Category Archives: Democrat

In losing big votes, Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat and majority leader, believes his party stands to win.

Despite certain defeat, Mr. Schumer has scheduled a floor vote for Thursday on a bipartisan border security measure that collapsed almost as soon as it was made public in February, when Donald J. Trump torpedoed it as lunacy and a gift to Democrats.

Mr. Schumer sees his maneuver as a way to remind voters upset about chaos at the southern border that it is Republicans who are blocking a solution, even after they reached a deal with Democrats that could solve the problem. He insists that the potential political benefits to Democratic candidates in tough races in Ohio, Montana and elsewhere are merely a bonus.

Its good for the country, Mr. Schumer said in an interview, about the legislation. But obviously, look, if it has electoral consequences, so be it.

With most of the heavy legislative lifting done for the year and the election that will decide control of Congress fast approaching, Senate Democrats are turning to the electoral consequences part of their agenda, and messaging votes will be a regular feature. Mr. Schumer, who has long played a central role in mapping his partys political strategy, has a two-pronged plan that will unfold in the coming weeks with a focus on abortion rights and border security.

In the next two months, Mr. Schumer said, we have a sword and shield.

The sword is abortion rights, an issue where Democrats firmly believe and polls confirm they have the upper hand with voters following the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.

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Democrats See Wins in Losing Votes - The New York Times

Donald Trump is scheduled to rally in one of the most heavily Democratic counties in the country, set to take the stage Thursday evening in the Bronx.

A Trump campaign spokesperson says to expect the former president and GOP nominee to rail against Joe Biden, inflation and the surge of asylum seekers into New York when he takes the stage in Crotona Park.

President Trump is going to speak directly to locals in the Bronx, in the borough about how their lives have worsened under Joe Biden's policies, particularly Bidenomics, which has led to the highest inflation in a generation, Karoline Leavitt, the campaigns national press secretary, told Spectrum News NY1.

But why go to the Bronx?

Why not? Leavitt said. President Trump is unafraid to bring his message to every borough of New York, to every corner of this great country because he believes his message is a winning one.

Trump won less than 10% of the vote in the borough eight years ago, and inched up to just 16% in 2020.

However, according to polls, Trump has been making some inroads this year with groups that form the majority of Bronx voters: Black and Latino Americans.

Clearly there's an opportunity for Trump to try to get support from some of those voters, Don Levy, director of the Siena College Research Institute, said.

Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres, a Democrat, says he is appalled that the former president has decided to campaign in the borough.

Donald Trump's mismanagement of COVID was catastrophic for the Bronx. The Bronx was the epicenter, Torres said.

By contrast, he argues Biden has actually put in the work that will help his community. He notes, for example, Bidens efforts to cap the price of insulin a potential game-changer, he says, in a borough with one of the highest rates of diabetes in the country.

The only place in the Bronx where Donald Trump has any place being is Bronx Criminal Court on 161st Street and the Grand Concourse, Torres said.

No one expects Trump to win the Bronx or New York state writ large.

However, winning more Black and Latino voters nationally could be the difference in a close race. Trumps outreach to those voters could also force Biden to spend more time and money trying to maintain a key part of his political base.

Protesters and a counter-rally are expected to greet Trump Thursday evening.

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Why is Trump rallying in the heavily Democratic Bronx? - Spectrum News NY1

Senate Budget Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse andHouse Oversight and Accountability ranking member Jamie Raskin on Wednesday referred their investigation into large oil and gas companies past knowledge about theclimate impacts of fossil fuels to the Justice Department.

In the referral,Raskin, D-Md., and Whitehouse, D-R.I., argue that the department should investigate four such companies BP America, Chevron Corp., ExxonMobil Corp. and Shell Oil Co. as well as the American Petroleum Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, for denialism and disinformation about the harm caused by use of their products.

The pairsaid they agreed with the May 1 testimony of Sharon Eubanks, former director of the Justice Departments tobacco litigation team, that there is adequate foundation for building a case against the oil industry.

Internal documents obtained in our investigation demonstrate that fossil fuel companies do not dispute any longer that they have known for more than 60 years that burning fossil fuels causes climate change, Raskin said. And yet theyve worked for decades to undermine public understanding of that fact and to deny and distort and misstate the underlying science.

Throughout the course of the investigation, which began in the House in 2021, the Democratic lawmakers have compared the actions taken by the oil companies and industry groups to those taken by tobacco companies to hide the harmful effects of cigarette smoking from the public.

The Justice Department and manystates pursued lawsuits over these actions, which required the tobacco companies to alter their business practices and pay out billions of dollars. Whitehouse made comparisons to the 2006 ruling where U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler found that the tobacco companies violated civil racketeering laws.

Earlier this month the House Oversight Democrats and the Senate Budget Committee released a joint staff reportoutlining their findings.

The oil industry has consistently refuted Democratic lawmakers conclusions over the course of the investigation.

This is another unfounded political charade to distract from persistent inflation and Americas need for more energy, including oil and natural gas. U.S. energy workers are focused on delivering the reliable, affordable oil and natural gas Americans demand and any suggestion to the contrary is false, API spokesperson Andrea Woods said.

Raskin and Whitehouse said that Congress would still move forward with its investigation regardless of the Justice Departments decision. Whitehouse said he would continue to examine the issue through the Senate Budget Committee, and if the House returns to Democratic control Raskin would pursue full compliance with his committees previously issued subpoenas.

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Democrats refer 'big oil' investigation to Justice Department - Roll Call

ANALYSIS Democratic strategists scored a big primary victory in Oregon on Tuesday in whats close to a must-win district in November.

State Rep. Janelle Bynum defeated 2022 nominee Jamie McLeod-Skinner 69 percent to 31 percent, with 74 percent of the estimated vote counted, in the Democratic primary in Oregons 5th District.

It was very, very, very important, former Democratic Rep. Kurt Schrader said about the primary result. It gives Democrats a chance of winning the 5th District of Oregon back.

The Democratic establishments in D.C. and the Beaver State lost faith in McLeod-Skinner after she knocked off Schrader in the 2022 primary and subsequently lost to Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer in the general election. So they rallied behind Bynum to keep McLeod-Skinner from becoming the nominee once again.

It appears that Republicans understood the importance of the primary as well after an outside group with connections to GOP operatives spent $550,000 on TV ads, attempting to boost McLeod-Skinner.

Democratic voters finally woke up and figured out winning was important. And they figured out Janelle was the best person to take on DeRemer, Schrader said in an interview Tuesday night.

Democratic strategists convinced themselves that McLeod-Skinners liberal reputation was a certain loser in the swing district, and they fell in love with Bynums electoral track record. She defeated Chavez-DeRemer in state legislative elections in 2016 and 2018.

Oregons 5th District stretches from the Portland suburbs and part of the Willamette Valley east of Interstate 5, across the mountains to include some of fast-growing central Oregon. President Joe Biden won the district with 53 percent in 2020, and Republican Christine Drazan won it with 47 percent in the 2022 gubernatorial election. Now, its one of the 10 districts rated as a Toss-up by Inside Elections.

Democrats need a net gain of four seats nationwide to take the House majority and likely need to win nine of the 10 Toss-up races, including Oregons 5th, to reach their goal.

It wont be easy. Chavez-DeRemer had $1.9 million in her campaign account on May 1, and Democrats are shouldering the blame for crime and homelessness in nearby Portland. The Republican playbook focused on Bynums record in the state capital is not a surprise.

In Salem, Prison Break Bynum built an extensive record as an extremist hellbent on emptying prisons, decriminalizing fentanyl and unleashing criminals, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ben Petersen said in a statement, telegraphing the GOP messaging over the next five months.

Schrader sees how Bynum can overcome it, however.

She has to tack back a little bit, portray herself not quite as left but more left of center like she is,Schrader said. She should play up her business credentials. And shell have to work hard to show shes not part of that Portland dysfunction.

Nathan L. Gonzales is an elections analyst with CQ Roll Call.

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Bynum's primary win boosts Democrats' chances to flip Oregon seat - Roll Call

The three candidates in the primary race to become Orangeburg Countys next coroner all cite their experience, saying they will work to improve the office.

Orangeburg County Coroner Samuetta Marshall is not running for re-election.

Sean Fogle, Montez P.V. Haynes and Valencia Golden-Young will face each other in the June 11 Democratic primary.

No Republican filed for the seat.

Fogle has spent 20 years as a deputy coroner in the Orangeburg County Coroners Office, 13 of them as chief deputy coroner.

I am running because experience in this office is an absolute necessity to ensure Orangeburg County residents receive the dignity, respect and compassion they deserve in their most difficult time of need. I humbly offer my 20 years of experience as well as my commitment and professionalism, to all Orangeburg County residents. I am running to make a difference, the 50-year-old said.

This is his first time running for the coroners office, but his platform is clear.

My platform is education, collaboration and accreditation. I would like to provide the citizens of Orangeburg County with more information on what services the coroners office can provide, as well as provide resources and give information on, for example, what other options are available if they cant afford a funeral home, Fogle said.

He said he would also like to strengthen the relationship between the coroners office and the various agencies it works with. Fogle said he would also like to work more closely with schools and colleges on preparing students interested in forensic science, pathology and criminal justice.

I would finally like to see the coroners office become an accredited agency. The accreditation process provides the coroner and medical examiner offices the opportunity to self-assess and subsequently have auditors to review applicable standards. It allows coroner and medical examiner offices to ensure they are conducting business practices and procedures in compliance with established national standards, Fogle said.

He said accreditation also enables the office to receive grants and other resources to fund and staff the office, as well as get much-needed equipment to help in properly investigating cases.

Fogle said he has the most experience to do the job.

I feel like Ive already done what my opponents are not doing. I want the citizens of Orangeburg County to feel even during their most difficult time that they have a coroners office that took the time to answer their questions but, more importantly, listen to their concerns, he said.

Fogle continued, Regardless of what I have to do, I listen because in the end they feel better and thank me for taking that time with them. I feel better because I know I made things just a little bit easier for someone that day.

Fogle, who is single with no children, was born and raised in Holly Hill, where he currently lives.

The 1991 graduate of Holly Hill-Roberts High School went on to graduate from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Decatur, Georgia in 1993. He later attended Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia with a major in computer networking technology.

Fogle is a member of the South Carolina Coroners Association and the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners.

He is also a member of First Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Santee and serves as minister of music at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Ridgeville.

I have the proven leadership and the proven experience needed to move the office in the right direction, he said.

Haynes is an Orangeburg resident who currently works as a deputy coroner in the Bamberg County Coroners Office. He said he would like to move the Orangeburg office forward with new ideas.

I am running for office because ever since I was in high school, I have enjoyed helping people during their worst time of life, which is usually death. I currently work as a deputy coroner and would like to use my experience and education to help move Orangeburg County forward with good leadership, integrity and new ideas, the 39-year-old said.

This is Haynes first time running for the coroners office, but he said his goals for the office are in place.

I would like to hire and train qualified staff to meet the needs of Orangeburg County. With Orangeburg County being the second-largest county in South Carolina, it is essential that there is enough manpower. It is my plan that we can arrive to any area of the county within one hour, he said.

Haynes continued, This will also allow the staff to have the proper time to do investigations and answer questions of the family without having to rush. I would also like the coroners office and law enforcement to have a collaborative relationship to ensure that death investigations are handled properly and that the needs of the citizens are met through transparent communication.

He said he also seeks to have a presence in the community beyond his campaign for office.

I would like to be in the community outside of campaigning. The person selected as coroner is a community leader and should be seen in the community and not only when death occurs, Haynes said.

The Orangeburg native said he has the managerial experience to do the job, having managed several businesses in the county. He also serves as a minister and mens ministry leader at Life Cathedral Church in Orangeburg.

Haynes is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., the Elks Lodge, the Rotary Club and the Bowman and Orangeburg chapters of the NAACP. He is also a member of the S.C. Coroners Association and the South Carolina Funeral Directors Association.

Married with two children, Haynes is a licensed insurance agent and funeral director and co-founder of Greater Orangeburg Funeral Home.

He has an associate degree in mortuary science from Piedmont Technical College and a bachelors degree in sociology from Claflin University. Haynes, a certified crematory operator, also earned a masters degree in chaplaincy from Columbia International University and an honorary Doctor of Arts degree in theology from the School of the Great Commission Bible College.

Haynes was also selected as the Orangeburg County Community of Character initiatives honoree for April for exemplifying selflessness.

Golden-Young began her service as a deputy coroner in the Orangeburg County Coroners Office in 2018. She said she realized that serving as coroner was her calling and purpose after her first year of service.

I started preparing myself. I started developing relationships with other agencies, educating myself with the laws and requirements of the coroners office and training, some of which I personally paid for out of pocket, she said.

I wanted to make sure I would be prepared to present the best me possible for the citizens of Orangeburg. ... This is my first time running for office, but I am prepared, Golden-Young said.

The 45-year-old said she doesnt take the concerns of Orangeburg County families and the offices supporting agencies lightly.

I will fill in the gaps between the coroners office and the community to ensure a solid foundation. I will make sure that resources are available to the communities at all times, not on a per-request basis, she said.

This would include having an advocate who can assist families with and provide the resources for organ and tissues donations, receiving personal effects, assistance with bringing a service member home and more, Golden-Young said.

Putting minimum standards in place for all cases, including toxicology and DNA cards and more is another of her goals.

I will make sure that all investigations have the resources needed to ensure an adequate response time. Once this foundation is solid, I will work toward having autopsies completed in Orangeburg County when possible and build toward national accreditation for the Orangeburg County Coroners Office, Golden-Young said.

She said she wants to continue to be a visible and approachable face in the community.

Golden-Young grew up in St. Matthews and currently resides in Holly Hill. She and her husband, Antoine, have three children: Joana Young, Dejah Hester and Jordan (Edwyn) Barnett. They are the grandparents of Jaxon Barrett.

The Calhoun County High School graduate is also a 2023 graduate of the Death Investigation Academy. She also received a scholarship from the National Association of Attorneys General in 2023 to receive National Center of Forensics training. Her training includes, but is not limited to, child fatality investigations training from the USC School of Laws Childrens Law Center.

As of May 2023, South Carolina coroners and deputy coroners are now first responders. I have since become CPR certified, Narcan certified and have become a member of the Community Emergence Response Team, she said.

Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD

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Orangeburg County: Three Democrats running for coroner - The Times and Democrat

Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens says there won't be a legislative fix to the issue.

COLUMBUS, Ohio With less than six months until the 2024 presidential election, Ohio officials are continuing to troubleshoot how to get President Joe Biden on the state's ballot.

Democrats had three options to address the issue of Biden's name not being certified before Ohio's Aug. 7 deadline. But now, they are down to just two options.

Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens says there won't be a legislative fix to the issue.

In a letter to the state's Democratic chair, Secretary of State Frank LaRose quoted the speaker saying there is "just not the will to do that from the Legislature."

This comes just one day after Gov. Mike DeWine called on lawmakers to act on the issue.

The two options that Democrats are left with are to move up the national convention ahead of the state's certification deadline or file a lawsuit.

While time and options are running out for a solution, House Minority Leader Allison Russo continues to say Biden will be on the ballot.

She said she's not surprised a legislative fix didn't happen.

"We've seen the dysfunction here in this place. I think we've seen that folks have not been able to put aside partisanship and hyper-partisanship and infighting and do what I think is the right thing for all voters, the right thing for all parties," said Russo.

This is not the only time a presidential candidate needed Ohio lawmakers to make an exception to the state's certification date. It previously occurred in 2012 and 2020, with the Legislature making exceptions for each.

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Ohio Democrats still trying to get Biden on ballot - 10TV

FAYETTEVILLE -- No points will be awarded at the NCAA West Track and Field First Round events that begin Wednesday at the University of Arkansas' John McDonnell Field, but scoring opportunities are on the line.

Arkansas' No. 1-ranked men's team and No. 2 women's team can only get points from the athletes who advance this week to the NCAA Championships, held June 5-8 in Eugene, Ore.

The top 12 finishers in each individual event and two relays out of 48 entries at the West First Round qualify for nationals. The same math applies to the East First Round being held in Lexington, Ky.

In that sense winning an event or finishing high doesn't carry the same weight at the West First Round as at the SEC Championships, but Arkansas' coaches aren't taking that approach.

"This is a humbling meet," Arkansas men's Coach Chris Bucknam said. "Everything starts fresh. You can't assume anything.

"Our instructions are to compete like it's a final. To me, that's the biggest guarantee you have to make it through. You can't half-ass it."

There are 126 teams competing at the West First Round with 836 men and 813 women.

"There are a lot of people out there that want those 12 spots in each one of those events," Bucknam said. "You can't approach it like, 'Hey, I'm going to go 90% and just make the top 12.' It just doesn't work that way and it never ends good with that approach."

Arkansas' women's team won SEC and NCAA Indoor championships earlier this year and finished second to No. 2 LSU at the SEC Outdoors. The Razorback men's team won SEC titles indoors and outdoors and finished second at the NCAA Indoor meet.

But now the NCAA Outdoors meets start.

"It doesn't matter what you've done up to this point," Arkansas women's Coach Chris Johnson said. "It's the NCAA First Round. We call it a regional because we're in the West region, but this is the NCAA First Round.

"This is our ticket to punch to get to the national meet, so we can't take anything for granted.

"Obviously on both sides of the table [for men and women] we've done a fantastic job in getting these young people ready to go, but now it's one of those situations where you've got to survive and advance."

Men's events will be held Wednesday and Friday with women's events Thursday and Saturday.

The Razorbacks have a combined 48 athletes competing with 60 entries in 30 events.

Arkansas' men have 24 athletes in 15 events with 29 entries and top-ranked individuals in the West with Wayne Pinnock (long jump), Lance Lang (200 meters) and the 1,600 relay team.

Other standouts for the Razorbacks include James Benson (second in the 400), Romaine Beckford (fifth in the high jump), Ben Shearer (fifth in the 5,000) and William Spencer (fifth in the 400 hurdles).

Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Caleb Snowden ranks No. 2 in the high jump.

Jack Turner and Yariel Soto Torrado, who ranked fourth and fifth in the decathlon, already have qualified for nationals for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas' women's team has 24 athletes in 15 events with 31 entries led by its 400 crew of Nickisha Pryce, Kaylyn Brown, Amber Anning and Rosey Effiong, who rank 1-2-3-4 in the West.

Razorbacks Sanu Jallow (800) and Sydney Thorvaldson (10,000) rank No. 1 in the West along with Arkansas' 1,600 relay. Rachel Glenn ranks No. 2 in the high jump and 400 hurdles.

"We've got to be mistake-free, we've got to be focused and we've got to take things seriously," Johnson said. "It's head-to-head competition, so the times really don't matter right now.

"Don't think that you've got a ticket already punched. Only the multis have that. Everybody else, we've got to go out and compete and get busy."

Bucknam said having a combined 48 Arkansas athletes competing for the men and women gives the West First Round meet an SEC Championships feel.

"Our team camp looks good, it feels right," Bucknam said. "It's good to have that vibe."

Johnson said the high national rankings and past success at NCAA meets adds pressure for both Arkansas teams.

"Our kids feel that," Johnson said. "But I think they're embracing that because that's what we want to be and that's the level of programs that we have.

"Fortunately for us and on the men's side, our kids have been in big moments. They understand what it is. I think the SEC meet prepares us for these type moments.

"I always tell our young ladies, 'If you do what you did to get to this point, we'll be fine. And if that's not good enough, then it wasn't in the cards for us.' "

The rest is here:

UA track teams treating first round like finals | Arkansas Democrat Gazette - Arkansas Online

Democrats on Wednesday sought to capitalize on a decisive election victory in New York, with party leaders freshly emboldened to challenge Republicans on immigration and reinforce their focus on abortion and MAGA extremism, as they forge a blueprint to overcome President Bidens low approval ratings this fall.

Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election for Congress in suburban New York on Tuesday, where he campaigned as a practical problem solver who would work with Republicans and said his party hadnt been tough enough on the southern border. His victory over GOP challenger Mazi Pilip flipped a seat once held by the disgraced George Santos and was the latest in a string of electoral wins for Democrats since they outperformed expectations in the 2022 midterms.

Party leaders received more good news in a special election for a vacant state House seat in suburban Philadelphia. Democrat Jim Prokopiak blew out his Republican opponent, Candace Cabanas, by 35 percentage points in an area where party turnout is seen as key to determining presidential outcomes in battleground Pennsylvania.

The results provided some relief for Democrats reeling from a difficult stretch that included a new round of public polls showing that voters have acute concerns about Bidens age and the job he is doing, as well as a special counsel report that offered an unflattering view of the presidents mental acuity. Many in the party cheered the results Tuesday Suozzi was ahead of Pilip by about eight points, with some votes still being tallied and pointed to them as a road map for navigating a challenging electoral landscape.

One key takeaway that Suozzi demonstrated is that you dont run away from a contentious issue. You lean into it, and then you double down and triple down on it. And thats exactly what he did on the issue of border security. He refused to allow the Republicans to define him on the issue, said Steve Israel, a former congressman from New York who used to head the House Democratic campaign arm. The fundamental lesson of the special election: Suozzi showed Democrats how you can meet voters where they are.

But the run-up to November, when Biden and former president Donald Trump are on course for a rematch and the balance of power in Congress is up for grabs, is strewn with obstacles for the party, some strategists and nonpartisan analysts said. Suozzis win doesnt eliminate long-term concerns about Bidens age. And a key part of Suozzis strategy involved distancing himself from the president and the national Democratic brand.

I do think it shows that suburban voters value competence, and Suozzi was the candidate they knew better and trusted to come up with solutions even as Bidens approval ratings are upside down virtually everywhere on the migrant crisis, said David Wasserman of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. The challenge for Biden is that voters dont see him as competent.

Republicans publicly downplayed the significance of the special election result, even as some in the GOP worried that Trump and the farthest-right figures in their party hurt them in the suburbs. They said the overall dynamics will become more favorable to them in the general election, with Trump turning out the partys less-engaged voters and Biden playing a larger role in the public conversation.

GOP leaders argued that Suozzi, who previously held the seat for three terms, was a uniquely strong candidate against Pilip, relatively a political newcomer. They predicted Democrats would fare worse in competitive races once Biden is at the top of the ticket.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) dismissed Suozzis win, saying he overcame the immigration issue by campaigning like a Republican. That is in no way a bellwether of whats going to happen this fall, he told reporters. (Johnson had said in a Jan. 18 fundraising email that the future of our Republican Majority could rest on this races outcome.)

But Democrats rallied around Suozzis model, especially his posture on immigration, which polls show is one of Democrats toughest issues. Republicans believed border security would be their winning issue at a time when New York is facing a massive influx of migrants. They had pointed to January polling showing that voters trusted Trump over Biden on the issue by more than 30 points.

With immigration at the forefront of New York voters minds, Suozzi called for stronger security at the border but also maintained support for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. He also pointed to House Republicans refusal to take up a bipartisan border security bill, arguing that GOP lawmakers werent serious about finding a solution.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) sent a memo to his Senate Democratic colleagues calling Suozzis win a road map for Democrats because he turned what could have been a devastating political liability into an advantage. Other Democrats voiced a similar sentiment.

Jon Reinish, a New York Democratic strategist, said that the party has long tried to ignore contentious issues such as immigration and crime and that he hoped Suozzis embrace could break this sort of stale stalemate thinking in Washington that has in many ways paralyzed the party and denied them a lot of wins, and a lot of public approval.

And I hope the Biden campaign sees that too, he said.

Biden has led a shift in the party toward a more combative approach against Republicans on immigration, blaming Trump and his allies for sinking the border security package on Capitol Hill. White House spokesman Andrew Bates renewed that criticism Wednesday, saying in a statement that the New York election was a devastating repudiation of congressional Republicans.

Bidens campaign noted that Republicans put millions behind commercials mentioning Biden in the New York special election and lost. Biden congratulated Suozzi even though the Democrat publicly questioned whether the president will be the nominee during an interview on Good Day New York the day before the election.

Suozzis record on immigration put him in a strong position to hit back on that issue and dispute Republicans portrayal of him as an open-border radical. GOP ads played nonstop a clip of the Democratic candidate saying he kicked ICE out of Nassau County, but Suozzi hit back with his own ads showcasing footage of him defending ICE on Fox News introduced by a host as one of the few Democrats who voted to support this vital agency.

Republicans said Wednesday that many others in Suozzis party will not have the same advantage, particularly as they face pressure from some on the left to adopt a more welcoming stance toward undocumented immigrants.

How many Democrats have the will, capacity and body of work to effectively paint themselves as Republican on immigration? asked Dan Conston, the president of the Congressional Leadership Fund, the biggest independent advertiser for Republican House campaigns. This is clearly a potent issue.

Early Republican polling found that the initial immigration attacks on Suozzi had caused severe damage to his support in the district, forcing millions in Democratic defensive spending.

Suozzis campaign spent more than $4 million on ads, compared with $361,114 for Pilip, who also joined forces with the National Republican Congressional Committee to buy additional ads, according to AdImpact. In total, Democrats swamped Republican spending in the race, putting in $14.1 million compared with Republicans $8.3 million. Because candidates get more airtime for the dollars, the spread in the number of ads was even greater.

Pilip, a little-known county legislator, was much more guarded than Suozzi on the trail and a notably less confident public speaker. Criticizing Democrats border policies at one of her relatively few news conferences, Pilip spoke for just a few minutes and looked down at her notes. She also struggled to raise money, a perennial issue for Republican House candidates.

Trump lambasted her on social media late Tuesday after her loss, calling her a very foolish woman who didnt endorse him. Pilip had tiptoed around Trump, declining to say whether she voted for him in 2020 until later acknowledging that she had playing into Democrats argument that she was an unknown quantity in a district burned by Santos, a Republican.

Democrats hammered Pilip on abortion suggesting she was beholden to an antiabortion party, even as she said she opposed a national ban and tied her to the MAGA brand, which many Republicans believe has cost them in the suburbs. In Pennsylvania, Prokopiak used similar attacks against his Republican opponent, labeling her a MAGA extremist, referring to an acronym for Trumps Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

Attacks on Republican-led restrictions on abortion rights and threats to democracy have helped lead Democrats to victories in elections, including the Kentucky governors race last fall. Democratic-aligned activists also have had success focusing attention on abortion, waging successful campaigns on ballot initiatives in conservative states such as Kansas and Ohio.

Republicans acknowledge that they have a problem turning out their voters in special elections but suggested that the disadvantage would dissipate in the November general election. Republican strategist John Feehery, a former top staffer for GOP leaders in the House, said Tuesdays outcome underscored Republicans need to improve their turnout in lower-profile elections as well as to recruit stronger candidates, not just banking on moving personal stories.

What the Republicans have to understand is they are not the high-propensity party anymore, he said.

Azi Paybarah and Marianna Sotomayor contributed to this report.

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Democrats see 2024 blueprint in N.Y. election that centered on immigration - The Washington Post

In the heart of Long Island, where Republicans have won every major election in the last three years, Tom Suozzi fought through ripping political headwinds to claim victory on Tuesday in a special House election, seizing a coveted swing district that had been held by George Santos.

Mr. Suozzis eight-point win flipped one of the five House seats Democrats need to retake the majority in November, giving the party a badly needed shot of optimism. But his campaign also provided something that may prove more valuable, a playbook for candidates across the country competing on turf where President Biden and his party remain deeply unpopular.

The strategy went something like this: Challenge Republicans on issues that they usually monopolize, like crime, taxes and, above all, immigration. Flash an independent streak. And fire up the Democratic base with attacks in this case, nearly $10 million in ads on the abortion issue and former President Donald J. Trump, the likely Republican nominee for the White House.

Its a very interesting lesson to Democrats that you can escape your opponents attacks on immigration by not only leaning into the issue, but doubling down on it, said Steve Israel, a former congressman from the district who once led the House Democrats campaign arm.

Instead of trying to pivot around the issue, he charged into it, Mr. Israel added.

One of the most vivid examples came in the races final weeks. Mr. Suozzi was on his way to a meeting one morning and learned that his Republican opponent, Mazi Pilip, was about to hold an event at a Queens migrant shelter blaming him for the nations growing border crisis.

The issue had all the makings of a political storm for the party in power one that other Democrats might have written off as a lost cause. But Mr. Suozzi redirected his car through choked traffic, pulled up just in time to follow Ms. Pilip in front of TV news cameras and threw himself squarely into the fray.

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Leaning Into Migrant Woes, Suozzi Paves Election-Year Path for Democrats - The New York Times

Democrat Tom Suozzi, pictured during a campaign event on Sunday, has won the race to replace expelled Congressman George Santos in New York's third congressional district. Mary Altaffer/AP hide caption

Democrat Tom Suozzi, pictured during a campaign event on Sunday, has won the race to replace expelled Congressman George Santos in New York's third congressional district.

Democrat Tom Suozzi has won the New York special election to the U.S. House, according to an AP race call. Suozzi will serve out the remainder of the term for former GOP Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from the House last year.

The victory further narrows the already razor-thin majority for Republicans in the House. The race was seen as a test of Democrats' ability to overcome attacks over President Biden's handling of the U.S. border with Mexico and convince voters that Republicans are unable to legislate in Washington.

Immigration politics dominated the contest in a congressional district that sits thousands of miles from the U.S. border with Mexico. The race was between Suozzi, who served three terms in the House, and Nassau County Republican legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip.

Suozzi celebrate his victory Tuesday night, telling supporters in Woodbury, NY that his campaign centered on immigration and the economy, and a message of binding divisions between the parties.

"It's time to move beyond petty partisan bickering and the finger pointing. It's time to focus on how to solve the problems," Suozzi said.

Pilip told supporters she called Suozzi to concede and left open the possibility of running again this fall when the term vacated by George Santos expires.

Pilip said "we are going to continue to fight" but did not elaborate further.

Both parties were closely watching the race as a chance test their message ahead of the upcoming election in November.

The district has swung significantly in recent elections. President Biden won there in 2020, but the GOP victory in the 2022 contest in the district, along with others in the New York suburbs, helped them flip control of the House in 2022. Criticism of Democrats' handling of crime drove independents to back GOP candidates.

Candidates and outside groups spent over $20 million in ads and "get out the vote" operations on the election. This time the partisan fight over immigration could be a precursor for the 2024 fight for the White House and the House.

Democrats celebrated the victory as a sign that voters in key swing and suburban districts are unhappy with GOP politics in Washington.

House Majority PAC, one of the major fundraising arms for House Democrats, released a statement Tuesday night implying the victory in New York was a referendum on House GOP politics more generally.

"House Republicans have shown how out of touch they are with Americans across the country, and their deeply unpopular extremist policies will ensure their losses at the ballot box," the group wrote. "House Majority PAC looks forward to taking back the House in November."

It may be a stretch to label it a bellwether for how other competitive races could turn in the fall. But the race is seen as a test of Democrats' efforts to try to flip the script on the issue of border security, an issue traditionally pushed by GOP candidates, is effective with suburban voters.

But GOP Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C, the head of the House GOP's campaign arm, downplayed Suozzi's win, calling the race "an uphill battle" in a seat Biden won in 2020.

"Democrats outspent Republicans two-to-one, and our Democrat opponent spent decades representing these New Yorkers - yet it was still a dogfight," Hudson said in a statement. "Republicans still have multiple pathways to grow our majority in November."

The chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Rep. Suzan DelBene said voters chose "chose experienced leadership over extremism. Tom Suozzi ran a formidable campaign that prioritized the issues that matter most to families across Queens and Nassau County: protecting reproductive freedom, bipartisan solutions to address border security, and lowering costs."

In the days before polls closed, supporters of both candidates said a major influx of migrants into New York City is seriously impacting the district, which stretches from parts of working and middle class neighborhoods in Queens to wealthy suburbs in Nassau County, Long Island.

"Immigration is a problem, obviously, because we see it every day. So huge issue right now. And not only that, the immigration is also taking work from our union members as well. So that hurts our pockets as well," said Joseph Karrass, a union volunteer for the Suozzi campaign in Queens.

Louis Mayr, a retired New York City policeman, voted early for Pilip in Plainview, N.Y., and said about the impact of the crisis at the border, "it's getting out of control. Most of us feel that. I mean, we feel specifically that the the southern border is crazy and we'd like to see some kind of control there."

In the weeks leading up to the election, Suozzi focused his pitch on fixing the broken immigration system. He says he already has a record from his last term in Congress including his membership in the "problem solver's caucus" a group dedicated to working across the aisle.

In an interview with NPR during a final-push campaign swing in Plainview, N.Y., Suozzi said he backs a bipartisan immigration proposal that was recently released in the Senate. That bill was derailed by Republicans on Capitol Hill last week. Suozzi said voters want someone who is focused on solutions and sidestepped questions about whether Biden's handling of the border could be a liability for his campaign.

"I wish the president had done something in August," he said. "But it is what it is. And now we just have to keep on moving forward to get it done."

Suozzi criticized his opponent, Pilip, for opposing the bill without specifics about what she should do to solve the problem.

Congressional candidate for New York's 3rd District Mazi Melesa Pilip campaigns on Feb. 7 in the Queens borough of New York City. P Adam Gray/Getty Images hide caption

Pilip, who is a registered Democrat, was elected as a Republican to the county legislature in 2021. She was tapped by county Republicans after Santos was expelled and pledges she will change her voter registration. After avoiding questions about whether she voted for Donald Trump, Pilip recently told the New York Post she voted for him in both 2016 and 2020.

Her campaign focused heavily on blaming Suozzi for the record number of migrants entering the southwest border and the impact the broken immigration system is having in New York. She paints him as part of the Washington establishment.

"What Tom Suozzi and Biden did they totally opened the border. Millions make the way. We don't know if they are criminals. We don't know if they are terrorists. We don't know who they are here," Pilip charged in the one debate between the candidates last week.

In that appearance, and in campaign ads, she also stressed her personal story as an Ethiopian who emigrated to Israel and served in the Israeli defense forces.

In the days leading up to the election, Pilip made few public campaign appearances. Her campaign did not respond to multiple requests from NPR for an interview.

Other New York Republicans lawmakers, including GOP conference Chair Elise Stefanik, stumped for Pilip in Franklin Square in Nassau County. And National Republican organizations and major GOP-funded super PACs are blanketing the airwaves on her behalf.

The Congressional Leadership Fund, the main political arm of House GOP leaders, spent more than $4 million on the race. The group's investments included a widely circulated television ad saying, "Tom Suozzi helped create our immigration crisis in Congress. He'll make it worse."

The ads funded by national GOP groups also prominently feature President Biden's image, but Suozzi doesn't talk about him, and told CNN the focus was on local issues and he didn't want the president campaigning for him.

Both campaigns focused on getting supporters to vote early, and a forecast for significant snow on Tuesday could impact turnout.

Talking to reporters in the Bayside neighborhood of Queens, Suozzi deflected questions about Biden's age, and the report from special counsel Robert Hur that raised concerns about the president's memory.

"I know he's an elderly man. I'm not concerned about his mental acuity, but I know he's an old guy. He's 81 years old. That's a fact," Suozzi said.

As a former congressman aiming to regain a seat in Washington, Souzzi is not shy about saying his party has lost ground in the district in recent years, telling NPR, "We've been losing everything local races, state races, the federal race."

He's working to link Pilip to Santos, who was expelled after a House ethics investigation found he violated House rules and his campaign spent on personal expenses like Botox and an Only Fans account. Santos is also facing 23 felony criminal charges.

"The bottom line is that my opponent Mazi Pilip is George Santos 2.0," Suozzi told campaign volunteers at an event to boost turnout in Plainview.

Pilip and her GOP allies, on the ground and in paid campaign ads, link Suozzi to Biden, and to progressive Democrats in the House, often nicknamed "the Squad."

Suozzi, who was a member of the moderate "New Democrat" coalition, rejects that comparison, and repeatedly stresses his support for Israel, another major factor in this district with a high percentage of Jewish voters.

"For you to suggest that I'm a member of the squad is about as believable as you being a member of George Santos's volleyball team," Suozzi said to Pilip during last week's debate.

Democrats also tried to make reproductive rights an issue in this race. Pilip, a mother of seven, says she's personally pro-life, but declared in the debate last week, "some things I will support, I'm not going to support a national abortion ban."

But Pilip has been endorsed by the conservative party, which is pushing a nationwide ban on abortion.

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Democrat Suozzi wins special election to replace Santos in New York - NPR