A leftist&#8217;s attempt to get on the ballot in Ohio as a Republican was shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday.
Samuel Ronan, who previously ran for chair of the Democratic National Committee, filed to run for Ohio&#8217;s 15th Congressional District and challenge Republican Rep. Mike Carey in the GOP primary. Ronan admitted his candidacy was part of a ploy to run Democrats in &#8220;deep red&#8221; districts, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-blocks-candidate-after-alleged-gop-infiltration-scheme-exposed?lid=h4ig0qgow6sl">reported</a>.
In one social media post, Ronan <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/supreme-court-keeps-former-dnc-candidate-off-ohio-gop-primary-ballot/">wrote</a>, “Leftists need to infiltrate Republican spaces and primary them.”
The leftist candidate was tossed from the GOP primary ballot by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who called Ronan&#8217;s attempt to run as a Republican &#8220;political transgenderism.&#8221; Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison upheld LaRose&#8217;s decision, saying that Ronan&#8217;s declaration to run as a Republican was fraudulent. The Supreme Court refused to intervene in the case on Thursday, with none of the justices dissenting from the decision to keep the lower court&#8217;s order in place.
&#8220;This is political transgenderism, and it’s a longstanding problem with Ohio’s primary process,&#8221; LaRose <a href="https://x.com/FrankLaRose/status/2042371793080529073">said</a>. &#8220;We had to go all the way to the nation’s highest court to fight a blatant attempt by a self-declared Democrat to hijack a Republican primary contest.&#8221;
When he declared to run as a Republican, Ronan also promised to abide by the Republican Party&#8217;s principles, and his candidacy was certified by the Franklin County Board of Elections in February. Ohio Republican voter Mark Schare, however, noticed that Ronan had publicly expressed his intention to run in the GOP primary while still pushing leftist views and filed a protest with the elections board.
LaRose stepped in to toss Ronan off the ballot after the Franklin County Board of Elections tied along party lines in a vote to decide whether Ronan could stay on the ballot.
“As required by Ohio law, Ronan declared that he was ‘a member of the Republican Party’ and if elected he would ‘support and abide by the principles enunciated by the Republican Party,’&#8221; LaRose wrote. &#8220;But even after signing this form, Ronan continued to push his vision that Democrats like himself should primary Republicans in deep-red districts to ‘get a foot in the door.’”
Ronan denied that his candidacy was &#8220;some kind of trick&#8221; and mentioned that Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump were also former Democrats. Ronan&#8217;s attorney claimed that Rep. Carey was allowed to &#8220;surreptitiously sabotage Ronan’s ballot access by secretly enlisting the Ohio Republican Party to protest Ronan.” The attorney also argued that one of the election board members should have recused herself since she is a top official in the Ohio Republican Party.
LaRose called for Ohio to adopt a closed primary system, which requires voters to register with a party before they cast a ballot. Ohio&#8217;s current primary system is partially open, meaning that voters are not required to register with a party before the election, but they must request either a Republican or Democratic ballot.
&#8220;This individual took advantage of an open primary process that’s far too vulnerable to trickery and fraud and used it to advance his dishonest campaign to &#8216;run Democrats as Republicans,'&#8221; LaRose added. &#8220;We stopped it this time, but it’s time to adopt a closed primary process and partisan voter registration before this happens again.&#8221;

Donkey posing as elephant

‘Political Transgenderism’ Enters The Chat After Secret Democrat Tried To Hoodwink Voters

Democrat

Election

Ohio

Republican

Florida Republicans just passed a sweeping voter integrity bill aimed at safeguarding the state’s elections — with one key timeline detail.
The Republican-controlled Legislature pushed the measure through Thursday, sending it to Gov. Ron DeSantis after it cleared both chambers in largely party-line votes. The Florida House approved the bill 77–28, while the Senate passed it earlier in the day by a 27–12 vote.
The legislation is modeled on President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act, a federal proposal that would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.
The measure requires proof of citizenship during voter registration and expands coordination between election officials and state agencies responsible for confirming eligibility.
DeSantis praised the legislation after lawmakers sent it to his desk, saying the move would further cement Florida’s reputation as a national leader on election security.
“Although Florida has already enacted much of what the federal legislation contemplates, this will further fortify our state as the leader in election integrity,” DeSantis wrote on social media.
Florida already bans non-citizens from voting — a prohibition voters added to the state constitution in 2020. The new legislation builds on that rule by tightening how the state verifies citizenship during the voter registration process.
State Sen. Erin Grall, the Republican sponsor of the legislation, said lawmakers must continue strengthening election protections where vulnerabilities exist.
“What is our tolerance for fraud and lack of integrity?” Grall said during debate.
State investigators have previously uncovered instances of non-citizens registering or casting ballots. A report released last year by Florida’s Office of Election Crimes and Security said investigators reviewed more than 800 potential cases and identified nearly 200 individuals believed to have illegally registered or voted. Many of those cases were referred to law enforcement.
The legislation also includes additional election changes, including a provision preventing college students from using student identification cards when voting in person.
One key timeline detail appears in the legislation itself.
The proof-of-citizenship requirement would not take effect until 2027, meaning it would not apply to the 2026 midterm elections.
The delayed rollout gives state agencies and local election supervisors time to update voter registration systems and coordinate verification procedures before the new requirements begin.
The bill now heads to DeSantis’ desk for his signature.

Sunglasses with american flag on wooden table

Take Notes, America — Florida Just Passed A Voter Integrity Bill

election integrity

President Trump

Ron DeSantis

SAVE America Act

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) must &#8220;be a leader&#8221; and take the SAVE American Act across the finish line as Senate Republicans face continued pressure from voters and the White House to pass the voter ID legislation before the midterm elections.
Asked about Thune on Wednesday, Trump made it clear that the SAVE America Act remains the single most important task for the GOP-controlled Senate.
&#8220;He&#8217;s gotta be a leader,&#8221; Trump said of Thune. &#8220;He&#8217;s a leader, he&#8217;s gotta get [the votes].&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s the most popular bill put before Congress,&#8221; he added.
This week, Thune has poured cold water on a Trump-backed proposal to revert to the talking filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act. The talking filibuster would force Democrats who oppose the SAVE America Act to speak nonstop on the Senate floor if they want to block a vote, but according to Thune, a group of Republicans is not on board with changing Senate rules to meet Trump&#8217;s demand.
&#8220;The votes aren’t there, one, to nuke the filibuster, and the votes aren’t there for a talking filibuster,&#8221; Thune told reporters on Tuesday. &#8220;It’s just a reality. I’m the person who has to deliver sometimes the not-so-good news that the math doesn’t add up, but those are the facts, and there’s no getting around it.&#8221;
A <a href="https://x.com/MarkMeadows/status/2031779224470897145">list</a> put together by former White House Chief of Staff and North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows shows that Senate Republicans are split down the middle on support for the talking filibuster. Senators who have signaled support for using the talking filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act include, Jim Banks (IN), Marsha Blackburn (TN), Ted Budd (NC), Katie Britt (AL), Bill Cassidy (LA), John Cornyn (TX), Ted Cruz (TX), Joni Ernst (IA), Bill Hagerty (TN), Josh Hawley (MO), Ron Johnson (WI), Mike Lee (UT), Cynthia Lummis (WY), Roger Marshall (KS), Dave McCormick (PA), Ashley Moody (FL), Bernie Moreno (OH), Markwayne Mullin (OK), Rand Paul (KY), Jim Risch (ID), Eric Schmitt (MO), Rick Scott (FL), Tim Scott (SC), Tim Sheehy (MT), Dan Sullivan (AK), and Tommy Tuberville (AL).
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is the only Republican senator who has publicly opposed the SAVE America Act, and Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) has publicly voiced his opposition to using the talking filibuster. The remaining Republican senators have not said where exactly they stand on the talking filibuster.
Republicans who are wary of using the talking filibuster argue that it would allow Democrats to control the Senate floor and propose an unlimited number of amendments that could be tacked onto the SAVE America Act.
&#8220;I understand everybody feels— they&#8217;re really invested in this, but this particular approach, in terms of the process, is much more complicated and risky than people are assuming at the moment, which is why that the Democrats looked at doing it both under [Chuck] Schumer and [Harry] Reid when they were in the majority, and opted against it,&#8221; Thune told reporters earlier this week.
The SAVE America Act also contains provisions to keep men from competing in women&#8217;s sports and to protect children from gender procedures, key issues for Trump and Republicans.
&#8220;It&#8217;s the most popular bill I think I&#8217;ve ever put before Congress,&#8221; Trump reiterated.
Recent polls show that the vast majority of Americans support voter ID requirements similar to those put forward in the SAVE America Act. While 50 Republican senators have come out in support of the bill, Republicans would need to reach 60 votes to get past the filibuster and move the legislation to a vote. Democrats have remained united in their opposition to the SAVE America Act, effectively tanking the bill&#8217;s chances.
Many Republicans, however, believe they would have a chance to pass the bill if they instituted the talking filibuster, which could wear down Democrats who oppose the Trump-backed legislation. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) told The Daily Wire on Tuesday, &#8220;Voters across the nation are demanding the SAVE America Act. If we need a few more Senators to get on board to beat a Democrat standing filibuster, that’s not a reason to give up — it’s a reason to push even harder.&#8221;
&#8220;If Republicans don’t fight hard to deliver this wildly popular legislation that President Trump has specifically requested, how can we ask Americans to entrust us with both chambers of Congress in the future?&#8221; Lee added.

Donald Trump/John Thune

‘Be A Leader’: Trump Challenges John Thune As Save America Act Faces Uncertainty

2026 Midterms

Donald Trump

John Thune

Voting

The FBI seized election data from Maricopa County, Arizona, as the bureau expands its investigation into suspected election tampering, Just The News <a href="https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/monfbi-secretly-seizes-election-records-arizonas-largest-county-voting">reported</a> on Sunday night.
The FBI has kept the Maricopa County record seizure under wraps, but Just The News cited &#8220;multiple people familiar&#8221; with the probe who said that FBI agents are receiving gigabytes worth of data through a grand jury subpoena. The investigation into Maricopa County election records comes just a month after the FBI <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-raids-fulton-county-office-as-part-of-2020-election-interference-probe">raided</a> an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, as part of a 2020 election interference probe.
President Donald Trump celebrated the report of the FBI election data seizure, <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116199384958218035">writing</a> on Truth Social Monday morning, &#8220;Great!!!&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to the FBI for comment.
Trump continues to push for stronger election laws, including voter ID requirements and more restrictions on mail-in ballots, across the country as the 2026 midterms near. Maricopa County was scrutinized following Trump&#8217;s 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden over allegations that hundreds of thousands of ballots were illegally counted.
After the 2020 election, the Republican-controlled Arizona Senate investigated Maricopa County&#8217;s ballot-counting process and found that more than 200,000 ballots were counted without being reviewed, despite containing mismatched signatures. Then, in 2024, election observers filed a report after noticing blank and filled-out absentee ballots in the same warehouse on election night, Just The News reported.
A Republican and a Democrat observer also included photos in their report, which showed heavily guarded absentee ballots. While that report has not been released to the public, Just The News&#8217; sources said it was one of the reasons for the subpoena, which authorized the FBI to obtain Maricopa County election data.
Maricopa County, which surrounds Phoenix, has played a pivotal role in determining the state&#8217;s outcome and its 11 electoral votes in recent elections. Trump won the county in his first presidential race in 2016 and then again in 2024, but Trump lost Maricopa County and Arizona to Biden in the contentious 2020 election.
Trump maintains that the 2020 election was &#8220;stolen&#8221; from him as states counted an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots, and Biden won the election with a record number of votes. A Republican-led <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/arizona-republicans-release-findings-widely-panned-election-audit-2021-09-24/">audit</a> of the 2020 election results from Maricopa County found that the initial results were &#8220;within a few hundred&#8221; votes of the recount and did not change the overall result.
As Trump continues to claim that he was cheated out of the White House in 2020, he is pushing for the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act before the vital 2026 midterm elections. The legislation would require states to check voter IDs to ensure that only U.S. citizens cast ballots.
The SAVE America Act passed the House last month, but it has stalled in the Republican-led Senate. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/front-of-the-line-trump-says-he-wont-sign-a-thing-until-save-act-hits-his-desk">said</a> on Sunday that he would not sign any other legislation until it is sent to his desk.

Maricopa County Begins Counting Ballots On Election Day In Arizona

FBI Makes New Move In Arizona County At Center Of 2020 Election Controversy

2020 Election

Arizona

NASHVILLE—It was freezing and windy with the occasional snowflake, and no, we aren&#8217;t talking about the libs. Election Day in Tennessee was cold, but the race between Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps is hot.
Voters hit the polls in District 7 on Tuesday with certain issues top of mind. Tennesseans told The Daily Wire that the economy was the issue that hit home.
The Daily Wire talked to one woman who said affordability is what she wants to see in Tennessee.
&#8220;For me, it&#8217;s affordable housing, that&#8217;s a part of our country that needs a lot of help.&#8221;
Both candidates have focused on economic issues throughout the race. Van Epps <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/issues">said</a> he backs President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;America First&#8221; agenda. His plan for the economy is to partner with Trump to rebuild the economy by bringing manufacturing back to U.S. soil, unleashing American energy, and creating jobs. Behn argues that Trump&#8217;s tariffs are hurting the U.S. economy and has raged against &#8220;tax cuts for billionaires.&#8221; She also claims that she would push to make healthcare more affordable for people in Tennessee.
After speaking to voters on Tuesday, it&#8217;s clear that dollar signs are on their minds.
&#8220;We want economic change, and we want to feel like our taxes are going to things that matter,&#8221; one voter said.
Other voters expressed border security and abortion as top concerns. One voter told The Daily Wire that Behn&#8217;s leftist views, especially on abortion, were too radical for middle Tennessee.
&#8220;The abortion, it&#8217;s a human life. I can&#8217;t vote for it,&#8221; the voter said. &#8220;Some of Aftyn Behn&#8217;s views aren&#8217;t what I want in this district.&#8221;
President Donald Trump and Republican leaders have also ripped Behn for her radical leftist views, urging conservatives to hit the polls hard.
“This is a big deal, because right now we’re like, three votes up on the radical left, and this would be a wonderful victory for us,” Trump said, according to the New York Post. “It’ll be really a positive sign.”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-big-deal-trump-calls-on-tennessee-republicans-to-surge-to-the-polls">‘A Big Deal’: Trump Calls On Tennessee Republicans To Surge To The Polls</a>
Behn has come under fire for saying that she hates Nashville, parts of which she&#8217;s running to represent. In a clip from a podcast appearance in 2020, Behn said, &#8220;I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate pedal taverns, I hate country music.&#8221;
Behn walked back her past comment, saying in a video after the clips resurfaced that she does not hate the city she wants to represent. But is that enough for Music City residents?
&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t look good for sure,&#8221; a voter told The Daily Wire.
But some voters didn&#8217;t care that Behn had said some negative things about their city.
&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t bother me. I think there&#8217;s a lot of people that are not comfortable with the city,&#8221; a woman said.
One Van Epps supporter, however, didn&#8217;t hold back his feelings for Behn.
&#8220;This girl is as dumb or maybe dumber than AOC.&#8221;
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRxwAu6krcm/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
&nbsp;
<div style="flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px;"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent;"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
</div>
&nbsp;
<a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRxwAu6krcm/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Daily Wire (@realdailywire)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
Leftist New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez got behind Behn during the special election campaign and spoke during a virtual rally for the Tennessee Democrat on the eve of the election.
Behn is just two points behind Van Epps, a former Army helicopter pilot. Trump won Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district  by 22 points in 2024, and Republicans have breezed to victories in House elections in recent years. Most Republicans aren&#8217;t expecting that big of a victory on Tuesday night, but President Trump is hoping Van Epps will outperform expectations.
“I want Matt to do better than me, even,&#8221; Trump said on Monday.
Polls close in Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Special Election Day In Tennessee

Voters Reveal Their Top Issues In Tennessee’s Special Election

Aftyn Behn

Matt Van Epps

Nashville

Tennessee

Tuesday&#8217;s special election in Tennessee&#8217;s deep red 7th district should cause the Republican Party to &#8220;wake up&#8221; and &#8220;start paying attention to [its] base,&#8221; according to Republican Rep. Tim Burchett.
Burchett <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6385857265112">told</a> Fox News on Tuesday morning that he&#8217;s concerned about &#8220;homegrown Marxists,&#8221; including Democratic candidate Aftyn Behn, becoming competitive against Republicans in conservative districts. Burchett pointed out that Behn was &#8220;educated in Knoxville, Tennessee.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s not these people moving in from New York, California, or Chicago, even. It&#8217;s our own homegrown Marxists that we&#8217;re bringing up,&#8221; said Burchett, pushing back on a common complaint from Tennessee Republicans, who argue that people who move from blue states are making Tennessee more liberal. &#8220;We&#8217;ve got to start paying attention to our base and what the heck is going on.&#8221;
Burchett argued that Republican Matt Van Epps is &#8220;one of the best candidates I&#8217;ve ever seen.&#8221;
&#8220;This is the proverbial canary in the cave,&#8221; the congressman added. &#8220;If Matt Van Epps, a qualified candidate in a district that Trump won by over 15 points, can&#8217;t carry this thing, we&#8217;re in trouble. Republicans are asleep at the switch. We pay attention to presidents, because President Trump is a great president. We should be paying attention to him, but when it gets down to the other races, we forget about it.&#8221;
Democrats and Republicans have poured millions of dollars into the special election, as polls showed that Behn has a chance to keep the race close. Burchett said Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district shouldn&#8217;t even be considered a possibility for Democrats to flip. Burchett blamed low turnout from Evangelical Christians and gun owners as the main reason that Republicans often struggle in special elections and off-year elections.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
&#8220;It should not even be a race,&#8221; he said. &#8220;[Behn] is a Marxist, and she&#8217;s not even a friendly Marxist like AOC.&#8221;
Democrats believe that Behn, who has advocated for abolishing police departments and supports gender procedures on children, has a chance to pull off a remarkable upset and flip the Tennessee district to the Democratic Party. The 7th district seat went up for grabs after Republican Rep. Mark Green retired earlier this year. Polling results, released by Emerson College and The Hill on Monday, showed Behn trailing Van Epps by just two points.
Along with pushing leftist policies, Behn has also been criticized for saying that she hates Nashville, parts of which she is running to represent.
“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country,&#8221; Behn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/music-city-fumble-dem-candidate-said-she-hates-city-she-wants-to-represent-in-congress">said</a> during a 2020 podcast appearance.
President Donald Trump and Republican leaders have emphasized the importance of the special election for the GOP heading into the 2026 midterm elections. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line%E2%80%99%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">campaigned</a> with Van Epps in Franklin, Tennessee, on Monday alongside Tennessee Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty. Trump also called into Monday&#8217;s rally and addressed the crowd over speaker phone, The Daily Wire previously reported.
Prominent Democrats have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-name-dems-make-final-pitch-for-aftyn-behn-hope-for-tuesday-miracle-in-tennessee?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Big-Name+Dems+Make+Final+Pitch+For+Aftyn+Behn%2C+Hope+For+Tuesday+%E2%80%98Miracle%E2%80%99+In+Tennessee">rallied</a> around Behn, with former Vice President Al Gore, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) joining a virtual rally with Behn on Monday night.

Tim Burchett

‘We Need To Wake Up’: Tennessee Congressman Has Stark Warning For GOP Ahead Of Special Election

Prominent Democrats from across the country were campaigning for Tennessee Democrat Aftyn Behn on Monday night as the party hopes to pull off a &#8220;miracle&#8221; in Tuesday&#8217;s special election.
Behn, running against Republican Matt Van Epps for Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional district seat, was joined on a Zoom call by some of the Left&#8217;s biggest names, including former vice president Al Gore, and far-left congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal. The virtual rally was the final event of Behn&#8217;s special election campaign and was attended by around 1,200 people, many of whom appeared to be hopping on Zoom from out of state based on their comments in the video call&#8217;s chat.
Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged that it would take a &#8220;miracle&#8221; for Democrats to turn the Tennessee district blue, but added that Behn&#8217;s position in the race has shown that &#8220;miracles still happen.&#8221; The democratic socialist from New York urged Democrats in Tennessee to remain hopeful that politicians like Behn can successfully push leftist policies in deep red states as the Democratic Party looks ahead to the pivotal 2026 midterm elections.
Behn is hoping to win the deep red district despite pushing leftist policies in the past, including voicing support for abolishing police departments and saying that she was &#8220;fearful&#8221; for &#8220;trans communities&#8221; after a trans-identifying shooter killed three Christian schoolchildren and three staff members in Nashville.
Behn&#8217;s Republican opponent was rarely mentioned during the rally, as the Democratic speakers focused much of their attention on attacking President Donald Trump and his administration. Democrats are positioning the Tennessee special election as a referendum on Trump&#8217;s agenda, as the party is optimistic that Behn is within striking distance in a district that went for Trump by 22 points in 2024.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
<div class="c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text">
<div class="c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text" data-qa="message-text">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer" data-qa="block-kit-renderer">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first">
<div class="p-rich_text_block" dir="auto">
<div class="p-rich_text_section">
The virtual rally got off to a bumpy start when Gore was introduced by Behn&#8217;s campaign manager, with the former vice president nowhere to be seen. After a few quiet and awkward moments, Gore&#8217;s face appeared on screen and he was introduced for a second time. Gore kicked off the rally by doubling down on that focus and painting the Trump White House as one of the most evil and corrupt administration&#8217;s in U.S. history.
Earlier on Monday, big name Republicans also gathered in the district to push Van Epps as the GOP and Trump emphasize the importance of the special election. At the Van Epps rally, Republicans were confident that they would win on Tuesday, but also acknowledged that the margins could be closer than what Republicans have come to expect in the district, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=Original&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line%E2%80%99%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">reported</a>.
Republicans and Democrats have poured millions of dollars into the special House race, with Behn’s campaign raising over $1 million between October 1 and November 12, according to campaign finance records. In that same timeframe, Van Epps raised $591,000, but the Republican candidate is also getting a big boost from Trump-aligned outside groups that have spent over a million dollars on advertisements.
Over 84,000 voters cast their ballots during the early voting period, which lasted from November 12-26, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1169221962004705&amp;set=pcb.1169223325337902">according</a> to the Tennessee Secretary of State. A large chunk of Republicans and Democrats are still expected to head to the polls on Tuesday morning. Polling results from Emerson College and The Hill <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2025/12/01/poll-shows-republican-van-epps-holding-slight-lead-over-democrat-behn-tennessees-special-congressional-race/">released</a> on Monday showed Van Epps with just a 2-point edge on Behn.
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Al Gore/Aftyn Behn/AOC

Big-Name Dems Make Final Pitch For Aftyn Behn, Hope For Tuesday ‘Miracle’ In Tennessee

Al Gore

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Democrats

Republicans

The 2026 midterm elections are still a year away, but Republicans and Democrats are already in full election mode as an important U.S. House seat is up for grabs on Tuesday.
Democrats are optimistic their candidate will make some noise on December 2, when votes are counted for the special U.S. House election that will determine who represents Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional District. The seat became empty after Republican Rep. Mark Green retired on July 20, shortly after voting to pass President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221;
It&#8217;s a district that Democrats have no business winning and one that Republicans are counting on to help maintain their House majority come the 2026 midterm elections. For an off-year election in a deep red state, the stakes can&#8217;t get any higher, so here&#8217;s everything you need to know ahead of the December 2 election.
<h3>The Candidates</h3>
Republican candidate Matt Van Epps, 39, easily won the crowded GOP primary in October after an endorsement from President Trump. Van Epps is an Army helicopter pilot and combat veteran with years of experience in the Tennessee state government. He <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/meet-matt">served</a> as the deputy chief operating officer for the Tennessee Governor&#8217;s Office. He was then tapped by Republican Governor Bill Lee to run the Tennessee Department of General Services, where he &#8220;oversaw statewide procurement, facilities management, and essential services that touch every department in Tennessee government.&#8221;
During the Republican primary, Van Epps was criticized by his opponents for working to implement strict COVID lockdown measures in the early days of the pandemic and was nicknamed &#8220;Tennessee Fauci.&#8221; That line of attack on Van Epps was ineffective, and he won the GOP primary by more than 25 points.
<div id="attachment_1005705" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005705" class="wp-image-1005705 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-576x576.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Matt Van Epps for Congress</div>
Van Epps <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/issues">describes</a> himself as a &#8220;conservative warrior&#8221; who is focused on &#8220;advancing President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda.&#8221; Along with snagging Trump&#8217;s endorsement, the Republican candidate also boasts <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/endorsements">endorsements</a> from Governor Lee, former Rep. Green, and Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan.
Democrats picked Tennessee state Rep. Aftyn Behn as their nominee for the 7th district special election. Behn, 36, has served in the Tennessee state House since 2023. The Tennessee Democrat was <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-returns-campaign-trail-trump-country-back-aoc-tennessee">dubbed</a> the &#8220;AOC of Tennessee&#8221; by Democratic activist David Hogg, referring to leftist New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. After socialist Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s stunning victory in the New York City mayor&#8217;s race, Democrats are hoping that the party&#8217;s younger and more radical candidates can win, even in deep-red states.
<div id="attachment_1005697" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005697" class="wp-image-1005697 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-576x576.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Aftyn Behn, Tennessee General Assembly</div>
Other prominent Democrats have come alongside Behn, campaigning for her in Nashville. Last week, former Vice President Kamala Harris made a <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/18/kamala-harris-nashville-aftyn-behn-7th-district-election/87324707007/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=false&amp;gca-epti=z114035p005050c005050u116535d00----v114035&amp;gca-ft=51&amp;gca-ds=sophi">surprise appearance</a> with Behn, returning to the Democratic campaign trail for the first time since her 2024 election loss.
Behn is not hiding from her leftist views. Earlier this year, she followed and filmed ICE agents and Tennessee Highway Patrol officers as they made immigration arrests around Nashville. She has <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJPrwJbpkoO/">called</a> Trump&#8217;s immigration operations &#8220;state-sponsored fear and violence.&#8221; Behn also voiced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-democrat-aftyn-behn-wont-take-back-support-for-burning-down-police-stations">support</a> for burning down police stations during the 2020 George Floyd riots. She recently refused to address the controversial social media post where she stated, “Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified.”
After three Christian schoolchildren and three staff members were killed by a trans-identifying shooter in Nashville in 2023, Behn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-aftyn-behn-said-covenant-shooting-made-her-fearful-for-trans-communities">said</a> she was &#8220;fearful&#8221; for &#8220;trans communities.&#8221; Behn has also been slammed for saying in the past that she hates Nashville, parts of which she&#8217;s now running to represent.
<h3>The Location</h3>
The 7th district sits in the western part of what is considered Middle Tennessee. It spans from the state&#8217;s border with Kentucky, through north and west Nashville, and all the way to the Alabama state line. Voters in the 7th district went for President Donald Trump by 22 points in 2024, and the district has been safely in the hands of Republicans and Rep. Mark Green, who represented the 7th from 2019 until his surprise retirement earlier this year.
<div id="attachment_1005707" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005707" class="wp-image-1005707 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />TN 7th Congressional District, TN Secretary of State</div>
The various demographics inside the 7th district will be a key aspect to watch when results come in on Tuesday night. Much of District 7 covers rural areas, where Van Epps is expected to perform well, but it also covers north and west Nashville, which is far more liberal than the surrounding area. Behn will have to perform exceptionally well in those areas of Nashville and will need a high Democratic turnout for a chance to pull off an upset.
Last month&#8217;s primary election showed that turnout could be an issue for Democrats. Behn pulled off a narrow primary victory, receiving just over <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/07/us/elections/results-tennessee-us-house-7-special.html">8,600 votes</a>. Van Epps, meanwhile, pulled in over 19,000 votes in the primary as Republican turnout far outpaced that of the Democrats.
If Republicans show up in the counties surrounding Nashville and the more rural areas of the state as they have in recent House elections, Van Epps will likely cruise to victory. Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district includes areas such as part of wealthy Williamson County, which Trump <a href="https://www.politico.com/2024-election/results/tennessee/">won</a> by more than 30 points in 2024, and rural Robertson County, which Trump won by 40 points.
The House Majority PAC, which is connected to House Democratic leadership, believes that Democratic wins in New Jersey and Virginia earlier this month show that &#8220;no Republican-held seat is safe.&#8221; Democrats are also hoping that Behn can reach independents and moderate Republicans with her focus on affordability and the economy.
<h3>The Spending</h3>
Republicans and Democrats have poured millions of dollars into the special House race, with Behn&#8217;s campaign raising over $1 million between October 1 and November 12, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/millions-pour-tennessee-special-election-ahead-december-vote-rcna244846">reported</a>. In that same timeframe, Van Epps raised $591,000. Outside groups have also dumped millions of dollars on the race, mostly in support of Van Epps and in opposition to Behn. The Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. has reportedly spent over $1 million on the race. The conservative group Club for Growth has also waded into the special House race to boost Van Epps.
Behn&#8217;s campaign has spent more than half a million dollars on advertisements, while the Democrat-aligned House Majority PAC and Your Community PAC have spent a combined $950,000 on additional ads, according to the <a href="https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/11/24/tennessee-7th-congressional-district-election-spending/">Nashville Banner</a>.
<h3>The Expectations</h3>
Earlier this month, Cook Political Report <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/485206">moved</a> Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district from &#8220;solid&#8221; Republican to &#8220;lean&#8221; Republican. Under its summary of the race, Cook Political Report states, &#8220;Sources roundly agree that Nashville Democrats are ravenous at the prospect of an upset, while many Republican voters are unaware an election is even taking place.&#8221;
Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden <a href="https://wpln.org/post/how-competitive-is-tennessees-special-congressional-race/">told</a> WPLN News last week that the race will come down to how many Republican voters show up to the polls. Golden stressed that the special election date and early voting running up against the Thanksgiving holiday make the GOP campaign&#8217;s job even tougher.
“Anytime you have a special election that is bracketed by the Thanksgiving holiday, you can’t afford to take a day off,” he said. “I think if there’s concern, it’s just that people aren’t aware that they have the opportunity to vote right now.”

AftynVanEppsFinal

Everything You Need To Know For The Crucial Tennessee Special House Election

U.S. House of Representatives

California Republicans filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday, arguing that the Democrat-drawn congressional map <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/californias-redistricting-ballot-measure-overwhelmingly-passes">approved by voters</a> Tuesday night unconstitutionally favors Hispanics.
The Dhillon Law Group filed the <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71875910/1/tangipa-v-newsom/">lawsuit</a> on behalf of the California Republican Party, state Rep. David Tangipa, and 18 California voters. The lawsuit argues that Proposition 50 violates the Equal Protection Clause. Harmeet Dhillon led the Dhillon Law Group before President Donald Trump tapped her to lead the Justice Department&#8217;s Civil Rights division earlier this year.
&#8220;This violates the 14th Amendment&#8217;s guarantee of equal protection under the law, and the right under the 15th Amendment to not have one&#8217;s vote abridged on account of race,&#8221; Dhillon Law Group partner Mike Columbo said at a <a href="https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1OwGWenWVoZxQ">press conference</a>. &#8220;When drawing the Proposition 50 map, the chief consultant who drew the map has stated that the first thing that he did was to increase the power of Latino voters.&#8221;
&#8220;Additionally, the state legislature has announced that the maps increase the power of Latino voters,&#8221; Columbo added.
Voters overwhelmingly approved Prop 50 on Tuesday with 64% support. The measure was placed on the ballot after the Democratic-led state legislature approved new congressional maps in response to Texas passing a new map that will likely give Republicans five more House seats. With Proposition 50&#8217;s passage, Democrats have likely added five more U.S. House seats for their party.
President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-california-redistricting-vote-is-a-giant-scam-mail-ballots-under-legal-criminal-review">said</a> on Tuesday that Prop 50 was a &#8220;giant scam,&#8221; adding, &#8220;All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review.&#8221; It&#8217;s unclear if Trump&#8217;s threat of legal action was in reference to the lawsuit filed by Republicans on Wednesday.
According to the complaint, Proposition 50 expanded the number of districts where Hispanic voters are likely to play a decisive role, rising from 14 to 16 of California’s 52 congressional districts. In a 1986 ruling, the Supreme Court established a three-part test, known as the &#8220;Gingles Test,&#8221; to allow states to redraw district lines to give racial minorities greater influence over who is elected to represent them. The Republican lawsuit claims that California&#8217;s new map does not meet the requirements of the Gingles Test since Hispanics make up the largest ethnic group in California and are not a racial minority in the Golden State.
&#8220;We believe that the Supreme Court Gingles Test cannot be satisfied by the state, as such under the 14th and 15th Amendments, the maps drawn by Prop 50 will be considered unconstitutional,&#8221; said Dhillon Law Group attorney Mark Meuser, who was the GOP Senate candidate in California in 2022.
Rep. Tangipa said he is &#8220;appalled&#8221; by the Democratic-led legislature and Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom pushing Proposition 50.
&#8220;As the first Polynesian elected ever to the state legislature, I understand the diversity and the beauty that this state has, and what we have seen with Prop 50, these maps, they are completely diminishing the voices of [some] groups to benefit other groups,&#8221;  Tangipa said.

Prop 50

California GOP Sues Over Democrat-Drawn Congressional Map Designed To ‘Increase Power’ Of Hispanics

California

Courts

Gavin Newsom

Lawsuit

Politics

Redistricting

As California prepares to count ballots on Tuesday, President Donald Trump questioned the state&#8217;s election integrity and called the Proposition 50 vote &#8220;unconstitutional&#8221; and a &#8220;giant scam.&#8221;
Trump said that California&#8217;s mail-in ballot process is &#8220;RIGGED&#8221; and &#8220;under very serious legal and criminal review.&#8221; Tuesday&#8217;s Proposition 50 election in California puts the state legislature&#8217;s redrawn congressional maps before voters for approval. If passed, the new maps would add to Democrats&#8217; numbers in the U.S. House.
&#8220;The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All &#8216;Mail-In&#8217; Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are &#8216;Shut Out,&#8217; is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115492361756063244">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
It&#8217;s unclear if Trump&#8217;s mention of a &#8220;legal and criminal review&#8221; is referring to a federal investigation into California&#8217;s mail-in ballots or something else. The Department of Justice sent election monitors to California and New Jersey to watch polling sites and &#8220;ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law,&#8221; CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-department-election-monitors-california-new-jersey/">reported</a>.
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom called for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-californias-effort-to-fight-back-against-trump-with-redistricting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a special Proposition 50 election</a> in response to Texas passing a new congressional map that will likely give Republicans five more House seats. California Democrats called Texas&#8217;s move a &#8220;power grab orchestrated by President Trump.&#8221; The California Democratic Party said that Proposition 50 &#8220;would negate the five Republican seats drawn by Texas.&#8221;
Last month, California sent mail-in ballots to all 23 million registered voters for the Proposition 50 special election. As of Monday, 28% of California voters had cast a ballot, according to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-11-04/polls-open-for-californias-special-election-but-how-many-people-will-show">The Los Angeles Times</a>. The mail-in votes <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/sacramento-county-ballot-envelope-holes-concerns-prop-50-election/">in Sacramento County</a> have faced <a href="https://x.com/tedcruz/status/1976745073300652466">scrutiny,</a> with some people <a href="https://x.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1977423844936986993">claiming</a> that a &#8220;no&#8221; vote on Proposition 50 could be visible through a hole in the envelopes, allowing officials to see how people voted. Conservatives, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and the popular X account Libs of TikTok, criticized the mail-in ballots on social media.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democrat, appeared to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-10-14/california-ballot-design-unfounded-viral-conspiracy-theories-november-election-rigged">push back</a> against this claim, saying, &#8220;The small holes on ballot envelopes are an accessibility feature to allow sight-impaired voters to orient themselves to where they are required to sign the envelope.&#8221;
However, the Sacramento County Department of Voter Registration and Elections <a href="https://www.saccounty.gov/us/en/articles/2025-articles/response-to-special-election-ballot-envelope-posts.html#gsc.tab=0">acknowledged</a> that &#8220;there are at least eight ways to insert a ballot card into the return envelope, and only two of these might result in a bubble being visible in the hole.&#8221; But according to the department, &#8220;There is no way to determine how a voter voted through this small hole.&#8221;
Some California Republican officials also blasted the mail-in ballot theories pushed by some conservatives on social media. Los Angeles County Republican Party Chair Roxanne Hoge warned voters last month, <a href="https://x.com/RoxanneHoge/status/1976817550613999712">writing</a>, &#8220;C&#8217;mon people! If you&#8217;re worried about your vote showing through the hole, fold it the other way. Vote NO on 50!&#8221;
In another post, Hoge <a href="https://x.com/RoxanneHoge/status/1976892993790787845">wrote</a>, &#8220;Please don&#8217;t panic people about something that is easily addressed by turning their ballot around. We need every no vote and we need them now.&#8221;
The Republican Party of San Diego <a href="https://x.com/RPSDC/status/1982158321760297233">added</a>, &#8220;It&#8217;s simple. Republicans need to stop complaining and vote. We ask and ask and ask and yet turnout still lags. To win this one GOP turnout needs to be materially better than average. It&#8217;s very doable but won&#8217;t just happen. Work it.&#8221;
Trump and Republicans have also expressed concerns about mail-in ballots being sent to California&#8217;s large illegal immigrant population, who are ineligible to vote. California officials claim that the state has safeguards that prevent illegal immigrants from voting.
Recent polls <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article312761827.html">suggest</a> that Proposition 50 will likely pass, giving Democrats even more power in the deep-blue state.

Trump: California Redistricting Vote Is ‘A Giant Scam,’ Mail Ballots Under ‘Legal & Criminal Review’

Elections

Mail-In Voting

New Jersey GOP gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli got the &#8220;surprise of a lifetime&#8221; Monday when his son, Capt. Jake Ciattarelli, flew home after serving eight months overseas just in time for Election Day.
&#8220;The surprise of a lifetime,&#8221; Ciattarelli wrote on X. &#8220;Grateful to have all four kids home and feeling great heading into Election Day!&#8221;
Ciattarelli couldn&#8217;t believe his eyes when his son walked into the GOP campaign event at a tavern in New Jersey. In the video posted on X, Ciattarelli put his hands over his head in shock after seeing his son, who is proudly serving in the U.S. Army in Kuwait. The crowd responded with chants of &#8220;USA!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The surprise of a lifetime! 🇺🇸 
Army Captain son Jake came home from eight months overseas to join us as we bring it home this Election Day. Im so proud of him and his service. Grateful to have all four of kids home and feeling great heading into Election Day! <a href="https://t.co/g7iM7xGwEa">pic.twitter.com/g7iM7xGwEa</a>
— Jack Ciattarelli (@Jack4NJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jack4NJ/status/1985392815623327821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
The heart-warming homecoming happened in Murph&#8217;s Tavern in Totowa, New Jersey. Ciattarelli told his supporters that his son probably didn&#8217;t remember to mail in an absentee ballot, so he flew across the world to make sure his voice was heard.
&#8220;He&#8217;s been so busy defending our nation, he probably forgot to do his vote by mail ballot,&#8221; Ciattarelli quipped. &#8220;He&#8217;s here to vote!&#8221;
Ciattarelli is running against Democrat Mikie Sherrill for the New Jersey governor&#8217;s seat.
Ciattarelli lost to Phil Murphy in the 2021 New Jersey governor race. In a recent Quinnipiac poll, Sherrill is leading Ciattarelli 51% to 43%.
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
In an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/flipping-new-jersey-red-jack-ciattarelli-s-final-pitch-member-exclusive?elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+Show+Episodes+Carousel">interview</a> with Cabot Phillips on Morning Wire that aired on Sunday, Ciattarelli said people want change across New Jersey.
&#8220;They are very frustrated with Phil Murphy&#8217;s failed policies,&#8221; Ciattarelli said.
Ciattarelli added that he wants to bring back law and order to the state.
&#8220;Let&#8217;s make it clear, anyone who engages in criminal activity in New Jersey, no matter what it is there&#8217;s going to be a consequence,&#8221; Ciattarelli said. &#8220;We are going to have public safety here in New Jersey.&#8221;
And the GOP nominee made it clear there will be no sanctuary cities under his leadership.
&#8220;We will not be a sanctuary state,&#8221; Ciattarelli said. &#8220;I&#8217;m reversing that policy on day one.&#8221;
Ciattarelli also told Morning Wire that he would bring change to New Jersey schools by getting rid of the LGBTQ+ curriculum that the current administration allows.
&#8220;You will get a whole new state board of education when I&#8217;m governor,&#8221; Ciattarelli said.
Ciattarelli also said New Jersey is over the tax increases, the housing market, and the state&#8217;s overspending, just to name a few issues. He added that people are getting hit in their pocketbook, especially when it comes to electric bills, and he plans to attack head-on.
The New Jersey governor election is on November 4, 2025. The polls open at 6 a.m. ET Tuesday.

CIATTARELLI

Jack Ciattarelli’s Army Son Gives Him ‘The Surprise Of A Lifetime’ Ahead Of Election Day

New Jersey

Republican Party

Last night, the three New York City mayoral candidates took the stage for a wide-ranging, heated debate, ushering in the final days of a contentious campaign.
Zohran Mamdani, the socialist frontrunner and state assemblyman, squared off against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels. Mamdani and Cuomo’s heated exchanges were the focal point of the evening, with Sliwa often fighting to get a word in edgewise.
The next mayor of NYC will oversee a $115 billion budget and manage a workforce of 300,000 people. The moderators scrutinized each candidate’s resume, with no candidate leaving the second question of the debate unscathed.
Cuomo spent a large part of the night defending himself from allegations of sexual harassment brought against him and his mishandling of the COVID pandemic, topics raised frequently by Mamdani and the moderators.
“You have the management experience, but you resigned from office amid sexual harassment and COVID-related scandals,” Telemundo’s Rosarina Bretón asked. “Why should voters trust you have the character to be mayor?”
Cuomo defended himself by noting all sexual harassment cases had been settled or dismissed, and later called the COVID-related accusations “politically motivated.” Cuomo then jumped into his executive experience, noting that the budget he managed as New York Governor is twice the size of the New York City budget. He listed several of his accomplishments as Governor, including minimum-wage laws, paid family leave, and construction projects such as LaGuardia Airport.
Cuomo used the remainder of his time to issue what appeared to be a direct blow to Mamdani, declaring the role of mayor as “no job for on-the-job training.”
When Cuomo announced his candidacy with a 17-minute campaign ad, many viewed his election to the office as a foregone conclusion. But on June 24, Mamdani shocked New York with a decisive primary victory, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/socialist-hero-zohran-mamdani-owes-his-victory-to-rich-new-yorkers-not-the-working-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">upsetting Cuomo 56% to 44%</a> in the final ranked choice vote tally.
Sliwa, a longtime fixture in New York City, pitched himself as the only candidate who really understands New Yorkers, having spent the most time in the city’s outer boroughs and riding public transit. Sliwa insisted he wasn’t running for “a title or paycheck,” and pledged he would staff his administration with the “best and brightest” who have dedicated their lives trying to improve the city of New York.
Moderators addressed Mamdani’s lack of experience, asking the assemblyman if he was “ready to lead the nation’s largest and greatest city in the world?”
“I have the experience of being a New Yorker.” Mamdani began, “I’ve paid rent in the city, waited for a bus in the city, and bought groceries in the city.”
Mamdani also added “watching a politically broken system, securing $500,000 in debt relief for taxi drivers, and delivering five no-fare buses” to his management skills.
Mamdani’s answer led to a heated exchange between him and Cuomo.
“He literally has never had a job,” fired Cuomo, “He interned for his mother. Any day you could have a hurricane, God forbid a 9/11, a health pandemic. If you don’t know what you’re doing, people could die.”
Mamdani spent the rest of the night rebuffing two attacks: his extreme views on Israel and Hamas, and his untenable socialist policy proposals. Moderators pressed Mamdani on his refusal to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada,” which many view as a call to arms, and on lyrics from his 2017 rap career praising the “Holy Land Five” — <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/federal-judge-hands-downs-sentences-holy-land-foundation-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">men who were convicted of funneling dollars to Hamas in 2008.</a>
Thanking the moderators for the opportunity to explain his past rhetoric, Mamdani told potential voters that after conversations with Jewish New Yorkers, he now “discourages this language.”
That wasn’t enough for Cuomo, who repeatedly accused Mamdani of refusing to condemn Hamas.
Controversial statements have haunted Mamdani throughout the campaign. In 2020, he publicly supported defunding the police and government housing over private property ownership. Today, he champions a platform that includes increasing the $17 minimum wage to $30, free child care, free buses and subways, government-run grocery stores, and rent freezes for rent-stabilized tenants.
Mamdani’s policies would cost the city $10 billion. This week on Fox News, Mamdani said he would raise taxes on the 1% by 2% to pay for his plans. However, Governor Kathy Hochul pledged to reject his tax hike proposals, an obstacle Mamdani attempted to dodge during the debate.
When asked, Mamdani declined to use the debate stage to endorse Hochul. So did Cuomo and Sliwa.
Since the debate, Mamdani has maintained his double-digit lead in the polls.

US-POLITICS-VOTE-NEW YORK-DEBATE

Mamdani And Cuomo Square Off On Gaza, Free Housing, And More In NYC Mayoral Debate

Menu