Politics - Parties, Candidates
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from politicians, candidates and interested parties - covering the U.S. political arena including state and national political parties.
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Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: Where Is Jen? "Smasal, But Not Kiggans, Attends Congressional Candidate Forum in Smithfield"
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release:
"Kiggans' campaign made a big mistake in not having her participate, and ultimately the final decision was Jen's"
This week, Missy Cotter Smasal attended a candidate forum in Smithfield where she engaged with community members on key issues ranging from addressing gun violence to protecting abortion rights.
Jen Kiggans was nowhere to be found, choosing to attend a movie screening rather than answer questions from voters.
Event moderator Herb De Groft: "[Kiggans] was first invited in late
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release:
"Kiggans' campaign made a big mistake in not having her participate, and ultimately the final decision was Jen's"
This week, Missy Cotter Smasal attended a candidate forum in Smithfield where she engaged with community members on key issues ranging from addressing gun violence to protecting abortion rights.
Jen Kiggans was nowhere to be found, choosing to attend a movie screening rather than answer questions from voters.
Event moderator Herb De Groft: "[Kiggans] was first invited in lateJune after the primary election, as was Smasal. On two occasions, I personally reminded her face-to-face of the invitation to the 4 Sept. candidate forum. I even sent a personal and confidential letter to her on 15 July.
Jen never responded"
DCCC Spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen:
"Jen Kiggans denied her constituents answers with her shady absence from Wednesday's forum, brazenly choosing partisanship over accountability. Missy Cotter Smasal made the difference crystal clear, and her commitment to always putting her community first speaks volumes to Coastal Virginia voters."
Smithfield Times: Smasal, but not Kiggans, attends congressional candidate forum in Smithfield
Stephen Faleski | September 6, 2024
* Only one of the two candidates vying for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District seat attended a Sept. 4 forum hosted by the Isle of Wight County Citizens Association and the Carrollton Civic League at the Smithfield Center.
* U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., did not participate. According to Kiggans' Facebook page, the congresswoman instead attended a Virginia Beach panel discussion on former President Ronald Reagan as a panelist ahead of a screening of the biopic "Reagan" movie in theaters.
* Missy Cotter Smasal, Kiggans' Democratic opponent on the November ballot, seized on Kiggans' absence to paint the GOP incumbent as more concerned with partisanship than representing her constituents.
* "Kiggans was invited to join you tonight multiple times, and she declined multiple times. ... I will always listen; I will always show up," Smasal told the crowd of roughly 45 attendees.
* Citizens Association President Herb De Groft, who moderated the forum, confirmed in an Aug. 13 email to The Smithfield Times that both candidates had been invited as of that date, though Bill Yoakum, chairman of Isle of Wight County's Republican Party chapter, said Kiggans' participation in the Reagan movie discussion was also arranged well in advance of Sept. 4.
* "I think the Kiggans' campaign made a big mistake in not having her participate, and ultimately the final decision was Jen's," De Groft told the Times following the forum. "She was first invited in late June after the primary election, as was Smasal. On two occasions, I personally reminded her face-to-face of the invitation to the 4 Sept. candidate forum. I even sent a personal and confidential letter to her on 15 July. Jen never responded with either a 'yes, I will' or 'no, I will not,' on any of these contacts I made on behalf of the IWCA and CCL."
* De Groft, copying the Times, had first invited Kiggans to participate in the Sept. 4 forum in a June 11 email.
* During the hour-and-a-half forum, De Groft posed 28 questions to Smasal, covering her positions on gun laws, abortion, the U.S.-Mexico border, and funding foreign wars in Ukraine and Israel.
* Smasal, referencing the mass shooting that killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Georgia that morning, said she supports Virginia's so-called red flag law, which allows courts to order the temporary seizure of firearms from people deemed a substantial risk of injury to themselves or others, and laws that require the safe storage of firearms, which she said are "common sense" measures that can ensure people like the 14-year-old suspect accused of perpetrating the Sept. 4 shooting not have access to weapons.
* On abortion, Smasal called the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 overturning of its landmark Roe v. Wade abortion-rights case and subsequent laws in Republican-led state legislatures to restrict abortion "an attack on your rights and freedoms," and said she would "protect Virginia law," which remains the only southern state where abortion is still legal up until the third trimester.
* Smasal said Americans "absolutely need to know who is coming and who is going across our border" and "can do that in a humane way."
* On Israel and Ukraine, Smasal said she would continue to support both countries in their armed conflicts.
* Israel "was attacked" on Oct. 7, 2023, and "has a right to defend itself" from the Hamas militants who, on that date, killed an estimated 1,200 Israeli civilians at a music festival and took more than 250 as hostages, Smasal said, stating it's also "essential that we stand up to Russia" by continuing to support Ukraine.
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Original text and links presented by source here: https://dccc.org/where-is-jen-smasal-but-not-kiggans-attends-congressional-candidate-forum-in-smithfield/
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: Toss-Up Tran - Cook Political Report Officially Moves CA-45 to Toss-Up
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release on Sept. 6, 2024:
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Last week, Inside Elections moved CA-45 away from Steel in Tran's favor
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Today, the non-partisan election forecaster Cook Political Report officially shifted the race for California's 45th Congressional District in Derek Tran's favor from "Lean Republican" to "Toss Up."
This follows a similar shift in Tran's favor by Inside Elections last week - attributing the change in part to Tran's groundswell of support from Vietnamese-American voters in the heavily-AANHPI
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release on Sept. 6, 2024:
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Last week, Inside Elections moved CA-45 away from Steel in Tran's favor
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Today, the non-partisan election forecaster Cook Political Report officially shifted the race for California's 45th Congressional District in Derek Tran's favor from "Lean Republican" to "Toss Up."
This follows a similar shift in Tran's favor by Inside Elections last week - attributing the change in part to Tran's groundswell of support from Vietnamese-American voters in the heavily-AANHPIdistrict, which recent polling found to be at a strong baseline of 62% to Steel's 30%.
From Cook Political Report's ratings change:
Democrats now believe they have a strong nominee in Derek Tran, a Vietnamese-American attorney who could make inroads with typically Republican-leaning voters in Little Saigon. Though Tran is a first-time candidate, he managed to outraise Steel in the second quarter, $1.3 million to $1.1 million, after narrowly advancing from the top-two primary. And though polling earlier this year showed Trump winning this district, both parties now have polling that shows Harris in the lead and Tran within striking distance of Steel. We're moving this race from Lean Republican to Toss Up.
DCCC Spokesperson Dan Gottlieb:
"The ground has completely shifted beneath Michelle Steel's feet in California's 45th, and Republicans are clearly panicked as their desperate attacks continue to fall flat. Derek Tran - an Army veteran, small business owner, and the son of Vietnamese refugees - is ready to send Steel packing and finally give families across Orange County the representation they deserve."
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Original text and links presented by source here: https://dccc.org/%f0%9f%9a%a8toss-up-tran%f0%9f%9a%a8-cook-political-report-officially-moves-ca-45-to-toss-up/
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: Tom Kean Jr.'s Terrible Town Hall
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release:
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New Jerseyans grill Kean Jr. about his support for Donald Trump and Project 2025
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This week, vulnerable New Jersey Republican Tom Kean Jr. decided to come out of his hidey-hole only to once again stumble over an answer when voters hammered him for endorsing Donald Trump and his dangerous Project 2025 agenda.
From the townhall:
Question: You have endorsed Trump, does that mean you have endorsed Project 2025 and things like its cuts to Medicare?
Kean Jr.: I have never read Project
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release:
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New Jerseyans grill Kean Jr. about his support for Donald Trump and Project 2025
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This week, vulnerable New Jersey Republican Tom Kean Jr. decided to come out of his hidey-hole only to once again stumble over an answer when voters hammered him for endorsing Donald Trump and his dangerous Project 2025 agenda.
From the townhall:
Question: You have endorsed Trump, does that mean you have endorsed Project 2025 and things like its cuts to Medicare?
Kean Jr.: I have never read Project2025...
Question: You never read it?
Kean Jr.: No
Question: This is the manifesto of the candidate you support that is running for president, and you're not interested in the least?
Kean Jr.: As I said, my concerns are the concerns of the people in the district.
This isn't the first time Kean Jr. has failed to distance himself from Project 2025's extremism. While the authors of the far-right agenda called the harmful Dobbs decision "just the beginning," Kean Jr. similarly promised he would fight "every step of the way to protect the unborn from egregious abortion laws." Since then, he's voted for bills which chip away at women's fundamental reproductive freedoms and punish doctors who provide abortions.
DCCC Spokesperson Aidan Johnson:
"New Jerseyans know that if re-elected, Tom Kean Jr. will continue to push through the same anti-abortion, anti-freedom legislation that is spelled out in the extreme Project 2025 manifesto - and that's why they'll reject him at the ballot box this November.
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Original text and links presented by source here: https://dccc.org/tom-kean-jr-s-terrible-town-hall/
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: Ratings Change - Cook Political Report Shifts IA-01 Toward Christina Bohannan
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release on Sept. 6, 2024:
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Cook Political Report: "Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' 2020 race was the closest in the country -- she won by just six votes..."
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Today, the non-partisan election forecaster Cook Political Report moved Iowa's 1st Congressional District from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican."
Cook Political Report: "Bohannan has run an aggressive rematch campaign. She's outraised the Republican incumbent every fundraising quarter since launching her campaign
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release on Sept. 6, 2024:
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Cook Political Report: "Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' 2020 race was the closest in the country -- she won by just six votes..."
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Today, the non-partisan election forecaster Cook Political Report moved Iowa's 1st Congressional District from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican."
Cook Political Report: "Bohannan has run an aggressive rematch campaign. She's outraised the Republican incumbent every fundraising quarter since launching her campaignlast year and has already spent $1 million on TV ads"
Christina is also leading in cash on hand and has broken multiple fundraising records, including the most raised by an Iowa federal candidate in the first 24 hours.
With Iowa's near-total abortion ban now in effect, Miller-Meeks' anti-abortion record is top of mind for voters, who know she helped lay the groundwork for the state's dangerous ban, voted for a constitutional amendment that would eliminate the right to an abortion in Iowa, and is now working to ban abortion nationwide with no exceptions.
Meanwhile, Christina has made her campaign about Iowans, traveling the district to meet with voters and discuss protecting reproductive freedom, improving access to rural health care, and supporting farmers.
DCCC Spokesperson Mallory Payne:
"It's no wonder Mariannette Miller-Meeks is losing ground. Time and time again, Miller-Meeks has sided with her special interest donors at the expense of Iowa's middle class families. Iowans know Christina Bohannan is the only candidate in the race who has their backs and will deliver solutions to the challenges they're facing."
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Original text and links presented by source here: https://dccc.org/ratings-change-cook-political-report-shifts-ia-01-toward-christina-bohannan/
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: RATINGS CHANGE - Cook Political Report Shifts NE-02 To Toss Up
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release on Sept. 6, 2024:
Today, the non-partisan election forecaster Cook Political Report moved Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District from "Lean Republican" to a "Toss Up."
Tony Vargas has built an even stronger campaign since coming just shy of 6,000 votes short of defeating Bacon in 2022. This cycle, Tony has outraised Bacon nearly every quarter he's been in the race, is leading in cash on hand, and is ahead in multiple polls.
Cook Political Report: "Bacon faces a familiar opponent in Democratic
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release on Sept. 6, 2024:
Today, the non-partisan election forecaster Cook Political Report moved Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District from "Lean Republican" to a "Toss Up."
Tony Vargas has built an even stronger campaign since coming just shy of 6,000 votes short of defeating Bacon in 2022. This cycle, Tony has outraised Bacon nearly every quarter he's been in the race, is leading in cash on hand, and is ahead in multiple polls.
Cook Political Report: "Bacon faces a familiar opponent in Democraticstate Sen. Tony Vargas, who came just two and a half points short of defeating him in 2022 and will be boosted by Democrats' robust presidential campaign operation"
"The Congressional Leadership Fund, House Republicans' primary super PAC, launched its first TV ad of the fall against Vargas, another sign that Bacon is highly vulnerable"
This is the second ratings change in Vargas' favor in recent weeks, with the non-partisan election forecaster Inside Elections also shifting NE-02 to "Toss Up" last Friday.
DCCC Spokesperson Mallory Payne:
"Nebraskans are fed up with Don Bacon siding with Donald Trump and his MAGA party bosses at the expense of middle class families. Tony Vargas has more momentum than ever before because voters trust his record of cutting taxes for Nebraska families, supporting law enforcement, and standing up for reproductive freedom."
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Original text and links presented by source here: https://dccc.org/ratings-change-cook-political-report-shifts-ne-02-to-toss-up/
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: Heartland Signal - Kevin Coughlin's "has History of Questionable Behavior That Led to Ethics Complaint"
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release:
New reporting from Heartland Signal exposes Republican Kevin Coughlin's lengthy history of "questionable ethical behavior" while serving as Stow Municipal Court Clerk.
After "running Lexington Companies while he was clerk," requesting "a no-bid state contract be given to his high school friend and campaign supporter," and "not showing up regularly for his Clerk position," Coughlin was served an ethics complaint for "favoring close friends, violating state law and being absent from his office
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release:
New reporting from Heartland Signal exposes Republican Kevin Coughlin's lengthy history of "questionable ethical behavior" while serving as Stow Municipal Court Clerk.
After "running Lexington Companies while he was clerk," requesting "a no-bid state contract be given to his high school friend and campaign supporter," and "not showing up regularly for his Clerk position," Coughlin was served an ethics complaint for "favoring close friends, violating state law and being absent from his officefor an extended period of time."
In response, Coughlin "refused to cooperate with city officials and ordered the destruction of Stow court records."
DCCC Spokesperson Aidan Johnson:
"Kevin Coughlin epitomizes an unethical politician who is focused on helping out his ultra wealthy donors at the expense of Northeast Ohioans. He can't run from his shady record and voters deserve to know the truth before they head to the ballot box."
Heartland Signal: Ohio GOP congressional candidate has history of questionable behavior that led to ethics complaint
Richard Eberwein | September 5, 2024
* Ohio Republican congressional candidate Kevin Coughlin engaged in questionable ethical behavior that he [has] been unable to fully explain while he was working as the clerk for Stow Municipal Court in 2015.
* After serving 13 years in the Ohio state legislature, Coughlin founded the consulting firm Lexington Companies in 2010, of which he still serves as president and CEO. In 2013, Coughlin was elected the clerk of the Stow Municipal Court, where his LinkedIn profile says he operated an office of 24 employees.
* In 2015, the Summit County Democratic Party hit Coughlin with an ethics complaint for allegedly favoring close friends, violating state law and being absent from his office for an extended period of time. In 2014, Coughlin requested a no-bid state contract be given to his high school friend and campaign supporter David Stofka to redesign the courthouse's website. According to a report from the Akron Beacon Journal, it is illegal for public officials to enter into a contract with business associates.
* In addition to being a long-time friend of Coughlin's, Stofka designed Lexington Companies' website and was listed as a partner of the firm. After Coughlin's opponent Diana Colavecchio made a public records request for the contract Stofka received, Stofka's name was removed from Lexington's website. Coughlin and Stofka both denied removing Stofka from the "team" page, with Coughlin saying, "I really can't tell you why that happened." Stofka, who apparently still maintained the Lexington website at the time, claimed Coughlin was the one who initially listed him as a partner.
* In addition to Stofka's contract, Coughlin was accused of not showing up regularly for his Clerk position. The Akron Beacon Journal found a 135-day window where Coughlin did not use his security card at the courthouse. When asked about this discrepancy, Coughlin claimed he lost his security card, even though he began using it again after the 135-day stretch. When asked why he began using the card on a regular basis, Coughlin could not explain why.
* Coughlin also admitted to running Lexington Companies while he was clerk.
* When a public records request for his office was made, Coughlin refused to cooperate with city officials and delegated the handling of future requests to his office. He also ordered the destruction of Stow court records and implied the timing was a coincidence.
* After a near ten-year hiatus from elected office, Coughlin is attempting to unseat incumbent Rep. Emilia Sykes (D) to represent Ohio's 13th Congressional District.
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Original text and links presented by source here: https://dccc.org/heartland-signal-kevin-coughlins-has-history-of-questionable-behavior-that-led-to-ethics-complaint/
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: Cook Political - "Momentum Favors Democrats" as Six Races Move in Democrats' Favor
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release on Sept. 6, 2024:
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Key battleground races shift in Democrats' favor as fundraising and enthusiasm advantages continue
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Today, nonpartisan Cook Political announced that it is shifting six battleground House races towards Democrats, including CA-45, IA-01, and NE-02.
This shift comes as Democrats continue to capitalize on historic grassroots enthusiasm and Republican "fundraising has been lackluster -- and in some districts, anemic -- over the past several months."
DCCC Spokesperson
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release on Sept. 6, 2024:
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Key battleground races shift in Democrats' favor as fundraising and enthusiasm advantages continue
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Today, nonpartisan Cook Political announced that it is shifting six battleground House races towards Democrats, including CA-45, IA-01, and NE-02.
This shift comes as Democrats continue to capitalize on historic grassroots enthusiasm and Republican "fundraising has been lackluster -- and in some districts, anemic -- over the past several months."
DCCC SpokespersonViet Shelton:
"House Democrats continue to build momentum and grassroots enthusiasm across the country, while House GOP incumbents and candidates continue to fall flat on their faces. Voters are uninterested in their extreme, out-of-touch agenda that has failed to lower costs and goes after voters' rights and freedoms. With only two months left, House Democrats are continuing to draw that contrast and get out the votes we need to win in November."
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Original text and links presented by source here: https://dccc.org/cook-political-momentum-favors-democrats-as-six-races-move-in-democrats-favor/
