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The eight Senate seats most likely to flip in 2024

Senate Democrats are preparing to play defense in 2024 as they look to preserve their narrow majority in the upper chamber.

The party is defending more than twice as many seats as Republicans, and it’s already facing the possibility that some of its incumbents could retire, leaving open competitive seats. 

There are also few opportunities for Democrats to go on the offensive. Their best targets appear to be Florida and Texas, but both states have proved elusive for Democrats in recent years.

Here are eight Senate seats most likely to flip in 2024:

Arizona

The 2024 Senate race in Arizona is already shaping up to be a chaotic one: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) left the Democratic Party last year to become an Independent, and potential Democratic challengers, including Rep. Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), are eyeing her seat.

It’s not an ideal position for Democrats to be in as they look to stave off Republicans in a state that has only emerged as a battleground over the past few election cycles. 

The party has capitalized on appealing to both moderates and liberals in the state in recent years, and there’s at least some concern that the presence of both Sinema and a Democrat in the race could divide that vote.

Of course, Arizona Republicans have their own set of challenges to deal with. The party is at odds over its direction, especially after a disappointing 2022 midterm election cycle. And one of their strongest potential recruits, former Gov. Doug Ducey, has said that he’s not considering a Senate bid.

Michigan

The 2024 Senate race in Michigan appeared promising for Democrats just a couple of weeks ago.

But Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s (D-Mich.) announcement earlier this month that she would not seek reelection in 2024 scrambled the party’s calculus in the race and handed Republicans a prime opportunity to go after an open Democratic seat.

So far, no Democrat has stepped up to the plate to replace Stabenow, though several are weighing campaigns, including Reps. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Debbie Dingell (Mich.). Other high-profile Democrats, like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have already ruled out Senate bids.

The uncertainty stemming from Stabenow’s coming retirement sets the stage for a potentially long and competitive Democratic primary that could complicate the party’s hopes of holding the seat next year.

On the other hand, Republicans haven’t yet settled on a candidate either. What’s clear is that the race is emerging as one of the most contentious in the country.

Montana

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) narrowly eked out a win in 2018, defeating Republican Matt Rosendale by a scant 3.5-point margin. 

But unlike 2018, when a blue wave helped propel Democrats into the House majority, the party is facing a tougher political landscape in 2024. Not only will they be defending more than twice as many Senate seats as Republicans, but they’ll likely be on the ballot with President Biden, whose approval rating remains relatively low.

At the same time, Montana isn’t exactly a swing state. Former President Trump carried it by more than 16 points in 2020, while Sen. Steve Daines (R) won reelection by a 10-point margin.

There’s also the fact that Tester hasn’t yet committed to running for another term in the Senate. If he ultimately decides to step aside, it would deprive Democrats of a battle-tested incumbent whom they believe has the best shot of holding the seat.

Nevada

The 2022 Senate race in Nevada was one of the most competitive of last year’s midterm elections. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) ultimately won reelection, but the race was decided by fewer than 8,000 votes. 

Things aren’t expected to be much easier for Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) in 2024. Nevada is a perennial battleground, and Republicans are sure to contest the state aggressively once again, especially given how close last year’s race was.

It’ll also be Rosen’s first reelection bid, and the political environment next year is expected to be very different from the one she ran in during her 2018 campaign, when she ousted former Sen. Dean Heller (R). 

That fact alone makes Nevada one of the GOP’s best pickup opportunities for 2024.

Ohio

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) survived his last reelection bid in 2018, handing Democrats a key win in a former swing state that has lurched further and further to the right in recent years.

Of course, the big question is whether Brown can do it again. Trump carried the state in 2016 and again in 2020. And former Rep. Tim Ryan (D) lost a Senate bid there last year, deepening Democrats’ woes in the Buckeye State.

Democrats say that Brown has a unique ability to talk to working-class voters and a proven ability to resonate in an increasingly red state. 

Still, Republicans are expected to contest the seat fiercely next year. And again, Biden will likely be on the ballot, as well, potentially making it harder for Brown to run a campaign independent of the White House.

Pennsylvania

The 2022 midterm elections in Pennsylvania didn’t go as Republicans had hoped. Their Trump-endorsed Senate nominee Mehmet Oz lost to Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), and Democrats also held onto the governor’s mansion.

But 2024 will bring new challenges. While Fetterman won his race last year, Democrats and many Republicans say that Oz was a particularly weak candidate. There’s also the fact that Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, raising questions about what it might mean for his 2024 reelection bid.

Casey has said that he has an “excellent prognosis,” and he’s expected to move forward with his reelection campaign. Nevertheless, Republicans are hoping to field a stronger challenger next time around, intent on avoiding a repeat of 2022. 

West Virginia

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) pulled out a narrow 3-point victory in his last bid for reelection, maintaining a seat for Democrats in an otherwise deep-red state.

But West Virginia’s conservative political makeup means that even a moderate like Manchin isn’t safe. Trump carried the state in 2020 by nearly 40 points, while Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R) pulled off an even bigger, 43-point win. 

What’s more, many Democrats believe that Manchin is perhaps the only Senate candidate who can beat a Republican in West Virginia, and he hasn’t yet committed to running for another term. If he decides to retire from the Senate, it would almost certainly take the seat out of play for Democrats.

Wisconsin

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) hasn’t said whether she’ll seek reelection next year, but even if she does, she’s certain to find herself in one of the closest-watched Senate contests in 2024.

Democrats are eager to get Baldwin to commit to another Senate run. After all, she’s won twice before by solid margins. nearly 6 percentage points in 2012 and more than 10 points in 2018. 

Still, Wisconsin remains a crucial battleground state with a propensity to swing wildly from one election to another. 

Biden carried it in 2020 by less than 1 percentage point after Trump narrowly won it in 2016. And just last year, Wisconsin voters handed Sen. Ron Johnson (R) another term in the Senate, choosing a staunch conservative ally of Trump over now-former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes. 

Source: TEST FEED1

Five takeaways on the record-setting California storms

A series of severe storms have pummeled parts of California since shortly after Christmas, causing record-breaking flooding, mudslides and whiteout conditions across the state.

Storms continued to batter parts of California over the weekend, bringing historic levels of rain to some regions, as well as short-term relief to a state often plagued by droughts.

The severe wet weather has also brought California’s storm relief response into question, with some policymakers and experts urging California to try a new approach to keep flooding at bay.

A string of atmospheric rivers, which are bands of water vapor from the tropics that dumps rain or snow when it makes landfall, is responsible for the severe weather. These rivers can dump precipitation on a region for days at a time.

Here are five takeaways from the California storms as more storms are expected Sunday night.

Relief from storms in sight

Heavy storms are expected to continue into Monday morning with heavy snow falling in the mountain regions, according to the National Weather Service. A flood watch has also been issued for the San Francisco Bay Area and the state’s central coast until Monday afternoon.

But relief may be in sight. By Tuesday, dry weather will return to most portions of the state, said Accuweather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham. He said areas including Sacramento and Fresno will see dry conditions for 24 to 36 hours starting Tuesday, and southern areas like Los Angeles and San Diego could see dry conditions until the end of the month.

By mid-week, Central and Northern California will likely see another onslaught of storms that could bring more flooding to the area, according to the Accuweather forecast.

As of Thursday, most of California was still in a severe or moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

At least 19 people have died due to the storms

Since late December, at least 19 people have died as a result of the weather and hazardous conditions caused by it, more than double the nine people killed in wildfires in 2022.

Half of these deaths involved motorists. Some of those deaths could have been avoided if they had listened to road closure signs, said Sean Duryee, acting commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, according to the Associated Press.

A five-year-old boy was swept away from his mother’s arms when floodwaters filled up their SUV on the way to school last Monday. Officials temporarily paused the search for Kyle Donan Saturday due to rising water levels in the area, but resumed the search Sunday, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Other causes of death include falling trees and lightning.

“We haven’t had a flood in a long time,” said a spokesperson for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, per NBC News. “People have a lot of experience with fires. We’re coming out of years of drought. The public is having to learn a new skill.”

Record rainfall fell in some regions

Los Angeles saw record-breaking rainfall over the weekend, with downtown L.A. receiving 1.82 inches Saturday, breaking the 1978 record of 1.56 inches, according to CBS Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Airport saw 1.53 inches fall Saturday, breaking the previous record 1.51 inches also set in 1978.

Northern California also experienced record-breaking rainfall over the last few weeks, with Downtown San Francisco recording 13.6 inches of rain from Dec. 26 to Jan. 11, according to Reuters. San Francisco International Airport, Oakland and Stockton also all recorded 16-day records during the same period, according to Reuters.

The National Weather Service warned that more flooding will occur Sunday into Monday and issued flood watches and warnings. On Saturday, nearly 26 million people in California were under a flood watch.

Biden declares major disaster

President Biden declared a major disaster in California Saturday to direct federal aid to the storm-battered state.

The declaration will send federal aid to assist state, tribal and local recovery efforts and to support individuals in affected areas, including Sacramento, Santa Cruz and Merced. The aid can include funding for temporary housing and property losses due to the storm.

“Thank you, @POTUS for having the back of Californians as we continue to be impacted by intense winter storms,” California Governor Gavin Newsroom (D) said on Twitter.

Biden also declared a major disaster in Alabama Sunday, after the state was hammered by tornadoes Thursday.

Mudslides, whiteout conditions close roads

Hazardous road conditions resulted in the closure of highways in the mountain region over the last few weeks.

Icy road conditions pushed officials to close the I-80 westbound at the Nevada Stateline and eastbound at Colfax Saturday night. Officials posted a video of the snowy conditions, and reopened the highway Sunday with chain control.

The California Department of Transportation said to expect traffic delays Saturday as the department conducted avalanche control on parts of the highway in the Sierras. The state also closed parts of Route 50 for avalanche control.

“Pack your patience & have snacks & a full tank of gas because of heavy traffic & temporary closures at various locations for vehicle spinouts and avalanche control,” the statement said. “Expect extended travel delays.”

The California Highway Patrol in Santa Cruz warned people Saturday not to drive unless it was “necessary,” due to potential flooding, sinkholes, and downed trees.

“This new wave of storms is bringing new road closures and more hazards,” the warning said. “Please do not drive unless it’s NECESSARY. Be safe and cautious of your surroundings.”

Source: TEST FEED1

McCarthy weighs in on defense spending cuts amid GOP divisions

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) signaled his support Sunday for some cuts in defense spending amid growing tension within the House GOP ranks over the party’s approach to a coming debt limit fight.

During an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” host Maria Bartiromo asked McCarthy if he was willing to cut defense spending as part of a reported deal within the GOP caucus to freeze spending at 2022 levels.

McCarthy disputed estimates that such a deal would result in a $75 billion cut to defense spending, while also signaling his support for targeted cuts.

“If we go back to ’22 levels, that was what we were spending just two or three weeks ago. That’s not cutting defense by $75 billion,” McCarthy told Bartiromo.

“Does defense getting more than $800 billion, are there areas that I think they could be more efficient in? Yeah. Eliminate all the money spent on wokeism. Eliminate all the money that they’re trying to find different fuels and they’re worried about the environment to go through,” McCarthy added.

“I want our men and women trained to be able to defend themselves, to secure, to have the best weapons systems possible.” 

McCarthy also noted that “every single level of government” should be looking at ways to spend less taxpayer money.

“Why would we sit back and be so arrogant to say no, there’s no waste in government?” McCarthy said. “Why wouldn’t we look at all the money that poured out during COVID? What money of that has not been spent? Why wouldn’t you pull that back yet?”

McCarthy’s remarks come as tensions grow within the House GOP over possible reductions to defense spending as a result of a deal McCarthy reportedly struck, in his bid to secure the speakership, to cap discretionary spending at fiscal 2022 levels.

That would effectively cut $75 billion from the $857 billion defense budget in fiscal 2023.

Multiple GOP lawmakers have spoken out against potential cuts to military spending, with Texas Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R) saying earlier this month that it was a “horrible idea,” citing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and other foreign threats.

“When you have aggressive Russia and Ukraine, you’ve got a growing threat of China in the Pacific, how am I going to look at our allies in the eye and say, ‘I need you to increase your defense budget, but yet America is going to decrease ours?’” Gonzalez said during an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Push for over-the-counter naloxone may not help most vulnerable

The Biden administration’s push to make some forms of opioid overdose reversal drugs available over the counter will likely have little impact on the people that need it most, public health advocates warn. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) late last year began encouraging drug companies to apply to switch some forms of the drug away from prescription only, a move that advocates have long been pressing for as a way to increase access to a lifesaving drug.

Naloxone is a medicine that can help reduce opioid overdose deaths and when administered timely, usually within minutes of the first signs of an opioid overdose, can counter the overdose effects.

Rahul Gupta, head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said at a press conference in December that 80,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in the past year. With naloxone, many of those deaths would have been avoided.

The FDA’s notice provides a pathway to approval for naloxone products and calls for more information from drugmakers on how the medication would be sold. 

But there are only two companies that have been granted fast-track priority review to sell naloxone over the counter, and harm reduction advocates say the cost is a major barrier. The FDA is likely to approve naloxone as a nasal spray, which costs significantly more for harm reduction groups than an injection kit. 

“We’re really thrilled to have an OTC [over-the-counter] product on the horizon. But there’s a huge, enormous caveat,” said Maya Doe-Simkins, a co-director of the nonprofit group Remedy Alliance/For The People, which distributes generic naloxone to people in need. “The nasal sprays are just, you know, magnitudes of 10 or 100 more expensive than generic injectables.”

One of the companies granted priority review is Emergent BioSolutions, which manufactures the brand name Narcan nasal spray. The FDA told the company it expects to have a decision on its application by the end of March.

“Accidental overdoses can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time, and by shifting to OTC status, increased access to NARCAN will help address patient needs as the opioid epidemic continues to evolve,” Emergent said in a statement. 

A spokesman told The Hill the company has not yet set a price. A two-pack of Narcan costs about $140, but with discounts the price is about $40 a dose. 

The other company with a fast-track application is the nonprofit Harm Reduction Therapeutics. Michael Hufford, co-founder and CEO, said his plan is to give away some doses for free and sell the rest at cost.

He understands the concerns from harm reduction groups, but contends that nasal sprays are easier for lay people to use.

“Glass vials and needles, man, that’s, that’s a big ask right to have people understand how to use a needle, how to draw it up, how to inject it. That’s just a lot tougher hurdle,” Hufford said.

But experts and advocates contend the people who will be using naloxone are already familiar with injecting needles.

“The people who are going to buy it [at the pharmacy] are going to be different from the people who are the most at risk,” said Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist at the University of North Carolina who researches drugs and infectious diseases.

The goal is to “really focus in on getting this into the hands of people who are using drugs and are at risk of overdose. When you’re talking about that population, it’s not your average grandmas at the pharmacy,” Dasgupta said. 

Naloxone is currently only available as a prescription, though all 50 states have found workarounds to make the drug available at the pharmacy without a prescription. Yet the people who need naloxone the most are also the least likely to go to a pharmacy and request it.

The cost of the medication, requirements to show ID, and the overall stigma of asking for naloxone are all barriers. Additionally, some pharmacists may not be aware that there is a standing order in their state and refuse to prescribe the drug altogether.

In addition, the workarounds states use to make the drug available to individuals don’t apply to harm reduction groups, which partner with manufacturers and distributors to buy naloxone at a discount. 

Those “last mile” groups are one of the primary ways to get naloxone into the hands of the highest risk populations, but they are required to treat naloxone as a prescription drug, and need to abide by strict rules.

For example, an organization like Remedy Alliance/For The People must have a doctor sign for the order. The organization must also have an address that is not a private home to receive shipments, which poses a problem for groups in rural areas. 

Granting federal over-the-counter status to naloxone would solve those problems, Doe-Simkins said, but without addressing the cost barrier, the government is only taking a partial step forward. 

“We’re thrilled with OTC. It does not solve our problem, because what will come along with it is the cost. And so that leaves us with the only affordable naloxone being a generic injectable that is still prescription only,” Doe-Simkins said.

Source: TEST FEED1

GOP lawmakers decry ‘hypocrisy’ in Biden, Trump classified document cases

Republican lawmakers on Sunday accused authorities of “hypocrisy” when it came to the handling of classified documents by President Biden and former President Trump after leaving office.

While some lawmakers acknowledged there was enough blame to go around on both sides of the matter, others who took to the Sunday political show circuit withheld criticism of either man if they belonged to the same political party.

“Joe Biden used as his closing argument during the midterm elections that Republicans were a threat to democracy. And he cited the fact that President Trump mishandled the documents. While he was doing this, he knew very well that he himself had possession of classified documents,” Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) the newly appointed chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“So the hypocrisy here is great. We’re very concerned about a lack of transparency. We’re very concerned, as I have said many times, about a two-tiered system of justice in America. And we just want equal treatment. And, hopefully, we will get some answers very soon,” he added.

When anchor Jake Tapper asked Comer if he only cares about the handling of documents at the hands of Democrats and not Republicans, the Kentucky Republican said: “At the end of the day, my biggest concern isn’t the declassified documents, to be honest with you. My concern is how there’s such a discrepancy in how former President Trump was treated by raiding Mar-a-Lago, by getting the security cameras, by taking pictures of documents on the floor, by going through Melania’s closet, vs. Joe Biden.”

When Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was asked by “Sunday Monday Futures” host Maria Bartiromo for his take on the matter, he said: “Well, it just shows the hypocrisy and why the American public does not trust their government.”

“What’s real concerning to me is how justice is applied, and is it applied equally? Why do you raid President Trump?” McCarthy asked, defending the former president by suggesting the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago were “padlocked” despite federal investigators who said classified documents were found in unsecured locations.

“Now we’re finding time and again a locked garage door that opens and closes by a push of the button. How many years has this vice president, who has been in office for more than 40 years, had these documents? Who’s been in and out of there?” McCarthy said in criticizing the Biden case. “So they apply a special counsel. But how many agents do they apply to that and apply to President Trump as well? This is just hypocrisy.”

Democrats, meanwhile, pointed out differences in each matter, highlighting the volume of materials in Trump’s case that number in hundreds of documents along with Trump’s attempts to keep the documents from being handed over to the National Archives while the White House says Biden’s team immediately contacted the agency when the discoveries were made at a former Washington, D.C., office of his as well as his residence near Wilmington, Del. 

“There are some people who are trying to compare having a government document that should no longer be in your possession to inciting a violent insurrection against the government of the United States. And those are obviously completely different things,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” referring to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. “That’s apples and oranges. So, we should keep a sense of proportion and measure about what we’re talking about.”

The White House has increasingly come under fire after reports emerged last week that classified documents dating back to Biden’s time as vice president were discovered starting on Nov. 2, just six days before crucial midterm elections in which Biden’s political clout was on the line.

The matter was not helped on Saturday when Biden’s counsel said five more documents were found at the president’s residence after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last week that searches of the president’s home were “complete.”

Some Democrats acknowledged on Sunday that Biden casting Republicans as threats to democracy leading into the November elections was a bad look.

“Well, it’s certainly embarrassing,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press,” but added that Biden’s team appeared to be cooperating with authorities.

“They don’t think it’s the right thing and they’ve been moving to correct it, working with the Department of Justice, working with everyone involved, with the archives. So, from my perspective, it’s one of those moments that, obviously, they wish hadn’t happened,” Stabenow, who announced earlier this month that she would not seek reelection, said.

Rep. Don Bacon (D-Neb.), meanwhile, said there was enough blame to be shared by both sides.

“I think if you’re an honest statesman, you just can’t point fingers to the other guy and deny that there was problems on our side as well,” Bacon said.

And Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said appointing a special counsel in both the Biden and Trump matters was appropriate, adding that he would like to see Congress conduct an assessment of the classified documents found to be at the Biden locations.

“I still would like to see Congress do its own assessment of — and receive an assessment from the intelligence community of whether there was an exposure to others of these documents, whether there was harm to national security, on the case of either set of documents with either president,” he said on ABC’s “This Week.”

House Republicans have repeatedly defended Trump and been overly critical of the FBI search in August 2022 of his Mar-a-Lago property but have not called for congressional oversight on the case, which is being investigated as a potential violation of the Espionage Act, according to the Justice Department.

Comer on Sunday vowed to investigate the circumstances of the document discoveries but only when it came to Biden, sidestepping questions on whether he considered that to be hypocritical. 

Less than one week after CBS News broke the news of an initial discovery of documents in a former office of Biden’s, Comer on Sunday sent a letter to White House chief of staff Ron Klain asking for a visitor log for Biden’s Wilmington residence. His panel is also conducting investigations involving President Biden’s son Hunter Biden and his business dealings years ago.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) took the opportunity on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” to criticize the FBI, suggesting that the appointments of special counsels by the Justice Department in both the Biden and Trump cases would impact the 2024 presidential elections, drawing similarities to investigations into election interference in 2016 and stories focused on Hunter Biden in 2020 that he said were “suppressed.”

“Maybe the FBI should just stay out of things, and let the American people decide who we want representing us in Congress and who we want as commander in chief, and not weigh in on all these various elections,” Jordan said.

Source: TEST FEED1

Progressives battle for Feinstein's Senate seat

Before California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has even announced her retirement from public office, two prominent progressives have already made plans to run for her likely-to-be-vacant seat.  

A battle of liberal evolution is unfolding as newer talent and the established guard on the left vie for the same spot, tempted by the chance to move the Senate in their direction. So far, the conversation is centered around two congresswomen, Katie Porter from Orange County and Barbara Lee from Oakland, with room for more names in the mix.  

While Lee has not officially teed off a campaign, she told colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus this week that she intends to run, as The Hill and other outlets reported. Porter, meanwhile, got out ahead of Feinstein by preemptively launching a bid, shoring up initial support and surprising some Democrats with her springboarding. 

The early angling shows progressives’ desire to expand beyond the House — where their power is highly concentrated — and to help change the composition of the chamber as the party grapples with what it could look like in 2024, and what it will take to get there.  

“Lee vs. Porter is really tough,” said Max Berger, a progressive strategist and former campaign staffer for both Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.). “I don’t think progressives can win if both stay in.” 

The elephant in the room is the simple fact that Feinstein, who turns 90 in June, has not yet said she plans to retire, and Democrats aren’t sure when to expect a decision. But that hasn’t stopped liberal lawmakers from maneuvering behind the scenes and more recently in public toward what’s expected to be a crowded primary.  

Porter and Lee are both members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and have made a significant imprint on the party’s left wing. Porter is a deputy chair, and Lee is chair emeritus of the group in the House.  

Lee, 76, an anti-interventionist crusader, became widely known for standing alone in opposition to the Iraq War at a time of rampant hawkishness. She went on to become a staunch ally of the activist class, often working alongside advocates on causes like income inequality and environmental justice that have informed the party’s direction.  

If she enters the race, she is expected to have support from some progressives close to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), with one Sanders ally telling The Hill she’ll likely get the backing of many local Black leaders and grassroots activists. A lot hinges on her forthcoming plans, but Democrats already see a powerful incentive for a potential Lee candidacy: if elected, she would be the only sitting Black female senator in office. 

“Katie Porter is brilliant, but I think this should be Barbara Lee’s moment,” said Charlotte Clymer, a writer and Democratic political strategist. “Congresswoman Lee would be phenomenal in the Senate and has demonstrated, time after time, that she has the moral clarity to lead in ways few other elected officials can. She’ll have my full support.” 

Others see Porter as representing a more forward-looking faction of the left. Her supporters point to her work to break up monopolies and tax the country’s wealthiest people, and she already has a powerful mentor in Warren in the Senate.  

The Orange County congresswoman is a disciple of Warren’s, who she considers a close confidant from their time at Harvard Law School. And the support is mutual. Warren was the first senator to endorse Porter, throwing her full weight behind the 49-year-old Democrat.  

Porter has also shown an aptitude for fundraising. Just a day after making her plans for higher office public, she reportedly raised more than $1 million, showing early financial momentum from small dollar donations.  

“On a gut level, Katie knows how to challenge power on behalf of families,” said Adam Green, who co-founded the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which is supporting Porter and also backed Warren’s bids. 

For all the early interest, Porter is not expected to clear the field entirely. She’s faced competitive elections in past cycles, even as recently as during the November midterms, when she only narrowly won her reelection campaign against Republican challenger Scott Baugh, a former state assemblyman.  

Now a Senate candidate, she wears that hard-fought win as a battle scar, readying for what’s expected to be a tense primary and possibly challenging general election. “I’ve always had tough campaigns and I’ve always won, and I hope this will be the same result,” Porter told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough after her announcement.  

Early into 2023, as Democrats remain divided over degrees of progressivism — with leftists like Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) standing on one side of the spectrum, and more traditional liberals like Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) on the other — the California Senate race could draw sharper contrasts between visions for the party. 

It’s also likely to raise new questions about electability. “I prefer Lee, but I think Porter is probably a stronger statewide candidate,” Berger said. 

Porter and Lee also have nearly three decades between them, adding a generational component to the equation. And in the state where former Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) was able to ascend quickly from senator to vice president, there are also unknowns about how identity and diversity will play into voters’ minds as the primary gets underway. 

“I think it’s gonna be one of those races where [it] doesn’t easily break down on ideological lines,” said Eddie Vale, a longtime Democratic strategist who’s worked with political and issue advocacy campaigns. 

Vale suggested instead that Democrats will have to contend with things like “geography, gender and race all layered on top.” 

There’s also the possibility of blurring the lines between progressives versus moderates as even more contenders are expected to announce. Other leading Democrats, including Reps. Adam Schiff (Calif.), 62, who previously chaired the House Intelligence Committee, and Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.), 46, an economic populist and progressive leader from Silicon Valley, are also mulling bids. 

For the time being, many Democrats are keeping their plans under the radar. “Right now we’re focused on the flooding and historic weather conditions,” an operative close to one high-profile progressive in the state said.  

But there’s only so long that can last, particularly as the primary itself is political catnip for many on the left who see the chance to replace one of their biggest Democratic foes as highly appealing.  

Progressives have long sparred with Feinstein over deep differences in ideology. While many Democrats and moderate allies applaud her service in office, others from a younger generation have often expressed frustration with her tactics and goals as being misguided.  

In one illuminating instance, young climate activists confronted Feinstein about her unwillingness to support a Green New Deal plan that would, in theory, shake up the country’s response to rising temperatures and global environmental threats. Confronted by Sunrise Movement advocates, Feinstein responded, “I know what I’m doing” and essentially informed the protesters that they weren’t aware of the rigors of getting elected and governing. 

The episode was just one of several moments that placed progressives and the veteran senator at odds, creating an atmosphere where several high-profile Democrats are not-so-secretly eager to replace her.  

“During Feinstein’s 30 years representing the Golden State, she supported the Iraq War, voted for the Bush tax cuts for the ultra wealthy, and refused to end the filibuster,” said Joe Sanberg, a progressive activist and donor based in Los Angeles, who is also thought to be considering a run for the Senate seat.  

“Working Californians need a leader who will prioritize raising the minimum wage, passing universal healthcare, and centering this north star,” he said. “Everyone who works should be able to afford life’s basic needs.” 

Source: TEST FEED1

Stabenow calls Biden comments on Trump documents ‘embarrassing’

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) on Sunday called President Biden’s comments last year about former President Trump’s handling of classified documents “embarrassing” amid the discovery of classified documents at Biden’s own residence.

“Well, it’s certainly embarrassing,” Stabenow told host Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

But the Michigan senator said that though the recent discovery of “a small number” of classified documents from Biden’s time as vice president at an old Washington, D.C., office and at his Wilmington, Del., home was an embarrassing slip-up, she emphasized that the Biden team has cooperated with authorities on the matter.

“They don’t think it’s the right thing and they’ve been moving to correct it, working with the Department of Justice, working with everyone involved, with the Archives. So, from my perspective, it’s one of those moments that, obviously, they wish hadn’t happened,” Stabenow, who announced earlier this month that she would not seek reelection, said.

Republicans were outraged by the FBI search of Trump’s home last year, which was prompted when the former president failed to cooperate with requests from the Nation Archives to return documents from his time in office. Now, many in the party have seized on the discovery of documents at Biden’s home, calling the president hypocritical and pushing for investigations.

“What I’m most concerned about, and this is the kind of thing that Republicans love… ‘Let’s talk about investigations. Let’s create chaos…’ They don’t want to talk with us about how to move the country forward,” Stabenow said on Sunday.

She said that the chaos of criticisms and investigations is “where the Republicans feel comfortable, unfortunately.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Schiff says it's possible national security was jeopardized with Biden documents

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Congress could not “exclude the possibility” that national security was jeopardized by the handling of President Biden’s classified documents, which are now at the center of a Department of Justice probe.

“I don’t think we can exclude the possibility without knowing more of the facts,” Schiff said on ABC’s “This Week” in an interview with Jonathan Karl. “I’d like to know what these documents were, I’d like to know what the (special counsel’s) assessment is.”

The discovery of Biden’s classified documents in unauthorized locations has placed Democrats in the middle of a political conundrum. They have for months blasted former President Trump for his handling of classified documents, which resulted in the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago.

Schiff on Sunday said he thinks the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the Biden documents was the right move.

“The attorney general has to make sure that not only is justice evenly applied, but the appearances of justice are also satisfactory to the public,” Schiff said. “And here, I don’t think he had any choice but to appoint a special counsel.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced last week that Robert Hurt, a former U.S. attorney, would serve as the special counsel investigating the Biden documents.

But Schiff, like many Democrats, made sure to distinguish between Trump and Biden’s handling of documents, emphasizing that it appears the president has fully cooperated with law enforcement.

“The Biden approach was very different in the sense that it looks that it was inadvertent that these documents were at these locations,” Schiff said. “There was no effort to hold onto them, no effort to conceal them, no effort to obstruct the Justice Department’s investigation.”

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Watch live: Biden speaks at Ebenezer Baptist Church

President Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on Sunday morning to mark what would have been the 94th birthday of the late Martin Luther King Jr.

His sermon aims to celebrate the civil rights leader’s legacy while reviving the Biden administration’s call for sweeping voting rights legislation.

In advance of Biden’s visit to the church where King once preached, White House officials said he was committed to advocating for meaningful voting rights action.

Biden’s remarks are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

Watch them live in the video player above.

— The Associated Press contributed

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Biden to touch on voting rights in sermon celebrating MLK

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to mark what would have been the 94th birthday of the late Martin Luther King Jr. with a sermon Sunday at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church that aims to celebrate the civil rights leader’s legacy while reviving the Biden administration’s call for sweeping voting rights legislation.

Biden’s failure to win passage of a measure that would have bolstered voting right protections, a central campaign pledge, is one of his biggest disappointments of his first two years in office. The task is even steeper now that Republicans control the House.

In advance of Biden’s visit to the church where King once preached, White House officials said he was committed to advocating for meaningful voting rights action.

“The president will speak on a number of issues at the church, including how important it is that we have access to our democracy,” senior adviser Keisha Lance Bottoms said

Bottoms, who was Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 to 2022, said “you can’t come to Atlanta and not acknowledge the role that the civil rights movement and Dr. King played in where we are in the history of our country.”

The stop at Ebenezer comes at a delicate moment for Biden after Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday announced the appointment of a special counsel to investigate how the president handled classified documents after leaving the vice presidency in 2017. The White House on Saturday revealed that additional classified records were found at Biden’s home near Wilmington, Delaware.

The Democrats’ voting rights bill, named after John Lewis, the late civil rights leader and Georgia congressman, included provisions that would have made Election Day a national holiday, ensured access to early voting and mail-in ballots and enabled the Justice Department to intervene in states with a history of voter interference, among other changes.

The legislation collapsed last year when two senators — Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat then and now an independent — refused to join Democratic colleagues in changing Senate rules to overcome a Republican filibuster. Sinema last month announced that she was changing her party affiliation, but she continues to caucus with Democrats.

Biden was invited to Ebenezer, where King served as co-pastor from 1960 until he was assassinated in 1968, by Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor. Warnock, like many battleground state Democrats who won reelection in 2022, kept his distance during the campaign from Biden as the the president’s approval rating lagged and the inflation rate climbed.

But with Biden beginning to turn his attention toward an expected 2024 reelection effort, Georgia is going to get plenty of his attention.

In 2020, Biden managed to win Georgia as well as closely contested Michigan and Pennsylvania, where Black votes made up a disproportionate of the Democratic electorate. Turning out Black voters in those states will be essential to Biden’s 2024 hopes.

The White House has tried to promote Biden’s agenda in minority communities. The White House has cited efforts to encourage states to take equity into account for public works projects as they spend money from the administration’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill. The administration also has acted to end sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses, scrapping a policy widely seen as racist.

The administration also highlights Biden’s work to diversify the federal judiciary, including his appointment of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court and the confirmation of 11 Black women judges to federal appeals courts — more than those installed to those powerful courts under all previous presidents combined.

In Atlanta, Biden will the first sitting president ever to speak at a Sunday service at Ebenezer, Bottoms said.

King, who was assassinated in 1968 after he fueled passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, would have celebrated his 94th birthday on Sunday. Members of King’s family are expected to be in attendance for Biden’s visit.

The president plans to be in Washington on Monday to speak at the National Action Network’s annual breakfast on the King holiday.

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Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Source: TEST FEED1