Latest news with #midterm elections
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What Gov. Mike Braun said about redistricting in Indiana following meeting with JD Vance
Gov. Mike Braun was noncommittal about the prospect of redistricting in Indiana following a meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Indiana legislative leaders at the Indiana Statehouse on Aug. 7. When asked by reporters if the group came to a consensus on redrawing the state's congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Braun said "We listened." He also described the conversation as "pretty good." "It was great to meet with @VPVance today," he posted on X. "We discussed a number of issues, and I was pleased to highlight some of the great things happening in Indiana," Braun tweeted after the meeting. The push in Indiana, where Republicans already hold seven of the state's nine U.S. House seats, comes as the Trump administration is looking to Republican-led states to initiate mid-decade redistricting in order to pad the GOP majority in the U.S. House of Representatives prior to 2026. The party breakdown currently stands at 219 Republicans to 212 Democrats. The effort is already underway in Republican-led Texas, where new congressional maps could give the GOP as many as five additional seats. Texas Democrats fled the state on Aug. 3 to disrupt legislative processes to approve those maps. Political analysts say, if Gov. Mike Braun calls a special session for redistricting, Republicans could easily redraw maps in Northwest Indiana to flip the 1st Congressional District, currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan. That would put the state at eight Republican seats to one Democratic one. Redrawing the 7th Congressional District in Indianapolis, held by longtime U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, to get the state to nine Republicans would pose more challenges. Any breakup of deep blue Democratic voters in Marion County could make other Republican House districts more vulnerable in future elections, analysts said. This story will be updated. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, curated by IndyStar politics and government reporters. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Following VP visit, will Indiana GOP start mid-decade redistricting?
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will pro-Trump Latinos vote Republican in the 2026 midterms? A new poll casts doubts
A quarter of Latinos who supported President Donald Trump in the November election are not guaranteed to vote for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections, according to a new national poll by Equis, a leading research and polling group. Last week Equis, alongside progressive think tank Data for Progress, released a July memo that summarized key findings from a national poll of 1,614 registered voters, conducted between July 7 and July 17. This time frame coincides with some notable turning points in politics: namely, when Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill" into law, as well as his execution of mass deportations and controversial handling of the Epstein files. Respondents were asked, "If the 2026 election for United States Congress were held today, for whom would you vote?" Only 27% replied that they would vote for a Republican candidate, marking a significant political party drop from the 45% who said they voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. A quarter of those polled said they were not sure whom they would vote for (16%), would vote for someone else (5%), or would not vote at all (4%). This shaky political alignment comes at a critical time for Republicans, who are banking on continual Latino support in 2026 — especially as Texas Republicans plan to flip five blue seats under a newly proposed congressional map. The Equis study also found that 63% of Latinos disapproved of Trump's job as president in July, a slight uptick from polling numbers in May, when 60% disapproved. This rating seems to reflect broader sentiments regarding the state of the U.S. economy: 64% of Latinos rated the economy as "somewhat or very poor," while only 34% viewed it as "somewhat or very good." However, a disapproval of Trump does not mean Latinos have rushed to back the Democratic Party. Half the Latinos polled said Democrats care more about people like them, versus the 25% who said Republicans care more. Meanwhile, 17% said they believe that neither party cares. Swing voters — including those who Equis calls "Biden defectors," or voters who elected Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024 — are twice as likely to say that neither party cares about people like them (38%). "Growing dissatisfaction with Trump offers Democrats an opportunity, but only if they are willing to capitalize on it," the July memo states. Overall, Trump's national approval ratings are taking a nosedive, according to aggregate polling by the New York Times, which notes that Trump's approach to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation has angered his base. On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department for the files; lawmakers believe they could implicate Trump and other former top officials in the sex-trafficking investigation. Trump's anti-immigration policies have also likely shifted his popularity. Early July Gallup polling revealed that Americans have grown more positive toward immigration — 79% of Americans say immigration is a "good thing" for the country, which marks a 64% increase from last year and a 25-year record high. Get our Latinx Files newsletter for stories that capture the complexity of our communities. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
'IT'S NOT GOING TO PLAY OUT WELL': Karl Rove Discusses TX Democrats Fleeing to Illinois
Karl Rove, former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush, author of The Triumph of William McKinley , Wall Street Journal columnist, and Fox News contributor, joined The Guy Benson Show today to weigh in on the redistricting fight in Texas and the Democrats' dramatic decision to flee to Illinois. Rove Discussed the irony in fleeing to a state that is ironically one of the most gerrymandered in the country under Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Rove also offered an early preview of the upcoming midterm elections and what both parties should expect heading into next year, and you can listen to the full interview below. Listen to the full interview below: Listen to the full podcast below:
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Democrats face their Alamo with new GOP congressional map
WASHINGTON − An ongoing effort by Republicans to redraw Texas' congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections continues to agitate Democrats across the country, as they search for ways to block or counter an initiative sought by President Donald Trump. The White House has urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and state Republicans to advance on a rare mid-decade redistricting, with the hope that shifting boundaries could help the party pick up as many as five seats in next year's race for control of the U.S. House. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, and the GOP are hoping the boost can help them hang onto their razor-thin lower chamber majority during the final two years of Trump's second term and amid the 2028 race for the White House. Texas Democrats balked when Abbott agreed to add redistricting to their to-do list for a 30-day special session that began July 21 in Austin. Now, liberal lawmakers are crying foul with blue state governors threatening tit-for-tat responses and Texas Democrats weighing their own limited protest options as the GOP seeks to make major changes to the critical voter boundary lines that make up the nation's second largest congressional delegation. "All eyes are on Texas,'' Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, told reporters at a briefing Wednesday morning. "They haven't done it yet. If they do, just think the political stakes are such that Democrats have to be ready to meet fire with fire. There's an effort to keep Texas from going down that road first." Here's the latest to know on the controversial redistricting effort happening in the Lone Star State. What could a new map look like? Texas Republicans released their proposed new map on July 30. Ahead of the official release, Punchbowl News first reported that the anticipated redraw would shift district boundaries around Dallas, Houston, Austin and the Rio Grande Valley. There would still be 38 total seats in the Texas delegation under the new maps - leaving it second only to California's 52 seats. But five Texas seats would be redrawn in a bid that Republican envision giving their candidates a leg up with more GOP voters. Democrats who at risk of losing their spot in Congress include Reps. Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez and Marc Veasey, according to Punchbowl. Democrats charge partisan law violation The rare push to redraw the boundary lines has led Democratic senators to accuse Trump administration officials of breaking a decades-old law limiting executive branch employees from engaging in partisan activities − such as advocating for a state's redistricting in order to benefit their political party. In a letter to the Office of Special Counsel, California Sens. Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with Rhode Island's Sheldon Whitehouse and Illinois' Dick Durbin, called for an investigation into members of Trump's White House and Justice Department, accusing them of breaking the Hatch Act. "The purpose of this redistricting push is to defeat Democratic Members of Congress and elect Republicans to affect the balance of political party power in the 120th Congress," the senators wrote. "While such goals are appropriate for a political party organization, they are not appropriate for executive branch officials," they added, "especially at the Department of Justice which must take greater steps to ensure it acts with impartiality." The Hatch Act does not apply to the president or vice president. Hakeem Jeffries took a trip to Texas House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, made a trip to Texas July 30, the same day Republicans released their proposed map. While there, Politico reported that Jeffries planned to meet with Rep. Al Green, a Houston lawmaker whose district could be caught in the crosshairs of a major map shake up. "We understand that this is all hands on deck for us in the Democratic Party," Green told Politico. Jeffries has been vocal in his opposition to the redistricting plans, saying in a July 15 press conference, "Texas Republicans are likely going to continue to act like political punks and bend the knee to Donald Trump's extreme agenda." Later, he told CNN, regarding Democrats' response: "Let me just simply say the maps in New York are not as fair as they could be." Redistricting arms race could ensue Jeffries is not the only blue state lawmaker proposing an equal and opposite reaction to Texas. Democrats coast-to-coast have promised a full-scale counterattack, should the Lone Star State move forward with redistricting. "We're not going to be sitting back with one hand tied behind our back while Republicans try to undermine the voices of the American people," Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Democrat from Washington and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told reporters at a meeting July 23. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has suggested a redistricting in his state to offset Republican actions. In reaction to the official map proposal July 30, Newsom said online, "The 2026 election is being rigged. California won't sit back and watch this happen." But unlike in Texas where legislators decide district lines, Newsom does face a major obstacle in the form of a bipartisan redistricting commission, which oversees California's maps. The response from Democrats has enticed other Republican-controlled states to potentially jump in too. Missouri Republicans are pondering a plan to give their party a geographical leg up, and legislatures in other states such as Florida and New Hampshire have the ability to reevaluate maps like Texas. Texas Democrats eye leaving the state Back in Texas, Democrats have a limited number of options to counter a GOP-controlled state House and Senate. Their primary tool is a controversial and seldom used move to flee the state and break the quorum necessary to proceed in the legislative session. State Democrats last used the measure in 2021 to protest new voting restrictions. After that episode, in which representatives halted operations for 38 days, Republicans approved a $500 a day fine for breaking quorum. The monetary punishment could be enough to give Democrats pause about leaving the state this time. However, the Texas Tribune reported deep-pocketed Democratic donors are ready to assist and enable a potential walkout. Contributing: Deborah Berry, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to know, the latest on Texas' redistricting efforts
CNN
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Texas Democrats leave the state to prevent vote on GOP-drawn congressional map
Texas House Democrats left the state Sunday to prevent a vote on the Republican effort backed by President Donald Trump to rewrite the state's congressional map. The redistricting, if passed, could potentially eliminate five Democratic US House seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections as the GOP seeks to hold on to its slim House majority. The Texas politicians are expected to arrive in Chicago and Albany, New York, on Sunday evening after a decision that state House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said was not made lightly but with 'absolute moral clarity.' States typically redraw congressional district boundaries once every 10 years following the release of updated population data from the United States census. A mid-decade revision of the map would be an extraordinary move — one that Democrats contend is a nakedly partisan effort aimed at bolstering Republicans prospects of retaining control of the House. Two-thirds of the Texas House is required for a quorum, the minimum amount of legislators to vote on bills. Democrats in the legislature attempted the same move in 2021 to block a bill that would have imposed new voting restrictions. After that unsuccessful effort, new rules were put in place to fine members $500 a day if a member is absent, including 'for the purpose of impeding the action of the House.' Ken Paxton, Texas' attorney general and a candidate for US Senate, said Sunday evening that 'Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately.' 'We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law,' he continued in a post on X, though he did not specify which tools could be used. Texas Republicans argue the redistricting is necessary over concerns that the current maps are unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered. Democrats have said it would suppress the votes of people of color. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott 'is using an intentionally racist map to steal the voices of millions of Black and Latino Texans, all to execute a corrupt political deal,' Wu said in a statement. 'Apathy is complicity, and we will not be complicit in the silencing of hard-working communities who have spent decades fighting for the power that Trump wants to steal.' Democrats nationwide have threatened to respond to the GOP's efforts at redistricting in Texas with the same tactics in Democratic-controlled states like California and New York. National Democratic Redistricting Committee Chairman Eric Holder, a longtime critic of partisan gerrymandering, says it may be time for Democrats to change their approach. 'We have to understand that the nature of the threat that has been put upon the country through what they're trying to do in Texas has really increased the danger to our democracy. And as a result of that, we've got to do things that perhaps in the past, I would not have supported,' he said on ABC's 'This Week' on Sunday. Holder, a former attorney general, said Democrats would still pursue avenues including raising voter awareness and bringing litigation against the state. The Texas Democrats' departure comes as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has plotted for more than a month with party officials in the Lone Star State to potentially provide safe harbor for the lawmakers, a source with knowledge of the Democratic governor's involvement told CNN. Pritzker quietly met with the chair of the Texas Democratic Party at an event for the Oklahoma Democratic Party on June 28. There, the two discussed rumors that Abbott could include calls to redraw the state's congressional map in a newly announced special legislative session, the source said. Pritzker at the time said Texas lawmakers could come to Illinois if they fled to block a quorum. In mid-July, Pritzker hosted eight Texas lawmakers and held a meeting to further discuss the planning. In the background, Pritzker's staff was working with Texas Democrats to provide logistical support, including finding places where they could stay and work while in the state, the source added. Pritzker will join Texas Democrats arriving in Illinois at a news conference later Sunday evening. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is set to hold an event Monday with the lawmakers who left for her state, said in a statement to CNN that 'We won't sit on the sidelines while Republicans try to rig the system to give Donald Trump more unchecked power. Texas Democrats are standing up for the future of democracy and I'm proud to stand with them in the fight against disenfranchisement.' Former US Rep. Beto O'Rourke said his fellow Texas Democrats are doing 'exactly what the country needs.' 'If Trump succeeds in stealing these five congressional districts, if he holds on to the House of Representatives, then the consolidation of authoritarian power in America may be unstoppable,' O'Rourke told CNN on Sunday after he held a rally in Indianapolis. O'Rourke said his political action committee, Powered By People, will raise money to support the House Democrats, who could face $500-per-day fines and are barred from using campaign funds to pay them. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin also praised the Texas Democrats, saying in a statement Sunday, 'We will fight alongside them to stop this anti-democratic assault. And, after this fight is done, we're coming full force for the Republicans' House majority.' CNN's Gloria Pazmino and Eric Bradner contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional developments.
