Politics, Parties, Candidates
Here's a look at documents from politicians, candidates and interested parties
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NRCC: Democrats Bracing for the Swalwell Fallout
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Democrats bracing for the Swalwell fallout
A bombshell report just blew the lid off Democrat Eric Swalwell, detailing allegations he twice sexually assaulted one of his staffers when she was too intoxicated to consent.
Don't hold your breath waiting for House Democrats or the DCCC to say a word. They're too busy cashing his checks to call out conduct they'd be screaming about if the roles were reversed.
Soon enough, the receipts will show just how deep the ties go, and how many House Democrats
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Democrats bracing for the Swalwell fallout
A bombshell report just blew the lid off Democrat Eric Swalwell, detailing allegations he twice sexually assaulted one of his staffers when she was too intoxicated to consent.
Don't hold your breath waiting for House Democrats or the DCCC to say a word. They're too busy cashing his checks to call out conduct they'd be screaming about if the roles were reversed.
Soon enough, the receipts will show just how deep the ties go, and how many House Democratsare bankrolled by Swalwell's filthy money...
"If Democrats had any standards left, this would be an easy call. But when it's one of their own, accountability gets buried faster than the story." - NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella
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Original text here: https://www.nrcc.org/2026/04/13/democrats-bracing-for-the-swalwell-fallout-2/
NRCC: CO-08 Messy Dem Primary Heats Up
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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CO-08 Messy Dem Primary Heats Up
Out of touch Democrats in Colorado's 8th congressional district are attacking each other as they race to the far left in their messy primary.
Radical Manny Rutinel's digital ad buy against liberal Shannon Bird follows previous infighting in the Democrat primary in which reporting highlighted, "the fault lines in the Democratic race are becoming more visible -- and distracting to the party's quest to flip the seat."
"Democrats are in disarray in Colorado's
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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CO-08 Messy Dem Primary Heats Up
Out of touch Democrats in Colorado's 8th congressional district are attacking each other as they race to the far left in their messy primary.
Radical Manny Rutinel's digital ad buy against liberal Shannon Bird follows previous infighting in the Democrat primary in which reporting highlighted, "the fault lines in the Democratic race are becoming more visible -- and distracting to the party's quest to flip the seat."
"Democrats are in disarray in Colorado's8th congressional district, attacking each other as they race to the far left. Whoever emerges from the Democrats' clown show will be just another out of touch liberal ready to be rejected by Coloradans." - NRCC Spokesman Zach Bannon
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Original text here: https://www.nrcc.org/2026/04/13/co-08-messy-dem-primary-heats-up/
Mich. Democratic Party: MLive - Mike Rogers Criticized for Appointing "Longtime Associate" of Convicted Sexual Abusers to His Campaign
LANSING, Michigan, April 14 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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MLive: Mike Rogers Criticized for Appointing "Longtime Associate" of Convicted Sexual Abusers to His Campaign
A new investigative report by MLive has renewed concerns and criticism over Mike Rogers appointing Tim Cross of Living Word Church to his campaign's senior leadership team. Cross, a "longtime associate" of three church elders who were recently convicted for sexually abusing minors, has "faced online backlash for not believing the victims," and his ties to the church "may now be a liability"
... Show Full Article
LANSING, Michigan, April 14 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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MLive: Mike Rogers Criticized for Appointing "Longtime Associate" of Convicted Sexual Abusers to His Campaign
A new investigative report by MLive has renewed concerns and criticism over Mike Rogers appointing Tim Cross of Living Word Church to his campaign's senior leadership team. Cross, a "longtime associate" of three church elders who were recently convicted for sexually abusing minors, has "faced online backlash for not believing the victims," and his ties to the church "may now be a liability"for Rogers' campaign.
This comes after ABC 12 first reported last month about Cross's "connection to a Midland church where three elders have been convicted of sex crimes involving children." Rogers' campaign "did not provide a statement" when reached for comment and has remained silent about the sex abuse scandal.
Read more:
MLive (https://www.mlive.com/news/2026/04/the-rise-of-mark-barclays-televangelist-empireand-the-sex-abuse-scandal-that-followed.html): The rise of Mark Barclay's televangelist empire--and the sex abuse scandal that followed
* In the wake of sex abuse convictions involving at least eight children and three leaders under Barclay at Living Word Church in Midland County's Larkin Township, MLive investigated the rise of the church, its culture and leadership.
* Two of the accused were part of Barclay's inner circle, one an associate pastor who'd been with the church since 1980, the other Barclay's son-in-law, a previously convicted sex offender and the father of his grandchildren.
* As secrets were brought to light, Barclay became defiant and defensive. He insisted they were lies.
* Then came two plea agreements and a conviction, after which the church maintains it knew nothing about the criminal behavior - something survivors, prosecutors and former church members dispute.
* [...] But any political clout tied to the church may now be a liability.
* Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers drew criticism after appointing Pastor Tim Cross of Living Word Church in Muskegon to his Faith Coalition Leadership Team.
* Cross, a longtime associate of Barclay and the three convicted church leaders, faced online backlash for not believing the victims.
* "When these accusations first came out, I have known these men ... for over 30 years and never thought they could do something so egregious," Cross said in a YouTube response, later asking the victims for forgiveness.
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Original text here: https://michigandems.com/mlive-mike-rogers-criticized-for-appointing-longtime-associate-of-convicted-sexual-abusers-to-his-campaign/
Jay Feely Raises Over $740,000 in First Quarter: ICYMI
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Jay Feely raises over $740,000 in first quarter: ICYMI
Conservative former NFL player Jay Feely hauled in an impressive total of over $740,000 in the first quarter of 2026.
As Democrats' five-way clown car primary rages, Feely has earned the complete and total endorsement of President Trump.
In March, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) announced Feely in the initial MAGA Majority list.
"Arizona voters are fired up to send Jay Feely to lower taxes, grow jobs and opportunity
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The National Republican Congressional Committee posted the following news:
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Jay Feely raises over $740,000 in first quarter: ICYMI
Conservative former NFL player Jay Feely hauled in an impressive total of over $740,000 in the first quarter of 2026.
As Democrats' five-way clown car primary rages, Feely has earned the complete and total endorsement of President Trump.
In March, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) announced Feely in the initial MAGA Majority list.
"Arizona voters are fired up to send Jay Feely to lower taxes, grow jobs and opportunityand protect our Arizona way of life in Congress. Jay has the resources, momentum and message to deliver a powerful Republican victory in November." - NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen
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Original text here: https://www.nrcc.org/2026/04/13/jay-feely-raises-over-740000-in-first-quarter-icymi/
ICYMI: Trump Says Gas Prices May Continue to Rise
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on April 13, 2026:
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ICYMI: Trump Says Gas Prices May Continue to Rise
As Americans grapple with higher prices, Trump's net worth has skyrocketed to $6.3 billion as his family business makes deals off of the presidency
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In an interview with Fox News yesterday, Donald Trump said, gas prices "should be around the same" and could even be "a little bit higher," ahead of the midterms in November. The average price of a gallon of gas today is $4.13, over a dollar higher than when Trump started his unpopular
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on April 13, 2026:
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ICYMI: Trump Says Gas Prices May Continue to Rise
As Americans grapple with higher prices, Trump's net worth has skyrocketed to $6.3 billion as his family business makes deals off of the presidency
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In an interview with Fox News yesterday, Donald Trump said, gas prices "should be around the same" and could even be "a little bit higher," ahead of the midterms in November. The average price of a gallon of gas today is $4.13, over a dollar higher than when Trump started his unpopularwar of choice with Iran. Trump has repeatedly dismissed Americans' concerns about high gas prices, saying they "have not gone up as much as I thought" and "it's not bad."
Over the weekend, JD Vance failed to reach a deal with Iran to end the war, sending global oil prices soaring again and raising the likelihood of gas prices at home skyrocketing even more with no end in sight.
In response, DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement:
"Donald Trump started an unpopular war with Iran that's spiked costs for Americans, and now Trump is predicting prices at the pump won't get better, just as JD Vance fails to strike a peace deal. Working families can't afford to shell out even more money to get by in Trump's economy, and they are sick and tired of footing the bill of an unpopular war. If Trump and Vance's midterm pitch to Americans is higher gas prices by election day, Republicans are in big, big trouble."
Trump's war with Iran is wrecking the economy and squeezing everyday Americans. Inflation surged to 3.3% in March, nearly a full point higher than the previous month and higher than when Trump took office. Meanwhile, as working families grapple with high prices, Trump continues to use the presidency as a piggy bank to enrich himself and his family. Trump's net worth has skyrocketed to $6.3 billion, up 60% since he returned to office as the Trump family business undergoes the fastest overseas expansion since its founding. At the beginning of the year, when asked about his family business dealings, Trump dismissed any conflicts of interest and said, "I found out that nobody cared, and I'm allowed to."
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/news/icymi-trump-says-gas-prices-may-continue-to-rise/
ICYMI: Rising Grocery Prices and Republican-Backed Cuts to Food Assistance Pose "New Risks for Republican Senate Candidates" [AJN]
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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ICYMI: Rising Grocery Prices and Republican-Backed Cuts to Food Assistance Pose "New Risks for Republican Senate Candidates" [AJN]
In case you missed it, new reporting from American Journal News is highlighting how rising grocery prices combined with Republican cuts to SNAP food assistance are driving "skyrocketing rates of food insecurity," and creating a "liability for Republican candidates." Despite the increased challenges for working families to put food on the table, Republican
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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ICYMI: Rising Grocery Prices and Republican-Backed Cuts to Food Assistance Pose "New Risks for Republican Senate Candidates" [AJN]
In case you missed it, new reporting from American Journal News is highlighting how rising grocery prices combined with Republican cuts to SNAP food assistance are driving "skyrocketing rates of food insecurity," and creating a "liability for Republican candidates." Despite the increased challenges for working families to put food on the table, RepublicanSenate candidates are "boast[ing]" about their toxic, price-spiking policies and telling struggling voters to simply "work harder."
See for yourself:
American Journal News: Rising hunger rates pose new risks for Republican Senate candidates (https://americanjournalnews.com/rising-hunger-rates-pose-new-risks-for-republican-senate-candidates/)
* Some of this year's most competitive U.S. Senate races are in states with skyrocketing rates of food insecurity. It could become a liability for Republican candidates.
* The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that grocery costs soared in 2025, with banana prices up 5.9% and coffee up nearly 20%. These spikes were primarily due to inflation and President Donald Trump's tariff policy.
* For Americans already struggling with high costs, the outlook was made worse by cuts to SNAP in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). About 4 million Americans receiving food assistance will see their benefits shrink significantly over the next eight years as a result.
* The average cost of groceries last year rose 4.75% in Ohio, 4.3% in Maine, 3.9% in Florida, and 3.8% in Texas. In Alaska, prices rose only 2.9%, but the state already had some of the highest food prices in the country because of its remote location and runaway fuel costs.
* Each of these states has a Republican senator facing reelection in 2026.
* Ohio Sen. Jon Husted backed OBBB despite an Urban Institute analysis warning that the law would jeopardize food assistance for 717,000 Ohio families. Feeding America, a nonprofit tracking hunger in the United States, says that one in seven Ohioans are now facing food insecurity.
* In a January 2026 radio interview, Husted defended cuts to safety-net programs, telling host Kayala Blakeslee that Ohioans struggling with high costs simply need to work harder.
* "Our work ethic is broken," Husted said. "We don't have the work ethic in this country that we once had, and we literally have the federal government telling people we will give you more money if you stay home than if you go to work."
* A similar dynamic exists in Maine, where 100,000 families are at risk of losing food assistance and one in five children are facing hunger.
* Sen. Susan Collins did not vote for OBBB, but the bill would not have become law without her. She voted in June 2025 to advance the bill to the Senate floor, more or less guaranteeing its final passage, with or without her support. She is now campaigning as an opponent of the law.
* Florida Sen. Ashley Moody, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, and Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan all voted for OBBB and, unlike Collins, have boasted about doing so. Both Moody and Cornyn characterized the law's passage as a historic achievement.
* Sullivan said that "no state fared better than" Alaska under OBBB, despite the law imperiling food assistance for 27,000 Alaska families, about 4% of the state's total population.
* Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson supported OBBB, despite food costs rising 3.7% in her state and the law curtailing food assistance for 134,000 of her neighbors.
* Georgia Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins are competing in a primary to be their state's Republican nominee for Senate. Both backed OBBB, and Carter has boasted about his role in shepherding the bill into law.
* "I was proud to be a leader in crafting this legislation and shepherding it through the Energy and Commerce Committee," Carter said in a July 2025 press release.
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Original text here: https://www.dscc.org/article/icymi-rising-grocery-prices-and-republican-backed-cuts-to-food-assistance-pose-new-risks-for-republican-senate-candidates-ajn/
ICYMI: "Democratic Odds of Taking the Senate Increase as Four Ratings Shift in Their Favor" [Cook Political Report]
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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ICYMI: "Democratic Odds of Taking the Senate Increase as Four Ratings Shift in Their Favor" [Cook Political Report]
As Senate Democrats continue to build momentum heading into the November midterms, election analysts at Cook Political Report have moved multiple Senate races - including North Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio - in Democrats' favor. Across the map, Democrats have created a clear path to taking back the Senate majority by recruiting all-star candidates, building strong general-election
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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ICYMI: "Democratic Odds of Taking the Senate Increase as Four Ratings Shift in Their Favor" [Cook Political Report]
As Senate Democrats continue to build momentum heading into the November midterms, election analysts at Cook Political Report have moved multiple Senate races - including North Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio - in Democrats' favor. Across the map, Democrats have created a clear path to taking back the Senate majority by recruiting all-star candidates, building strong general-electioninfrastructure, and capitalizing on a Republican field defined by weak and deeply flawed nominees.
See for yourself:
Cook Political Report: Democratic Odds of Taking the Senate Increase as Four Ratings Shift in Their Favor (https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/senate/senate-overview/democratic-odds-taking-senate-increase-four-ratings-shift-their?check_logged_in=1)
* With an increasingly sour national environment for Republicans, the Senate battlefield is shifting in Democrats' favor.
* We are shifting four ratings, all in Democrats' favor. Two seats move out of the Toss Up column to Lean Democrat -- the open Republican seat in North Carolina, which represents a net pickup for Democrats, and Sen. Jon Ossoff's seat in Georgia, where a messy GOP primary still reigns as the incumbent continues to stockpile cash.
* Ohio, where even recent GOP polling has shown former Sen. Sherrod Brown in a statistical tie with appointed GOP Sen. Jon Husted, shifts from Lean Republican into the Toss Up column.
* One seat moves from Solid Republican to the periphery of the battleground map into the Likely Republican column: Nebraska, where independent Dan Osborn is back again, this time challenging wealthy Sen. Pete Ricketts.
* North Carolina: Moves From Toss Up to Lean Democrat
* We've long believed the North Carolina Senate race is the GOP seat Democrats are most likely to flip. Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is the strongest candidate Democrats could have fielded in the state. He and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley could break spending records, but it's Cooper who begins the general election with a noteworthy advantage that merits a move to the Lean Democrat column.
* Early polling has shown Cooper -- who left office with an approval rating of +20 -- opening up a consistent lead over the still-unknown Whatley. While the margins vary across polls, the trendline is consistent: a March 31-April 1 Quantus Insights poll showed Cooper up 49%-44%, a March 9-18 Catawba College/YouGov poll put him up 48%-34% and a March 22-23 poll from GOP firm Harper Polling for the conservative Carolina Journal showed Cooper up 49%-41%. According to CNN, Trump's average approval rating in the Tar Heel State is 15 points underwater.
* Privately, we've been told of even more pessimistic trends for Republicans statewide among independent voters, particularly independent women. Many of those voters -- and even some Republicans -- are already used to splitting their ballot for both Trump and Cooper, who won two elections for governor at the same time the president carried the state. Democrats also saw higher turnout in last month's primary than Republicans by a margin of some 200,000 votes -- an early harbinger of where enthusiasm is and which party's ballots independents are pulling.
* Whatley has the burden of introducing himself to voters in his very first race ever as a candidate, and so far he's not deviating from the company-approved jargon. Meanwhile, Cooper brings a well-honed brand. One source we talked to likened the former governor to a well-worn coat, while Whatley is more of a new pair of shoes that require breaking in -- from a brand voters already don't like.
* Georgia: Moves From Toss Up to Lean Democrat
* Georgia is playing host to one of the GOP's most muddled primaries, which isn't helping in their quest to oust Sen. Jon Ossoff as the first-term Democrat continues to stockpile eye-popping amounts of cash. Given those dynamics, Georgia Republicans we've talked to have been souring on their chances in the Peach State. One national GOP strategist described the current scenario as a "disaster" and expressed skepticism they can flip this seat given the current political environment.
* Akin to North Carolina, Georgia is likely to be a narrow contest given the partisan makeup of the state, but there's little doubt that Ossoff currently has the advantage. Ossoff is expected to have another monster fundraising quarter when reports are due later this week, and at the end of the year he had $25 million in the bank; one Republican we talked to estimated that could double by the time the general election kicks into gear in the fall. Senate Leadership Fund reserved $44 million here in the fall.
* Add to that results in last Tuesday's special election to succeed former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green -- where the Democratic candidate lost but nonetheless overperformed Kamala Harris' margin by 25 points, the largest of any congressional special election this cycle -- and it's clear there is a problem with Trump turning out his base here when he isn't on the ballot. Republicans are still smarting from 2021, when GOP voters similarly sat out the runoff races that elected Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock and secured the Senate majority for Democrats.
* Ohio: Moves From Lean Republican to Toss Up
* GOP sources we've talked to are increasingly worried about this race-- and Democrats are increasingly bullish. Former Sen. Sherrod Brown's notched a $12.5 million fundraising haul in the first quarter across his fundraising committees. Add to that a March 3-8 survey from GOP pollster OnMessage Inc. that gave Brown a two-point edge, 47%-45%, over appointed Sen. Jon Husted. A March 13-14 Quantus Insights poll showed Husted with a one-point edge.
* Brown [...] decided to run for Senate again in what was another recruiting coup for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Brown's long record of economic populism may be uniquely suited to this moment when affordability concerns are paramount.
* Additionally, we've talked to several Republicans who worry Husted may face headwinds with Vivek Ramaswamy at the top of the ticket in the governor's race -- which we recently moved from Likely to Lean Republican.
* Husted, who initially eyed a bid for governor instead of accepting an appointment to Washington, has also given Democrats ready-made attack ad material recently when it comes to affordability, saying last month on a conservative podcast, "People living in poverty are just not very, um, experienced at navigating the real world, right?" and that "you literally have to teach people how to budget." He was also a defense witness in the First Energy bribery trial last month, which Democrats believe gives them even more fodder.
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Original text here: https://www.dscc.org/article/icymi-democratic-odds-of-taking-the-senate-increase-as-four-ratings-shift-in-their-favor-cook-political-report/