Latest news with #RepublicanNomination
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Candidates for Spartanburg County Sheriff: Meet Robert Cheeks
Nine candidates are running for the Republican nomination for Spartanburg County Sheriff. The GOP primary is scheduled for August 5, though early voting is underway. The special election to replace former Sheriff Chuck Wright will take place on November 4. In an effort to help readers know more about the candidates and their stances on key issues facing the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, the Herald-Journal sent four questions to each candidate – one tailored to his individual experience and three that are identical. Some answers have been edited lightly for length or clarification. Robert Cheeks Age: 36Occupation: 1st Lieutenant, Spartanburg County Sheriff's OfficeFamily: Divorced, five children You have served as 1st Lieutenant over the Uniform Patrol Division with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office. You've also worked on the issue of gang activity in the county. How have these experiences provided you with insights on key law enforcement challenges in the community and on the need for change in the sheriff's office? Spartanburg County has reached an unprecedented epidemic that directly affects our youth from 12- to 18-years-old. Gang violence and initiation begins as early as the sixth grade in every school in this county. By the age of 16, every child has been exposed to some type of gang-related ideology, and it is having devastating results, to include death. Based on your understanding of the situation in the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office currently, what would you do in your first month (or week or six months or year…) to improve morale among deputies and staff members? The first 100 days should truly be spent listening to every deputy at the Spartanburg County Detention Center and the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office. Everyone who wants to be heard deserves to be heard. And together we can create a plan going forward so we all will flourish. The subject of pay for deputies has been a focus of discussion in this race. Salaries vary from county to county and among various municipal police forces. What can be done to keep Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office salaries competitive with those of surrounding departments? It begins with support from Spartanburg County Council. We have the same number of deputies working the streets in 2025 that we had in 2001. How do we increase those numbers? Pay the deputies what they deserve. It's not only better for the deputies but for the quality of law enforcement services for the citizens. Since President Trump took office in January, there has been considerable discussion about immigration enforcement. ICE is set to receive a substantial increase in funding following the recent budget legislation that was signed into law. Candidates for Spartanburg County Sheriff have expressed support for ICE's efforts to target illegal immigrants. At the same time, some residents are worried about the potential presence of masked ICE officers using heavy-handed tactics in our community. Others are anxious about the possibility of ICE mistakenly detaining legal immigrants, naturalized citizens – or even U.S.-born citizens. How would you balance support for the federal crackdown on illegal immigration while protecting the rights of individuals and communities in Spartanburg County? The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office has had a working relationship with ICE for more than a decade. As Sheriff, one of your top priorities is ensuring that the rights of the people are not infringed upon. We have to ensure that everyone, regardless of their status, is afforded due process. This will ensure that everyone is afforded the same protections. This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Candidate for Spartanburg County Sheriff, Cheeks, answers questions Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawler won't run for New York governor; Stefanik plans to announce after November election
Jul. 23—Rep. Mike R. Lawler will not run for governor of New York next year, clearing the way for Rep. Elise M. Stefanik to potentially clinch the Republican nomination without a primary. After months of teasing a potential run, previously pledging to announce a decision in June that did not come on time, Lawler announced on Wednesday morning that he wouldn't be seeking higher office next year and would instead run for reelection in his Hudson Valley swing district. "I've decided that the right thing to do for me, my family and my district is to run for re-election," he told the Fox network. That clears the way for his leading opposition for the GOP nomination — Stefanik. Lawler has previously said he would not push the party into a primary, which would force the two candidates to compete for conservative votes, commit to conservative positions and spend significant sums of money before starting the real competition against the Democratic candidate. In a statement shortly after Lawler's announcement went wide, Stefanik lauded Lawler as an "effective and hardworking Republican for New York's 17th Congressional district" and said she would announce her own plans once this year's general election is over. "I am focused on supporting strong Republican local and county candidates on the ballot this November to lay the groundwork with a strong team for next year," she said. "I will make a final decision and announcement after this year's November election which we are all focused on." Stefanik has been similarly teasing a potential run for the seat, but she has gained more traction than Lawler. While the Hudson Valley congressman has been relatively quiet in his positioning, meeting behind closed doors with Republicans and only infrequently criticizing Democratic Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul, Stefanik has had much higher profile visits and hosted a press conference after meeting with the state Republican delegation earlier this year. Stefanik has criticized Hochul far more frequently than her supposed competition for reelection in the 21st District. And in perhaps the most significant sign that Lawler wouldn't be running for governor, President Donald J. Trump endorsed him for reelection to the House earlier this year. Lawler met with Trump again last week ahead of his announcement. Nassau County Executive Bruce R. Blakeman has also considered a run for governor, but has far less name recognition and fundraising prowess than Stefanik does. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is headed into a likely primary between Hochul and her Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. In early polling, it appears Hochul is likely to ignore Delgado's challenge and forge ahead to a victory. Hochul and her team seemed to revel in the news Wednesday. "Of course he doesn't have the spine to face me," Hochul said on X, formerly Twitter. In a separate post, Hochul showed an image of a Milk Bone dog treat box, adorned with a sticky note with Lawler's name on it. "A treat for Donald Trump's good boy," the post reads.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meuser explains decision not to run for Pennsylvania Governor; Garrity teases decision
(WHTM) – If Congressman Dan Meuser (R-9) decided to run for Governor of Pennsylvania, he would've had the endorsement of President Donald Trump. That won't be the case in 2026, as Meuser announced Tuesday he will not seek the Republican Party's nomination. 'I think over the next 18 months I can do a lot more staying in Congress than campaigning around the commonwealth,' Meuser told abc27 News on Wednesday. Meuser has publicly acknowledged interest in running for governor since January, but says he's now focused on pushing forward the president's agenda in Congress. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The Democratic Governors Association reacted to Meuser's decision, saying, 'Even longtime Congressman Dan Meuser — Donald Trump's hand-picked candidate for the Republican nomination for governor — knows he can't go up against Governor Josh Shapiro and win. State Senator Greg Rothman, who chairs Pennsylvania's Republican Party, disagrees with the DGA's assessment of the race. 'I don't buy that, I don't prescribe to that,' Rothman said Wednesday. 'I feel confident that we are going to roll out in probably the next few weeks a really perfect nominee to take on Josh Shapiro, someone who's going to be a great contrast.' Many in the political arena believe State Treasurer Stacy Garrity may be that candidate. While Rothman declined to confirm whether Garrity is the party's favored candidate, the twice-statewide elected Treasurer would bring both a military and business background to the campaign trail. Garrity told abc27 in a statement that she'll make a decision on whether or not to run 'very soon.' She's previously targeted this summer as a deadline to decide whether to challenge Shapiro and has ramped up donation emails in recent months. Last November, Garrity broke Shapiro's record for the most votes received by a state official in Pennsylvania in her re-election campaign. When asked about Meuser's decision on Wednesday, Shapiro declined to comment. State Senator Doug Mastriano, the 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee who received Trump's endorsement, has previously said he is considering another run for Governor and believes he'd win another primary. Whoever runs against Shapiro in 2026 is likely to face opposing outside money coming into the race, with Shapiro viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones announces campaign for Georgia governor
ATLANTA - Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has launched his campaign to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp as the next governor of Georgia. Jones, a sixth-generation Georgian and business leader whose family made a fortune running and supplying gas stations, is the second major Republican to announce plans to run for the Republican nomination. What they're saying Jones announced his campaign on Tuesday morning, saying that he would continue the "bold game plan" he had to cut taxes, combat illegal immigration, and passes school choice legislation. "Georgia deserves a bold, unapologetic, and proven common-sense leader who will continue delivering real results for families and businesses across our state, and that's why I'm proud to be running to be the next Governor of our great state," Jones said. "In the private sector, I've helped build businesses from the ground up, created thousands of jobs, invested in local communities and know what it means to sign the front and back of a paycheck. As Lieutenant Governor, I've fought to cut our state income tax, put billions of dollars back into the pockets of hardworking Georgians, expanded educational opportunities, protected girls' sports, cracked down on illegal immigration, invested in rural Georgia, and delivered real results to make our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family. The lieutenant governor also highlighted his support for Presdient Donald Trump in his announcement. "I've also fought to deliver President Trump's agenda here in Georgia from day one–and even took arrows from the radical left for doing it. But just like President Trump, I won–and delivered for the people of Georgia, just like he is delivering for the American people in Washington," he said. Big picture view According to the campaign, Jones had $14 million cash on hand for his attempt to secure the nomination. His announcement comes more than half a year after Attorney General Chris Carr announced his run for governor. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who sold a substantial engineering company, could also make a bid in the Republican primary. The other side On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson, and Atlanta pastor Olu Brown have announced their intent to run. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association described the upcoming primary between Carr and Jones as a "vicious fight." "Jones is an extremist who wants to undermine public education, champions Georgia's dangerous abortion ban, backs the mass firing of Georgians at the CDC, and has a long record of opposing Medicaid expansion," spokesperson Kevin Donohoe said. "Jones' partisan, disastrous record could not be more out-of-touch with Georgians — and his campaign launch means that this primary will be a race to the right. No matter who wins, Republicans will be left with a deeply damaged and extreme nominee." No Democrat has won a governor's race in Georgia since Roy Barnes in 1998. The Source Information for this story came from a release by Burt Jones for Georgia and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl launches run for Congress in 4th District
Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl is launching a campaign for the Republican nomination in western Iowa's 4th Congressional District. Windschitl, 41, of Missouri Valley, was first elected to the Iowa House in 2006 at the age of 22 and is serving his tenth term. He represents House District 15, which includes Harrison County and parts of Pottawattamie County. He has served as majority leader, the number two position in House leadership, since his colleagues elected him to that post in 2019 after previously serving as speaker pro tempore. In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Windschitl said he wants to focus on "the bread and butter stuff" if elected to Congress. "I want to help get the country back on a track where we don't have rising inflation, we don't have people getting taxed out of their homes, we don't have the global concern about are we the dominant country or not," he said. "I think what the president is doing right now is on that path." Windschitl works for Doll Distributing in Council Bluffs. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2001 and served a tour in Iraq in 2005 before being honorably discharged in 2009. Iowa's 4th Congressional District is the most conservative of Iowa's four congressional districts, spanning 36 counties in northwestern Iowa and along the full western edge of the state. Windschitl said constituents and friends have been asking him to consider running for the seat after current U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra filed paperwork May 12 to form an exploratory committee to run for governor in 2026. Windschitl said, "I've been thinking about it, praying about it," but the deciding factor was speaking to his two daughters about whether he should run. "Both my daughters have got my back, and those are the two most important people in my life," he said. "So when they said, 'Yeah, Dad, go get 'em.' I said, 'All right, let's do it.'" At least two other Republicans are exploring a run for the party's nomination for Congress. State Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, launched an exploratory committee for the seat on May 17 and Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan announced his campaign in late June. Windschitl said he has a record of working on important issues and showing leadership in the Iowa Legislature. "I've got a 19-year track record of being pro-life, pro-2A, pro-business, pro-ag, cutting taxes, getting government out of the way, getting bureaucracy out of the way and helping constituents through different political problems," he said. "But also when we've had the derecho, when we've had floods, being there boots on the ground. You can look at everything I've done. My record stands for itself." Windschitl endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president before the 2024 Republican presidential caucuses. He acknowledged that his endorsement "may be" an issue during the primary, "but that's up to each individual voter." "That's behind us," he said. "I'm not focused on the past. I'm focused on the future. And I believe President Trump is doing a fantastic job, and I want to be there helping move an agenda forward for the people of America." Windschitl said he plans to step down as House majority leader but will continue to serve the remainder of his term as a state representative, which runs through the end of 2026. "The caucus and Iowans deserve an opportunity to have a majority leader that's not trying to serve two masters," he said. Trump hinted that House Republicans may have already agreed on a new majority leader. Speaking at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Thursday, July 3, he referred to Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, as "Iowa House majority leader-elect." "Great future," Trump said of Kaufmann. House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, has not announced when Republicans will elect a new majority leader. Democrat Ryan Melton, who ran against Feenstra in 2022 and 2026, had announced he would run again in 2026. But he suspended his campaign in June, citing changes to his health and employment status. Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@ or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on X at @sgrubermiller. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Republican Matt Windschitl running for Congress in Iowa 4th District
