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☆ Biden, Democrats plan beefed-up 50-state fundraising strategy to overwhelm GOP rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Those four state committees did not fundraise with the Biden Victory Fund in 2020, according to OpenSecrets. The DNC, likewise, saw over $100 million through the Biden Victory Fund and finished bringing in over $491 million during that cycle. The beefed-up joint fundraising strategy could give Biden's campaign and the Democratic Party a major boost for the general election. The new agreement allows the Biden Victory Fund to reap up to $929,600 from an individual donor, according to the DNC official. A theoretical $929,600 check would be doled out through the Biden Victory Fund to the Biden campaign ($6,600), the DNC ($41,300), with $510,000 split between all of the state parties.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden's, Biden, Julie C, Rodriguez Organizations: White, Democratic Party, Republican, Biden, Fund, Washington D.C, CNBC, Democratic, Democratic National Committee, DNC, D.C, MAGA Republicans, Biden Victory Fund Locations: Japan, Washington, Iowa , California, South Dakota, Illinois

☆ Colorado Republicans reckon with string of major electoral losses as Democrats strengthen their hand in the onetime GOP stronghold
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Colorado Republicans are reckoning with an increasingly Democratic tint of the Western state. Republicans lost the Colorado Springs mayoralty this week, a stunning blow for the state party. Independent candidate Yemi Mobolade easily defeated former Colorado Republican Secretary of State Wayne W. Williams in a May 16 runoff election for the mayoralty of Colorado Springs, a longtime conservative stronghold. "I think it's literally demographics are the hugest reason why Colorado is shifting more blue. The people moving into our state are by and large more liberal, and the people leaving our state are by and large, more conservative," former state Republican chair Kristi Burton Brown recently told The Hill.

☆ The Youngest State Party Leader in the U.S. Has a Blue-Collar Blueprint
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Andrew Trunsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

North Carolina Democrats weren’t sure what to expect when Anderson Clayton, 25, won their election for chair, making her the youngest state party leader in the country. She is aiming to motivate younger voters, but she also campaigned with broader goals, arguing that Democrats need to invest in rural communities if they hope to erode Republicans’ grip on state and local power. “People with me all the time are like, ‘I wish you’d stop saying we’ve left Democrats behind,’” she said. We’ve left people behind.’”In North Carolina’s elections last year, Democrats ceded 44 state legislative seats, uncontested, to Republicans. Many encompassed blue-collar, rural towns that had voted reliably Democratic decades ago but by then had no official footprint from the party, much less a candidate to support.

☆ Kyrsten Sinema’s Party of One
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Robert Draper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Katie Hobbs, who received almost 11 percent of the Republican vote in her 2022 victory over the far-right Kari Lake. Sinema, even before she left the party in December, had become the Democrat whom Democrats love to hate. In January 2022, after her refusal to pass voting rights legislation by discarding the Senate filibuster that stood in the way, Sinema was censured by Arizona’s Democratic Party. “The decision was really a no-brainer,” a former state party official told me, adding that the censure resolution was supported by more than 90 percent of Arizona’s Democratic precinct committee members. Hobbs, on the other hand, relied heavily on the turnout of a progressive base that might have reacted poorly to Sinema’s presence on the stump.

☆ As Biden Runs Again, Black Voters’ Frustration Bubbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Maya King | Reid J. Epstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In his campaign announcement, Mr. Biden made no secret of the importance of Black voters to his re-election. The state party is preparing to hold its presidential primary first in the nominating process — a move Mr. Biden and Democrats said was made to give Black voters more influence. Mr. Biden’s allies maintain that his administration has delivered for Black voters but that he has failed to trumpet some of his progress. The economy, a top concern for Black voters, has recovered from its pandemic doldrums, though inflation, which spiked last summer, remains higher on a sustained basis than it has been for decades. “The president and vice president have made issues Black Americans care most about a priority and are running to finish the job,” said Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Mr. Biden’s campaign.

☆ South Carolina Democrats Elect First Black Woman to Run State Party
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Maya King | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

She won with the support of nearly 700 of the party’s roughly 1,000 state delegates in a standing vote. Before delegates for Mr. Upson could stand up to vote for him, he conceded to Ms. Spain in a short speech calling for party unity. What’s Next: Primary Prep and Party RepairAs the next chair, Ms. Spain will be responsible for preparing the state party for its moment in prime time: voting first in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary election. Ms. Spain’s leadership will offer Palmetto State Democrats a chance to make up those losses and get ready for the national stage. In a news conference after her victory, Ms. Spain offered a message to the South Carolina voters waiting for more meaningful change from the Democratic Party.

☆ Pro-DeSantis PAC Makes Hires in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Shane Goldmacher | Maggie Haberman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ron DeSantis of Florida and his allies are expanding his political footprint in key states that will begin the 2024 presidential nominating contest, with the main super PAC backing his bid making hires in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina and an operative with recent Iowa experience joining the payroll of the Republican Party of Florida. The party is serving as a way station where Mr. DeSantis has been adding strategists and policy advisers who are expected to eventually work on his likely 2024 run. Mr. DeSantis has not yet declared his bid, but a pro-DeSantis super PAC, Never Back Down, has acted as something of a campaign-in-waiting, hiring staff members and responding to regular attacks from former President Donald J. Trump. Almost as significantly, it has engaged with mainstream news organizations that Mr. DeSantis instinctively shuns. The super PAC previously announced that it had raised $30 million in its first three weeks, as major donors poured money into the group in a bid to slow the momentum of Mr. Trump, the Republican polling front-runner.

☆ Republican state officials in Louisiana ask lawmakers to ban the study of racism at universities, citing divisive 'inglorious aspects' of US history
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Louisiana GOP wants to prohibit the study of racism at state colleges and universities. A GOP resolution, seen by NOLA.com, claimed the "inglorious aspects" of American history were too divisive. It comes amid a nationwide GOP effort to scrub race issues from public schools and public life. GOP Party officials in the state want Louisiana lawmakers to prohibit the study of racism at colleges and universities, claiming the "inglorious aspects" of American history are too divisive, according to NOLA.com, which cites a GOP resolution on the matter. According to NOLA.com, the GOP resolution argued that "DEI bureaucracies" act as "divisive ideological commissariats," criticizing programs at LSU and the University of Louisiana System.

☆ A huge win in Wisconsin shows Dems how fiercely defending abortion rights can kneecap the GOP in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Expect Democrats to make abortion rights a dominant theme in 2024. The Democratic party chair there says it's "vital" that party members convey their position. Expect Democrats to make sure of that, especially after a recent Wisconsin election further demonstrated the power of abortion rights at the ballot box. Abortion rights advocates protest outside the White House in July 2022. Dems shift to talking openly about abortionThe Democratic Party has rapidly changed its views on abortion.

☆ Russia warns Armenia against allying with ICC after Putin arrest warrant - RIA
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - Russia has warned Armenia of "serious consequences" if it submits to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which has issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin, the RIA news agency reported on Monday. The ICC issued the warrant this month, accusing Putin of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine, a move condemned by the Kremlin as a meaningless and outrageously partisan decision. RIA, a state Russian news agency, cited a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that Moscow regarded Armenia's ICC plans as "unacceptable". The ICC warrant has the potential to complicate Putin's global travel plans if a country he wants to travel to is an official party to the Rome Statute. Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Why Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and other major Dems are going all out for a state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Stakes are high in an April Supreme Court election in the battleground state of Wisconsin. Normally, you wouldn't see high-profile figures like former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton weighing in on an upcoming state Supreme Court election. That's nearly double that of the previous record for a state Supreme Court seat. Wikler said the results could affect control of the US Congress, the Supreme Court, the White House in 2024. The state Democratic Party is helping fund Protasiewicz's campaign while other Democratic power players are working to drive interest in the race.

☆ Texas congressman who broke with GOP is censured
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

That independent streak includes opposing a sweeping House GOP immigration proposal over the U.S.-Mexico border, which includes a large portion of his South Texas district. Gonzales was defiant before the vote and did not attend the meeting of Texas GOP leaders and activists in Austin. "The Republican Party of Texas would be wise to follow his lead and do some actual work." Last year, former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West stepped down from the job to mount a faint primary challenge against Republican Gov. The state party in 2018 also censured a former moderate Texas House speaker who opposed bathroom restrictions for transgender people.

☆ Liberal, conservative advance in Wisconsin Supreme Court race with abortion rights at stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Former state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, a staunch conservative who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump when he ran unsuccessfully for re-election in 2020, took second place, the AP projected. With a Democratic governor, Tony Evers, and a Republican-majority legislature often at loggerheads, the state Supreme Court's 4-3 conservative majority has issued a string of decisions that typically favored Republicans. But a conservative justice is leaving the bench this year, putting the political leaning of the court in question. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit claiming the statute is invalid - a case eventually headed for the state Supreme Court. A new liberal majority could also revisit other statutes, such as laws requiring voter identification, permitting concealed carry of firearms and weakening public sector unions.

☆ Abortion rights at stake in Wisconsin Supreme Court election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Wisconsin voters on Tuesday will decide which state Supreme Court candidates will advance to an April election that carries profound consequences for abortion rights, control of the state government and the 2024 presidential election. And the justices could issue election law rulings that affect the outcome of the 2024 presidential race, when Wisconsin is expected to be a swing state. The contest already ranks among the most expensive state supreme court races in history, according to Douglas Keith, an attorney at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice who tracks spending on judicial elections. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit claiming the statute is invalid - a case eventually headed for the state Supreme Court. "This is Wisconsin's Roe moment," said Gracie Skogman, a spokesperson for Wisconsin Right to Life, which is backing the conservative candidates.

☆ Michigan Republicans tap election denier to lead state party
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Kristina Karamo, a candidate for the Michigan Republican Party's state party chair, speaks to delegates ahead of their vote on the key party leadership position, in Lansing, Michigan, U.S., February 18, 2023. "The election baggage is going to make it hard to move the party forward," said John Clark, a professor of political science at Western Michigan University. "We cannot wait to get work done as one Michigan Republican Party," said Karamo, a local Republican activist who ran an unsuccessful campaign for secretary of state in 2022. The state party chair's main responsibilities include guiding the party's messaging and raising millions of dollars to help fund mass mailing campaigns and support candidates. She has yet to concede he loss to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who won November's election by 14 points.

☆ Two GOP election deniers who were soundly defeated in the 2022 midterms are the top candidates to lead Michigan's Republican Party
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two 2020 election deniers are the top candidates to lead the Michigan GOP headed into 2024. The state party on Saturday will decide on a leader to replace outgoing chair Ron Weiser. But the outlet also reported that the state GOP had over $2.3 million in outstanding debts in its main state campaign account. Former President Trump is backing Matthew DePerno to lead the Michigan Republican Party. "We must start by supporting Matt DePerno for chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.

☆ Far-right Republican groups surge in swing state Michigan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/6] Candidate for district party chair for Michigan Republican Party Jon Smith speaks with guests during a fundraiser in Hillsdale, Michigan, U.S., February 8, 2023. "What's going on in Michigan is a microcosm of what is going on with the Republican Party nationally," said Michael Traugott, a professor at the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan. The judge declined to intervene, leaving it up to Michigan Republican Party officials to set the rules on delegate selection. The top two candidates for state party chair have both promoted conspiracy theories in support of Trump's false claims about voter fraud. "There's some people that are thinking this is the end of the Republican Party," he said.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., January 28, 2023. In Columbia, Trump spoke to about 200 people in the state's capitol building, with Governor Henry McMaster and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina flanking him. There were several conspicuous absences in South Carolina, including the state party chairman, five Republican U.S. representatives from the state and South Carolina U.S. Reporting by Gram Slattery in Columbia, South Carolina and Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Ross Colvin, Daniel Wallis and Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., January 28, 2023. New Hampshire and South Carolina are among the first four states to hold presidential nominating contests, giving them outsized influence as candidates jockey for position. Several top Republicans in both states that Trump visited on Saturday - including New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley - are weighing presidential campaigns. There were several conspicuous absences in South Carolina, including the state party chairman, several Republican U.S. representatives from the state and South Carolina U.S. Reporting by Gram Slattery in Columbia, South Carolina and Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Ross Colvin and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Trump said in New Hampshire that Stephen Stepanek, the state's Republican Party chairman, would join his campaign as a senior adviser. Both New Hampshire and South Carolina are seen as potential kingmakers, as they are among the first to hold their nominating contests. In South Carolina, where Trump will appear alongside Graham and Governor Henry McMaster, there will be a number of conspicuous absences. Among those not attending are the state party chairman, at least three Republican U.S. representatives from the state and South Carolina U.S. Reporting by Gram Slattery in Columbia, South Carolina and Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Ross Colvin and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Trump Kicks Off 2024 Campaign Travel With New Hampshire, South Carolina Visits
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Alex Leary | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former President Donald Trump has largely been out of public view since launching his presidential campaign more than two months ago. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—Donald Trump will embark Saturday on his first campaign trip of the 2024 presidential race, visiting two early primary voting states as he seeks to brush back calls from some GOP insiders and voters for a new party leader. In Salem, N.H., the former president is scheduled to speak to hundreds of Republicans attending the state party’s annual meeting. In the afternoon, he will appear with supporters in Columbia, S.C., a state that is home to a pair of possible rivals for the nomination.

Trump will speak first at the New Hampshire Republican Party's annual meeting in Salem before heading to Columbia, South Carolina's capital, where he will unveil his leadership team in the state. In New Hampshire, Republican Governor Chris Sununu has said he is having conversations about a primary bid, and many high-ranking Republicans there - including those who supported Trump previously - say publicly they are looking for an alternative. In South Carolina, where Trump will appear alongside Governor Henry McMaster and Senator Lindsey Graham, there will be a number of conspicuous absences. Among those not attending are the state party chairman, at least three Republican U.S. representatives from the state and South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott, who has himself been floated as a potential Republican presidential candidate.

DANA POINT, Calif. — Ronna McDaniel won re-election to a fourth term as Republican National Committee chairwoman on Friday, besting insurgent challenger Harmeet Dhillon in a secret ballot vote at the party’s annual winter meeting. Publicly, roughly 30 RNC members had committed to Dhillon ahead of the ballot. Harmeet Dhillon at her office in San Francisco in 2017. Anda Chu / MediaNews Group / Bay Area News via Getty Images fileEven with McDaniel in place as the next chair, many RNC members say they expect tensions to remain. All of us who are supporting Harmeet are not going away.”The RNC also approved a package of nine resolutions on Friday in a voice vote.

In 2016, New Hampshire Republicans lifted Donald Trump’s candidacy after he lost in Iowa, becoming the first state to embrace the future president. Chris SununuWhile Trump is considered the early favorite, the doubters, naysayers and haters in the New Hampshire Republican Party could steer him off course. “Just fill in the blanks.”Sununu argued that New Hampshire Republicans are tired of drama and are ready for a new face. New Hampshire Republicans are reeling from the losses in November. I do not think it’s a foregone conclusion,” said New Hampshire Republican Mike Dennehy, a onetime adviser to the late presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.

For Republicans, the months following the 2022 midterms have been consumed by a fair amount of introspection — and finger-pointing — about why the results were so underwhelming for the party. The secret ballot vote will take place during the open-press portion of the RNC's three-day winter meeting, which opens Wednesday. McDaniel, who was handpicked by then-President Donald Trump for the role, has faced heat from some Republicans and conservative media figures for the party's lackluster results in November. Meanwhile, an RNC official formally accused a McDaniel ally of engaging in "religious bigotry" aimed at Dhillon’s Sikh faith in discussing the race for party chair. I'm not surprised that folks coalesced behind her or around her as quickly as they did."

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