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Politico
6 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
All eyes on Mills in Maine Senate race
TOP LINE Democrats are eager to run for governor in Maine. For the Senate, not so much. The Democratic primary for the open Maine governor's mansion continues to attract some of the top political talent in the state, but the race against longtime Sen. Susan Collins is still mostly quiet. Democrats in the state insist there's no shortage of interest in challenging Collins, the perennially vulnerable but always victorious Republican. Rather, a number of prominent Democrats in Maine are considering a run, three strategists told Score. 'I think you will start seeing people jump into the Collins race,' said Adam Cote, a former gubernatorial candidate and longtime Democrat in the state. But what's the holdup? Democratic Gov. Janet Mills hasn't officially ruled out a run, but hasn't exactly expressed interest, either. 'At this moment, I don't plan to run for another office,' Mills told reporters in November. But she said in the same interview 'things change week to week, month to month.' Some Democratic strategists in the state are skeptical that Mills, 77, would ultimately want to run against Collins. But if she did, she'd be a formidable challenger, having won her last election in the state by 13 points. If she doesn't, Mills will go down this cycle as the Democratic equivalent to GOP Govs. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire and Brian Kemp of Georgia, both of whom passed on runs for upper chamber despite heavy recruitment efforts from their party. Meanwhile, as other contenders wait for their moment, Democrat Jordan Wood, the former chief of staff to former California Rep. Katie Porter, is raking in cash. Since launching his Senate campaign, Wood has raised $1 million despite this being his first attempt at public office. That number represents significant interest from donors to flip the seat, but it's just a drop in the bucket of the overall spending the race will surely attract. In a statement, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee did not acknowledge the current candidate situation, instead pivoting to attacking Collins. 'Susan Collins is already facing backlash in Maine for her record of threatening Social Security and Medicare, allowing chaotic tariffs that hurt Maine's economy and spike costs, and being the deciding vote for the justices who overturned Roe v. Wade,' DSCC spokesperson Maeve Coyle said in a statement. 'Mainers know Susan Collins isn't standing up for them, and in 2026, they will hold her accountable for selling them out.' The lack of well-known names to take on Collins is starting to worry some in the state. Steve Collins, a longtime local journalist-turned-columnist, is asking for one of the many gubernatorial candidates — Angus King III, son of independent Sen. Angus King — to switch races. 'This political newcomer could show that he's more than just a name by taking on a bigger role for his party and challenging U.S. Sen. Susan Collins,' Collins wrote in the Portland Press Herald earlier this month. 'To be a good governor, someone ought to have a keen understanding of state government before landing in the Blaine House,' he continued. 'To be a good senator? You just need common sense, keen political instincts and to read a decent newspaper from time to time.' Following a number of unfavorable recent polls for Collins — including one in which just 21 percent of respondents said she deserved another term in office — Democrats think it could finally be their moment. 'Collins has done very well every cycle at different times,' Cote said. 'So early indications are that it's a bit different this time, whether it is or not, time will tell.' Happy Monday. Reach me: @andrewjfhoward or ahoward@ Days until the Virginia primary: 1 Days until the New York City primary: 8 Days until the 2025 election: 141 Days until the midterms: 505 Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. CAMPAIGN INTEL VIRGINIA PRIMARIES — 'Big turnout for Democrats in Virginia's early primary voting gives party hope,' by the Washington Post's Gregory S. Schneider and Laura Vozzella. 'Nearly 158,000 people had cast votes in Democratic primaries as of Thursday — up from 124,000 at the same point in Democratic primaries four years ago, when the party had a hotly contested, five-way primary for governor, according to analysis of the latest available data by the Virginia Public Access Project.' OFF TO THE RACES — Army and Navy Veteran Tripp Adams is joining the growing Democratic field in Michigan's 10th District, currently held by Rep. John James (R-Mich.). 'I'm running because Michiganders deserve a new generation of patriotic leadership that's committed to delivering results for our families and fixing our broken political system,' Adams said in a statement. LEGAL CORNER — 'A federal judge on Friday blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to overhaul elections in the U.S., siding with a group of Democratic state attorneys general who challenged the effort as unconstitutional,' AP's Christina A. Cassidy notes. … 'Justice Department's early moves on voting and elections signal a shift from its traditional role,' per the Associated Press. 'They represent a shift away from the division's traditional role of protecting access to the ballot box. Instead, the actions address concerns that have been raised by a host of conservative activists following years of false claims surrounding elections in the U.S.' OVER THE WEEKEND — Republican and Democratic politicians are warning about rising violence targeting elected officials in the aftermath of a series of attacks, including the killing of a state official in Minnesota on Saturday, my colleagues Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing, Ben Jacobs, Natalie Fertig and Jessica Piper reported Saturday. NYC MAYOR — 'Down the homestretch, Cuomo's allies unleash millions to topple New York City mayoral rival,' by POLITICO's Joe Anuta and Jason Beeferman. NEW JERSEY GOV — 'The matchup for New Jersey's gubernatorial election is set, but looming over the contest will be a name that won't be on any ballot: Donald Trump,' NBC News' Steve Kornacki writes. MEDICAID MESSAGING — 'A one-sentence gaffe from Iowa's junior senator has become a line of attack against Republicans nationally, with Democratic fundraising solicitations, political ads, social media and T-shirts now highlighting her words heading into the midterm elections,' the Wall Street Journal's John McCormick and Lindsay Wise report. BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE — Voters of Tomorrow, a Gen-Z focused Democratic group, is spending $3 million on voter mobilization across 18 battleground House districts, per The Hill's Caroline Vakil. DATA — 'While there are plenty of obstacles, the conditions for a successful third party could be coming into place,' The New York Times' Nate Cohn wrote on Saturday, following Elon Musk's floating of a third party during his spat with President Donald Trump. CODA — HEADLINE OF THE DAY: 'The Clintons and Kamala Harris Descend on a Hamptons Wedding of Liberal Royalty,' by The New York Times' Theodore Schleifer and Jacob Reber.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat prepares to launch challenge to Iowa Sen. Ernst
Democratic Iowa state senator Zach Wahls is planning to launch a campaign against GOP Sen. Joni Ernst on Wednesday, according to an email to supporters that was viewed by Semafor. In the email, Wahls said he and his wife were 'wrestling' for months with a possible campaign before he decided to become the third candidate in an increasingly crowded primary. 'What can we do in this upcoming election cycle that will make the biggest impact in this crucial moment for our state and for our country? After a lot of discussion, encouragement, reflection, and prayer, we have decided to launch a campaign for the U.S. Senate against Joni Ernst in 2026,' Wahls wrote in the email. In addition to Wahls, who previously served as his party's leader in the state senate, veteran and former broadcaster Nathan Sage and state Rep. J.D. Scholten are vying for the nod to take on Ernst. Democrats now consider Ernst a potentially vulnerable target after she responded 'we are all going to die' to voters frustrated with President Donald Trump's proposed Medicaid spending cuts. Democrats have struggled in two previous races against her, however. The state has grown deeper red since Ernst's win in 2014 and since President Donald Trump first won the state in 2016. But because Democrats need to net four seats next fall to win back the Senate, their path to the majority could end up running through Iowa. It's not clear if the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee will take sides in the primary among Scholten, Sage and Wahls. Its chair, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., is not ruling out the possibility of DSCC endorsements this cycle, she told Semafor last week. In other Iowa Senate news, Republican Jim Carlin is mounting an uphill primary campaign against Ernst, according to the Des Moines Register.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate Democrats' campaign chief says 'every state's on the table' in fight for majority
Democrats will have to win some red states if they have any hope of taking control of the Senate next year, and the senator tasked with leading that effort believes President Donald Trump has given them an opening after he won those states easily months ago. 'I look at the map, and every state's on the table because of this growing backlash that President Trump's decisions have created, with his cuts to Medicaid and his unwillingness to address affordability issues,' Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told NBC News in an interview at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee headquarters on Wednesday. Gillibrand also said she isn't ruling out taking sides in Democratic primaries as her party looks to net four Senate seats to take control of the chamber, saying that she is 'definitely not ruling out anything in any state.' 'We're going to look at every state on a case-by-case basis and make our assessment as to who's the best candidate in that state, and then make decisions based on that,' Gillibrand said. Democrats' ripest targets in 2026 are GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, which Trump lost by nearly 7 percentage points in November, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, which Trump won by 3 points. Both incumbents are battle-tested, winning contested races in their last cycles on the ballot. Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel has already launched a run in North Carolina, while former House staffer Jordan Wood is running in Maine. But Democrats are still eyeing Maine Gov. Janet Mills and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper as possible recruits. While Cooper is weighing a run, Mills has not exactly sounded enthusiastic about challenging Collins, telling the Maine Trust for Local News in April, 'I'm not planning to run for anything. Things change week to week, month to month, but at this moment I'm not planning to run for another office.' Asked if it has been difficult to recruit against Collins, who has a record of winning tough races, including victory in 2020 even as Trump lost Maine decisively, Gillibrand said negative reaction to Trump's policies is 'changing the thinking of a lot of potential candidates.' 'So I am certain we will have formidable candidates in North Carolina and Maine because of this growing backlash that President Trump has created,' Gillibrand said. Even if Democrats win those two states, and hold on to their current seats in other battlegrounds, they would still need to flip two additional Senate seats in states Trump won by double digits last year to get to a majority. That could mean targeting ruby red states like Texas, Iowa, Alaska, South Carolina and others. Democrats do not currently hold a single Senate seat in the 24 states that Trump carried in all three of his presidential runs, after several red-state losses in 2024. And Trump won each of those states by double digits last year. Gillibrand said the 'magic formula' for Democratic success involves a combination of 'deep Republican backlash' to Trump and some of his policies, like slashing social safety net programs and imposing steep tariffs, and 'extraordinarily strong candidates who represent their states well,' as well as boosts from the DSCC to help those candidates build up their campaigns. Contested Democratic primaries are already taking shape in Iowa, where GOP Sen. Joni Ernst is up for re-election, as well as in competitive states where Democrats are defending open seats, including Michigan and Minnesota. Ernst has also been in the spotlight for responding to a constituent at a town hall who suggested the House Republicans' proposed Medicaid cuts could cause people to die and saying, 'Well, we all are going to die.' Asked if such comments give Democrats a better shot at defeating Ernst next year, Gillibrand said Ernst's remarks exemplify Trump's 'very callous approach towards health care, cutting seniors, cutting people with disabilities, children, pregnant women and veterans off of their Medicaid.' Gillibrand said those cuts are creating 'a significant backlash that certainly puts a state like Iowa in play' along with 'many other red states around the country.' Democrats, meanwhile, are going to be focused on 'commonsense, kitchen table issues' of affordability and public safety, Gillibrand said. The New York Democrat argued those were winning messages for successful candidates in her home state last year, where she led a coordinated campaign with Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to boost Democratic House candidates. Democrats flipped three GOP-held House seats in New York even as Trump made gains throughout the state. Trump ultimately lost New York but improved on his 2020 election margin by 11 points, which was the biggest swing toward Trump of any state in the country. Republicans are looking to capitalize on Trump's gains as they target Hochul in her re-election run next year, as well as other House Democrats. (Gillibrand said she is supporting Hochul for re-election as she faces a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.) Republicans are also looking to reprise attacks on Democrats over whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in female sports. One Nation, a nonprofit tied to the GOP super PAC Senate Leadership Fund, already launched an attack on the issue against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia. Ossoff represents one of two states, along with Michigan, that Democrats are defending that Trump also carried last year. 'Each candidate will address it as they see fit,' Gillibrand said when asked how Democrats should respond to those attacks. Gillibrand said she is 'very optimistic that Sen. Ossoff will not only win his race, but show rest of the country, you know, who he is and what Democrats stand for.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
04-06-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Senate Democrats' campaign chief says 'every state's on the table' in fight for majority
Democrats will have to win some red states if they have any hope of taking control of the Senate next year, and the senator tasked with leading that effort believes President Donald Trump has given them an opening after he won those states easily months ago. 'I look at the map, and every state's on the table because of this growing backlash that President Trump's decisions have created, with his cuts to Medicaid and his unwillingness to address affordability issues,' Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told NBC News in an interview at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee headquarters on Wednesday. Gillibrand also said she isn't ruling out taking sides in Democratic primaries as her party looks to net four Senate seats to take control of the chamber, saying that she is 'definitely not ruling out anything in any state.' 'We're going to look at every state on a case-by-case basis and make our assessment as to who's the best candidate in that state, and then make decisions based on that,' Gillibrand said. Democrats' ripest targets in 2026 are GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, which Trump lost by nearly 7 percentage points in November, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, which Trump won by 3 points. Both incumbents are battle-tested, winning contested races in their last cycles on the ballot. Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel has already launched a run in North Carolina, while former House staffer Jordan Wood is running in Maine. But Democrats are still eyeing Maine Gov. Janet Mills and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper as possible recruits. While Cooper is weighing a run, Mills has not exactly sounded enthusiastic about challenging Collins, telling the Maine Trust for Local News in April, 'I'm not planning to run for anything. Things change week to week, month to month, but at this moment I'm not planning to run for another office.' Asked if it has been difficult to recruit against Collins, who has a record of winning tough races, including victory in 2020 even as Trump lost Maine decisively, Gillibrand said negative reaction to Trump's policies is 'changing the thinking of a lot of potential candidates.' 'So I am certain we will have formidable candidates in North Carolina and Maine because of this growing backlash that President Trump has created,' Gillibrand said. Even if Democrats win those two states, and hold on to their current seats in other battlegrounds, they would still need to flip two additional Senate seats in states Trump won by double digits last year to get to a majority. That could mean targeting ruby red states like Texas, Iowa, Alaska, South Carolina and others. Democrats do not currently hold a single Senate seat in the 24 states that Trump carried in all three of his presidential runs, after several red-state losses in 2024. And Trump won each of those states by double digits last year. Gillibrand said the 'magic formula' for Democratic success involves a combination of 'deep Republican backlash' to Trump and some of his policies, like slashing social safety net programs and imposing steep tariffs, and 'extraordinarily strong candidates who represent their states well,' as well as boosts from the DSCC to help those candidates build up their campaigns. Contested Democratic primaries are already taking shape in Iowa, where GOP Sen. Joni Ernst is up for re-election, as well as in competitive states where Democrats are defending open seats, including Michigan and Minnesota. Ernst has also been in the spotlight for responding to a constituent at a town hall who suggested the House Republicans' proposed Medicaid cuts could cause people to die and saying, 'Well, we all are going to die.' Asked if such comments give Democrats a better shot at defeating Ernst next year, Gillibrand said Ernst's remarks exemplify Trump's 'very callous approach towards health care, cutting seniors, cutting people with disabilities, children, pregnant women and veterans off of their Medicaid.' Gillibrand said those cuts are creating 'a significant backlash that certainly puts a state like Iowa in play' along with 'many other red states around the country.' Democrats, meanwhile, are going to be focused on 'commonsense, kitchen table issues' of affordability and public safety, Gillibrand said. The New York Democrat argued those were winning messages for successful candidates in her home state last year, where she led a coordinated campaign with Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to boost Democratic House candidates. Democrats flipped three GOP-held House seats in New York even as Trump made gains throughout the state. Trump ultimately lost New York but improved on his 2020 election margin by 11 points, which was the biggest swing toward Trump of any state in the country. Republicans are looking to capitalize on Trump's gains as they target Hochul in her re-election run next year, as well as other House Democrats. (Gillibrand said she is supporting Hochul for re-election as she faces a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.) Republicans are also looking to reprise attacks on Democrats over whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in female sports. One Nation, a nonprofit tied to the GOP super PAC Senate Leadership Fund, already launched an attack on the issue against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia. Ossoff represents one of two states, along with Michigan, that Democrats are defending that Trump also carried last year. 'Each candidate will address it as they see fit,' Gillibrand said when asked how Democrats should respond to those attacks. Gillibrand said she is 'very optimistic that Sen. Ossoff will not only win his race, but show rest of the country, you know, who he is and what Democrats stand for.'
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Well, we all are going to die': GOP senator's stark mic drop to town hall over Medicaid cuts
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa had a grim message for her constituents furious over proposed cuts to Medicaid that could end health coverage for millions of Americans. Over a chorus of groans from the crowd at a town hall in Butler County on Friday morning, Ernst said her Republican colleagues were making 'corrections' to the federal healthcare program to stop 'overpayments' and prevent 'illegals' from receiving benefits. 'People are going to die,' one person shouted out. 'Well, we're all going to die,' Ernst snarkily replied. When she was greeted with a mixture of stunned groans and shout-backs, the senator exasperatedly added: 'For heaven's sakes, folks.' Democratic officials and advocacy groups pounced on the moment, accusing Ernst of airing what the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee called a 'stunningly callous' remark that points to a wider failure among Republican members of Congress to face criticism over threats to a program that supports millions of lower-income Americans. 'Joni Ernst said the quiet part out loud: Republicans don't give a shit about whether their own constituents live or die as long as the richest few get richer,' according to Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin. 'And that's precisely why they're ramming through a budget bill that would rip away health care and food from millions of Americans, including kids and seniors,' he added. 'Ernst and the Republican Party are putting American lives at risk to give a massive tax handout to billionaires while working families struggle to put food on the table and get basic medical care. This isn't just what Joni Ernst believes — it's what the entire Republican Party stands for.' Donald Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' — which contains $4 trillion in tax cuts that would largely benefit America's wealthiest household — also adds strict work requirements and other changes to Medicaid eligibility. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that proposed cuts and the expiration of funding for federal health insurance programs could strip coverage for more than 13.7 million Americans by 2034. More than 78 million people are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, including more than 600,000 people in Ernst's home state. 'While Democrats fear monger against strengthening the integrity of Medicaid, Senator Ernst is focused on improving the lives of all Iowans,' a spokesperson for the senator told The Independent. 'There's only two certainties in life: death and taxes, and she's working to ease the burden of both by fighting to keep more of Iowans' hard-earned tax dollars in their own pockets and ensuring their benefits are protected from waste, fraud, and abuse,' the statement added. Republicans have long opposed offering health coverage to younger, lower-income adults and families, arguing that Medicaid and other programs incentivize Americans to avoid working. GOP lawmakers insist their new proposal won't directly cut benefits for low-income and disabled people, but Democrats and advocacy groups argue the bill threatens coverage from people who could fall between the cracks if they can't meet new requirements. Adult Medicaid recipients would need to prove they're working or engaging in 'community service' for at least 80 hours per month to maintain eligibility. Other requirements include verifying addresses, proving lawful immigration status and screening every six months. Speaking over uproar at her town hall, Ernst said the GOP proposal will 'focus on those that are the most vulnerable. 'OK, but no, what you don't want to do is listen to me when I say we're going to focus on those that are the most vulnerable,' she said. 'Those that meet the eligibility requirements for Medicaid, we will protect. We will protect them.' She said the federal government should 'leave those dollars for those that are eligible for Medicaid.' Democratic Rep. Greg Casar called Ernst's remarks 'outrageous.' 'Most might not say it this directly, but this is what any member of Congress who votes to slash Medicaid really means,' he said.
