats' top issues, and during his second tenure as House majority leader, he played a crucial role in the passage of then-President Joe Biden's so-called American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He represents Maryland's Democrat-dominated 5th Congressional District, which covers a region known as Southern Maryland, and includes the suburbs south and east of Washington, D.C., a sliver of suburban Baltimore and Annapolis, as well as rural areas farther south. Hoyer, who suffered a minor stroke last year, is the latest high-ranking House Democrat to face a primary challenge from a younger opponent. Pelosi and Reps. Brad Sherman of California and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois have drawn primary challenges, with Schakowsky later announcing that she will no longer run for re-election. Jarin told Fox News that when he spoke with voters in the district about Hoyer, they had concerns about the incumbent's age. "The main reaction I got when I asked people about Steny Hoyer was first and foremost his age," Jarin said. "The idea that he would be close to 90 years old at the end of the next term is just a little bit nuts for people. I think people are starting to process how extreme a situation that is." The primary challenges come as Democrats are still trying to regroup following last November's election setbacks, when the party lost control of the White House and their Senate majority, and came up short in their bid to win back the House. The party's base is angry and energized to push back against the sweeping and controversial moves by Trump in the four months since he returned to the White House. Additionally, while much of that anger and energy is directed at fighting the White House and congressional Republicans, some of it is targeted at Democrats whom many in the party's base feel aren't vocal enough in their efforts to stymie Trump. Concurrently, other longtime and older House Democrats in safe blue districts are facing the possibility of primary challenges. This, after newly elected Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg last month pledged to spend millions of dollars through his outside political group to back primary challenges against what he called "asleep at the wheel" House Democrats — lawmakers he argued have failed to effectively push back against Trump. The move by the 25-year-old Hogg, a survivor of the horrific shooting seven years ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida, to spend money against fellow Democrats ignited a firestorm within the party. Jarin said that "we have reached out to David Hogg. We've been in communication." But Hogg told The Washington Post last month that he wouldn't support primary challenges against Hoyer, Pelosi or Clyburn. As for his ability to raise money for his campaign, Jarin said, "I do come from a political family." He noted that his husband was a major donor and bundler for former President Joe Biden's successful 2020 campaign and also served as a DNC finance director, and that his uncle had "been a big bundler for Democratic causes for a long time." "I think a lot of donors realize that this is a problem but may not be able to say it out loud for fear of repercussions," he argued. Jarin said that he's received "some pushback from donors for concerns of prioritizing more marginal districts" instead of pouring resources into swing seats as the party aims to win back the House majority in 2026. "My message to them has been that putting extremely elderly politicians like Steny Hoyer back into office for a 24th term sends a message to voters across the country that Democrats are just the party of status quo and clearly that message has not been working," he said. In Massachusetts, first-time candidate Alex Rikleen — a father, former teacher and fantasy sports writer, this week launched a primary challenge against Markey. While Rikleen didn't spotlight the senator's age, he did argue that "Markey, like many other Democrats, has stood silently by as [Senate Democratic Leader] Chuck Schumer surrenders Democrats' leverage" in battling Trump. Rikleen said that he is "stepping forward to challenge an incumbent because Democrats have shown us that they are not going to change course on their own…in this perilous moment, I believe we need dramatic action now and we are not getting it from our current Democratic leaders." And while he said that "Sen. Markey has been a fantastic leader on progressive policy throughout my lifetime and he is better than most at standing up for others. In a normal political environment, I'd proudly continue voting for him," he argued that "this is not a normal moment. Better than most is not good enough." But Markey has been very visible this year, as he attended protests and rallies across Massachusetts. And last month he traveled to Louisiana to urge the Trump administration to release Rumeysa Ozturk, a student at Massachusetts' Tufts University who was handcuffed while walking on a street by masked Department of Homeland Security agents and detained at an ICE facility. And Markey took to social media on Thursday to once again defend Harvard University in its battle with the Trump administration, pledging that "Massachusetts will not be bullied."Original article source: Two longtime House Democrats face primary challenges from younger opponents
