California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) took a swing at his own party Friday evening, claiming Democrats have become too "toxic" and "judgmental." Newsom, in an appearance on "Real Time with Bill Maher," was asked about other Democrats' criticism of the party and those who have questioned the governor for bringing GOP guests on his new podcast, " This Is Gavin Newsom," calling it "platforming." "I mean, this idea that we can't even have a conversation with the other side ... or the notion we just have to continue to talk to ourselves or win the same damn echo chamber, these guys are crushing us," he continued, referencing Republicans who have seen better numbers in recent elections. "The Democratic brand is toxic right now," the governor said, adding later that "we talk down to people. We talk past people." The governor also gave a nod to recent guests on his show, which some have viewed as controversial including former White House adviser Steve Bannon and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk. "And I think with this podcast and having the opportunity to dialog with people I disagree with, it's an opportunity to try to find common ground and not take cheap shots," he said. "I'm not looking to put a spoke in the wheel of their or ... a crowbar in the spokes of their wheel to trip them up." His comments come after polling shows the Democratic Party's favorability rating sitting at a record low. A recent NBC News poll, referenced during the show, shows only 27 percent of respondents having a positive view of the party. Another survey, released earlier this month by CNN, found 54 percent of respondents had a negative opinion of the party, while just 29 percent said the opposite. Those numbers mark a shift from before President Trump was sworn into office in January, when 48 percent of respondents said they had an unfavorable view of Democrats. In the interview Friday, Newsom pointed to Democrats' leaning on "cancel culture" and other personal attacks as a possible reason for the dip. "Democrats, we tend to be a little more judgmental than we should be," the Democratic governor told host Bill Maher. "This notion of cancel culture... You've been living it, you've been on the receiving end of it for years and years and years. That's real." "Democrats need to own up to that," he said. "They've got to mature." Newsom, who has been floated as a possible 2028 presidential contender, is not the only Democrat to criticize the party. Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — who caucuses with Democrats — have also raised questions and given advice on how they should move forward. Медиа: | ↑ |
Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) endorsed Democrat Josh Weil in the special election for Florida’s 6th Congressional District, marking one of Weil’s biggest endorsements to date. “Josh Weil is a working class father of two and a middle school teacher who knows what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck. Unlike his opponent, he does not have any billionaire-backed Super PACs supporting him. Josh would be a voice in Congress who understands why we must protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and not give massive tax breaks to billionaires,” Sanders said Friday in a statement. “He understands that we have to keep our promise to veterans, wants to expand the trade union movement and believes that all kids deserve a quality education,” he added. Weil is running against state Sen. Randy Fine (R) for the House seat, which was held by national security adviser Mike Waltz. The seat would normally be considered a safe Republican seat, with Trump and Waltz each winning the district by more than 30 points in November. However, the national focus on the race has exploded following Weil besting Fine in fundraising and closing the gap in polling. Weil has raised nearly $10 million, while Fine has raked in just less than $1 million. An internal poll from the Republican firm Fabrizio Ward released on Thursday evening showed Weil leading Fine by 3 points in the district. A separate survey released from St. Pete Polls earlier this week showed Fine leading Weil by 4 points, but within the poll’s 4.9-point margin of error. Many Democrats maintain that winning the seat will be an uphill climb and that the goal is to significantly narrow the margins in heavily Trump leaning district. Republicans do not appear to be taking any chances, with Trump participating in a pair of tele-town halls with Fine on Thursday evening and Elon Musk’s America PAC spending in the district. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin will visit the district this weekend to campaign with Weil. Медиа: | ↑ |
President Trump said Friday he asked Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to withdraw as his pick for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations because he did not want to risk losing her congressional seat, calling it “politics 101.” “We don’t want to take any chances, so I went to Elise and I said, ‘Elise, do you mind?’” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We don’t want to take any chances. It’s as simple as that. It’s basic politics. It’s politics 101. She’s very popular. She’s going to win." “I really appreciate her doing it,” Trump added. “She’s doing me a big favor when she does it, because she was all set to go to the United Nations, and she would have dealt with Putin, and Zelensky and everybody else, and she would have been very effective. But we don’t want to take any chances, because it is tight.” Trump’s announcement has thrown Stefanik’s future into flux and has raised questions about how concerned Republicans should be if her solidly Republican district is at risk. Trump won Stefanik’s district by 30 percentage points last November. Stefanik has represented her district since 2015. Republicans have a historically tiny House majority, where every vote matters as they aim to advance Trump’s ambitious legislative agenda on taxes and spending cuts along party lines. Currently, there are 218 House Republicans and 213 House Democrats, with four vacancies — meaning House Republicans can only afford to lose two Republicans on any party line vote, assuming full attendance. Stefanik’s confirmation was expected to move soon after a pair of Florida special election races on April 1 in Republican-leaning districts, vacancies that were created by former Rep. Mike Waltz becoming national security adviser and former Rep. Matt Gaetz abruptly resigning after Trump initially picked him to be attorney general, before Gaetz withdrew days later. But a closer-than-expected race in Waltz’s district that is normally safely Republican has spooked some in the GOP. Two vacancies in Democratic-leaning districts, though, will not be filled for months, giving House Republicans a bit more breathing room. In his statement announcing the move, Trump said the congresswoman would “rejoin the House Leadership Team.” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) echoed that plan, saying he would “invite her to return to the leadership table immediately.” But it is unclear where Stefanik will fit in after relinquishing the position of House GOP conference chair, which she held for nearly four years, upon her nomination to the Cabinet. Медиа: | ↑ |
Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin, said it’s illegal for Elon Musk to cut $1 million paychecks for voters who support Brad Schimel, a Republican candidate for the state’s Supreme Court. “Elon Musk has committed a blatant felony by offering money for votes in order to help Brad Schimel,” Wikler said in a Friday statement. “Musk’s illegal election bribery scheme to put Brad Schimel on the Supreme Court is a chainsaw attack on democracy and the rule of law in Wisconsin and our nation.” The tech giant deleted his early Friday post outlining plans to travel to Wisconsin to personally deliver funds. “On Sunday night, I will give a talk in Wisconsin. Entrance is limited to those who have voted in the Supreme Court election,” Musk said in a post on the social platform X, which has now been taken down. “I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote. This is super important,” he added. Later in the day, he clarified the earlier post to say he would pay spokespeople $1 million to support Schimel. "On Sunday night, I will give a talk in Wisconsin. To clarify a previous post, entrance is limited to those who have signed the petition in opposition to activist judges," Musk said in a separate post. "I will also hand over checks for a million dollars to 2 people to be spokesmen for the petition," he added. Wikler alleges Musk's first statement violates the law and has encouraged law enforcement to hold the Tesla CEO accountable for attempts to sway the public's vote. “Elon Musk should be brought to justice for his illegal attempt to buy votes for Brad Schimel, and Brad Schimel should immediately condemn Musk’s crimes and disavow his continued involvement in his campaign. If Schimel does not immediately call on Musk to end this criminal activity, we can only assume he is complicit,” Wikler said. “Law enforcement must act now before this goes any further. Musk’s crime to assist Brad Schimel has already been committed, and if Elon Musk sets foot in Wisconsin, he should be placed in handcuffs and held accountable—just like any other criminal. ” Musk notably gave out $1 million to voters in swing states during the 2024 presidential election through his pro-Trump America PAC despite receiving a warning letter from the Department of Justice. It’s unclear whether Democrats will file a lawsuit over Musk’s recent swipe at voters but some say they would have a strong reason to bring forth a case. “Earlier payments were for registering but this is for voting. A clear violation of the state’s election bribery law,” Barry Burden, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin Madison, wrote in a post on X. Updated at 2:27 p.m. EDT Медиа: | ↑ |
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is taking out a series of ads in Wisconsin newspapers accusing Elon Musk of attempting to buy a state Supreme Court seat ahead of the election Tuesday. The ads, being released starting Friday ahead of a critical Wisconsin Supreme Court race that will determine the balance of power on the court, come as Musk has increasingly funneled money in the race to boost conservative Brad Schimel against liberal Susan Crawford. The race is officially nonpartisan but it is playing out as a partisan battle, with Republicans backing Schimel and Democrats backing Crawford. The DNC said in a release that it is "blanketing” more than a half dozen local Wisconsin newspapers to call out Musk, following its announcement that it plans to reach 2 million voters to rally support for Crawford. “On April 1, Wisconsinites get the chance to say what Americans across this country are thinking: ‘Go to hell, Elon,’” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in the release. “Wisconsinites deserve a Supreme Court justice who looks out for them, not the ultra-wealthy. Now and forever, Wisconsin is not for sale.” The DNC’s announcement also comes after Musk announced late Thursday that he would travel to the Badger State ahead of the election to speak with voters and hand out two $1 million checks to people who have already voted in the election “in appreciation” for them taking the time to vote. The race is to succeed retiring state Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, one of the liberals in the court's 4-3 liberal majority. The winner of her seat will decide the majority. Musk and President Trump have endorsed Schimel, and Musk’s America PAC has spent millions of dollars supporting his candidacy. Meanwhile, numerous local and national Democratic groups are supporting Crawford. The ads will appear in the Chippewa Herald, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, Beloit Daily News, Daily Jefferson County Union, Janesville Gazette, Watertown Daily Times and Oshkosh Northwestern. The ad shows a picture of Musk making a gesture during a speech in January that some compared to the Nazi salute — accusations Musk has rejected — and a picture of Schimel. “Americans don’t want Elon Musk in the White House and they don’t want him buying our elections,” the DNC said in the release. Медиа: | ↑ |
Tech billionaire Elon Musk clarified a previous post he made on social media Friday about a trip he’s making to Wisconsin ahead of a high-stakes state Supreme Court race next week. In his original post, Musk announced that he would be heading to Wisconsin to give a talk Sunday night to people who had voted in the election. “I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote. This is super important,” he wrote. That post was later deleted after experts suggested he would be violating Wisconsin state law, which says that that anyone who “Offers, gives, lends or promises to give or lend, or endeavors to procure, anything of value, or any office or employment or any privilege or immunity to, or for, any elector, or to or for any other person, in order to induce any elector to” go or not go to the polls, or vote or not vote, is illegal. Musk later clarified his plan in a new post on his social platform X. “On Sunday night, I will give a talk in Wisconsin. To clarify a previous post, entrance is limited to those who have signed the petition in opposition to activist judges. I will also hand over checks for a million dollars to 2 people to be spokesmen for the petition.” Musk’s super PAC, America PAC, circulated a petition last week that reads: “Judges should interpret laws as written, not rewrite them to fit their personal or political agendas. By signing below, I'm rejecting the actions of activist judges who impose their own views and demanding a judiciary that respects its role—interpreting, not legislating.” The super PAC pays Wisconsin voters who sign it $100 and appears to implicitly knock liberal candidate Susan Crawford, who’s running against conservative candidate Brad Schimel to fill a vacancy on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Tuesday's election will determine whether the high court remains a 4-3 liberal majority or flips to a conservative majority. Musk and President Trump have endorsed Schimel, and America PAC has spent millions of dollars in support of Schimel. Various local and national Democratic groups are backing Crawford in the race, with donors including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and George Soros getting involved. Musk’s involvement underscores the Tesla CEO’s growing influence within the GOP and is particularly noteworthy given Republicans have often struggled to make up the fundraising deficit against Democrats in elections. Musk is also getting involved in a pair of House elections in Florida next week to support the two GOP candidates running in the 1st and 6th congressional districts. Those districts are expected to remain within the GOP fold, though the 6th Congressional District could be closer than expected. Updated at 2:18 p.m. EDT Медиа: | ↑ |
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) has signed legislation that will end the state's universal vote-by-mail system and instead require registered voters to sign up if they want to cast their ballots by mail after 2028. Under the new law, which the GOP-controlled state Legislature passed earlier this month, counties will no longer send mail-in ballots to all voters on their rolls beginning in 2029. Voters in Utah will have the option to sign up online to receive mail-in ballots, or they can make the selection at the time they register to vote, when they show up to cast their ballot at a polling location or when they obtain or renew driver's licenses and identification cards. The mail ballot option will remain active for eight years if voters cast ballots in all regular elections during that period. The new law also shortens the timeline for voters to return their mail-in ballots, putting the state in line with an aggressive push from President Trump. Previously, mailed ballots in the Beehive State had to be postmarked by Election Day. New regulations require ballots to be in by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Trump signed an executive order Monday that seeks to punish states that rely on the postmark date to count absentee or mail-in ballots received after Election Day in federal races. The governor did not include a statement about the election law in his news release announcing the signing of the bill along with other new laws. Cox's office didn't immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. Медиа: | ↑ |
Third Way, a center-left think tank, argued that President Trump needs to be criticized over one of his largest issues: the economy. “All presidents are vulnerable on the economy but none more so than Trump. He repeatedly pledged, ‘Starting the day I take the Oath of Office, I will rapidly drive prices down, and we will make America affordable again,’” the group said in a new report. “Voters put up with his antics and the insults because they believed they were going to have someone at the top who understands the economy and can deliver results. Or so they thought,” Third Way wrote. As Trump passes the 60-day mark of his second term, he’s taken an axe to many long-standing federal agencies, cutting hundreds of thousands of jobs and upending programs both domestically and internationally for cost-saving benefits. He’s also plunged the country into a trade war with his tariff plan. While protests have begun across the country, the report argues that to most Americans, it may just be noise. Democrats must separate “the signal from the noise” and show the public how Trump campaigned on economic promises that he has yet to deliver. “Amid dozens of red flashing lights on the economy, there is a clear signal for policymakers: Democrats must be relentless in assigning blame for the Trump Slump,” the group said in the report, first reported by Semafor. The report pointed to Trump’s inability to predict if a recession is headed for Americans. It comes after Treasury Secretary Howard Lutnick said Trump’s tariff plan would be “worth it,” even if it led to a recession. Third Way pointed to the effects Americans are already feeling from Trump’s economic policies, including stagnant retail sales, a dropping stock market and tariff concerns. “As the pain inflicted by their actions starts to hit working families, Democrats must make Republicans own the Trump Slump,” the report concluded. Медиа: | ↑ |
An upset victory in a state Senate race in Pennsylvania is the latest development to give Democrats hope of growing grassroots enthusiasm in the first few months of President Trump’s second term. Democratic East Petersburg Mayor James Malone’s surprise victory over his GOP rival in a Trump-friendly district follows other under-the-radar wins the party has pulled off since the beginning of the year. It’s another example of the party performing well in off-year elections when Trump isn’t on the ballot. But it also comes as anger rises among the base over Trump’s actions and how Washington Democrats have responded, and comes days before the first major election of the year: Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race. “I think it shows that the Republicans have a problem, and while the Democrats have their problems as well at the national level, in the end, the Democratic voters are coming home and people are upset with what’s going on in Washington,” Pennsylvania Democratic strategist Mike Mikus said. If any eyes were on Pennsylvania heading into Tuesday, they were on a state House special election happening simultaneously. Democrat Dan Goughnour seemed likely to win the open House seat and restore a Democratic majority in the body. While the district leaned Democratic and Goughnour won easily, Democrats were still eager to pick up the seat to end the even split that had been in place since former Rep. Matt Gergely’s (D) death in January. But the real event of the night happened later, when Malone pulled off a surprise in a district that Trump won with 57 percent of the vote and Sen. Dave McCormick (R) won with 56 percent in November. As of Wednesday, Malone led Republican Josh Parsons, a Lancaster County commissioner, by about 500 votes. Illustrating the gravity of the upset, a Democrat had not represented the district since the 1970s, before Lancaster County became part of it, and former state Sen. Ryan Aument (R) ran unopposed in his last election in 2022. Aument resigned from his seat in December to become McCormick's state director. Stella Sexton, the vice chair of the Lancaster County Democratic Committee and the co-campaign manager of Malone’s campaign, attributed the win to the strong turnout the campaign was able to bring out, a willingness to put in the work and a continued belief that Malone could win. She said the Malone campaign called the campaign for Iowa state Sen. Mike Zimmer (D) the day after his upset victory in January — in a special state Senate election in a district that voted for Trump by 21 points last year — to understand its playbook. “That was sort of the road map for us,” Sexton said. She said the campaign also believed in the strengths of Malone, who she said is well-liked in his community. Sexton said the target was to reach enough Democrats in suburban areas and senior living retirement communities that have many steady voters likely to turn out. “We focused on the mission, we focused on getting the work done, and we focused on voter contact,” she said. While Republicans will still maintain a 27-23 majority in the state Senate, Democrats said they were thrilled with the win. Former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair T.J. Rooney credited the win with a “Herculean” effort from the Malone campaign and state party. He said Parsons’s strong support for Trump gave an opening for backlash against Trump to play out in the race. “If taking the temperature of the electorate at the moment, sure, it's not a good look for Republicans writ large,” Rooney said. “But on top of it, a candidate who is, like, very Trumpian in in his manner — it just makes the narrative that much more effective.” The win is just the latest of several low-key victories and improvements on past performances that the Democratic Party has had since Trump took office. The results also come on the heels of a series of rallies that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have held throughout the country, energizing large crowds of attendees. But members of both parties were split on how much can be extrapolated from the results for where the parties and the public’s view of the Trump administration stand. “It's a great victory ... full stop,” Rooney said. “But it needs to be replicated before we can declare any sort of definitive trend.” Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) said the victory is “great” for the party and should be celebrated but called back to similar special election wins for Democrats in 2017 and 2018, hinting that the sample size is just too small for larger meaning for momentum. “Remember in the first term, everybody thought that every special election was an oracle, and that's just not true,” he said. Republican strategist Josh Novotney said he believes Parsons’s campaign felt the seat was safe and didn’t have enough of a push to turn out the vote. He said what happened in the district is common with one party being in power and one not. “When the party that's in the minority is not liking what's going on, their only voice is definitely to get out and vote at every little local and statewide election,” he said. “And obviously, Democrats had a ground campaign.” But he added that the sample size is too small to say an enthusiasm gap is occurring. He said Democrats may try to advance a narrative of voters rejecting Trump’s policies, but he said Trump’s poll numbers are still decent and pointed to polling showing record low approval of the Democratic Party. But others argued the election could have other implications, especially if Democrats can build on it in the upcoming state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin and special elections in Florida next week. Mikus said the result speaks to a larger issue for the GOP in which some voters only vote when Trump is on the ballot. “There is a significant slice of their base that only shows up if Donald Trump's on the ballot. There are people who are Trump supporters — they're not Republicans, regardless of their registration,” he said. “And that has always been clear. That's why Democrats did well, better than expected in 2022.” Democrats have broadly performed well in elections over the past decade when Trump hasn’t been on the ballot, winning contested special elections, making big gains in the 2018 midterms and avoiding significant losses in the 2022 midterms. Republican strategist Samuel Chen, who previously worked for former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) and former Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), noted Dent’s post on the social platform X telling followers to watch the special election for former Rep. Mike Waltz’s (R-Fla.) seat next week. Waltz’s district is heavily conservative leaning, but the Democratic candidate has significantly outraised his GOP opponent, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said the Republican will underperform. Chen said observers should expect Democrats to perform somewhat better while Republicans have the White House and both houses of Congress, but each race will vary and candidate quality matters. He said Malone focused on local issues instead of some national talking points of former Vice President Kamala Harris's unsuccessful campaign. “Democrats have the winds here. The way these trends go, this election should be good for them, but they are lacking leadership on the national level,” he said, pointing to the frustration some Democrats have expressed with their congressional leaders and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), in particular, for how they are responding to the Trump administration. “If you're a Democrat, you look at this and you say, 'There's opportunity. The winds are in our favor. There's opportunity,'” Chen said, if the party picks the right candidates. “What you don't want to do if you're a Republican is dust it off and say, ‘Oh, this is a one-off. This guy was just lucky.’” Caroline Vakil contributed. Медиа: | ↑ |
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin will campaign in Florida’s 6th Congressional District this weekend ahead of next week’s special House election. Martin will hit the campaign trail with Democratic candidate Josh Weil in St. Augustine and Daytona Beach. Martin will also take part in a roundtable with Latino leaders in Orlando, which is located outside of the district and leans more Democratic. The Hill was the first outlet to report on Martin’s visit. Democrats will face an uphill climb in Tuesday’s special election race in the 6th Congressional District. President Trump and his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, both won the district by more than 30 points last November. However, Democrats say Martin’s visit is part of a long-term strategy to bolster the party’s standing across the country. Florida will mark the 13th state Martin has visited since being elected DNC chair in February. “I’m going to Florida’s 6th Congressional District this weekend as part of my Organizing Everywhere Tour because the stakes are too high for Democrats to not compete all across the map,” Martin said in a statement. “Democrats have to walk and chew gum at the same time – that means looking at the elections in front of us while also building long-term political power. We can’t show up every four years and expect voters to hand us their votes. The DNC is making clear that there are no off years and we’re going to fight like hell for every vote everywhere,” he continued. Once considered a quintessential battleground state, Florida has become the center of the Republican universe over the past decade. Trump won the state by 13 points in November and flipped traditional Democratic strongholds, including Miami-Dade and Osceola counties. Martin’s campaign stop comes amid growing interest in the race to fill Waltz’s former House seat. Weil has raised nearly $10 million, while his Republican opponent, state Sen. Randy Fine, has raked in just under $1 million. Last week, the DNC announced it was making investments in the special elections for the 6th and 1st congressional districts. Elon Musk’s America PAC is also getting in on the action, spending roughly $10,200 for Fine in texting services. The super PAC is also spending the same amount for Republican candidate Jimmy Patronis in the 1st District. Fine and Patronis have received endorsements from Trump, as well as Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R). “Randy has been working very hard on the campaign trail. Last week I joined him for a tele-town hall with thousands of voters in CD 6 where he shared his plans to work with President Trump to secure the border, support our military and fight for our great ally, Israel. Randy will win and every Republican needs to rally behind him because we can't have another radical socialist Democrat in Congress who will try to derail the president's agenda," Scott said in a statement. Despite the growing national interest in the race, Republicans and Democrats say Fine is the heavy favorite to win. However, Republicans and Democrats also note the race could likely be closer than usual. “It’s a candidate-specific issue. I think the district is so overwhelmingly Republican that it’s almost impossible for someone with an R by their name to lose that district,” Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has a contentious history with Fine, told reporters this week. “So I would anticipate a Republican candidate is still going to be successful. Do I think they will get even close to the margins that I received or the president received? No.” A narrower margin in the district would give Democrats more fodder going into next year’s midterm elections, particularly after a string of victories and overperformances in special elections this year. Democrats saw one of their biggest upsets yet in the second Trump era Tuesday, when a Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania won an open state Senate seat in a major upset in a district that comfortably voted for Trump in November. Медиа: | ↑ |
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) holds a wide lead over the rest of the field in both the Democratic primary and a hypothetical general election in the New York City mayoral race, a new poll has found. The Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey showed Cuomo in front with 38 percent support, with New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani in second with 10 percent. Embattled incumbent Mayor Eric Adams came in third with 8 percent support, followed by state Sen. Jessica Ramos and city Comptroller Brad Lander with 6 percent, former city Comptroller Scott Stringer with 5 percent, and New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie with 4 percent. Cuomo’s support is a 5-point increase from his support level in Emerson’s poll last month, taken before Cuomo entered the race. “With about three months until the Democratic Primary, Governor Cuomo has emerged as the top candidate in the race, with no clear alternative emerging among Democratic voters,” said Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College Polling, in a release. But Mamdani saw the biggest jump of any candidate, rising 9 points from just 1 percent support in February. Mamdani has shown some signs of rising enthusiasm, particularly among younger voters, for his campaign in polling as he tries to solidify the progressive vote behind him. He received attention earlier this month for his confrontation with Trump border czar Tom Homan in Albany, challenging him over the detention of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil. But Cuomo still is the clear front-runner, well ahead of the other candidates. Kimball noted that Cuomo’s support increases as voters’ ages go up, receiving support from 21 percent of voters under 30 and 44 percent of voters over 70. But Cuomo still has support from more of the youngest group of voters than any other candidate, with Ramos and Mamdani behind him with 16 percent support each. Cuomo also leads among Black voters and Hispanic voters, receiving 47 percent and 45 percent support, respectively. The former governor also is the favorite in a hypothetical three-way match-up with Republican Curtis Sliwa, who was the GOP nominee for mayor in 2021, and Adams running as an independent. Adams has said he would only run as a Democrat, but some have speculated he may continue his candidacy outside the party as he has significantly struggled in the primary. Cuomo leads with 43 percent support to Sliwa's 13 percent and Adams's 11 percent. But almost 30 percent of respondents said they were undecided. Cuomo's advantage in the heavily Democratic city would not be a major surprise, but his victory could be somewhat less of a certainty given the controversies surrounding him, including accusations of sexual harassment from multiple women. He has denied their allegations and maintains his innocence. Cuomo has sought to establish himself as the main centrist in the race, focusing on voters’ concerns about crime and emphasizing his leadership experience. But he has also pointed to his progressive successes as governor. That message of public safety may be effective, as the poll found a third of voters listed it as their most important issue for the next mayor to address. Housing came in second with 23 percent, while immigration received 10 percent and health care received 7 percent. The poll’s findings are also roughly in line with what a few other recently released polls have found on the primary. A Honan Strategy Group poll released Tuesday showed Cuomo leading with 41 percent support, Mamdani in second with 18 percent and the other candidates in the single digits. A Data for Progress poll released earlier Wednesday showed Cuomo with 39 percent support and Mamdani with 15 percent. With the city’s ranked-choice voting system, Cuomo eventually wins after several rounds of counting in both polls. The Emerson poll was conducted from March 21 to 24 among 1,000 registered voters, including 653 Democratic primary voters. The credibility interval, similar to a margin of error, for the overall sample is 3 points, while the interval for primary voters is 3.8 points. Медиа: | ↑ |
Few Americans say the Democratic Party has a clear leader, according to survey results released by The Economist/YouGov on Wednesday. In the poll, conducted over the last four days, only 7 percent of respondents say Democrats have a clear leader, while 66 percent say the party does not and 27 percent say they are not sure. A slightly larger share, 16 percent, of Democrats or Democratic-leaning respondents say the party has a clear leader, while 62 percent say the party lacks a clear leader and 22 percent don’t know. Of that 16 percent who are Democrats or lean that way — approximately 115 people — 90 gave a name, according to the pollsters. Former Vice President Kamala Harris topped the list, with 25 of the 90 respondents naming her as the clear leader. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) was named by 16 people, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) followed, with 14 people naming each of them. Seven people named Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), five people named Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, four people named Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), and three people named former President Biden. The poll comes as Democrats have faced scrutiny for what some say is a lack of coherent messaging strategy to counter the Trump administration’s agenda since the president took office in January. The poll was conducted March 22-25 and included 1,600 adult citizens. The margin of error is 3.4 percentage points. Медиа: | ↑ |
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has endorsed Texas Sen. John Cornyn’s (R) reelection bid as state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) eyes challenging the longtime incumbent in next year’s primary. “I’ve been honored to work alongside @JohnCornyn—one of the most effective and respected conservative leaders in the country. He was tireless and instrumental in building our majority,” Thune wrote on the social platform X in response to Cornyn’s reelection campaign launch. “We need to keep him in the Senate & in the fight to deliver on President Trump’s agenda.” A handful of other GOP figures weighed in with support, including Sen. Steve Daines (Mont.), last cycle’s National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) chair, who also argued that Republicans “need” Cornyn in the Senate. Cornyn’s race is among several in the 2026 midterms where incumbent Republicans are bracing for potentially tough primary challenges from the MAGA faction of the party. Paxton hasn’t formally launched a campaign, but speculation has long swirled that the conservative firebrand could make a jump for the Senate. He's recently hinted at a run, telling Punchbowl News this month that Cornyn, who is seeking his fifth term, has “had his chance.” If Paxton does jump in the race, it would spotlight the ongoing friction within the Texas Republican Party between the establishment wing, represented by Cornyn, and an ascendant far-right wing. Cornyn has held his Senate seat for more than two decades, but Paxton, who's served as state attorney general since 2015, has seen his national profile rise in recent years. In 2023, he was impeached by the Texas House on corruption allegations, but was later acquitted and reinstated by the state Senate. Polls tracked by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin put Cornyn's job approval at around 49 percent, while Paxton boasts 62 percent approval. Медиа: | ↑ |
EMILY’s List, a political action committee backing abortion rights, on Wednesday unveiled a list of House Republicans it is looking to help unseat in the 2026 midterm elections. “In 2026, we must take back the majority in the U.S. House to create a federal check on Donald Trump and beat back GOP attacks on our rights and our livelihoods,” Jessica Mackler, the president of the organization, said in a statement. “Democratic pro-choice women will be at the heart of the fight for the majority by flipping competitive seats across the country. House Republicans beware; we are coming for your seats,” the statement continues Names on the 46-person list include Republican Reps. Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Nancy Mace (S.C.), Don Bacon (Neb.), Max Miller (Ohio) and Michael Baumgartner (Wash.). The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) also recently put forth a list of 26 at-risk House Democrats it plans to target in the midterms, including Reps. Jared Moskowitz (Fla.) and Derek Tran (Calif.). “House Republicans are working in lockstep to advance the Trump-Musk agenda and people all across the country are feeling the pain,” Mackler said in the statement, referring to the president and his adviser Elon Musk. Cook Political Report, an election handicapper, rated 10 Democratic seats and eight Republican ones as toss-ups ahead of next year’s elections. “Though their majority is dangerously thin, in some ways, Republicans are starting out in a stronger position than they were in 2018. Trump’s latest victory was broad; he clawed back ground in suburbs that had lurched to the left since 2016 and made massive inroads in urban areas,” Cook Political Report’s Erin Covey and Matthew Klein said last month. In an emailed statement to The Hill, NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella said “House Republicans are on offense while Democrats flounder with no message, no strategy, and no leadership.” “They can put out all the lists they want, but voters rejected their radical agenda in 2024, and they’ll do it again in 2026,” Marinella added. — Updated at 12:14 p.m. Медиа: | ↑ |
Elon Musk’s super PAC is pouring last-minute resources into two special House elections in Florida as voters head to the polls next week to fill open seats vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) and White House national security adviser Mike Waltz. America PAC is spending roughly $10,200 apiece for GOP candidates Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine in texting services to boost both men, according to a federal campaign report filed Monday. Patronis, the chief financial officer in Florida, is running in Florida’s 1st Congressional District to replace Gaetz. He’s running against Democrat Gay Valimont, a gun violence prevention activist. Fine, a state senator, is running in Florida’s 6th Congressional District to replace Waltz. He’s running against Democrat Josh Weil, public school teacher. Both House seats are comfortably red, though Democrats have significantly outraised their GOP opponents. Some Republicans are warning the elections could be tighter than anticipated, though the party is still likely to win both special elections Tuesday. Musk’s involvement in the Florida special elections highlights how Republicans are looking to reduce the deficit in fundraising between the parties. The tech billionaire has also spent heavily in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race to boost conservative candidate Brad Schimel and oppose liberal candidate Susan Crawford. Wisconsin's April 1 judicial election will determine the partisan tilt of the state’s high court. Liberal donors such as George Soros and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker have also spent in the race. Медиа: | ↑ |
