LEESBURG, Virginia, Jan. 10 -- Loudoun County's Parks, Recreation and Community Services issued the following news: Loudoun County election officials remind voters that absentee voting for the March 3, 2020, Democratic presidential primary election begins Friday, January 17, 2020. The Republican Party is not holding a primary in Virginia, but will select delegates to its national convention at a state convention. Anyone who would like to vote an absentee ballot for the Democratic presidential   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following transcript: Kathleen Hicks: Hi, I'm Kathleen Hicks, Senior Vice President and Director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. And this is Defense 2020, a CSIS podcast examining critical defense issues in the United States' 2020 election cycle. We bring in defense experts from across the political spectrum to survey the debates over the US military   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following transcript: Kathleen Hicks: Hi, I'm Kathleen Hicks, Senior Vice President and Director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and this is Defense 2020, a CSIS podcast examining critical defense issues in the United States' 2020 election cycle. We bring in defense experts from across the political spectrum to survey the debates over the US military   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following transcript: Kathleen Hicks: Hi, I'm Kathleen Hicks, Senior Vice President and Director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and this is Defense 2020, a CSIS podcast examining critical defense issues in the United States' 2020 election cycle. We bring in defense experts from across the political spectrum to survey the debates over the U.S. Militar  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Jan. 9 -- The Florida Democratic Party issued the following news: The Florida Democratic Party announced that political campaign veteran Joy Howell is starting this week as the new communications director for the party. Howell comes to the party after serving as communications director and senior strategist for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). She has a long history in Democratic campaigns including as a communications director for the Gore/Lieberman Presidenti  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, Jan. 8 -- The Wisconsin Republican Party issued the following news: Jan. 7, 2020 marks one year since Gov. Tony Evers took office as Governor of Wisconsin. His first year is marked by a series of broken promises, partisan games and little accomplishment. "Despite promises to the contrary, Gov. Tony Evers came up short on his promises and failed to achieve much of anything during his first year in office," said Mark Jefferson, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Wi  more

TOPEKA, Kansas, Jan. 11 -- The Kansas Democratic Party issued the following news release: Welcome to the KDP Weekly Rundown - the Kansas Democratic Party's update of the biggest things going on in the state party and the state government. What are we focused on this week? The announcement of a bipartisan Medicaid expansion deal, the creation of a new department, and medical marijuana legalization hopes for opioid crisis! KELLY SECURES BIPARTISAN MEDICAID EXPANSION DEAL What's happening? Stan  more

WOBURN, Massachusetts, Jan. 7 -- The Massachusetts Republican Party issued the following news: Massachusetts Republican Party Chairman Jim Lyons said Monday he's not surprised that a scheme involving illegal campaign donations made by a then-hopeful marijuana dispensary owner to a Middleborough Democrat running for state representative resulted in a mere slap on the wrist. "This is Massachusetts, after all, where our own Attorney General Maura Healey is nowhere to be found when it comes to inv  more

LANSING, Michigan, Jan. 7 -- The Michigan Republican Party issued the following statement by Chairman Laura Cox in response to Sen. Gary Peters' decision that he would be blocking President Trump's nomination for U.S. attorney in Michigan's Western District: "It comes as no surprise that Gary Peters has decided to put politics above the best interest of millions of Michiganders. "Tom Leonard is a highly qualified candidate for this position, and his nomination received bipartisan support. "It  more

LANSING, Michigan, Jan. 8 -- The Michigan Republican Party issued the following statement: The following statement is from Michigan Republican Party Chairman Laura Cox regarding today's announcement that combat veteran and Detroit businessman John James outraised incumbent U.S. Senator Gary Peters by $1 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. James was able to raise over $3.5 million dollars while Peters raised a mere $2.5 million despite his vast fundraising network, which has been built over h  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release: Montana GOP Chair: "We Are Going to Have to Work to Keep the Seat" Chair of the Montana Republican Party Don Kaltschmidt sat down with the Flathead Beacon and admitted that the Montana GOP is facing a serious uphill fight in 2020, saying: "The House race is going to be very competitive" AND that the Montana GOP "are going to have to work to keep that seat." Catch that? Local Republican  more

CONCORD, New Hampshire, Jan. 9 -- The New Hampshire Republican Party issued the following statement by Chairman Stephen Stepanek after the House passed the Red Flag bill (H.B. 687-FN): "This is yet another bill that seeks to encroach upon the Second Amendment and Article 2a rights in New Hampshire. "This bill, HB 687-FN, sponsored entirely by Democrats, is a model of so-called "Red Flag" legislation - allowing anyone to utilize the New Hampshire judicial system to limit the rights of anyone el  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Ripon Society issued the following news: The Ripon Society and Franklin Center for Global Policy Exchange hosted a bipartisan breakfast discussion yesterday morning with three Members of Congress who are leading the effort on Capitol Hill to break partisan gridlock and find common ground on some of the key challenges facing the American people. The leaders were: U.S. Reps. Greg Walden, a Republican who represents the 2nd District of Oregon; U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, a Repu  more

PASADENA, California, Jan. 11 -- PBS issued the following news release on Jan. 10: * * * - Summer Programming Slate Features POV "And She Could Be Next," AMERICAN MASTERS "Unladylike2020," FIRING LINE WITH MARGARET HOOVER Special (w.t.), GREAT PERFORMANCES "Ann" and "Gloria: A Life," and More - Programming Lineup Also Includes Two New Miniseries, PREHISTORIC ROAD TRIP and ROYAL HISTORY'S MYTHS AND SECRETS WITH LUCY WORSLEY * * * In the summer of 2020, PBS will launch a slate of multiplatfor  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 8 -- PEN America issued the following news release: * * * - Gift from organization of craigslist founder to help defend truth during 2020 U.S. presidential election * * * PEN America announces a $250,000 gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies for its work to combat disinformation and harassment online over the next 12 months. This significant investment will allow the literary and free expression organization to re-energize its work ahead of the 2020 US presidential election c  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 -- Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-New York, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the Australian wildfires: "I am heartbroken by reports and images of the widespread devastation in Australia caused by the wildfires. The fires have left more than 20 people dead with thousands more displaced, destroyed thousands of homes, ravaged millions of acres of land, and killed an estimated half-billion animals. "I commend the many first responders an  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- Rep. William G. Steube, R-Florida, issued the following statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Jan. 8, entitled "Letter From President Trump": Mr. STEUBE. Madam Speaker, in light of how the House concluded 2019 with the passage of Articles of Impeachment, and the current state of the process, the constituents of Florida's 17th Congressional District and all Americans must be informed about the truth of this process as accurately conveyed in this lett  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * - Murphy Discusses the Strike on Qasem Soleimani and Why We're Less Safe Because of It, and John Bolton's Willingness to Testify in an Upcoming Impeachment Trial * * * U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, on Monday joined Pod Save America to discuss the Trump admi  more

RICHMOND, Virginia, Jan. 11 -- The Virginia Republican Party issued the following news: The Virginia Democrats officially declared that they do not support an individual's right to bear arms. House and Senate Democrats overturned more than a decade of policy and voted to ban all firearms from the Capitol and office buildings in preparation for supporters of the Bill of Rights and U.S. Constitution (read: Second Amendment) to come to Richmond. Please do not let any Democrat elected official lie  more

MONTPELIER, Vermont, Jan. 10 -- The Vermont Democratic Party issued the following statement by spokesperson R. Christopher Di Mezzoon on Jan. 9: In his fourth January address to lawmakers, Governor Phil Scott did what he does best: posture, pretend, and play Governor. Following the Governor's speech, Vermont Democratic Party spokesperson, R. Christopher Di Mezzo, released the following statement: "Scott's three years in office have proven him to be nothing more than a passive obstructionist t  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Jan. 10 -- West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner issued the following news release: West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner and members of the WV Centennial Celebration of the 19th Amendment kicked off a yearlong commemoration of women's suffrage at a special "EqualiTea" reception on Wednesday at the Culture Center in Charleston, prior to the Governor's State of the State Address. West Virginia became the 34th state to ratify the 19th Amendment - which guar  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, Jan. 7 -- The Wisconsin Elections Commission issued the following news: Wisconsin's Presidential Preference Selection Committee selected 14 Democrats and one Republican who will appear as candidates on the ballot for the Presidential Preference Vote on April 7, 2020. The committee, which has convened every four years since 1968, met in the State Capitol and approved the candidates from lists submitted by representatives of the two political parties permitted by statute to   more