Latest 2025 2026 Elections Coverage News | Fox News

Republican seeks blue-state breakthrough, distances from Trump while taking aim at 'socialist'

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:46 -0400

RANDOLPH, N.J. — As he works to flip a vacant U.S. House seat in a blue-leaning district in northern New Jersey, Republican Joe Hathaway is not shy about pointing out where he disagrees with President Donald Trump, even as he charges that his Democratic rival is too far to the left.

"I'm going to call balls and strikes in this race. I'm not going to be a rubber stamp for anybody," Hathaway said in a Fox News Digital interview this week, when asked about Trump.

Hathaway is facing off against Democrat Analilia Mejia, who is backed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of neighboring New York, in Thursday's special election in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District. The winner will succeed Gov. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic representative who stepped down from Congress in November after winning New Jersey's gubernatorial election.

Thursday's special election comes as the GOP clings to a fragile House majority, and would relish the opportunity to flip a suburban district Sherrill won by 15 points in her 2024 re-election and carried by roughly the same margin in last year's gubernatorial election. But facing a rough political climate and traditional political headwinds as the party in power, that's a tough task for a candidate with an R by his name.

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Regardless, a confident Hathaway said, "I think we are going to have a broad coalition come together to choose common sense over socialism in this race."

Mejia, a progressive organizer who served as national political director on the 2020 Sanders presidential campaign, pulled off an upset in the February Democratic primary as she narrowly edged out more moderate rival former Rep. Tom Malinowski in a field of 11 candidates. While Mejia was the clear choice of the party's left flank, the rest of the field appeared to divide the more moderate and center-left vote.

Her victory was another boost for the left against the establishment after democratic socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sent shock waves across the nation with his Democratic primary victory in June 2025.

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Hathaway, a former Randolph Township mayor and current council member who was uncontested for the GOP congressional nomination, emphasized that the choice for voters is "between a common sense, practical independent leader who's gotten things done at the local level in New Jersey and knows the issues, contrasted with someone who's running on pure ideology, far left-wing ideology, Squad-backed ideology."

Mejia recently appeared at a town hall with Malinowski and this past weekend teamed up with Sherrill on the campaign trail, as she aims to unite Democrats, who enjoy a sizable registration advantage in the district.

Hathaway claimed that Mejia is now trying "to hide from that a little bit in some of her rhetoric, because she knows that those policies are completely out of touch, but it's not fooling voters. It's certainly not fooling us."

Jewish voters make up a key part of the district's electorate, and Hathaway, in the only debate in the special election showdown, claimed Mejia was antisemitic, noting that she has said Israel committed genocide in Gaza.

"She blamed Israel for the attacks by Hamas on October 7," Hathaway said. "I think Jewish individuals across this district, Republican or Democrat are very afraid of this kind of rhetoric."

Hathaway said, "I've spoken to more members of the Jewish community who have told me they've never voted for a Republican in their life, who are going to vote for me in this race. I mean, that shows you where the Jewish community is on the importance of this race and how they are not aligned with Mejia... and her platform."

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Mejia has pledged to "protect the rights of Jewish constituents," and has said her criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza should not be conflated with antisemitism.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Mejia said that "Joe Hathaway’s inability to distinguish between criticism of a government or government official and bigotry is troubling and disgusting in equal measure."

Mejia last week wrote that she was "honored" after being endorsed by the liberal pro-Israel political group J Street PAC. But her acceptance of the endorsement triggered pushback on the left, with the North Jersey Democratic Socialists of America calling her move a "heel turn."

Hathaway, as he aims to win over independents and Democrats, is pointing out where he agrees, and disagrees, with Trump, who lost the district by eight points in his 2024 presidential election victory.

"I’m always going to do what’s right for this district first. And I’ve been clear: If the president’s going to do things that are good for the district, increasing the SALT cap deduction, putting money back in people’s pockets, especially New Jersey, affordability is so tough here. If we’re doing things like border security, reducing fentanyl deaths like we’ve seen in our community. Those are good things. I support those policies," Hathaway said.

"But on the other hand, if the president's going to do things that aren't in the best interest of our district, it's my job to push back, and that's exactly what I've done," he spotlighted.

Hathaway pointed to Trump's move last year to terminate billions of federal dollars for the Gateway Project, which is funding a new train tunnel under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey and New York, and the president's plans to cut roughly 1,000 jobs and nearly $1 billion in funding for an Army base located in New Jersey.

"I'm going to call balls and strikes in this race. I'm not going to be a rubber stamp for anybody," Hathaway said.

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Hathaway said his message to independents and Democrats is, "even if you've never voted for a Republican before, you got the chance to test drive one for the next six months. Send me to Washington. Let me prove to you I'm going to do what I say I'm going to do, and that's how we're going to build the coalition to win."

And he touted, "I think we have the right math, the right bipartisan coalition to come together to win this thing on April 16."

But Dan Cassino, a Fairleigh Dickinson University political science professor and pollster, calls Hathaway's hopes of capturing crossover Democrats "a pipe dream."

"Democrats as a whole do not seem interested in finding common ground with Trump," he said as he predicted that most voters in the special election will be strong partisans. "Democratic turnout is through the roof and Republican turnout is depressed at this point."

Cassino noted that "right now national politics drives everything. We say all politics is local. Today, unfortunately, all politics is national."

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Mejia, meanwhile, has tied Hathaway to Trump and Republicans in Congress.

"MAGA Republicans are driving up everyday costs with extreme policies my opponent supports. Healthcare and critical programs are being gutted just to fund tax breaks for the ultra-rich. We can’t afford another vote for Trump in Congress," she wrote in a social media post.

Jimmy Kimmel ignores Swalwell news after ex-lawmaker announced campaign on late-night host's show last year

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:46:29 -0400

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel ignored news regarding Eric Swalwell during his Monday night show after the former Democratic congressman and candidate for California governor announced his campaign on the late-night host's show in November.

Swalwell broke the news that he would be running for governor on Kimmel's show on Nov. 20, 2025.

At the end of the interview, Kimmel thanked Swalwell and referred to him as a possible future governor of California.

During Monday night's show, Kimmel focused on President Donald Trump's social media posts, specifically the AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus, which has since been deleted, his "No Tax on Tips" event at the White House, the Iran negotiations, as well as first lady Melania Trump's recent remarks about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

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Swalwell announced Monday that he would be suspending his campaign and resigning from his congressional seat as well.

During his appearance on Kimmel's show last November, Swalwell said, "And our state, this great state, needs a fighter and a protector. Someone who will bring prices down, lift wages up. And we can say that we're the fourth-largest economy in the world. And we are, and I love to brag about that. But what does that mean if you can't afford to live here? So, I've been in these fights as a city council member up in Dublin, my hometown, as a prosecutor in Oakland, and taking on the most corrupt president ever in the U.S. Congress."

After announcing his bid on the show, Kimmel's audience erupted in applause and gave Swalwell a standing ovation.

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The ex-lawmaker was also a big supporter of Kimmel's after his suspension in September 2025.

He donned a "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" hat during an interview with CNN the day after Kimmel's show was pulled.

During the November interview with Swalwell, Kimmel thanked the now-former lawmaker for his support, displaying a photo of several lawmakers wearing a "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" hat.

A representative for Kimmel's show did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, another congressman facing sexual misconduct allegations, announced his decision to resign from Congress Monday as well.

Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show" also did not appear to mention the Swalwell allegations or his decision to resign from Congress after ending his campaign.

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NBC's "The Tonight Show" and "Late Night," hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, respectively, were reruns on Monday.

Sunny Hostin doesn't know if president is the 'right position' for Harris, urges her to reconsider CA governor

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:00:17 -0400

"The View" co-host Sunny Hostin urged former Vice President Kamala Harris to reconsider running for California governor on Monday, as the co-hosts discussed Rep. Eric Swalwell's decision to end his campaign amid sexual assault allegations.

"I think the bigger question for me now is, you know, California, it’s like running a country. Swalwell was running to be governor, and he was the lead candidate for the Democrats. I mean, California overtook Japan as the fourth-largest global economy. It has a GDP of $4.25 trillion. And so, I’d like to see Kamala Harris maybe put her hat back in the ring for Governor of California. I know that she’s talked about being President—I don’t know if that’s the right position for her—but my goodness, she certainly knows California," Hostin said.

Co-host Ana Navarro said the deadline for entering the race had passed.

The deadline to declare candidacy was March 6. The state's primary election will be held on June 2.

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Swalwell announced Sunday that he would be suspending his campaign for California governor, citing personal issues and ongoing allegations in a statement posted on X.

"I am suspending my campaign for Governor," Swalwell wrote. "To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past."

"I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s," he added.

Harris announced in July of 2025 that she wouldn't pursue the gubernatorial race in California.

However, the former presidential candidate said she was thinking about running for president last week.

Hostin was a staunch supporter of Harris in 2024 after she replaced former President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket.

She asked a pivotal question of Harris during an October 2024 interview with the former vice president that was seen as a big turning point for her campaign.

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Harris told the co-hosts during the interview ahead of the election that there wasn't anything she would have done differently than President Biden over their term.

Harris' office did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Jesse Jackson's family says Illinois Senate endorsement release was not authorized

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:35:39 -0400

The family of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson said Monday that no endorsement had been finalized in Illinois’ Democrat Senate primary, after Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton's campaign claimed his backing over the weekend.

The dispute stems from sample ballots circulated by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson's civil rights organization, that listed Stratton as a recommended candidate, but the draft sample ballot was released without "authorization," according to Yusef Jackson, who is the organization's head and the late reverend's son.

The confusion comes as Stratton faces Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., in a competitive primary Tuesday to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., with some Democrats concerned that a split among Black voters could shape the outcome.

"Earlier this year, despite ongoing challenges with mobility and his declining health, Reverend Jackson began the process of reviewing candidates and identifying those he intended to support in the upcoming primary election," Yusef Jackson wrote in a statement posted to Facebook. "However, he did not live long enough to finish the process.

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"Out of respect for my father, we decided not to publicly release his intended selections given the process had not been finalized," Jackson said. "However, due to an internal miscommunication, a draft sample ballot was released by a staff person who did not have authorization."

Stratton’s campaign said she was told by coalition officials that she had received Jackson’s endorsement and was encouraged to share the news.

"Juliana spoke on Saturday at Rainbow PUSH for a Women's History Month event and officials told her she received the endorsements," the Stratton campaign told the Chicago Sun-Times. "Organizers shared the sample election ballot that was already being distributed and encouraged her to share the news."

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"This unintentional error has set off unforeseen controversy," Yusef Jackson's statement continued, not mentioning Stratton by name. "One that has unfortunately revolved around one candidate in particular.

"I want to be very clear. We did not withdraw or retract our endorsement of any one candidate. Instead, we made clear that the document shared this weekend was not final and out of respect for my late father and in our family’s time of bereavement, we would not be confirming nor issuing political endorsements in this cycle."

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Yusef Jackson lamented the endorsement controversy has become the news instead of the "issues" affecting the deep-blue state of Illinois, long run by Democrats.

"I am disheartened that the topic of today’s political chatter has been focused on this instead of the issues that matter to everyday voters," his statement concluded. "Issues like affordability, healthcare, quality education, justice and equal rights. Those are the issues our family has spent decades fighting for and those are the issues voters should keep top of mind when they cast their ballots."

Stratton had previously said she was "deeply honored" to have earned Jackson’s support before his passing.

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Jacqueline Jackson, the civil rights leader’s widow, also apologized to Kelly for the mix-up, sources told Politico.

While the Illinois Democrat Senate primary Tuesday headlines have focused on the potential for a sixth Black woman to join the Senate, Krishnamoorthi is quietly making a play for history. If he wins, he would become only the second Indian American ever elected to the body.

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Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., another son of the late reverend, dismissed the notion that his father would have intervened in such a contest, telling Politico he "never got in on Black-on-Black fights" and he said the rush to hail an endorsement "smells of desperation."

Latino voters are 'no longer sleeping,' Univision president warns GOP, Dems

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:32:31 -0400

Ahead of the 2026 midterms, Televisa Univision President Ignacio Meyer is calling for a revamping of political priorities with the key Latino voting bloc, "a sleeping giant that is no longer sleeping."

"Hispanic voters are largely sophisticated, are largely independent, and they want to be swayed by issues," Meyer told Axios publisher Nicholas Johnston on Saturday at a SXSW event in Texas, urging both major political parties to "look at how they're speaking to Hispanic voters."

"They do not want to be spoken to about partisan politics."

With the 2026 midterms prepped to set the table for the U.S., Congress and the White House, Meyer added the Latino vote is "largely up for grabs" and there is a "big disconnect" with it.

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"The Hispanic population has been called the great sleeping giant," he added. "It's no secret that it's no longer sleeping. They're awake. They're influential, the largest growing demographic in the United States across culture, sports, news, any one of the segments."

President Donald Trump's border security and legal immigration policies are a lot more popular with Latino voters than Democrats might have imagined. Trump won more than 48% of the vote in his sweeping 2024 presidential election, winning all of the key battleground states.

Meyer pointed to the recent Texas primaries, saying addressing Hispanic voters in their language is key, urging spending early and often – a boon for his network.

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"Those that did their homework won," he said, adding those that didn't "lost, and they lost big."

"I'm not a huge expert on politics," he admitted, trying to play both sides to keep the campaign funds flowing in the political battlegrounds, but "balance of power in both the House and the Senate is going to be swung by very few races this year."

"Out of all of those races, every single one has a high-density Hispanic population. Every single one of those voting blocs is up for grabs, and they want to be spoken to about the issues that are important to them."

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Univision is the largest American Spanish-language television network, targeting Latino audiences, and is the way to speak to Hispanic voters "in their language," which politicians do not do enough, according to Meyer.

"Why would our civil servants not speak to us in the language and the culture that we deserve to be spoken to, and talk to us about the issues that we deserve to be spoken to?" he asked.

"I think people would like to oversimplify what it's like to be a U.S. Hispanic in the United States. When you come from another country, you have to fight for your place with different circumstances, different language."

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Latinos should not be a "check-the-box" voting bloc to reach.

"Big growing population, check the box, spend X amount of money, spend it late – only in that window – and let it go: It'll work," he said of miscalculating political campaigns. "Well, there's no magic."

"It takes commitment."

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Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, who also spoke on the panel, said Democrats’ losses among Latino voters reflect a broader disconnect with working-class concerns. He argued the party must focus on economic issues such as lowering prices and improving household finances to regain support.

Here are the key 2026 House and Senate races to watch that could decide control of Congress

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 05:00:24 -0500

With margins tight in both chambers, control of Congress in 2026 is expected to hinge on a small group of competitive Senate contests and House districts sensitive to national trends. As America plunges into a new year, here are the races that are most likely to define the midterm races.

Senate majority-making or majority-breaking races to watch

Senate Republicans are looking to maintain their razor-thin majority after flipping the upper chamber in 2024. There are 33 seats in-cycle in the forthcoming midterms, which often act as a check on an incumbent president's performance.

The GOP is hoping to replicate the Election Day successes that helped preserve its majority at the midpoint of President Donald Trump's first term, entering 2026 with what many analysts consider a favorable map.

Georgia

Why it matters: Georgia is the top prize of Senate Republicans and their campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). Incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is vulnerable in his first attempt at re-election to the Senate and will be met with the full weight of the NRSC's campaign war chest.

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What to watch: Before the general election, Republicans will first have to let the dust settle on a bloody, four-way primary fight among Reps. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., Mike Collins, R-Ga., former University of Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley and horse trainer Reagan Box. Republicans' prized candidate, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, opted not to enter the contest, leaving a wide open playing field for the GOP to fight over.

North Carolina

Why it matters: In the heat of the Senate advancing Trump's "big, beautiful bill," Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced his retirement. What would likely have been a gimme race for the GOP has now turned into a wide open contest for an open seat.

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What to watch: Democrats believe they can flip the seat for the first time since 2008 and hope that former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will carry them to victory and provide a crucial win to tip the balance of power. Republicans scored their preferred candidate, too, in former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley. He will have a primary challenge though from Michele Morrow.

Michigan

Why it matters: Similar to North Carolina, Democrats lost their incumbent Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., to retirement. Both parties are now gunning for the open seat, but Democrats' have a tangled primary to survive first before their true candidate emerges.

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What to watch: Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and physician Abdul El-Sayed, are all in on the Democratic side, while Trump and Republicans have coalesced behind former Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost to Sen. Elissa Slotkin last year.

Maine

Why it matters: Incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is Senate Democrats' top target in the midterms. Collins, who is looking to score a sixth term in the Senate, could face a formidable opponent in the general election with the full backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., or an upstart progressive candidate that's looking to throw a wrench into Democrats' plans.

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What to watch: There are several local candidates that have jumped in on both sides of the race, but the main contenders are Collins, popular Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner, who has rubbed shoulders with progressive heavyweights Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

Ohio

Why it matters: Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, who was appointed to replace Vice President JD Vance earlier this year, will look to finish out the remaining two years of his predecessor's term. But he'll face a tough opponent in former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who narrowly lost last year.

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What to watch: Schumer and Democrats scored their best chance at picking up a seat in Ohio, again trying to turn the state purple after Brown's loss to Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. And there will be eye-popping amounts of money thrown at this contest.

New Hampshire

Why it matters: Democrats took yet another hit from the retirement train when Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., announced she'd leave Congress at the end of her term. That has opened up the field to several familiar Republican names jumping into the contest in the hopes of turning part of the Granite State red.

What to watch: Republicans have two prime candidates, former Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., and former Rep. Scott Brown, R-Mass., who also served as an ambassador for Trump, to pick from. Meanwhile, Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., is the likely heir apparent on the Democratic side.

House races that will decide the majority

Control of the House is likely to hinge on fewer than two dozen districts nationwide, as both parties focus their resources on a small set of competitive seats that could decide the chamber. The battlegrounds span suburbs, rural communities and diverse metro areas, underscoring how varied the path to a majority has become.

Colorado's 8th District, Northern Denver suburbs and Greeley

Why it matters: With GOP Rep. Gabe Evans defending the seat, Colorado’s 8th District remains one of the most competitive House districts in the country. Drawn as a true swing seat after redistricting, it has flipped parties in back-to-back cycles and is often decided by slim margins.

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What to watch: Whether Latino and working-class voters break decisively toward one party and whether the race is decided by a narrow margin. A comfortable win here typically signals momentum heading into other battleground House races.

Iowa's 1st District, Eastern Iowa

Why it matters: With a history of close results, Iowa’s 1st District is once again a top battleground as Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks seeks re-election.

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What to watch: The district spans college towns, rural counties and small manufacturing hubs, creating an electorate that frequently splits its ticket. Even as Iowa trends red at the presidential level, the seat continues to hover in toss-up territory and is often among the last House races decided on election night.

New Jersey's 7th District, North Jersey suburbs

Why it matters: Held by GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr., New Jersey’s 7th is a high-income, college-educated suburban district that has repeatedly swung with the national political climate and historically punished incumbents during unfavorable cycles.

What to watch: Whether suburban voters continue drifting away from Republicans or stabilize in a midterm environment. A shift here would offer an early read on how educated suburbs are responding to the party in power.

New York's 17th District, Hudson Valley and NYC's northern suburbs

Why it matters: New York’s 17th District, which previously backed former President Joe Biden, is represented by GOP Rep. Mike Lawler and is expected to play an outsized role in determining House control.

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What to watch: Whether Democrats can effectively harness heavy national spending and messaging in a district expected to draw intense attention.

Pennsylvania's 7th District, Lehigh Valley and Allentown

Why it matters: Held by Republican Rep. Chris Mackenzie, Pennsylvania's 7th is a true purple district in a must-win swing state. This area is made up of a politically diverse electorate that has previously mirrored statewide results.

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What to watch: Economic pressures and immigration debates are expected to shape how working-class and Latino voters approach the race.

California's 22nd District, Central Valley

Why it matters: California’s 22nd, represented by GOP Rep. David Valadao, has remained a perennial battleground for more than a decade, shaped by its agricultural economy and a large Latino electorate sensitive to turnout swings.

What to watch: Whether Democrats can boost turnout enough to flip the seat, and whether Central Valley races help offset Republican gains elsewhere in the country.

Democrats had major election victories in 2025, but wins don’t erase party’s critical weaknesses

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 07:00:58 -0500

There's no denying the Democratic Party had a very good year at the ballot box.

Fueled by their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation, Democrats scored decisive victories in last month's 2025 elections and overperformed throughout the year in special elections and other contests.

A year after President Donald Trump and Republicans scored sweeping victories as they won back the White House and Senate and held their razor-thin House majority, Democrats were clearly the campaign trail winners in 2025.

While they are energized heading into next year's midterms, when they'll try to win back congressional majorities from the Republicans, the Democrats' 2025 performance at the ballot box doesn't paper over the party's underlying problems.

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From a state Senate election victory in Iowa in January, just eight days after Trump kicked off his second term in the White House, to this month's win in Miami's mayoral election, the party's first in a quarter-century, Democrats had plenty to celebrate this year on the campaign trail.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC), in a year-end memo, touted that "Democrats won or overperformed in 227 out of 255 key elections."

"As Democrats enter the midterm year, our party should feel buoyed by the strong results we’ve seen up and down the ballot all year long. Across red, purple, and blue states, Democrats have gotten off the mat and proven that when you organize everywhere, you can win anywhere," the DNC emphasized.

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But Democrats are still staring down a brand that remains in the gutter, with historically low approval and favorable numbers.

Among the most recent figures to grab headlines: Only 18% of voters questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey in December said they approved of the way congressional Democrats were handling their job, while 73% disapproved.

That's the lowest job approval rating for the Democrats in Congress since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question 16 years ago.

"Voters have rendered a brutal verdict on the Democrat brand — just 18 percent approval after years of Biden-era failure. Democrats have made clear that a 2026 majority would mean sham impeachment attacks and pure chaos," Republican National Committee (RNC) national press secretary Kiersten Pels argued in a statement last week.

DNC Chair Ken Martin acknowledged the "brand problem," telling Fox News Digital this past summer that the party's image had "hit rock bottom."

But he emphasized that "there's only one direction to go, and that's up, and that's what we're doing."

While clearly motivated following this year's election victories, the DNC still faces a massive fundraising deficit in its campaign cash race with the rival RNC.

And the party divide between progressives and moderates remains on the front-burner heading into next year's midterms.

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The Democrats overperformed in early December's special congressional election in a GOP-dominated seat in Tennessee — losing by nine points in a district that Trump carried by 22 points just a year ago,

But there were plenty of centrist Democrats who argued that state Rep. Aftyn Behn, the Democratic nominee in the race, was too far to the left for the district.

Republicans repeatedly attacked Behn over her paper trail of past comments on defunding the police.

And the Senate campaign launched this month in red-leaning Texas by Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a progressive champion and vocal Trump critic and foil, compounded the argument by centrists.

Her entry into the race gave the GOP instant ammunition to paint Democrats as far-left extremists. And along with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, it handed the Republicans another far-left politician to use as a political cudgel.

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"All across the country, what we're seeing is Jasmine is being repeated, replicated all across the country," National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Sen. Tim Scott claimed in a Fox News Digital interview. "Socialism is in vogue in the Democrat Party."

But it's not just Republicans ringing alarms.

"The Democratic Party’s aspirations to win statewide in a red state like Texas simply don’t exist without a centrist Democrat who can build a winning coalition of ideologically diverse voters," Liam Kerr, co-founder of the Welcome PAC, a group which advocates for moderate Democratic candidates, argued in a statement to Fox News Digital.

And the center-left Third Way, in a memo following the Tennessee special election, argued, "If far-left groups want to help save American democracy, they should stop pushing their candidates in swing districts and costing us flippable seats."

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But Martin sees a silver lining, as he pointed to "the great breadth of our party."

"We have conservative Democrats, we have centrist Democrats, we have progressives and we have leftists. And I've always said that you win elections through addition, not subtraction. You win by bringing people into your coalition and growing your party," Martin emphasized.

Flashback: Inside the political movement that put a socialist in charge of New York City

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 13:00:52 -0500

Zohran Mamdani is poised to be sworn in as New York City’s next mayor on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026 — the culmination of a political campaign that propelled a socialist to power in the economic epicenter of the United States.

In a race that was widely considered a fight for the city’s future, Mamdani defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a contentious Election Day battle on Nov. 4, 2025. As Mamdani prepares to advance his socialist agenda from City Hall, here’s a look back at the campaign that brought him to this moment.

The 34-year-old Ugandan-born state assemblyman from Queens triggered a political earthquake when he declared victory in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary in June, pulling an upset over a former governor who was widely expected to win the party's nomination.

His primary success catapulted Mamdani onto the national stage, as he teamed up with progressive power duo Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to rally New York City voters for his affordability agenda, which included ambitious campaign promises like rent freezes, fast and free buses, city-run grocery stores and free childcare.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI REVEALS WHAT HE PLANS TO DISCUSS WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP IN OVAL OFFICE MEETING

It's a race that President Donald Trump himself watched closely, labeling Mamdani a "100% Communist Lunatic" and "My little communist" — monikers Mamdani rejected.

SOCIALIST WAVE GOES COAST-TO-COAST AS HISTORIC WINS SHAKE UP THE 2025 MAYORAL ELECTIONS

On the eve of Election Day, Trump endorsed Cuomo and floated cutting federal funds to New York City if Mamdani won. In the days leading up to the election, Mamdani vowed to use the "bully pulpit" and the judicial system to fight back against Trump's "threats."

"Donald Trump may speak as if it is his decision, but this is money that this city is owed. This is money that we will expect to collect," Mamdani said Monday.

As the Democratic Socialists of America-backed Mamdani stepped on stage at the Brooklyn Paramount to declare victory on election night, he appealed to Trump — a native New Yorker — directly.

"New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and as of tonight, led by an immigrant," Mamdani said. "So hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get any of us, you will have to get through all of us."

But for all the barbs Trump and Mamdani exchanged on the campaign trail, they shared a cordial meeting at the White House last month, finding unlikely common ground on their commitments to affordability in New York City.

Mamdani's primary success in June exposed a divide within the Democratic Party, after suffering big losses up and down the ballot last year and struggling to present a united front against the Trump administration without clear party leadership.

"The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate," Mamdani said during his election night party. "I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this. And yet, if tonight teaches us anything, it is that convention has held us back."

Cuomo resigned from office in 2021 in the face of multiple controversies, including several sexual harassment claims, which he has denied. After losing the primary he was expected to win, Cuomo challenged Mamdani as an Independent candidate in the general election, and began accusing Mamdani of being more a socialist than a Democrat.

"The truth is, there's a quiet civil war going on in the Democratic Party right now," Cuomo told Fox News ahead of Election Day. "You have an extreme left. Radical left. Bernie Sanders, AOC — Mamdani is just the banner carrier for that movement — versus the mainstream moderate Democrats. They now call me moderate. They used to call me liberal. Now, I'm a moderate because the whole party shifted."

After the race was called for Mamdani, the former governor addressed his supporters as those watching the broadcast from Mamdani's election night party booed a muted Cuomo delivering his concession speech.

"This campaign was necessary to make that point — a caution flag that we are heading down a dangerous, dangerous road," Cuomo said. "Well, we made that point, and they heard us, and we will hold them to it."

New York Democrats were reluctant to endorse Mamdani's mayoral campaign after he secured the Democratic nomination.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., refused to endorse Mamdani, despite telling reporters that he has a "good relationship with him" and that they are "continuing to talk." Mamdani was arrested while protesting the war in Gaza and calling for a ceasefire outside Schumer's home in Brooklyn in 2023.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., gave an 11th-hour endorsement for Mamdani after months of equivocating. The announcement came the day before early voting began.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., endorsed Mamdani's campaign in September and later joined him on the campaign trail. When pressed about whether Mamdani would endorse Hochul, he refused to affirm his support for the sitting governor.

Hochul is essential to Mamdani's plan to raise taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers to pay for his radical campaign agenda, as a tax hike would require state approval.

The governor has maintained that she will not raise taxes, which earned her some heckling at an October Queens rally, when Mamdani's supporters shouted, "Tax the rich!"

Mamdani’s rise was marked by palpable tension with New York City's Jewish population. Jewish leaders and voters consistently voiced concerns about Mamdani in light of his long-standing criticism of Israel and his rhetoric surrounding the war in Gaza.

Mamdani has repeatedly described Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as a "genocide" and refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, saying he "would not recognize any state's right to exist with a system of hierarchy on the basis of race, of religion."

He refused during the Democratic primary to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada," a slogan widely viewed by Jewish groups as a call to violence. While he later said he would discourage others from using the phrase, critics argued the response fell short as antisemitic incidents surged nationwide.

After a mass shooting in Sydney, Australia, during Hanukkah — which police described as a targeted attack on the Jewish community — Mamdani condemned the violence, but stopped short of changing his stance on the "globalize the intifada" phrase, drawing renewed criticism from Jewish leaders in New York.

Weeks before Election Day, a group of prominent New York City rabbis joined more than 650 rabbis nationwide in signing a letter that criticized Mamdani, titled "A Rabbinic Call to Action: Defending the Jewish Future," warning that Jewish Americans "cannot remain silent" amid what they described as growing hostility and exclusion.

Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, the founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels, said Mamdani would not do enough to protect Jewish New Yorkers as mayor.

NYC MAYOR-ELECT MAMDANI DOUBLES DOWN ON NETANYAHU ARREST PLEDGE

When asked during the final mayoral debate if Mamdani had any regrets about his "long-standing" anti-Israel views, he affirmed his commitment to protecting Jewish New Yorkers, as he did throughout the campaign.

Mamdani has a long record of supporting the pro-Palestinian movement, including at Bowdoin College, where he founded the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.

With weeks until Election Day, Mamdani accused his opponents and Mayor Eric Adams, who ultimately suspended his re-election campaign after staying out of the Democratic primary to run as an Independent, of Islamophobia.

Mamdani, who is of Indian descent, will be the first South Asian and first Muslim mayor of New York City.

Mamdani also faced criticism for his past comments about the New York City Police Department, including those comparing the NYPD to the Israel Defense Forces and calling the NYPD "racist, anti‑queer & a major threat to public safety" in 2020, among other insults.

"I'll apologize to police officers right here, because this is the apology that I've been sharing with many rank-and-file officers, and I apologize because of the fact that I'm looking to work with these officers, and I know that these officers, these men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day," Mamdani said on Fox News.

As New York City voters began heading to the polls for early voting, billionaires, including Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis and hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman, urged Sliwa to drop out of the race to consolidate support for Cuomo, but the Republican nominee refused.

Similar pressure mounted following the primary for either Cuomo or Adams to drop out to boost the anti-Mamdani vote. After Adams suspended his campaign, he ultimately endorsed Cuomo. Trump's Justice Department dropped bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy charges against Adams earlier this year.

Mamdani will also be the first millennial mayor of the nation's largest city.

Such was clear from the early days of Mamdani's campaign, as he made strategic use of social media, including TikTok, to build a recognizable brand and motivate a swath of low-propensity voters.

His campaign played into the hands of an evolving — and chronically online — New York City electorate.

Scrolling through Mamdani's social media, his TikTok and Instagram pages resemble that of a New York City influencer. From the film-like filters and consistent fonts on his vertical videos to the cameos from celebrities, including model Emily Ratajkowski and comedian Bowen Yang, Mamdani's videos regularly amass millions of views.

During the general election, Mamdani's campaign collaborated with content creators, inviting New York City's micro-influencers to a "New Media" briefing, which is typically reserved for legacy media, and continuing to walk through the revolving door of podcast appearances, akin to such efforts by Trump in 2024.

Also similar to Trump in 2024, Mamdani centered his mayoral campaign on affordability, vowing to deliver a New York City that voters could actually afford to live in.

Mamdani told Fox News in the final days of his campaign that he learned of a woman wearing a "MAGA for Zohran" hat at his Queens rally, eliciting Trump's renowned "Make America Great Again" slogan.

"It tells me that no matter what your politics are, you're feeling the same crisis, and this is a movement that looks to address that crisis [of affordability]," Mamdani said. "No matter who you are, no matter where you live."

After his victory, Mamdani quickly assembled a transition team and began selecting his City Hall leadership. With Adams’ tenure ending Thursday and Mamdani preparing to move into Gracie Mansion, New York City is on the verge of a political turning point.

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Whether Mamdani's campaign promises take shape as policy remains to be seen. But with a socialist about to govern America’s economic capital, one thing is clear: Trump will be watching.

Affordability: The issue that boosted Trump and Republicans in 2024 deflated them in 2025

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 15:00:43 -0500

The economy, the issue that hurt Democrats in the 2024 elections, gave them a major boost in this year's ballot box showdowns.

"Look, we know what’s important right now," Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin said in his speech at the DNC's winter meeting earlier this month. "S‑‑‑ is too expensive."

One year after deep concerns over inflation helped President Donald Trump and Republicans win back the White House and Senate and keep their House majority, Democrats say their decisive victories in last month's 2025 elections, and their overperformances in special elections and other ballot box showdowns this year were fueled by their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation.

Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper said Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, who overperformed the public opinion polls as they cruised to double-digit Election Night victories in the blue-leaning states, "stayed laser focused on the economy," and "talked about it all day, every day."

DOUBLING DOWN: TOP HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS FOCUS ON AFFORDABILITY ‘ABSOLUTELY GOING TO CONTINUE’

The issue also fueled one-time longshot far-left candidate Zohran Mamdani to a mayoral victory in New York City as he made cost of living the centerpiece of his campaign.

Democrats say they'll double down on the issue of affordability heading into next year's midterm elections, as they try to win back congressional majorities from the Republicans.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) chair says Democrats will keep their focus squarely on affordability as they aim to "take back those gavels" by capturing the House majority in next year's midterm elections.

ELECTION REFLECTION: DEMOCRATS ‘FLIPPED THE SCRIPT’ ON AFFORDABILITY

House Democrats need to flip just three GOP-held seats in 2026 to win back control of the chamber for the first time in four years.

"We're going to hold Republicans accountable for their policies that are hurting American families," Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state, who for a second straight election cycle is chairing the DCCC, told Fox News Digital.

DelBene said she'll keep her focus squarely on affordability as she aims to "take back those gavels."

Pointing to last year's elections, she said, "That was their [Republicans] big message. They were going to lower costs. It has been a big broken promise, and people are feeling that, and that's had a big impact and will continue. People want folks who are going to stand up to them for them, not just be blindly loyal to the president."

But GOP Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, chair of the rival National Republican Congressional Committee, highlighted the Republican narrative, as he took aim at former President Joe Biden, telling Fox News Digital, "There are challenges out there with the economy, because Biden broke it, and House Republicans, working with President Trump, are going to fix it, and we're working very hard to do that. "

CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL ON TRUMP AND THE ECONOMY

It's an argument that Trump has repeatedly voiced in recent weeks, as he's pointed fingers at his predecessor for the persistent high costs.

"When I took office last January, I inherited a mess, and very simply, I’m fixing it," Trump said this month.

But a recent Fox News national poll was full of apparent warning signs for Trump and the GOP.

Three-quarters of voters questioned in the survey viewed the economy negatively, and large numbers of respondents, including Republicans, said their costs for groceries, utilities, healthcare and housing have gone up this year.

The poll indicated that voters blame the president, with nearly twice as many pointing fingers at Trump than former President Joe Biden, when asked who is responsible for the current economy.

And Trump's approval rating when it comes to the economy has dropped to record lows in surveys by Fox News and other organizations.

While Trump has repeatedly described the Democrats' focus on affordability as a "hoax," he has also become more engaged in combating high prices in recent weeks, as the president has scaled back some of his tariffs and pledged to lower high food prices. And Trump this month made stops in two key battlegrounds — Pennsylvania and North Carolina — to tout his efforts to combat high prices.

Trump was buoyed this past week by better than expected government reports on inflation and economic growth, and Republicans see better days ahead when it comes to the issue of affordability.

Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, the Trump-backed Republican Senate candidate in next year's race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, told Fox News Digital "we're seeing signs already that the economy is starting to tick up and is starting to take hold as the President's policies are getting in place."

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told Fox News Digital, "2026 is a year of affordability, and the great news is President Trump has been producing time and time again."

Pointing to the tax cut provisions in the GOP's sweeping domestic policy measure signed into law this past summer by Trump, Scott said "2026 is shaping up to be the year where Donald Trump's activities, his actions, the legislation we've passed, shows up for the American voter. And consumers all across the country will see a more affordable economy because of President Trump and the Senate majority and the House majority in the hands of the Republican Party."

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But Martin and the Democrats see it differently.

The DNC chair accuses Republicans of not inheriting a "mess — they manufactured it. They took the economy and drove it straight into a ditch. They took certainty and swapped it for chaos."

And Martin predicts Trump and Republicans headed for a ballot box disaster.

"Donald Trump has lost the economy, is losing his mind, and is going to lose the midterms," Martin charged.

2025 shockers: The biggest moments that rocked the campaign trail

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 12:00:47 -0500

It was an off-year when it comes to elections, but 2025 was on fire on the campaign trail as next year's looming midterm showdowns took shape.

While it was never expected to match the intensity of the tumultuous 2024 battles for the White House and Congress, this year's off-year elections grabbed outsize national attention and served as a key barometer leading up to the 2026 midterm contests for the House and Senate majorities.

Here are five of the biggest moments that shaped the campaign trail.

5. Trump pushes mid-decade congressional redistricting

Aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterms, President Donald Trump in June first floated the idea of rare but not unheard of mid-decade congressional redistricting.

HERE ARE THE NEXT BATTLEGROUNDS IN REDISTRICTING FIGHT

The mission was simple: redraw congressional district maps in red states to pad the GOP's razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.

Trump's first target: Texas.

A month later, when asked by reporters about his plan to add Republican-leaning House seats across the country, the president said, "Texas will be the biggest one. And that’ll be five."

The push by Trump and his political team triggered a high-stakes redistricting showdown with Democrats to shape the 2026 midterm landscape in the fight for the House majority.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas called a special session of the GOP-dominated state legislature to pass the new map.

But Democratic state lawmakers, who broke quorum for two weeks as they fled Texas in a bid to delay the passage of the redistricting bill, energized Democrats across the country.

Among those leading the fight against Trump's redistricting was Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.

California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a ballot initiative that will temporarily sidetrack the left-leaning state's nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated legislature.

That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which aimed to counter the move by Texas to redraw their maps.

The fight quickly spread beyond Texas and California.

Right-tilting Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president's push.

SETTING THE STAGE: WHAT THE 2025 ELECTIONS SIGNAL FOR NEXT YEAR'S MIDTERM SHOWDOWNS

Republicans are looking to GOP-controlled Florida, where early redistricting moves are underway in Tallahassee. A new map could possibly produce up to five more right-leaning seats. But conservative Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP legislative leaders don't see eye to eye on how to move forward.

"We must keep the Majority at all costs," Trump wrote on social media this month.

In blows to Republicans, a Utah district judge this month rejected a congressional district map drawn up by the state's GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

And Republicans in Indiana's Senate defied Trump, shooting down a redistricting bill that had passed the state House.

But Trump scored a big victory when the conservative majority on the Supreme Court greenlighted Texas' new map.

Other states that might step into the redistricting war are Democratic-dominated Illinois and Maryland and two red states with Democratic governors, Kentucky and Kansas.

4. Jay Jones text messages revealed, rocking Virginia's elections

Virginia Democrats were cruising toward convincing victories in the commonwealth's statewide elections when a scandal sent shock waves up and down the ballot.

SHOWDOWN FOR THE HOUSE: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS BRACE FOR HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM CLASH

Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones instantly went into crisis mode after controversial texts were first reported by the National Review in early October.

Jones acknowledged and apologized for texts he sent in 2022, when he compared then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert to mass murderers Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, adding that if he were given two bullets, he would use both against the GOP lawmaker to shoot him in the head.

Jones faced a chorus of calls from Republicans to drop out of the race.

And the GOP leveraged the explosive revelations up the ballot, forcing the Democratic Party nominee, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, back on defense in a campaign where she was seen as the frontrunner against Republican rival Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

Earle-Sears didn't waste an opportunity to link Spanberger to Jones. And during October's chaotic and only gubernatorial debate, where Earle-Sears repeatedly interrupted Spanberger, the GOP gubernatorial nominee called on her Democratic rival to tell Jones to end his attorney general bid.

"The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent," Spanberger said at the debate. But she neither affirmed nor pulled back her support of Jones.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2025 ELECTIONS

While the scandal grabbed national headlines, in the end it didn't slow down the Democrats. Spanberger crushed Earle-Sears by 15 points. Democrats won the separate election for lieutenant governor by 11 points, and Jones even pulled off a 6-point victory over Republican incumbent Jason Miyares.

3. Democrats overperform at the ballot box

Just eight days into Trump's second term in the White House, demoralized Democrats had something to cheer about.

Democrat Mike Zimmer defeated Republican Katie Whittington in a special state Senate election in Iowa, flipping a Republican-controlled vacant seat in a district that Trump had carried by 21 points less than three months earlier.

Zimmer's victory triggered a wave of Democrats overperforming in special elections and regularly scheduled off-year ballot box contests.

Among the most high profile was the victory by the Democratic candidate in Wisconsin's high-stakes and expensive state Supreme Court showdown.

With inflation, the issue that severely wounded them in the 2024 elections, persisting, Democrats were laser focused on affordability, and the wins kept coming.

In November's regularly scheduled elections, they won the nation's only two gubernatorial showdowns — in New Jersey and Virginia — by double digits. And they scored major victories in less high-profile contests from coast to coast.

The year ended with Democrats winning a mayoral election in Miami, Florida, for the first time in a quarter-century and flipping a state House seat in Georgia.

The Democratic National Committee, in a year-end memo, noted, "In 2025 alone, Democrats won or overperformed in 227 out of 255 key elections — nearly 90% of races."

But Democrats are still staring down a brand that remains in the gutter, with historically low approval and favorable numbers.

ELECTION REFLECTION: 'DEMOCRATS FLIPPED THE SCRIPT' ON AFFORDABILITY IN BALLOT BOX SHOWDOWNS

Among the most recent to grab headlines, only 18% of voters questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey this month said they approved of the way congressional Democrats were handling their job, while 73% percent disapproved.

That's the lowest job approval rating for the Democrats in Congress since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question 16 years ago.

2. Democrats' primary problem

The Democrats overperformed in this month's special congressional election in a GOP-dominated seat in Tennessee, losing by nine points in a district that Trump carried by 22 points just a year ago,

But there were plenty of centrist Democrats who argued that state Rep. Aftyn Behn, the Democratic nominee in the race, was too far to the left for the district.

Republicans repeatedly attacked Behn over her paper trail of past comments on defunding the police.

'FULL-BLOWN BATTLE' BREWING IN DEM PARTY AS MAMDANI-STYLE CANDIDATES RISE IN KEY RACES

And the U.S. Senate campaign launched this month in red-leaning Texas by Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a progressive champion and vocal Trump critic and foil, compounded the argument by centrists.

And the center-left Third Way, in a memo after the Tennessee special election, argued "there are two projects going on in the Democratic Party right now. One is winning political power so we can stop Trump’s calamity. The other is turning blue places bluer.

"If far-left groups want to help save American democracy, they should stop pushing their candidates in swing districts and costing us flippable seats."

1. Mamdani wins NYC mayoral primary

It was the story that has dominated campaign politics for the past six months.

Zohran Mamdani's convincing June 24 victory in New York City's Democratic Party mayoral primary was the political earthquake that rocked the nation's most populous city and sent powerful shock waves across the country.

The capturing of the Democratic nomination by the now-34-year-old socialist state lawmaker over the frontrunner, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and nine other candidates propelled Mamdani to a general election victory.

Mamdani's primary shocker and, later, his general election victory, energized the left.

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But it also handed Republicans instant ammunition as they worked to link the first Muslim New York City mayor with a far-left agenda to Democrats across the country, as the party aimed to paint Democrats as extremists.

But Trump, who had repeatedly called Mamdani a "communist," appeared to undercut that narrative with a chummy Oval Office meeting with the mayor-elect last month.

Democratic National Committee flip-flops, pulls plug on its 2024 election ‘autopsy'

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:42:19 -0500

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is killing its autopsy of the party's sweeping setbacks in the 2024 election.

DNC Chair Ken Martin on Thursday said he decided against making public a report that he called for when he was first elected party chair at the beginning of the year.

The autopsy looked into what went wrong for the Democrats as they lost control of the White House and Senate and failed to win back the House majority in the 2024 elections, as Republicans made major gains with key Democratic Party voters.

Martin, in a statement, said releasing the report would be "a distraction" from the party's "core mission" to win back congressional majorities in next year's midterm elections. But his move was criticized not only by Republicans but also by fellow Democrats.

CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS WIDEN 2026 BATTLEFIELD

Democratic Party officials interviewed over 300 Democrats from all 50 states for the report, which Martin promised would drill down on the mistakes in 2024 and offer a roadmap to victory going forward.

There was controversy surrounding the report as it was being compiled, after reports last summer said the autopsy would skip analyzing whether former President Joe Biden should have run for re-election in 2024 and would pass on judging key decisions made by former Vice President Kamala Harris and her team, after she replaced Biden as the party's nominee.

DEMOCRATS END 30-YEAR LOSING STREAK IN THIS CITY

Throughout the process, Martin repeatedly pushed back on calling the report an "autopsy," since he noted that the Democratic Party wasn't dead. He instead labeled the report an "after-action review."

But fast-forward to present day, and Democrats are now energized heading into 2026, thanks to their decisive victories in last month's 2025 elections and their overperformances in a slew of special elections this year.

Martin, in explaining his decision, wrote, "We completed a comprehensive review of what happened in 2024 and are already putting our learnings into motion. And we're winning again — even in places that haven't gone blue in decades. In our conversations with stakeholders from across the Democratic ecosystem, we are aligned on what’s important, and that’s learning from the past and winning the future."

"Here’s our North Star: does this help us win? If the answer is no, it’s a distraction from the core mission," he emphasized.

Former DNC vice chair David Hogg slammed the move by Martin.

"They are spiking an autopsy of the election that gave us Trump 2.0. If party leaders won't take the steps required to rebuild ourselves into a winning coalition, we will take it into our own hands," Hogg warned in a social media post.

Hogg, a gun-control crusader who was elected a DNC vice chair as Martin won election as chair, stepped down from his position during the summer after upsetting party leaders for his efforts backing primary challenges against what he called "asleep at the wheel" older, longtime incumbents in safe, blue districts.

Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to then-President Barack Obama and a co-host of the popular progressive podcast ‘Pod Save America,’ also took to social media to criticize the move.

"This is a very bad decision that reeks of the caution and complacency that brought us to this moment," Pfeiffer wrote.

His podcast co-host and fellow Obama alum Jon Favreau called the DNC flip-flop "unreal" and "baffling."

"The DNC's actual position is that if the public knew more about what Democrats got wrong in the last election, it would hurt the party's chances in the next election," Favreau wrote on X. "How does this rebuild trust between the party insiders and grassroots activists and organizers?"

Responding to the news, Republican National Committee (RNC) national press secretary Kiersten Pels argued in a statement to Fox News, "Voters don’t need an autopsy of Democrats’ 2024 failures to understand why their party is collapsing. Ken Martin still can’t connect the dots: voters and donors are fleeing because Democrats pour millions into radical candidates who hate this country. Now they’re literally taking out loans to prop up a broken operation."

"Republicans sincerely hope they keep up the great work," Pels added.

POLL SHOCK: DEMOCRATS HIT ALL-TIME LOW

While Democrats are confident heading into the midterm election year, the DNC still dramatically trails the rival RNC in the crucial fundraising metric.

And the party's brand remains at all-time lows.

Only 18% of voters questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey released on Wednesday said they approved of the way Democrats in Congress are handling their job, while 73% percent disapproved.

That's the lowest job approval rating for the Democrats in Congress since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question 16 years ago.

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Helping to fuel the sinking approval rating for congressional Democrats is their own party. Only 43% of Democrats questioned in the poll gave a thumbs up for the job Democratic lawmakers in Congress were doing, with 48% disapproving.

The poll was the latest this year to indicate the Democratic Party image hitting historic lows.

Marjorie Taylor Greene says 'the dam is breaking' on Trump's grip over Republican Party

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 10:57:21 -0500

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., asserted Tuesday that "the dam is breaking" regarding President Donald Trump's hold on support within the Republican Party, adding that the president is facing "real problems" within the ranks of his own party.

During an interview on CNN's "The Source With Kaitlan Collins," Greene was upfront about her criticisms of Trump — whom she has been embroiled in a months-long feud with over his handling of the Epstein files, among other issues.

Collins noted that the congresswoman had "no problem calling out" Trump for his reaction to the slaying of Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and his wife earlier this week, and asked why other Republicans have struggled to do the same.

GOP ACCUSES DEMOCRATS OF 'FABRICATING' TRUMP-EPSTEIN LINK WITH SELECTIVE DOCUMENT LEAKS, INTERNAL MEMO SHOWS

"I can‘t comprehend it," she replied. "But, Kaitlan, I’d like to point something out. Just last week — and I think the dam is breaking — many Republicans may not have called him out, but last week, 13 Republicans voted with Democrats to overturn one of President Trump’s executive orders which enabled him to fire federal workers."

Greene continued, pointing to the Indiana Republicans who voted against redistricting in their state — an effort that Trump had been pushing for heavily. She noted that even after going against the president on redistricting, Trump "didn‘t call any of them traitors and call for primaries against them," as he did to her last month.

Greene, who is stepping down from her seat next month, said Republicans will be more likely to turn against him to save their own elections in what could be a difficult midterm for the party in power. Democrats netted 40 House seats in Trump's first midterm in 2018.

REPUBLICAN RIFT PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN OVER TRUMP-DRIVEN RED STATE REDISTRICTING

Seeking clarity on Greene's assertion, Collins asked whether she thought "the dam is breaking in terms of the president’s iron grip of support when it comes to your party."

"Absolutely," Greene responded. "Those 13 Republicans that voted to take down his executive order last week, literally that same evening put on their tuxedos and their evening ball gowns and went to the White House Christmas party."

"That’s pretty bold," she added.

When asked for comment by Fox News Digital, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle responded with the following statement: "President Trump remains the undisputed leader of the greatest and fastest growing political movement in American history — the MAGA movement. On the other hand, Congresswoman Greene is quitting on her constituents in the middle of her term and abandoning the consequential fight we’re in — we don’t have time for her petty bitterness."

MTG DEFENDS HERSELF AS 'AMERICA FIRST' AFTER TRUMP SLAMS HER ON TRUTH SOCIAL

As noted by Greene, 13 House Republicans joined Democrats last Wednesday in advancing a bill to reverse Trump's executive order cracking down on federal worker unions.

The bill was led by Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, who forced a vote on the measure via a mechanism called a discharge petition. It's designed to force a vote on legislation over the wishes of leadership provided it gets support from a majority of House lawmakers.

Golden's bill is called the Protect America's Workforce Act and is aimed at repealing a March 2025 executive order by Trump.

Trump's order blocked collective bargaining with unions at an array of federal agencies, including parts of the departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice and Energy.

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Successful discharge petitions are rare in the House, with most lawmakers in the majority party generally wary of being in open defiance of their party leaders.

But most of the Republicans who backed Golden's measure are expected to either face at least somewhat tough re-election bids or have districts located in blue states where bipartisanship is expected on certain key issues.

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

2028 looms large: Harris, Newsom, Pritzker converge at high-stakes Democratic Party summit

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:00:33 -0500

Three of the most high-profile Democrats in the country, who are considered potential top-tier contenders for the party's 2028 presidential nomination, are crossing paths at a major Democratic Party summit.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, the party's 2024 presidential nominee, and Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and JB Pritzker of Illinois are all participating in the Democratic National Committee's annual winter meeting, which this year kicked off Thursday in Los Angeles.

The main focus for the hundreds of committee members and party officials attending the confab is reviewing the party's decisive victories in last month's 2025 elections and better than expected performances in this year's special elections, and training sessions to prepare for next year's midterms.

But with the unofficial start of the next White House race less than a year away, and what's likely to be a bruising battle among Democrats over the party's presidential nominating calendar getting underway, 2028 is also in the spotlight.

21 DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028

Longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley, a member of the DNC's influential Rules and Bylaws Committee, told Fox News that while the focus of the winter meeting is "overwhelmingly 2026," he added, "there's interest in 2028."

Buckley added that the major party confabs are an opportunity for "all of our stars to address the DNC."

SUCCEEDING TRUMP IN 2028: SIX REPUBLICANS TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON

Pointing to the appearances this week by Harris, Newsom and Pritzker, a DNC committee member sees appearances by the three Democratic heavyweights as an early screen test.

"It sets the tone not just for a Democratic landslide in the 2026 midterm elections, but it gives them an opportunity to start honing in on a winning message for Democrats in 2028," said the committee member, who asked for anonymity to speak more freely.

Harris, who earlier this year passed on launching a 2026 gubernatorial campaign in her home state of California, is keeping the door wide open to a 2028 presidential run.

"I am not done," the former vice president said in an October interview with the BBC. "I have lived my entire career as a life of service, and it’s in my bones."

Newsom, asked by CBS News in October if he would give a presidential bid "serious thought" after the 2026 midterms, answered, "Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise. I’d just be lying, and I can’t do that."

Pritzker, who's running for re-election next year for a third four-year term steering Illinois, told NBC News in August that "I can't rule anything out" when asked about a possible White House run.

The Illinois governor held a fundraiser on behalf of the DNC on Thursday evening.

Newsom made a stop earlier this year in South Carolina, which held the first sanctioned primary in the DNC's 2024 presidential nominating calendar. And Pritzker has visited New Hampshire, which for a century held the lead-off primary in the Democrats' calendar, and Nevada, another early-voting state. Harris has been crisscrossing the country amid her book tour.

While Harris, Newsom and Pritzker are among the most well-known Democrats nationally, there are more than a dozen other Democrats thought to be potential 2028 White House contenders. And most of them have also been paying visits to the early voting states, as well as parachuting into the 2025 campaign trail.

Among them are Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Wes Moore of Maryland, and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan; Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Chris Murphy of Connecticut; Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Ro Khanna of California; former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; and former Chicago mayor and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

With the Democrats aiming to win back the House majority and possibly the Senate in the 2026 midterms, expect plenty of campaign traffic next year from the potential 2028 contenders.

"It was my impression, talking to the various camps, that they'll be very engaged...because they realize how critically important is to win the House and Senate majority but also help elect candidates up and down the ballot," Buckley said.

Congressional Democrats widen 2026 battlefield, zero in on new House Republican targets

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:26:22 -0500

Emboldened congressional Democrats are expanding their battleground map for next year's midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending their razor-thin majority in the House.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) on Wednesday added five more offensive opportunities in California, Texas, Florida and North Carolina to their list of what they consider are vulnerable Republican-held House districts.

The DCCC's move comes in the wake of Democrats' decisive ballot box victories in last month's 2025 elections and their overperformance in last week's special congressional showdown in a solidly red district in Tennessee, where a progressive Democratic nominee lost by nine percentage points, shaving 13 points off the margin that President Donald Trump carried the district in the 2024 election.

Four of the new districts the DCCC is adding to their list of "offensive targets" were carried by Trump by 13 points or fewer in last year's elections. The president lost the fifth district added to the Democrats' map.

SHOWDOWN FOR THE HOUSE: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, BRACE FOR HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM CLASH

"The DCCC is confident we can win anywhere, and we are full speed ahead while Republicans are running scared," Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state, the DCCC chair, touted.

DelBene emphasized, "In election after election this year, voters have sent a simple message: they are ready for change. The American people are souring on Republicans’ broken promises to lower costs and their reckless policies that are making everything more expensive from groceries to health care, housing, and utilities."

DEMOCRATS OVER PERFORM BUT TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN KEEPS CRUICAL CONGRESSIONAL SEAT IN GOP HANDS

The change in the DCCC's map is also due to the ongoing high-stakes congressional redistricting battle between Republicans and Democrats, including Texas and North Carolina, where Republicans have created more right-leaning districts, but that Democrats still see as competitive, and California, where Democrats have redrawn maps to create more left-leaning seats.

The House members added to the list due to redistricting are Republican Reps. Darrell Issa of California, and Chuck Edwards and Greg Murphy of North Carolina. In Texas, the heavily redistricted 35th Congressional District in the San Antonio area was also added to the list.

HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR WANTS TRUMP 'OUT THERE ON THE TRAIL' IN MIDTERM BATTLE FOR MAJORITY

The new list also includes the seat held by GOP Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida, and Maine's 2nd Congressional District, a large mostly rural district carried by Trump in his three presidential elections where incumbent Democratic Rep. Jared Golden is retiring rather than seek re-election next year.

Former two-term GOP Gov. Paul LePage of Maine is running for the seat.

The additions bring to 39 the number of House seats the DCCC considers to be "in play" next year.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS 2025 ELECTION COVERAGE

The rival National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) scoffed at the move by the DCCC.

"Democrats can daydream about ‘expanding’ the House map all they want, but reality keeps smacking them in the face. The Democrat Party is in a fight for its soul, dominated by far-left chaos and radical policies that don’t reflect the issues important to working families." NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella argued in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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Republicans, pointing to four GOP-held seats added to the DCCC's map, noted their party's electoral success in those districts over the past decade.

The NRCC is currently targeting what it considers are 29 vulnerable House Democrats in next year's midterm elections.

Democrats end 30-year losing streak in Miami as Trump-backed candidate falls short

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:45:41 -0500

It took nearly 30 years, but Democrats finally broke their decades-long ballot box losing streak in Miami, Florida, the city known as the nation's "Gateway to Latin America."

Democrat Eileen Higgins, a former county commissioner, defeated Republican Emilio Gonzalez, a former city manager, in Tuesday's Miami's mayoral runoff election, according to the Associated Press.

While the election was technically nonpartisan, the ballot box face-off became the latest showdown this year between Democrats and Republicans, with both parties pouring in resources and the race grabbing plenty of national attention.

President Donald Trump endorsed Gonzalez, who served on Trump's Homeland Security Department transition team, and this past weekend took to social media to emphasize that Miami's mayoral election "is a big and important race!!! Vote for Republican Gonzalez."

WHY MIAMI, FLORIDA IS IN THE NATION'S POLITICAL SPOTLIGHT

Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Florida poured in resources to boost Gonzalez.

But Democrats, energized by last month's decisive 2025 election victories and by last week's double-digit overperformance in a special election in a red-leaning congressional district in Tennessee, aimed for a victory in Miami.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and allied groups invested in the race.

DNC Chair Ken Martin told Fox News Digital that, following last week's "historic overperformance in Tennessee and the record Democratic momentum across the country this year," the DNC is now "laser focused" on Miami's mayoral runoff.

Higgins made history as the first woman elected Miami mayor. And her victory is another boost for Democrats.

"Tonight’s result is yet another warning sign to Republicans that voters are fed up with their out-of-touch agenda that is raising costs for working families across the country," the DNC's Martin said in a statement Tuesday night.

Florida was once the largest of the general election battleground states but has shifted dramatically to the right over the past decade.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won re-election by nearly 20 points in 2022, and Trump carried the state by 13 points in last year's presidential election victory.

But Miami remains a rare blue oasis in the Sunshine State. Trump narrowly lost the city in last year's presidential election, although the president won the wider Miami-Dade County by 11 points.

Trump made major gains last year with Hispanic and Latino voters in his re-election victory, but Higgins' win in Tuesday's runoff election is the latest signal that Hispanic and Latino voters may be souring on the president and his party.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2025 ELECTIONS

Higgins, a mechanical engineer and former Peace Corps director in Belize, focused on the issue of affordability and of making local government work better and faster during her campaign.

González, a veteran and senior advisor at an asset management firm, spotlighted the fight against overdevelopment and called for the elimination of property taxes for primary homes as he bid for mayor.

Higgins captured 36% of the vote in the Nov. 4 election, with González coming in second at 19%, in the multi-candidate field. With no candidate topping 50%, the contest headed to Tuesday's runoff.

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Higgins will succeed term-limited Republican Mayor Francis Suarez, who grabbed national attention two years ago as he briefly and unsuccessfully ran for the GOP presidential nomination.

Albuquerque voters to decide mayoral runoff as law-and-order challenger takes on incumbent in blue city

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:00:16 -0500

Voters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, are returning to the polls Tuesday as Mayor Tim Keller faces former Sheriff Darren White in a runoff election.

According to results released by the New Mexico Secretary of State's office, Keller secured 36% while White picked up 31% of the vote on Election Day on Nov. 5. Because neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the mayoral contest advanced to a runoff election.

Polls close in Albuquerque at 7 p.m. Mountain Time, and the winner of Tuesday's match-up will lead New Mexico’s largest city through the next four years as it confronts crime, homelessness and economic challenges.

The race to lead New Mexico's largest city is officially nonpartisan, but Keller aligns with the Democratic Party while White is a Republican.

THE RESULTS ARE IN: 2025'S BIGGEST WINNER AND LOSERS FROM THE OFF-YEAR ELECTIONS

Both candidates have made public safety and housing central to their campaigns as Albuquerque has struggled with some of the highest violent-crime rates in the region and a homelessness crisis.

Keller is a former state senator and auditor who has served as mayor of Albuquerque since 2017, while White is the programming manager for a local radio station, the former chief public safety officer for Albuquerque and lost a congressional race as a Republican in 2008.

TOP 5 GAME-CHANGERS FROM THE 2025 CAMPAIGN TRAIL

According to Keller's campaign website, he is running for re-election because Albuquerque "needs strong, reliable leadership" to "stand up" against President Donald Trump's sweeping, second-term agenda.

Earlier this year, Keller issued an executive order "reaffirming Albuquerque’s longstanding commitment as an immigrant-friendly city and outlined specific actions to safeguard the rights and safety of immigrant and refugee communities," amid Trump's nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration.

"He’s done the real work to repair decades-long challenges holding our city back. Now we know what’s working —and it’s time to press the pedal down and move Albuquerque forward through these tough times," Keller touts on his campaign website, arguing "these are tough times" locally and nationally.

Keller has leaned on his record throughout the campaign, including efforts to combat crime, reform homelessness and housing services and "breakthrough achievements," including public safety and community investment projects, as outlined on his website.

The mayor has also highlighted his efforts to reform the city's emergency response system, invest in neighborhoods, fight for survivors of sexual violence, modernize the economy, leadership on "climate action" including a commitment to being "100% renewable by 2025," expanding youth programs and "leading with courage" through the COVID-19 pandemic, per his campaign website.

Meanwhile, White has emphasized his law enforcement experience as a U.S. Army veteran who has served as "the head of the New Mexico State Police and Sheriff of Bernalillo County," according to his own campaign website.

Chief among his campaign promises is a commitment to fighting crime by restoring law and order and "giving officers the support and tools they need to enforce the law and clean up our streets" and ending "Mayor Keller’s Sanctuary City law for criminals and fight to end Catch and Release," according to his website.

Drawing a contrast to Keller's own record, White has also campaigned on cleaning up homeless encampments and addressing "the homeless crisis with policies that work."

Other campaign promises include partnering with businesses to create jobs and boost the economy and prioritizing government efficiency by cutting the waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars, per his campaign website.

"I have a proven record of fighting crime, protecting our communities, and upholding law and order," White said. "I’ll unshackle the police, end Mayor Keller’s failed sanctuary policies, clean up homeless encampments, and restore safety to Albuquerque’s streets, parks, and businesses while cutting government waste and making our city a place where families and businesses can thrive again."

Keller and White advanced from a 7-candidate field on Election Day on Nov. 5, 2025, when other high-stakes mayoral races were playing out across the United States, from Seattle to New York City.

Trump visited Albuquerque just days before Election Day during his 2024 presidential campaign as the Republican made a rare push in reliably blue states and districts, including the Bronx and New Jersey in addition to Albuquerque.

Trump ultimately lost New Mexico but won the presidential election, securing wins in all seven battleground states. And while Trump didn't pull off a win in New Mexico, his visit ushered the blue city and state into the national political conversation, sparking a debate about which states are "in play."

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Flash forward to 2025, Democrats nationwide claim to be "on the offense" following gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia this year. The Democratic Party has framed its success as a referendum on Trump's second term ahead of next year's midterm elections that will decide the congressional balance of power.

Miami in political crosshairs: Democrat hunts historic upset against Trump-backed candidate

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:00:10 -0500

Voters in Miami, Florida, cast ballots Tuesday in a runoff election for mayor in a race that's grabbed plenty of national attention in recent weeks as Democrats aim to end a decades-long losing streak in red-leaning Florida.

Democrat Eileen Higgins, a former county commissioner, is facing off against Republican Emilio Gonzalez, a former city manager backed by President Donald Trump.

While the election is technically nonpartisan, the ballot box face-off has become the latest showdown this year between Democrats and Republicans, with both parties pouring in resources.

And Democrats, energized by last month's decisive 2025 election victories and by last week's double-digit overperformance in a special election in a red-leaning congressional district in Tennessee, are aiming for victory in Miami for an office they haven't held in 30 years.

MIAMI MAYORAL CANDIDATE REVEALS HOW HE WILL FLIP SCRIPT ON DEM RIVAL'S 'CITY OF RENTERS' STRATEGY

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and allied groups have invested in the race.

DNC Chair Kent Martin told Fox News Digital that following last week's "historic overperformance in Tennessee and the record Democratic momentum across the country this year," the DNC is now "laser focused" on Miami's mayoral runoff.

"The energy is on Democrats’ side and the DNC is all-in support of Eileen Higgins from now until Election Day," Martin emphasized in a statement to Fox News Digital last week.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS

Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Florida has been helping Gonzalez.

And Trump, over the weekend, took to social media to try and boost Gonzalez.

"Miami’s Mayor Race is Tuesday. It is a big and important race!!! Vote for Republican Gonzalez," the president wrote.

Florida was once the largest of the general election battleground states, but has shifted dramatically to the right over the past decade.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won re-election by nearly 20 points in 2022, and Trump carried the state by 13 points in last year's presidential election victory.

But Miami remains a rare blue oasis in the Sunshine State. Trump narrowly lost the city in last year's presidential election, although the president won the wider Miami-Dade County by 11 points.

Higgins, a mechanical engineer and former Peace Corps director in Belize, focused on the issue of affordability and of making local government work better and faster during her campaign.

González, a veteran and senior adviser at an asset management firm, spotlighted the fight against overdevelopment and called for the elimination of property taxes for primary homes, as he bid for mayor.

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Higgins captured 36% of the vote in the Nov. 4 election, with Gonzalez coming in second at 19%, in the multi-candidate field.

The runoff winner will succeed term-limited Republican Mayor Francis Suarez, who grabbed national attention two years ago as he briefly and unsuccessfully ran for the GOP presidential nomination.

Hot mic reveals Issa plotting GOP strategy after California redraws House map

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 13:30:27 -0500

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., was caught on a hot mic Thursday discussing strategy following the passage of a new map by California voters that could potentially give Democrats an additional five House seats.

Issa was apparently referring to Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim, both California Republicans, during his remarks while attending President Donald Trump’s peace deal signing between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Just before the event began, Issa was captured on a pool camera discussing the race.

ISSA WEIGHS BOLTING CALIFORNIA FOR TEXAS SEAT AS DUELING REDISTRICTING WARS UPEND 2026 MAP: REPORT

"Ken has nowhere else to go," Issa said in footage recorded ahead of the White House peace-signing event. The footage was posted online by a reporter at Spectrum News’ Washington, D.C., bureau.

"She does have a hard seat she could go to, and I know the administration would look favorably if she would do that," Issa continued, apparently referring to Kim. "And then if she doesn’t win, you know, she could go to the administration for two years.

"With Ken, we need him exactly where he is, and most of this district is or has been his," he added. "If anyone else had a claim for it, it’d be me."

California voters in November approved Proposition 50, a measure that will redraw the state’s congressional map and give Democrats more House seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The move was in response to a similar plan in Texas to give Republicans more seats.

TRUMP’S REDISTRICTING PUSH GAINS STEAM IN ANOTHER KEY STATE: 'WE WILL STAND WITH THE PRESIDENT'

Calvert will challenge Kim, an incumbent, for California’s newly redrawn 40th Congressional District.

"Appreciate Congressman Issa saying what so many Californians already know: Ken Calvert is the strongest conservative who can win this seat and is on track to win the new 40th district," a spokesperson for Calvert's campaign told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the offices of Issa and and Kim.

Issa was reportedly considering a move to Texas to run for Congress. However, he previously told Fox News that he will remain in California to run in the newly gerrymandered 48th Congressional District.

"I’m thrilled to set the record straight, and here’s the truth: Texas House members and residents of that state did ask if I would consider running there following Gavin Newsom's historically corrupt gerrymander," Issa told Fox News Digital. "I appreciate the opportunity, but California is my home. I told them I'm going to stay in Congress, and I don't need to go to Texas for that.

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"I believe the people of Southern California in San Diego County and Riverside County who elected me so many times will, regardless of registration, consider my record in full and allow me to continue serving them," he added. "I can hold this seat, I’m not quitting on California, and neither should anyone else."

Trump-backed Van Epps sworn in as GOP hits 220 seats — but incoming Greene exit threatens razor-thin majority

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:26:46 -0500

Republican Matt Van Epps of Tennessee was sworn in on the House floor Thursday morning by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La,, giving the GOP slightly more breathing room as they hold on to a razor-thin majority in the lower chamber of Congress.

Van Epps was sworn in less than 48 hours after winning a hotly contested special election for a vacant GOP-held seat in Tennessee's 7th Congressional District that was viewed as a must-win for Republicans, who will defend their House majority in next year's midterm elections.

He vowed in a floor speech to "work every day with President Trump and my colleagues in this House to deliver on the America First agenda."

Van Epps' swearing in brings the balance of power in the House to 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats.

WHAT THE RESULTS IN THE HOTLY CONTESTED TENNESSEE SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION MEAN FOR THE 2026 MIDTERMS

But the Republican number will drop back to 219 early next month, when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a MAGA firebrand who had a falling out with Trump, resigns.

There are 213 Democrats in the House, with two Democrat-held seats currently vacant. The late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas died in March, but a special election to fill the seat won't be held until Jan. 31.

TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN KEEPS CRUCIAL CONGRESSIONAL SEAT IN GOP HANDS

And now-former Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey resigned last month after winning the Garden State's gubernatorial election. A special election to fill the vacant seat will be held in April.

Van Epps on Tuesday defeated Democratic congressional nominee Aftyn Behn in the race to succeed former GOP Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from office in June to take a private sector job.

Trump carried the district — which is located in central and western Tennessee, stretches from Kentucky to Alabama, and includes parts of Nashville — by 22 points in last year's presidential election. And Green won the district by over 20 points in his 2022 and 2024 re-elections.

But Democrats, energized after decisive victories last month in the 2025 elections, eyed flipping the seat, and national Democratic and Republican groups poured millions of dollars into the race.

Van Epps ended up topping Behn by roughly 9 points, thanks in part to high turnout for a special election held during the holiday season.

In a sign of the importance of keeping the seat in GOP hands, Johnson traveled to Tennessee and campaigned at a slew of events with Van Epps on election eve.

"We cannot take anything for granted. Since I became speaker, I presided over some of the smallest majorities in history. Every seat counts," Johnson said in a Fox News Digital interview on Monday morning.

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And Johnson highlighted that "special elections are strange because a lot of people take for granted in a deep red district like this that the Republicans are just going to win automatically. Nothing's automatic."

Fox News' Kelly Phares contributed to this report.

Social media reactions reveal why both parties celebrated after GOP candidate won special election

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 19:59:58 -0500

After Republican candidate Matt Van Epps defeated Democrat candidate Aftyn Behn in Tuesday's special election race for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District, both parties cheered the results.

Republicans touted a rejection of far-left radical policies and their ability to retain the GOP-held seat vacated by retired GOP Congressman Mark Green. Democrats, on the other hand, cheered the slim nature of Van Epps' victory in a district President Donald Trump won by more than 20 points last year, as Green did in his last two elections.

Van Epps won Tuesday night by a nine-point margin.

DEMOCRATS’ SURGE IN TENNESSEE THROWS NEW UNCERTAINTY ONTO GOP’S 2026 HOUSE MAP

"Last night was the latest flashing red light, indicating that Americans are fed up with Republican policies, particularly how much they have to pay for the things they really need," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said after the race was called.

"A deep red Tennessee district that Trump won by 22 points, swung by double digits in Democrats' direction."

Progressive strategists and organizations described Behn's campaign, despite her loss, as "amazing," "well run" and "great," noting she "gave Democrats in the South and across the country a reason to believe."

After the results were called, President Trump touted Van Epps as a "fantastic" addition to Tennessee's congressional delegation and called the win "BIG" for the GOP. The president pointed out that "Radical Left Democrats threw everything at him, including Millions of Dollars," but Van Epps was still able to pull out a victory.

"Millions of dollars of dark money wasted," longtime attorney and legal commentator Mark Pulliam noted. "Aftyn Behn discovered that Middle Tennessee will not elect lunatic leftists to Congress."

Behn's campaign was riddled with criticism about her history of radical activism, such as pushing to "dissolve" the Nashville police department and defending rioters and looters who took to the streets during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

"I'm currently involved in a transformative justice seminar, and so it’s how to imagine a world without police and what that looks like and what community mechanisms look like," Behn said during an interview with a local activist group prior to entering elected office.

A video of Behn being dragged out of Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee's office by police during an attempted sit-in and comments about how she "hate[s]" the city she hoped to represent in D.C., citing her distaste for Nashville's country music scene and other elements that make Nashville a popular city, also haunted Behn during her run.

DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST SAYS TENNESSEE NOMINEE WAS ‘FRINGE OF A FRINGE,’ DOMED PARTY'S CHANCES

CNN's Manu Raju noted in an interview ahead of Tuesday's election how, during her campaign, Behn was dubbed the "AOC of Tennessee."

"Aftyn Behn (D) lost tonight's special election in TN, but make no mistake: She’s the median Democrat, a lunatic radical progressive," CNN conservative political commentator Scott Jennings said of Tuesday night's election results. "I wouldn't be surprised if Dems continue to run the most Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs candidates they can find."

Former Congressman David McIntosh, the co-founder of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy and a member of FedSoc's Board of Directors, said Jennings "nails it" in his post-election analysis.

"It wasn't exactly a nail-biter, but 9 points is not a landslide," The Daily Wire's Matt Walsh pointed out. "It should have gone Republican by like 40 points yesterday. Looking at it objectively, that's what should have happened when you consider who [Behn] is."

However, despite the reservations permeating throughout the GOP following Tuesday's election, Trump and other Republican leaders praised the victory.

Republican National Committee Co-Chair KC Crosbie, said Behn "way underperformed" Tuesday and said she is hopeful heading into the midterms.

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"I've seen a lot of the spin that the Democrats have been trying to put on it today, but if you look at the 2025 special elections, I mean Democrats in 2025 overperformed by 18 points. [Behn] way underperformed last night, and it's because their message is so far off," Crosbie said.

"They are just bowing to the far-left, woke side of their party and people just aren't buying into their message. … So, we feel really good going into the midterms."

"Tennesseans voted in this resounding win to reject socialism, to reject the far-left radical ideology and to support common-sense conservatism," Van Epps told Fox News following his election victory Tuesday. "We are so happy with our margin of victory, and I think it's setting the tone for 2026. And we are going to win decisively there and hold the House."

"Common sense prevails," Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., added. "We had a great candidate in Matt Van Epps, and you can’t deny the Donald Trump effect."

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has indicated he hopes to swear in Van Epps as soon as this week after his special election win.

Democratic strategist says Tennessee nominee was ‘fringe of a fringe,’ doomed party's chances

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 16:39:04 -0500

While some Democrats described Aftyn Behn's single-digit loss in Tennessee's 7th Congressional District, a district that President Donald Trump won by 22 points last year, as an "overperformance," a team of Democratic researchers and analysts called the special election a "missed opportunity" for the party.

Republican Matt Van Epps defeated Behn by about 9 percentage points on Tuesday, closing out a high-profile special election to replace former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn. Despite losing, Democrats said Behn's inroads in the ruby-red district — along with November's gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia — proves their party is "on the offense."

This is where Welcome, a pro-Democratic Party organization, disagrees. In an October report entitled "Deciding to Win," they cautioned their fellow party members that far-left positions are turning off voters. And on Wednesday, they poured cold water on the echo chamber that framed Behn's loss as a win.

"The point is to win," said Liam Kerr, co-founder of Welcome when asked by Fox News Digital about the Tennessee election results. "Running a far-left candidate clearly did not put Democrats in the best position to win."

DECISION DAY: TRUMP, SPEAKER JOHNSON, AOC BLITZ CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN MUST-WIN SPECIAL HOUSE ELECTION FOR GOP

Kerr and his colleagues argued in the "Deciding to Win" report that Democrats should moderate their positions on identity politics and cultural issues while embracing affordability, border security and public safety ahead of competitive midterm elections expected next year.

TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN KEEPS CRUCIAL CONGRESSIONAL SEAT IN GOP HANDS WITH SPECIAL ELECTION VICTORY

"Aftyn Behn was a missed opportunity," Simon Bazelon, a research fellow at Welcome and a lead author of the report, said in a statement following Behn's loss. "Republicans were unusually vulnerable, but the right message isn't enough with the wrong track record. Democrats in red districts can’t just talk about affordability and hope voters don't notice they walk left on everything else."

Behn, a state representative and former healthcare community organizer, told supporters at a local Democratic Party office in Nashville on Tuesday morning that "whatever happens, win or lose, you’ve inspired a country. You’ve shown people the South has something to say."

"For me, we've already won over the hearts and minds of so many Tennesseans and across the country," Behn told Fox News Digital minutes later when asked if she's a winner even without an election victory. "What starts here changes this country."

Despite Behn running an effective affordability campaign fueled by grassroots support and a savvy social media presence, Bazelon said that "Republicans will make sure the voters know" if Democratic candidates do not match their district.

In the final days of her campaign, Behn dodged accountability for her past comments, including those calling to dissolve the Nashville police department, and was plagued by a resurfaced clip where she lamented that she hated Nashville.

"I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an 'it' city to the rest of the country. But I hate it," Behn said in a 2020 podcast.

"Despite a well-run race and significant investment, Tennessee voters knew Aftyn Behn did not share their views," Bazelon said.

Elaborating on Bazelon's critique, Kerr told Fox News Digital that it was "obvious that her stances on immigration and crime that are so out of step with the broad American public, not to mention a red district like Tennessee's 7th, would come back to haunt her and make it almost impossible for her to win."

"It's not just that she's out of step with the district, she's completely out of step with the American public on crime and immigration," the Democratic strategist said, in light of the resurfaced clip of Behn "bullying" U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

While Republicans relentlessly focused on Behn's past comments in the lead-up to Election Day, high-profile national Democrats, including former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and Al Gore and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., campaigned for the "AOC of Tennessee."

And while Democrats were successful in firing up the far-left base who are fed up with Trump's sweeping, second-term agenda, Kerr said that momentum isn't enough to deliver a win.

"Persuasion is a way to turn people up," he said. "Only trying to turn out your base is not a recipe for success, and so replicating what happened in November, not what happened in December, means persuading people who have supported President Trump in the past to pull the lever for a Democrat."

Kerr described the recipe for Democratic success in the 2026 midterm elections as nominating "conservative Democrats," and explained that Govs.-elect Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill won, in part, because they are "hard to caricature as leftists."

"We need centrist democrats to more aggressively intervene to bring the party back to where the American public is, particularly in red districts," he said, describing Behn as "not just the fringe" but the "fringe of a fringe" candidate for the Democratic Party.

Moving forward, Kerr said the "achilles heel for the Democratic Party" will be the "myth that you can just talk about affordability and forget your extreme, unpopular positions, and that they won't be raised to voters."

While Welcome's Democratic strategists are urging candidates back to the center in hopes of winning back the House and Senate in 2026, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee both took Tuesday night's results as proof the party is on the "offense" – despite losing.

"Tonight’s election results prove exactly what the DCCC has known all along – Democrats are on offense not just in the standard swing districts but in red terrain across the country. Our expansive battlefield shows that Democrats are ready to fight in rural districts, in Latino communities, in Trump country, and everywhere in between. House Republicans are officially on notice – Democrats are taking back the majority in 2026," DCCC Spokesperson Madison Andrus said in a statement.

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Meanwhile, DNC Chair Ken Martin called the win "historic and a flashing warning sign for Republicans heading into the midterms," by centering her campaign on affordability.

"Democrats are all gas and no brakes as we head into next year, organizing everywhere and competing in elections across the country," Martin said.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Miami mayoral candidate reveals how he will flip script on Dem rival's 'city of renters' strategy

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:17:12 -0500

EXCLUSIVE: Miami Republican mayoral candidate Emilio Gonzalez is accusing his progressive Democratic opponent Eileen Higgins of wanting to "create a city of renters" despite pushing a message of affordability. Instead, he is proposing a plan to turn Miami into a "city of owners."

Gonzalez and Higgins will face off in a runoff election on Dec. 9 after none of the candidates reached 50% of the vote on election night on Nov. 4. Higgins won 35.96% of the vote while Gonzalez took home 19.47%.

Higgins, a Miami-Dade County commissioner who resigned her office to run for mayor, has emphasized "building an affordable and prosperous future." She has touted her successes as county commissioner in investing nearly $3 million in small business grants and investments in building nearly 7,000 affordable housing units.

However, in an interview with Fox News Digital, Gonzalez, who is an Army veteran, former West Point teacher and business leader, warned that while Higgins has emphasized affordability in her campaign, her policies would stunt the American dream and keep citizens in perpetual renter status.

DESANTIS-BACKED GONZALEZ, DEMOCRAT COUNTY COMMISSIONER HIGGINS HEAD TO RUNOFF IN MIAMI MAYOR RACE

Gonzalez has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.

"She can point to some votes on a county commission to help put up a building here or a building there. But it really doesn't move the needle," Gonzalez told Fox News Digital. "The affordability issue, it sounds very nice, but it means absolutely nothing because she really hasn't done much when it comes to affordability."

"Right now, Miami is so expensive. Nothing is affordable," he continued. "We're in a situation where our young people, once they graduate from college, they have to leave because the jobs here don't pay enough. The apartments cost too much. Forget about a mortgage. There's nothing in Miami that sells for less than five, six hundred thousand dollars right now. And the jobs will not support that."

Meanwhile, he went after Higgins for talking up her belief in affordability while he said, "She wants to create a city of renters."

"I, on the other hand, want to create a city of owners. I want property owners," he said. "They want to talk about affordability, everybody does. They want to talk about the challenges of public transportation, everybody does. But it comes down to what is the solution, and that's where I think we differ."

LARGE CITY SIGNS ONTO DEAL WITH ICE: 'KEEP THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SAFE'

"We have vastly different views on how to move the city forward and what's best for our residents. She believes in a very statist approach where the government needs to go out and help people build, build, build, build, build, and never to own, but just to rent," he said. "And I'm about making sure that our residents have enough money in their pocket so that they can afford to buy a home and buy that first a condominium or buy that starter home."

"The last thing I'm going to do is allow Miami to fall into the same trap that you've seen… in New York or Chicago, which is bankrupt, or L.A., which is quite frankly, looks like a wasteland in the downtown area. That's not going to happen in Miami, it's not."

He praised DeSantis for advancing an agenda of eliminating property taxes in Florida, a policy he said he would implement if elected Miami mayor.

"I applaud Gov. DeSantis wanting to do away with property taxes. We can do that. And we can do that and not skip a beat," he said. "Right now, property taxes make up less than 7% of the city's budget. You know what? I think we can find 7% in efficiencies to offset that."

"That's just the beginning," he went on, adding, "I think there are other opportunities that we have to put money in people's pockets through efficiencies, through leveraging our resources and making this place affordable again."

TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN TOUTS 'GREAT TURNOUT FOR US' IN MUST-WIN SPECIAL ELECTION FOR GOP

Despite Higgins’ election night lead, Gonzalez said he is optimistic about his chances of success.

"This is a generational election," he said. "It’s not going to be an easy race. It'll be a tight race. It's probably going to be maybe a five-point race. But we're not letting up at all. We refuse to give up our future."

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Pointing to other U.S. cities, such as New York City, and countries like Cuba, that have embraced socialist policies, Gonzalez said, "The residents of Miami, the vast majority of whom came from socialist countries where socialists took over and destroyed their cities and their homes and their families, they don't want that here."

"We see what's happened in other cities in the U.S. and… they do not want that here. And I am their candidate, and I'm going to make sure that that doesn't happen here, even though it's happened in other places in Latin America and in the United States."

Fox News Digital reached out to Higgins’ campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The winner of the runoff election will replace Republican Mayor Francis Suarez, who is term-limited.

Democrats’ surge in Tennessee throws new uncertainty onto GOP’s 2026 House map

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:29:13 -0500

The results from the hotly contested special election in Tennessee's 7th Congressional District are in, handing a decisive victory to Republicans. But both Republicans and Democrats are drawing political ammunition from the outcome.

President Donald Trump proclaimed it was a "great night for the Republican Party!!!" after GOP nominee Matt Van Epps defeated Democratic rival Aftyn Behn in the high-stakes race to succeed former GOP Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from office in June to take a private sector job.

But Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin, pointing to Van Epps' roughly 9-point margin in a solidly-red district Trump carried by 22 points a year ago, argued that "Democrats are on offense and Republicans are on the ropes."

With the GOP clinging to a razor-thin majority in the House, the special election was seen as a must-win for Republicans. And now, both parties are drawing conclusions on what the results mean for next year's midterm elections, when the House majority is up for grabs.

TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN KEEPS CRUCIAL CONGRESSIONAL SEAT IN GOP HANDS

And there's a divide among Democrats, with moderates questioning whether Behn, who was dubbed the "AOC of Tennessee" in a comparison to progressive champion Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was too far to the left for the district — which is located in central and western Tennessee, stretching from Kentucky to Alabama, and including parts of Nashville.

With so much on the line, outside groups aligned with both parties shelled out millions of dollars to run ads in the race. And the DNC and the rival Republican National Committee (RNC) each poured resources into the showdown, which included dispatching staffers onto the campaign trail.

DECISION DAY: TRUMP, SPEAKER JOHNSON, AOC BLITZ CAMPAIGN TRAIL ON EVE OF KEY SHOWDOWN

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., spent the entire day on election eve with Van Epps, joining the GOP nominee at a slew of rallies and stops across the district. He was joined by RNC Chair Joe Gruters.

Van Epps, a military combat veteran who piloted helicopters and former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, said in his victory speech that his win "represented a defining moment for Tennessee and for the direction of the country."

And Van Epps told Fox News Digital that his win was "a resounding victory."

Trump, whose endorsement of Van Epps helped the candidate win the GOP nomination in a competitive primary last month, described Tuesday's victory as a "BIG Congressional WIN."

Van Epps told supporters at his Election Night watch party that "we are grateful to the President for his unwavering support that charted this movement and catapulted us to victory. President Trump was all-in with us. That made the difference."

While falling short of flipping the seat, which would have been catastrophic for the GOP, Democrats see a silver lining.

WATCH: WHAT AFTYN BEHN TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL ON ELECTION EVE

"Aftyn Behn’s overperformance in this Trump +22 district is historic and a flashing warning sign for Republicans heading into the midterms," Martin argued. "The fact that Republicans spent millions to protect this Trump +22 district and still lost so much ground should have the GOP shaking in their boots. Democrats are all gas and no brakes as we head into next year, organizing everywhere and competing in elections across the country."

And Behn, a state representative and former healthcare community organizer, told Fox News Digital on Election Day that "what starts here changes this country."

Asked if she would be a winner even without winning the election, she said, "For me, we've already won over the hearts and minds of so many Tennesseans and across the country."

But Republicans dispute the Democrats' narrative.

"Special elections are strange because a lot of people take for granted in a deep red district like this that the Republican is just going to win automatically. Nothing's automatic," Johnson told Fox News Digital at a Van Epps rally on the eve of the election.

Johnson pointed to Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas, who narrowly won a special election in 2017, just five months after Trump carried the district by nearly 30 points in his 2016 White House victory. Estes went on to win re-election in the 2018 midterms by 19 points.

A few months after Estes' victory, Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina won a 2017 special election by 3 points in a district Trump carried by 17 points the previous November. But Norman went on to win re-election in the ensuing midterms by 16 points.

Johnson, aiming to motivate low-propensity Trump supporters, who often don't vote when the president's not on the ballot, emphasized that "we need everybody to turn out."

Turnout in special elections is often low, but that wasn't the case on Tuesday. According to unofficial results, roughly 180,000 votes were cast, close to the turnout in the district in the 2022 midterms, when Green won re-election by over 20 points.

DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, GO ALL IN ON FINAL 2025 CONGRESSIONAL BALLOT BOX SHOWDOWN

While Democrats are confident that the results in Tennessee, along with their decisive victories last month in the 2025 elections, are a sign of things to come in the 2026 midterms, Johnson told Fox News' Chad Pergram on Wednesday that "we have a great record to run on in '26. And I'm very bullish about the midterms. I'm convinced we're going to defy history and grow this majority."

While Behn was laser focused on the issues of affordability and healthcare during her campaign, Republicans blasted her as a "radical" and highlighted past controversial comments she made.

"She does not represent the values of Tennessee or of America. She is as far left as you can get. She's a radical," Van Epps claimed in a Fox News Digital interview.

Johnson argued on Monday that Behn was a "radical" and "a dangerous far leftist. And she will be a rubber stamp for Hakeem Jeffries and AOC and all the radicals in Congress."

Liam Kerr, co-founder of the Welcome PAC, a Democrat-aligned group which advocates for moderate candidates, called Behn "a missed opportunity."

"Democrats in red districts can’t just talk affordability and hope voters don't notice they walk left on everything else. If candidates don't match their district, Republicans will make sure the voters know. Despite a well-run race and significant investment, Tennessee voters knew Aftyn Behn did not share their views," he argued.

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But Behn, hours before the election was called, told Fox News Digital, "I think the electorate is shifting to accept a candidate like me that has a progressive track record."

And Behn said she's seen "so many young people coming up to me to say they’re running for office because this race has inspired them to do so."

And Amanda LItman, president of Run for Something, which supports younger, progressive candidates, pointing to Behn's performance, said "we’ve got great candidates with local experience & authentic communication skills ready to run and win in places no one saw competitive six months (or years) ago."

Fox News' Asher Redd contributed to this story.

DAVID MARCUS: GOP win shows Tennessee hasn’t been California’d, at least not yet

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:56:53 -0500

Republicans dodged a bullet on Tuesday night as GOP candidate Matt Van Epps defeated far left progressive Democrat Aftyn Behn by a mere nine points in a district Donald Trump won by 22 points a year ago. But make no mistake: The socialist electoral gun is still locked, loaded and aimed at middle America.

A win is a win, but Van Epps’ relatively narrow margin of victory will set off alarm bells for Republicans nationally, and embolden the socialist wing of the Democratic Party, which is already fast on its way to establishing its dominance.

This election is also a validation for all those folks in the Volunteer State with T-shirts and bumper stickers that say "Don’t California my Tennessee," for just as non-native New Yorkers pushed democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani to a win in Gotham, transplants were a big boon for Behn.

Over the past few years, the population of Nashville has grown by roughly 100 citizens a day, about 30,000 souls a year, and many are coming from blue, high-tax, high-crime states. Sadly, many seem willing to bring their failed politics with them.

DEMOCRATS TORN BETWEEN PROGRESSIVE FIRE AND CENTRIST CAUTION AS NOVEMBER ELECTIONS LOOM

The appeal of Tennessee is clear. In fact, I considered it myself it when I escaped New York City in 2023 before settling on vastly superior West Virginia. There is a high quality of life and low cost of living, and in general Tennessee is just a nice place to live.

Democrats understand these demographic changes in red states, and many will now argue that Behn’s success shows that the growth strategy here is to play to the younger, far-left voters, not the Joe Manchin-type, blue-dog Democrats in their 60s who you can find here and there at the VFW.

Meanwhile, Republicans have expressed glee at the way President Trump has appealed to young voters in the past, especially young men. Problem is, those gains seem to all but disappear when Trump isn't on the ballot.

I'M A YOUNG DEMOCRAT AND I'VE GOT TO ADMIT MY PARTY IS LOSING 2025 WHILE LOOKING AT 2028

Part of this disconnect comes from the fact that much of the economic populism that makes Trump attractive to young male voters, including things like $2,000 tariff rebate checks, are the exact things that more traditional Republicans object to in Trump’s platform.

The thing that is almost funny about the way that this special election played out was that the only area of the district that Behn won, and decisively, was Nashville, a city which she famously, and recently, said she hated.

This should not be a surprise, one of the key things that far leftists and socialists do is disconnect a place from its roots. This is how you end up with places like Portland, Oregon, putting up a "Tree" instead of a "Christmas Tree."

AFTYN BEHN DODGES QUESTIONS ON POLICE FUNDING, POLICY DISAGREEMENTS WITH KAMALA HARRIS

In her concession speech, Behn said her campaign was the beginning of "something powerful in Tennessee and across the south." She could very well be right, because Nashville is not alone in turning bright blue.

Durham, North Carolina, basically has the politics of Brooklyn, and cities like it and Nashville are growing at massively higher rates than the reliably red rural counties that have traditionally kept Dixie conservative.

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The socialists and progressive Democrats are playing a long game in the South. Note that, with the exception of Bernie Sanders, their leaders like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and Behn, are all in their 30s. They have time on their side.

REPUBLICANS RELENTLESSLY USE MAMDANI AS SOCIALIST CUDGEL TO BASH VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS

Like Moses, Bernie Sanders may have gone to the socialist mountaintop, but it is his followers who mean to get to the Marxist promised land.

Republicans need to take these warnings seriously. Say what you will about the tenets of socialism, but at least it's an ethos. Right now, nobody seems to know quite what Trumpism is, other than Trump himself. That has to change.

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Over the next year, before the midterm, and the following two before the next presidential election, Trumpian populism needs to get bigger than Trump. In fact, Trump may need to set not just the priorities of his administration, but of the future of the Grand Old Party.

Tennessee was not California’d on Tuesday night, and that is a very good thing, but the trends are not good for Republicans. Democrats have a new identity as socialists, and it turns out not to be disqualifying. So what identity will the GOP choose?

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Trump-backed Republican keeps crucial congressional seat in GOP hands with special election victory

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 21:38:05 -0500

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Republicans will hold onto a GOP-controlled vacant congressional seat in ruby-red Tennessee after winning a hotly contested special election by nine percentage points Tuesday.

Republican nominee Matt Van Epps on Tuesday defeated Democratic rival Aftyn Behn, according to The Associated Press, in the high-stakes race to succeed former GOP Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from office in June to take a private sector job.

"This race was bigger than just one campaign,"Van Epps said in a statement after declaring victory. "It represented a defining moment for Tennessee and for the direction of the country."

With the GOP clinging to a razor-thin majority in the House, the special election was seen as a must-win for Republicans.

DECISION DAY: TRUMP, SPEAKER JOHNSON, AOC BLITZ CAMPAIGN TRAIL ON EVE OF KEY SHOWDOWN

President Donald Trump carried the 7th Congressional District — which is located in central and western Tennessee, stretches from Kentucky to Alabama, and includes parts of Nashville — by 22 points in last year's presidential election. And Green won the district by over 20 points in his 2022 and 2024 re-elections.

But Democrats were energized following their decisive victories in last month's 2025 elections, and public opinion surveys suggested a close contest between Van Epps and Behn in a showdown that was seen as a key barometer ahead of next year's midterm elections, when the GOP will be defending its majority.

WATCH: WHAT AFTYN BEHN TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL ON ELECTION EVE

Asked by Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning if he needed to win the election by a certain margin, Van Epps said, "a win is a win."

But the military combat veteran and former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services added that "we're going to press as hard as we can to win by the biggest margin we can, and then we're going to hold the majority in '26."

Behn, a state representative and former healthcare community organizer, who's been dubbed the "AOC of Tennessee" in a comparison to progressive champion Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said in her concession speech, "Although tonight is not the final result of what we wanted…it is the beginning of something so powerful in Tennessee and across the South."

She delivered a similar message to supporters at a local Democratic Party office in Nashville on Tuesday morning.

"Whatever happens, win or lose, you’ve inspired a country. You’ve shown people the South has something to say," Behn said.

And she added, "I think the electorate is shifting to accept a candidate like me that has a progressive track record."

Behn was laser focused during her campaign on two key issues, affordability and healthcare.

But National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Rep. Richard Hudson, in congratulating Van Epps, emphasized that "Tennesseans know they can trust Van Epps to fight for their safety, security, and prosperity. No one is better positioned to take up the mantle and deliver results for Tennessee families, workers, and small business owners."

Trump, whose endorsement of Van Epps helped the candidate win a crowded and competitive primary last month, took to social media to congratulate "Van Epps on his BIG Congressional WIN."

"Another great night for the Republican Party!!!" the president said in his social media post.

And Van Epps, in his victory speech, said "Our victory was powered by a movement of Tennesseans that are ready for change. We are grateful to the President for his unwavering support that charted this movement and catapulted us to victory. President Trump was all-in with us. That made the difference. In Congress, I’ll be all-in with him."

But Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a statement, "What happened tonight in Tennessee makes it clear: Democrats are on offense and Republicans are on the ropes."

And House Majority PAC, the top super PAC supporting congressional Democrats, claimed, "Tonight's results make it clear: No House Republican's re-election should be considered safe next November."

Asked about the Democrats' comments, Van Epps told Fox News Digital after his Election Night speech that "we have the resounding victory. This is a victory for Republicans. It’s a victory for our district. It’s a victory for President Trump."

"We are going to take this momentum forward, and we’re going to win in 2026," he predicted.

DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, GO ALL IN ON FINAL 2025 CONGRESSIONAL BALLOT BOX SHOWDOWN

With so much on the line, outside groups aligned with both parties shelled out millions of dollars to run ads in the race. And the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the rival Republican National Committee (RNC) each poured resources into the showdown, which included dispatching staffers onto the campaign trail.

House Speaker Mike Johnson spent the entire day on Election Eve with Van Epps, joining the GOP nominee at a slew of rallies and stops across the district. He was joined by RNC Chair Joe Gruters.

"We're going to win this seat, but we cannot take anything for granted," Johnson said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

"Special elections are strange because a lot of people take for granted in a deep red district like this that the Republican is just going to win automatically. Nothing's automatic. So we're here to help turn out the vote and make sure we get this great candidate right over that line," Johnson said.

Aiming to motivate low-propensity Trump supporters, who often don't vote when the president's not on the ballot, Johnson emphasized that "we need everybody to turn out."

Before introducing Van Epps at Monday's first rally, Johnson called Trump on his cell phone, and the president spoke to the crowd for over four minutes.

"Let's make it a sweeping victory," Trump said. "The whole world is watching Tennessee right now. And they're watching your district. The whole world. It’s a big vote. It’s going to show something. It's got to show that the Republican Party is stronger than it's ever been."

Trump joined Van Epps later in the day for an evening tele rally.

In another sign of the importance of holding the seat, Republican Gov. Bill Lee, GOP Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, as well as Republican members of Congress from Tennessee, state GOP lawmakers and rival candidates who lost to Van Epps in last month's primary, campaigned with him on Monday.

Behn also enjoyed last-minute support from high-profile surrogates.

Ocasio-Cortez; Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, who chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus the past four years; Black Voters Matter Fund co-founder LaTosha Brown and former Vice President Al Gore, a Tennessee native, all spoke at an Election Eve virtual rally.

"The reason this race is competitive is because I have been at community gatherings, potlucks, funerals, weddings, with the voters in the seventh district, and they remember that," Behn told Fox News Digital.

Behn faced repeated attacks that she's out of step with voters in the district.

"She does not represent the values of Tennessee or of America. She is as far left as you can get. She's a radical," Van Epps claimed in his Fox News Digital interview. "We have to reject that ideology. And we're going to do that tomorrow."

Johnson argued on Monday that Behn was a "radical" and "a dangerous far leftist. And she will be a rubber stamp for Hakeem Jeffries and AOC and all the radicals in Congress."

And Trump, repeating comments he made over the weekend on social media, charged that Behn "hates Christianity" and "hates country music."

Trump was referring to past comments Behn made from a 2020 podcast.

TENNESSEE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE CAUGHT SAYING 'I HATE NASHVILLE' AND 'COUNTRY MUSIC' IN RESURFACED CLIP

The district is solidly red, but includes parts of the Democratic stronghold of Nashville, Tennessee's capital and its most populous city, and a major national center for the country music industry. The district encompasses parts of north and west Nashville, including the downtown area which has long been a very popular tourist destination.

Behn, in a CNN interview on Sunday, noted that she was a "private citizen" when she made the comments. "Nashville is my home. Do I roll my eyes at the bachelorette parties and the pedal taverns that are blocking my access to my house? Yeah. Every Nashvillian does. But this race has always been about something bigger. It's about families across middle Tennessee that are getting crushed by rising prices."

Republicans also took aim at Behn over an op-ed titled, "Tennessee is a racist state, and so is its legislature," that appeared in a 2019 edition of The Tennessean newspaper.

The RNC, pointing in a recent social media post to the six-year-old opinion piece, asked, "If Behn hates Tennessee so much, why is she trying to represent it?"

Also resurfacing in recent weeks are anti-police comments Behn made on a now-deleted social media account.

"Clearly, I'm living rent-free in President Trump's mind," Behn told supporters on Monday.

And asked by Fox News Digital about the incoming verbal fire from Republicans, Behn joked, "I always love to hear from my fans."

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She touted that "I have a track record of showing up in the hard fights and small fights in between, not only as an organizer and as an activist, but as a legislator."

And sticking to her key issue of tackling the high cost of living, Behn said she's "running on a very simple message of addressing the affordability crisis that Tennesseans are facing, and they [Republicans] don't have a remedy for it.

Fox News' Asher Redd contributed to this story