Trump-endorsed candidate clears key hurdle in red state gubernatorial race
Mike Mazzei, a former Oklahoma state senator and financial planner, won a primary election runoff on Tuesday evening with the backing of President Donald Trump to secure the GOP nomination for governor in Oklahoma. Having beaten out Gentner Drummond, the current Oklahoma attorney general, Mazzei is now the heavy favorite to become the Sooner State’s next governor. His win is also a political victory for outgoing Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has opposed Drummond for years. Stitt and Drummond have sparred over lawsuits, pointed letters and public criticisms. At one point, Stitt even described Drummond as a “longtime political enemy” in a quote to local outlets. TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE SPARKS RUNOFF AGAINST POPULAR PROSECUTOR IN KEY GUBERNATORIAL RACE The feud between them centers on Drummond’s attacks of Oklahoma poultry companies for what he sees as decades of phosphorus pollution in water supplies. Stitt has rebuffed those characterizations, calling them an overreach of Drummond’s role as attorney general and warning that litigation against the companies could threaten jobs and the agricultural industry of the state. Stitt endorsed Mazzei, stating that “we want a pro-business governor in there to take the lead for the next four years.” Stitt is prevented by term limits from running again. His exit prompted a crowded field of hopefuls to replace him, but after an initial primary on June 2, no candidate secured the 50% support needed to lock up the nomination outright. Only Drummond and Mazzei advanced to a runoff. Like Stitt, President Donald Trump also endorsed Mazzei, calling him a “MAGA warrior.” “As a successful Businessman, and former Chairman of the State Senate Finance Committee, and later, as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Budget, Mike knows the AMERICA FIRST Policies required to Grow our Economy, Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE,” Trump wrote in a May post to Truth Social. TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN Mazzei based his campaign on promises to cut taxes, among other state-government reforms. “I have a detailed plan to eliminate Oklahoma’s income tax in six years. I have a plan to eliminate property taxes for seniors and veterans,” Mazzei said in a campaign video posted to Instagram. In addition to tax reforms, Mazzei highlighted preventing foreign nationals from buying up state land, bolstering the Oklahoma education system and government spending accountability. In turn, Mazzei tried to paint Drummond as a fake Republican with a penchant for expanding government. “His solution to every problem is to raise taxes and grow government,” Mazzei said. “He doesn’t understand money and finance. Crunching numbers is a skill you pick up when you earn your wealth rather than inherit it.” In his own campaign, Drummond, a multigenerational rancher and former fighter pilot, highlighted his record as attorney general. On his website, he touted having confronted Chinese criminal operations growing illegal marijuana farms, shutting down thousands of their illegal grow operations and enforcing immigration law. “As a tough-on-crime attorney general and decorated fighter pilot, I have proven I will always fight for our freedom and defend our values,” Drummond said in a campaign video. TRUMP SWITCHES SUPPORT IN OKLAHOMA CONGRESSIONAL RACE AS FORMERLY ENDORSED PASTOR CANDIDATE SUSPENDS CAMPAIGN “I’ll keep standing strong with President Trump to secure the border, deport illegals and stop the flow of drugs and crime,” Drummond said. The Club for Growth, a pro-small-government group that advocates for lower taxes and free-market principles and contributed $9 million in support of Mazzei, praised his win. “Mike Mazzei is a principled conservative who will advocate for lower taxes, fewer regulations, and for Oklahoma parents to have a voice in their children’s education,” Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Meanwhile, Gentner Drummond has spent his career putting radical education bureaucrats ahead of families by opposing school freedom. The message is clear, if you oppose school freedom and call yourself a Republican, expect to lose your next primary.” Having cleared the primary, Mazzei will face off against Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson, House minority leader in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The general election is set for Nov. 3.
Dolly Parton refused to pick political sides for decades: ‘I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer’
Dolly Parton spent decades singing about love, heartbreak, faith and working “9 to 5,” but there was one arena the country music legend repeatedly resisted entering: partisan politics. “I am not political, and I refuse to get caught up in political things,” Parton told USA Today in a 2020 interview. Parton, who died Tuesday at 80, maintained that position through the presidential elections, pointed questions about President Donald Trump, offers of the nation’s highest civilian honor and controversies involving some of her fellow entertainers. KENNY CHESNEY TELLS BILL MAHER THE KEY REASON HE REFUSES TO TELL HIS LISTENERS HOW TO VOTE “I don’t like to get involved in politics, because first of all, I have as many Republican fans as I do Democrats,” Parton told USA Today. “I don’t want to offend anybody, I have a right to myself.” “Like God gave us free will, America gave us free speech, but you’ve got to be responsible for anything you say and do,” she added. Two years earlier, Parton was repeatedly pressed about Trump during an interview with ABC’s David Wright, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. DWAYNE ‘THE ROCK’ JOHNSON REJECTS HOLLYWOOD’S POLITICAL OBSESSION, BLASTS CELEBRITY ATTACK CULTURE “I have a lot of fans out there, and I don’t want to offend anybody,” Parton said. When Wright attempted to draw a parallel between Trump and the sexually abusive boss in Parton’s 1980 film “9 to 5,” she refused to bite. “I’m not addressing that,” Parton said. “I learned a long time ago, keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business. … I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer.” When Wright pointed out that Parton was also a role model, she responded: “Yes I am. That’s why I don’t talk about people.” JOHNNY CARSON’S FRIEND SAYS LATE-NIGHT KING WISELY AVOIDED PARTISANSHIP AS KIMMEL CONTROVERSY GROWS Parton’s determination to avoid partisan politics with one of America’s highest honors. She revealed in 2021 that the Trump administration had twice offered her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Parton said she declined the first offer because her husband, Carl Dean, was ill and the second because she would not travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the BBC. By then, the Biden administration had also approached her about the award. “Now I feel like if I take it, it’ll be doing politics, so I’m not so sure,” Parton told NBC’s “Today.” MICK JAGGER DOESN’T WANT TO ‘LECTURE’ FANS, SAYS HIS JOB IS TO MAKE PEOPLE ‘HAVE THE BEST TIME’ Her aversion to political camps did not mean she kept quiet about everything she believed. “I know whatever I say, people are going to listen, and they’re going to make more of it than maybe what I meant. So I have to be careful,” Parton told People in 2021. “Of course I have my opinion, but I’m not an opinionated person as a rule. You’re allowed your own beliefs and your own faith, but you don’t have to use it like a weapon when it could be a tool.” Parton’s political neutrality was something she could joke about. “My daddy was a Republican, my mama was a Democrat, and I’m a hypocrite!” Parton famously quipped, pronouncing ‘hypocrite’ as ‘hypo-crat’ in her iconic Tennessee drawl. DOLLY PARTON DEAD AT 80 Parton’s philosophy was tested again when she recorded a duet with Kid Rock for her 2023 album, “Rockstar.” Parton defended working with the conservative musician after she was questioned about the collaboration, telling The Hollywood Reporter that she had recorded the song before a controversy involving Kid Rock but would likely have worked with him anyway, according to Rolling Stone. “Hey, just because I love you don’t mean I don’t love Kid Rock. Just because I love Kid Rock don’t mean I don’t love you,” Parton said. “I don’t condemn or criticize. I just accept and love.” Parton said she still would “probably” have recorded the duet because she considered Kid Rock talented and believed accepting someone did not require agreeing with everything they did. BILLY RAY CYRUS URGES PRAYER FOR TRUMP, SAYS BEING COMMANDER IN CHIEF IS A ‘TOUGH JOB’ “I think that’s terrible,” Parton said, according to Rolling Stone. “We all make mistakes. We don’t all get caught at it.” Parton tied that belief to her Christian faith, arguing that people deserved forgiveness and second chances. “I ask God every day to let Him shine through me. He’s given me that gift to be able to talk to them, and I’m very careful with it. And people don’t really come to see me be me — they come to see me be them, the parts of me they can relate to,” she told People in 2021. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Parton clarified that she had not endorsed Hillary Clinton after comments she made about the Democratic nominee were interpreted as an endorsement, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Asked later about the race between Clinton and Trump, Parton jokingly called the campaign “the greatest show on television,” and described both candidates as “nuts.” Even running for president herself wasn’t entertained by the iconic entertainer for a moment. “No. I don’t think anybody could actually do a great job at that,” Parton told Metro in 2023, according to People. “I think we’ve had enough ‘boobs’ in the White House.” Parton said she preferred trying to make a difference through music and the way she treated others. “I’m not smart enough to be in politics, or maybe I’m too smart,” she said. “Either way, I’m not qualified for that type of a job. But I’m pretty qualified to do what I do, which is to point people in the right direction, to write about it in songs or speak about things.” Parton died after a “brief battle with cancer,” according to her representatives. At her request, a small, private service will be held for her immediate family, with the family asking for donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library rather than
Hochul remains defiant after sheriffs sue over law banning cooperation with ICE: ‘Bring it on’
More than a dozen New York sheriffs are suing over a state law prohibiting law enforcement from entering into or maintaining certain agreements with ICE for civil immigration enforcement, as Gov. Kathy Hochul dared the agency heads to “bring it on.” A federal lawsuit led by Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault argues that the law is unconstitutional and unlawfully restricts elected sheriffs’ ability to enter into federally authorized immigration-enforcement agreements. “Today, Kathy Hochul escalated her administration’s war on the police and she expanded polices to put criminals before the citizens of New York,” Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said on Tuesday. The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which Hochul signed in May, took effect on Tuesday, barring local and state law enforcement agencies from entering into partnerships with federal authorities to assist on civil immigration matters. The law also bars new agreements to house civil immigration detainees; existing detention agreements must be terminated under their applicable termination provisions within three months of the law’s effective date. BORDER CZAR HOMAN VOWS TO ‘FLOOD’ NEW YORK WITH ICE AGENTS DESPITE HOCHUL’S RESISTANCE Police may still assist ICE in cases of violent or other forms of non-immigration crime, but officers may not divert local resources to help with civil immigration enforcement as part of an effort to advance President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Hochul threatened to sue localities that refuse to end cooperation agreements with ICE, setting up a confrontation between herself and her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, as his county is among those with agreements with ICE. “No county executive should think that they are above the law in the state of New York,” Hochul said at a press conference on Tuesday. She said any police department or sheriff’s office that ignores the law and maintains an agreement with ICE will face legal action. “And to those suing us, those trying to block the implementation of this law who’ve tried before and failed, our law has already been upheld by the courts, but if you try me again, I say, bring it on,” the governor declared. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS NEW YORK LAW BANNING ICE AGENTS FROM WEARING MASKS New York Attorney General Letitia James also issued subpoenas to law enforcement agencies that either did not confirm plans to end their agreements or failed to provide what her office viewed as a satisfactory response. The subpoenas were sent to the sheriff’s offices of Broome, Steuben, Nassau and Rensselaer counties, as well as the Nassau County Police Department. If the agencies fail to comply, the attorney general is vowing to file a civil suit, a spokesperson for her office told CBS News. Hochul has said law enforcement will assist ICE “only if a real crime has been committed” but officers cannot use resources to help on civil immigration matters. “Because we need local cops hunting down criminals, not kindergartners. Breaking up drug rings, not breaking up families. Arresting gun runners, not grandmas,” Hochul said. Blakeman, who held a press conference at the same time as Hochul’s, did not address whether he would comply with the state’s orders, but he later told the New York Post he would “probably” join the sheriffs’ lawsuit. He has previously defended working with ICE to remove illegal immigrants, claiming at a recent event with Trump that about 2,000 of these individuals in his county have criminal records. “Kathy Hochul, where do you want those guns? What neighborhood do you want to destroy? Where do you want those drugs? What community do you want to destroy? Where do you want those illegal immigrants with criminal records to live? You want it back in New York? We say no,” Blakeman said at the time. The Department of Homeland Security said Hochul “must stop putting politics above public safety.” “This type of insanity leads to more crimes and more innocent victims,” a department spokesperson told the New York Post.
Trump endorsement boosts sister of late Lindsey Graham to historic runoff victory
A powerful name and an endorsement from President Donald Trump proved more than enough to score an unlikely candidate a win in the latest runoff election in South Carolina. Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., toppled Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in a whirlwind race to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, as the GOP nominee for the Senate after his sudden death in July. Just a little over a month after his death at 71 years old, South Carolinians opted to stick with a familiar name in Graham, who despite having little political experience prior to her appointment to finish out the remainder of her brother’s term, scored Trump’s coveted endorsement. DARLINE GRAHAM FACES MAKE-OR-BREAK GOP RUNOFF IN HISTORIC BID TO KEEP BROTHER’S SENATE SEAT Though her appointment by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was viewed as temporary, Trump pushed her to run beyond the five months left in her brother’s term. “Darline is somebody I’ve known for a long time,” Trump said during a rally for her in Myrtle Beach last week. “I asked her to do this. I said, ‘Darline, you got to do it,’ because everyone loves her. Everyone respects her.” “So I’ve known her through Lindsey — I’ve known her for so long,” he continued. “I think Lindsey respected Darline more than any other person he knows, including me.” LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER ADMITS SHE’S ‘NOT THAT INFORMED ON NATIONAL SECURITY’ WHILE SEEKING FULL SENATE TERM And Trump sent in last-minute financial reinforcements to help her, following a gaffe during her final debate with Norman when she admitted that she had little knowledge of the strategic importance of Taiwan. Graham has styled herself as a much different politician than her brother, focused more on domestic issues than foreign. Trump’s mammoth, $400 million campaign war chest through MAGA Inc., which has largely been untapped this cycle despite a handful of Senate races shifting in power dynamics across the country, dumped over $800,000 into a phone campaign in support of Graham over the weekend, according to campaign finance records. While Graham styled herself as a more home front than abroad focused candidate, she made one thing clear through debates and limited campaign time: a vote for her was a vote for the Trump agenda. RALPH NORMAN SUGGESTS SPECIAL GOP PRIMARY RUNOFF RIVAL DARLINE GRAHAM IS THE ESTABLISHMENT’S CHOSEN CANDIDATE She targeted Norman for bucking House Republican leadership, and, at times, Trump, but noted, “We already have enough problem Democrats, we don’t need a problem Republican.” And though she’s only been in the Senate for a handful of weeks, Graham argued to voters that she’d done more than Norman had in his entire congressional career, touting the passage of the long-awaited bipartisan Russia sanctions package initially pushed by her brother, but at times slowed by the White House. “I was in Washington for only two weeks before I passed the Russia and Iran Sanctions Act through the Senate,” Graham said. “I then passed the deciding vote to confirm President Trump’s attorney general, Todd Blanche.” “Simply put, I’ve done more in 20 days than Ralph Norman has done in 20 years.” Despite the bruising battle between Norman and Graham, Norman said he would be throwing his support behind her following his loss Tuesday, and planned to call Graham to say congratulations. “As I said earlier, I’m going to support the Republican. I’m not supporting a Democrat. So, I will support her – Darline – as best I can,” Norman said during his concession speech Tuesday evening.
Democratic newcomer scores runoff upset in Oklahoma, vows to impeach Trump if elected
A political newcomer just scored a victory in ruby-red Oklahoma, and, if elected, she would put all her energy into impeaching President Donald Trump. N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse who has never run for office before, bested Jim Priest, a lawyer and nonprofit executive, in the runoff race for the Democratic Senate nomination in Oklahoma. Thomas, though a new face, scored the highest percentage of votes in the June primary contest that featured five total candidates vying for the nomination. It tees up a battle against history in Oklahoma, where voters haven’t sent a Democrat to the Senate in more than three decades. PRIMARY TAKEAWAYS: DEMS’ LEFT-CENTER BATTLE INTENSIFIES AS SCHUMER TAKES ANOTHER HIT; SPLIT DECISION FOR TRUMP And Thomas, who lists a host of policy proposals on her campaign website, including beefing up teacher pay, restoring Roe v. Wade, and expanding Obamacare, among other boilerplate Democratic proposals, also wants to accomplish one thing in the early days of her Senate career: impeaching Trump. During an interview with NPR affiliate KOSU last month, Thomas was asked about the Republican nominee, Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., and his “fierce” backing of Trump, and how, if elected, she would approach a working relationship with the president. “Like I said, I’m kind, not nice. So I will make sure that I work as diligently as I can to make sure that within my first 100 days that we impeach, remove and convict,” Thomas said. “They will have to pry that pen out of my cold, dead hands before I go any further with allowing this administration to continue doing what they’re doing.” DEM SENATE CANDIDATE CALLS TO ‘SHUT THE WHITE HOUSE DOWN,’ IMPEACH 2 SUPREME COURT JUSTICES “So, I mean, hopefully that’s a good answer,” she continued. “But I am going to remove, impeach, remove and convict. That’s it. Like that’s all. That’s the answer.” First, she’d have to survive Election Night in November against Hern, a tall task given that Trump won Oklahoma by nearly 35 points in 2024. Though Thomas has pulled off two underdog performances, earning roughly 45% of the vote during her first go-round for the Democratic nomination and then defeating Priest with no political experience, Hern is a different matter. DARLINE GRAHAM FACES MAKE-OR-BREAK GOP RUNOFF IN HISTORIC BID TO KEEP BROTHER’S SENATE SEAT He’s amassed an impressive campaign war chest that at one point peaked at nearly $10 million so far this cycle. Thomas, however, has raised just shy of $60,000. He also boasts the endorsement of Trump and has touted his desire to pass the president’s biggest policy priority, the SAVE America Act. Hern noted in a statement to Fox News Digital that Oklahomans “love President Trump and the America First Agenda.” “Socialist Democrats like N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas are wildly out of touch with the values of Oklahomans and the direction they want our country moving toward,” Hern said. “President Trump and Republicans are focused on delivering results. N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas and the radical left are focused on partisan politics against a president Oklahomans overwhelmingly elected.”
Seattle man allegedly targeted governor after telling hospital of murderous plan: docs
A Seattle man accused of threatening Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson allegedly laid out a deadly plan during a hospital stay — one authorities say put the governor and those around him in danger. The alleged scheme began to unravel after Nathaniel David Foster, 34, checked himself into Swedish First Hill on July 18, while experiencing suicidal and homicidal thoughts, charging documents reviewed by Fox News Digital state. During an evaluation, Foster allegedly told a hospital caseworker he planned to head to Olympia and harm Ferguson. The caseworker alerted police, bringing Seattle officers and Washington State Patrol detectives into the case. FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY THREATENING TO KILL TRUMP, RUBIO AND BONDI What Foster allegedly told them went far beyond a vague threat. Foster allegedly described taking public transit to Olympia, then lurking near the governor’s mansion to watch where guards were positioned and when they changed shifts or took breaks. From there, authorities say, he planned to find a weak point in security and force his way inside. ARMED MAN ARRESTED AT US CAPITOL BARRICADE AS POLICE PROBE WHY HE DROVE ONTO RESTRICTED GROUNDS Foster allegedly said he was willing to hurt or kill anyone standing between him and the governor, the documents state. Prosecutors say Foster believed attacking Ferguson would draw attention to grievances he had over his treatment while incarcerated at a Spokane correctional facility. He allegedly told investigators he would do “what he has to do” to get the result he wanted. FEMALE INMATE SUES WASHINGTON STATE AFTER ALLEGED ATTACK BY MALE-BORN PRISONER IN WOMEN’S FACILITY Foster is charged in King County Superior Court with threatening to kill Ferguson. Prosecutors have asked a judge to set his bail at $50,000 and bar him from contacting the governor, arguing he poses a danger to the public. The case also comes with a troubling history. AS SOCIALIST MAYOR BATTLES ICE, SEATTLE POLICE AND CRIME VICTIMS SAY REPEAT OFFENDERS ARE TERRORIZING THE CITY Court filings list Foster’s prior convictions for second-degree robbery in 2008, third-degree assault in 2009 and third-degree malicious mischief in 2023. Then, in 2025, he was accused of stabbing a Ralph’s Thriftway employee in the face in Olympia after being greeted, according to the probable-cause declaration. WHEN IS A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS TOO SEVERE FOR TELEHEALTH? WARNING SIGNS FAMILIES SHOULDN’T IGNORE Authorities wrote that Foster said “voices in his head” told him to carry out the alleged attack and that he wanted to kill police officers and politicians. That case was later dismissed after Foster was found not competent to stand trial, according to court records cited in the documents. The bail filing also lists several other cases dismissed because of competency concerns, including 2025 charges of custodial assault and second-degree assault. Foster failed to appear for an Aug. 17 arraignment, leading a judge to confirm a bench warrant, court minutes show. He was later booked into the King County Jail on a separate third-degree malicious mischief allegation. Fox News Digital reached out to Ferguson’s office for comment. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
Daughter of late House Dem loses runoff bid to finish father’s term
Marcye Scott, the daughter of late Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., fell short Tuesday in her bid to succeed her father in Congress for the final few months of his term, despite leading the first-round of voting last month. Former teacher and Gwinnett County school board chairman Everton Blair defeated Scott in the special election runoff for the remainder of David Scott’s term in Georgia’s heavily Democratic 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of metro Atlanta. Blair will hold the seat only through early January, when the winner of November’s regularly scheduled general election takes office. Blair also ran in the primary to compete for a full-term, but lost to Democratic Georgia state representative Jasmine Clark in the primary earlier this year. Clark will battle Republican Jonathan Chavez in November for the seat, the official term for which will start in January 2027. AFTER LINDSEY GRAHAM’S DEATH, SISTER JOINS LONG LIST OF RELATIVES WHO REPLACED LATE FAMILY MEMBERS IN CONGRESS David Scott represented the district for more than two decades before dying April 22 at age 80. At the time of his death, he was seeking a 13th term and facing a competitive Democratic primary challenge from Clark and others. In 2024, he carried the district with roughly 72% of the vote, while then-Vice President Kamala Harris won about 71% there in the presidential race, compared with roughly 28% for President Donald Trump. UNEARTHED INTERVIEW EXPOSES DEM SENATOR’S PAST SUPPORT FOR REPARATIONS: ‘THERE IS A DEBT UNPAID’ Marcye Scott entered Tuesday’s runoff after leading the July 28 special election with roughly 46% of the vote, compared with about 38% for Blair, but fell short of the majority required to win outright, leading to the runoff against Blair. Blair’s victory would restore voting representation to Georgia’s heavily Democratic 13th District and add another Democratic vote to the narrowly divided House for the final months of the 119th Congress. Georgia’s 13th District has been without voting representation since David Scott’s death, although his former congressional offices have remained open under the supervision of the House clerk to provide constituent services, according to the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. According to his campaign’s website, Blair earned graduate degrees from Stanford and Harvard, previously worked with the Obama administration’s White House Initiative on Educational Excellence and, in 2018, was the first Black and youngest-ever member elected to his county’s school board.
Clinton-appointed judge triggers appeal after blocking key voter citizenship law
A Clinton-appointed judge in Ohio is blocking the implementation of an Ohio law that requires voting registrants to provide photo ID proof of their citizenship before enrollment. In a decision delivered on Tuesday, Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. stayed the law, citing what he saw as a conflict with federal requirements. “The court grants plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction … from relying on House Bill 54’s amendment to require any driver’s license or renewal to produce documentary proof of citizenship before offering the opportunity to register to vote,” Oliver wrote. The decision is just the latest development in the national debate over state-level voting requirements designed to prevent non-citizens from participating in U.S. elections — and how far those requirements can go without overarching federal reforms. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RESTORES TEXAS MAIL BALLOT ID REQUIREMENTS IN MAJOR ELECTION INTEGRITY RULING Most immediately, the decision means that voter registrants in Ohio can once again enroll without a passport, a current driver’s license, a certification of naturalization, or a birth certificate. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced on Tuesday that his office plans to appeal the decision. “We strongly disagree with that decision, and I’ve asked our legal team to file an immediate appeal. I will vigorously defend our legal authority to safeguard our voter rolls and protect the integrity of Ohio’s elections,” LaRose said in a statement. In the case of Red Wine & Blue v. the Ohio Secretary of State, the court was asked to weigh whether requirements under the new Ohio law conflict with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), also known as the “Motor Voter Act.” That law, passed in 1993 under the Clinton administration, instructs states to give voters the opportunity to register to vote using the same information they use when applying for a driver’s license. The bill was originally intended to increase voter participation. NEW JERSEY REMOVES 6,600 PEOPLE FROM VOTER ROLLS WHO WERE ELIGIBLE TO CAST A BALLOT FOR 2024 ELECTION It states that “the voter registration application portion … for a driver’s license may not require any information that duplicates information required in the driver’s license portion of the form.” Notably, the NVRA doesn’t explicitly prohibit states from requiring proof of citizenship. But because virtually all driver’s license forms ask about citizenship status, Oliver believes further proof amounts to redundancy. He laid out his view in Tuesday’s decision. “As the rest of Ohio’s voter registration scheme demonstrates, election officials do not need documentary proof of citizenship to assess a voter registration applicant’s citizenship because signed attestation of citizenship is enough,” Oliver wrote. LaRose, the secretary of state, disagreed. He cited instances of known voter fraud that have escaped detection because of the current enforcement mechanisms. MEXICAN NATIONAL CONVICTED OF ILLEGALLY VOTING IN US AFTER FALSE CITIZENSHIP CLAIMS FACES REMOVAL: DHS “Earlier this year, an Ohio woman admitted to voting illegally as a lawful permanent resident in 2018 because, according to the judge in the case, ‘a [Bureau of Motor Vehicles] clerk, a government official, told her to register.’ The court found her not guilty by reason of entrapment. The judge specifically noted that the voter admitted she knew she was not a citizen when she voted, but he found that the BMV employee misled her into violating the law by implying she was eligible to vote.” “The Franklin County case proves it’s not enough to just have a person’s attestation,” LaRose added. “Ohio has a constitutional requirement to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections.”
Newsom promises new legal fight after Trump gets Supreme Court victory on mail-in voting
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to sue the Trump administration over its push to restrict mail-in voting after the Supreme Court allowed the administration to enforce challenged provisions of President Donald Trump’s executive order for “election integrity” while litigation continues. The announcement sets up the next phase of the legal fight after the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled 6-3 in favor of the Trump administration Monday, lifting an injunction that had blocked the order in 23 states ahead of November’s midterm elections. SCOTUS stressed that its decision addressed the injunction rather than the ultimate legality of the order, leaving the door open to additional challenges. Newsom criticized the decision in a statement released by his office. JACKSON RIPS INTO SUPREME COURT COLLEAGUES’ ‘SERIOUS LEGAL ERROR’ ON TRUMP MAIL-IN VOTING ORDER “The Supreme Court just let the Trump administration move ahead (for now) with its plan to disenfranchise voters across the country,” Newsom said. “California will be suing AGAIN to block these Orwellian rules from being implemented.” Newsom’s office also highlighted two election-related bills moving through the California Legislature that the governor says would protect the state’s elections from interference. According to the governor’s office, AB 282 would establish new felonies involving the seizure of ballots, election records or certified voting technology before election results are certified. SB 259 would establish criminal penalties for interfering with the delivery or return of mail-in ballots, including a felony carrying up to four years in prison in certain cases. CALIFORNIA ACCUSED OF BLOCKING FEDERAL VOTER ROLL AUDIT AS DOJ ESCALATES PROBE OF ELECTION FRAUD CLAIMS The governor’s office described the measures as an “Election Protection” package and said they build on election-related legislation Newsom signed earlier this summer. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Department of Justice said they would move to implement the revised mail-ballot restrictions following Monday’s ruling. Trump’s executive order directs federal agencies to compile citizenship-based lists of eligible voters and directs the USPS to deliver mail-in ballots only to people appearing on approved lists. USPS WOULDN’T DELIVER BALLOTS IN STATES THAT REFUSE TO FORK OVER MAIL-IN VOTER INFO UNDER PROPOSED RULE In explaining its decision, the Supreme Court concluded that the challenged provision directing the Department of Homeland Security to create and distribute state citizenship lists imposed obligations on federal agencies rather than the states themselves. The court wrote: “[It] directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to take appropriate action to create and distribute State Citizenship Lists. This provision is an internal directive from the President to a subordinate. It imposes no obligations on the States, so they ‘suffer no concrete harm from’ it, and without concrete harm, there is no standing.” Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. A representative for Newsom did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Georgia redistricting battle revived after appeals court overturns federal court decision
Georgia secured a major victory Tuesday in its long-running redistricting battle after a federal appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that the state’s 2021 maps violated the Voting Rights Act, sending the case back for a complete re-evaluation. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the lower court must determine whether there was a “strong inference” that the maps were intentionally drawn to dilute Black voting power, rather than simply finding that the maps had a discriminatory effect under permissible partisan gerrymandering. The decision follows a major Supreme Court ruling in a similar Louisiana case that significantly modified the legal framework for determining racial discrimination in redistricting. The high court said plaintiffs must provide evidence of “present-day intentional racial discrimination.” “Plaintiffs must be able to show that voters are engaged in racial-bloc voting because of race, not partisan affiliation,” the ruling stated. BLOCKBUSTER SUPREME COURT VOTING RIGHTS RULING IGNITES REDISTRICTING WAR ACROSS SOUTHERN STATES In 2023, a federal judge ruled that Georgia’s congressional and state legislative maps drawn after the 2020 census violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and issued a permanent injunction barring Georgia from using the maps in future elections. The lower court specifically ordered the state to create additional majority-Black districts across the state Senate, state House of Representatives and U.S. congressional districts. Meanwhile, a similar redistricting battle was unfolding in Louisiana, where Robinson v. Ardoin challenged the state’s congressional map, which initially included just one majority-Black district out of six. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS ALABAMA REDISTRICTING PLAN IN BLOW TO TRUMP A federal court later ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, ordering Louisiana to create a second majority-Black district after finding that the original map violated the Voting Rights Act. However, a group of non-minority voters later challenged the new map, arguing that the newly created district amounted to racial gerrymandering and violated the 14th and 15th Amendments. In the second lawsuit, Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the constitutionality of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act while clarifying how courts should evaluate claims of racial discrimination in redistricting. The ruling emphasized the need for evidence supporting a “strong inference” of intentional discrimination, rather than relying solely on the effects of a map. WHY THE SUPREME COURT GUTTED THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT AFTER SIX DECADES IN A BLOW TO BLACK POLITICIANS The decision also altered the legal framework federal courts have used for decades to evaluate racial vote-dilution claims. Established in the Supreme Court’s 1986 ruling in Thornburg v. Gingles, the Gingles framework generally did not require plaintiffs to prove that lawmakers acted with racial intent and instead focused on whether a voting system had discriminatory effects. The Georgia case will now return to the district court for reconsideration under the Supreme Court’s framework established in Louisiana v. Callais.