Latest news with #Midterms
CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Ghazala Hashmi wins Democratic nomination for Virginia lieutenant governor
The candidates for Virginia's lieutenant governor are set to make history after state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi won the Democratic nomination for the office on Wednesday. Hashmi is the first Muslim and the first Indian-American to be nominated for a Virginia statewide office. She defeated five other candidates, including Democrats Levar Stoney and Aaron Rouse, in a razor-thin primary race. Hashmi will now face Republican John Reid, the first out gay man to receive a major party's endorsement for statewide office in Virginia, who became the de-facto nominee after his primary opponent left the race. Her victory rounded out the Democratic ticket ahead of the November general election. It comes after former Virginia delegate Jay Jones became the party nominee for attorney general late Tuesday. Virginia's off-year elections typically draw national attention ahead of the 2026 midterms. Democrats held down-ballot races for their statewide ticket, which is being led by Abigail Spanberger, the party's nominee for governor. The former congresswoman, whose candidacy managed to avoid prospective primary challengers, will go up against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the only person to qualify for the GOP primary. Republicans did not hold statewide primaries this year, with only one candidate in each statewide contest advancing to the general election ballot. Earle-Sears became the Republican gubernatorial nominee after conservatives Dave LaRock and Amanda Chase failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Both LaRock and Chase initially criticized Earle-Sears for not being fully aligned with the White House. Reid, a conservative talk-radio host, secured the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor despite intraparty quarreling over whether he was tied to a social media account reposting pornography, a charge he vehemently denied. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares didn't face a Republican primary opponent as he seeks reelection. Hashmi was the first Muslim woman and the first South Asian American in Virginia's upper chamber. She emigrated from India when she was four years old, later moving to Richmond after getting a doctorate in American literature. She spent most of her career as a professor, first at the University of Richmond and then at Reynolds Community College. Hashmi began her career in the Virginia Senate six years ago after ousting incumbent Republican state Sen. Glen Sturtevant. She was reelected to her seat in 2023. In the Senate, Hashmi put forth bills establishing Virginians' right to contraception, which passed both chambers but were vetoed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Ghazala Hashmi wins Democratic nomination for Virginia lieutenant governor
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The candidates for Virginia's lieutenant governor are set to make history after Sen. Ghazala Hashmi won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor on Wednesday. Hashmi is the first Muslim and the first Indian-American to be nominated to appear on the ballot for a Virginia statewide office. She defeated five other candidates, including Democrats Levar Stoney and Aaron Rouse, to secure the nomination in a razor-thin primary race. Hashmi will now face Republican John Reid, the first openly gay man to receive a major party's endorsement for statewide office in Virginia, who became the de-facto nominee after his primary opponent left the race. Her victory rounded out the Democratic ticket ahead of the November general election. It comes after former Del. Jay Jones became the party nominee for attorney general late Tuesday. Virginia's off-year elections typically draw national attention as a possible bellwether for politicians as they head into midterms in 2026. Democrats held down-ballot races for their statewide ticket, which is being led by U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the party's nominee for governor. The former congresswoman, whose candidacy managed to avoid prospective primary challengers, will go up against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the only person to qualify for the GOP primary. Conservatives did not hold statewide primaries this year, with only one candidate in each statewide contest advancing to the general election ballot. Earle-Sears became the Republican gubernatorial nominee after conservatives Dave LaRock and Amanda Chase failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Both LaRock and Chase initially challenged Earle-Sears for not being fully aligned with the White House. Reid, a conservative talk-radio host, secured the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor despite intraparty quarreling over whether he was tied to a social media account reposting pornography, a charge he vehemently denied. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares sailed to his spot on the ballot after announcing his reelection bid. Hashmi's political career has been marked by its fair share of firsts: she was the first Muslim woman and the first South Asian American in Virginia's upper chamber. She emigrated from India to Georgia when she was four years old, later moving to Richmond after getting a doctorate in American literature. She spent most of her career as a professor, first at the University of Richmond and then at Reynolds Community College. The Democrat managed to distinguish herself by touting her legislative chops. Hashmi began her career in the Virginia Senate six years ago after ousting incumbent Republican Sen. Glen Sturtevant. She was reelected to her seat in 2023. In the Senate, Hashmi put forth bills establishing Virginians' right to contraception, which passed both chambers but were vetoed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. ___ Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
New York Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Trump's Budget: Supercharged ICE, Vouchers and a Warming Planet
A few months ago, it seemed obvious that the biggest story of Donald Trump's second term as president was Elon Musk becoming his co-pilot, steering what was often called the DOGE blitzkrieg. Last week — yes, it was just last week — it was tempting to see the biggest story as the end of that partnership, with Musk's initiative yielding trivial budget savings and significant legal challenges and then ultimately a messily personal (if perhaps temporary) political divorce. That it was all such good theater meant that it was possible to miss — below claims about 'the Epstein files' and innuendo about drug-fueled psychosis and arguments over who was most responsible for the 2024 victory — some actual, substantive beef. That is, Trump's big policy bill — the only major piece of legislation the Republican Congress has even tried to advance, in its first six months, probably its best chance at a major policy achievement before next year's midterms and a road map for the near American future that deserves considerably more public scrutiny than it's gotten to this point. At a topline glance, the bill is an outrage: large tax cuts for the rich and millions kicked off health insurance, almost a parody of what an apparently fragile coalition of contemporary conservatives might abide (if also a bill that raised the eyebrows of a few debt scolds, including Musk). But because it is also a one-stop legislative omnibus, rushed so quickly through the House that Republican representatives are now protesting they didn't even know what was in it, there is also an awful lot buried beneath those top-lines worth scrutinizing. Today, I want to highlight three particular priorities, each distinct in its destructive cruelty but together pointing toward something a bit more systematic — a hostility toward collective investment in the common good and our shared future. The 'green dream' was fun while it lasted The first is on clean energy, where the bill looks like not just a repeal of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act but an indictment of the theory of politics that gave rise to it. As Tim Sahay of the Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab recently put it, the political project of that climate act was built on two principles. First, 'deliverism' — that in the Obama years policy wonks had erred in not highlighting the value of legislation to voters, and that making a green-industrial boom very visible would also make it very popular. Second, and related, was the principle of political 'lock-in,' that showering green money on purple and even red districts would mean that Republicans would, by and large, abandon their opposition and embrace clean-energy pork. Perhaps faster rollout, and more immediate permitting reform, might have helped vindicate those principles and protect hundreds of billions in clean-energy tax credits. But the apparent demise of the I.R.A. looks like a case study in post-material politics, the thermostatic law of public opinion and the principle that whenever the G.O.P. has to choose between anything at all and tax cuts — in this case, tax credits for the green transition and tax cuts that could be partly paid for through their repeal — it's never really a choice at all. Republican support for more solar power has fallen to 61 percent today from 84 percent in 2020, according to Pew. Back then, nearly two-thirds of Republicans wanted to prioritize renewable buildout. Today, it's fallen to one-third. A new immigration police state The second is on immigration, where the policy bill promises to allocate $155 billion in funding for border control — five times the amount allocated to the border overall in 2025, even though cross-border flows have recently fallen by more than 90 percent since surging in 2023. Since Inauguration Day, Trump's border policy has been horrifying and brutal, and over the weekend in Los Angeles, the raids looked like provocations designed to produce a pretext for further crackdowns — by the National Guard and potentially U.S. Marines. But although the images are appalling, the numbers have not been especially large — particularly compared to promises from Trump on the campaign trail to deport tens of millions if elected. Boosting border security spending by more than a hundred billion as illegal border crossings collapse is one big logistical step toward actually pursuing that goal at scale, rather than just performing I.C.E. cruelty as a kind of political consolation school choice Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Soros-backed group behind Tesla unrest accused of 'infiltrating' key House race with chosen candidate
The Progressive group "Indivisible," which was behind many of the Tesla protests in recent months as well as mobilizing for other far-left causes, appears to now be getting involved in a key congressional swing district with the goal of growing resistance against President Donald Trump in Congress. With primary races already underway for the 2026 Midterm elections, the group appears to have in their sights Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican in a critical swing state representing New York's 17th District, in the form of a candidate with extensive ties to the group, progressive Democrat and Rockland County legislator Beth Davidson. Davidson's social media presence includes several posts promoting Indivisible, including attending an event in June in Rockland, New York and Davidson was featured in a promotional video for Indivisible Northern Westchester that same month. Indivisible has been front and center in other aspects of the race and local chapters of the group helped to organize protests at Lawler town hall events in April and May. Aoc Backs Rising Progressive Candidate In Nyc Dem Primary In Push To Defeat Frontrunner Cuomo Fox News Digital reported on local Indivisible chapter leaders in Rockland planning an anti-Lawler protest in April. Footage obtained by Fox News Digital of the meeting showed organizing committee leader Pascale Jean-Gilles discussing filling the entire street in front of the event. Read On The Fox News App "It is a long street, and we're trying to fill the entire street, so everyone coming into the rally will see people there and recognize it's not going to be all, like, sunshine and daisies," Jean-Gilles said. Ahead of the event, Davidson indicated that over a thousand protesters would attend the demonstration, saying on X: "Please pass him a note that 1100 or so of his 'friends' are excited to see him in my county legislative district tomorrow!" At another Indivisible protest against Lawler earlier in the month, Davidson posted on X that she was "proud to stand with more than a thousand people at the #HandsOff rally organized by @IndivisWstchr @1199seiu @nwindivisible@cwaunion and more to stand up for our freedoms and our future!" "Mike Lawler may be silent on the daily assaults on healthcare, education, social security and national security, but We the People are NOT!" said Davidson. House Dems' Campaign Chair Says Her Party's 'On Offense' In 2026 Battle To Win Back Majority From Gop Davidson congratulated Indivisible Rockland for a "packed event" in April 2025 after speaking at one of their events a month earlier, accusing Lawler of hiding from his constituents. Bill Batson, a member of the Indivisible Rockland steering committee, gave $250 to Davidson's campaign via his own campaign committee, FEC records show. In response to Indivisible and Davidson's apparent collaboration, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Maureen O'Toole accused the group of "infiltrating" congressional races to undermine Trump's agenda. "Indivisible has a new plan: Stop shouting outside congressional offices and start infiltrating them," said O'Toole. "Their first attempt? NY-17, where they're backing far-left extremist Beth Davidson to carry out their agenda." Indivisible was founded in response to Trump's election in 2016, according to its website. The group's website says that they were "brought together by a practical guide to resist the Trump agenda, Indivisible is a movement of thousands of group leaders and more than a million members taking regular, iterative, and increasingly complex actions to resist the GOPs agenda, elect local champions, and fight for progressive policies." Indivisible's presence at Tesla protests nationwide, according to a Washington Free Beacon report, included a "reimbursement program" for local activists that showed up at the protests. Indivisible, a group that has received more than $7 million from the George Soros network since 2017, according to the New York Post, has also been involved in protests calling to "abolish" ICE. The group has also promoted defunding the police. Earlier this year, Indivisible published a "tool kit" with recommendations for protesting at town halls and lawmakers' district offices. A section on how to "take the fight to Elon" includes steps for planning and executing a demonstration at Tesla dealerships, showrooms and factories for Elon Musk's role as then-head of the Department of Government Efficiency. While many of the protests outside Tesla dealerships were peaceful, the anti-Musk effort resulted in several instances of violence that the Department of Justice labeled "domestic terrorism", including acts of arson. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Lawler campaign spokesperson Chris Russell, called Davidson's association with Indivisible "disgraceful." "They've had Nazi imagery and antisemitic tropes at their rallies and promoted a baseless election denialism conspiracy theory rooted in antisemitism on their website. I'm demanding she denounce them immediately, this dangerous rhetoric will lead to more violence and threatens our democracy." Davidson condemned the imagery at the rally she attended in a post on X in March saying, "To be clear, I absolutely condemn the imagery of that poster. I will always be a voice against anti-Semitism and for my Jewish community. It's time for Mike Lawler to stop weaponizing antisemitism for his own political gain and stop using the Jewish community — my community, not his — as political pawns." Lawler responded on X making the case that Davidson's statement did not go far enough. Fox News Digital reached out to the Davidson campaign for comment on this story. Davidson has been endorsed by Mondaire Jones, a progressive who is the last Democrat to hold Lawler's seat. The race for NY-17 will be one of the most closely watched in the country as Republicans attempt to preserve their razor-thin majority in Congress, which historically has proven difficult for the party in power following a new president taking office. The Cook Political Report ranks the race, where Davidson is one of several Democrats running in the primary, as "Lean Republican."Original article source: Soros-backed group behind Tesla unrest accused of 'infiltrating' key House race with chosen candidate
Reuters
06-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
From bros to foes: how the unlikely Trump-Musk relationship imploded
WASHINGTON, June 6 (Reuters) - (This story contains profanity in paragraph 3 that some readers may find offensive) When Donald Trump met privately with White House officials on Wednesday, there was little to suggest that the U.S. president was close to a public break with Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman who helped him win a second term in office. Two White House officials familiar with the matter said Trump expressed confusion and frustration in the meeting about Musk's attacks on his sweeping tax and spending bill. But he held back, the officials said, because he wanted to preserve Musk's political and financial support ahead of the midterm elections. By Thursday afternoon, Trump's mood had shifted. He had not spoken to Musk since the attacks began and was fuming over what one White House aide described as a "completely batshit" tirade by the Tesla CEO on X, his social media platform. Musk had blasted Trump's tax bill as fiscally reckless and a "disgusting abomination." He vowed to oppose any Republican lawmaker who supported it. The bill would fulfill many of Trump's priorities while adding, according to the Congressional Budget Office, $2.4 trillion to the $36.2-trillion U.S. public debt. Privately, Trump had called Musk volatile. On Thursday, he told his team, it was time to take the gloves off. Sitting next to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters he was "very disappointed" in his former adviser. Musk quickly hit back on social media, and the back-and-forth devolved from there. "The easiest way to save money in our budget, billions and billions of dollars, is to terminate Elon's government subsidies and contracts," Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media site. Within minutes, Musk said it might be time to create a new political party and endorsed a post on X from Ian Miles Cheong, a prominent Musk supporter and right-wing activist, calling for Trump's impeachment. The Trump-Musk relationship at its height was unprecedented in Washington - a sitting president granting a billionaire tech CEO access and influence inside the White House and throughout his government. Musk spent nearly $300 million backing Trump's campaign and other Republicans last year. For months, Musk played both insider and disruptor - shaping policy conversations behind the scenes, amplifying Trump's agenda to millions online, and attacking the bureaucracy and federal spending through his self-styled Department of Government Efficiency. Just last week, Trump hosted a farewell for Musk and declared that "Elon is really not leaving." Now he had not only left but had turned into a top critic. Hours after Trump's Oval Office remarks, a third White House official expressed surprise at Musk's turnaround. It "caught the president and the entire West Wing off guard," she said. Musk did not respond to emails seeking comment about the downturn in relations. His super PAC spending group, America PAC, and spokeswoman Katie Miller did not respond to calls and texts requesting comment. In a statement, the White House called the breakup an "unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted." The Musk-Trump breakup sent Tesla's stock price plunging 14% on Thursday and drove uncertainty among Trump's allies in Congress, who are working to pass the monumental spending package that Democrats and a small number of vocal Republicans oppose. The breakup could reshape both men's futures. For Trump, losing Musk's backing threatens his growing influence among tech donors, social media audiences, and younger male voters — key groups that may now be harder to reach. It could also complicate fundraising ahead of next year's midterm elections. For Musk, the stakes are potentially even higher. The break risks intensified scrutiny of his business practices that could jeopardize government contracts and invite regulatory probes, which might threaten his companies' profits. Some of Musk's friends and associates were stunned by the fallout, with a number of them only recently expressing confidence that the partnership would endure, according to two other sources familiar with the dynamics. The split had been simmering for weeks, said the first two White House officials, but the breaking point was over personnel: Trump's decision to pull his nomination of Jared Isaacman, Musk's hand-picked candidate to be NASA administrator. "He was not happy" about Isaacman, one of the White House officials said of Musk. Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and close Musk ally, was seen as key to advancing Musk's vision for space exploration and commercial space ventures. After his nomination was scuttled, Isaacman posted on X: "I am incredibly grateful to President Trump, the Senate and all those who supported me." The move was viewed within the administration as a direct snub to Musk, the two officials said, signaling a loss of political clout and deepening the rift between him and Trump's team. Before the Isaacman episode, top White House aides behind the scenes had already begun limiting Musk's influence — quietly walking back his authority over staffing and budget decisions. Trump himself reinforced that message in early March, telling his cabinet that department secretaries, not Musk, had the final say over agency operations. At the same time, Musk began to hint that his time in government would come to a close, while expressing frustration at times that he could not more aggressively cut spending. His threats and complaints about Trump's bill grew louder, but inside the White House, few believed they would seriously alter the course of the legislation — even as some worried about the fallout on the midterms from Musk's warnings to cut political spending, the first two White House officials said. Still, a fourth White House official dismissed the impact of Musk's words on the president's signature bill. "We're very confident," he said. "No one has changed their minds." But there was bafflement at the White House at how a relationship that only last week had been celebrated in the Oval Office had taken such a turn. Time will tell whether the rift can be repaired. White House aides have scheduled a call between the two men on Friday.
