2024 Congressional & State Elections

[LFC]

Maneuvering has already started. First up, one candidate is already readying to run for Sen. Diane Feinstein's seat in California, a position which she really needs to retire from.

Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) launched a Senate campaign on Tuesday.

While Porter didn’t call out Democrat Dianne Feinstein by name, her seat is up in 2024.

“California needs a warrior in Washington and that’s exactly why I’m announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate in 2024,” Porter said in her announcement video.

[goldenvalley]

Jan 10, 2023 21:15:47 GMT LFC said:

Maneuvering has already started. First up, one candidate is already readying to run for Sen. Diane Feinstein's seat in California, a position which she really needs to retire from.

Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) launched a Senate campaign on Tuesday.

While Porter didn’t call out Democrat Dianne Feinstein by name, her seat is up in 2024.

“California needs a warrior in Washington and that’s exactly why I’m announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate in 2024,” Porter said in her announcement video.

Her district is fairly purple.  There is no guarantee that another Democrat can win it.  There are other Congress members interested in running like Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee.  Maybe even Karen Bass who just became mayor of Los Angeles.  Might be an interesting primary if they all run.  

[andydp]

The American dream: ANYONE can grow up to be involved in voter fraud.

First the Democrat:

Alabama official indicted on voter fraud charges, accused of ballot stuffing in Democratic primary

The chairman of Alabama’s Perry County Commission has been indicted on felony and misdemeanor counts of voter fraud in connection with both the primary and general elections during the midterms, officials announced Wednesday.

Albert Turner Jr. is accused of voting multiple times in the state’s primary elections last spring and of ballot harvesting during the midterm general elections in November, according to a release from Alabama’s secretary of state and Fourth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Michael Jackson.

The statement also says Turner agrees that the ballot box was stuffed during the elections, but “not by him.”  (The old "Unpaid Intern ploy")

news.yahoo.com/alabama-official-indicted-voter-fraud-175303627.html

And the GOP

Republican candidate's wife arrested, charged with casting 23 fraudulent votes for her husband in the 2020 election

Kim Phuong Taylor was arrested Thursday and accused of multiple counts of voter fraud. According to prosecutors, Taylor cast 23 fraudulent votes for her husband in the 2020 election.  Jeremy Taylor, the husband, is an elected Republican.

The wife of an Iowa Republican who ran for Congress in 2020 was arrested Thursday and accused of casting 23 fraudulent votes on behalf of her husband.

In an 11-page indictment, prosecutors allege that Kim Phuong Taylor "visited numerous households within the Vietnamese community in Woodbury County," where she collected absentee ballots for people who were not present at the time. Taylor, who was born in Vietnam, then filled out and cast those ballots herself, the indictment alleges, "causing the casting of votes in the names of residents who had no knowledge of and had not consented to the casting of their ballots."



www.yahoo.com/entertainment/republican-candidates-wife-arrested-charged-234347702.html

[goldenvalley]

Jan 13, 2023 12:35:00 GMT andydp said:

The American dream: ANYONE can grow up to be involved in voter fraud.

First the Democrat:

Alabama official indicted on voter fraud charges, accused of ballot stuffing in Democratic primary

The chairman of Alabama’s Perry County Commission has been indicted on felony and misdemeanor counts of voter fraud in connection with both the primary and general elections during the midterms, officials announced Wednesday.

Albert Turner Jr. is accused of voting multiple times in the state’s primary elections last spring and of ballot harvesting during the midterm general elections in November, according to a release from Alabama’s secretary of state and Fourth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Michael Jackson.

The statement also says Turner agrees that the ballot box was stuffed during the elections, but “not by him.”  (The old "Unpaid Intern ploy")

news.yahoo.com/alabama-official-indicted-voter-fraud-175303627.html

And the GOP

Republican candidate's wife arrested, charged with casting 23 fraudulent votes for her husband in the 2020 election

Kim Phuong Taylor was arrested Thursday and accused of multiple counts of voter fraud. According to prosecutors, Taylor cast 23 fraudulent votes for her husband in the 2020 election.  Jeremy Taylor, the husband, is an elected Republican.

The wife of an Iowa Republican who ran for Congress in 2020 was arrested Thursday and accused of casting 23 fraudulent votes on behalf of her husband.

In an 11-page indictment, prosecutors allege that Kim Phuong Taylor "visited numerous households within the Vietnamese community in Woodbury County," where she collected absentee ballots for people who were not present at the time. Taylor, who was born in Vietnam, then filled out and cast those ballots herself, the indictment alleges, "causing the casting of votes in the names of residents who had no knowledge of and had not consented to the casting of their ballots."



www.yahoo.com/entertainment/republican-candidates-wife-arrested-charged-234347702.html

Trump's people would have you believe that people like these two are numerous.  I'd be real interested to see what the elections laws and systems are in Alabama and Iowa. 

[AnBr]

'Josh Hawley's opponent just entered the Senate race with a powerful new campaign ad'

[goldenvalley]

Jan 22, 2023 23:52:52 GMT AnBr said:

'Josh Hawley's opponent just entered the Senate race with a powerful new campaign ad'

Hollywood couldn't have cast a better guy as a senatorial candidate...square jaw, deep voice.  He really makes Hawley look like a spoiled dweeb.

[LFC]

Shorter Mitch Daniels: "You people are just too nuckin' futs for me."

Mitch Daniels is passing on a potential bid for an open Indiana Senate seat, forgoing what would have been one of the most hotly contested primaries in the 2024 cycle.

In an exclusive statement to POLITICO, the former Indiana governor and Purdue University president said he concluded the Senate run to replace retiring Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) wasn’t the right fit for him at this stage of his career.

“After what I hope was adequate reflection, I’ve decided not to become a candidate for the U.S. Senate,” Daniels told POLITICO. “With full credit and respect for the institution and those serving in it, I conclude that it’s just not the job for me, not the town for me, and not the life I want to live at this point.”

“Maybe I can find ways to contribute that do not involve holding elective office. If not, there is so much more to life,” Daniels added. “People obsessed with politics or driven by personal ambition sometimes have difficulty understanding those who are neither.”

Daniels’ decision marks the end of a monthslong flirtation with a return to electoral politics after a stint as president of Purdue University. And it limits the likelihood of a costly and messy Republican primary, one that would have pitted a conservative fixture of the Reagan era against a sharp-elbowed MAGA upstart in Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who has announced his candidacy for the Senate.

And once again, we have "a sharp-elbowed MAGA upstart" which, of course, means a reality denying fascist. The democracy wing of the Republican Party continues to melt away, leaving nothing but the fascists in charge of just about everything.

[goldenvalley]

Feb 1, 2023 21:55:24 GMT LFC said:

Shorter Mitch Daniels: "You people are just too nuckin' futs for me."

Mitch Daniels is passing on a potential bid for an open Indiana Senate seat, forgoing what would have been one of the most hotly contested primaries in the 2024 cycle.

In an exclusive statement to POLITICO, the former Indiana governor and Purdue University president said he concluded the Senate run to replace retiring Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) wasn’t the right fit for him at this stage of his career.

“After what I hope was adequate reflection, I’ve decided not to become a candidate for the U.S. Senate,” Daniels told POLITICO. “With full credit and respect for the institution and those serving in it, I conclude that it’s just not the job for me, not the town for me, and not the life I want to live at this point.”

“Maybe I can find ways to contribute that do not involve holding elective office. If not, there is so much more to life,” Daniels added. “People obsessed with politics or driven by personal ambition sometimes have difficulty understanding those who are neither.”

Daniels’ decision marks the end of a monthslong flirtation with a return to electoral politics after a stint as president of Purdue University. And it limits the likelihood of a costly and messy Republican primary, one that would have pitted a conservative fixture of the Reagan era against a sharp-elbowed MAGA upstart in Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who has announced his candidacy for the Senate.

And once again, we have "a sharp-elbowed MAGA upstart" which, of course, means a reality denying fascist. The democracy wing of the Republican Party continues to melt away, leaving nothing but the fascists in charge of just about everything.

As long as folks like Mitch Daniels (and I don't think he's great) cede the field to the nut jobs we are doomed. (Feeling optimistic today.). I was kinda hoping Mayor Pete would run for Senate there but he accepted the Secy of Transportation post so that's no longer viable.  If he runs for anything in 24 it will be president again.

[indy]

Feb 1, 2023 22:01:55 GMT goldenvalley said:

Feb 1, 2023 21:55:24 GMT LFC said:

Shorter Mitch Daniels: "You people are just too nuckin' futs for me."

And once again, we have "a sharp-elbowed MAGA upstart" which, of course, means a reality denying fascist. The democracy wing of the Republican Party continues to melt away, leaving nothing but the fascists in charge of just about everything.

As long as folks like Mitch Daniels (and I don't think he's great) cede the field to the nut jobs we are doomed. (Feeling optimistic today.). I was kinda hoping Mayor Pete would run for Senate there but he accepted the Secy of Transportation post so that's no longer viable.  If he runs for anything in 24 it will be president again.

Honestly though, what is his choice at this point in time? Run and endure the personal cost which will probably include threats to him and his family, endless fundraising with likely limited success, attempts to motivate staff with positive talk about victory only to disappoint with certain electoral defeat?

The window that the reasonable Republicans could have potentially helped is long past and the party is now a runaway freight train. I don't see how throwing yourself in front of it does much now (even though it might be well deserved).

Nope, we are going to have to live through this nightmare and it is nowhere near over. Our current body politic is driven by the largely inchoate rage of some 30% of the population which must run its course. There are no saviors from it except a long string electoral loses, if that even happens.

[indy]

BTW, for a change of pace, let's all hope Trump doesn't keel over before the 2024 elections. Whereas once he was another national nightmare for all of us, that has fortunately ran its course. Now he is only a nightmare for the GOP's chances in 2024.

[LFC]

Feb 2, 2023 13:00:33 GMT indy said:

The window that the reasonable Republicans could have potentially helped is long past and the party is now a runaway freight train. I don't see how throwing yourself in front of it does much now (even though it might be well deserved).

With the word "reasonable" having slid hard towards what was previously and not so long ago considered unreasonable. Paging Mr. Overton!

[LFC]

Oh, thank FSM.

Feinstein: “I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024 but intend to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends.”

[andydp]

They're eating their young now.

'F-bombs were dropped' after Arizona election denial witness accused GOP officials of taking bribes: report

Local news outletABC 15 Arizona reports that the hearing brought together many conspiracy theorists whose work has been cited in the past by Arizona state Republicans, including Jacqueline Breger, who accused Mesa Mayor John Giles and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer -- both of whom are Republicans -- of taking bribes to change election results.

According to ABC 15's report, Breger offered no evidence to back up her claims of bribery among elected Republicans, and Republican State Sen. Ken Bennett "told Breger to stop talking, ending her testimony."

Now sources tell ABC 15 political analyst Garrett Archer that tensions within the Arizona GOP boiled over after the hearing ended.


www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/f-bombs-were-dropped-after-arizona-election-denial-witness-accused-gop-officials-of-taking-bribes-report/ar-AA17TVaD?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=ce306121e0cf4aa09777842011a96108&ei=17

[LFC]

Feb 24, 2023 22:06:10 GMT andydp said:

They're eating their young now.

Republican purity tests have been all the rage for a while. Rep. Dan Crenshaw got to experience this first-hand.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw was confronted and heckled by a group of people who don't seem to like his positions within the Republican party -- stooping to hurling nasty insults at the guy.

The U.S. congressman appeared Saturday at the 2022 Texas State Republican Convention within the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston ... and at one point, he was accosted by a rowdy bunch of protesters as he ascended an escalator onto the main floor.

Check it out ... Alex Stein -- who's a right-wing media personality -- tries to bum-rush Crenshaw, whose staff pushes him back. All the while, he's screaming "eyepatch McCain!"

Stein is filming the entire encounter, which becomes very hectic, and it appears he gets into a bit of a scuffle with one of Crenshaw's people. The Representative himself never appears to be touched, and simply carries on along his path ... smirking at Stein and the others.

Aside from the "eyepatch" barb, another man films him as well ... calling him a globalist, a RINO and a sellout. When Dan vanishes from the scene, you can see yet another guy come into frame, who appears to shout something to the effect of, "Dan Crenshaw is a traitor, he needs to be hung for treason."

Reports say some of these guys ran into law enforcement eventually as they were being asked to leave and ushered out, but it's unclear if any arrests were made in the end.

Two guesses who coined "Eyepatch McCain." Hint: They were blasting him on TV for supporting Ukraine.

[goldenvalley]

Feb 24, 2023 22:06:10 GMT andydp said:

They're eating their young now.

'F-bombs were dropped' after Arizona election denial witness accused GOP officials of taking bribes: report

Local news outletABC 15 Arizona reports that the hearing brought together many conspiracy theorists whose work has been cited in the past by Arizona state Republicans, including Jacqueline Breger, who accused Mesa Mayor John Giles and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer -- both of whom are Republicans -- of taking bribes to change election results.

According to ABC 15's report, Breger offered no evidence to back up her claims of bribery among elected Republicans, and Republican State Sen. Ken Bennett "told Breger to stop talking, ending her testimony."

Now sources tell ABC 15 political analyst Garrett Archer that tensions within the Arizona GOP boiled over after the hearing ended.


www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/f-bombs-were-dropped-after-arizona-election-denial-witness-accused-gop-officials-of-taking-bribes-report/ar-AA17TVaD?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=ce306121e0cf4aa09777842011a96108&ei=17

How long will this sham go on?  Those who seek to perpetuate it by "making allegations and just asking questions" must be getting money to support this somewhere.  Call it bribes, call it grift...what else explains this persistence on something that even their Ninja audit found to be untrue?

[LFC]

Santos is running for reelection. Who didn't see that coming?

Rep. George Santos, the lying Long Island Republican who hoodwinked voters into sending him to Congress by wildly fabricating his resume, told The Post on Monday he will seek re-election in 2024.

“It’s a beautiful day here in Washington, DC. It’s a great day to be an American. It’s a great day to be a Republican, and it’s a great day to announce re-election,” the 34-year-old congressman said to a Post photographer as the pair and a Santos aide walked on a street near the US Capitol.

Santos then broke into laughter and strolled a little further before officially making his announcement — with only the photog and aide around — so as not to use his office for political activity.

The disgraced representative declared his bid about 17 months ahead of the next congressional election because he believes he can raise $500,000 to $750,000 in the meantime, a source close to the lawmaker has told The Post.

The pol could use the dough. He refunded individual donors a total of $8,353 between Jan. 1 and March 31 — or significantly more than the $5,333 he took in, according to campaign finance records and CBS.

He reportedly still has $25,096 in his coffers.

[goldenvalley]

Apr 17, 2023 19:23:40 GMT LFC said:

Santos is running for reelection. Who didn't see that coming?

Rep. George Santos, the lying Long Island Republican who hoodwinked voters into sending him to Congress by wildly fabricating his resume, told The Post on Monday he will seek re-election in 2024.

“It’s a beautiful day here in Washington, DC. It’s a great day to be an American. It’s a great day to be a Republican, and it’s a great day to announce re-election,” the 34-year-old congressman said to a Post photographer as the pair and a Santos aide walked on a street near the US Capitol.

Santos then broke into laughter and strolled a little further before officially making his announcement — with only the photog and aide around — so as not to use his office for political activity.

The disgraced representative declared his bid about 17 months ahead of the next congressional election because he believes he can raise $500,000 to $750,000 in the meantime, a source close to the lawmaker has told The Post.

The pol could use the dough. He refunded individual donors a total of $8,353 between Jan. 1 and March 31 — or significantly more than the $5,333 he took in, according to campaign finance records and CBS.

He reportedly still has $25,096 in his coffers.

Why not?  It's a great grift...whatever money he can squirrel away hidden from disclosure laws is his to spend however he wants.  And no House Republican is gonna call him out.  I just hope the New York Republicans are pissed off enough to run a good candidate against him in the primary.

[LFC]

Apr 17, 2023 19:52:32 GMT goldenvalley said:

Why not?  It's a great grift...whatever money he can squirrel away hidden from disclosure laws is his to spend however he wants.  And no House Republican is gonna call him out.  I just hope the New York Republicans are pissed off enough to run a good candidate against him in the primary.

Not me. I want to see him run and get wiped out.

[LFC]

Retiring at age 79. I wish more politicians would retire rather than fall apart and/or die in office.

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin says he won’t seek reelection next year, ending a nearly 60-year run in Maryland politics and creating a scramble to fill a rare vacancy in the closely-divided Senate.

“It’s time,” the 79-year-old Democrat told The Baltimore Sun in an interview at his Pikesville home in advance of his anticipated announcement Monday. “I always knew this election cycle would be the one I would be thinking about not running again, so it’s not something that hit me by surprise. I enjoy life. There are other things I can do.”

In his career, Cardin, whose third six-year Senate term ends in January 2025, has emphasized international human rights and assisting Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay.

[indy]

Sure seems like republicans have gone over the edge.

[goldenvalley]

May 4, 2023 17:46:31 GMT indy said:

Sure seems like republicans have gone over the edge.

Polls are polls.  I bet this was a multiple choice answer and things like protecting a woman's privacy right to choose or willing to raise the debt limit for a budget that already passed were not among the choices.  

[pnwguy]

May 5, 2023 17:49:59 GMT goldenvalley said:

Polls are polls.  I bet this was a multiple choice answer and things like protecting a woman's privacy right to choose or willing to raise the debt limit for a budget that already passed were not among the choices.  

Here's the detail of the poll:

www.scribd.com/document/642027957/cbsnews-20230501#

[LFC]

May 5, 2023 19:00:33 GMT pnwguy said:

Here's the detail of the poll:

www.scribd.com/document/642027957/cbsnews-20230501#

Just 13% have democracy as their most important issue. That's sad. "A Republic, if you can keep it." More and more I feel that we can't because too many people just don't really give a shit.

[pnwguy]

Joe Biden needs to take her aside and in no uncertain terms, get her to step down NOW.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-dianne-feinstein-suffered-previously-undisclosed-complications-shi-rcna85124

[LFC]

May 18, 2023 23:26:22 GMT pnwguy said:

Joe Biden needs to take her aside and in no uncertain terms, get her to step down NOW.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-dianne-feinstein-suffered-previously-undisclosed-complications-shi-rcna85124

Thank heavens Pelosi is at least stepping back. RGB caused a mess with her stubbornness, Feinstein is causing a mess now, and I'm scared that Biden is about to blow it as well. These people just refuse to retire.

Meanwhile Justice Kennedy stepped down and effectively sold his seat to the Republicans ... allegedly.