Category: fox-news/politics/elections

Dick Durbin, No. 2 Senate Democrat, won’t seek re-election

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Sen. Dick Durbin, D- Ill., the Senate Democratic whip and the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, has announced he will not seek re-election in 2026. 

Durbin, 80, who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, made the announcement in a video message on X Wednesday.

"The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy," Durbin said. 

"I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term."

PATEL CAMP DECRIES DURBIN ACCUSATIONS AS ‘POLITICALLY MOTIVATED’ ATTEMPT TO DERAIL FBI CONFIRMATION

Durbin was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 and served seven terms before succeeding his mentor, Paul Simon, in the Senate in 1996.

His retirement is expected to set off a flurry of activity among a scrum of would-be successors, both Democratic and Republican. 

Durbin represents Illinois, a solidly Democratic state, and Democrats are very confident that they’ll hold the seat in next year’s midterm elections with the GOP only capturing one Illinois Senate seat in the last 40 years. 

But President Donald Trump did make gains in Illinois in last year’s election, losing the state by 11 points, an improvement from his 17-point defeat in the 2020 election. Democrats will face an uphill battle to try to reclaim the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) communications director Johanna Rodriguez said that Democrats like Durbin are leaving office because of losing policies.

"Senate Democrats continue to jump ship as their party’s brand tanks because they prioritize criminal illegal aliens over the Americans who elected them," Rodriguez said.

Among the Democrats considering a 2026 run to succeed Durbin in the Senate are Reps. Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lauren Underwood, as well as Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and state Sen. Robert Peters.

Durbin's career to date was hailed by former President Barack Obama, who he said played a pivotal role in his own career and is "one of the finest" senators in the country.

"Dick Durbin has always fought the good fight on behalf of working families and his integrity shines through in everything he does," Obama wrote. "It’s also true that I would not have been a United States Senator – and certainly would not have been President – had it not been for Dick’s support. He has been a great and loyal friend, and Michelle and I wish him and Loretta all the best in their next chapter."

Durbin led the drive to ban smoking on airplanes as a junior member of Congress, which helped to usher in the smoke-free movement with legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

DURBIN FACES BACKLASH FOR REMARK ON TRANS INCLUSION IN WOMEN'S SPORTS

He played a key role in helping to pass the First Step Act in 2018. The bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation was signed by President Trump and reduced mandatory minimums for certain nonviolent drug offenses, created early release incentives and improved prison conditions. 

Durbin is a longtime advocate for immigration reform and co-authored the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Although the act did not pass, Durbin's advocacy contributed to the establishment of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides those immigrants with temporary protection from deportation and work authorization.

He also advocates for stricter gun laws and supported the Affordable Care Act, also referred to as Obamacare. Durbin voted to convict Trump in impeachment trials held by the Senate in 2020 and 2021, although Trump was acquitted in both.

Meanwhile, Durbin's fellow Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth shared Obama's sentiments. 

"Dick Durbin is, and will always be, a giant of the United States Senate. He has dedicated his life to making our state—as well as our nation—stronger, and we are all better for it," Duckworth said. 

Duckworth also recalled meeting Durbin for the first time weeks after she lost both legs when her Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2004, noting his empathy and mentorship during her recovery.

"When Dick looked at me, he saw past the wounds, saw past the wheelchair," Duckworth said. "He saw a soldier in search of her next mission. And he recognized well before I did that just because I would no longer be flying Black Hawks for the Army didn’t mean that I couldn’t find a new way to serve my nation."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Texas AG Ken Paxton announces run for US Senate

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Fox News' The Ingraham Angle Tuesday night that he will run for the U.S. Senate. 

The announcement comes as Paxton no longer faces the cloud of a federal corruption investigation that loomed over him as he rose up the ranks in the Republican Party. 

The announcement by Paxton, a close ally of President Donald Trump and a MAGA firebrand, comes two weeks after Republican Sen. John Cornyn officially launched his re-election campaign as he bids for a fifth six-year term serving Texas in the Senate.

EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR DETAILS SURFACE IN HISTORIC IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON

"It's time for a change in Texas," Paxton told Fox News' Laura Ingraham, before acknowledging Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas' other Republican senator. "It's time that we have another great senator that will actually stand up and fight for Republican values, fight for the values of the people of Texas and also support Donald Trump in the areas that he's focused on in a very significant way."

On Sunday, Cornyn said he was looking forward to "the competition" amid rumors of Paxton's candidacy. 

Paxton, who has been Texas' top prosecutor since 2015, criticized his GOP rival, pointing to Cornyn's position on a border wall and opposing Trump during the 2016 election. 

"Ken Paxton is a fraud," Cornyn's campaign wrote on X after Paxton's announcement. "He talks tough on crime and then lets crooked progressive Lina Hidalgo off the hook. He says his impeachment trial was a sham but he didn’t contest the facts in legal filings which will cost the state millions."

"He says he’s anti-woke but he funnels millions of taxpayer dollars to lawyers who celebrate DEI," the post continued. "And Ken claims to be a man of faith but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family."

Cornyn also previously came under criticism from conservatives after he helped push a bipartisan gun control bill after the 2022 mass shooting at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school that killed 19 students and two teachers. 

TEXAS AG PAXTON ACQUITTED ON ALL IMPEACHMENT CHARGES: 'THE TRUTH PREVAILED'

Cornyn's campaign noted that the incumbent senator has voted with Trump more than 95% of current senators. Trump and Texas need a "battle-tested conservative" who knows how to protect his agenda in the Senate and won't be outsmarted by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, the campaign said. 

"It sets the table for the most expensive primary in Texas. It will be a brutal battle," veteran Republican strategist Dave Carney told Fox News. Carney, the longtime top political adviser to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, noted that the announcement by Paxton also "opens up the attorney general’s race. There will probably be a very competitive primary for that and we’re going to have a lot of musical chairs down ballot."

Matt Mackowiak, a veteran Republican strategist and communications consultant based in Texas and Washington, D.C., said "this is going to be the most expensive, nastiest, most aggressive, most personal U.S. Senate primary in Texas history."

"You have two candidates who are going to raise significant funds, who are in significant positions, who do not like each and have not liked each other, whose teams do not like each other and the stakes could not be higher," he emphasized.

The announcement from Paxton puts the gears in motion for what may be an extremely expensive and bruising GOP primary battle, pitting the remaining establishment and business factions of the Republican Party versus the ascendant MAGA wing.

WILL DEMOCRATS ONCE AGAIN CHASE THE ‘GHOST OF A BLUE TEXAS’ IN NEXT YEAR'S SENATE RACE?

Paxton's announcement was not a huge surprise, as he has long claimed Cornyn does not represent the conservative values of Texans and has accused the senator of not being an ally of Trump.

He has also regularly labeled Cornyn a "RINO," a "Republican in name only" and an insult MAGA and "America First" Republicans have regularly used to criticize more mainstream or establishment members of the GOP.

And Paxton, for a couple of years, has flirted with a primary challenge against the 73-year-old Cornyn, a former state senator, former Texas Supreme Court justice, and former state attorney general, who first won election to the U.S. Senate in 2002.

FACING POSSIBLE PRIMARY CHALLNGE FROM A TRUMP ALLY, LONGTIME TEXAS SENATOR ANNOUNCES RE-ELECTION

"I can’t think of a single thing he’s accomplished for our state or even for the country," Paxton said in a September 2023 interview on the Fox News Channel. "Somebody needs to step up and run against this guy," adding, "everything’s on the table for me."

Fast-forward to earlier this year, and Paxton, at a county GOP meeting in Texas, told supporters that one of the things "we need to do, and I might play a role in this, is replace John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate."

And in a Fox News Digital interview in January, Paxton acknowledged that he was "looking potentially at the U.S. Senate."

Cornyn, during the early stages of the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race, had said he would prefer that the GOP take a new direction, which angered Trump. But the senator endorsed Trump in late January of last year, after the then-former president won both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, the first two contests in the Republican presidential nomination calendar.

Since Trump returned to the White House three months ago, Cornyn has been supportive of the president's Cabinet nominees and agenda.

ONLY ON FOX NEWS: SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE'S AIMING FOR IN 2026

And in the senator's campaign launch video last month, the announcer highlighted that during Trump's first term in office, "Texas Sen. John Cornyn had his back."

As he gears up for what will most certainly be his roughest re-election of his decades-long career, Cornyn has the backing of the top Republican in the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

And Republican sources confirm to Fox News that Thune, as well as National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Tim Scott, have personally asked Trump to back Cornyn.

The president's grip on the GOP is stronger than ever and any endorsement Trump may make in the emerging Republican Senate primary in Texas would be extremely influential.

Making Cornyn's path to renomination even more difficult is a possible Senate bid by Rep. Wesley Hunt, who represents a Houston area district.

The third-term 43-year-old Texas Republican and rising MAGA star has made his case to the president's political team, sources confirm to Fox News. Hunt's argument is that he's the only person who can win both a GOP primary and a general election, a source familiar with the discussions confirmed to Fox News.

An outside group supportive of Hunt is currently spending seven figures to run ads across the Lone Star State to increase the lawmaker's name ID.

CORNYN'S RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN SPARKS QUESTIONS ON BOTH PARTY FLANKS AS DEMS CHASE 'THE GHOST OF A BLUE TEXAS'

Some Republican operatives and strategists worry that a primary battle in Texas could cost up to $100 million, potentially diverting much-needed resources from other races.

While Paxton is very popular with the conservative base of the party, it's not clear at this point what Trump will do regarding the race. And political strategists note that toppling Cornyn in a GOP primary will likely be a very expensive proposition, and it's not clear if Paxton can raise the money needed for victory.

"This says two things. One, Paxton sees an opportunity. And two, him getting in this early shows he needs the maximum time possible to try to raise money," Mackowiak said,  He added that Paxton "has received some negative feedback on fundraising."

Paxton grabbed national attention in 2020 for filing the unsuccessful Texas vs. Pennsylvania case in the Supreme Court that tried to overturn former President Joe Biden’s razor-thin win over Trump in the Keystone State, and for speaking at the Trump rally near the White House that immediately preceded the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by right-wing extremists aiming to disrupt congressional certification of Biden’s Electoral College victory.

During Biden's four years in the White House, Paxton took the administration to court numerous times.

While Paxton, who's in his third four-year term as Texas attorney general, has long been a legal warrior in the MAGA movement, he also has plenty of personal political baggage.

Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges soon after taking office in 2015, and more recently came under investigation by the FBI over bribery and corruption allegations from former top staffers. And in 2022, he survived a bruising primary amid his many legal difficulties.

In 2023, Paxton was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives, but he was later acquitted of all charges by the state Senate. 

The charges in the long-running federal corruption probe were dropped during the final weeks of the Biden administration. 

The attorney general also faced an investigation by the Texas State Bar for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

While Paxton for years has denied any wrongdoing and has survived his legal fights, he would likely continue to face tough optics and plenty of incoming fire over his past predicaments during a Senate showdown.

The eventual winner of next year's GOP primary will be considered the favorite in the general election against whomever the Democrats nominate.

Former Rep. Colin Allred has said he'll decide by this summer if he'll mount a 2026 Senate campaign.

Allred, a former Baylor University football player and NFL linebacker who later represented Texas' 32nd Congressional District (which includes parts of Dallas and surrounding suburbs), was last year's Democratic challenger in the race against Cruz.

Who are the most vulnerable Senate Republicans in 2026?

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There are 35 U.S. Senate seats up for election in 2026, with at least four battleground states expected to decide the balance of power – and whether Republicans maintain control of all three branches of government during the second half of President Donald Trump's term. 

In 2025, Republicans control the Senate 53-47, including two independent senators who caucus with the Democrats. Republican Sens. Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Jon Husted, John Cornyn and Bill Cassidy could all face fierce fights to maintain their U.S. Senate seats next year. 

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) announced in January that Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., will chair the DSCC with Sens. Mark Kelly, Adam Schiff and Lisa Blunt Rochester as vice chairs during the 2026 election cycle. The DSCC has not yet announced their target races for next year. 

"Democrats have a Senate map that is ripe with offensive opportunities, particularly when coupled with the building midterm backlash against Republicans. Republicans have more seats to defend, and they’re doing it in a hostile political environment," DSCC Spokesman David Bergstein said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

GOP GEARS UP TO CHALLENGE GEORGIA'S DEM SENATOR IN STATE TRUMP WON BY 2%

As the party in power tends to struggle more during the midterm elections, Democrats are already identifying "offensive opportunities" to regain Republican Senate seats. 

"I am confident that we will protect our Democratic seats, mount strong challenges in our battleground races, and look to expand our efforts into some unexpected states. Over the course of my career, I’ve won in red and purple places, and I look forward to helping the next generation of Senate candidates do the same," Gillibrand said when she was named DSCC chair. 

'WE ARE BULLISH': HOUSE GOP TAKES AIM AT THESE 26 DEM SEATS IN MIDTERMS

Sen. Thom Tillis was censured by the North Carolina Republican Party in 2023 for reportedly veering from Republican ideology on gun control policies, LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights. 

Tillis is considered a moderate Republican for his commitment to Ukraine funding, support for gun control legislation that expanded background checks and implemented red flag laws, voting to codify same-sex marriage and supporting legal pathways for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. 

The bipartisan senator was first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2020. He went against his more conservative colleagues by voting to certify former President Joe Biden's victory over Trump in 2020. 

Tillis has fallen in line with Republicans in 2025 by voting to confirm Trump's cabinet nominees, even as some expressed concern over his more controversial picks. However, that does not mean Tillis has been able to escape the ire of Trump's orbit. 

"Thom Tillis is running 20 points behind DJT in North Carolina. We’re going to need a new senate candidate in NC unless we want to hand the gavel back to Schumer," a political advisor to Donald Trump Jr., Arthur Schwartz, said on X earlier this month. 

The Cook Political Report, a top nonpartisan political handicapper, rated Tillis' 2026 re-election bid as "lean Republican." 

Maine has long been a political outlier as one of only two states to split its electoral votes for the presidential election. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won Maine in 2024, but Trump still secured one electoral vote for winning Congressional District 2. 

Republican Sen. Susan Collins is considered another moderate Republican – which could serve her once again in the politically split state. 

Collins voted against the Senate confirmations of Trump's nominees for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel. She has not shied away from criticizing Trump either, slamming his Jan. 6 pardons and proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health grants. 

Collins has been a U.S. senator since 1996, surviving many primary and general election challenges from both sides of the political aisle. She became the first Republican woman to win a fifth term in the Senate in 2020. 

She is already facing two 2026 challengers – Democrat Natasha Alcala and Independent Phillip Rench. Maine's Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who sparred with Trump over transgender athletes playing in women's sports, has not ruled out a run for Collins' Senate seat. 

 The Cook Political Report also rated Collins' race "lean Republican."

Ohio's Republican Sen. Jon Husted finds himself in a unique position heading into the 2026 midterms. He was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine on Jan. 17, 2025 to fill the vacancy left by Vice President JD Vance. 

Husted is Ohio's former lieutenant governor. He also served as Ohio's secretary of state and as a state legislator. 

Because Husted was not elected U.S. senator, he will need to campaign in 2026 for the special election. If he wins, Husted will retain his seat and complete the remainder of Vance's term – through 2029. 

Rumors swirled that DeWine could choose Trump-ally Vivek Ramaswamy to replace Vance this year, but the moderate Republican governor ultimately chose his politically similar ally. Meanwhile, Ramaswamy has launched his own bid for Ohio governor. 

The race is rated "likely Republican" by The Cook Political Report.

Sen. John Cornyn has been the senator for Texas since 2002. While Cornyn is solidly conservative and has supported Trump, he has expressed private disagreement with the president on issues such as budget deficits and border security.

Cornyn is already gearing up for tough potential primary challenges from Trump-ally Rep. Wesley Hunt and conservative Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. 

Both Hunt and Paxton have not formally announced campaigns to primary the long-time Texas senator, but both candidates would set up a competitive race for Cornyn to keep his seat. 

The race is ranked "solid Republican" by The Cook Political Report with some GOP infighting expected if Hunt or Paxton announce Senate campaigns. 

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy is also expected to face a tough primary challenge in 2026. John Fleming, the Louisiana state treasurer and former representative, has declared a Senate bid.

Rep. Clay Higgins, who was also expected to challenge Cassidy, announced on Thursday that he will not pursue a Senate campaign in 2026. 

Cassidy voted to convict Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial, alienating him from the Trump-loyalists of the party. 

The former physician raised concerns over Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during his confirmation hearing. While he ultimately voted to confirm Kennedy, Cassidy questioned Kennedy's vaccine skepticism as it conflicted with his own medical background.  

Cassidy has served in the Senate since 2015, after starting his political career in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Louisiana State Senate. 

While Republicans work to maintain incumbent Senate seats, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has identified four battleground states in 2026 as opportunities to pick up seats and widen their slim majority in the U.S. Senate. 

"Every battleground state — Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire and Minnesota – is in play, and we play to win," NRSC regional press secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement to Fox News Digital last week. 

‘I’m the future’: House Dem Green’s GOP challenger dishes on campaign after outburst during Trump speech

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EXCLUSIVE: Deddrick Wilmer, who is running to unseat longtime Democratic Congressman Al Green in Texas, spoke to Fox News Digital about why he decided to enter the race and what his priorities will be if elected. 

Wilmer, running as a "compassionate conservative" Republican against Green in Texas’ 9th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital that "the difference between myself and the incumbent is that I'm out to provide solutions and bringing people together versus, you know, the outburst on the floor."

Green dominated the headlines after being removed from President Trump’s speech to Congress earlier this month, and Wilmer told Fox News Digital he "wouldn’t have reacted that way" but that he is focused on what his constituents want in terms of policies. 

"They want the future," Wilmer said. "My incumbent has served this community well for over the years, but it's time for the future. You know and again, I stress this, it's all about coming up with policies and opportunities for jobs, lowering the cost of food and services, building relationships across the aisle. This is about the 9th District. This is not about my incumbent. This is about the 9th district. Sometimes, when we focus on national issues, sometimes we neglect, you know, our constituents and our citizens in our home district. Charity begins at home."

REP. AL GREEN BLAMES 'INVIDIOUS DISCRIMINATION' FOR BEING CENSURED AFTER DISRUPTING TRUMP'S SPEECH

Wilmer told Fox News Digital that he plans to campaign on "kitchen table issues," including lowering healthcare premiums, implementing more flood protections in Houston, lowering the cost of living and bringing businesses to his district. 

Green, who has served in Congress since 2005, has cruised to victory in all of his re-election campaigns, including a 50-point win the last time he went head-to-head with a Republican in 2022. 

Wilmer told Fox News Digital that Green has served the district "well" but that when he talks to residents in the district he sees a desire for change. 

HOUSE DEM PUSHES TO CENSURE BOEBERT OVER TV INTERVIEW ABOUT AL GREEN

"I'm the future, he's the past," Wilmer said. 

"At the core of it all, we must ask ourselves what is our true calling?" Wilmer told Fox News Digital. "What is the meaning and purpose of life? Our founding Fathers built this great nation on the principle that we must go beyond simply helping ourselves. We must also support those who cannot care for themselves. That means prioritizing our sick and elderly, standing by our military and veterans, ensuring that every man, woman and child is protected by the laws and leadership that guide our country forward."

"America has always been an experiment, a nation striving for perfection. Excellence. Has she always been perfect? No. Far from it. But like a determined spirit, she constantly strives to be better. To set an example for the world. That is why I love this country. That's why I call her my America. Because she is mine. Always has been. Always will be. Together we will move Texas forward. Together we will move America forward."

Fox News Digital reached out to Green's office for comment.

Green, who has filed multiple articles of impeachment against President Trump, was censured by Congress for his outburst during Trump's speech. 

"I think that on some questions, questions of conscience, you have to be willing to suffer the consequences," Green said about his outburst, which he says was focused on potential cuts to Medicaid. "And I have said I will. I will suffer whatever the consequences are, because I don't believe that in the richest country in the world, people should be without good healthcare."

High-profile Dem jumps into crowded California governor’s race amid past office controversies

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Democratic former Rep. Katie Porter announced her bid for governor of California on Tuesday via an Instagram video saying the Golden State needs "a little bit of hope and a whole lot of grit, fresh blood and new ideas [and] leaders with the backbone to fight for what’s right."

Porter, 51, served three terms in Congress – winning her Orange County seat by upsetting GOP Rep. Mimi Walters in 2018. She ran unsuccessfully for the Senate seat now held by Sen. Adam Schiff, D–Calif., and her district is now represented by Dave Min, a Democrat. 

The former congresswoman was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and grew up on a farm before moving to the Pacific coast.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited, though all eyes in California are on whether former Vice President Kamala Harris also jumps into the race.

PORTER DENIES FIRING STAFFER FOR CATCHING COVID-19 AS TEXT MESSAGES SURFACE AND GO VIRAL

Porter told the Los Angeles Times that a Harris bid could clear the left flank of those assembled thus far.

"If Vice President Harris were to choose to run, I am certain that that would have a near field-clearing effect on the Democratic side," Porter said.

Harris is said to be seriously considering a run in Sacramento after losing the 2024 presidential election. A source close to Harris previously told Fox News Digital the ex-veep has told allies she will decide by the end of summer on whether to launch a gubernatorial campaign.

The Times also described Porter as a prolific fundraiser, while the former lawmaker’s gregarious nature was projected to make inroads among Californians upset at President Donald Trump’s election.

In her announcement, Porter referenced Trump and alleged he would seek to enrich himself and his circle while in the White House.

California has a unique "jungle primary" system where the two top vote-getters, regardless of party, will face off in the general. Sometimes that results in two Democrats competing in November. In Schiff’s case, former MLB star Steve Garvey gained enough Republican support to challenge the Burbank Democrat – only to strike out in the end.

Porter’s entry also brings with it her colorful history in the House of Representatives. 

Sasha Georgiades, a Wounded Warrior fellow who had worked in Porter’s office, alleged she had made rude and racist comments to staff and "ridiculed people for reporting sexual harassment."

KATIE PORTER USED ‘RACIST LANGUAGE’, RIDICULED PEOPLE FOR REPORTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT, EX-STAFFER CLAIMS

Georgiades also said Porter ridiculed people after they had reported sexual harassment in her office as well as "made fun of individuals whose parents passed away from COVID."

"Basically told the individual to grow up," Georgiades said regarding the case of a staffer who had reported sexual harassment in Porter’s office.

Reports also surfaced in late 2022 that Porter "made multiple staffers cry" and that one staffer was allegedly fired after she and the lawmaker caught COVID-19. 

"Sasha – I cannot allow you back in the office, given your failure to follow office policies," Porter wrote the next day on July 9, in texts shared on a "Dear White Staffers" X page and previously reported by Fox News Digital. 

"Cody will be in touch about having your personal effects shipped or delivered to your home, and will lay out your remote work schedule and responsibilities for your last few weeks."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Porter reportedly denied the allegations at the time.

Porter also wore a "Batgirl" costume to the House of Representatives while lawmakers were voting on Trump’s first impeachment on Oct. 31, 2019 – Halloween.

Other top names include Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the Democratic side and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco as the first major Republican –  amid a dozen or so candidates total.

When reached for comment, the Porter campaign directed Fox News Digital to its previous statements on the matter.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

High-profile Dem jumps into crowded California governor’s race amid past office controversies

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Democratic former Rep. Katie Porter announced her bid for governor of California on Tuesday via an Instagram video saying the Golden State needs "a little bit of hope and a whole lot of grit, fresh blood and new ideas [and] leaders with the backbone to fight for what’s right."

Porter, 51, served three terms in Congress – winning her Orange County seat by upsetting GOP Rep. Mimi Walters in 2018. She ran unsuccessfully for the Senate seat now held by Sen. Adam Schiff, D–Calif., and her district is now represented by Dave Min, a Democrat. 

The former congresswoman was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and grew up on a farm before moving to the Pacific coast.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited, though all eyes in California are on whether former Vice President Kamala Harris also jumps into the race.

PORTER DENIES FIRING STAFFER FOR CATCHING COVID-19 AS TEXT MESSAGES SURFACE AND GO VIRAL

Porter told the Los Angeles Times that a Harris bid could clear the left flank of those assembled thus far.

"If Vice President Harris were to choose to run, I am certain that that would have a near field-clearing effect on the Democratic side," Porter said.

Harris is said to be seriously considering a run in Sacramento after losing the 2024 presidential election. A source close to Harris previously told Fox News Digital the ex-veep has told allies she will decide by the end of summer on whether to launch a gubernatorial campaign.

The Times also described Porter as a prolific fundraiser, while the former lawmaker’s gregarious nature was projected to make inroads among Californians upset at President Donald Trump’s election.

In her announcement, Porter referenced Trump and alleged he would seek to enrich himself and his circle while in the White House.

California has a unique "jungle primary" system where the two top vote-getters, regardless of party, will face off in the general. Sometimes that results in two Democrats competing in November. In Schiff’s case, former MLB star Steve Garvey gained enough Republican support to challenge the Burbank Democrat – only to strike out in the end.

Porter’s entry also brings with it her colorful history in the House of Representatives. 

Sasha Georgiades, a Wounded Warrior fellow who had worked in Porter’s office, alleged she had made rude and racist comments to staff and "ridiculed people for reporting sexual harassment."

KATIE PORTER USED ‘RACIST LANGUAGE’, RIDICULED PEOPLE FOR REPORTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT, EX-STAFFER CLAIMS

Georgiades also said Porter ridiculed people after they had reported sexual harassment in her office as well as "made fun of individuals whose parents passed away from COVID."

"Basically told the individual to grow up," Georgiades said regarding the case of a staffer who had reported sexual harassment in Porter’s office.

Reports also surfaced in late 2022 that Porter "made multiple staffers cry" and that one staffer was allegedly fired after she and the lawmaker caught COVID-19. 

"Sasha – I cannot allow you back in the office, given your failure to follow office policies," Porter wrote the next day on July 9, in texts shared on a "Dear White Staffers" X page and previously reported by Fox News Digital. 

"Cody will be in touch about having your personal effects shipped or delivered to your home, and will lay out your remote work schedule and responsibilities for your last few weeks."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Porter reportedly denied the allegations at the time.

Porter also wore a "Batgirl" costume to the House of Representatives while lawmakers were voting on Trump’s first impeachment on Oct. 31, 2019 – Halloween.

Other top names include Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the Democratic side and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco as the first major Republican –  amid a dozen or so candidates total.

When reached for comment, the Porter campaign directed Fox News Digital to its previous statements on the matter.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Gingrich warns Freedom Caucus to study his era as conservatives issue demand letter following Johnson vote

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Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, who led Republicans to their first House majority in four decades in 1994, said Saturday the House Freedom Caucus should recall how his own caucus led conservatives to power within the party.

Gingrich tweeted that he and other conservatives had developed "positive action principles" in 1983 as part of what they called the Conservative Opportunity Society.

"[Those] led 11 years later to the Contract with America and the first GOP House Majority in 40 years."

"If the Freedom Caucus would study them, they could be dramatically more effective," Gingrich said, going on to cite and agree with a sentiment from political reporter Mark Halperin’s "Wide World of News" newsletter.

"[T]he Freedom Caucus is a bunch of rebels with a series of causes but no coherent path to achieving said causes," Halperin wrote.

In the 1980s, although Ronald Reagan was in the White House, Boston Democratic Speaker Tip O’Neill wielded strong control of the House. O’Neill and Reagan had a notably friendly but ideologically disparate relationship.

Coinciding with the early days of C-SPAN televising live floor proceedings, Gingrich would often take to the well of the House in the late-night hours and address conservatives’ issues to a mostly empty chamber but with a captive audience on the new TV format.

GINGRICH BLASTS HARRIS' ‘RAMBLING’ SPEECHES

Gingrich biographer Craig Shirley told Fox News Digital on Saturday that the Freedom Caucus should study the work of their comparative predecessor, the Conservative Opportunity Society, as well as the path Gingrich led from a low-profile congressman to speaker.

"I guess the word brilliant is thrown around so, so cavalierly. So let me just say, it was extremely smart politics to make the case for conservative governance," Shirley said of Gingrich’s work in the 1980s and 1990s.

"Reagan had already blazed that path eight years before Gingrich did."

While critics say the GOP has shifted hard to the right on some issues and softened on others, Shirley said it’s essentially the same as it was during Gingrich’s rise.

"Less government, more freedom, less taxes, strong national defense, pro-life."

Former Rep. Vin Weber, R-Minn., another top member of Gingrich’s conservative group, said in a PBS interview that there have not been too many groups like the Conservative Opportunity Society (or the Freedom Caucus, which hadn’t been formed at the time of the interview) and that there was the same issue with apprehension over angering their party leaders.

Weber said there had been a few small intra-caucus conservative groups prior to the Reagan era, including one in the 1960s led by then-Rep. Donald Rumsfeld, R-Ill. – who would go on to serve as Pentagon chief two times.

On the last day of the 1982 session, Gingrich approached Weber and asked, "What are you doing next year and for the next 10 years after that?." 

"I thought that was interesting and I said, ‘I expect to be back here, but nothing special other than that,’" Weber recalled. 

"What he was saying was that he, as one person, was not being effective…. He identified me in the [GOP] conference as somebody [who] had been supportive of his point of view and maybe had some ability to organize things," Weber said.

MIKE JOHNSON RE-ELECTED HOUSE SPEAKER

Shirley said the current Freedom Caucus has the rare opportunity to achieve their goals if they play their cards right, with full Republican control of Washington.

"They don't have a ‘contract,’ but they have the next best thing there. They have a core set of issues and an ideology that they can easily follow," he said, adding that "no one should ever doubt" Speaker Mike Johnson’s commitment to "Reaganite" principles.

In additional comments to Fox News’ "Hannity," Gingrich said the one-round vote Friday was a "great victory" for Johnson, R-La.

"[He’s] just a decent, hardworking, intelligent human being.… I could not have been the kind of speaker he is. I don't have the patience. I don't have that ability to just keep moving forward. It's really very extraordinary."

Meanwhile, Freedom Caucus member Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News the group met with Johnson earlier and that he "just didn't come away with the feeling that the ‘umph’ or the willingness to fight for Trump's agenda was there."

"And I use as a backdrop what’s happened the last 14 months, we had 1500-page omni-bills that you couldn’t read – where you had no spending cuts to offset $100 billion in new spending."

"And I know we had a slim majority, but that's over with now. What we wanted to impress with [Johnson] yesterday was, are you going to fight for these things that we've been asking for, like a balanced budget? Like offsets? Like getting behind all of the Trump agenda?"

Norman, along with Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, initially did not vote for Johnson, which would have set up a second round of speaker votes.

But, Norman told "The Story" that that action was the "only way to let my voice be heard."

He said Johnson "gave his word" to fight for the things he mentioned to Fox News, and that agreement, plus a message from Trump that Johnson was the only speaker candidate with support in the caucus, guided his decision to ultimately support the Louisianan.

In a "Dear Colleague" letter released Friday, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., and his members expressed several policy points that Johnson should commit to in order to "reverse the damage of the Biden-Harris administration," as well as achieve long-standing conservative goals.

The letter indicated they had voted for Johnson because of their "steadfast support" of Trump and ensuring the Jan. 6 elector certification can run smoothly.

"We did this despite our sincere reservations regarding the Speaker’s track record over the past 15 months."

The caucus called for Johnson to modify the House calendar so its schedule is as busy as the Senate’s, ensure reconciliation legislation reduces spending and deficits in "real terms," and halt violations of the "72-hour-rule" for debate on amendments to bills.

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They also demanded Johnson not rely on Democrats to pass legislation that a majority of his own caucus won’t support.

In comments on "The Story," Norman said he believes Johnson now understands – through the initial silence of several Republicans during the first roll call and his and Self’s initial non-Johnson-vote – that he will have to work to consider the conservative bloc’s demands.

Pro-Trump impeachment Republican Sen Bill Cassidy targeted for ouster Freedom Caucus founding member

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming announced a bid to unseat Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican who voted to convict following the House impeachment vote against former President Donald Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

Fleming, a former U.S. congressman, was one of the founders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, according to a press release about his Senate bid.

"Senator Cassidy has failed the people of Louisiana," Fleming said, according to the press release. 

"I will fight to bring real, conservative solutions to the U.S. Senate, I will not cut-and-run on these conservative principles, and I will stand and work with President Trump like I have many times before," he declared.

Fox News Digital attempted to request comment from the senator.

LOUISIANA LAWMAKERS WEIGHING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT WOULD SEND MORE JUVENILE OFFENDERS TO ADULT JAILS

Fleming held posts in Trump's prior administration.

"I cannot fully express the deep sense of pride I have, having served President Trump in the West Wing of the White House as he was literally fighting for his political life against those who were attacking him and turning their backs on him," Fleming noted, "but the opportunity to stand with him for the principles of America First is why I seek to serve the citizens of Louisiana in the United States Senate."

Trump endorsed Cassidy for re-election in 2020, before the lawmaker became one of the Senate Republicans who voted to convict after the House impeachment vote against Trump in early 2021.

That Senate vote took place after Trump had already departed from office, and the number of senators who voted to convict failed to reach the threshold necessary for a conviction.

CASSIDY INTRODUCES BILL TO STOP FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS FROM GOING TO HEALTHCARE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Trump lambasted Sen. Cassidy in posts on Truth Social earlier this year.

"One of the worst Senators in the United States Senate is, without question, Bill Cassidy, A TOTAL FLAKE, Republican though he may be," Trump declared on April 1.

"Bill Cassidy is now shunned in his own State as a disloyal lightweight, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch," Trump declared in another post.

FEDERAL COURTS ARE DECLARING WAR ON AMERICAN OIL WORKERS: SEN. BILL CASSIDY

Cassidy's current U.S. Senate term ends in early 2027.

Fleming previously ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2016.

Trump picks former intel director John Ratcliffe to head the CIA

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John Ratcliffe, who served as President-elect Trump's principal intelligence advisor during his first presidential term, has been picked to serve as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency during Trump's second term.

Ratcliffe is one of several appointees announced in the past week who will fill key positions during Trump's second term. 

"From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI’s abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public," Trump said in a statement. "When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People."

Trump honored Ratcliffe in 2020 with the National Security Medal, the highest honor for distinguished achievement in the field of intelligence and national security.

TRUMP'S PICKS SO FAR: HERE'S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

"I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions," said Trump. "He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH."

Ratcliffe previously served as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), where he oversaw 17 intelligence agencies, in the final months of Trump's first term. 

In that role, Ratcliffe served as the leader of the U.S. intelligence community and principal intelligence advisor to Trump. Before that, he served in Congress for over five years as the Republican U.S. representative for the 4th Congressional District of Texas, where he was a leading policymaker on national security issues and served on the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees and as Cybersecurity chairman on the Homeland Security Committee, according to his biography.

Ratcliffe's profile increased in 2019 as he became an ardent defender of Trump during the House's first impeachment proceedings against him. He was a member of Trump’s impeachment advisory team and strenuously questioned witnesses during the impeachment hearings.

After the Democratic-controlled House voted to impeach Trump, Ratcliffe said: "This is the thinnest, fastest and weakest impeachment our country has ever seen." 

He was also criticized after declassifying Russian intelligence alleging damaging information about Democrats during the 2016 presidential race, despite acknowledging that it might not be true. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

GOP congressman-elect reveals ambitious 100-day plan for Trump admin: ‘Not going to get fooled again’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: In his first interview since being elected to the House of Representatives, Arizona Republican Abe Hamadeh spoke to Fox News Digital about what the first 100 days in a Republican-controlled Congress and White House will look like.

"Speaker Mike Johnson and the entire Republican leadership team has actually been ahead of its time. They were preparing for this moment, so I know they're going to hit the ground running with something very historic in the first hundred days," Hamadeh, elected to represent Arizona’s 8th Congressional district in the House on Tuesday, told Fox News Digital. 

"That includes beefing up border security and making it permanent. I know election integrity is the top of my list as well, because without secure elections, we can't have a republic, and so I know that's going to be top priorities, election integrity, border security, as well as making sure we increase our energy independence, because that's going to help reduce inflation rather quickly once we start growing the economy."

Hamadeh told Fox News Digital he believes that the Republican House majority, if Republicans indeed hold onto control of the chamber, as many expect they will, is "much better prepared" to move through Trump’s agenda than it was in 2017.

TRUMP FLIPS BORDER COUNTY THAT HASN'T VOTED FOR REPUBLICAN IN OVER 100 YEARS WITH MASSIVE 76-POINT SWING

Hamadeh added that he expects Democrats, who labeled Trump a "fascist" on the presidential campaign trail, aren’t being honest when they say they will work with Trump and do what they can to help his transition.

"They said the same thing in 2016, 2017, after President Trump won and what did they do?" Hamadeh said. "They opened up multiple impeachment inquiries. They tried to derail his presidency with distractions. They had the media, the corporate media, so many of them like the left wing MSNBC and CNN, drive home so many false narratives. So that's what they're going to do."

"Fool me once, shame on you, Fool me twice, shame on me. And we're not going to get fooled again."

TRUMP NAMES SUSIE WILES AS FIRST FEMALE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF IN HISTORY

Regardless of what actions Democrats take, Hamadeh told Fox News Digital it is clear that Republicans "absolutely" have a mandate from the American people after Trump’s popular vote victory to go along with an Electoral College landslide.

"He does have a mandate from the American people," Hamadeh said. "The last time the Republican won the popular vote and Electoral College was 2004 with an incumbent president, President George W Bush. You know, the last time it was a non-incumbent, I believe, was 1988 under George H.W. Bush. And he was still at least the VP at the time. So this was a historic mandate. And President Trump, I'm going to support him all the way in Congress and make sure that we're going to change our country around very quickly."

Hamadeh added that the Republicans "also have to go in there knowing that President Trump has one term."

"You know, it's pretty liberating feeling, I'm sure, for President Trump. He's got one term to get the job done. And I intend to be working every single day as the newest member of Congress to make sure we get the America-first agenda passed."

The majority in the House of Representatives appears within reach for Republicans, who have already won control of the Senate and the White House.

"We're almost certainly going to lose the House by a narrow margin," a senior House Democratic aide told Fox News Digital. "We got our a--es kicked."

Fox News Digital's Liz Elkind contributed to this report