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Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Christina Bohannan feels empowered by close 2024 finish and toss-up of IA-01 race in 2026
Jul. 4—Democrat Christina Bohannan doesn't feel defeated. In fact, she is emboldened by her narrow loss to Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks back in 2024, which was decided by less than 800 votes. Knowing victory was close, her third campaign for Congress is motivated to get those votes she lost. During a recent trip to Newton, Bohannan told local Democrats that she will be giving extra attention on Jasper County and Warren County for 2026. The candidate said her campaign outperformed expectations during the last election, only losing to Miller-Meeks by a 0.2 percent margin. "Outperformed by more than eight points across the entire district, by 15 points in the more rural and reddest counties in the district; 33,000 people who voted for Donald Trump also voted for me," Bohannan said on June 28 in Maytag Park. "And that doesn't just happen, friends. That kind of stuff doesn't just happen." Bohannan credited the work to local parties and supporters who donated to her campaign or knocked doors. It made a difference, she said, and it was because that race was so close is why she was standing in front of them again, ready to take on Miller-Meeks once more. However, Bohannan is convinced the 2026 election cycle is going to be different. She noted that in the past the race for Iowa's 1st Congressional District has been favored for Republicans, which was certainly true in Bohannan's first bid for the seat back in 2022. It took work from 2024 to make the election a toss-up. Christina Bohannan, a Democratic candidate seeking her third bid for Iowa's 1st Congressional District seat, speaks during a potluck picnic hosted by the Jasper County Democratic Party on June 28 in Maytag Park in Newton. For 2026, Bohannan said the seat is already considered a toss-up race, a notion that is backed up by a number of political analysts and the results from 2024. "We showed we can win," Bohannan said. "...People are fed up and they are fired up. We have been seeing these rallies. Some of them I know went to some of those recently. Hundreds and thousands of people are showing up to protest representatives like Mariannette Miller-Meeks all throughout Iowa." Why? Bohannan claimed it is because Miller-Meeks does not represent her constituents and gets her political agenda from party leaders. The Democratic candidate argued her Republican opponent is compromised and votes by what her donors and corporate PACs want, rather than the people she represents. "I get my political agenda from you," Bohannan said. Miller-Meeks is "making life worse for Iowans" and is putting "party bosses, corporate PACs and billionaire donors" ahead of her own constituents. Bohannan said she cannot stand by and let that happen. Miller-Meeks has had three terms in Congress. To Bohannan, she has had three chances to do right by Iowans. "And every single time she has sold us out," Bohannan said. "She has sold us out to divisive party politics. She has sold us out to the billionaires and the corporate PACs who fund her campaign and who help her get re-elected no matter how bad she's been. But enough is enough. It is time for a change."
Free Malaysia Today
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Local parties must lead and dominate Sabah politics, says Hajiji
Sabah chief minister and GRS chairman Hajiji Noor said the people want local parties to lead the government. PETALING JAYA : Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor said local parties must be dominant in Sabah politics and prioritised when forming alliances for the 17th state election. He said the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah government, which is formed by local parties, must be defended and continued in the upcoming election. 'We want to continue this government, and that is why this election is important. We must not make the wrong choice. Local parties must be dominant in Sabah's political landscape and must be prioritised,' he said at the United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) annual congress in Kota Belud today. Hajiji said any discussions on cooperation with other parties should not come at the expense of local leadership. 'Cooperation is another matter, but GRS as a local coalition must be defended. This aligns with the sentiment of the people on the ground who want local parties to lead the government. 'As GRS chairman, I will ensure this,' he said. Hajiji said he would not hand over the rights and struggle of GRS to those with ill intentions. 'I will not easily surrender what GRS stands for to those trying to undermine the coalition,' he said. He urged leaders and members of all GRS component parties, including Usno, to go to the ground and engage with the public on the coalition's 'Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga', and 'Sabah First' philosophies. 'This is our mission. When we say, 'Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga', it should be understood clearly. We shouldn't have to explain bit by bit. It's simple, we take care of our own,' he said. Yesterday, Sabah PKR chief Mustapha Sakmud said official negotiations with GRS were set to begin ahead of the state election, following approval from the PKR and PH central leadership. However, GRS deputy secretary-general Armizan Mohd Ali said the coalition should 'honour' Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin's call for it to contest against BN in the polls before discussions on any possible cooperation.
Free Malaysia Today
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Sabah's always had federal, state alliance, says Salleh
Former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak said collaboration between state and federal governments is not just an option, it is a necessity. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The debate over whether Sabah's development would be better under local parties or national parties should not arise, says its former chief minister Salleh Said Keruak. He said this is because the Sabah government has almost always been aligned with the federal government. 'Since the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Sabah's state government has almost always been aligned with the federal government, either through national coalitions like Perikatan (Alliance) and Barisan Nasional (BN), or through direct political cooperation. 'Usno, which led Sabah from 1963 to 1975, then Berjaya, from 1976 to 1985, were local parties, but they were always part of Perikatan (Alliance) and later BN,' he said in a Facebook post. He added that when Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) defeated Berjaya in the state polls in 1985, they too joined BN to ensure the federal and state alliance continued for the good of the people. 'But in 1990, PBS left BN and aligned itself with the opposition coalition Gagasan Rakyat,' he said referring to the federal opposition coalition led by Semangat 46 under Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. 'This marked a rare period when Sabah was not aligned with the federal government, but it was shortlived and politically tense.' Salleh, who is also Sabah Umno treasurer, said with Umno's entry into Sabah in the early 90s, BN returned to power in 1994 and maintained their grip on the state until the 2018 general election (GE14) but the state benefited during those 24 years. 'When Sabah was under BN, many major development projects were carried out through close collaboration with the federal government,' he said. He added that this continued after GE14, because with BN losing power in Sabah and Putrajaya, Pakatan Harapan helped Warisan to lead the new state administration. 'Though Warisan was a local party, it worked closely with the federal leadership under prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad,' he said. 'This continued following the 2020 state election won by the new coalition, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), comprising Bersatu, PBS, STAR, and SAPP.' He added that BN, which was part of the new Perikatan Nasional-led federal government since March 2020, decided to cooperate with GRS to form the state government. 'This again reflected a willingness to align with the federal government for stability,' Salleh said. 'Collaboration between state and federal levels is not just an option, it is a necessity. What truly matters is effective leadership, political stability, and the ability to work together.'
Free Malaysia Today
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Struggle for Sabah's rights not exclusive to one party, says ex-CM
Former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak said the struggle for the state's rights belongs to all Sabahans. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The struggle for Sabah's rights is not a cause exclusive to any single party, Salleh Said Keruak said today following calls for the state government to be led by local parties. The former Sabah chief minister said there was an assumption that only local parties were entitled to speak on Sabah's rights. 'In truth, this struggle belongs to all Sabahans,' he said, noting that Sabah-based parties such as Upko and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) had opted to work within national coalitions to ensure that Sabah's voice is better heard at the federal level. Salleh said this when officiating a Lahad Datu Umno meeting. He also said that political parties were merely platforms, irrespective of whether they were local or national. He said the more important matter was the sincerity and capability of leaders in bringing the issues affecting Sabahans to 'a higher level'. 'What the people of Sabah want today is not about who is more 'Sabahan' or more 'local'. What truly matters is who is sincere, stable, and capable of fulfilling their promises,' he said. Gabungan Rakyat Sabah chairman Hajiji Noor said last Friday that the coalition would go solo in the state election if Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) had finalised their electoral pact. He said local Sabah parties should form the backbone and head of the state government. PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim however said he was optimistic that the three coalitions would be able to reach an agreement for the state election. Salleh said last Friday that BN and PH's pact for the Sabah election was a step towards ensuring political stability in the Bornean state, which he described as crucial.
Free Malaysia Today
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Different configuration in Sabah won't affect govt's cohesion, say analysts
GRS and PH form the backbone of the state government in Sabah, while BN and Warisan sit in the opposition. PETALING JAYA : The unity government's cohesion will not be affected even if the political configuration of the next Sabah government does not align with that of the federal administration, say analysts. Universiti Malaya's Awang Azman Pawi and Bilcher Bala of Universiti Malaysia Sabah said the present federal government has been able to function well even though Barisan Nasional and Warisan sit as the opposition in the Sabah legislative assembly. This is due to Sabah's distinct political landscape which is dominated by local parties. Bilcher said Sabah's dynamic political environment makes it necessary for parties in the unity government to take a more flexible approach to the formation of the state government given the local realities. Bilcher Bala. 'The alliances at the state and federal levels are capable of functioning separately without one affecting the other. 'BN and Warisan are in the opposition in the Sabah assembly but are still working together with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Pakatan Harapan at the federal level,' he told FMT. He said the country has no 'one-size-fits-all' model that can be applied to Sabah. Awang Azman agreed, saying the difference in political setups at the federal and state levels can still be managed through mutual understanding and respect within the unity government. Awang Azman Pawi. He said Sabah's complex political landscape has led to frequent changes in the state administration, with political lines being drawn according to regions, ethnicities, parties and even personalities. 'Therefore, forcing the federal model of cooperation on Sabah without taking into account the local context can actually disrupt the state's political stability and result in the neglect of Sabahans' needs and aspirations,' said Awang Azman. Last week, GRS deputy secretary-general Armizan Mohd Ali said Sabah should not be forced to replicate the federal government's unity model in its upcoming state election. Armizan said a memorandum of understanding signed by five political coalitions and parties in December 2022 pertained solely to cooperation in forming the federal government and did not extend to state administrations. Both GRS and BN are courting PH for an alliance in the upcoming Sabah state election, which must be held by the end of the year.
