Latest news with #Republican-held
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Cooper entering N.C. Senate race gives Democrats hope. But to flip the Senate majority they will need lots of prayer.
But that's a very big 'if.' Democrats still face a brutal uphill climb. Cooper's entry improves their odds in North Carolina, but only marginally. And more broadly, the Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Let's start with the math. Republicans currently hold a 53–47 majority in the Senate. Because Vice President JD Vance can cast tie-breaking votes, Democrats need to net four seats to take control. That's hard enough. But it gets worse: of the 35 seats up for election next year, only nine are considered competitive, Advertisement What does that mean in practical terms? To flip the chamber, Democrats would need to win eight of the nine competitive races. That's an extraordinarily high bar, especially considering the terrain. Of the five Republican-held seats in play, only one (Maine) is in a state that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris won in 2024. The others are deep-red territory: Ohio, Iowa, Texas, and Florida. Each went for Trump by over 10 points. The idea that Democrats can mount serious challenges in those states depends on a level of political momentum they simply don't have right now. And that's just the offense. On defense, Democrats must hold every one of their own vulnerable seats — including open races in Now add in the unpredictable. A Which brings us back to North Carolina. Cooper is a Advertisement Cooper's presence ensures Democrats will have a serious contender, but this was always going to be a marquee race. Whoever emerged as the Republican or Democratic nominee was going to be well-known and well-financed. Cooper's candidacy may slightly improve Democratic odds, but this will still be a razor-thin contest decided at the margins. The bottom line: Cooper's announcement is a good day for Democrats. It adds credibility to their map. It gives them a decent chance in one more state. But anyone suggesting this fundamentally reshapes the battle for the Senate is kidding themselves. The road to a Democratic majority remains steep, and even with Cooper on the ballot, it may well be out of reach. James Pindell is a Globe political reporter who reports and analyzes American politics, especially in New England.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Lara Trump skips North Carolina US Senate race, clears way for Roy Cooper vs Michael Whatley
President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump on Thursday said she would not run for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina next year, setting the stage for an expected matchup of former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley. Roy Cooper blasted the bill in a July 3 posting on social media, saying that it hurt "working families, seniors, children and veterans so those at the top can have big tax breaks."(AP) Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and North Carolina will be the site of one of the half-dozen most competitive races in next year's midterm elections, following Republican Thom Tillis' decision not to seek reelection. "After much consideration and heartfelt discussions with my family, friends, and supporters, I have decided not to pursue the United States Senate seat in North Carolina at this time," Lara Trump said in a posting on X on Thursday. Multiple U.S. media outlets, citing unnamed sources, have reported that Whatley and Cooper intend to enter the race. The two could not be reached for comment on Thursday. North Carolina is one of six Senate races that are seen as competitive by political analysts. The other five are in Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota and New Hampshire. Democrats face an uphill battle in capturing control of the chamber, as they would need to defend seats in Michigan, Minnesota and New Hampshire where incumbents are retiring and flip at least four Republican-held seats for a majority. They are seen as having better odds of capturing the House of Representatives, though efforts underway in heavily Republican Texas to redraw district lines could dim their chances in that chamber as well. Tillis opted not to seek reelection after drawing Trump's ire for voting against a sweeping tax-cut bill that will cut Medicaid funding. That may have provided Democrats with the ammunition to help sway the state's rural voters. "It would result in tens of billions of dollars in lost funding for North Carolina, including our hospitals and rural communities," Tillis said of the massive bill the Senate passed on July 1. Cooper also blasted the bill in a July 3 posting on social media, saying that it hurt "working families, seniors, children and veterans so those at the top can have big tax breaks." On Monday, in his role as Republican National Committee head, Whatley posted criticism on social media of Representative Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat running for governor of Virginia this year. His missive might provide a hint on how a head-to-head matchup with Cooper might look. "She's an open-borders, pro-DEI, radical leftist who put America last in Congress and would do the same if she's elected as governor," Whatley said of Spanberger. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Scott Malone and Rosalba O'Brien)
3 days ago
- Politics
First to ABC: DNC ramps up anti-redistricting efforts in Texas with calls to 'persuadable' GOP voters
The national Democratic Party is ramping up its offensive against potential mid-decade redistricting in Texas with a new organizing effort launching Monday, according to plans shared first with ABC News. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) says it will deploy 30,000 volunteers to make calls to "persuadable Republican Texas voters" in Republican-held districts to discuss the push by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas state legislators -- and rubber-stamped by President Donald Trump -- to consider redrawing Texas' congressional map, which the DNC claims in a statement is an attempt to "rig the Texas maps at the behest of Donald Trump." The group will also have volunteer organizers contact state representatives, share public comments, and organize both in person and virtually. This endeavor from the Democrats comes as Texas lawmakers convene for a special legislative session called by Abbott, who set an agenda that included considering congressional district redistricting "in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice." In a letter earlier this month, the Department of Justice told Texas that four majority-minority districts represented by Democrats needed to be redrawn, arguing they were "unconstitutional racial gerrymanders." The Texas legislature is also set to tackle flood relief after the devastating flash flooding that killed more than 130 people earlier this month, taxes, and standardized testing during the session, which can last a maximum of 30 days. Trump told reporters recently he wants his party to pick up five seats if Texas redraws its congressional map, and has suggested that other Republican-led states could follow suit. Democrats claim that the efforts to redistrict is meant to give Republicans an advantage ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The DNC says it has already sent text messages to recruit Texans to go to field hearings and to share stories through public comments about how redrawing the districts could impact them. DNC Chair Ken Martin traveled to the state last week to strategize with state leaders. "The DNC is all hands on deck to hold Donald Trump and Greg Abbott accountable for their scheme to use the tragic Texas floods as cover to redraw the Texas maps in a last-ditch effort to save the Republican majority," Martin told ABC News in a statement. "Republicans know that the only way they hold onto the majority is by rigging the system but it won't work. Democrats will hold Republicans across the country accountable for their vote to rip away health care and food access and that starts with organizing from the ground up," he added. Texas state Rep. Gene Wu, the Texas Democratic House Caucus Leader, wrote in a statement thanking the DNC shared with ABC News, "Their new initiative to contact persuadable Republican voters across the state and deploy organizers directly against Republican state reps is exactly the type of partnership Texas Democrats need." Monday's effort comes ahead of the third in a series of field hearings about redistricting being held in different areas of Texas, and as some Democratic governors including California Gov. Gavin Newsom say they are keeping options open for possibly redrawing their state's own Congressional districts, but many would face logistical and legal hurdles to redraw their maps mid-cycle. In a statement earlier this month responding to Democratic claims about the redistricting effort, Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, wrote, "While partisan activists focus solely on political issues, Governor Abbott is dedicated to delivering results on issues important to Texans, such as flood relief, property tax cuts, and the elimination of the STAAR [standardized] test. The Governor looks forward to the legislature addressing these topics, along with other critical issues, during this special session." The Texas Republican Party, meanwhile, has praised the inclusion of redistricting in the special session as "an essential step to preserving GOP control in Congress and advancing the President Trump's America First agenda."
New York Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Kamala Harris phones it in at youth voters summit with two-minute video keynote
WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Kamala Harris made a rare public appearance at a youth voters event Friday, speaking for fewer than two minutes in a pre-recorded video address about the need to stay 'in the fight' — without giving any indication of her own future ambitions. The activist summit, which appeared to be sparsely attended, was aimed at 'building political power for Gen Z' and featured speeches from Harris, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). Unlike the two House Democrats, Harris chose not to give her remarks in person. 'Keep building your political power, keep building community, keep building coalitions, keep challenging the status quo,' she said to the group gathered in the nation's capital. 'And born out of our love for our country, keep fighting to build a country and a nation. That works for everyone. And I look forward to continuing in the fight alongside you. You take care.' 3 Harris urged youth voters to stay 'in the fight' in a short, pre-recorded message played during the summit. Voters of Tomorrow Voters of Tomorrow senior director Kaya Jones had preceded Harris in the line-up and suggested actions by the Republican-held White House and Congress had taken a toll on youth organizing. 'The last few months have been really rough, and, um, yeah, let's just pause for that,' she said, leading to a brief moment of silence. Harris struck a similar tone in her remarks, saying: 'Your generation has grown up on the front lines of so many crises — from COVID and the climate crisis to gun violence and mental health.' 'It is critically important that we have organizations such as this who understand that we must be intentional about lifting up our young leaders and encouraging your ambition,' she added. 3 Pelosi predicted that Democrats would retake the House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm elections. FOX News After a landslide loss to Trump in 2024, Harris pledged in her concession speech to 'never give up the fight' — but has yet to indicate whether she will enter the California governor's race next year or the presidential contest in 2028. 'On the campaign, I would often say, 'When we, fight, we win.' But here's the thing: Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn't mean we won't win,' she added after losing all seven swing states to Trump and becoming the first Democratic nominee in 20 years to lose the popular vote. 'We must stay in the fight, every one of us,' Harris also told students during a speech at Prince George's County Community College in Maryland before leaving office. 'And I ask you to remember the context in which you exist.' 3 'I look forward to continuing in the fight alongside you,' Harris said in the video. Voters of Tomorrow Pelosi, 83, said Friday she had 'no doubt that we will win the election with the House of Representatives' in 2026. 'By October — certainly by November, but by October, we will have — with the help of so many people working — we'll have taken what's his name's numbers down,' Pelosi said, eliding Trump's name in a pointed slight. Public polling shows the former vice president still at the front of the Democratic primary pack, with former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg seen as the second-leading contender.
The Hill
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
DNC targets Republicans with ads calling for Epstein files' release
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is launching digital ads targeting a dozen Republican-held House districts, calling for the release of files related to financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. One ad features Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) calling the controversy a 'serious issue' and saying that the highest volume of calls to her office have concerned the Epstein files, while another calls out the House GOP with the caption 'House Republicans shut down Congress to bury the truth.' A clip of President Trump standing next to Epstein plays in the background of the latter. Both ads tell viewers to call their representatives and demand that the Epstein files are released. Momentum had been building among Democrats and some Republicans for Congress to vote to force the Trump administration to release the documents related to the case. But House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced the body would start its summer recess a day early as Democrats sought to force votes in the Rules Committee to release the files, dividing Republicans. Democrats have sought to use the lingering controversy as a way to go on offense against Trump and the Republican Party, accusing them of protecting pedophiles. The topic of the Epstein files has received significant national attention for a few weeks since the Justice Department memo stating the Epstein didn't have a 'client list,' as has been alleged, and that the department wouldn't release additional documents to protect alleged victims. Trump has expressed frustration at the continued focus on Epstein and called for people to move on, but The Wall Street Journal report that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump that his name appears in the files added a new dimension to the controversy. Being named in the files is not itself an indication of any wrongdoing. Democrats have sought to use the opportunity to go on attack and keep attention on the story. 'Democrats are going to continue to hold the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress accountable for their failure to release the Epstein files and the cover-up that we are witnessing in real time,' said Tim Hogan, the DNC's senior adviser for messaging, mobilization and strategy. 'The American people deserve full transparency, and Donald Trump and his sycophantic enablers are twisting themselves in knots trying to distort the truth.'
