Politics, Parties, Candidates
Here's a look at documents from politicians, candidates and interested parties
Featured Stories
What North Carolinians are Reading - DC Insider Michael Whatley Has Spent His Career in DC Getting Rich at the Expense of North Carolinians
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Feb. 14 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party issued the following news on Feb. 12, 2026:
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WHAT NORTH CAROLINIANS ARE READING: DC Insider Michael Whatley Has Spent His Career in DC Getting Rich at the Expense of North Carolinians
On the first day of early voting, North Carolinians are reading about how DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley has spent his entire career enriching himself and his special interest buddies. As North Carolinians head to the polls, they are learning all about the "stocks [Whatley] holds in pharmaceutical, oil, technology and
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RALEIGH, North Carolina, Feb. 14 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party issued the following news on Feb. 12, 2026:
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WHAT NORTH CAROLINIANS ARE READING: DC Insider Michael Whatley Has Spent His Career in DC Getting Rich at the Expense of North Carolinians
On the first day of early voting, North Carolinians are reading about how DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley has spent his entire career enriching himself and his special interest buddies. As North Carolinians head to the polls, they are learning all about the "stocks [Whatley] holds in pharmaceutical, oil, technology andother companies" as he tries to go back to DC where he can vote on issues that impact his bottom line.
Read More:
N&O: Republicans fight to keep NC's Senate seat. Can any of them beat Cooper? (https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article314646465.html)
Danielle Battaglia | February 12, 2026
* He began as a law clerk in Charlotte before taking a job in Washington at the second Bush administration's Department of Energy and then became chief of staff for Sen. Elizabeth Dole. Following his stint working for Dole, he worked as an oil lobbyist.
* In 2024, he was tasked with chairing the national party through the presidential election, where he made more than $714,000 that year, his Senate financial disclosure report states. Combined with other income in 2024, Whatley made over $1 million. That does not include stocks he holds in pharmaceutical, oil, technology and other companies.
* Whatley's campaign website offers no information about his campaign platform nor any upcoming events.
* "You can't find where Whatley stands on anything," said Don Brown, one of the other Republican candidates.
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Original text here: https://www.ncdp.org/media/what-north-carolinians-are-reading-dc-insider-michael-whatley-has-spent-his-career-in-dc-getting-rich-at-the-expense-of-north-carolinians/
NRCC: Central Valley Democrats in Full-Blown Primary Brawl
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Central Valley Democrats in Full-Blown Primary Brawl
The handpicked progressive hero Jasmeet Bains is on track to go from "top recruit" to total flop.
Bains is getting outraised, sitting on less cash than Bernie-backed socialist Randy Villegas, and now she can't even articulate what she stands for. Democrats promised a powerhouse, instead they've got a candidate being lapped in her own primary and hiding from her own agenda.
"While Central Valley families worry about water, jobs, and putting
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Central Valley Democrats in Full-Blown Primary Brawl
The handpicked progressive hero Jasmeet Bains is on track to go from "top recruit" to total flop.
Bains is getting outraised, sitting on less cash than Bernie-backed socialist Randy Villegas, and now she can't even articulate what she stands for. Democrats promised a powerhouse, instead they've got a candidate being lapped in her own primary and hiding from her own agenda.
"While Central Valley families worry about water, jobs, and puttingfood on the table, Bains and Villegas are locked in a petty Central Valley brawl over activist scraps and primary turf. If this is how they handle their own party, imagine the chaos they'd bring to Congress." - NRCC Spokesman Christian Martinez
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Original text here: https://www.nrcc.org/2026/02/12/central-valley-democrats-in-full-blown-primary-brawl/
N.C. Democratic Party: Whatley Bankrolled By Donors "Linked To Health Care Fraud," Once Again Putting His Bottom Line Before North Carolinians
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Feb. 14 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party issued the following news:
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Whatley Bankrolled By Donors "Linked To Health Care Fraud," Once Again Putting His Bottom Line Before North Carolinians
New reporting from American Journal News reveals DC insider Michael Whatley's campaign is being fueled by donors in the health care industry accused of Medicaid and Medicare fraud, the latest example of Whatley putting his bottom line before North Carolinians.
Whatley already supported spiking costs for North Carolinians by pushing for the toxic GOP budget that rips Medicaid
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RALEIGH, North Carolina, Feb. 14 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party issued the following news:
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Whatley Bankrolled By Donors "Linked To Health Care Fraud," Once Again Putting His Bottom Line Before North Carolinians
New reporting from American Journal News reveals DC insider Michael Whatley's campaign is being fueled by donors in the health care industry accused of Medicaid and Medicare fraud, the latest example of Whatley putting his bottom line before North Carolinians.
Whatley already supported spiking costs for North Carolinians by pushing for the toxic GOP budget that rips Medicaidaway from hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians, falsely claiming it would limit fraud. Now, his campaign is being bankrolled by donors accused of Medicaid and Medicare fraud.
After he was caught last week advocating for policies that benefit his bottom line, Whatley has proven once again that he is only looking out for himself - not North Carolina families.
Read More:
American Journal News: Whatley accepted $21K from donors linked to health care fraud (https://americanjournalnews.com/whatley-accepted-21k-from-donors-linked-to-health-care-fraud/)
Jesse Valentine | February 11, 2026
* New campaign finance disclosures show that Republican Michael Whatley has accepted thousands of dollars in donations from individuals accused of Medicaid and Medicare fraud. He previously lauded efforts to crack down on such crimes.
* Included in the haul was $7,000 from Dr. Lenny Peters of High Point, NC. Peters is a physician and the founder of Bethany Medical, a health care provider with several offices in the central part of the state.
* Last month, state and federal prosecutors accused Bethany Medical of routinely billing Medicare and Medicaid for unnecessary urine drug tests. They said that Peters personally enforced this practice.
* Whatley received another $7,000 from Brian Colleran of Akron, OH. Colleran's wife, Gretchen, also contributed $7,000. Colleran is an executive who manages several nursing and rehabilitation facilities. He is also a prolific Republican donor.
* In 2017, Brian and his co-executives paid $19.5 million to settle fraud complaints against three of their facilities. Federal prosecutors said the facilities falsified Medicare claims and named Colleran as the architect of the scheme.
* Last year, Whatley defended Republicans' cut of $1 trillion from Medicaid, arguing that it was necessary to root out fraud in the program and improve efficiency.
* Health policy experts disagreed with this analysis. They say the rate of fraud in Medicaid is nominal and committed mostly by health care providers, like those supporting Whatley, not enrollees.
* The Medicaid cut is expected to force 650,000 North Carolinians to lose their health coverage.
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Original text here: https://www.ncdp.org/media/new-whatley-bankrolled-by-donors-linked-to-health-care-fraud-once-again-putting-his-bottom-line-before-north-carolinians/
DNC: Thanks to Donald Trump, Cargill Meat Solutions Lays Off Hundreds of Workers in Wisconsin
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Feb. 13, 2026:
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Thanks to Donald Trump, Cargill Meat Solutions Lays Off Hundreds of Workers in Wisconsin
Layoffs come as Tom Tiffany votes to allow Trump to continue his erratic trade war
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Wisconsin's workers are paying the price for Donald Trump's failed economic policies and erratic trade war. Yesterday, Cargill Meat Solutions announced the closure of a protein processing facility in Milwaukee, costing 221 Wisconsinites their jobs. In total, Wisconsin has lost over 2,000 manufacturing jobs
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Feb. 13, 2026:
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Thanks to Donald Trump, Cargill Meat Solutions Lays Off Hundreds of Workers in Wisconsin
Layoffs come as Tom Tiffany votes to allow Trump to continue his erratic trade war
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Wisconsin's workers are paying the price for Donald Trump's failed economic policies and erratic trade war. Yesterday, Cargill Meat Solutions announced the closure of a protein processing facility in Milwaukee, costing 221 Wisconsinites their jobs. In total, Wisconsin has lost over 2,000 manufacturing jobssince Donald Trump retook office.
A reminder: Earlier this week, Wisconsin Gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany voted to allow Donald Trump to continue his reckless trade policies, despite the fact that Wisconsin families have seen their costs go up by over $1,500 under Trump, including paying $310 more for groceries.
In response, DNC Spokesperson Albert Fujii released the following statement:
"Donald Trump's agenda is taking a sledgehammer to Wisconsin's economy -- and it's working families who are paying the price. Families are already paying hundreds more for rent and groceries, and now, because of Donald Trump, more than 200 more Wisconsin workers don't know where their next paycheck is going to come from. Meanwhile, instead of putting a check on Donald Trump's reckless trade policies, Tom Tiffany wholeheartedly supports Trump's failed economic agenda. While Donald Trump and Tom Tiffany focus on gilded ballrooms and black tie movie premieres, Democrats won't stop fighting for Wisconsin families."
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/news/thanks-to-donald-trump-cargill-meat-solutions-lays-off-hundreds-of-workers-in-wisconsin/
DNC: RFK Jr.'s One-Year Performance Review - Endangering Americans' Health
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Feb. 13, 2026:
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RFK Jr.'s One-Year Performance Review: Endangering Americans' Health
Today marks one year since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary, and his first year has been a disaster for our public health system. Since his confirmation, RFK Jr. installed his hand-picked panel of vaccine skeptics, actively undermined decades of established medical science, gutted world-leading research programs, including over $500 million in vaccine research, and sowed
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Feb. 13, 2026:
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RFK Jr.'s One-Year Performance Review: Endangering Americans' Health
Today marks one year since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary, and his first year has been a disaster for our public health system. Since his confirmation, RFK Jr. installed his hand-picked panel of vaccine skeptics, actively undermined decades of established medical science, gutted world-leading research programs, including over $500 million in vaccine research, and soweddoubt among parents and families regarding the safety of widely-accepted medicine -- including by falsely claiming that Tylenol causes autism and calling women who take it during pregnancy "irresponsible." And yet, RFK Jr. himself has said, "I don't think people should be taking medical advice from me."
Most recently, the U.S. has experienced a record number of measles cases under RFK Jr.'s leadership, with outbreaks worsening across the country. He has downplayed the severity of the measles outbreaks and spread several lies about the efficacy of the measles vaccine. More than 900 measles cases in the U.S. have been reported this year alone, and the U.S. is now expected to lose its measles elimination status if it fails to prove that it can stop the spread of measles. Meanwhile, Democrats are holding RFK Jr. accountable for his lies, with Senators Angela Alsobrooks and Ron Wyden releasing a new report today that details RFK Jr's disastrous tenure.
In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:
"Donald Trump and RFK Jr. promised to 'Make America Healthy Again.' Instead, during his first year, RFK Jr. has worked tirelessly to turn the clock back decades as he undermines established medical science, cuts lifesaving research, and puts the health and safety of children and families at risk. He has undermined Americans' ability to access vaccines and subverted life-saving vaccine advancements. RFK Jr. has gambled with our public health system, sowing doubt and confusion among parents and families and exposing communities to dangerous outbreaks. RFK Jr. has no business making decisions about Americans' health care -- he's said so himself."
During his confirmation hearing, RFK Jr. affirmed that "I'll support vaccines" and "vaccines have a critical role in health care." However, since he was confirmed, he has taken numerous steps to undermine access to life-saving vaccines. First, RFK Jr. limited who can get COVID-19 vaccines by revoking emergency use status of the vaccines. Then, his hand-picked CDC vaccine advisory panel voted to revise its years-old recommendations to give the MMRV vaccine to children under 4 years old. At the end of last year, the same panel voted to end the universal recommendation for Hepatitis B vaccines for newborns. Last month, the CDC upended the childhood vaccination schedule by reducing the recommended number of diseases American children are vaccinated against from 17 to 11. And as recently as this week, the FDA notified the drug company Moderna that it would not review its new mRNA flu vaccine, which has the potential to reduce the risk of severe illness and save lives.
RFK Jr. and Trump have similarly spread unsubstantiated claims linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism in children. They blamed pregnant women for complications and erroneously warned them not to use Tylenol, instead encouraging them to "tough it out," despite experts saying that Tylenol is the safest option during pregnancy.
Former CDC officials have sounded the alarm on RFK Jr.'s handling of HHS, saying that he has denied scientific evidence behind vaccines; spread dangerous misinformation at HHS; directed CDC officials to "only work with the political appointees" and "not to speak or work with the career scientists"; and said that CDC employees were horrible people who were "killing children."
Nearly 60% of Americans disapprove of RFK Jr.'s actions as health secretary, and a new poll found that nearly 90% of Americans believe that vaccines are essential for public health. Further, 60% are concerned that vaccines are becoming more inaccessible for those who want them as a result of changes in recommendations from the federal government.
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/news/rfk-jr-s-one-year-performance-review-endangering-americans-health/
DNC: January Home Sales Plummet as Trump's Housing Market Makes Homeownership a Pipe Dream for Working Families
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Feb. 12, 2026:
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January Home Sales Plummet as Trump's Housing Market Makes Homeownership a Pipe Dream for Working Families
A new report released today shows that sales of previously owned homes in January dropped by a higher-than-expected rate of 8.4% compared to December, tied for the largest single-month decline since the height of the pandemic in 2020. The National Association of Realtors noted that potential homebuyers are struggling amid a limited housing supply. Homes are similarly taking
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Feb. 12, 2026:
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January Home Sales Plummet as Trump's Housing Market Makes Homeownership a Pipe Dream for Working Families
A new report released today shows that sales of previously owned homes in January dropped by a higher-than-expected rate of 8.4% compared to December, tied for the largest single-month decline since the height of the pandemic in 2020. The National Association of Realtors noted that potential homebuyers are struggling amid a limited housing supply. Homes are similarly takingmuch longer to sell, with the average home remaining on the market for 46 days, and the median age of first-time homebuyers climbing to a record high of 40 in 2025.
In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:
"Donald Trump's disastrous economy has worsened the housing crisis, putting the American dream of owning a home further out of reach for everyday Americans. Despite Trump's promises on the campaign trail to make 'housing much more affordable,' home sales are tanking due to unaffordable list prices, and working families are being forced to decide whether to pay their mortgages, put food on the table, or buy their prescription drugs. Meanwhile, Trump's housing market -- like the rest of his economy -- is benefiting billionaires and big corporations. While Trump props up Wall Street, homeownership is slipping out of reach for millions of working families."
Homeowners, particularly those living in low-income communities, are struggling to keep up with their mortgage payments, as delinquency rates climb to a 10-year high. Meanwhile, wealthy homeowners are far less likely to miss their payments, with delinquency rates in high-income communities remaining at record lows: In December 2025, sales of homes that cost $1 million or more climbed more than 10% from the prior year, as wealthy homeowners maintain the strongest purchasing power.
Polls have consistently shown that housing costs are top of mind for everyday Americans, and a majority of Americans believe that Trump and Republicans are not focused on lowering housing costs. Two-thirds of voters also believe that a middle-class lifestyle is out of reach for most people, and nearly 80% say it is harder to achieve now than a generation ago.
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/news/new-january-home-sales-plummet-as-trumps-housing-market-makes-homeownership-a-pipe-dream-for-working-families/
DNC: GOP Megadonor Lobbied Trump Administration to Block Opening of Gordie Howe Bridge
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Feb. 12, 2026:
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GOP Megadonor Lobbied Trump Administration to Block Opening of Gordie Howe Bridge
According to new reports, Matthew Moroun, a Republican megadonor and owner of the Ambassador Bridge that connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Monday. Following the meeting, Donald Trump threatened to shut down the Gordie Howe Bridge, which is a competitor of Moroun's Ambassador Bridge.
For years, the Morouns have aggressively objected to the
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on Feb. 12, 2026:
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GOP Megadonor Lobbied Trump Administration to Block Opening of Gordie Howe Bridge
According to new reports, Matthew Moroun, a Republican megadonor and owner of the Ambassador Bridge that connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Monday. Following the meeting, Donald Trump threatened to shut down the Gordie Howe Bridge, which is a competitor of Moroun's Ambassador Bridge.
For years, the Morouns have aggressively objected to theconstruction of the Gordie Howe bridge, including spending over $30 million on a ballot initiative to block the construction of the bridge. The Morouns have given over $1 million to the RNC in recent years.
Detroit's automakers have long supported the construction of the Gordie Howe Bridge to expedite the delivery of auto parts and create thousands of high-paying union jobs in Michigan. Trump himself admitted how important the bridge is for Michigan and the American economy, calling it a "vital economic link" connecting Michigan and its biggest trading partner.
In response, DNC Spokesperson Albert Fujii released the following statement:
"This is corruption, plain and simple. Donald Trump threw Michigan workers and companies under the bus, all because a Republican megadonor didn't want another competitor threatening his bottom line. Opening the Gordie Howe Bridge will grow Michigan's economy and bring jobs to Michiganders struggling under Trump's failed economy. It's time Michigan Republicans grew a spine and did what's right for workers, not their megadonors."
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/news/gop-megadonor-lobbied-trump-administration-to-block-opening-of-gordie-howe-bridge/
