Democrat launches campaign for U.S. House District 5 with breakfast in Huntsville

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The next time the U.S. House of Representatives District 5 seat appears on the ballot is still more than a year away, however, candidates are already tossing their hats in the ring.
On Monday, Democrat Jeremy Devito held a campaign kickoff breakfast in Huntsville. He met with potential supporters and answered questions on a wide range of issues.
Rep. Dale Strong provides Washington Update at Athens State University
'The next election is going to determine a lot of things for generations to come,' Devito told News 19. He said he believes he's the best person to make the decisions for the people of Alabama's 5th District.
In addition to answering questions about abortion and DEI, Devito shared his thoughts on the current Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices. He told News 19 that this is a top issue for him.
'Right now, people are being kidnapped, snatched up off the street and not afforded due process,' Devito said.
He also said 'restoring' women's rights is a top issue for him.
According to the platform listed on his website, 'every woman deserves full control over her body, her choices, and her future. That includes access to abortion, birth control, maternal care, and the full range of reproductive healthcare.'
He told News 19, 'This is a war on women and health care.'This is Devito's first attempt at any political aspirations. He told News 19 that he has worked 'behind the scenes' as a member of the Limestone County Democratic Executive Committee, but that he was inspired to run and make a change.
While the November 3, 2026, election is still more than 500 days away, he said it was important to get his name out there early and start building a base.
He said it will be challenging to run in a predominantly red district, but that he believes voters need another option. Especially after U.S. Congressman Dale Strong won re-election in 2024 after running unopposed.
'He won the election by default,' Devito told News 19.
At a speaking engagement in Athens on Monday, U.S. Representative Dale Strong told a News 19 reporter that he does plan to run in 2026.
'I'll be on the ballot in the next election, and I believe our republic is alive and well,' Rep. Strong said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Politico

an hour ago

• Politico

Legal dramas would trail Andrew Cuomo to City Hall

NEW YORK — A thicket of court cases and a legal strategy that silences critics will follow Andrew Cuomo into City Hall if he's elected mayor of the nation's largest city. Playing out against the backdrop of the heated New York City Democratic primary that Cuomo has dominated for months is his aggressive legal maneuvering as he continues to deny any wrongdoing in the scandals that pushed him from office. The frontrunner and former New York governor is embroiled in several lawsuits, including two filed by women — a former member of his State Police security detail and an ex-aide — who accused him of sexual harassment. Cuomo signaled his intention to file a defamation suit against a third woman, former aide and accuser Charlotte Bennett. The move came as Cuomo was preparing to enter the mayoral race last year; Bennett described it as effectively muzzling her from talking about her experience. Cuomo's legal tactics have included seeking Bennett's gynecological and therapist records, which his attorney Rita Glavin called a 'pro forma request' made at the direction of a psychiatric expert due to the damages being sought. Glavin said she'd have offered a fulsome response, but is limited by a confidentiality order enforced by Bennett's attorneys. In a separate case filed by former aide Brittany Commisso, Cuomo's attorneys subpoenaed communications with her ex-husband, an Albany politician, that her attorney argued have nothing to do with the case. The ex-governor's legal team has insisted these demands are routine and necessary to mount a robust defense. Complicating matters further for Cuomo, he is reportedly under investigation by the Trump administration after House Republicans referred him for prosecution after accusing him of lying to a Congressional panel investigating his Covid-era policies, a claim he's denied. Cuomo says he's yet to be contacted by the DOJ and has called the probe politically motivated, even though Democrats also raised concerns about his testimony. Taken together, the legal cases surrounding the former governor paint a picture of someone acclimating to the job of running New York City while defending himself in two lawsuits, pursuing a third and potentially responding to a federal investigation. It all comes as he seeks to turn the page on the scandals that led to his political downfall four years ago, with an electoral comeback that would belie the ongoing legal machinations that blossomed following his resignation. The dynamic calls to mind the legal woes of Mayor Eric Adams, whose corruption charges were dismissed after the Democrat cozied up to President Donald Trump. Adams' closeness to the Republican president further tarnished his standing with voters, leading him to forgo seeking the Democratic nomination and run as an independent in November. Cuomo critics assert the legal dramas would hinder his management of the city and create a dynamic similar to the one that has dogged Adams. 'It would take away Cuomo's ability to govern,' Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas said. 'It's why Eric Adams is deeply compromised. We don't need one scandal-ridden mayor replaced with another.' The ex-governor's attorneys have pounced on criticism of him as he attempts his political comeback. Lawyers have admonished their counterparts in harassment lawsuits from publicizing that Cuomo has leveraged a state law to have taxpayers cover his attorneys' fees in some cases, warning that such criticism is 'prejudicing Governor Cuomo's right to a fair trial.' Taxpayers spent $20.3 million to defend Cuomo and several former advisors in three sexual harassment lawsuits, according to a recent tally by the state comptroller's office. Efforts to suppress criticism have crossed into his mayoral bid. His campaign attorney in May sent a 'cease-and-desist' notice to a union backing one of Cuomo's rivals for making inaccurate claims in a political flyer. Some of the notice's concerns — an accusation that the ex-governor is no 'friend' of working people — are standard campaign rhetoric. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi pointed to efforts by the Trump administration to investigate or arrest prominent Democrats, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer while opening an investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James. State lawmakers approved a $10 million pot of money for James' legal bills, he noted. 'Pretending like this nonsense is somehow a different situation is silly and disingenuous,' Azzopardi said. 'Trump will try this with anyone who — unlike Mayor Adams — refuses to bend the knee. These are serious times and New Yorkers know Andrew Cuomo is the only candidate who has the experience and the record of results to fix what's broken and put the city back on the right track.' The former governor has insisted as mayor he would not be beholden to Trump and is best suited to negotiate with the mercurial president given their decades of shared history. He said the allegations against him — sexually harassing 11 women as determined by the state attorney general's report — were 'all political.' The former governor during a televised debate said the allegations never translated to criminal cases, rather 'political fodder for my opponents.' 'Four years later, we've had five district attorneys — Democrat, Republicans, upstate, downstate — nothing has come of them whatsoever,' Cuomo said during the debate. 'There has been one civil case that's been resolved,' he added in reference to Bennett withdrawing her lawsuit last year. 'I was dropped from the case.' Cuomo's scandals have not dented his mayoral prospects, and his rivals have failed to capitalize on the controversies. He entered the race on March 1 and instantly became the leading candidate for the party's nomination after weeks of privately sewing the perception that his victory would be inevitable. But there is some sense his scandals are not far from voters' minds, given his otherwise high negatives, even as most polls show him winning the race. Candidate Zohran Mamdani, however, is gaining on Cuomo in polls, and early voting returns show an increase in participation from younger voters likely to back the 33-year-old democratic socialist Mamdani over the former governor. On Saturday, Cuomo foe Brad Lander appeared with Bennett and several others who accused the ex-governor of harassment, along with a man whose father, a nursing home resident, died of Covid. At least two sexual harassment lawsuits stand to follow Cuomo into City Hall. Commisso sued him in November 2023 after she alleged Cuomo groped her at the governor's mansion. Court papers show Cuomo would sit for a deposition as late as December — weeks before the inauguration of the city's next mayor. Another suit filed by a woman known as Trooper 1 is not expected to conclude this year. As he prepared to run, Cuomo's attorneys moved to sue Bennett, a former administration aide who first accused him of sexual harassment in 2021, claiming she defamed him when making her claims public. Bennett only days earlier dropped her own sexual harassment lawsuit against the ex-governor. Going on the offensive, Cuomo's legal team asserted Bennett's allegations were a key factor in his eventual downfall. 'Bennett's false allegations materially contributed to a cascade of harm to Governor Cuomo,' attorneys for the former governor wrote in an initial court filing. 'Among other things, the false accusations she publicized in the national media were a significant factor in calls for an investigation into Governor Cuomo's conduct.' Cuomo last week did not answer a reporter's questions over whether he would pursue a defamation case against Bennett if elected mayor. Bennett responded on X: 'There have been a lot of discussions about my gynecological records and yet barely any mention of the fact that I STILL am not safe to discuss this personal experience publicly.' Her attorney did not return messages seeking comment. The defamation maneuver stunned advocates for survivors and reinvigorated a push by state lawmakers to pass a law that would make it harder for people accused of sexual harassment to file such cases. The effect of a defamation suit, though, could be far-reaching for Cuomo's potential tenure in City Hall. 'It sets a highly concerning tone for what New York stands for. Imagine how terrifying that would be with him coming back — what does that do to an ordinary person who may come forward?' said Victoria Burke, a California-based privacy attorney who crafted legislation meant to limit defamation suits like the one Cuomo filed against Bennett. 'It would have a chilling effect on anyone who comes forward. He's powerful, he's back, he's not remorseful.' Glavin, the Cuomo attorney, said: 'Everyone is entitled to due process and has the right to defend themself, particularly against demonstrably false allegations.' The Bennett lawsuit, she said, 'fell apart' due to requests for text and video messages 'that disproved her claims' which investigators did not obtain. 'Bennett's claims were virtually worthless, which is why the state eventually agreed to a nuisance settlement. Commisso's lawsuit is headed in the exact same direction — like Bennett, Commisso also withheld from investigators dozens of texts that gut her allegations, which is why her lawyers are now engaged in legal maneuvering to avoid Commisso having to sit for a deposition,' Glavin said. She continued: 'Trooper 1's case — which the New York State Police are also defending against — is likewise in tatters. What you cite are nothing more than routine, pro forma discovery requests that any defendant would make. Moreover, none of these cases involve an order preventing any complainant from talking publicly. If anyone is worried about a defamation claim, it must be because they know their allegations are false. ' Cuomo initially expressed regret when Bennett first came forward in 2021 to describe how the then-governor would ask questions about her personal relationships and sex life while telling her he was lonely. Looking directly into the camera during one of his Covid briefings that shot him to national stardom, Cuomo apologized if he made anyone feel uncomfortable. Out of office, Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing. In legal filings, his attorneys are taking a forceful posture, which extends to lawyers representing the women. Less than a week after Cuomo announced his mayoral campaign, in a letter to the court, Glavin blasted Commisso lawyer Mariann Wang for calling the ex-governor 'an unrepentant sexual harasser' as 'defamatory.' Criticizing Cuomo for receiving taxpayer assistance to defend himself would hurt his chances for a fair trial, Glavin wrote. 'There is nothing improper about Governor Cuomo receiving the state funded defense to which he is entitled to under the law,' Glavin wrote. 'Yet, Ms. Wang seeks to weaponize that fact and taint public opinion by calling Governor Cuomo's appropriate and routine discovery efforts 'vindictive.'' Wang responded that Cuomo would 'surely like' to prevent accusers from speaking about him but 'unfortunately for him, the First Amendment does not allow for such prior restraints on core political speech.'

Newsweek

an hour ago

• Newsweek

Marjorie Taylor Greene Criticizes Trump Over Iran: 'Not Disloyalty'

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has criticized President Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran. On Sunday, in a lengthy post on X, formerly Twitter, about her "thoughts on bombing Iran," Greene wrote that she can "support President Trump and his great administration on many of the great things they are doing while disagreeing on bombing Iran and getting involved in a hot war that Israel started." Disagreeing with his policy is "not disloyalty," the Georgia Republican added. "Critical thinking and having my own opinions is the most American thing ever," Greene continued. "Because contrary to what brainwashed Democrat boomers say, Trump is not a king, MAGA is not a cult, and President Trump has surrounded himself with people who once disagreed with him and even ran against him for President." Newsweek has contacted a spokesperson for Greene and the White House for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene presiding over a hearing of the House Oversight Subcommittee in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on February 26. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene presiding over a hearing of the House Oversight Subcommittee in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on February It Matters Trump announced on Saturday night that the U.S. struck three sites in Iran to hinder its ability to develop a nuclear weapon, inserting itself in the Israel-Iran conflict. For days prior to the U.S.'s strike, Greene—who is among the president's most devout supporters in the Make America Great Again movement—had urged against deeper American involvement, saying it would be counter to Trump's promises to keep the U.S. out of costly foreign wars. Greene has consistently defended Trump and his MAGA agenda since joining Congress in 2021, and her post on Sunday appears to be the first time she has called the president out by name. The congresswoman, who is up for reelection next year, risks Trump's wrath and may hinder her chances in the 2026 midterms. The president has already lashed out at Representative Thomas Massie after the Kentucky Republican criticized Trump's decision to bomb Iran, with Axios reporting that the president's political operation has launched an effort to unseat Massie. What To Know Greene and other high-profile Trump backers had publicly spoken out against U.S. involvement in the conflict in the days leading up to the president's announcement. After Trump announced the strikes on nuclear sites in Iran, Greene wrote on X, "Let us join together and pray for the safety of our U.S. troops and Americans in the Middle East." In a follow-up post, she fiercely criticized the decision to get involved in "another senseless foreign war." "I'm 51 years old. I'm GenX," Greene wrote. "I've watched our country go to war in foreign lands for foreign causes on behalf of foreign interests for as long as I can remember. I was in 10th grade when Desert Storm started and my father before me was sent to Vietnam, another senseless foreign war." She added: "Foreign wars have cost Americans TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS of dollars that never benefited any American. "American troops have been killed and forever torn apart physically and mentally for regime change, foreign wars, and for military industrial base profits. I'm sick of it." Greene continued: "I can easily say I support nuclear armed Israel's right to defend themselves and also say at the same time I don't want to fight or fund nuclear armed Israel's wars. Nor any other country for that matter." In the same post, she criticized "Democrats in Congress that are all of sudden clutching their pearls about Trump bombing Iran," saying they "FULLY SUPPORTED AND VOTED TO FUND Dementia ridden Biden's proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and stood by Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan." What People Are Saying Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene previously spoke with Newsweek about a poll showing that most GOP voters opposed U.S. military involvement in the conflict: "It's no surprise that a majority of Republicans oppose U.S. intervention in Israel's war with Iran. In November, voters cast their ballots to end the forever wars. I'm not surprised one bit. Americans want our government focused on solving our problems here at home, and we have many to solve." William F. Hall, an adjunct professor of political science and business at Webster University in St. Louis, recently told Newsweek: "[Greene] currently finds herself in a predicament of having to choose between, continuing to honor her past positions of being staunchly against further U.S. involvement in foreign wars … and continuing her staunch unwavering support for President Trump's policy positions, including his evolving policy with respect to potential engagements in foreign wars in the Middle East Region, including his increasing potential to involve the U.S. in the Israeli-Iran war." What Happens Next It is not clear whether the U.S. will continue attacking Iran alongside Israel. Trump has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates against American forces.

Yahoo

5 hours ago

• Yahoo

Trump news at a glance: President praises attacks on Iran as lawmakers divided on US involvement

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