Latest news with #governorrace
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Large number of voters undecided in governor's race and about congressional redistricting, new poll finds
Many voters are undecided in California's 2026 governor's race as well as about Democratic efforts to redraw the state's congressional districts in an effort to counter GOP efforts in other states, according to a new poll released Friday. In the first public poll since former Vice President Kamala Harris opted to not run for governor, former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter had the support of 18% of registered voters in California, while Republican commentator Steve Hilton had the backing of 12%, according to the Emerson College poll. No other candidate in the sprawling field had double-digit support, and 38% of voters said they were undecided. The primary will take place June 2. The candidates have yet to start aggressively advertising or reaching out to voters, so these numbers could fluctuate wildly over the next 10 months. Read more: Who is running for California governor in 2026? Meet the candidates When asked about a special election that could occur in November, voters were split over a proposed Democratic effort to redraw congressional districts. One-third of voters support the effort, a quarter oppose it and 42% were unsure, according to the poll. Redistricting typically occurs after the once-a-decade census, but California is considering a middecade redrawing of congressional boundaries to counter potential moves by Texas and other GOP states to boost the number of Republicans in the House and keep the GOP in control of Congress. California state lawmakers are expected to vote on calling a special election about the matter after they return from summer recess Aug. 18. The poll of 1,000 California voters took place on August 4 and 5, and has 3% margin of error in either direction. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
D.N.C. Pledges $1.5 Million to New Jersey Governor's Race
The Democratic National Committee says it will pour more than $1.5 million into this year's New Jersey governor's race, a rare cash infusion from the national party in the summer doldrums before the post-Labor Day sprint. The announcement comes on the heels of a pledge to spend $20 million on the race made last month by a group affiliated with the Democratic Governors Association. The two commitments, from different arms of the national party, offer a clear indication that Democrats view the New Jersey's governor race as likely to be the closest battle in 2025. The D.N.C. has not made a similar investment in Virginia, the only other state with a governor's race this year. While New Jersey is a reliably blue state, it, along with several other historically Democratic strongholds, shifted toward President Trump last year, when former Vice President Kamala Harris won the state by roughly six percentage points. In the most recent governor's election, in 2021, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli came within three percentage points of denying the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Phil Murphy, a second term. Recent polls show another close governor's race this year, with Representative Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic nominee, leading Mr. Ciattarelli, once more the Republican nominee, by single digits. A poll released this week by StimSight Research, which is run by the former pollster at Monmouth University, found Ms. Sherrill ahead of Mr. Ciattarelli by six percentage points. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alaska Sen. Murkowski toys with bid for governor, defends vote supporting Trump's tax breaks package
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, speaking with Alaska reporters Monday, toyed with the idea of running for governor and defended her recent high-profile decision to vote in support of President Donald Trump's tax breaks and spending cuts bill. Murkowski, speaking from Anchorage, said 'sure' when asked if she has considered or is considering a run for governor. She later said her response was 'a little bit flippant' because she gets asked that question so often. 'Would I love to come home? I have to tell you, of course I would love to come home,' she said. 'I am not making any decisions about anything, because my responsibility to Alaskans is my job in the Senate right now.' Several Republicans already have announced plans to run in next year's governor's race, including Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy is not eligible to seek a third consecutive term. Alaska has an open primary system and ranked choice voting in general elections. Murkowski is not up for reelection until 2028. A centrist, Murkowski has become a closely watched figure in a sharply divided Congress. She has at times been at odds with her party in her criticism of Trump and blasted by some GOP voters as a 'Republican in name only.' But her decision to support Trump's signature bill last month also frustrated others in a state where independents comprise the largest number of registered voters. She previously described her decision-making process around the bill as 'agonizing.' On Monday, she said it was clear to her the bill was not only a priority of Trump's but also that it was going to pass, so it became important to her to help make it as advantageous to the state as she could. 'So I did everything within my power — as one lawmaker from Alaska — to try to make sure that the most vulnerable in our state would not be negatively impacted,' she said. 'And I had a hard choice to make, and I think I made the right choice for Alaskans.'
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Charlamagne suggests Kamala Harris should start a podcast instead of seeking elected office again
Radio host Charlamagne tha God argued on Thursday that former Vice President Kamala Harris' time in electoral politics is over, but there could still be a role for her in the Democratic Party. Harris made headlines this week with her announcement that she will not be running in 2026 to be the governor of her home state of California. In her statement explaining her decision, Harris said, "For now, my leadership — and public service — will not be in elected office." She added, "I look forward to getting back out and listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the nation who will fight fearlessly, and sharing more details in the months ahead about my own plans." "Breakfast Club" co-host Morgyn Wood noted that the announcement "comes as speculation remains regarding the former presidential candidate possibly running for the White House again in 2028." Wood turned to Charlamagne to ask whether Democrats need "new blood" instead. Charlamagne Criticizes Obama's 'Mind-boggling' Advice To Democrats As Too Little, Too Late "Yeah," Charlamagne agreed on her not running again in 2028, but added, "I think Kamala can definitely be a leader in the Democratic Party." Read On The Fox News App Charlamagne laid out a plan for how Harris could ingratiate herself with Americans as a cultural figurehead rather than a candidate lobbying for their support. He argued that over the past five years, much of Harris' strategy with public engagement has been "transactional;" interacting with the American people only to solicit their support via votes. With a new shift to being a purely cultural leader for the Democratic Party, the American people could get to know Harris as a person, something he says they were never adequately able to do before. After another co-host speculated that ingratiating herself with the public could have changed the course of the 2024 election, Charlamagne argued that the electoral prospects of Harris and the current crop of Democrats look decisively grim going forward. "I don't know if she should run again, but I definitely would like to see her write a book. I definitely would like to, you know, see her start a podcast and just build a real connection with people, you know, and she is - I mean relatively young," Charlamagne said. "I just don't know what's going to happen in 2028, man. I just think Democrats suck so bad. I don't - I don't know." Harris announced Thursday she will be releasing a book about the 107 days of her failed presidential campaign. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture FOX News Channel's Lara Trump will present an exclusive interview with Charlamagne on Saturday, August 2 during "My View with Lara Trump" (9-10 PM/ET). During the interview, Lara Trump and Charlamagne will discuss the NYC mayoral race, the state of the Democratic Party and President Trump's second term so far. Charlamagne will also share his own struggles with addiction, his mental health journey and other news of the article source: Charlamagne suggests Kamala Harris should start a podcast instead of seeking elected office again
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez enters 2026 governor race, calls Trump a 'maniac'
Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez enters 2026 governor race, calls Trump a 'maniac' MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democratic Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez entered the battleground state's open race for governor on Friday by calling President Donald Trump a 'maniac,' as she attempts to differentiate herself in what is expected to be a crowded primary. A second Democrat, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, said in a statement Friday that in the weeks ahead he 'will be taking steps toward entering the race." Wisconsin's 2026 governor's race is open with no incumbent running for the first time since 2010. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced Thursday that he would not seek a third term. Both Rodriguez and Crowley would make history if elected. Rodriguez, a former emergency room nurse, would be Wisconsin's first woman governor and Crowley would be the first Black governor. Several other Democrats are expected to join the race. 'We've got a maniac in the White House,' Rodriguez said in a campaign launch video. 'His tariffs are killing our farmers and his policies are hurting our kids.' Rodriguez has been lieutenant governor since 2023, after previously serving one two-year term in the state Assembly representing suburban Milwaukee, where she lives. She won a seat that had been under Republican control for years. Rodriguez emphasized her background working previously as a nurse in a Baltimore emergency room, saying she wanted to continue Evers' emphasis on fighting to protect reproductive freedom, invest in public schools and rebuild the economy. She noted that the state Legislature is within reach of Democratic control, meaning that with a Democratic governor, they could finally enact policies Republicans have blocked for years like expanding Medicaid. A registered nurse, Rodriguez previously worked as a health care executive and an epidemic intelligence service officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has a master's degree in public health. Rodriguez emphasized the importance of health care, including protecting abortion rights, in a brief speech she delivered on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last year. Rodriguez, who is married with two children, launched her candidacy on her 50th birthday. In her first run for office in 2020, when she was elected to the Legislature, Rodriguez said she was motivated to get into politics because of how Republicans handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Rodriguez won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in 2022 after then-Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who held the office in Evers' first term, decided to run for the Senate. Barnes, who lost that race to Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, is among several Democrats considering a run for governor next year. Others include Attorney General Josh Kaul, state Sen. Kelda Roys, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. On the Republican side, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and suburban Milwaukee businessman Bill Berrien are the only announced candidates. Others, including U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and state Senate President Mary Felzkowski, are considering it. Scott Bauer, The Associated Press
