Alito warns against congressional Supreme Court meddling, says some lower court judges ‘have gone far astray’
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Jr. on Thursday warned that Congress could defund the high court, hamstringing its ability to carry out its operations, The Hill reported. “Congress can turn off the lights at the Supreme Court and stop everything from happening if they want to defund their activities. And there are many, many, many other things that they can do, or at least try to do,” Alito said during remarks at the Federalist Society’s Antonin Scalia Memorial Dinner, the outlet reported. “So, it is important to preserve the independence of the judiciary,” he reportedly said. “If that is eliminated, then the Constitution as adopted in 1789 will no longer be the same.” ALITO REITERATES HE’S NOT RETIRING, IS COMMITTED THROUGH END OF CURRENT SUPREME COURT TERM While Congress could target the Supreme Court’s funding, the U.S. Constitution explicitly protects the pay of high court justices. “The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office,” Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution reads. TRUMP’S SUPREME COURT MAJORITY FACES LOOMING THREAT AFTER DEM SENATE TAKEOVER: ‘STUCK’ Alito indicated that lower-level judges have at times handed down “unjustified” orders obstructing the policies of presidents during recent years, The Hill reported. “They are dedicated, and they are skillful, but they’re not perfect, and they make mistakes,” he said, according to the report. “And in some instances, I think they have gone far astray in abuse of their powers.” DOJ LAUNCHES CRIMINAL PROBE INTO SUPREME COURT LEAK THAT EXPOSED RULING OVERTURNING ROE V WADE Alito, who has served on the Supreme Court since early 2006, was nominated by Republican President George W. Bush.
SOUND OFF: What’s Chuck Schumer’s future with Senate Dems?
Sound off here: What’s the future of the Senate Democrats’ leadership now that Sen. Chuck Schumer faces a challenger?
Rubio’s next move? Lawyers eye speech of ‘visionary’ leader for 2028 clues after GOP’s midterm wipeout
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will deliver his first major speech apart from his diplomatic duties Friday following the GOP’s blowout midterm losses, with some attendees at the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention eager to hear how he will chart a path forward as the 2028 presidential race draws closer. “I think it will be an interesting speech to see what he says post midterms,” attendee Isaiah McKinney told Fox News Digital. “I’m expecting him to discuss both the successes and failures of the administration and what his plans are moving forward — especially as the secretary of state. I hope he addresses the foreign policy implications and how he thinks foreign policy played a role into that, into the election results.” Rubio will deliver an approximately 45-minute speech for the Barbara Olson Memorial Lecture, whose previous speakers include former Attorney General Bill Barr and The Free Press founder Bari Weiss. But another question weighs heavily on the minds of attendees at the annual conference in Washington, D.C., which attracts prominent lawyers affiliated with the conservative movement. HOUSE CONSERVATIVE EMERGES WITH 2028 PRESIDENTIAL PICK AFTER GOP’S MIDTERM MASSACRE: ‘I AM ALL IN’ “There are a lot of people in the room who are going to be wondering if he’s still planning on running for president someday,” Rachel Paulose, a former U.S. attorney and general counsel at Upper Midwest Law Center, told Fox News Digital. “That will be a question that will be top of mind for a lot of people.” The question comes following a CNN report citing officials close to Vice President JD Vance — often described as President Donald Trump’s MAGA heir apparent — who expressed concern that Republicans would not be able to win the 2028 presidential race if the Iran war remains an issue during the campaign. Republicans lost a net 41 House seats and eight Senate seats, with Alaska’s Senate race still undecided, marking the largest simultaneous loss in both chambers of Congress for Republicans in a midterm election since 1958. President Donald Trump has partly blamed the losses on voters’ opposition to the Iran war, and Vance was more direct about the war’s impact on the election results, though Rubio has yet to weigh in. “The fact of the matter is that the Republicans got blown out pretty well in the recent election,” John Shu, a legal commentator who served in the administrations of former Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital. “And it’s possible that he may talk about the budgetary process. It’ll be interesting to see what the Democratic House and the Democrat Senate will do regarding funding of the State Department.” Shu said Rubio could also address U. S. strikes on suspected drug cartels off the coast of Venezuela in fall 2025, which drew sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers, including six Democrats with military or intelligence backgrounds who released a video urging service members to disobey unlawful orders. CONSERVATIVES STUNNED BY ‘CATASTROPHIC’ MIDTERM BLUE TSUNAMI, BLAME TRUMP’S IRAN WAR, HIGH GAS PRICES “I don’t know that he’s going to address the domestic policies. I mean, he’s the secretary of state,” Shu said. Trump has previously floated a 2028 ticket pairing Vance and Rubio, who at one point held four senior administration roles simultaneously and became the subject of a running internet joke about his expanding portfolio. Trump has also joked about who would top the ticket. “I don’t know anything about who’s going to run in 2028, but what I appreciate about Secretary Rubio is he is traveling all around the country and all around the world to talk about the importance of American values, what binds us, what brings us all together, and the importance of our Constitution,” Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan told Fox News Digital. TRUMP TOLD DONORS ‘WE NEED TO ELECT JD,’ SOURCE CONFIRMS, AS HE WEIGHS VANCE OR RUBIO IN 2028 Rubio’s address at the Mayflower Hotel follows a trip to Paris this week for G-7 meetings focused on Iran, Ukraine and other international challenges. “I think that Secretary Rubio already is a person of high standing for a lot of people in this room,” Paulose told Fox News Digital. RUBIO SOUNDS CAMPAIGN-READY AS HE RAILS AGAINST OPEN BORDERS, GLOBALISM IN SPEECH FROM ANCIENT GREEK RUINS Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, was first elected to the U. S. Senate representing Florida in 2010, and served until 2025, when Trump tapped him to become secretary of state. Rubio ran for president in 2016, dropping out of the race after losing his home-state primary in Florida. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “There are people who have worked for him, who’ve campaigned for him, who’ve believed in him for a very long time and who’ve seen him at his best, but I also think that there’s a real opportunity for him to deliver a positive message and a path forward for the movement,” Paulose told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department and the White House for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Jeffries shredded over Hegseth impeachment snafu as Dem jockeys for speaker’s gavel
Back-to-back blunders on the House floor are raising questions over whether Democrats are ready for primetime as they’re poised to take over the majority — and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., makes a bid for the top role. Democrats are projected to win 255 House seats, with 12 races yet to be called, and Jeffries is running to be Speaker of the House following the sweeping victories last week that saw the party make gains even in traditional Republican strongholds like Texas, Mississippi, Kansas and South Carolina. But some have questioned whether the recent snafus signal that Jeffries and other leaders may not be ready to be in command of the House majority. “I may have to rethink my support of Hakeem Jeffries after the Hegseth impeachment vote,” Fred Trump III, a Democrat, author and nephew of President Donald Trump, posted on X. “Eleven Democrats do not show up? All Republicans vote it down.” “Pete Hegseth is laughing at you and is stronger today. Shame,” he continued. “A slap in the face of the military and veterans on this important day.” HEGSETH THWARTS GOP-LED IMPEACHMENT PUSH AS QUESTIONS SWIRL OVER WHETHER ALLEGATIONS RISE TO HIGH CRIMES House GOP leaders successfully blocked Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., from leading the charge to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth earlier this week. Part of the reason for the failure was the absence of 11 House Democrats during a procedural vote on Tuesday evening. Had just seven of them been present, the vote to kill Massie’s impeachment resolution would have failed, triggering debate and a vote on impeaching the Cabinet secretary likely the next day. “Everyone knew that attendance was key tonight but somehow Democratic leaders failed to deliver and handed Republicans a win,” Demand Progress Executive Director Sean Vitka said in a statement. ‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOST CALLS DEMOCRATS MISSING HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT VOTE A ‘SELF-INFLICTED WOUND’ Progressive journalist David Schuster wrote on X, “Sure, house Dems will have 259 seats in January instead of current 213. And Hegseth impeachment can be reintroduced. But Hakeem having 11 Dem absences today on Hegseth (thus losing vote) reveals a Hakeem leadership problem. Embarrassing.” An emotional Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., said in a video posted to X that she and other Democrats were stuck in traffic when they missed the vote. Various reports, however, said they were at a fundraiser less than two miles from the U.S. Capitol. HOUSE DEM MISSES HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT VOTE BECAUSE OF MAJOR MEDICAL PROCEDURE ONE WEEK AFTER ELECTION DAY Others blamed medical procedures and family emergencies. The day after, a bill Democratic leadership was actively urging lawmakers to vote against passed by unanimous voice vote — simply because no Democrats called for a roll call instead. Democrats accused Republicans of parliamentary tricks, including a post on the X account belonging to the House Veterans Affairs Committee minority, “Republicans pushed it through that way intentionally so their members wouldn’t have to go on the record supporting cuts to veterans’ benefits.” But the majority of Democrats do not believe it is an early blight on Jeffries’ potential speakership. HAKEEM JEFFRIES DECLARES BID FOR HOUSE SPEAKER AFTER GOP’S MIDTERM MASSACRE “I think there’s frustration in terms of whipping votes. I’m not entirely sure where the breakdown is. And it does seem like there’s maybe some tension somewhere,” Democratic strategist Mike Nellis told Fox News Digital. “I think it’ll be incumbent on the incoming speaker to make sure that everybody feels like they’re on the same page … beyond that, if you’re asking me if it makes a difference in a leadership flight, I mean, nobody’s running against Hakeem. I haven’t heard of anybody seriously thinking about doing that, so I don’t know that it’ll change anything.” He said House Democrats largely “have faith” in Jeffries and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., who is poised to be the next House Majority Leader. Democrat Dan Turrentine, co-host of “The Huddle,” told Fox News Digital “a few Democrats unintentionally missed one vote. Unfortunately, this happens periodically in both chambers, for both parties. It does not speak to Jeffries’ leadership.” And other House Democrats, when asked, directed frustration at their colleagues instead. “My message is always to members that we need to be here and be on time,” Clark told reporters Wednesday. “But there was a clear message from the Republican Party as well that they are unwilling, even after this election, to stand up against Hegseth in this war.” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said, “It’s unfortunate, but that’s not on leadership.” Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries’ political team for comment.
Sen Bernie Sanders supports Chris Van Hollen’s bid to challenge Schumer for Senate Democratic leader post
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is backing Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., for the role of Senate Democratic leader. “The American people voted for change. They want a Democratic Party that will stand up to powerful special interests, take on the billionaire class and fight for working families. That is why I am supporting Senator Chris Van Hollen to lead Senate Democrats,” Sanders said in a Thursday post on X. Van Hollen threw his hat into the ring for the role on Thursday, mounting a challenge against current Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who is looking to retain the Senate Democratic leader position to serve as Senate majority leader next year. “In this election, Americans called on us to unrig an economy rigged against working people & fueled by political corruption. To deliver, we need new leadership. This isn’t about any one person – it’s about answering that call. That’s why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader,” Van Hollen said in a Thursday post on X. VAN HOLLEN CHALLENGES SCHUMER FOR SENATE LEADERSHIP AFTER DEMOCRATIC ELECTION SWEEP Schumer asserted in a post that he has the support to retain his leadership position: “I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together—55 seats and counting is an amazing result—and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader. I look forward to leading our new Democratic majority and delivering for the American people.” Sanders had said during a Tuesday press conference that he would not support Schumer for re-election as Senate Democratic leader. During an interview on an episode of “The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart,” Sanders said that he would support Van Hollen if he decided to run for the role. DEMOCRATS TURN ON SCHUMER AFTER HISTORIC ELECTION WINS AS POTENTIAL CHALLENGER EMERGES Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated President Donald Trump-backed former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan’s 2026 U.S. Senate contest, is also backing Van Hollen. “The American public spoke clearly last week. They rejected Trumpism. But we have yet to earn our mandate. That will require bold leadership. I called on Sen. @ChrisVanHollen to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience. We need both right now. Which is why I’m proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority,” El-Sayed wrote in a Thursday post on X when sharing Van Hollen’s announcement. BERNIE SANDERS SAYS HE WON’T BACK SCHUMER AS PUSH FOR NEW LEADERSHIP GAINS STEAM Republican National Committee national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre said in a statement posted on X that “Chris Van Hollen cares more about a Salvadoran gang member than working families. This leadership brawl previews the D.C. Democrats’ agenda: chaos, infighting, and a race to see who can sell their soul to the far left fastest. Whoever is the winner gets to lead the charge to open our borders, shred our Constitution, and treat taxpayers like bottomless ATMs.”
Pence leaves door open to 2028 White House run, issues stark warning to GOP after midterm disaster
EXCLUSIVE – Former Vice President Mike Pence isn’t ruling out another run for the White House in 2028, telling Fox News Digital that he has heard from people across the country about a potential presidential bid. The former vice president also delivered a warning to his party following the GOP’s severe setbacks in the 2026 midterm elections, arguing that Republicans risk another defeat unless they abandon departures from the traditional conservative principles that have defined the party for decades. Pence, who unsuccessfully campaigned for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said at an event in September at the Economic Club of Washington that he had “no plans” to run for president or any other elected office in 2028. But in his first interview since the midterms, Pence appeared to leave the door open to another White House bid, telling Fox News Digital he’s received outreach urging him to consider another White House bid. ONLY ON FOX NEWS: PENCE DELIVERS SCATHING REBUKE TO VANCE, TRUMP “We’ve been hearing from a lot of people around the country. I’ve been very humbled by that,” he said. Pence didn’t reveal any timeline for making a 2028 decision. Instead, he repeatedly emphasized that “the most important thing is that we win the presidency in 2028. And to do that, I think it will be essential that we focus first on what we’re for before we focus on who we’re for.” WILL TRUMP AVOID MAKING AN ENDORSEMENT IN THE 2028 GOP NOMINATION RACE? Pence, who has seen Advancing American Freedom, his policy and advocacy organization, dramatically expand over the past year, highlighted that he’s going to “continue to lean into advocating that broad mainstream conservative agenda that’s defined the Republican Party for the last 50 years.” “The truth is, if we don’t return the Republican Party to the principles of a strong defense, limited government, fiscal responsibility and the right to life, it won’t matter who we nominate in 2028.” Pence partially blames the GOP’s midterm shellacking, which saw the Democrats win a large House majority and also regain control of the Senate, on what he argues is President Donald Trump‘s second term retreat from conservative principles and towards a populist agenda. Pence, who served as Trump’s first-term vice president, claimed that “this version of Republicanism was just rejected by the American people” in what he called “the wreckage of the 2026 midterm elections.” Asked for comment, White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital, “Mike Pence’s total and complete lack of courage caused untold damage to our great country. If Republican voters cared what Mike Pence had to say, he wouldn’t have had to drop out of the presidential race months before the Iowa caucuses.” VANCE, CRUZ, DESANTIS DIAGNOSE GOP’S MIDTERM DISASTER AS 2028 BATTLE BEGINS Looking ahead, Pence said, “I don’t know what the future holds, but all of my energies, all of my focus and my calling now is to be a champion and an advocate for the conservative principles that have defined our party, led us to our greatest successes, and always made America strong and prosperous and free.” Asked if he doesn’t run, he could support Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio if either seeks the GOP nomination, Pence answered, “What I’m gonna be looking for is men and women who embrace that historic traditional conservative agenda of the Republican Party.” He argued that “there’s a lot of folks on the populist right that suggest that people that that hew to that old Reagan tradition don’t know what time it is, and I think the midterm elections have given a verdict on their approach to Republicanism.”
Newsom reveals when he’ll decide on 2028 White House bid amid growing speculation
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that he will decide within the next two months whether to seek the presidency, revealing that he plans to make up his mind by early January about a potential 2028 bid. Newsom, who will leave office in January, was asked about his presidential aspirations while attending the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Turkey. “As it relates to 2028, we’ll make that decision in the next few months,” Newsom told Turkey’s Anadolu news agency. “I’ll make the determination at the beginning of the year,” he continued. “So we’ll spend the next few weeks with the family and make a decision early January.” GAVIN NEWSOM SEEKS COUNSEL FROM ‘MASTER’ BILL CLINTON AS HE PLOTS PROJECT 2029 Newsom has long been discussed as a potential 2028 contender, frequently mentioned among possible Democratic candidates, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. However, fellow Californian and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris could complicate Newsom’s plans if she decides to launch another White House bid. Newsom previously said he would not run for president if Harris entered the race. “I don’t know if she runs, but we’ll see,” Newsom told CNN’s Jake Tapper in a September interview. “But I wouldn’t run if she ran.” “If she runs, you will not,” Tapper responded. NEWSOM ROASTED ONLINE FOR ‘STAGED’ FLY-FISHING INTERVIEW WITH CNN ANCHOR WHERE HE DROPPED MAJOR 2028 HINT “Of course not. Why would I?” Newsom said. “I wouldn’t do that to her … I wouldn’t do that to you. I wouldn’t waste everyone’s time. Who needs that?” Newsom also suggested during the interview that spectators would feast on the “mutual-assured destruction” among Democrats competing for the nomination. “I mean, you do whatever you want. I don’t care,” Tapper told Newsom. “But [the] counterargument would be, like, you know, she had her shot. And you’ve never run, and she’s run twice.” “Yeah,” Newsom responded. “I mean, that’d be the approach to the campaign, certainly. That’d be the case you’d make. Pretty good one, actually. That’s objectively true.” KATHY HOCHUL ENTERTAINS MASSIVE POLITICAL PROMOTION AS DEMOCRATS LOOK AHEAD TO 2028 Newsom, who is term-limited after 2026, outlined his political timeline just over a week after Republicans suffered sweeping defeats in the midterm elections, losing control of both chambers of Congress and several traditionally Republican strongholds. Newsom said he was “particularly pleased with the outcome of the election.” “Donald Trump’s presidency, as we know it, ended last week in the U.S.,” he said. “It was an historic rebuke of his tenure and now it’s incumbent upon those that were successful to govern and to lead my party. The Democratic Party now has to set forth a positive alternative agenda to Donald Trump.” Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
Dan Patrick concedes Texas ‘turned purple’ after Democrats’ historic blue wave
Outgoing Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, acknowledged Thursday that the Lone Star State “turned purple” after Democrats’ so-called blue wave swept statewide races and flipped the governor’s office, a U.S. Senate seat and Texas House. During his latest episode of the “Lt. Dan Podcast,” Patrick acknowledged that Texas’ political makeup is shifting left but stopped short of saying the state had turned blue after many others had described it as now a blue state. “Right now, I’d say it’s purple,” he said. “We’ve been winning consistently, and people see it as a red state. But this time, the Democrats turned out more of their Democrat voters than Republicans turned out of their voters. But what really made the difference were the independent voters, the voters who don’t vote in Republican or Democrat primaries. They only vote in general elections. “For almost every election, we’ve been winning those voters. We didn’t win them now. Will they stay voting for Democrats in the future? Two years ago, they almost all voted for the president. Four years ago, almost all voted for [Gov.] Greg Abbott, myself and the other Republicans. So, I wouldn’t say we are a blue state, but we’ve turned purple for this moment. TED CRUZ SAYS ‘BLUE TSUNAMI’ TOOK OVER TEXAS AFTER DEMOCRATS SWEPT STATEWIDE RACES “The wave election, a lot of factors involved from the top down, from Washington down to Texas and all the other states where Republicans lost,” Patrick added. “I would say it’s a group of voters who are willing to change their vote election to election depending on how they feel and how they feel about who’s in charge. So, we’re not a blue state, but we’re going to have to work too hard to be sure in ’28 and ’30 and ’32 we don’t become one.” Patrick, who ran for re-election but lost his race to Democrat Vikki Goodwin, was among the Republicans hit by Democrats’ blue wave. Abbott, who was vying for a fourth term, lost in his re-election bid to Democrat Gina Hinojosa, and Texas Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton was defeated by Democrat James Talarico as part of huge Dem gains in the state and across the country, including in other traditional GOP strongholds. Democrats won every statewide race in Texas, bringing an end to decades of Republican control in contests that had once been considered sure bets for the GOP and leaving Sen. Ted Cruz as the only Republican holding statewide elected office. TRUMP’S GAMBLE ON KEN PAXTON BACKFIRES AS DEMOCRAT PULLS OFF HISTORIC TEXAS SENATE UPSET Patrick said Republicans lost voters in places and demographics they had gained in 2024, including the Rio Grande Valley and young voters. He joined President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other Republican leaders in attributing the party’s disastrous showing last week primarily to voters’ frustrations over affordability and the Iran war, which has caused soaring fuel prices. Gas prices are about 83 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, according to AAA, which listed the national average at $3.91 per gallon on Thursday, compared with $3.08 a year earlier. “We were in a tidal wave, a tsunami that washed across the country where people just said, ‘I can’t afford to feed my family. I can’t afford to pay my bills. I can’t even afford to fill up my car or truck,’” Patrick said. “It was almost to the point where, no matter what our message was, it didn’t matter. People were unhappy, and I get it.” “People can agree with you on cultural issues or policy issues, but it doesn’t mean they’re gonna vote for you if they can’t afford groceries,” he added. Patrick further acknowledged that the war in the Middle East has increased the cost of fuel but refused to denounce Trump’s decision to attack Iran. “I totally support the president on that. If they had intelligence that Iran was gonna get a nuclear weapon, we could be in the middle of World War III if he didn’t take action, or Israel could have already been blown off the map,” Patrick said. “So, I support what the president did, but the reality is that had an impact.”
Van Hollen challenges Schumer for Senate leadership after Democratic election sweep
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., officially has a challenger for the mantle of Democratic leader, and incoming majority leader, in the Senate. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who has become a progressive darling and outlet for those against Schumer’s bid for another term as top Democrat, officially announced that he was jumping in to challenge the longtime figurehead of the Senate Democratic Caucus. “In this election, the American people called for change,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “They called for a change from Donald Trump’s disastrous policies – but even bigger than that, a change from the status quo that isn’t working for working people.” BERNIE SANDERS SAYS HE WON’T BACK SCHUMER AS PUSH FOR NEW LEADERSHIP GAINS STEAM “It’s now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership,” he continued. “This is not about any one person – it’s about answering the call of the American people. That is why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader.” Van Hollen, 67, has served in Congress for 23 years, first starting in the House before moving to the Senate in 2017. Schumer, 75, has been an elected official since 1981. The Maryland Democrat’s decision to run against Schumer comes after a listening tour with Senate Democrats, and follows his initial ambition of “kicking the tires” on jumping into the 2028 presidential conversation. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: A USER’S MANUAL TO UPCOMING LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE Since entering the Senate, Van Hollen has occupied Schumer’s left flank. It wasn’t until earlier this week that he fully took a shot at him, arguing that the longtime leader had chosen the “crypto industry,” and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) over progressive candidates that eventually won during this past midterm cycle. But he’s managed to capture some of the superstars of the Left, most notably Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, who pushed Van Hollen to run. “The American public spoke clearly last week. They rejected Trumpism. But we have yet to earn our mandate. That will require bold leadership. I called on Sen. [Chris Van Hollen] to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience. We need both right now. Which is why I’m proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority.” RACHEL MADDOW WELCOMES ‘BIG FIGHT’ BETWEEN SOCIALIST AND MODERATE DEMOCRATS AFTER MIDTERM WINS Schumer did not take the challenge lying down. “I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead,” Schumer said on X. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together—55 seats and counting is an amazing result—and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader.” “I look forward to leading our new Democratic majority and delivering for the American people,” he continued. Neither did his allies. Schumer has maintained since Democrats flipped the Senate that he would be the one to lead them over the next two years. And one of his possible lieutenants, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, who is vying to replace Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as Democratic whip, is riding with him through the storm. “Senate Democrats had historic victories last week, thanks to our talented candidates and the hard work of our caucus, led by Senator Schumer. And it was not the first time he has led this caucus back to the majority,” Schatz said in a statement. “The American people sent a clear message: they want us to lower costs, end a needless war, and fight corruption. Our caucus has the right to have a conversation about the path ahead, but we have no time to waste,” he continued. “We must move quickly to vote, unify, and get to work. I endorse Senator Schumer for leader and will be voting for him in the caucus election.”
Democrat Cindy Holscher wins Kansas governor’s race, extending party’s hold on governor’s mansion
Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher won the Kansas governor’s race, defeating Republican Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson in the open contest to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, The Associated Press projected. The victory keeps the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands and marks the third consecutive Kansas gubernatorial election won by a Democrat. Kelly won the office in 2018 and secured a second term in 2022. The result underscores Democrats’ continued success in Kansas gubernatorial races despite Republicans’ longstanding dominance in the state’s presidential elections. The GOP has carried Kansas in every presidential election since 1968. GOP WIPEOUT GOES FROM BAD TO WORSE AS DEMS QUIETLY SCORE ANOTHER MAJOR WIN WITH BIG RAMIFICATIONS Holscher has served in the Kansas Senate since 2021 after previously spending four years in the state House. She secured the Democratic nomination after defeating fellow state Sen. Ethan Corson, who was endorsed by Kelly and former Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, in the August primary. Holscher faced scrutiny during the campaign over resurfaced social media posts from 2023 in which she suggested Jesus Christ could have been transgender. The comments came during a debate over proposed Kansas legislation restricting drag performances in front of children. Holscher celebrated her victory in a post on X, thanking Kansas voters as she prepared to take office. THE TOP TRUMP OFFICIALS DEMOCRATS ADMIT ARE ON THEIR HIT LIST FOR INVESTIGATIONS IN THE NEW CONGRESS “Thank you, Kansas! It’s the honor of a lifetime to serve as your next Governor,” Holscher wrote. Masterson, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump in the crowded GOP primary, conceded the race in a post on X and said he had called Holscher to congratulate her. “It looks like we will come up just short, but the things we fought for are no less important today than they were yesterday.” Masterson, who has served as Kansas Senate president since 2021, also pointed to Republicans’ continued control of the state Legislature and said he would return to the Senate in January to focus on property taxes, public safety, affordability and schools.