Biden team seeks to pin ‘basement’ campaign reputation on Trump
President Biden’s re-election campaign has been touting recent swing-state appearances as evidence of his presence on the trail ahead of the general election, while suggesting former President Trump was avoiding the important battlegrounds. “Joe Biden has hit 8 swing states in 18 days, all while being POTUS. Donald Trump has golfed a lot, all while truth-socialing really hard,” Biden spokesperson James Singer wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday alongside a graphic of the core swing states. “Campaigning by the numbers: Biden visited 8 battleground states in 18 days. Trump? One. Just one battleground state,” campaign staffer Daniel Wessel added. KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE DEM ANNOUNCEMENT STUNS POLITICAL WORLD: ‘BIG SURPRISE’ In a press release last week, the Biden campaign slammed Trump, claiming “Broke Don Hides in Basement.” In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Biden was notably criticized for campaigning over Zoom webcasts in a temporary basement studio at his home in Delaware. Since then, a candidate who is relatively absent from visibility has been referred to as running a “basement” campaign. FETTERMAN CHARTS A DIFFERENT PATH, BREAKS WITH FELLOW DEMOCRATS IN THE SENATE However, Trump’s campaign pushed back on the claim that he isn’t visible in the critical states, noting he will be in two of them next week. Only one event for next week is advertised on Trump’s campaign website, a rally in Wisconsin April 2. The other visit remains unannounced. Trump’s team further pointed to Biden’s accessibility and frequency of interviews, as well as his tendency not to accept many questions from the press during speeches or events. In the first three months of 2024, Biden has participated in three on-camera interviews — one with late-night host Seth Meyers, one with Robert Costa of CBS and one with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart. He did not sit for a Super Bowl interview in February despite the informal establishment of it as something of a tradition for presidents in the 21st century. DEMOCRATS REPORTEDLY ‘SCRAMBLING’ OVER THREAT OF RFK JR. IN 2024 RACE In reference to the president’s interview schedule, which also featured several radio and digital hits, spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “There are lots of folks who can’t keep up with Joe Biden.” According to the University of California-Santa Barbara’s American Presidency Project, Biden has fallen behind his predecessors when it comes to transparency and press accessibility. During his first term so far, Biden has given only 33 news conferences, compared to Trump’s 57 at the same point and former President Obama’s 69. Whether the Biden team’s recent blitz of battleground visits and its effort to highlight a period with few Trump appearances will convince voters that Trump is missing in action remains to be seen. “I doubt it,” Republican strategist John Feehery told Fox News Digital. “Both are pretty old, but Biden is older and more prone to gaffes,” he said, noting the campaign will be “long.” Erin Perrine, another Republican strategist, called it “laughable” for Biden to compare “campaign styles when Biden hasn’t run an aggressive campaign in well over a decade.” “Biden’s campaign seems to lack a serious strategy to address his polling consistently lagging on almost every major issue facing Americans,” she said. According to fellow GOP strategist Doug Heye, the move by the president’s campaign “makes sense” because “Biden is trying to project an image that he is healthy and vigorous.” POLL FINDS MOST AMERICANS DON’T SUPPORT ISRAEL’S ACTION IN GAZA AS BIDEN-ISRAEL RELATIONS HIT ‘LOW POINT’ But he noted Biden’s packed schedule “comes with the very real risk that something goes wrong for Biden.” Trump doesn’t need to work as hard to maintain this image, Heye explained. “He’s lost some of his fastball but remains a ball of energy,” he added. Democratic strategist Max Burns felt differently. “In a race that both sides agree will be decided by razor-thin vote margins, it isn’t viable for a candidate to take weeks off the campaign to focus on his personal financial and legal issues,” Burns said. “Trump is spending more and more campaign time at Mar-a-Lago, where he’s holding a nonstop stream of fundraisers to help him pay his enormous civil fraud bond.” He added that he expects Trump to lose polling stature against Biden the longer he remains away from the campaign trail. REPUBLICANS TOP DEMS ON KEY FACTOR MOTIVATING VOTER TURNOUT FOR BIDEN-TRUMP REMATCH: POLL Robert Shapiro, a political science professor at Columbia University, described the Biden campaign’s effort as its way of taking “on the view that Biden is less energetic and more affected by age than Trump.” “I do not think this can have any more than a marginal short-term effect now,” Shapiro said. This sentiment was echoed by Heye, who claimed, “None of this matters in March.” The Nov. 5 general election is more than 222 days away While there remains ample time for developments in the election, Shapiro said, “It could have a more cumulative effect” later on. What is “more important” for Biden, he said, is his maintained presence in the battleground states and the ability to “draw visible comparisons with Trump on all fronts where Trump is vulnerable.” Trump’s presence or lack thereof “is less an issue,” he added.
Join us for an April 23 conversation on meeting Texas’ health care workforce needs
At Texas State Technical College in Waco, we’ll discuss how Texas schools are addressing workforce shortages and what else is needed to address our state’s needs.
North Carolina GOP elects Trump-endorsed executive director as its next chairman
North Carolina Republican activists have chosen the person running the state’s party day-today operations to become its next chairman, succeeding Michael Whatley after he was elevated to lead the Republican National Committee earlier this month. Members of the state GOP’s Executive Committee voting Tuesday night in Johnston County elected party Executive Director Jason Simmons as state chairman over Lee County party Chairman Jim Womack by a more than 2-to-1 margin, a party spokesperson said. Simmons had received an endorsement for the job from former President Donald Trump, who also had made Whatley his handpicked choice to succeed longtime RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. Whatley resigned from his state chairman’s position Tuesday. NC SUPREME COURT DECLINES CHALLENGE TO CONFEDERATE MONUMENT’S REMOVAL Simmons has strong political ties to Trump, having worked as state director on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign in North Carolina and overseeing Trump campaign operations in some Southeast states in 2020. “I’m honored to be chosen by my fellow Republicans to lead our party into the most important election in our lifetime,” Simmons said in a news release. He noted efforts to help Trump win again North Carolina’s electoral votes, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson get elected governor, retain veto-proof majorities at the General Assembly and win appellate court races. “I’m ready to hit the ground running,” Simmons added. State GOP spokesperson Matt Mercer said Simmons defeated Womack by a vote of 289-130. The victory means Simmons can serve as chair through the next scheduled election for chairman in June 2025. In his endorsement on social media, Trump wrote that Simmons “has been key to our many Republican Victories in the Tar Heel State. Jason will be fantastic for the MAGA Movement.” Whatley heads a new RNC leadership team that includes Trump daughter-in-law and North Carolina native Lara Trump as the committee co-chair. While North Carolina went to Trump in both 2016 and 2020, he won the state’s 2020 popular vote by just 1.3 percentage points. Democrats have had a strong run with governor, by winning seven of the last eight general elections for the post.
Fox News Politics: Battleground Democrat retreats from House
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening? -Obama reportedly contacting Biden’s team regularly over potential 2024 loss -How Eagle Pass became the center of the Biden-Abbott feud -Fetterman offers rare sit down interview with Fox News In a surprise announcement, longtime Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire says she won’t seek re-election to the House of Representatives this year. “I always said I was not going to stay in Congress forever – I will not be seeking re-election in 2024,” the six-term representative in the key general election battleground state said in a statement released on Wednesday. Kuster, an attorney and lobbyist with clients in the health care and pharmaceutical industry before winning election to the House in 2012, highlighted that her tenure in Congress “has been many things – rewarding, frustrating, inspiring, and challenging. But, more than anything, it has been an honor.” Republicans aim to defend their razor-thin House majority in November’s elections. The GOP currently holds a slim majority in the House of Representatives. And that has worsened in recent months as some high-profile Republicans are choosing to resign early, well before their term in office ends. HANGING UP: KJP ends radio interview after economy question, leaves host stunned …Read more ‘MANY, MANY TIMES’: Biden claims he commuted ‘many, many times’ by train on car-only Francis Scott Key Bridge …Read more OBAMA WORRIED: Former president reportedly making regular calls to Biden chief of staff, fearing Trump victory …Read more TWISTING IN THE WIND: Whale of a lawsuit threatens to swallow up Biden green energy agenda …Read more BUILDING BRIDGES: Buttigieg says gov’t must ‘tear down’ barriers to rebuild Baltimore connection …Read more ‘YOU AIN’T S—‘: Another Biden official targeted with dung drop outside home …Read more ‘LEGITIMATE’: Comer rejects Democrats’ latest bid to turn tables on Biden impeachment …Read more ‘OPEN BORDER’: House GOP blames Biden policies after migrant is accused of killing MI woman …Read more A DIFFERENT FIGURE: Fetterman unafraid to oppose his party in Democrat-controlled Senate …Read more FEAR FACTOR: Trump enjoys an advantage over Biden in this key election factor …Read more MYSTERY MONEY: South Carolina found a state bank account with $1.8 billion, but they have no idea what it’s for …Read more PREPARED TO FIGHT: Ohio AG prepared to defend new law banning gender transition surgeries for minors against ACLU lawsuit …Read more NEW FOOTAGE: How Eagle Pass became the center of Abbott/Biden feud …Read more ‘THERE IS NO FREE MONEY’: NYC officials defend prepaid debit card program for illegal immigrants …Read more ‘LUNATICS’: Conservatives trash NBC News after it bows to left-wing pressure on Ronna McDaniel …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Military chaplains appeal to Supreme Court over COVID-19 policies that forced out religious objectors
A group of military chaplains is urging the Supreme Court to stop the Department of Defense from enforcing policies that it says punish those who filed religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The Supreme Court is currently considering the chaplains’ appeal of a Fourth Circuit decision to dismiss the case. While awaiting the ruling, the chaplains argue that “interim relief is necessary” to protect both the Court’s jurisdiction and the chaplains “from continuing irreparable harm, career destruction and/or discharge,” according to the petition. “Without interim relief to protect their chaplaincies, many Chaplains will have been forced out of the Armed Services before the merits of this case returns to this Court after remand,” the filing states. “To preserve this Court’s future jurisdiction over the permanent resolution of the Chaplains’ challenge, the Court should issue interim relief now to ensure that DOD cannot play out the clock as a means to evade review of its unlawful Mandate.” FORMER HEADS OF MASSACHUSETTS VETERANS HOME WHERE 76 DIED IN COVID PANDEMIC AVOID JAIL TIME The petition alleges that the DOD has not removed “adverse personnel actions” — unfavorable measures such as poor fitness reports that may affect promotions and result in other consequences — from the chaplains’ files. The petition contends that the adverse personnel actions occurred due to the chaplains’ religious accomodation requests (RAR). “These Chaplains’ careers are dead men walking, direct consequences of filing RARs but hidden by DOD’s emphasis on ‘solely’ as the adverse action’s cause,” the filing states. The chaplains filed exemptions that requested they be excused for religious reasons from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s mandate that all service-members receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The chaplains took up the lawsuit “when it became obvious DOD was denying all RARs, using that process to purge those who believed in following their faith-formed conscience by requesting RARs,” the court document states. ARMY CHAPLAIN UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR PRO-LIFE ‘VICTORY’ EMAIL AFTER SUPREME COURT ABORTION RULING: REPORT It adds: “Embedded within the Chaplains’ claims are foundational questions of religious freedom, free-speech, and petition rights — uniquely applied to military chaplains: ‘Who gets to decide what authority controls a chaplain’s conscience, the God of his or her faith, or a government bureaucrat?’” The filing cites the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) as a means to limit DOD’s power to impose on members of the Armed Services any given administration’s views about religious issues. “DOD’s open hostility to religion likely corresponds to the Armed Services’ recent and repeated failure to meet their recruiting goals,” the filing claims. The chaplains also spotlighted what they defined as the Defense Department’s alleged “open rebellion” against an order by Congress to fully “rescind” the vaccine mandate. The filing charges that this “rebellion” was “hidden by DOD’s malicious compliance.” NAVY CHAPLAIN AMONG SAILORS DENIED RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION TO COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATE: ‘KICK IN THE GUT’ According to the filing, the Defense Department removed some related disciplinary documents but made false assertions that all “adverse actions” had been removed from the files of those requesting religious exemptions. “It has not removed the ‘adverse personnel actions’ such as bad fitness reports causing failures of promotion, missed schooling, or the consequences thereof,” the chaplains’ petition states. “DOD’s numerous retaliatory ‘adverse actions’ against these Chaplains violate the law, breeding ‘contempt for law and inviting every man to become a law unto himself.’ That invitation has no place in DOD.” A spokesperson for DOD said it does not comment on pending litigation. Fox News’ Shannon Bream, Bill Mears, Liz Friden and David Spunt contributed to this report.
Biden admin to provide $1.5B loan to restart Michigan nuclear plant
The federal government will provide a $1.5 billion loan to restart a nuclear power plant in southwestern Michigan, officials announced Wednesday. Holtec International acquired the 800-megawatt Palisades plant in 2022 with plans to dismantle it. But now the emphasis is on restarting it by late 2025, following support from the state of Michigan and the Biden administration. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said it would be the first nuclear power plant to be reopened in the U.S. It still faces hurdles, including inspections, testing and the blessing of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, known as the NRC. PLANNED ALUMINUM SMELTER WILL PERMANENTLY EMPLOY 1,000 IN RURAL KENTUCKY, GOVERNOR SAYS “Nuclear power is our single largest source of carbon-free electricity, directly supporting 100,000 jobs across the country and hundreds of thousands more indirectly,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, a former Michigan governor. The Palisades plant is along Lake Michigan, a two-hour drive from Chicago. A Michigan utility, CMS Energy, owned it from 1971 until the plant was sold to Louisiana-based utility Entergy in 2007. It was shut down in 2022. Holtec said it has long-term commitments so far from two electric cooperatives to buy power from the plant. “The repowering of Palisades will restore safe, around-the-clock generation to hundreds of thousands of households, businesses and manufacturers,” said Kris Singh, Holtec president and chief executive. Critics, however, have emerged. A coalition opposed to restarting what it derisively calls a “zombie reactor” has requested a hearing at the NRC. Holtec spokesman Patrick O’Brien said it will take four to five months to finalize the financial deal with the government. “It is a loan we have to pay back,” he said.
Cows at three Texas dairy farms have bird flu, another blow to Cattle Country following wildfires
Federal officials said the nation’s milk supply should be not at risk after a bird flu outbreak hits dairies in Texas, New Mexico and Kansas.
Hail cripples massive solar farm, sparking resident fears about vulnerable ‘green’ tech
An onslaught of hail in southeastern Texas that destroyed large portions of a massive solar farm is highlighting the perils of trading traditional power sources for vulnerable “green” alternatives and forcing local officials to allay residents’ concerns about the potential for chemical leaks from the broken panels. Aerial footage captured the significant damage suffered by the Fighting Jays Solar farm in Fort Bend County, Texas. The March 15 storm shattered hundreds of panels and prompted nearby residents to question if the solar panels were leaking chemicals such as cadmium telluride, which is linked to serious health risks in humans. “My concern is the hail damage that came through and busted these panels – we now have some highly toxic chemicals that could be potentially leaking into our water tables,” Needville resident Nick Kaminski told Fox affiliate KRIV-TV. “I have a family – two children and a wife. My neighbors have kids and a lot of other residents in the area who are on well water are concerned that the chemicals are now leaking into our water tables.” TEXAS GOVT PUSHING ACTION THAT COULD ‘KNEECAP’ NEW FOSSIL FUEL GENERATION, DESTABILIZE GRID, EXPERTS WARN The Fort Bend County Environmental Health Department is investigating the incident and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has also been contacted regarding any potential chemical contamination, Needville Mayor Chad Nesvadba told Fox News Digital. Fort Bend County officials didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, represents the community surrounding the solar farm and is engaged with those whose homes, businesses and property were destroyed by the storm, according to spokesperson Emily Matthews, who noted the incident underscores the importance of an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy policy. CALIFORNIA’S GRID FACES COLLAPSE AS LEADERS PUSH RENEWABLES, ELECTRIC VEHICLES, EXPERTS SAY “As far as solar farms being damaged where hail and tornadoes are common, those companies knowingly run the risk of building solar panel farms in these areas,” Matthews told Fox News Digital. “Events like this underscore the importance of having an all-of-the-above energy approach to meet our energy needs and showcase how our country cannot solely rely on or fully transition to renewable energy sources like this.” Denmark-based Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the parent company of the Fighting Jays Solar project’s developer, AP Solar Holdings, confirmed the storm had taken out much of the farm, but there was currently no risk to the nearby community of chemical exposure. “On March 15th, a hailstorm caused solar panel damage to Fighting Jays Solar, a 350 MW project located in Fort Bend County, Texas,” CIP told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We are currently assessing the extent of the impact of the storm on the generation of the project, while the plant continues to safely operate at a reduced capacity.” It added: “The silicon-based panels contain no cadmium telluride and we have identified no risk to the local community or the environment.” BERKELEY ABANDONS LANDMARK NATURAL GAS BAN AFTER COURT BATTLE The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees the state’s power grid, said it was aware of the situation, but had not identified any grid reliability concerns. The Texas Public Utilities Commission added that it has yet to receive any reports about the incident. Still, Daniel Turner, the executive director of energy watchdog group Power the Future, said the storm’s impact could foreshadow future threats to the U.S. power grid if the nation transitions to a heavy reliance on solar energy. “There’s this enormous shell game happening by the Biden administration, by the environmental left, presenting wind and solar as perfectly green, clean, and carbon-neutral,” Turner told Fox News Digital. “They use all of these buzzwords. But they’re none of that and they also have enormous drawbacks. And it’s doing the American people a great disservice to obfuscate these very obvious shortcomings.” He noted that, because solar panels are largely manufactured in China, the destruction of solar farms could be leveraged in geopolitical disputes between the U.S. and China. “Why would we expect them to race to our aid when our grid is down nationwide, and they are the ones holding the goods that we need to get back up?” Turner said. Fighting Jays Solar came online in July 2022 and spans more than 3,000 acres, according to AP Solar Holdings. It is located about 40 miles from downtown Houston. The destruction of the project, meanwhile, comes as the nation broadly races to replace existing fossil fuel power with green energy alternatives. But those plans have been criticized by experts who warn of those energy sources’ reliance on certain windy and sunny weather conditions.
DeSantis eliminates ‘squatters’ rights’ in Florida, gives power to cops to remove offenders
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation into law Wednesday that eliminates squatters’ rights in the Sunshine State and increases penalties against offenders. “You are not going to be able to commandeer somebody’s private property and expect to get away with it. We are in the state of Florida ending the squatter scam once and for all,” DeSantis said from Orlando on Wednesday during a press conference on the signing. The law will take effect on July 1. DeSantis noted ahead of the signing that he believes Florida is the first state in the nation to take squatting issues head-on. Lawmakers in the state overwhelmingly voted in support of the bill earlier this month, sending it to DeSantis’ office. The law outlines that squatters will face criminal charges for illegally moving into a home and allows property owners to file an affidavit showing they legally own a property. FLORIDA HOMEOWNER SHARES SQUATTER EVICTION SUCCESS STORY: ‘WE WENT THE RIGHT WAY’ Before the bill’s passage, squatters in Florida, as well in states from coast to coast, were considered tenants and required legal property owners to launch lengthy court battles to legally remove inhabitants from a home. “This is an important bill if you see the stories that happen,” Republican state Sen. Keith Perry, who sponsored the bill, said as it made its way through the legislature, according to Wear TV. “It is egregious what people are getting away with under legislation.” SQUATTERS WOULD GET BOOTED IMMEDIATELY UNDER BILL LAWMAKERS IN THIS STATE UNANIMOUSLY PASSED Under the new law, property owners can now call on the sheriff’s office to immediately remove squatters from their homes if the suspects are unable to produce documents authorizing their residency by the property owner. The law “will give the homeowner the ability to quickly and legally remove a squatter from a property and which will increase criminal penalties for squatting. Now, we have not had the same type of issues here, as you’ve seen in California or New York. Nevertheless, our laws were really geared towards this not necessarily being a fad,” DeSantis said while standing in front of a podium with a sign reading, “Ending the Squatters Scam.” DeSantis specifically called out California and New York for rampant squatting issues, saying the blue states protect squatters, while Florida will crackdown and consider them criminals. “They’re siding with the squatters,” he said of the Democrat-led states. “In fact, we have seen squatters move in and claim residence. This forces a massive, long, drawn-out judicial review before they can even be removed from the property. These are people that never had a right to be in the property to begin with. Earlier this month in New York, a woman returned to a property she inherited to find squatters living there. She changed the locks to get them out, and the state of New York arrested her instead of the squatters.” The law establishes harsher penalties against those who participate in squatting crimes, including leveling a second-degree felony charge against squatters who damage a home, a first-degree felony charge against those who fraudulently sell or lease a property, and a misdemeanor charge against those who purposefully present a fraudulent lease. FLORIDA BILL AIMS TO CLOSE SQUATTING LOOPHOLE AFTER HOMEOWNER TERRORIZED FOR 34 DAYS, $40,000 IN DAMAGES Sheriff Dennis M. Lemma celebrated the passage of the bill and the governor’s signature, while saying the word “squatter” is too favorable and they should instead be referred to as “criminals and con artists.” “I want to thank our legislative body, both our delegates here in central Florida and abroad, because this received unanimous support, and it’s been long too often where we’ve seen homeowners that have spent their entire life working and earning. Some have inherited homes of parents and to knock on the door and be met with squatters,” Lemma said at the press conference. “Squatters actually is a very, very kind term. These are criminals and con artists that need to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he continued. Florida, similar to other states across the nation, has seen repeated incidents of squatters fraudulently moving into a home or property, including a squatter in September who moved into a multimillion-dollar home in Bonita Springs and was found wearing the homeowner’s clothing. Another homeowner in June, who was on vacation abroad before returning to his Ocala house, was forced to confront a squatter who trashed his property in his absence. While residents in a neighborhood in Winter Park sounded off in September that squatters had turned the area into a “nightmare” because the police department was “handcuffed” from arresting the suspects as it was considered a civil matter. SQUATTER PIRATES IN FLORIDA SETTING UP HOMES ON ABANDONED BOATS The issue has even affected the Sunshine State’s massive boating community, with squatters taking over derelict boats off the coast of Martin County in a phenomenon that began last year, the sheriff’s office previously told Fox News Digital. While other law enforcement agencies near Port Orange last June dismantled structures on an island known for its drug use that was overtaken by squatters. Flash Shelton, known as the “Squatter Hunter” who removes squatters from people’s homes, also spoke during the press conference, explaining how he personally dealt with confronting and removing squatters from his mother’s home last year. “I know what it feels like to feel the helpless, hopeless feeling when dealing with squatters and the law saying it’s a civil matter. Fearing that long-drawn out and costly process, I decided to lift my head up, stand up and fight. I broke the law down to its knees, and figured out that if they could take a house, I could take a house,” Shelton recounted of his first run-in with squatters at his mother’s home. “I got my squatters out in less than a day using the same system and their rights against them,” he said.
Vermont Rep. Becca Balint seeking second term
U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, Vermont’s first woman and first openly gay person to represent the state in Congress, announced Wednesday that she’s running for a second term. Balint, a Democrat, said in Congress she has focused on making affordable housing more accessible, mental health care for all and protecting the country’s democracy. “When I was first elected to Congress, we made history together,” she said in a video message announcing her reelection campaign. “I ran because I believed politics can be different and I couldn’t be more proud to continue that fight on behalf of Vermont in Washington. With courage, kindness, and hope, we can take on the extreme right-wing set on taking our rights and tearing down our democracy.” KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE DEM ANNOUNCEMENT STUNS POLITICAL WORLD: ‘BIG SURPRISE’ Balint, the former president of the Vermont state Senate and a former middle-school teacher, won the race for Vermont’s single seat in U.S. House in 2022. Before Balint’s win in 2022, Vermont had become the only state to have never sent a woman to Congress. She is on the U.S. House judiciary and budget committees and is a vice chair on the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “The stakes are so high right now – with constant attacks on our reproductive rights, on our planet, and on our democracy itself. But we can’t give in to hopelessness,” she said in her campaign message. “In 2024, we can pull democracy back from the brink and make government work for the people again. That’s what I’m fighting for in Congress.” Balint appears to be the only U.S. House candidate in Vermont to date. The state’s primary is on Aug. 13 and the filing deadline for major party candidates is May 30.