Politics, Parties, Candidates
Here's a look at documents from politicians, candidates and interested parties
Featured Stories
NCDP Statement on the ACA Tax Credits Expiring
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Jan. 3 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party issued the following news on Jan. 1, 2026:
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NCDP Statement on the ACA Tax Credits Expiring
Today, nearly a million North Carolinians will face paying a health care premium that has doubled or more because DC Republicans - cheered on by Michael Whatley - refused to renew the ACA tax credits that expired yesterday. In response, NCDP Chair Anderson Clayton released the following statement:
"I'm devastated for the nearly one million North Carolinians who are now paying double or more for their monthly health premium or
... Show Full Article
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Jan. 3 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party issued the following news on Jan. 1, 2026:
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NCDP Statement on the ACA Tax Credits Expiring
Today, nearly a million North Carolinians will face paying a health care premium that has doubled or more because DC Republicans - cheered on by Michael Whatley - refused to renew the ACA tax credits that expired yesterday. In response, NCDP Chair Anderson Clayton released the following statement:
"I'm devastated for the nearly one million North Carolinians who are now paying double or more for their monthly health premium oropting to go without health coverage at all, simply because Michael Whatley and DC Republicans don't want working families to have affordable health care. Instead of fixing the health care crisis they created, they continue to drive up costs and make this crisis worse.
"Michael Whatley doesn't care about North Carolina families who are trying to get ahead - he only cares about delivering for billionaires, special interests, and the DC politicians who handpicked him for this seat. Voters will reject Whatley next November because we can't afford a U.S. Senator who drives up costs and puts basic health care out of reach for so many."
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Original text here: https://www.ncdp.org/media/ncdp-statement-on-the-aca-tax-credits-expiring/
NRCC: Trump Took Down a Narcoterrorist - Democrats Made Excuses
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Trump Took Down a Narcoterrorist. Democrats Made Excuses.
Democrats spent years coddling Nicolas Maduro as his narcoterrorist and authoritarian regime poisoned American communities with drugs, violence, and chaos.
President Trump took action, and Maduro is now in custody, highlighting the dangerous cost of Democrat weakness. Voters won't forget who failed them when it mattered most.
"Democrats spent years protecting a dictator while Americans paid the price. President Trump ended the excuses
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Trump Took Down a Narcoterrorist. Democrats Made Excuses.
Democrats spent years coddling Nicolas Maduro as his narcoterrorist and authoritarian regime poisoned American communities with drugs, violence, and chaos.
President Trump took action, and Maduro is now in custody, highlighting the dangerous cost of Democrat weakness. Voters won't forget who failed them when it mattered most.
"Democrats spent years protecting a dictator while Americans paid the price. President Trump ended the excusesand put a narcoterrorist where he belongs. Voters see the difference between weak appeasement and strong leadership." -- NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella
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Original text here: https://www.nrcc.org/2026/01/03/trump-took-down-a-narcoterrorist-democrats-made-excuses/
NRCC: Pain at the Pump? Thank Tax-Raiser Nellie Pou
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Pain at the Pump? Thank Tax-Raiser Nellie Pou.
New Jersey's gas tax went up again yesterday, jumping nearly 9% and bringing the tax total to nearly 50 cents for a gallon of gasoline and over 56 cents for diesel.
And New Jerseyans have clueless Nellie Pou to thank for the hike.
In 2024, Pou voted to raise New Jersey's gas tax every year for five years, despite the fact that New Jersey already had the seventh-highest gas tax in the nation at the time.
This isn't the only time Pou's voted to
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Pain at the Pump? Thank Tax-Raiser Nellie Pou.
New Jersey's gas tax went up again yesterday, jumping nearly 9% and bringing the tax total to nearly 50 cents for a gallon of gasoline and over 56 cents for diesel.
And New Jerseyans have clueless Nellie Pou to thank for the hike.
In 2024, Pou voted to raise New Jersey's gas tax every year for five years, despite the fact that New Jersey already had the seventh-highest gas tax in the nation at the time.
This isn't the only time Pou's voted tohike costs. She repeatedlyvoted to raise taxes on her own constituents by a whopping 21% and against ending taxes on tips and quadrupling the SALT deduction.
"Clueless Democrat Nellie Pou has repeatedly stabbed her own constituents in the back, voting again and again to drive up costs and make everyday life more difficult. New Jerseyans are paying the price for her reckless record, and voters will send a clear message in November: Nellie Pou can't be trusted." -- NRCC Spokeswoman Maureen O'Toole
Read the full story here or see excerpts below:
NJ drivers hit with 9% state gas tax hike to kick off new year
New York Post
Ryan King
December 31, 2025
New Jersey drivers are about to get hit with a nearly 9% hike in the state's gas tax -- leaving them once again grappling with one of the highest rates in the country.
Thanks to legislation signed into law in 2024, the state -- the only one in the nation to not allow self-service pumps -- is raising its gas tax by 4.2 cents to 49.1 cents for gasoline and 56.1 cents for diesel Jan. 1.
[...]
Gas prices have been trending down across the country in recent weeks, dropping to pre-pandemic levels for the first time in about five years.
New Jersey's increase is the result of legislation that outgoing Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed in 2024 to jack up the tax in annual increments between 2025 and 2029.
One of the backers of that bill is Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ), who was in the state Senate at the time and is now in the US House.
[...]
Pou's camp did not respond to a Post request for comment.
Initially, the gas tax was supposed to go up by around 2 cents. It previously jumped up by 2.6 cents in 2025. But "because actual consumption has trended below last fiscal year's levels," the Garden State is getting a large spike in its gas tax this year to make up for the money difference.
The funds will go to help raise about $11 billion over a five-year stretch for key infrastructure projects for roads and bridges.
Stevens noted how the libertarian-leaning Reason Foundation ranked New Jersey 39th in terms of overall capital and bridge expenditures.
"Since the state's gas tax is so high, it looks like the problem really in the state isn't so much the money coming in," Stevens said. "They're collecting tons of revenue from the high gas tax, but it's how the money is being spent going out where New Jersey ranks so poorly."
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Original text here: https://www.nrcc.org/2026/01/02/%f0%9f%9a%97%e2%9b%bd-pain-at-the-pump-thank-tax-raiser-nellie-pou/
NRCC: Miller-Meeks, Nunn Deliver $209M for Rural Iowa Health Care
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news on Jan. 2, 2026:
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Miller-Meeks, Nunn Deliver $209M for Rural Iowa Health Care
Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn are delivering real results for Iowa families.
Reps. Miller-Meeks and Nunn secured $209 million in federal funding for rural healthcare in Iowa, a huge win to expand access to affordable care and strengthen rural hospitals.
The funding was included in the Working Families Tax Cuts, which Miller-Meeks and Nunn passed last year.
"Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news on Jan. 2, 2026:
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Miller-Meeks, Nunn Deliver $209M for Rural Iowa Health Care
Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn are delivering real results for Iowa families.
Reps. Miller-Meeks and Nunn secured $209 million in federal funding for rural healthcare in Iowa, a huge win to expand access to affordable care and strengthen rural hospitals.
The funding was included in the Working Families Tax Cuts, which Miller-Meeks and Nunn passed last year.
"Mariannette Miller-Meeks and ZachNunn are doing what Iowans sent them to Washington to do: deliver results. Securing $209 million for rural health care in Iowa is a game changer for working families." - NRCC Spokeswoman Emily Tuttle
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Original text here: https://www.nrcc.org/2026/01/02/miller-meeks-nunn-deliver-209m-for-rural-iowa-health-care/
NRCC: CA-22 - Socialist Randy vs. Establishment Darlin' Bains
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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CA-22: Socialist Randy vs. Establishment Darlin' Bains
As 2026 kicks off, Democrats are locked in a full-blown knife fight that perfectly exposes the party's identity crisis: a socialist takeover versus the establishment machine, with no concern for Valley families caught in the middle.
On one side is Socialist Randy Villegas, a Bernie Sanders-backed progressive who is now importing the same radical architects who turned New York City into a national cautionary tale.
On the other is Establishment
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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CA-22: Socialist Randy vs. Establishment Darlin' Bains
As 2026 kicks off, Democrats are locked in a full-blown knife fight that perfectly exposes the party's identity crisis: a socialist takeover versus the establishment machine, with no concern for Valley families caught in the middle.
On one side is Socialist Randy Villegas, a Bernie Sanders-backed progressive who is now importing the same radical architects who turned New York City into a national cautionary tale.
On the other is EstablishmentDarlin' Jasmeet Bains, the preferred candidate of corrupt Sacramento insiders and EMILYs List, running cover for the same failed Democrat policies.
"In the fight for the soul of the Democrat Party, Democrats are stuck choosing between Establishment Darlin' Jasmeet Bains, an out of touch puppet of the corrupt Sacramento insiders, and Socialist Randy Villegas, a radical more focused on ideological power plays than putting the Central Valley first. Either way, California families would lose out." - NRCC Spokesman Christian Martinez
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Original text here: https://www.nrcc.org/2026/01/02/ca-22-socialist-randy-vs-establishment-darlin-bains/
N.C. Democratic Party: Editorial - Michael Whatley Earns "Where's Waldo" Award For Being Absent As Helene "Recovery Czar"
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Jan. 3 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party issued the following news:
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NEW EDITORIAL: Michael Whatley Earns "Where's Waldo" Award For Being Absent As Helene "Recovery Czar"
Smoky Mountain News: "If there were an award for being hardest to find while holding an important job, Michael Whatley would have no competition."
A new editorial by Smoky Mountain News is giving DC insider Michael Whatley the "Where's Waldo" award for his failure to help Western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene, naming him "the recovery czar who's been harder to find than federal
... Show Full Article
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Jan. 3 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party issued the following news:
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NEW EDITORIAL: Michael Whatley Earns "Where's Waldo" Award For Being Absent As Helene "Recovery Czar"
Smoky Mountain News: "If there were an award for being hardest to find while holding an important job, Michael Whatley would have no competition."
A new editorial by Smoky Mountain News is giving DC insider Michael Whatley the "Where's Waldo" award for his failure to help Western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene, naming him "the recovery czar who's been harder to find than federalhelp." Nearly a year since Whatley was put in charge of federal Helene recovery efforts - tapped by the president to "lead the team" and be "very much in charge" - his failure to deliver federal relief continues to be in the spotlight.
Under Whatley's watch, only 11 percent of needs have been met in federal support for Western North Carolina, resulting in hundreds of Western North Carolinians "calling for Whatley's Ouster."
Read more: Smoky Mountain News: 2025 A Look Back: Where's Waldo award (https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/40720-2025-a-look-back-where-s-waldo-award)
December 31, 2025
* If there were an award for being hardest to find while holding an important job, Michael Whatley would have no competition, because he's the only entry.
* President Donald Trump named Whatley Western North Carolina's hurricane recovery czar at a Jan. 24 briefing, saying he wanted Whatley in charge of making sure "everything goes well." Trump praised Whatley's work and assured folks Whatley would be the one to fix it.
* Nearly 15 months after Hurricane Helene's floods tore through the mountains on Sept. 27, 2024, leaving roughly $60 billion in damage and thousands of families displaced, local officials, homeowners and small business owners are still waiting on meaningful federal aid. At the six-month mark, only about 4% of the need had been met. Near the one-year anniversary the state reported about 9%. Today, it's not a whole lot more.
* Whatley's critics say he's rarely, if ever, been spotted in the disaster zone he's supposed to lead. Records show he's had only one conversation this year with Matt Calabria, head of the state's recovery office.
* So raise a glass to the Where's Whatley ... err, the Where's Waldo award -- for the recovery czar who's been harder to find than federal help and whose biggest disaster still lies 11 months down the road.
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Original text here: https://michigandems.com/statement-mike-rogers-aca-price-hikes-go-into-effect-spiking-premiums-for-hundreds-of-thousands-of-michiganders/
Mich. Democratic Party: Mike Rogers' ACA Price Hikes Go Into Effect, Spiking Premiums for Hundreds of Thousands of Michiganders
LANSING, Michigan, Jan. 3 -- The Michigan Democratic Party posted the following news release on Jan. 2, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Mike Rogers' ACA Price Hikes Go Into Effect, Spiking Premiums for Hundreds of Thousands of Michiganders
After Trump and Republicans allowed ACA subsidies to expire on December 31, 2025, health care premiums are more than doubling on average and "disrupt[ing] health care access for approximately half a million Michigan residents." Out-of-touch multimillionaire Mike Rogers "firmly supported" these ACA price hikes and is dodging questions from reporters as health care costs
... Show Full Article
LANSING, Michigan, Jan. 3 -- The Michigan Democratic Party posted the following news release on Jan. 2, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Mike Rogers' ACA Price Hikes Go Into Effect, Spiking Premiums for Hundreds of Thousands of Michiganders
After Trump and Republicans allowed ACA subsidies to expire on December 31, 2025, health care premiums are more than doubling on average and "disrupt[ing] health care access for approximately half a million Michigan residents." Out-of-touch multimillionaire Mike Rogers "firmly supported" these ACA price hikes and is dodging questions from reporters as health care costsskyrocket in Michigan--because he knows his price-hiking agenda is toxic with Michiganders.
In response, Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Joey Hannum released the following statement:
"Mike Rogers championed these ACA price hikes, and now Michigan families are seeing their premiums double as they start the new year. He can try to hide from accountability all he wants, but we're going to make sure every voter knows that Price Hike Mike supported spiking their health care costs so millionaires like himself could get tax handouts."
With subsidies expiring on December 31, 2025, hundreds of thousands of Michiganders are seeing their health care costs skyrocket because of Mike Rogers' ACA price hikes:
* A 45 year-old Michigander making $64K faces a $1,678 average premium increase
* A 60-year old Michigan couple making $85K faces a $19,533 average premium increase
* A Michigan family of four making $130K faces a $9,092 average premium increase
Mike Rogers' ACA price hikes have already caused four insurers to drop ACA coverage for more than 200,000 Michiganders. Meanwhile, as hundreds of thousands of Michiganders face "unprecedented sticker shock," Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the state's largest public health exchange insurer, experienced a "20% spike in calls from members and potential members over exorbitant price increases" taking effect this year.
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Original text here: https://michigandems.com/statement-mike-rogers-aca-price-hikes-go-into-effect-spiking-premiums-for-hundreds-of-thousands-of-michiganders/
