In a crowded election, the front-runner typically is whoever the other candidates are targeting. In the Democratic primary for the 8th Congressional District, where incumbent Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is leaving to run for U.S. Senate, the focus is on former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean.
Opponents have attacked Bean in commercials, at forums and in private. Having previously held the seat from 2005 to 2011, she has name recognition and legislative experience.
But the political landscape has changed dramatically since Bean held the seat and then lost it to Republican Joe Walsh in a Tea Party upset, a defeat she blames on her vote for the Affordable Care Act, the health care plan known as Obamacare. Since then, Donald Trump has been elected president twice, and immigration and inflation have become critical battlegrounds.
The 8th District itself has changed substantially. When Bean defeated longtime incumbent Republican Phil Crane to take office, the district was farther north, mostly in parts of Lake and McHenry counties that were more conservative at the time. Since redistricting, the district now lies in parts of Cook, DuPage and Kane counties, stretching mainly along I-90 from Des Plaines to rural Gilberts, and along the Fox River from St. Charles to Carpentersville.
The 8th District has grown solidly Democratic and has become much more diverse, with the U.S. Census Bureau reporting that 55% of the population was white, 15% two or more races, 13% Asian, 11% some other race, and 5% Black. In addition, 27% identify as Hispanic, and 28% were born in another country.
That demographic shift is reflected in the eight-candidate field running in the Democratic primary on March 17, which includes white, Asian and Black candidates trying to differentiate themselves. Some have no political experience, like Neil Khot, while others ran for the seat before, like Junaid Ahmed, or are members of the Cook County Board, like Kevin Morrison, or a local municipal office, like Yasmeen Bankole. Others have worked with the federal government, like Dan Tully, Sanjyot Dunung and Ryan Vetticad.
Despite differences in experience and tone, most emphasize similar themes: lowering costs for families, expanding access to health care and abolishing Trump’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which they say repeatedly breaks the law while arresting undocumented immigrants. They differ on the details of how stop Trump.
Bean’s own polling, released in January, showed her in the lead with 10% of the vote, but with other candidates close behind and two-thirds of voters undecided, leaving the race wide open.
The amount of campaign funds raised by the leaders was also similar at the start of 2026. Bean led with $1.3 million, followed closely by Ahmed and Khot, each with about $1.2 million.
Bean — who has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Reps. Bill Foster, Brad Schneider and Nancy Pelosi, — sounded a common theme in the race: “The American Dream is under assault, as are our American values,” she said. Speaking of Trump’s attacks on immigration, she said, “It’s dangerous and unconstitutional. I’m ready to deliver again and hold him to account.”
Former Rep. Melissa Bean, a Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, speaks during a candidate forum at Harper College in Palatine on Feb. 7, 2026. (Talia Sprague/for the Chicago Tribune)
After Bean left office, she worked for JPMorgan Chase and Mesirow Financial. Ahmed, a progressive, has attacked Bean as “Wall Street’s favorite Democrat,” a reference to campaign contributions from the finance industry and to her opposition, while in office, to letting states override federal banking regulations. Bean argued that a national standard was necessary to let banks operate without conflicting laws.
But in responding to the criticism that she’s too tight with the nation’s monied interests, Bean argues that while she was in Congress following the 2008 financial crisis, she helped pass the Dodd-Frank Act, which was signed into law in 2010 and limited risky bank speculation and created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to regulate mortgages and credit cards.
Ahmed, who ran unsuccessfully against Krishnamoorthi in 2022, has countered that Bean is “out of touch.” A tech entrepreneur, Ahmed helped launch the nonprofit Chi-Care to deliver meals to the homeless. He boasts that he doesn’t take any corporate or PAC campaign contributions, and criticizes Bean for doing so.
With endorsements from U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Ahmed has called for abolishing and replacing ICE as part of a broader immigration reform, supporting Medicare for all, and ending military aid to Israel due to its bombing and blockade of Gaza after the Hamas attack on Israel.
“Americans are realizing, we cannot be on the side of genocide,” he said. “I’ve yet to find someone who says, ‘I want my tax dollars to go to starve children.’”
Khot, who was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, said he’s running to fight for women’s rights, protect seniors and implement insurance reform, noting that his mother was denied coverage.
Born in India, Khot came to the United States 30 years ago with his parents, who emphasized education and respect for elders. Now, because immigration officers are asking people for citizenship identification, he carries a passport to show his identification, saying, “This is what we have come to in this country.”
“I’m looking to give back to the country that has given me everything,” he said.
Morrison, the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Cook County Board, defeated the then-head of the Illinois Republican Party, Tim Schneider, in 2018. In office, Morrison helped create the county’s first Office of Behavioral Health, and he has called for lowering costs and protecting voting access and reproductive freedom.
He has endorsements from U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Mike Quigley.
“My generation feels like the American Dream is out of reach,” the 36-year-old said. “I’ll tackle the affordability crisis. I’ll always stand up for Main Street, not Wall Street … so we all have the ability to actually earn the American dream.”
Bankole was the youngest trustee ever elected to the Hanover Park Village Board, and helped create a water bill discount program there.
She cites her experience as an aide in Congress, having previously worked for Krishnamoorthi and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who has endorsed her candidacy. She’s calling for universal health care and child care, and abolishing ICE.
“We’re seeing the law broken time and again by ICE,” she said. “I believe in law and order, not violence and chaos.”
Dunung also came to the United States from India at a young age. She has a small education business, and served on the Truman Center for National Policy board. By taking care of her mother, who had muscular dystrophy, Dunung said she came to understand that disability care is a right, not a privilege.
She blamed both parties for failing to pass immigration reform, saying legal immigration must be streamlined and expedited.
“I’m tired of politics as usual, and I know that all of you are too,” she said at a League of Women Voters forum.
Tully was a judge advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve, and worked in the U.S. Department of Commerce, before resigning in protest of Trump, saying the president “betrayed the oath of office and is a danger to our country.”
Tully remains in the Army Reserve and argues that his legal experience makes him well-qualified to fight Trump’s challenge of the separation of powers and to reassert congressional authority. He has a 10-point plan to stop Trump, including reasserting Congress’ constitutional powers, and called for an elected U.S. attorney general to act as an independent check on the president.
“I have the experience to hold this administration accountable,” he said. “The president is acting outside the law.”
Vetticad, the youngest candidate in the race, is too young to serve in Congress, but he will turn 25, the minimum required age, just before the March 17 primary election.
He grew up in an immigrant, Catholic, Indian American family. He taught Sunday school and worked on counterterrorism in the Presidential Management Fellows Program for the U.S. Department of Justice, but resigned in protest of Trump’s policies.
He called for lowering property taxes, making groceries and health care affordable, banning Congress from trading stocks, and enacting gun safety laws.
“We need not just younger, but better voices in Congress,” he said.
Republican candidates for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District Jennifer Davis, from left, Kevin Ake and Mark Rice listen to questions during a candidate forum at Harper College in Palatine on Feb. 7, 2026. (Talia Sprague/for the Chicago Tribune)
The Republican primary features Mark Rice, who challenged Krishnamoorthi in 2024 but lost with 43% of the vote, tech entrepreneur Jennifer Davis, retired Chicago police Officer Herbert Hebein and accountant Kevin Ake, who was convicted of a hate crime in 2002 and previously ran unsuccessfully against Morrison.
TOPSHOT – An aerial view shows a destroyed home in Surfside Beach, Texas, on July 8, 2024, after Hurricane Beryl made landfall. Hurricane Beryl made landfall July 8 in the southern US state of Texas, killing at least two people and causing millions to lose power amid dangerous winds and flooding, as some coastal areas remained under evacuation orders. (Photo by Mark Felix / AFP) (Photo by MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images)
MARK FELIX
AFP via Getty Images
Two Democrats are on the primary ballot for commissioner of the Texas General Land Office. The winner will be on the November ballot against Republican Dawn Buckingham.
Here are the Democrats’ responses to a Star-Telegram questionnaire, in the order you’ll see them on the ballot.
Occupation: United Steelworkers Staff Representative District 13
Education: I graduated from a Texas public high school in the Panhandle and went on to serve in the United States Marine Corps, where I gained the leadership and discipline that continue to guide my work.
Have you run for elected office before? I have not
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas:
1) Union staff representative in Texas, advocating for safer workplaces, fair wages, and worker dignity
2) Represented Texas workers at the bargaining table, holding powerful corporate interests accountable
3) Advocated for refinery, energy, and industrial workers across the state
4) Worked with SLAM Media, supporting youth leadership, storytelling, and civic engagement through media and education
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No.
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? No.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Texas Majority PAC, Vote Vets and voter contributions
Why are you seeking this office? I am running for Texas Land Commissioner because working Texans deserve real representation in an office that manages public land, public resources, and public trust. Too often, decisions reflect the priorities of political insiders, billionaires, and millionaires instead of the people who rely on these resources every day.
I grew up in a working-class family and attended Texas public schools. Like many Texans, my family depended on wages, not wealth, and learned the value of hard work, fairness, and accountability. Those experiences shaped my belief that government should serve everyday people, not those with money or influence.
For years, I have worked to give working people a voice—standing with them at the bargaining table, fighting for safer workplaces, fair wages, and dignity on the job, and holding powerful interests accountable.
I am seeking this office to bring transparency and accountability so public resources serve Texans, not special interests.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
If elected, my top priorities as Texas Land Commissioner will be transparency, support for veterans, and effective disaster recovery. The General Land Office manages public land, public school funding, and disaster relief, yet most Texans have little insight into how decisions are made. I will bring transparency and accountability to an office that should operate in the open and serve the public, not political insiders or wealthy interests.
Supporting Texas veterans will be a core priority. As chair of the Texas Veterans Land Board, the Land Commissioner oversees programs that help veterans access home, land, and renovation loans. I will focus on outreach so veterans know these benefits exist, reduce delays, and ensure working-class and rural veterans can access the resources they’ve earned.
Disaster recovery must work for communities, not bureaucracy. I will prioritize clear communication, accountability, and timely delivery of relief so Texans can rebuild and move forward.
How will you measure your success as General Land Office commissioner?
I will measure my success by clear, measurable improvements in how the General Land Office serves Texans. For veterans, success means expanding outreach and increasing the number of veterans who are accessing the benefits they’ve earned. That includes higher participation in home, land, and renovation loan programs and reducing the time it takes for veterans to receive assistance.
For disaster recovery, success means resources are available and deployed faster. I will measure whether communities receive clear information, whether funds are released more quickly, and whether local leaders are involved in the recovery process so rebuilding reflects community needs.
For public education, success means increasing revenue for Texas public schools through the Permanent School Fund by ensuring fair market value for public resources without raising taxes.
Ultimately, success means an office that works better, faster, and more transparently for everyday Texans.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
Voters should choose me because I bring lived experience and working-class values to an office that has too often been dominated by political insiders and wealthy interests. I know what it means to depend on public systems, to work for a paycheck, and to fight for fairness because that has been my life.
I grew up in a working-class family, attended Texas public schools, and spent my career standing with working people so they had a voice in decisions that affect their lives. I have represented workers at the bargaining table, held powerful interests accountable, and fought for dignity, safety, and fair pay. That experience matters in an office that manages public land, school funding, disaster recovery, and veteran programs.
I don’t see this office as a stepping stone or political prize. I see it as a public trust. I’m running to bring transparency, accountability, and real representation to the General Land Office, so it works for everyday Texans, not special interests.
What are Texans looking for and wanting most in their General Land Office commissioner?
Most Texans don’t know what the General Land Office does and that’s part of the problem. While the office isn’t always visible, its decisions have a real impact on people’s lives, from disaster recovery and veteran benefits to public school funding and the management of public land.
What Texans want most is an office that works clearly, honestly, and in the open. They want transparency in how decisions are made, faster and more reliable disaster recovery, and veteran programs that are easy to understand and access. Texans also want to know that public land and resources are being managed in a way that benefits schools and communities—not political insiders or special interests.
Above all, Texans are looking for a General Land Office commissioner who treats the job as a public trust, communicates clearly, and puts everyday Texans first.
What’s the biggest challenge the next General Land Office commissioner will face in Texas, and how would you address it if elected?
The biggest challenge facing the next General Land Office commissioner is trust. The GLO manages public land, school funding, disaster recovery, and veteran programs, yet most Texans don’t know how decisions are made or who they serve. That lack of transparency creates confusion and delays.
If elected, I will open up the office by making transparency the standard. That means clear reporting, straightforward communication with communities, and accountability, especially in disaster recovery and veteran services. Success means veterans can access earned benefits, communities know where they stand after disasters, and Texans can see how public resources support public schools.
The General Land Office oversees several programs for veterans. How would you help veterans as commissioner?
As commissioner, I would help veterans by making sure they actually know about and can access the benefits they’ve earned through the General Land Office. Too many veterans are unaware of programs like home, land, and renovation loans, or face unnecessary delays when they try to use them.
I would prioritize proactive outreach so veterans across Texas, especially working-class and rural veterans, understand what resources are available to them. I would also focus on reducing wait times, improving communication, and making the process easier to navigate from start to finish.
Success means more veterans signing up for these programs, fewer barriers to access, and a system that treats veterans with the respect and urgency they deserve.
Please explain your priorities for managing the Permanent School Fund, if elected as commissioner?
My priority in managing the Permanent School Fund will be to protect it, grow it responsibly, and ensure it is managed transparently in the best interest of Texas public school students. The Fund exists to support public education, and every decision should be made with that responsibility in mind.
I will focus on ensuring Texas receives fair market value for the use of public lands and natural resources so the Fund continues to grow without raising taxes. That means holding corporations accountable, avoiding sweetheart deals, and making sure revenues are maximized for schools and classrooms.
I will also prioritize transparency so Texans can clearly see how the Fund is managed, how revenues are generated, and how decisions impact public education. Success means a stronger, more accountable Permanent School Fund that reliably supports Texas schools today and for future generations.
How would you approach disaster response and recovery as commissioner?
As commissioner, my approach to disaster response and recovery would focus on speed, clarity, and accountability. Texans who have been impacted by disasters deserve timely help and clear information, not confusion or long delays.
I would prioritize clear communication so communities know what resources are available, where they are in the recovery process, and what to expect next. I would also focus on reducing delays in releasing funds and ensuring disaster resources are ready to use as quickly as possible.
Just as important, I would work closely with local leaders and communities to make sure recovery efforts reflect real needs on the ground. Success means relief reaches Texans faster, the process is easier to navigate, and communities can rebuild with confidence.
What role, if any, should the General Land Office play in securing the Texas-Mexico border?
The General Land Office should not play a role in securing the Texas/Mexico border. Border security is not the mission of the GLO, and using this office for that purpose distracts from its core responsibilities, managing public land, supporting public education, assisting veterans, and overseeing disaster recovery.
Texans are best served when the GLO office stays focused on the work it is designed to do and carries out those duties transparently, effectively, and in the public interest.
Education: Bachelor in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, multiple tech and industry related certifications
Have you run for elected office before? Yes. I’m currently serving my third year as Bay City Councilman
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas:
I serve on the Bay City Development Corporation board and represent our region on the Houston-Galveston Area Council. I completed CERT training and EMT academy before moving to Texas because I believe in being useful when things go wrong. That mindset hasn’t changed. During Hurricane Beryl in 2024, my family and I helped seniors in our neighborhood clear driveways and home entrances. I also run a small heritage pig farm with my family, which has given me firsthand experience with agricultural policy and the Texas Right to Farm Act.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? Yes. My wife and I are defendants in a civil nuisance lawsuit regarding our heritage pig farm in Matagorda County (130th District Court). The case involves the Texas Right to Farm Act. The lawsuit was filed in April 2024 and is tentatively set for trial in May 2026. We dispute the plaintiffs’ claims and are vigorously defending our agricultural operation. Our story was featured in the April 2025 issue of Texas Monthly.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? After my family, the next top contributors are Domingo Garcia and Liberal Austin Democrats.
Why are you seeking this office?
I’ve spent almost 30 years managing risk for a living. The GLO manages a $50+ billion fund for public schools, runs veterans programs, and handles disaster recovery. These responsibilities require professional stewardship, not political theater. The Permanent School Fund could generate more revenue if we diversified leasing beyond oil and gas. Wind and solar would bring steadier income. That’s money for Texas classrooms left on the table. We’ve seen what happens when the GLO isn’t ready for disasters. After Harvey, communities waited years for recovery funds while the feds flagged problems with how Texas managed the money. Living through Beryl in Matagorda reinforced what local communities actually need when storms hit. I immigrated from Mexico City in 1996, became a citizen, built a career, and now serve as a councilman. My mother taught me “nunca seas agachado” or never bow down, never accept less than you deserve. Texans deserve a Land Commissioner who shows up for the actual job.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
First, bringing more revenue into the Permanent School Fund through lease diversification. State lands currently generate income mostly from oil and gas, but wind and solar leases would provide steadier returns without commodity price swings. Every new dollar goes to Texas classrooms, some help with your property taxes. Second, overhauling how the Veterans Land Board serves our veterans. Too many vets face delays when trying to buy homes or access care they’ve earned. We need faster processing and systems that treat veterans like valued clients. Third, strengthening disaster preparedness. After Harvey, we saw communities wait years for recovery funds. The GLO needs plans and resources ready before storms hit, clear coordination with federal and local partners, and faster reimbursement for communities doing the hard work. Living through Beryl gave me firsthand lessons about what works and what doesn’t.
How will you measure your success as General Land Office commissioner?
Numbers. Numbers. And numbers. They don’t lie. I’ll track new revenue streams coming into the Permanent School Fund from diversified leasing. If we’re leaving money on the table, I want to know why. For veterans programs, I’ll measure processing times for loans and applications. Veterans shouldn’t wait months for answers. On disaster recovery, I’ll track how fast we get federal dollars to local communities after storms. Harvey showed us what happens when that process breaks down. I’ll measure satisfaction from the cities and counties we’re helping. I come from a world where audits and metrics matter. Texans deserve transparency about whether their Land Commissioner is doing the job.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
I live in Matagorda County. When Hurricane Beryl hit, I didn’t watch it on TV from Austin. I was there. My family was there. I saw firsthand how disaster response failures hurt real people in real time. That’s the fundamental difference in this race. I’m running to solve problems I’ve lived through. I’ve invested my own savings into this campaign because I believe Texans need independent leadership, not another rubber stamp for special interests. I have skin in the game. As a Bay City Councilman, I know where local systems break down. Whether it’s disaster recovery, funding our schools, or serving our veterans, I have almost 30 years of risk management experience to fix it. I earned my way onto this ballot. I’m not here because a political broker tapped me on the shoulder. I’ll be a Land Commissioner who answers to Texans, not to political sponsors or PAC money.
What are Texans looking for and wanting most in their General Land Office commissioner?
Most Texans don’t know who the Land Commissioner is or what the GLO does. They’ve never heard of the Permanent School Fund or the Veterans Land Board. And honestly, that’s fine. Government should work well enough that people don’t have to pay attention to every agency. But when disaster recovery is slow or veterans can’t get help, Texans notice something’s broken even if they don’t know which office to blame. What Texans want is quiet competence. Someone who manages their tax dollars responsibly and treats their fellow Texans with respect. They’re tired of officials who chase headlines instead of doing their homework. The GLO isn’t supposed to be exciting. It’s supposed to be reliable.
What’s the biggest challenge the next General Land Office commissioner will face in Texas, and how would you address it if elected?
Texas weather is getting more extreme, and our coast is getting hit harder. That’s what insurance companies tell us when they raise rates or leave the state entirely. The next commissioner must prepare for more frequent disasters while managing long term coastal erosion. Harvey showed us what happens when disaster recovery fails. Communities waited years for help while federal auditors flagged mismanagement. We can’t repeat those mistakes. I’ll work with coastal communities on realistic planning and coordinate with federal partners before disasters hit. Living through Beryl reinforced these lessons for me personally. I’ll also diversify Permanent School Fund revenue so classrooms benefit from wind and solar leases, not just oil and gas. Smarter management means more money for schools.
The General Land Office oversees several programs for veterans. How would you help veterans as commissioner?
I’ve already been meeting with veterans across Texas, listening to what they actually need. The message is clear: we need a VA hospital in the Valley and a new assisted living home in the Coastal Bend. The Land Commissioner doesn’t control VA hospital funding, but I’ll be a strong advocate. Veterans homes are squarely within the GLO’s responsibilities, and I’ll push for expansion where it’s needed. The Veterans Land Board also runs land loans and home improvement loans. On paper, great benefits. In practice, too many veterans face delays and confusion. I’d fix processing times and staffing so applications don’t sit in queues for months. And I’d improve outreach. Many veterans don’t know these programs exist. That’s on us to fix. These are Texans who served us. They deserve better than bureaucratic runaround.
Please explain your priorities for managing the Permanent School Fund, if elected as commissioner?
The Permanent School Fund is one of the largest education endowments in the country. My priority is bringing in more revenue through smarter land management. State lands currently generate income mostly from oil and gas leases. But wind and solar leases would provide additional, steadier revenue streams. This isn’t about replacing traditional energy. It’s about not leaving money on the table. Every new dollar supports Texas classrooms. I’ll also improve transparency. Texas families should see how their fund is managed through public dashboards and clear reporting. And I’ll seek independent analysis of our investment strategies, not just internal reports. The fund belongs to Texas schoolchildren. Every decision should start with that in mind.
How would you approach disaster response and recovery as commissioner?
The same way I approached it as a Councilman. Shortly after joining the council, I reviewed our incident response plan, found it woefully outdated, and stayed on it until we got it updated. After Beryl hit, I asked for a quick after-action report at our first meeting back and pushed for a formal Lessons Learned review for over a year. That’s how I operate. Preparation before the storm, honest assessment after. It comes from my almost 30 years in cybersecurity incident response and my CERT training. You plan, you drill, you respond, and then you figure out what went wrong so you’re better next time. I’ll build relationships with disaster-prone communities before anything happens. You don’t want the first conversation with a coastal mayor to be during a crisis. I’ll visit these communities, understand their specific vulnerabilities, and make sure they know who to call and what to expect from the GLO. Harvey showed what happens when this breaks down. I won’t let that happen again.
What role, if any, should the General Land Office play in securing the Texas-Mexico border?
Border security already involves multiple agencies at the federal, state, and local level. CBP, Border Patrol, DPS, the National Guard, local sheriffs. Adding the Land Commissioner to that mix doesn’t make Texas safer. It just diverts attention from what the GLO is actually supposed to do. The Permanent School Fund could generate more revenue for classrooms through lease diversification. Veterans are waiting too long for home loans. Coastal communities need better disaster preparation. Those are the GLO’s real responsibilities, and they’re not getting done while the commissioner chases border headlines or talks about building detention camps on state land. I immigrated from Mexico. Border issues aren’t simple. But Texans would benefit more from a Land Commissioner who focuses on delivering results where the agency actually has a job to do.
A little less than six weeks before the March 17 primary election, Democratic Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon urged mail-in voters on Wednesday to return their ballots early amid a change in federal government procedures that she warned could make it harder to vote.
Gordon tied her concerns to the United States Postal Service’s recent decision, effective Jan. 1, to alter postmarking processes. While postmarks in the past were typically applied on the day an item was mailed, they are now listed as the day an item was processed at a USPS facility.
While the change might appear small, it could mean the difference of a day or more between ballots dropped in the mail and being postmarked, resulting in those mailed near the March 17 deadline not being postmarked by Election Day and therefore deemed invalid, even if a voter does “everything right,” Gordon said during a news conference.
“While this change has been described as minor, its impact on elections could be anything,” she said. “Do not wait until the final days or Election Day to mail your ballot.”
The USPS change comes after Republican President Donald Trump said last year he might take control of the postal service, which operates as an independent agency with leaders appointed by presidents, most recently Trump.
It also follows numerous false, misleading and unsupported claims by Trump that mail-in voting is prone to rampant fraud, even calling it “a whole big scam” in 2020 before he later lost his presidential reelection bid. In addition, Republicans, led by U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of downstate Murphysboro, have challenged Illinois’ law allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted 14 days later, a case that the U.S. Supreme Court recently said could move forward.
Still, even as the president and Republicans have generally argued against mail-in balloting, the Republican National Committee and the Illinois Republican Party have ramped up efforts to encourage GOP voters to cast ballots by mail.
Asked if she viewed the policy shift as a voting suppression effort, Gordon said she thought “it is possible.”
“I am trying to be as objective as possible here, but across the country, historically, we have seen efforts of sophisticated voter suppression,” she said. “We will not allow our votes to be suppressed. We will not allow our voters’ voices not to be heard.”
But Gordon had little to say when asked about Trump’s calls during a Monday podcast appearance to “nationalize the voting,” which would be a violation of the U.S. Constitution. Trump told his former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino that he wants Republicans to “take over the voting” in “at least many — 15 places” while making vague, unsubstantiated claims of voting fraud.
“I have not had communication with the federal government,” Gordon said. “I’m never concerned about voter fraud here in Illinois.”
The county clerk urged voters returning mail-in ballots close to the March 17 election to instead take them directly to a post office and request that it be postmarked at the counter. And beginning March 2, voters can return ballots at 55 drop boxes across suburban Cook County, she said. The Cook County clerk’s office oversees elections for suburban Cook County communities. The Chicago Board of Elections oversees elections in the city.
Gordon’s office plans to send advisories to mail-ballot voters to reinforce the warning, she added.
USPS has pushed back against such concerns, calling it a “myth” that the postmarking process is changing in a statement on its website. The postal service said instead that transportation changes are occurring “that will result in some mail pieces not arriving at our originating processing facilities on the same day that they are mailed.”
USPS spokesperson Timothy Norman said in a statement to the Tribune that the agency has long recommended voters drop off ballots before Election Day. He encouraged voters to visit a post office and request a manual postmark if needed.
“We employ a long-standing, robust and proven process to ensure proper handling and delivery of all Election Mail, including ballots,” Norman said.
Gordon’s election deputy, Edmond Michalowski, said mail dropped off at boxes in the past was postmarked at local post centers.
“Now it has to go to a distribution center before it is routed,” he told reporters. “We’re not sure how this is going to affect those voters.”
Gordon said she did not know why the USPS change had been made. “But what I do know is that it’s ill timing. We got to do what we can to make sure that we get those ballots in on time,” she said.
Gordon declined to estimate how many ballots could be affected by the postmarking change.
Around 170,000 mail ballots will be sent to suburban voters for the 2026 primary, Michalowski said. Most of the returned ballots typically come “in a wave up front,” “and then they taper off closer to Election Day,” he added.
Gordon said more ballots typically come in as media coverage of elections ramps up. She called the rules change “unprecedented” and conceded she did not know what to expect from it.
“Every vote matters, and no voters should lose their voice because of confusion or delay,” she said. “We urge all voters to make a voting plan.”
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, speaks to the capacity crowd on the stage for ‘The People vs. The Power Grab’ rally at the Ridglea Theater in Fort Worth on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025.
Chris Torres
ctorres@star-telegram.com
One week after filing, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth has stepped out of the race for Tarrant County judge.
Instead, Veasey said in a statement he is going to remain “laser-focused” on representing Congressional District 33.
“At a time when Donald Trump and his MAGA allies are escalating their assaults on our democracy, our rights, and the rule of law, I believe we cannot afford to retreat from the arenas where those fights are being waged most intensely,” Veasey said in the statement.
That leaves Precinct 2 Commissioner Alisa Simmons and Fort Worth civic advocacy leader Millennium Anton C. Woods Jr. as the only two in the Democratic primary on March 3.
Veasey was the last to join the race on the filing deadline, Dec. 8. Before his announcement, he had been expected to place a bid for Congressional District 30 or run for reelection in his freshly redistricted seat.
Rachel Royster is a news and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, specifically focused on Tarrant County. She joined the newsroom after interning at the Austin American-Statesman, the Waco Tribune-Herald and Capital Community News in DC. A Houston native and Baylor grad, Rachel enjoys traveling, reading and being outside. She welcomes any and all news tips to her email.
A former Florida congressional candidate was charged for an election-related threat to kill his primary opponent, U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna.
An indictment was recently unsealed charging the Florida Republican with threatening to kill his primary opponent in the 2021 election for the 13th Congressional District of Florida and a private citizen and acquaintance of his opponent.
According to the indictment, 41-year-old William Robert Braddock III, of St. Petersburg, and Victim 1 were candidates in the Republican primary election to represent the 13th Congressional District of Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives. Victim 2 was a private citizen and acquaintance of Victim 1.
According to 2021 court documents, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna reported that Braddock was stalking her and wanted her dead.
On June 8, 2021, Braddock made several threats to injure and kill Victim 1 and Victim 2 during a telephone call with Victim 2. Specifically, Braddock threatened, in part, to “call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” and make Victim 1 disappear. After making the threats, Braddock left the United States and was later found to be residing in the Philippines. Braddock was recently deported from the Philippines to the United States and made his first court appearance in Los Angeles.
The former Republican Florida congressional candidate is charged with one count of interstate transmission of a true threat to injure another person. If convicted, Braddock faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
The FBI Tampa Field Office is investigating the case with support from the St. Petersburg Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI’s Office of the Legal Attaché in Manila, and U.S. Marshals Service provided substantial assistance. The investigation also benefited from foreign law enforcement cooperation provided by the Philippine Department of Justice and Philippine Bureau of Immigration.
Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlton Gammons for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by PIN and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint.
Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
If you’re reading this before 7 p.m. on June 25, you still have time to cast your ballot.
Laura Shoaps and little Zadie
cast ballots in front of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on Election Day, June 6, 2023.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Well, Denverites, so far it looks like we’re not doing our job participating in the political process in the June 25 Denver primary election.
If the old adage “you can’t complain if you don’t vote” holds up, we’ll be a very quiet city.
If you still haven’t voted and want to, you can still do your part and participate.
Here’s what you need to know to vote in today’s Denver election.
Polls close at 7 p.m. tonight.
If you do have a ballot, you can still drop it off at a ballot box but you definitely can’t mail it in.
If you never received a ballot or lost yours, it’s not too late to get a fresh one.
And if you’ve not registered to vote yet, it’s also not too late to do so and participate in person. For more information, go to the Denver Elections website.
Outside of two state House races — District 4 and District 6 — the open Colorado legislature seats are entirely uncompetitive.
But even for people who don’t have a say in who wins the primary in the Republican and Democratic Colorado legislature races where just one person is running, there are still several races on the ballot where your vote can count.
Democrats and unaffiliated voters will have the chance to choose Leora Joseph or John Walsh as the next District Attorney. Whoever wins the primary will be nearly guaranteed to win the job.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan won Republican Senate nominations on Tuesday as voters across neighboring states with antithetical politics decided contests with big implications for the Senate majority fight this fall.At the same time, Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump tried to project strength in low-stakes presidential primaries. Further down the ballot, two congressional candidates on opposite sides of the 2021 Capitol attack serve as a stark reminder that the nation remains deeply divided over the deadly insurrection.In all, three states hosted statewide primary elections on Tuesday — Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia — as Republicans and Democrats pick their nominees for a slate of fall elections. None were more consequential than Senate primaries in deep-blue Maryland and deep-red West Virginia, where Republicans are eying pickup opportunities that could flip control of Congress’ upper chamber for at least two years.A Trump critic vies for Maryland’s GOP nomination In Maryland, Hogan claimed the GOP Senate nomination, giving Republicans a legitimate chance at picking up a Senate seat in the deep-blue state for the first time in more than four decades.Hogan overcame his years-long criticism of Trump, a position that put him at odds with many Republican primary voters but will undoubtedly help him in the general election this fall. Maryland voters gave Biden a 33-point victory over Trump four years ago.On the Democratic side, Rep. David Trone has been locked in a contentious — and expensive — battle with Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.Video below: Some Primary Election polling places in Maryland delay openingTrone, the co-founder of the Total Wine & More national liquor store chain, has put more than $61 million of his own money into the race. That’s just shy of the national record for self-funding a Senate campaign, with much of it going to a months-long TV ad blitz. The three-term congressman says he’s better positioned to beat Hogan in November as a progressive Democrat not beholden to special interests.Race has been an issue in the primary, with Alsobrooks working to become Maryland’s first Black U.S. senator. Trone apologized in March for what he said was the inadvertent use of a racial slur during a budget hearing.Alsobrooks has been endorsed by many of the state’s top officials, including Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Steny Hoyer and a long list of state lawmakers. She has campaigned on growing economic opportunity, investing in education and protecting abortion rights.The West Virginia battle to replace Manchin Justice’s won his primary against U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney in the race to replace Sen. Joe Manchin. With Manchin gone, the seat is almost guaranteed to turn red come November.The Trump-endorsed Justice, a former billionaire with a folksy personality, is wildly popular in the state. He also earned Trump’s endorsement. A former Democrat, Justice switched to the Republican Party in 2017, announcing the change at a Trump rally.Mooney had tried to win over conservatives by labeling Justice a “RINO” — which stands for “Republican in name only” — who would support Democratic policies. Justice did support Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, saying West Virginia couldn’t afford to turn away the money offered in the bill.At a polling place in West Virginia’s capital city, voter Steve Ervin said his votes Tuesday were directly related to Trump.“I really did an exhaustive study of the sample ballot of who I believe supported Trump and Trump supported them,” said Ervin, who works in the state’s unemployment office. “That’s what I made my whole decision on.”West Virginia is also deciding its candidates for governor. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the Republican nominee in the 2018 Senate race against Manchin, is running for the Republican nomination. He’s up against former state Rep. Moore Capito, whose mother is Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.Tests of strength in the presidential primary Biden and Trump have already amassed enough delegates to claim the presidential nominations at their respective national conventions this summer. Yet voters on both sides hope to register a significant protest vote Tuesday that will demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the Biden-Trump rematch.Both Biden and Trump won their primaries in West Virginia and Maryland.Still, Maryland progressives especially unhappy with the Biden administration’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas had encouraged voters to select “uncommitted to any presidential candidate” instead of Biden. There was no uncommitted option in West Virginia or Nebraska.Everett Bellamy, a Democrat who voted early in Annapolis, said he voted “uncommitted” instead of Biden as a protest against the killing of women and children and noncombatants in Gaza.“I wanted to send a message,” Bellamy, 74, said after leaving an early voting center.Meanwhile, Trump’s Republican critics cannot choose “uncommitted,” but they can choose his former GOP rival Nikki Haley, who will appear on the ballot in Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia despite formally suspending her campaign more than two months ago.Derek Faux, an independent voter from Charleston, W.V., said he supported Haley, and in other Republican races, he said he voted for the candidates he believed were least like Trump.“I would rather see moderate, reasonable Republicans than some of the other folks,” said Faux, a librarian.Two sides of the insurrection Tuesday’s elections also include two candidates who were intimately involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.In West Virginia, a former member of the House of Delegates, Derrick Evans, is running for the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District. The 39-year-old Trump loyalist served a three-month jail sentence after livestreaming himself participating in the storming of the U.S. Capitol.Evans is trying to oust incumbent Republican Rep. Carol Miller.In Maryland, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn is among nearly two dozen Democrats running in the state’s 3rd Congressional District. The 40-year-old Democrat was in the Capitol working to repel the violent mob on Jan. 6. Other key racesIn Nebraska, Republican Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts both face nominal opposition in their primaries, one of the rare occasions when both senators in a state are on the ballot at the same time. And in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon faces a challenge from his right flank.In North Carolina, voters finalized their pick of the Trump-endorsed Brad Knott in what had become a one-person Republican primary in the state’s 13th Congressional District.___This story has deleted an incorrect reference to a California election being Tuesday. The California election is next week.___Willingham reported from Charleston, West Virginia. Peoples reported from Washington.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan won Republican Senate nominations on Tuesday as voters across neighboring states with antithetical politics decided contests with big implications for the Senate majority fight this fall.
At the same time, Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump tried to project strength in low-stakes presidential primaries. Further down the ballot, two congressional candidates on opposite sides of the 2021 Capitol attack serve as a stark reminder that the nation remains deeply divided over the deadly insurrection.
In all, three states hosted statewide primary elections on Tuesday — Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia — as Republicans and Democrats pick their nominees for a slate of fall elections. None were more consequential than Senate primaries in deep-blue Maryland and deep-red West Virginia, where Republicans are eying pickup opportunities that could flip control of Congress’ upper chamber for at least two years.
A Trump critic vies for Maryland’s GOP nomination
In Maryland, Hogan claimed the GOP Senate nomination, giving Republicans a legitimate chance at picking up a Senate seat in the deep-blue state for the first time in more than four decades.
Hogan overcame his years-long criticism of Trump, a position that put him at odds with many Republican primary voters but will undoubtedly help him in the general election this fall. Maryland voters gave Biden a 33-point victory over Trump four years ago.
On the Democratic side, Rep. David Trone has been locked in a contentious — and expensive — battle with Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
Video below: Some Primary Election polling places in Maryland delay opening
Trone, the co-founder of the Total Wine & More national liquor store chain, has put more than $61 million of his own money into the race. That’s just shy of the national record for self-funding a Senate campaign, with much of it going to a months-long TV ad blitz. The three-term congressman says he’s better positioned to beat Hogan in November as a progressive Democrat not beholden to special interests.
Race has been an issue in the primary, with Alsobrooks working to become Maryland’s first Black U.S. senator. Trone apologized in March for what he said was the inadvertent use of a racial slur during a budget hearing.
Alsobrooks has been endorsed by many of the state’s top officials, including Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Steny Hoyer and a long list of state lawmakers. She has campaigned on growing economic opportunity, investing in education and protecting abortion rights.
The West Virginia battle to replace Manchin
Justice’s won his primary against U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney in the race to replace Sen. Joe Manchin. With Manchin gone, the seat is almost guaranteed to turn red come November.
The Trump-endorsed Justice, a former billionaire with a folksy personality, is wildly popular in the state. He also earned Trump’s endorsement. A former Democrat, Justice switched to the Republican Party in 2017, announcing the change at a Trump rally.
Mooney had tried to win over conservatives by labeling Justice a “RINO” — which stands for “Republican in name only” — who would support Democratic policies. Justice did support Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, saying West Virginia couldn’t afford to turn away the money offered in the bill.
At a polling place in West Virginia’s capital city, voter Steve Ervin said his votes Tuesday were directly related to Trump.
“I really did an exhaustive study of the sample ballot of who I believe supported Trump and Trump supported them,” said Ervin, who works in the state’s unemployment office. “That’s what I made my whole decision on.”
West Virginia is also deciding its candidates for governor. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the Republican nominee in the 2018 Senate race against Manchin, is running for the Republican nomination. He’s up against former state Rep. Moore Capito, whose mother is Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.
Tests of strength in the presidential primary
Biden and Trump have already amassed enough delegates to claim the presidential nominations at their respective national conventions this summer. Yet voters on both sides hope to register a significant protest vote Tuesday that will demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the Biden-Trump rematch.
Both Biden and Trump won their primaries in West Virginia and Maryland.
Still, Maryland progressives especially unhappy with the Biden administration’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas had encouraged voters to select “uncommitted to any presidential candidate” instead of Biden. There was no uncommitted option in West Virginia or Nebraska.
Everett Bellamy, a Democrat who voted early in Annapolis, said he voted “uncommitted” instead of Biden as a protest against the killing of women and children and noncombatants in Gaza.
“I wanted to send a message,” Bellamy, 74, said after leaving an early voting center.
Meanwhile, Trump’s Republican critics cannot choose “uncommitted,” but they can choose his former GOP rival Nikki Haley, who will appear on the ballot in Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia despite formally suspending her campaign more than two months ago.
Derek Faux, an independent voter from Charleston, W.V., said he supported Haley, and in other Republican races, he said he voted for the candidates he believed were least like Trump.
“I would rather see moderate, reasonable Republicans than some of the other folks,” said Faux, a librarian.
Two sides of the insurrection
Tuesday’s elections also include two candidates who were intimately involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In West Virginia, a former member of the House of Delegates, Derrick Evans, is running for the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District. The 39-year-old Trump loyalist served a three-month jail sentence after livestreaming himself participating in the storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Evans is trying to oust incumbent Republican Rep. Carol Miller.
In Maryland, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn is among nearly two dozen Democrats running in the state’s 3rd Congressional District. The 40-year-old Democrat was in the Capitol working to repel the violent mob on Jan. 6.
Other key races
In Nebraska, Republican Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts both face nominal opposition in their primaries, one of the rare occasions when both senators in a state are on the ballot at the same time. And in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon faces a challenge from his right flank.
In North Carolina, voters finalized their pick of the Trump-endorsed Brad Knott in what had become a one-person Republican primary in the state’s 13th Congressional District.
___
This story has deleted an incorrect reference to a California election being Tuesday. The California election is next week.
___
Willingham reported from Charleston, West Virginia. Peoples reported from Washington.
For nearly 30 years she was a feisty, outspoken booster of women through her Elle magazine advice column. It heralded our untapped powers and advised us to plow ahead despite rejections and not to center our lives around men…
(FOX40.COM) — The race to be the next mayor of Sacramento is so close that a winner still cannot be projected days after the 2024 primary election.
As of 4 p.m. on Friday, mayoral candidate Richard Pan had a marginal lead over five other contenders. Pan had 12,495 ballots counted toward him which is 23.93% of the votes, according to election results.
Dr. Flojaune Cofer, who started off the mayoral race in fourth place, was elevated to second place with 23.26% of the votes. 12,146 ballots have been counted in her favor.
Right after Cofer is Steve Hansen who accounts for 22.89% of the total votes counted so far. That’s 11,790 ballots.
Kevin McCarty is not far behind with 22.58% of the votes which amounts to 11,790 ballots counted at the time of this publication.
The two candidates with the most votes after all ballots have been counted will head to a runoff election on Nov. 5.
The Super Tuesday primaries are the largest voting day of the year in the United States aside from the November general election.Voters in 16 states and one territory are choosing presidential nominees. Some states are also deciding who should run for governor, senator or district attorneys.Party primaries, caucuses or presidential preference votes are being held in Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.Read below for the latest from Super Tuesday:12:44 a.m. ETFormer Trump presidential campaign adviser Katrina Pierson advances to a Republican primary runoff in Texas for a legislative seat in the Dallas suburbs.Pierson’s opponent in the May 28 runoff for the Texas House seat is Rep. Justin Holland. He was one of dozens of Republicans who voted last year to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Trump ally.It’s not the first time Pierson has run for office in Texas. She lost a run for Congress in 2014 before becoming a spokesperson for Trump’s presidential campaign.12:27 a.m. ETNikki Haley’s national campaign spokesperson Tuesday that the Republican candidate was honored to be the first GOP woman to win two presidential primary contests. Despite her win in Vermont on Tuesday and her primary win in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Trump was notching more victories.On the other side of the political aisle, Jason Palmer, 52, of Baltimore, told AP he knows he’s a longshot for the Democratic presidential nomination even after he won four delegates in American Samoa on Super Tuesday.12:02 a.m. ETRepublican Steve Garvey is advancing to a November election to fill the California U.S. Senate seat held for three decades by the late Dianne Feinstein, a rare opportunity for the GOP to compete in a marquee statewide race in this Democratic stronghold. Garvey also advances to a special election to complete the unexpired term of Feinstein.Garvey will compete against Democrat Adam Schiff, who is currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.11:59 p.m. ETTwo Democrats advanced to a primary runoff election in the newly-drawn 2nd Congressional District in Alabama.Anthony Daniels and Shomari Figures emerged from the crowded field Tuesday. The district is closely watched by Democrats as a potential pickup opportunity in the U.S. House.11:35 p.m. ETU.S. Rep. Colin Allred has secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas. Allred will face U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in November.11:30 p.m. ETAP projects that Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff will advance to the U.S. Senate general election in California, fending off fellow Democratic representatives Katie Porter and Barbara Lee after a heated campaign.Schiff is projected to face Republican and former MLB player Steve Garvey in November.11:15 p.m. ETThe biggest prize of the night. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are projected to win their primaries in California, which carries the largest delegate count of all Super Tuesday states for both parties.11 p.m. ETPolls have closed in California, leaving Alaska as the lone state still with residents filling out Super Tuesday primary ballots.10:35 p.m. ETHanding former President Donald Trump his only blemish of Super Tuesday, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has won the Vermont Republican primary, according to AP.This is the second contest Haley has won so far, the first being Washington D.C.’s primary.10:25 p.m. ETFormer President Donald Trump took the stage at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, to speak to supporters after a successful Super Tuesday night for the GOP frontrunner.10:05 p.m. ETLittle-known candidate Jason Palmer has defeated President Joe Biden in the American Samoas Democratic caucuses, AP and CNN project. Out of 91 ballots cast, Palmer won 51 and Biden won 40, according to the local party.The massive upset prevents Biden from a clean sweep of the Super Tuesday contests.Meanwhile, Biden is projected to win the Democratic primary in Utah.10 p.m. ETPolls have closed in Utah, leaving just California and Alaska with polls still open.9:45 p.m. ETAP projects that Sarah Stewart has won the GOP nomination to replace the retiring chief justice on the Alabama Supreme Court, which recently drew national attention for its ruling recognizing frozen embryos as children.Stewart, a current associate justice on the court, was a part of the majority opinion that threatened access to IVF in the state.She will face Democrat and Circuit Judge Greg Griffin in November.Video below: Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are children; White House reacts9:30 p.m. ETOnly three states still have polls open; Utah, California and Alaska. It’s been a near-flawless night for both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who will look to finish out strong in the remaining states.9:25 p.m. ET In Minnesota, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are both projected to win their primaries, according to AP.Biden defeated longshot candidate U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who represents Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District. 9:10 p.m. ETMinutes after President Joe Biden was projected as the winner of his primary in Colorado, AP also said former President Donald Trump won the state’s GOP primary.Video below: Experts weigh in on Supreme Court’s decision to allow Donald Trump on ballots9:05 p.m. ETAlmost as soon as the polls closed in Colorado, President Joe Biden was tabbed as the winner of the Democratic primary, AP projected.Additionally, in Texas, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is projected to win the GOP primary for his seat in the Senate.9 p.m. ETPolls have closed in Colorado and Minnesota, leaving just a handful of states with polls still open. Also, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are projected to win their respective primaries in Texas, according to AP. Additionally, Trump has been declared the winner in the GOP primary in Arkansas. Biden took Arkansas earlier in the night.8:55 p.m. ETWhile it’s been mostly smooth sailing for the two frontrunners, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, one state is providing Trump a little trouble: Vermont. At the time of this update, Trump is only up on former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley by less than 800 votes, holding a 49.3% to 46.9% lead with less than half of the vote counted.8:50 p.m. ETFormer President Donald Trump has won the Republican primary in Massachusetts, according to AP.8:45 p.m. ETPresident Joe Biden is projected to win the Arkansas Democratic primary, according to AP. Biden is also projected to win in Alabama, as is former President Donald Trump in the state’s GOP primary.8:40 p.m. ETNorth Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore is projected to win the House Republican primary in the state’s 14th District, a top target for the GOP to flip in November thanks to redistricting. Video below: Some Massachusetts voters use Super Tuesday to send message to frontrunners8:30 p.m. ETAP is projecting that President Joe Biden is the winner of the Massachusetts and Maine Democratic primaries, meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is projected to win the Maine GOP primary8:20 p.m. ETNeither candidate has missed a state yet as Biden and Trump are projected to win their respective primaries in Oklahoma, according to AP.8:10 p.m. ETAP is projecting that President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will win the Tennessee Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively. The night is going as well as could be expected for the two candidates who will likely face off in a rematch this November.Video below: Large rally urging ‘no preference’ primary vote shuts down Massachusetts road8:05 p.m. ETPresident Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have been declared the winners of their respective primaries in North Carolina, according to AP.Additionally, AP projects that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has won the Republican primary for governor in North Carolina, and Josh Stein, the state’s attorney general, has won the Democratic primary, setting up a showdown in November that will garner many eyes nationally. 8 p.m. ETThe biggest round of states has closed the polls, including Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee.7:55 p.m. ETNearly two-thirds of North Carolina primary voters say that they’d consider former President Donald Trump fit for the presidency if he’s convicted of a crime, according to the initial results of CNN’s exit poll of Republican primary voters in the state, with slightly over half of GOP primary voters in Virginia saying the same.Roughly 4 in 10 primary voters in North Carolina describe themselves as part of the MAGA, or “Make America Great Again,” movement, compared to about one-third in Virginia. That’s below the 46% in Iowa’s caucuses who identified with the MAGA slogan. In South Carolina, about 41% of GOP primary voters described themselves as identifying with MAGA, with about one-third of New Hampshire GOP primary voters saying the same.Roughly 6 in 10 North Carolina GOP primary voters baselessly deny that President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win was legitimate, as do close to half of Virginia voters. Across all of the states of the GOP primary this year where entrance and exit polls have been conducted – including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina – none has seen a majority of the GOP electorate willing to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election.Exit polls are a valuable tool to help understand primary voters’ demographic profile and political views. Like all surveys, however, exit polls are estimates, not precise measurements of the electorate. 7:45 p.m. ETNikki Haley has pegged her Republican presidential campaign to the biggest day of the primary season, crossing the country over the last several days to visit Super Tuesday states.But the former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor is not holding any public events Tuesday night. And she has no future campaign rallies listed on her website.Haley’s campaign says she’s spending election night in the Charleston, South Carolina, area and watching results come in with her staff.7:40 p.m. ETPresident Joe Biden remains undefeated as AP projects that he will win the North Carolina Democratic primary.7:30 p.m. ETPolls have closed in North Carolina, the third state to begin counting votes on Super Tuesday.Video below: Trump hails Supreme Court decision to keep him on the ballot as a ‘great day’ for the country7:25 p.m. ETFormer President Donald Trump is projected to win the Virginia GOP primary, according to AP and CNN. It is his first win of the night.7:20 p.m. ETThe AP is projecting that President Joe Biden won the Vermont Democratic primary. Biden has gone a perfect three-for-three so far tonight, also notching victories in Virginia and Iowa.7:10 p.m. ETPresident Joe Biden is the projected winner of the Virginia Democratic presidential primary, according to AP. Biden was also declared the winner of the Iowa caucuses earlier in the night.7 p.m. ETPolls have closed in Vermont and Virginia, the first states of Super Tuesday. The next state to close its polls is North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET.
WASHINGTON —
The Super Tuesday primaries are the largest voting day of the year in the United States aside from the November general election.
Voters in 16 states and one territory are choosing presidential nominees. Some states are also deciding who should run for governor, senator or district attorneys.
Party primaries, caucuses or presidential preference votes are being held in Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.
Read below for the latest from Super Tuesday:
12:44 a.m. ET
Former Trump presidential campaign adviser Katrina Pierson advances to a Republican primary runoff in Texas for a legislative seat in the Dallas suburbs.
Pierson’s opponent in the May 28 runoff for the Texas House seat is Rep. Justin Holland. He was one of dozens of Republicans who voted last year to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Trump ally.
It’s not the first time Pierson has run for office in Texas. She lost a run for Congress in 2014 before becoming a spokesperson for Trump’s presidential campaign.
12:27 a.m. ET
Nikki Haley’s national campaign spokesperson Tuesday that the Republican candidate was honored to be the first GOP woman to win two presidential primary contests.
Despite her win in Vermont on Tuesday and her primary win in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Trump was notching more victories.
On the other side of the political aisle, Jason Palmer, 52, of Baltimore, told AP he knows he’s a longshot for the Democratic presidential nomination even after he won four delegates in American Samoa on Super Tuesday.
12:02 a.m. ET
Republican Steve Garvey is advancing to a November election to fill the California U.S. Senate seat held for three decades by the late Dianne Feinstein, a rare opportunity for the GOP to compete in a marquee statewide race in this Democratic stronghold.
Garvey also advances to a special election to complete the unexpired term of Feinstein.
Garvey will compete against Democrat Adam Schiff, who is currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
11:59 p.m. ET
Two Democrats advanced to a primary runoff election in the newly-drawn 2nd Congressional District in Alabama.
Anthony Daniels and Shomari Figures emerged from the crowded field Tuesday. The district is closely watched by Democrats as a potential pickup opportunity in the U.S. House.
11:35 p.m. ET
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred has secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas. Allred will face U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in November.
Emil Lippe
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) speaks to reporters following a special service on Jan. 17, 2022, in Southlake, Texas.
11:30 p.m. ET
AP projects that Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff will advance to the U.S. Senate general election in California, fending off fellow Democratic representatives Katie Porter and Barbara Lee after a heated campaign.
Schiff is projected to face Republican and former MLB player Steve Garvey in November.
11:15 p.m. ET
The biggest prize of the night. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are projected to win their primaries in California, which carries the largest delegate count of all Super Tuesday states for both parties.
Anadolu
U.S. President Joe Biden pays a visit to Culver City for his campaign at Julian Dixon in Los Angeles, California, United States on Feb. 21, 2024.
11 p.m. ET
Polls have closed in California, leaving Alaska as the lone state still with residents filling out Super Tuesday primary ballots.
10:35 p.m. ET
Handing former President Donald Trump his only blemish of Super Tuesday, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has won the Vermont Republican primary, according to AP.
This is the second contest Haley has won so far, the first being Washington D.C.’s primary.
10:25 p.m. ET
Former President Donald Trump took the stage at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, to speak to supporters after a successful Super Tuesday night for the GOP frontrunner.
10:05 p.m. ET
Little-known candidate Jason Palmer has defeated President Joe Biden in the American Samoas Democratic caucuses, AP and CNN project. Out of 91 ballots cast, Palmer won 51 and Biden won 40, according to the local party.
The massive upset prevents Biden from a clean sweep of the Super Tuesday contests.
Meanwhile, Biden is projected to win the Democratic primary in Utah.
10 p.m. ET
Polls have closed in Utah, leaving just California and Alaska with polls still open.
Stewart, a current associate justice on the court, was a part of the majority opinion that threatened access to IVF in the state.
She will face Democrat and Circuit Judge Greg Griffin in November.
Video below: Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are children; White House reacts
9:30 p.m. ET
Only three states still have polls open; Utah, California and Alaska. It’s been a near-flawless night for both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who will look to finish out strong in the remaining states.
9:25 p.m. ET
In Minnesota, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are both projected to win their primaries, according to AP.
Biden defeated longshot candidate U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who represents Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District.
9:10 p.m. ET
Minutes after President Joe Biden was projected as the winner of his primary in Colorado, AP also said former President Donald Trump won the state’s GOP primary.
Video below: Experts weigh in on Supreme Court’s decision to allow Donald Trump on ballots
9:05 p.m. ET
Almost as soon as the polls closed in Colorado, President Joe Biden was tabbed as the winner of the Democratic primary, AP projected.
Additionally, in Texas, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is projected to win the GOP primary for his seat in the Senate.
9 p.m. ET
Polls have closed in Colorado and Minnesota, leaving just a handful of states with polls still open.
Also, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are projected to win their respective primaries in Texas, according to AP. Additionally, Trump has been declared the winner in the GOP primary in Arkansas. Biden took Arkansas earlier in the night.
8:55 p.m. ET
While it’s been mostly smooth sailing for the two frontrunners, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, one state is providing Trump a little trouble: Vermont.
At the time of this update, Trump is only up on former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley by less than 800 votes, holding a 49.3% to 46.9% lead with less than half of the vote counted.
8:50 p.m. ET
Former President Donald Trump has won the Republican primary in Massachusetts, according to AP.
8:45 p.m. ET
President Joe Biden is projected to win the Arkansas Democratic primary, according to AP. Biden is also projected to win in Alabama, as is former President Donald Trump in the state’s GOP primary.
8:40 p.m. ET
North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore is projected to win the House Republican primary in the state’s 14th District, a top target for the GOP to flip in November thanks to redistricting.
Video below: Some Massachusetts voters use Super Tuesday to send message to frontrunners
8:30 p.m. ET
AP is projecting that President Joe Biden is the winner of the Massachusetts and Maine Democratic primaries, meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is projected to win the Maine GOP primary
8:20 p.m. ET
Neither candidate has missed a state yet as Biden and Trump are projected to win their respective primaries in Oklahoma, according to AP.
8:10 p.m. ET
AP is projecting that President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will win the Tennessee Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively. The night is going as well as could be expected for the two candidates who will likely face off in a rematch this November.
Video below: Large rally urging ‘no preference’ primary vote shuts down Massachusetts road
8:05 p.m. ET
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have been declared the winners of their respective primaries in NorthCarolina, according to AP.
Additionally, AP projects that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has won the Republican primary for governor in NorthCarolina, and Josh Stein, the state’s attorney general, has won the Democratic primary, setting up a showdown in November that will garner many eyes nationally.
8 p.m. ET
The biggest round of states has closed the polls, including Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee.
7:55 p.m. ET
Nearly two-thirds of North Carolina primary voters say that they’d consider former President Donald Trump fit for the presidency if he’s convicted of a crime, according to the initial results of CNN’s exit poll of Republican primary voters in the state, with slightly over half of GOP primary voters in Virginia saying the same.
Roughly 4 in 10 primary voters in North Carolina describe themselves as part of the MAGA, or “Make America Great Again,” movement, compared to about one-third in Virginia. That’s below the 46% in Iowa’s caucuses who identified with the MAGA slogan. In South Carolina, about 41% of GOP primary voters described themselves as identifying with MAGA, with about one-third of New Hampshire GOP primary voters saying the same.
Alex Wong
Supporters of Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump hold up signs as he speaks during a campaign event at Greensboro Coliseum on March 2, 2024, in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Roughly 6 in 10 North Carolina GOP primary voters baselessly deny that President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win was legitimate, as do close to half of Virginia voters. Across all of the states of the GOP primary this year where entrance and exit polls have been conducted – including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina – none has seen a majority of the GOP electorate willing to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election.
Exit polls are a valuable tool to help understand primary voters’ demographic profile and political views. Like all surveys, however, exit polls are estimates, not precise measurements of the electorate.
7:45 p.m. ET
Nikki Haley has pegged her Republican presidential campaign to the biggest day of the primary season, crossing the country over the last several days to visit Super Tuesday states.
But the former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor is not holding any public events Tuesday night. And she has no future campaign rallies listed on her website.
Haley’s campaign says she’s spending election night in the Charleston, South Carolina, area and watching results come in with her staff.
7:40 p.m. ET
President Joe Biden remains undefeated as AP projects that he will win the North Carolina Democratic primary.
7:30 p.m. ET
Polls have closed in North Carolina, the third state to begin counting votes on Super Tuesday.
Video below: Trump hails Supreme Court decision to keep him on the ballot as a ‘great day’ for the country
7:25 p.m. ET
Former President Donald Trump is projected to win the Virginia GOP primary, according to AP and CNN. It is his first win of the night.
7:20 p.m. ET
The AP is projecting that President Joe Biden won the Vermont Democratic primary. Biden has gone a perfect three-for-three so far tonight, also notching victories in Virginia and Iowa.
7:10 p.m. ET
President Joe Biden is the projected winner of the Virginia Democratic presidential primary, according to AP. Biden was also declared the winner of the Iowacaucuses earlier in the night.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Voters cast their ballots at the Philomont firehouse, on primary election day in Philomont, Virginia, on March 5, 2024.
7 p.m. ET
Polls have closed in Vermont and Virginia, the first states of Super Tuesday. The next state to close its polls is North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Sandy Smith (left) and Laurie Buckhout (right) are vying for the Republican nomination to run against incumbent Don Davis in North Carolina’s First Congressional District.
Laurie Buckhout, a combat veteran running for office for the first time, won the Republican nomination in North Carolina’s 1st congressional District.
Buckhout defeated Sandy Smith, who was twice the Republican nominee in the Eastern North Carolina district. She will move on to face incumbent Democrat Don Davis in November’s general election.
The Associated Press called the election for Buckholt at 11:15 p.m. At that time, Buckholt was leading by a margin of 30,421 to 25,853 votes with 255 of 281 precincts reporting.
Both candidates ran on policies in step with those supported by former President Donald Trump.
Buckhout, a retired U.S. Army colonel, started a consulting firm after retiring from the service in 2010 but has since sold it. Buckhout, who lives in Edenton, ran on border security, anti-abortion and pro-gun policies.
In a speech to supporters in Edenton Tuesday night, Buckholt criticized Davis, blasting his support for President Joe Biden, who she blamed for recent inflation. Buckholt described being on the campaign trail and talking with people who had to choose between buying gas to get to work or buying groceries.
“Here in the 1st district of North Carolina, Joe Biden and the Biden agenda have one name and that’s Don Davis. Don Davis has enabled all of Biden’s failures and if you want more of the same failures, vote Don Davis,” Buckholt said.
Democrats started their attacks on Buckholt Tuesday as well.
“After spending a decade in Virginia after retiring from military service, she moved to North Carolina to run for office. Laurie is an anti-abortion extremist, insurrection apologist, and transplant opportunist only looking out for herself,” U.S. Rep Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement Tuesday.
Smith, the more experienced candidate, was the Republican nominee for the seat in 2020 and 2022. Both times, she lost to a Democrat.
Smith attended election denial events on Jan. 6, 2021 on the Washington Mall but previously told The News & Observer she did not enter the Capitol. Smith, who lives in Rocky Mount, has said her platform is anti-abortion, pro-gun, pro-military.
Davis is serving his first term in the U.S. House following the retirement of longtime Democratic Congressman G.K. Butterfield.
If Buckhout wins in the general election, she would become the first member of the GOP to represent the 1st congressional district since 1883.
Largely rural, the 1st congressional district runs along the Virginia border from Currituck County in the east to Vance County in the west, looping in Nash and Wilson counties before also drawing in Kinston and Goldsboro.
The district is widely expected to be the most competitive in the state after the N.C. General Assembly completed redistricting in October 2023.
“It’s the only competitive district in the state,” Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University, previously told The News & Observer.
The district’s voters have been somewhat fluid politically in recent elections, with 52% of those who voted casting ballots for Republican Ted Budd in the 2022 U.S. Senate race. That was a change from the 2020 U.S. Senate race, when voters narrowly went Democratic.
The district could also carry national significance, if control of the U.S. House of Representatives remains tightly contested.
A Buckholt victory could mean it will be more difficult for Davis to win re-election, Cook Political Report Executive Editor Amy Walters said during a Tuesday appearance on The New York Times’ The Run-Up podcast.
“If we’re talking about the House as being a battle of inches, then this is one of those inches,” Walter said.
Adam Wagner covers climate change and other environmental issues in North Carolina. His work is produced with financial support from the Hartfield Foundation and Green South Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. Wagner’s previous work at The News & Observer included coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and North Carolina’s recovery from recent hurricanes. He previously worked at the Wilmington StarNews.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump won the Michigan primaries on Tuesday, further solidifying the all-but-certain rematch between the two men.Biden defeated Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, his one significant opponent left in the Democratic primary. But Democrats were also closely watching the results of the “uncommitted” vote, as Michigan has become the epicenter for dissatisfied members of Biden’s coalition that propelled him to victory in the state — and nationally — in 2020. The number of “uncommitted” votes has already surpassed the 10,000-vote margin by which Trump won Michigan in 2016, surpassing a goal set by organizers of this year’s protest effort.As for Trump, he has now swept the first five states on the Republican primary calendar. His victory in Michigan over his last major primary challenger, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, comes after the former president defeated her by 20 percentage points in her home state of South Carolina on Saturday. The Trump campaign is looking to lock up the 1,215 delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination sometime in mid-March.Both campaigns are watching Tuesday’s results for more than just whether they won as expected. For Biden, a large number of voters choosing “uncommitted” could mean he’s in significant trouble with parts of the Democratic base in a state he can hardly afford to lose in November. Trump, meanwhile, has underperformed with suburban voters and people with a college degree, and faces a faction within his own party that believes he broke the law in one or more of the criminal cases against him.Biden has already sailed to wins in South Carolina, Nevada and New Hampshire. The New Hampshire victory came via a write-in campaign as Biden did not formally appear on the ballot after the state broke the national party rules by going ahead of South Carolina, which had been designated to go first among the Democratic nominating contests.Both the White House and Biden campaign officials have made trips to Michigan in recent weeks to talk with community leaders about the Israel-Hamas war and how Biden has approached the conflict, but those leaders, along with organizers of the “uncommitted” effort, have been undeterred.The robust grassroots effort, which has been encouraging voters to select “uncommitted” as a way to register objections to his handling of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, has been Biden’s most significant political challenge in the early contests. That push, which began in earnest just a few weeks ago, has been backed by officials such as Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman in Congress, and former Rep. Andy Levin.Our Revolution, the organizing group once tied to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., had also urged progressive voters to choose “uncommitted” Tuesday, saying it would send a message to Biden to “change course NOW on Gaza or else risk losing Michigan to Trump in November.”Trump’s dominance of the early states is unparalleled since 1976, when Iowa and New Hampshire began their tradition of holding the first nominating contests. He has won resounding support from most pockets of the Republican voting base, including evangelical voters, conservatives and those who live in rural areas. But Trump has struggled with college-educated voters, losing that bloc in South Carolina to Haley on Saturday night.Even senior figures in the Republican Party who have been skeptical of Trump are increasingly falling in line. South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican who has been critical of the party’s standard-bearer, endorsed Trump for president on Sunday.Still, Haley has vowed to continue her campaign through at least Super Tuesday on March 5, pointing to a not-insignificant swath of Republican primary voters who have continued to support her despite Trump’s tightening grip on the GOP.She also outraised Trump’s primary campaign committee by almost $3 million in January. That indicates that some donors continue to look at Haley, despite her longshot prospects, as an alternative to Trump should his legal problems imperil his chances of becoming the nominee.Two of Trump’s political committees raised just $13.8 million in January, according to campaign finance reports released last week, while collectively spending more than they took in. Much of the money spent from Trump’s political committees is the millions of dollars in legal fees to cover his court cases.With nominal intraparty challengers, Biden has been able to focus on beefing up his cash reserves. The Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee announced last week that it had raised $42 million in contributions during January from 422,000 donors.The president ended the month with $130 million in cash on hand, which campaign officials said is the highest total ever raised by any Democratic candidate at this point in the presidential cycle.The Republican Party is also aligning behind Trump as he continued to be besieged with legal problems that will pull him from the campaign trail as the November election nears. He is facing 91 criminal changes across four separate cases, ranging from his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost, to retaining classified documents after his presidency to allegedly arranging secret payoffs to an adult film actor.His first criminal trial, in the case involving hush money payments to porn actor Stormy Daniels, is scheduled to begin on March 25 in New York.___Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan; and Corey Williams in Dearborn, Michigan, contributed to this report.
Biden defeated Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, his one significant opponent left in the Democratic primary. But Democrats were also closely watching the results of the “uncommitted” vote, as Michigan has become the epicenter for dissatisfied members of Biden’s coalition that propelled him to victory in the state — and nationally — in 2020. The number of “uncommitted” votes has already surpassed the 10,000-vote margin by which Trump won Michigan in 2016, surpassing a goal set by organizers of this year’s protest effort.
As for Trump, he has now swept the first five states on the Republican primary calendar. His victory in Michigan over his last major primary challenger, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, comes after the former president defeated her by 20 percentage points in her home state of South Carolina on Saturday. The Trump campaign is looking to lock up the 1,215 delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination sometime in mid-March.
Both campaigns are watching Tuesday’s results for more than just whether they won as expected. For Biden, a large number of voters choosing “uncommitted” could mean he’s in significant trouble with parts of the Democratic base in a state he can hardly afford to lose in November. Trump, meanwhile, has underperformed with suburban voters and people with a college degree, and faces a faction within his own party that believes he broke the law in one or more of the criminal cases against him.
Biden has already sailed to wins in South Carolina, Nevada and New Hampshire. The New Hampshire victory came via a write-in campaign as Biden did not formally appear on the ballot after the state broke the national party rules by going ahead of South Carolina, which had been designated to go first among the Democratic nominating contests.
Both the White House and Biden campaign officials have made trips to Michigan in recent weeks to talk with community leaders about the Israel-Hamas war and how Biden has approached the conflict, but those leaders, along with organizers of the “uncommitted” effort, have been undeterred.
The robust grassroots effort, which has been encouraging voters to select “uncommitted” as a way to register objections to his handling of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, has been Biden’s most significant political challenge in the early contests. That push, which began in earnest just a few weeks ago, has been backed by officials such as Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman in Congress, and former Rep. Andy Levin.
Our Revolution, the organizing group once tied to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., had also urged progressive voters to choose “uncommitted” Tuesday, saying it would send a message to Biden to “change course NOW on Gaza or else risk losing Michigan to Trump in November.”
Trump’s dominance of the early states is unparalleled since 1976, when Iowa and New Hampshire began their tradition of holding the first nominating contests. He has won resounding support from most pockets of the Republican voting base, including evangelical voters, conservatives and those who live in rural areas. But Trump has struggled with college-educated voters, losing that bloc in South Carolina to Haley on Saturday night.
Even senior figures in the Republican Party who have been skeptical of Trump are increasingly falling in line. South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican who has been critical of the party’s standard-bearer, endorsed Trump for president on Sunday.
Still, Haley has vowed to continue her campaign through at least Super Tuesday on March 5, pointing to a not-insignificant swath of Republican primary voters who have continued to support her despite Trump’s tightening grip on the GOP.
She also outraised Trump’s primary campaign committee by almost $3 million in January. That indicates that some donors continue to look at Haley, despite her longshot prospects, as an alternative to Trump should his legal problems imperil his chances of becoming the nominee.
Two of Trump’s political committees raised just $13.8 million in January, according to campaign finance reports released last week, while collectively spending more than they took in. Much of the money spent from Trump’s political committees is the millions of dollars in legal fees to cover his court cases.
With nominal intraparty challengers, Biden has been able to focus on beefing up his cash reserves. The Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee announced last week that it had raised $42 million in contributions during January from 422,000 donors.
The president ended the month with $130 million in cash on hand, which campaign officials said is the highest total ever raised by any Democratic candidate at this point in the presidential cycle.
The Republican Party is also aligning behind Trump as he continued to be besieged with legal problems that will pull him from the campaign trail as the November election nears. He is facing 91 criminal changes across four separate cases, ranging from his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost, to retaining classified documents after his presidency to allegedly arranging secret payoffs to an adult film actor.
His first criminal trial, in the case involving hush money payments to porn actor Stormy Daniels, is scheduled to begin on March 25 in New York.
___
Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan; and Corey Williams in Dearborn, Michigan, contributed to this report.
Nikki Haley leaves a campaign stop in Camden on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024
Tracy Glantz
tglantz@thestate.com
COLUMBIA, S.C.
After being flattened by Donald Trump in her home state primary, Nikki Haley is now 0-for-5 in 2024 Republican presidential nominating contests.
And yet over the next week, she’s scheduled to campaign in another six states, beginning in Michigan, where she is likely to endure another emphatic defeat on Tuesday by a margin even larger than her South Carolina loss.
Considerable financial resources are allowing Haley to soldier on, but the long-term cost may be a viable future for her inside a Trump-first Republican Party. Her pledge to “campaign until the last person votes” without a realistic path for victory suggests she’s come to terms with it.
“As it relates to her future in politics, I’m skeptical she has one, at least in today’s GOP,” said Jason Cabel Roe, a Detroit-based Republican consultant. “She more closely resembles the Bush-neocon-big business GOP than the modern populist GOP.”
Even if Trump is struck by lightning or sent to prison as a result of one of his criminal trials and a contested GOP convention unfolds at the Republican National Convention this summer, “there’s a better shot a Ron DeSantis could get it than a Nikki Haley,” Terry Sullivan, the GOP consultant who ran Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential bid, said on a Puck podcast this week. “Because right now she’s just hurting herself with the base.”
Haley’s willingness to shrug off bruising home-state repudiation also speaks to the nationalization of all modern politics. With voters more loyal to sweeping movements and galvanizing ideologies that cross state borders, Haley has morphed into the last woman willing to sound the alarm on the political risk Trump poses to her party, despite abundant early polling showing his strength against President Biden.
Haley’s crusade now, revealed candidly by her campaign manager Betsy Ankney on a Friday Zoom call with the press, is about showcasing how Trump can’t win a general election.
If not Never Trump, it’s close to Not Trump.
“He will not defeat Joe Biden in November and he will drag the entire Republican ticket down with him,” Ankney proclaimed. “If Trump is the nominee, the House is gone.”
There’s a long history of candidates revising their assessments of their rivals once the primary has concluded. Trump’s campaign believes Haley will “kiss ass when she quits” and sign on with the former president who named her ambassador to the United Nations.
Even under the most generous circumstances for Haley, Trump’s campaign has projected he’ll have the delegates necessary to clinch the GOP nomination by March 19.
So while Haley is girded for battle through March 5th’s Super Tuesday – when 15 states and American Samoa cast ballots – she’ll face another inflection point on the purpose of her candidacy once Trump hits the magic number of delegates in mid-March.
Thirty-two years ago, Republican firebrand Pat Buchanan continued his 1992 campaign even after acknowledging President George Bush had amassed the delegates needed to be the GOP nominee by mid March. But Buchanan toned down his anti-Bush rhetoric and eventually turned his fire on Democrats in a rip-roaring convention speech.
On the Democratic side, Jerry Brown stayed in the race as an alternative to Bill Clinton through the national convention. The national exposure didn’t ever land him the presidency, but propelled him back into the governorship of California.
These could serve as models for Haley, who has built a large national network of supporters, volunteers and donors she could tap for a future endeavor inside or outside of politics.
“It allows her and her campaign to build connections on the grassroots level in state after state. If you bail out early, you just don’t go through those exercises in recruiting volunteers and paying county leaders across the country, and sort of team bank and phone captains,” said Timothy Head, executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “This is the first time she has raised really large amounts of money from national donors. It also gives her prolonged exposure and bonding to a lot of those donors who probably … have experienced some pause with Donald Trump.”
Trump is the only person who may hold more sway over Haley’s future than the former South Carolina governor herself. Political survival in the modern Republican Party nearly requires making penance with Trump.
Just listen to Rep. Nancy Mace, a former Trump critic who now faces a Low Country primary herself.
“We should question any Republican not supporting Donald Trump, question their motives. There’s no reason for us to continue to take shots at Donald Trump when he’s going to be the nominee,” Mace told right-wing media outlet One America News on Saturday.
Trump has made peace with countless rivals before, once they pledge their allegiance and unflinching loyalty. Haley’s bigger problem might be his unrelenting ecosystem of adherents.
“She’s done as a Republican after this and she doesn’t care,” tweeted Newsmax anchor Rob Schmitt. “She’ll be a mainstream staple, sell out the country, be rich & popular.”
David Catanese is a national political correspondent for McClatchy in Washington. He’s covered campaigns for more than a decade, previously working at U.S. News & World Report and Politico. Prior to that he was a television reporter for NBC affiliates in Missouri and North Dakota. You can send tips, smart takes and critiques to dcatanese@mcclatchydc.com.
Javon L. Harris is a politics and legislative reporter for The State. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. Before coming to South Carolina, Javon covered breaking news, local government and social justice for The Gainesville Sun in Florida. Support my work with a digital subscription
Each week, join Dawn Vaughan for The News & Observer and NC Insider’s Under the Dome podcast, an in-depth analysis of topics in state government and politics for North Carolina.
Hello and welcome to your Under the Dome newsletter. Avi Bajpai here.
The North Carolina primary election is a little more than two weeks away, and in-person early voting has begun.
Through 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, North Carolinians can visit an early voting site, the locations of which can be found on the website of the State Board of Elections, and cast their ballots. You’ll need to bring your photo ID when you go to vote. If you’re unsure which races are on your ballot, you can find your specific sample ballot on the election board’s website as well.
Last week, we took a look at the governor’s race, and what the Democrats, Libertarians and Republicans running for the state’s highest elected office had to say about the issue of casinos in their responses to the candidate questionnaires we sent them.
Since then, GOP legislative leaders have said the chances of a casino bill being voted on during the upcoming short session are slim, although separate action to legalize video lottery terminals could still happen, Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi reported.
This week, we’re taking a look at the answers to our questionnaires from the three Democrats running for attorney general, the other prominent, high-profile race that is on the ballot this year.
In each of these questionnaires the candidates answered a range of questions, but today, we’re focusing on what Jeff Jackson, Satana Deberry and Tim Dunn told us regarding their priorities for the attorney general’s office, how they think law enforcement agencies can recruit and retain more officers, and if there’s an issue on which they disagree with their party.
Top priorities as attorney general
▪ Jeff Jackson: “The fentanyl epidemic is killing people in our state each day. As attorney general, I would support a two-front approach that targets both supply and demand. That means advocating for effective addiction treatment for users as well as aggressively pursuing the elements of organized crime that traffic fentanyl into our state and distribute it via a number of regional cells.”
▪ Satana Deberry: “The protection of reproductive rights and health care access; the protection of voting rights and prevention of political violence; the consumer protection of North Carolinians against scams, wage and labor theft, and environmental degradation.”
▪ Tim Dunn: “Protect constitutional rights: of life and liberty, to vote, of public safety, and women’s rights • Reduce gun violence and violent crime: by supporting local and state law enforcement and district attorneys • Improve: juvenile justice system • End: fentanyl and opioid epidemic • Prosecute: corporate criminals and environmental polluters.”
How can law enforcement agencies recruit and retain more officers?
▪ Jeff Jackson: “I have supported state and federal efforts to pay our officers more. There is no way to recruit and retain high-level talent without offering competitive compensation. I fully support high standards for training, but if we raise our expectations for officers we need to also raise their salaries. Otherwise, many of them will find alternative employment that doesn’t regularly put them in harm’s way.”
▪ Satana Deberry: “State and local agencies all have the same problem — they do not pay people enough to do jobs that are difficult and require a high level of skill. Many officers cannot afford to live in the communities in which they work. This creates a situation where those officers have less investment in the public safety of that community.”
▪ Tim Dunn: “Law enforcement is an honorable, selfless, sacrificial, dangerous, yet vital role, in our society. We must show our law enforcement the respect they are rightfully entitled to and thank them for protecting and serving us. We must provide them the best training. I will require a thorough review of our training standards to ensure we provide the best training. We must provide proper recognition, including increased pay. They do not get paid a proper salary for the services that they provide.”
An issue where you disagree with your party
▪ Jeff Jackson: “My party made an enormous mistake by not ending gerrymandering and enacting independent redistricting when it had the chance. Now the other party is in power, and they’re making the same mistake by refusing to allow an independent redistricting process. No matter which party is in power, when politicians use partisan redistricting to favor themselves, the voters lose. We have needed independent redistricting for a long time, and I fully support it.”
▪ Satana Deberry: “My position on every issue is the position that supports the constitutions of North Carolina and the United States.”
▪ Tim Dunn: “(Neither) the far-left fringes, nor the far-right fringes of each political party need to be running our government. We need public servant-leaders, regardless of political party, who are dedicated to preserving our U.S. and N.C. constitutions, uphold the rule of law, and will abide by the oaths they swore to. Our government, from city hall to the White House, is only as good and effective as the people we elect to represent us. That is precisely why I am running to serve as our N.C. attorney general.”
That’s all for today. Check your inbox on Sunday for more #ncpol news.
Avi Bajpai is a state politics reporter for The News & Observer. He previously covered breaking news and public safety. Contact him at abajpai@newsobserver.com or (919) 346-4817.
South Carolina held the first official Democratic presidential primary Saturday. But as the polls closed, President Biden was 2,400 miles away, in Los Angeles, stepping off Air Force One.
Biden’s victory in the Palmetto State was a foregone conclusion, and his campaign invested significant time there leading up to the primary.
So Biden headed west. He and First Lady Jill Biden landed at LAX around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and were greeted by Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Maxine Waters before the president choppered to the Santa Monica Airport and his wife left separately for an event.
It’s unclear what they did while in Los Angeles. They had no public events, and there were no fundraisers known to be taking place.
Biden had an afternoon campaign meeting at a historic Bel Air estate owned by director George Lucas.
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Republicans predictably grumbled about Biden’s decision not to visit South Carolina on Saturday, which they claimed was a slight by the incumbent.
“It just goes to show you how much he cares about actually coming and how serious he’s taking it,” said Abby Zilch, spokeswoman for the South Carolina Republican Party. “He and Kamala have spent the last three months coming down to South Carolina, telling South Carolina Democratic voters how much they’re grateful for their party here and how much South Carolina means to them. Yet he was all the way across the country on the day of the Democrats’ first primary.”
Shortly after Air Force One landed at the Los Angeles International Airport, news broke that Biden had easily won the South Carolina primary.
The state saved his 2020 presidential campaign after he was trounced in Iowa and New Hampshire and finished a distant second in Nevada. An endorsement from Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) and the enthusiastic support of Black voters in the state gave Biden an overwhelming victory and provided momentum heading into the Super Tuesday primaries, which were critical to him becoming the Democratic nominee.
In return, the Democratic National Committee, at Biden’s behest, overhauled the 2024 nominating calendar, officially making South Carolina the first state to hold a primary. The move was ostensibly meant to give a greater voice to diverse voters in the early stages of the race, compared with caucuses and a primary in overwhelmingly white Iowa and New Hampshire; it was largely viewed as a gift to South Carolina for saving Biden’s 2020 campaign.
The president, Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have spent considerable time in South Carolina promoting the Biden campaign.
On Friday, Harris spoke to supporters at South Carolina State University, a historically Black college. After a drumline performed, Harris was introduced by the reigning Miss South Carolina State and touted the administration’s efforts to cancel student loan debt, cap insulin costs and boost the economy.
“President Biden and I are guided by a fundamental belief: We work for you, the American people. And every day, we fight for you,” she said. “Sadly, however, that is not true for everyone. Case in point: Donald Trump. Former President Trump has made clear time and time again: His fight is not for the people. He fights for himself.”
Scott Huffmon, a political science professor at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., noted the frequency of visits by Democrats and their surrogates, including Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who visited his home county on Friday.
“This is repayment for what South Carolina did for Joe Biden, but on a larger scale, South Carolina is so stunningly important to the national Democratic presidential process that keeping this relationship tight and warm is incredibly important,” Huffmon said.
He added that he doesn’t think most Palmetto State Democrats would have a problem with Biden spending primary night in Los Angeles, given South Carolina’s rightward tilt in the general election. Trump easily carried the state in the 2020 presidential election. The last time a Democrat won there in the general election was 1976, and the candidate was a fellow Southerner, Jimmy Carter.
“He’s paid his fealty. He’s done his bows and curtsies, and now realism sets in. He’s not going to win South Carolina in November,” Huffmon said. “So the repayment of the debt has happened. Now reality sets in.”
Indeed, on Sunday, Biden heads to campaign events in Nevada, which is holding its Democratic primary Tuesday and is pivotal to his reelection bid.
Voting in the general election is important: That’s been well established. But do you know what else is crucial? Hitting the polling place in the primaries.
Primary elections are coming up fast in Texas, when voters will pick their party’s nominees in races for the state Legislature, Congress and the White House. Early voting doesn’t start until later this month, and Election Day is on March 5, but there’s another majorly important date that you’ll want to mark down in your calendars.
Monday — yes, this coming Monday — is the last day to register to vote if you want to cast a ballot in the upcoming primaries.
But if heading to the polling place is a challenge, don’t worry: There’s an organization that can help get you there. Rideshare2Vote will deploy someone to pick you up, take you to the polling place and then drop you off back home. For free.
Founder Sarah Kovich explained that there are three ways that folks can schedule their rides: They can download the app, fill out a web form or call 888-977-2250.
“Once they are registered, our job is to schedule and get them a roundtrip ride to vote,” Kovich said.
Here’s the skinny on registering to vote in the upcoming primary.
Election season is here, which means it’s time to check your voter registration status!
🗳️ The last day to register to vote in the upcoming March Primary is Monday, February 5th. Visit https://t.co/2hJyF2kwm0 to check your current status or find a voter registration application. pic.twitter.com/WjAKvAsJfm
If neither of those options work, call 469-627-8683 (VOTE) to request an application by phone or send an email to [email protected]. Another choice: Pick up an application from your local library, tax or other government office.
If you mail in your application, by the way, it will need to have been postmarked by the Monday deadline.
“It is a very powerful experience to go and vote, even if your vote loses.” – Sarah Kovich, Rideshare2Vote
“What we would really like is for there to be online voter registration in Texas so that we can make it as easy as possible for every eligible citizen to be able to register and be able to vote,” Kovich said.
Folks who are renewing their driver’s licenses online may register to vote at the same time; it’s Texas’ only exception to online registration. Kovich pointed out that those signing up for a license at the DMV can check a voter registration box during the process.
Why Should I Vote in the Primaries?
Primary elections allow voters to choose who they want to see represent their party in the general election. For instance, liberals can cast a ballot picking a Democratic challenger to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, such as U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio or state Rep. Carl Sherman of DeSoto.
The way Kovich sees it, voting in the primaries demonstrates the strength of one’s conviction. It also gets people used to casting a ballot, just like they’ve (ostensibly) built the habit of going to the barber or dentist.
“Research shows that once you show up, you kind of keep showing up,” Kovich said. “And I believe that that’s because it is a very powerful experience to go and vote, even if your vote loses.”
Unfortunately, few would use the adjective “sexy” to describe voting, Kovich said, but it is the way that you can make your voice heard. And that’s empowering in and of itself. Those who want to experience the gratification of helping others participate in democracy can volunteer with Rideshare2Vote.
Not every seat will have challengers in the primary, but there are plenty such races this time around. For example, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett will be tasked with defeating two other Democrats, and state Rep. Angie Chen Button, a Richardson Republican, will need to beat a conservative opponent.
Kovich urges Texans to get out the vote this election: “People need to make sure that the person that they want on the ballot in November, that they vote for them in the primary.”
With only about ten days to go, we will soon be seeing the first presidential contest of 2024 with the Iowa caucus.
And according to CNN – yes, CNN – Donald Trump is absolutely killing it.
The Daily Caller reported, “CNN Data Reporter: Trump Has CNN’s senior data reporter Harry Enten said Thursday that former President Donald Trump has the ‘strongest’ poll numbers in the ‘history’ of the Iowa caucus.”
The numbers have to be discouraging for the campaigns of challengers Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, who are both counting on a strong showing in early states.
The story noted, “Trump is currently leading the Republican candidates in both New Hampshire and Iowa at 46% and 51% respectively, according to RealClearPolitics. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is trailing Trump by 24.8% and 16% in both states respectively.”
Harry Enten was emphatic about how strong Trump’s numbers were in Iowa:
“It’s an enormous lead!” Enten exclaimed. “I’m gonna show the trend line for the Des Moines Register poll which is the premier poll in that state. And what you essentially see here is Donald Trump has only gotten stronger. He was at 43% in October. Look where he is now. More than a majority, more than 50%, a majority at 51%. And you see Ron DeSantis within the margin of error where he was in October. Look at Nikki Haley, she’s stable. This is an over 30-point advantage with Trump getting a majority of the vote. And I want to put this in a historic context for you. Just how large Trump’s lead is. These are folks who polled at 45% or greater in Iowa at this point. All before Trump won the caucuses. Mondale in ’84, Bush in 2000, Gore in 2000, Hillary Clinton in 2016, and now we see Trump in 2024.
I would note, in fact, Trump is the only one to actually be at greater than 50% of the vote. The rest of these folks were at 50% of the vote or lower.”
“It’s a foregone conclusion. There is no other way. No one ever says never. But in Iowa, Donald Trump is absolutely going to win and I will be watching to see if he gets more or less 50% of the vote.”@FrankLuntz joins @Boris_Sanchez to offer his Iowa caucus predictions. pic.twitter.com/GgjGML93Wb
Iowa is not necessarily indicative of how all the upcoming primaries and caucuses will go in the various states.
In 2016, Ted Cruz won Iowa and went down in flames to Donald Trump. In 2012, Rick Santorum won Iowa, only to be blown out of the water by Mitt Romney.
In 2008, eventual winner John McCain took last place in Iowa.
But if Donald Trump is currently outpacing every other candidate in the history of such an event, it’s worth paying attention to.
2024 has only just begun.
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is a professional writer and editor with over 15 years of experience in conservative media and Republican politics. He has been a special guest on Fox News, Sirius XM, appeared as the guest of various popular personalities, and has had a lifelong interest in right-leaning politics.
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It just honestly seems like search engines are getting worse in general. Whether it’s the fact their primary focus is on ads, or maybe it’s the websites they link to just trying to show up, but it just seems like you can never actually find what you want when you search, just someone selling something.
Mark your calendars. On August 23, Republicans who qualify to participate will take the stage for the first presidential debate. It’s always a big night for any candidate who can steal the TV sound bites and headlines: A strong performance can mean a path to the nomination and perhaps the presidency.
But for those who fail the test and melt under the spotlight, it can also mean the end of the line.
There are arguably three prime opportunities for an aspiring presidential nominee to truly move the dial of public awareness: the announcement that he or she is running; the nomination of his or her vice presidential choice at the convention (along with both candidates’ convention speeches); and his or her debate appearances.
It’s the debates, however, that can be the ultimate X factor, good or bad, in determining the fortunes of a candidate. Because they’re the one platform where candidates have an opportunity to show their skills relative to the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. Voters want to see candidates in that arena. Without teleprompters. Without scripts. Without aides whispering into their ears. It is arguable that it was the 2016 debates, forums, and town halls—more than 40 of them!—that, for better or for worse, gave us GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. (Okay, I’ll amend that: for worse.)
And if there is one cold, hard truth I can impart, it is this: If you blow it on the debate stage, there’s no net to catch you when you fall. You have competitors and moderators who are ready to strafe you the moment you falter. A sizable audience will be tuned in (or will be sure to watch the highlight—or the lowlight—reel online). And the cameras will record every hair-raising moment—from the smallest verbal stumble to the last droplet of flop sweat.
There’s a long list of aspirants who failed the test and paid the price. Here are my top five.
5. Richard Nixon. The first guy to blow a televised candidate debate was the first guy to appear in one. And because then vice president Richard Nixon, in 1960, did not fully understand the power of television, he lost the debate that evening to then Massachusetts senator John F. Kennedy—and, arguably, the presidency. Nixon, because he was relatively unfamiliar with the medium (his infamous 1952 “Checkers” speech aside), prepared for the event as if it were taking place on radio. Which meant he didn’t apply basic television makeup and looked like he hadn’t shaved. So he came off looking sweaty and swarthy. And because Nixon didn’t know where to look—at the camera, at the audience, at Kennedy, or at the moderator, CBS’s Howard K. Smith—his eyes darted around. Which made him look even shiftier. A bronzed, youthful, commanding Kennedy, looking at ease, easily won the night—and, eventually, the White House.
