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The Hill
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Buttigieg faces soft spot with Black voters as White House speculation grows
Pete Buttigieg has been quietly making the rounds on an early 2028 tour after having announced that he would sit out races for governor and senator in 2026. In October, Buttigieg will speak at the Michigan Democratic Party's 'Best of the West' event, a prime swing-state spot for a presidential hopeful. The mayor-turned-Cabinet secretary is writing a book, a checklist item for presidential candidates. And he's been on the move since leaving his post as secretary of Transportation under former President Biden, sources close to him say. While all signs point to 'yes' on another Buttigieg presidential run, some Democrats wonder if he has what it takes to win. 'He's got one big, glaring soft spot … which is his relationship with the Black community,' said one veteran Democratic strategist. 'He didn't have a lot of African American fans from his time as mayor, he didn't have a lot of Black support when he ran for president, and I haven't seen evidence that he's done much to fix that over the last few years.' An Emerson College poll in late June showed Buttigieg continues to face problems with Black voters. In a stunning result, zero percent of Black respondents supported him when asked whom they'd back for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2028. 'You can't get nominated as a Democrat without the support of African American women,' the veteran strategist said. Buttigieg remains a star in the party who could be well suited to the politics of 2028. As Democrats try to find their footing after a devastating loss in the 2024 presidential election, they have learned that they need a candidate that can help to recapture working-class voters and independents, many of whom were key to President Trump's victory. 'Since leaving office, Pete has been eager to meet with people to have substantive discussions to hear more about their experiences and the issues that matter most to them,' said Chris Meagher, an adviser for Buttigieg. 'We're trying out several different formats — town halls, Q&As with different people on his social media, going out to podcasts and shows both political and nonpolitical, and more — to try to reach people where they are, both in-person and online.' But Buttigieg might not provide the cure for what ails the party, political observers say. 'Democrats need those voters to win,' said Julian Zelizer, a professor of public affairs and history at Princeton University. 'Part of what Democrats are looking for … is someone who could imagine appealing to working voters and Black working voters, Latino working voters, even rural working voters.' 'I'm not sure a lot of Democrats think that's the person who can do that,' Zelizer added. 'There's a perception he kind of is more out of the Obama-era Democrat, highly educated, kind of down to that world.' 'That's … baggage he's going to have to deal with,' he said. Still, Buttigieg is ahead in some early 2028 polling. The Emerson College poll from June, for example, shows that he is the front-runner in what is expected to be a crowded primary that could see more than two dozen candidates, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Harris on Wednesday said she would not run for governor of California next year, which suggests she could be thinking about a race in 2028. 'The fact that he is up against people like Newsom and Harris and he is ahead of them is not nothing,' one Democratic donor said. The donor added he was pleased to see Buttigieg buck some of his party's flaws in a series of interviews in recent months. In a sit-down with NPR earlier this week, for example, Buttigieg slapped his party for being 'too attached to a status quo that has been failing us for a long time.' He also weighed in on the controversy surrounding transgender athletes, an issue that has been making headlines since Newsom addressed it earlier this year. 'That does call into question some of the past orthodoxies in my party, for example, around sports, where I think most reasonable people would recognize that there are serious fairness issues if you just treat this as not mattering when a trans athlete wants to compete in women's sports,' Buttigieg said in the interview. In a May interview with MSNBC's Jen Psaki, Buttigieg spoke about how the Democratic Party can't just be anti-Trump without offering voters an alternative vision for the country. And in a March interview with Kaitlan Collins of CNN, he criticized Trump administration officials for using the messaging app Signal to share allegedly confidential information about a military operation in Yemen. But his own tenure as Transportation secretary could play a factor in a 2028 campaign. In March 2023, Buttigieg was criticized for taking too long to travel to East Palestine, Ohio, when a train derailed and created serious environmental and health concerns for the community. A few months earlier, he caught slack for two back-to-back air travel interruptions. 'Some of that stuff will definitely come back to haunt him,' the donor predicted. But Democrats say Buttigieg can point to a slew of accomplishments during his tenure — including his role in formulating and implementing Biden's trillion-dollar infrastructure legislation. 'More than anyone else in the Biden Cabinet, Buttigieg comes out with a story to tell and a case to make for why he'd do well in the top job,' said Democratic strategist Christy Setzer. 'Americans may not notice or care about the difference an effective, say, secretary of State makes, but they certainly know that six months ago, planes weren't falling out of the sky seemingly every week.' Democrats have also raised questions about how Buttigieg's sexuality could affect his performance with voters — which was also a discussion during his 2020 presidential run. If he were to win in 2028, he would be the first openly gay president. After 2024 and 2016, when Democratic candidates Harris and Hillary Clinton lost in their respective races to Trump, some Democrats say a Buttigieg nomination could be a stretch. 'Sadly, I expect diversity to be an issue in the next Democratic race for president,' the veteran Democratic strategist said. 'I don't think Democrats care that much, but after Clinton and Harris, many believe swing voters care a lot and there is budding reluctance to risk winning the White House back on the chance to make history.'
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tudor Dixon will not run for governor or U.S. Senate
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Conservative political commentator and businesswoman Tudor Dixon announced Wednesday that she will not be running for governor or U.S. Senate in 2026. Dixon previously ran for governor in 2022, where she earned the Republican nomination for the office with running mate and former state representative Shane Hernandez. She lost to incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and her running mate Garlin Gilchrist by nearly 11 percentage points. According to a statement from Dixon obtained by 6 News, she elected not to run due to what she called the 'positive effects' that Trump administration policies are having on the country. Dixon says she wants to focus on 'protecting and advancing these policies,' and thus, will not run. 'President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are saving America. From securing the border at rapid speed and removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from our communities, to bringing manufacturing jobs home and lowering taxes, President Trump's America First policies are already having positive effects for Americans.'My focus is protecting and advancing those policies, and as such, I will not be a candidate for the Republican nomination for Michigan governor or U.S. Senate in 2026.'I will continue traveling our great state to support Trump policies and the candidates authentically embracing them. President Trump's drive to save our country and be the voice for working people is remarkable. I want to do my part to ensure his America First policies are cornerstones beyond 2028.'But first, it is critical that Michigan Republicans win in 2026. Gretchen Whitmer has been a disaster for our state. Jocelyn Benson, a conniving career far-left agitator, will be dangerous and infinitely worse. Michigan voters must fire her and, with the right alternative, they will.'I have met countless Michiganders from Macomb to Menominee to Muskegon over the last four years who care about saving our state and I will be fighting right beside them.' Tudor Dixon statement on candidacy, July 9, 2025 The Michigan Democratic Party responded to Dixon's announcement: 'Tudor Dixon may not be on the ballot next year, but she's recently launched broadsides at both John James and Tom Leonard, and she will continue to influence Michigan Republicans and push them to stake out the most extreme positions possible,' said Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel. Hertel says Dixon recently 'went on the attack' against gubernatorial candidates John James and Tom Leonard, Leonard is a lobbyist who shouldn't run for office due to a conflict of interest, and that James leaving the House and running for governor will be a '' In the meantime, current candidates for Michigan governor include: Secretary of State Lieutenant Governor Former Michigan Attorney General Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate (R-20) Genesee County Sheriff Detroit Mayor U.S. Representative (MI-10) Former mayor of Cape Coral, Florida Michigan Army National Guard veteran Former U.S. House of Representatives candidate Former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives Candidates for U.S. Senate in Michigan include: Former Wayne County Health Director Former U.S. Representative and 2024 U.S. Senate nominee State Senator (D-8) , a dentist from Deerfield U.S. Representative (MI-11) Engineer and welder State Representative and former House Speaker (D-9) U.S. Army National Guard veteranCopyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
In Lansing, Democrats warn Medicaid and SNAP cuts would be a 'perfect storm' for the poor
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) and U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City) at a June 6, 2025 town hall in Lansing. | Kyle Davidson Members of the Michigan Democratic Party laid out the impacts of congressional Republicans' 'big beautiful bill' at a town hall on Friday, calling on residents of Michigan's 7th Congressional District to help educate their friends and family as well. A few hundred supporters packed into the gym of Everett High School in Lansing as U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City) and Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel detailed how the Trump administration's policies would impact everyone, particularly individuals with limited income. The Michigan Democratic Party has hosted several similar events in Republican districts throughout the state, Hertel said, noting House Republicans had been instructed to avoid town halls with their constituents. 'The most basic thing for a public servant is to be able to sit and answer questions. … The least someone can do is sit down with people and explain their votes' Hertel said. And the 7th Congressional District's current representative, Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) has a lot of explaining to do, Hertel said, slamming Barrett for supporting Republican's spending plan, and arguing the representative failed to stand up to the President and make himself available to his constituents A Barrett spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Prior to taking questions, McDonald Rivet slammed the Republican spending effort, telling audience members that it would take away healthcare and raise the cost of medicine, education and energy in order to deliver a tax break to the wealthy. 'Oh, and by the way, it's going to increase the deficit by several trillion dollars,' She said. Slotkin looked back on the president's first term, when Trump was looking to overturn the Affordable Care Act, which expanded access to Medicaid and barred insurance providers from denying people coverage or charging them due to preexisting health conditions. 'It was the first thing he talked about when he got sworn in, he even had the House of Representatives vote to repeal Obamacare. And now we not only still have it, we expanded it, and how? Because we educated people,' Slotkin said. However, rather than cutting people's healthcare outright, Slotkin argued Trump is aiming to hide those cuts by requiring individuals to reregister for Medicaid every six months, making it harder to qualify and more difficult to sign up. While the current proposal would implement work requirements for Medicaid recipients, Slotkin noted it also raises the age limit for those requirements to 64. According to KFF, an independent health policy organization, 92% of medicaid recipients under 65 are already working full or part time. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that Republican's budget plan would result in 10.9 million additional people being uninsured in 2034, with 7.8 million fewer individuals on Medicaid due to the policy's proposed work requirements. Even individuals who are not on Medicaid will feel the impacts of cuts to the program, Slotkin said, noting that nursing homes, hospitals and mental health facilities all rely on Medicaid funding. 'I would just say this bill is designed to really be a perfect storm for poor people. If you are living at or below the poverty line, you're getting hit in every direction. Medicaid, your health care; SNAP your food; a bunch of programs, right, that you depend on. … They are paying for those tax benefits for the most wealthy by really the perfect storm of cuts for the poorest among us,' Slotkin said. On top of cutting SNAP benefits by $300 billion, the Department of Government Efficiency had canceled $1 billion in funding to programs supporting school meals and food banks, McDonald Rivet said. 'So you're that hungry kid and you have lost access to a food bank. You have lost access to food at school, and now you don't have SNAP benefits. This is the America that this bill creates,' McDonald Rivet said. Alongside questions on cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, audience members asked the lawmakers about the legal challenges levied against the Trump administration, and Democrats' plans to counter Republicans heading into the 2026 mid-term election. On Friday, the Trump Administration backed down in its resistance of a Supreme Court order demanding that the administration facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported to El Salvador three months ago. However, the fight goes beyond Abrego Gracia, into whether the executive branch needs to obey orders from the Supreme Court, Slotkin said. 'Now, we haven't had to deal with this issue in the years past because Democrats and Republicans have largely said, 'Huh, if the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court issues a court order, we're going to follow it.' Trump is pushing the boundaries on all the democratic values and principles most of us grew up with,' Slotkin said. Should an individual defy a federal court order, U.S. marshals would eventually be sent to enforce that order, Slotkin said. However, the U.S. marshals are controlled by the United States attorney general. Should the U.S. marshals receive a request to enforce a Supreme Court order against the president, Slotkin raised the question on whether Attorney General Pam Bondi, a Trump loyalist, would approve it. 'We've needed to have this fight. We need to have it out. We need a court order that he needs to obey, and we need to precipitate this conversation on the U.S. marshals. But today was an important sign that they don't want to get to that point. They don't want to wait until the U.S. marshals are potentially getting an order to activate,' Slotkin said. In preparing to take on the Trump Administration, Slotkin said she'd gone back to her roots in national security and crafted a war plan in the form of a 17-page powerpoint, with plans to lay out her vision of the nation's future under Democratic leadership. 'It's about facing our problems head on and saying the only way we do well as a country, the only way that we have a strong middle class going forward, the American Dream going forward, is if we face these issues and have a vision. And it's economic, it's about national security, and it's about our democracy,' Slotkin said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Election administrators from across Michigan endorse Byrum for secretary of state
Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum at a press conference announcing Democrats' voting rights bill package, Nov. 3, 2021, at the Ingham County Courthouse | Laina G. Stebbins A bipartisan group of current and former county clerks from across the state has endorsed Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum's bid to receive the Democratic nomination for secretary of state. Byrum's campaign to seek the Michigan Democratic Party nomination on Monday announced that it has received support from Washtenaw County Clerk Larry Kestenbaum, Genesee County Clerk Domonique Clemons, Saginaw County Clerk Vanessa Guerra, Kalamazoo County Clerk Meredith Place, Muskegon County Clerk Karen Buie, Bay County Clerk Katie Zanotti, Midland County Clerk Ann Manary, Marquette County Clerk Linda Talsma, Menominee County Clerk Marc Kleiman, Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope and Westland City Clerk Richard LeBlanc Former Ingham clerk Mike Bryanton, former Presque Isle clerk Ann Marie Main and former Ontonagon clerk Stacy Preiss also issued support for Byrum. 'It is so humbling to be recognized by your peers and supported in my candidacy,' Byrum said in a statement. 'This bipartisan group of election administrators represents all parts of the State and a diverse array of our residents. These clerks know what it takes to run elections and I am honored that they believe that I am the right choice to be Secretary of State.' Buie said in a statement that Byrum has 'the experience, knowledge, commitment, and integrity to be our next Secretary of State.' Kleiman, the past president of the Michigan Association of County Clerks, in a statement praised Byrum's wealth of experience as an invaluable asset. 'Barb has been a leader in the election administrator community and has a strong grasp of election law and how to practically apply it to ensure that our elections are smooth and secure,' Kleiman said. Byrum announced her candidacy last month. Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie is the only other name in the race on the Democratic side. Michigan's political parties nominate candidates for secretary of state and attorney general and do not participate in the primary process. Michigan Democrats will nominate a candidate for secretary of state at their state party convention in the spring of 2026. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ingham County clerk joins secretary of state race
Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum talks about Proposal 2 in Lansing, Jan. 24, 2023 | Ward Beard Barb Byrum will seek the Michigan Democratic Party nomination for secretary of state in 2026, she announced Wednesday. As Ingham County Clerk for the last decade, Byrum has overseen 40 elections and several recounts. She made a name for herself nationally in 2014 when the Obergefell v. Hodges case – which eventually legalized same-sex marriage nationwide – was on appeal, and allowed a short window for states to recognize those marriages for the first time before the case was finalized. Byrum opened her office to those couples and performed one of the first same-sex marriage ceremonies in the state. Byrum also served in the Michigan House of Representatives for six years before being elected to as the Ingham County clerk in 2012, and previously owned and operated an Ace Hardware store in Charlotte for nearly 20 years. 'I'm running for Secretary of State because I believe elections should be fair, secure and accessible for voters today and in future generations, and that Michiganders deserve an exceptional customer service experience at every Secretary of State office,' Byrum said in a statement. 'For more than 20 years, I've served the public as a state legislator and as a County Clerk, and I'd be honored to continue serving the people of Michigan as the next Secretary of State.' Byrum is a longtime advocate for voters' rights and routinely uses her social media pages to explain complex election matters, especially in the wake of the 2020 election, when Republicans refused to accept the results of the presidential contest and fomented numerous unfounded election conspiracies. In a news release announcing her campaign, Byrum said election officials like herself take pride in ensuring Michigan's elections are secure and that every qualified voter has a chance to have their voice heard. 'I fight back against those who would seek to make it harder to vote and those who attack our democratic process because our democracy is worth fighting for,' Byrum said. 'As Michigan's next Secretary of State, I will ensure that Michigan will continue to run free, fair and secure elections, as we have these many years.' Her announcement also came with an endorsement from fellow Democratic Genesee County Clerk-Register Domonique Clemons, who called Byrum 'a leader among the clerk community and knows elections backwards and forwards.' 'She is the go-to expert for new clerks when they need assistance, and is always ready to support,' Clemons said in a statement. 'Barb is a vocal advocate for voter rights and election integrity. She is steadfast in defending democracy against those who try to undermine our election process.' Michigan campaign finance reporting documents show Byrum formed her candidate committee on May 15 with a reporting waiver requested, which typically means candidates plan to raise and spend less than $1,000 in the election cycle. At present, Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie is the only other name in the race on the Democratic side. Michigan's political parties nominate candidates for secretary of state and attorney general and do not participate in the primary process. Michigan Democrats will nominate a candidate for secretary of state at their state party convention in the spring of 2026. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
