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New: Online forum controlled by Marty O'Donnell contains slurs and Nazi talk, AP review finds
LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Oct. 17 -- The Nevada Democratic Party posted the following news release:
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New: Online forum controlled by Marty O'Donnell contains slurs and Nazi talk, AP review finds
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Fresh off his trip to Arizona to pal around with anti-semites and endorse Donald Trump's cost-raising agenda, new reporting reveals the online forum Marty O'Donnell created and tied to his campaign is rife with slurs and Nazi sympathizing. From posts that include racial slurs to those minimizing Nazi Germany and defending white nationalist conspiracy theories, O'Donnell's online forum is a cesspool
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LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Oct. 17 -- The Nevada Democratic Party posted the following news release:
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New: Online forum controlled by Marty O'Donnell contains slurs and Nazi talk, AP review finds
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Fresh off his trip to Arizona to pal around with anti-semites and endorse Donald Trump's cost-raising agenda, new reporting reveals the online forum Marty O'Donnell created and tied to his campaign is rife with slurs and Nazi sympathizing. From posts that include racial slurs to those minimizing Nazi Germany and defending white nationalist conspiracy theories, O'Donnell's online forum is a cesspoolof bigotry and hatred. O'Donnell can continue to deny responsibility for his supporters' actions, but he cannot escape his own, including the time he wore a mask of Benito Mussolini, the Italian fascist dictator and Hitler ally, for Halloween.
Beyond his wholehearted support of Donald Trump's cost-raising agenda and disparaging of Las Vegas, O'Donnell's facilitation of the bigoted "Marty's Army" and apparent support for Mussolini are disqualifying for anyone who wants to represent Nevada in public office.
Associated Press: Online forum controlled by Nevada GOP House candidate contains slurs and Nazi talk, AP review finds
* An Associated Press review of thousands of posts made on the forum between 2022 and 2026 found racial slurs, minimizations of Nazi Germany and defenses of white nationalist conspiracy theories.
* "It wasn't a couple of crazies. The popular sentiment was, 'Yes, slavery should be legal," said Deacon Dameron, a former group member who said O'Donnell banned him for calling another user a "dork."
* Many views espoused in the forum, which is controlled by O'Donnell and his handpicked moderators, are at odds with some of the values articulated by the candidate and his campaign.
* In May 2022, for example, a member wrote, "WE STAND WITH MARTY." Others reacted to the post using letter emoji to spell out -- incorrectly -- a racial slur for Black people. More soon chimed in, using emoji letters to invoke another anti-Black slur.
* A user suggested in March 2024 that the Nazis "did some good things" that were "completely overshadowed by the terrible things they did."
* Another that month asked, "Was Hitler really an evil guy?"
* "Like aside from the Holocaust," the user added, "did he really even do anything wrong?"
* In February, a third member posted, "Heil Hitler."
* O'Donnell wrote on the forum that he rejects fascism. But he also shared a photo of himself wearing what he said was a mask of Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator and key Hitler ally, that he wore to a Halloween party.
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Original text here: https://nvdems.com/new-online-forum-controlled-by-marty-odonnell-contains-slurs-and-nazi-talk-ap-review-finds/ (TNSmlt)
Mich. Democratic Party: ICYMI - Bill Huizenga Faces His Toughest Re-Election Race Yet [The American Prospect]
LANSING, Michigan, Oct. 17 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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October 16, 2026
ICYMI: Bill Huizenga Faces His Toughest Re-Election Race Yet [The American Prospect]
LANSING -- Today, reporting from The American Prospect detailed how Representative Bill Huizenga's "30-plus-year career in Republican politics could soon come to a close" amid "an unfathomably unpopular war" and "plunging consumer sentiment" made possible by his votes in Congress.
Republicans in Allegan County, which Huizenga represents, have admitted that "enthusiasm is down" since their
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LANSING, Michigan, Oct. 17 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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October 16, 2026
ICYMI: Bill Huizenga Faces His Toughest Re-Election Race Yet [The American Prospect]
LANSING -- Today, reporting from The American Prospect detailed how Representative Bill Huizenga's "30-plus-year career in Republican politics could soon come to a close" amid "an unfathomably unpopular war" and "plunging consumer sentiment" made possible by his votes in Congress.
Republicans in Allegan County, which Huizenga represents, have admitted that "enthusiasm is down" since theirCongressman sold them out to start wars and give tax cuts to billionaires. As Sean McCann's campaign told The Prospect, "Bill Huizenga sides with powerful special interests in Washington" -- and voters seem to have decided that his time in office is up.
Read more:
* How a Democrat from a liberal college town has gained momentum against a seemingly strong incumbent in a light-red seat has been a difficult question for Republicans to answer because it strikes at an uncomfortable truth.
* The leader of the Republican Party, President Donald Trump, by launching an unfathomably unpopular war and presiding over plunging consumer sentiment, has undermined the key promises he made to voters in 2024. This disappointment has trickled down to how voters perceive the rest of his party.
* Even without the war in Iran and spiraling inflation, Republicans would be navigating the typical challenges the party in power faces in a midterm cycle. With those in effect, the task is verging on insurmountable.
* According to his supporters, Huizenga's seat should never have been competitive in the first place.
* Instead, Huizenga's 30-plus-year career in Republican politics could soon come to a close, but not without a massive influx of right-wing cash seeking to prevent that outcome.
* "Bill Huizenga sides with powerful special interests in Washington," McCann said in a statement, "and now they're rewarding him with millions to try to keep him there."
* The combined spending has turned this race into one of the most expensive in the country, despite receiving sparse national coverage. But even the Republican spending advantage may not be enough to save Huizenga.
* "PEOPLE FEEL DISENFRANCHISED BY THE ECONOMY and the war in Iran," Melanie Kurdys, a secretary for the Allegan County Republican Party, told the Prospect. "Allegan is one of the most Republican counties in the state. It's not different this election, but enthusiasm is down."
* Kurdys was more charitable toward Huizenga's opponent. "[Sean] McCann has done a good job being a middle-of-the-roader," she told the Prospect. "Republicans assume Huizenga's seat is safe, but McCann could pull an upset."
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Original text here: https://michigandems.com/icymi-bill-huizenga-faces-his-toughest-re-election-race-yet-the-american-prospect/
Mich. Democratic Party: Blue Book - 18 Days Until Victory
LANSING, Michigan, Oct. 17 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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October 16, 2026
The Blue Book: 18 Days Until Victory
Hello and welcome to The Blue Book, the Michigan Democratic Party's weekly recap to keep you in the know about Michigan politics. Every week, we'll bring you the latest in how Democrats are delivering for Michiganders and standing up to Republican extremism in the Great Lakes State.
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
1. MIKE ROGERS TREATS AUTOWORKERS LIKE TRASH: According to new reporting from Michigan Advance, Mike Rogers refused to meet with
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LANSING, Michigan, Oct. 17 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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October 16, 2026
The Blue Book: 18 Days Until Victory
Hello and welcome to The Blue Book, the Michigan Democratic Party's weekly recap to keep you in the know about Michigan politics. Every week, we'll bring you the latest in how Democrats are delivering for Michiganders and standing up to Republican extremism in the Great Lakes State.
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
1. MIKE ROGERS TREATS AUTOWORKERS LIKE TRASH: According to new reporting from Michigan Advance, Mike Rogers refused to meet withUAW members while he was in Congress after they objected to his support for NAFTA and opposition to the 2007 General Motors strike. In fact, UAW members reported that they "spent more time with the trash can outside Rogers' office" than with Rogers himself, because of how frequently he dodged their meeting requests--and they shared a picture to prove it:
2. DAMN SHE'S GOOD AT THIS: Jocelyn Benson dominated in the second gubernatorial debate. Between exposing John James for being a rubber-stamp on Trump's cost-raising, war-mongering agenda, to putting forth her affirmative vision for an affordable Michigan, Benson made it clear that she will make an excellent governor. Maybe that's why John James only took three post-debate questions before running off scared and refusing to answer questions on his multi-million dollar mansion.
3. WHAT'S MATT HALL HIDING? For months, Republican Speaker of the Michigan House Matt Hall has refused to investigate ties to Jeffrey Epstein and alleged sexual abuse of Michigan children at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Northern Michigan. When a Democratic lawmaker demanded a vote to open an investigation, Hall removed her from every committee seat.
4. ELI IS EVERYWHERE: How do you win a statewide election? By traveling the state. This week, Democratic candidate for Attorney General Eli Savit returned to the Upper Peninsula to let voters across the political spectrum know that he will put people before the powerful, every time.
5. FLORIDA BAGGAGE: New reporting from MS NOW revealed Mike Rogers' Florida residency is "cutting through to voters" and continues to be a "political liability" for his second Senate campaign, with a recent focus group finding "some Macomb county voters dismissing Rogers as a 'carpetbagger.'"
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
"We need to start changing the way we look at healthcare. You know, if you go up and have to pay the doctor $50 for your annual physical, that's probably okay, right?"
- Corrupt multimillionaire Mike Rogers on his plan to force Michiganders to pay more for healthcare, according to newly resurfaced audio
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Original text here: https://michigandems.com/the-blue-book-18-days-until-victory/
DSCC: "Holy Crap" - Democratic Senate Candidates Post "Mind-Blowing" Q3 Hauls as Floundering GOP Campaigns Get "Smoked in Fundraising"
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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Oct 16, 2026
"HOLY CRAP": Democratic Senate Candidates Post "Mind-Blowing" Q3 Hauls as Floundering GOP Campaigns Get "Smoked in Fundraising"
GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno: "Oh my god, holy crap [...] I mean, that's a number that's mind-blowing"
Axios: "If money is momentum, Democratic Senate candidates are poised for a monumental Election Day"
POLITICO: "Across those 10 Senate races, the Democratic campaigns raised more than five times as much as the Republican ones. Put another way: Talarico
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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Oct 16, 2026
"HOLY CRAP": Democratic Senate Candidates Post "Mind-Blowing" Q3 Hauls as Floundering GOP Campaigns Get "Smoked in Fundraising"
GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno: "Oh my god, holy crap [...] I mean, that's a number that's mind-blowing"
Axios: "If money is momentum, Democratic Senate candidates are poised for a monumental Election Day"
POLITICO: "Across those 10 Senate races, the Democratic campaigns raised more than five times as much as the Republican ones. Put another way: Talaricoalone raised more than all those Republicans combined"
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In the final full quarter before Election Day, Democratic Senate candidates posted "mind-blowing," "holy crap" fundraising numbers - with Democratic campaigns in 10 battleground races raising "more than five times as much as the Republican ones" - exposing a "yawning enthusiasm gap" across the map.
With GOP Senate candidates "getting smoked in fundraising," "Democratic Senate candidates are poised for a monumental Election Day" powered by strong Democratic campaigns generating the "kind of energy money can't buy."
See for yourself:
Axios: Democrats post "mind-blowing" numbers ahead of 2026 midterms
* If money is momentum, Democratic Senate candidates are poised for a monumental Election Day.
* "Oh my god, holy crap," said Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) when informed of Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico's $64 million haul in the third quarter of the year. "I mean, that's a number that's mind-blowing."
* Why it matters: [...] Democrats' advantage in hard dollars reveals a yawning enthusiasm gap -- the kind of energy money can't buy.
* [...] Democratic Senate candidates are dramatically outraising their Republican opponents in several of the country's most competitive races.
POLITICO: Senate Republicans are getting smoked in fundraising
* Nearly every Democratic candidate in battleground Senate races outraised their GOP opponent from July through September. And in some cases, the disparities were stark.
* Across those 10 Senate races, the Democratic campaigns raised more than five times as much as the Republican ones. Put another way: Talarico alone raised more than all those Republicans combined.
* Marshall and Whatley each started October with less than $1 million left in the bank. Mike Collins wasn't much better-positioned, entering the final weeks of the election with just over $1 million cash on hand.
* Democrats have consistently outraised Republicans on the candidate level this cycle. But the yawning gaps heading into the midterm's home stretch stand as the latest example of the deteriorating environment for the GOP.
* And while GOP outside groups have significantly more money than Democrats, this candidate cash advantage matters because candidates get TV ads for much cheaper rates, letting their dollars stretch much farther.
* To underscore how lopsided some of these figures are: At least half a dozen House Democratic challengers raised over $3 million in the third quarter -- a sum higher than several GOP Senate incumbents.
* But there are other signs that some are strapped for cash in the final sprint: Whatley has gone dark on television, a clear indication of him running low on funds even as his campaign insists it's a temporary pause.
Semafor: Senate Democratic candidates post 'holy crap' fundraising numbers
* Senate Democratic candidates are posting eye-popping third-quarter fundraising numbers, cutting into Republicans' midterm spending advantage across the map.
* Talarico's haul earned a "holy crap" from Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio [...]
* Paxton and Husted in particular demonstrate the GOP disadvantage at the candidate level [...]
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Original text here: https://www.dscc.org/article/holy-crap-democratic-senate-candidates-post-mind-blowing-q3-hauls-as-floundering-gop-campaigns-get-smoked-in-fundraising/
DNC: With Less Than Three Weeks Until the Midterms, Trump Travels to Georgia to Promote Failed Republican Agenda
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release:
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October 16, 2026
With Less Than Three Weeks Until the Midterms, Trump Travels to Georgia to Promote Failed Republican Agenda
Today, Donald Trump will travel to Georgia to tout his failed agenda that has made life more expensive for working families. Republicans' reckless tariffs and deadly and costly war with Iran have hiked prices on everything from gas to groceries, crushing everyday Americans. This is on top of the fact that their One Big Beautiful Bill, one of the most unpopular pieces of legislation
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release:
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October 16, 2026
With Less Than Three Weeks Until the Midterms, Trump Travels to Georgia to Promote Failed Republican Agenda
Today, Donald Trump will travel to Georgia to tout his failed agenda that has made life more expensive for working families. Republicans' reckless tariffs and deadly and costly war with Iran have hiked prices on everything from gas to groceries, crushing everyday Americans. This is on top of the fact that their One Big Beautiful Bill, one of the most unpopular pieces of legislationon record, ripped healthcare away from families and children while shuttering hospitals and clinics across the country, including in Georgia. Now, Trump and JD Vance are desperately trying to rally their fractured base as the midterm elections approach and Republicans face defeat.
In response, DNC Deputy Communications Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:
"Everyday Americans are struggling to make ends meet as Donald Trump and JD Vance double down on their reckless tariffs and drag out their deadly and costly war with Iran. Trump and Vance have hiked prices on everything from gas and groceries to diesel and fertilizer, pushing families, farmers and ranchers, and small business owners to the brink. Despite their last-ditch attempts to plead with voters, their approval ratings have dropped to an all-time low, and even their most loyal supporters are abandoning ship. Voters are fed up with Trump and Vance's broken promises and higher costs -- and in less than three weeks, they will hold Republicans accountable at the ballot box."
REMINDER: Georgia families have spent an additional $3,600 for everyday essentials under Trump and Vance, including $310 for groceries and $757 on housing costs. The average price for a gallon of gas in Georgia is $3.76, and the average price for a gallon of diesel is $5.76. The average Georgia family has already shelled out an additional $815 on gas alone since Trump and Vance started their war with Iran. Trump's war with Iran has also sent fertilizer prices skyrocketing, squeezing farmers already struggling with high costs during the height of harvest season.
On top of that, Trump and Republicans refused to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, causing healthcare premiums to skyrocket and forcing over 500,000 Georgians to drop insurance coverage altogether. Nearly a third of rural hospitals in Georgia are at risk of closing as a result of Trump and Republicans' $1 trillion cut to Medicaid.
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/with-less-than-three-weeks-until-the-midterms-trump-travels-to-georgia-to-promote-failed-republican-agenda/
DNC: Breaking - Trump Gives Katie Zacharia the Boot After Just Five Days
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release:
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October 16, 2026
BREAKING: Trump Gives Katie Zacharia the Boot After Just Five Days
New reporting today revealed that Donald Trump is firing White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia after just five days, marking a new record for the shortest tenure of a Trump administration official and shortest-ever tenure for White House press secretary. Zacharia's failure to serve more than a few days is yet another example of the administration's inability to spin Trump's disastrous agenda that has left working
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release:
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October 16, 2026
BREAKING: Trump Gives Katie Zacharia the Boot After Just Five Days
New reporting today revealed that Donald Trump is firing White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia after just five days, marking a new record for the shortest tenure of a Trump administration official and shortest-ever tenure for White House press secretary. Zacharia's failure to serve more than a few days is yet another example of the administration's inability to spin Trump's disastrous agenda that has left workingfamilies struggling to make ends meet.
In less than one week on the job, Zacharia had been embroiled in negative headlines after reporting revealed that she never passed the bar exam, despite Zacharia and Trump referring to her as an attorney. Zacharia's one and only press conference lasted approximately 14 minutes, as she stumbled through her remarks and took questions from only three reporters.
In response, DNC Deputy Communications Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:
"Donald Trump's White House is in upheaval as yet another official leaves his administration amid embarrassing scandals and sinking approval ratings. Trump's presidency has been an unmitigated disaster, leaving even his most loyal sycophants unable to defend the mess he's made. With just over two weeks until the midterm elections, the Trump administration's dysfunction is clearer than ever, and voters are tired of all of the chaos while working families struggle with high costs and Trump doubles down on his disastrous agenda."
Zacharia's firing marks another departure of a high-ranking woman in the Trump administration. The overwhelming majority of prominent officials leaving the administration have been women, after Kimberly Guilfoyle was forced out last week after trying to pressure a donor for cash and four of Trump's eight female cabinet officials were pushed out over the course of just three months earlier this year.
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/breaking-trump-gives-katie-zacharia-the-boot-after-just-five-days/
DFL Campaigns Break Record With Two Million Doors Knocked in 2026
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Oct. 17 -- Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party issued the following news release:
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October 16, 2026
DFL Campaigns Break Record With Two Million Doors Knocked in 2026
ST. PAUL -- Today, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party announced that the party and its campaigns crossed the threshold of two million doors knocked in 2026 alone. This is yet another doorknocking record for the party, clearing the number of doors at this point in 2022 by 650,000 doors and 450,000 more than the 2024 presidential election.
The two millionth door was knocked by Barb and Leslie,
... Show Full Article
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Oct. 17 -- Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party issued the following news release:
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October 16, 2026
DFL Campaigns Break Record With Two Million Doors Knocked in 2026
ST. PAUL -- Today, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party announced that the party and its campaigns crossed the threshold of two million doors knocked in 2026 alone. This is yet another doorknocking record for the party, clearing the number of doors at this point in 2022 by 650,000 doors and 450,000 more than the 2024 presidential election.
The two millionth door was knocked by Barb and Leslie,good friends and southern Minnesotans, in Mankato. Both are union members and have taken the time to knock thousands of doors together this election cycle.
Barb is a health care worker who's been hearing a lot about skyrocketing costs from voters. "Affordability is the number one issue voters are talking about. Health care is a big scare. How are we going to be able to afford things?
Barb says there's a palpable energy at the doors. "People are excited. We have candidates that we want, that people are excited about. People are excited for a change" Barb is planning to knock 700 more apartment doors just this weekend.
The excitement is personal for Barb, as well.
"I'm also Yup'ik and [the Alaska Democrat] Mary Peltola is from my tribe. So to be able to mark Peggy Flanagan as my first vote this year was a true honor because soon, I'll have someone from my state and someone from my tribe who's going to be in the U.S. Senate. So it was a really great day for me to vote."
Leslie runs a bookstore in Albert Lea and is committed to canvassing because people are fired up. "People [on the doors] are like 'of course I'm a Democrat,' and 'we have to do something about what's going on," said Leslie.
Leslie also stressed the importance of sharing your story on the doors. "Tell your stories. Have a conversation. Meet your neighbors. The more we know each other, the more human we are, and the more we'll find we have in common. It's our community. This election is about us -- right here."
The Minnesota DFL deployed organizers earlier than ever in the summer of 2025 -- just two days after the loss of Melissa and Mark Hortman -- in a tough but critical commitment to listening to voters across the state.
In response, DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom released the following statement:
"The DFL made its earliest ever investment by putting organizers on the ground all around the state on June 16, 2025. Minnesotans like Barb and Leslie -- who together made history by knocking our two millionth door this cycle -- have shown up in every way imaginable since that day. The activation and enthusiasm we've seen around the state is driven by listening and building community.
"Republicans are banking on this election being won by out-of-state billionaires and the corrupt President flooding the airwaves with ads and misinformation. But Democrats know this election is won by listening to and working for Minnesotans. Keep knocking, keep calling, keep voting early!"
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Original text here: https://dfl.org/dfl-campaigns-break-record-with-two-million-doors-knocked-in-2026/
