Latest news with #4thDistrict
Boston Globe
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
UMass Amherst senior interning on Capitol Hill killed in D.C. shooting, authorities say
The shooting occurred at the intersection of 7th and M Street, Northwest. When police got there, Tarpinian-Jachym was unconscious. The woman the the teen were conscious and breathing, Advertisement All three were taken to local hospitals. Tarpinian-Jachym died Tuesday, authorities said. No arrests have been made but investigators have recovered the vehicle the shooters emerged from, police said. Tarpinian-Jachym graduated from Pope Francis Preparatory School in Springfield and was seeking a degree in finance with a minor in political science at UMass. He joined Representative Estes' office as an intern in June. In 'We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country,' Estes said. 'Please join Susan and me in praying for his family and respecting their privacy during this heartbreaking time.' Advertisement A spokesperson for UMass Amherst said university officials were aware of 'a student's death in Washington, D.C. and is in communication with the student's family.' They did not identify Tarpinian-Jachym. 'We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew him and will be communicating with the campus shortly to offer support,' the university's statement said. Calls to numbers listed for Tarpinian-Jachym's parents were not answered nor were voicemails returned Wednesday night. Democratic Representative Richard E. Neal, whose Western Massachusetts district includes Granby, said he was 'heartbroken' by the news of Tarpinian-Jachym's death. The Granby native was on Capitol Hill working as an intern and 'pursuing his passion for public service,' Neal said in a statement. 'Eric embodied what it means to be part of a community committed to learning, growth, and civic engagement,' Neal's statement said. 'Any parent will tell you there is no greater pain than the pain of losing as a child,' Neal said. 'As a father, my thoughts and prayers are with Eric's family and loved ones during this difficult time.' This breaking news story will be updated as more information becomes available. Tonya Alanez can be reached at
NBC News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Congressional intern killed in Washington shooting
A 21-year-old intern at a congressman's Washington office was fatally shot Monday in the city after gunmen opened fire on a group of people, authorities said. Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was not the intended target of the shooters who got out of a vehicle at 7th and M streets northwest and started firing at around 10:28 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department said. Also hit was a woman and a 16-year-old boy, who survived, police said in a statement. Tarpinian-Jachym was unconscious when first responders arrived, and he died at a hospital on Tuesday, the police department said. U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kansas, said that he and his wife Susan were sending their condolences. Tarpinian-Jachym was a senior at University of Massachusetts at Amherst who was majoring in finance with a minor in political science, his office said. 'I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile,' Estes said in a statement. 'We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country,' he said. 'Please join Susan and me in praying for his family and respecting their privacy during this heartbreaking time.' The vehicle that the shooters used has been found, police said, but no arrests have been announced. Police said that 'multiple suspects' fired at a group of people. The police department said it is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to arrest and conviction of those responsible. The department offers that reward for each homicide in the district.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Can Thomas Massie survive Trump's swamp machine?
The knives are out for Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). Trump's $500 million political machine has Kentucky's 4th District in its crosshairs, and the establishment media is already writing the congressman's obituary. But they're missing the real story here. This isn't about one maverick politician bucking the system. This is about the soul of the Republican Party, and whether it still has one. Massie stands alone. While his colleagues genuflect before Trump's Truth Social tantrums, Massie asks the hard questions. When the president bypasses Congress to strike Iran, Massie calls it unconstitutional. When Trump demands Republicans rubber-stamp another bloated spending bill, Massie votes no. When the party leadership demands lockstep loyalty, Massie chooses principle. For this, he's branded a 'grandstander' and 'Little Boy' by a man who turned the presidency into performance art. What makes Massie unique in the age of MAGA isn't just that he dissents; it's that he can't be bought. While most Republicans perform ritual acts of submission to stay in Trump's favor, Massie reads the Constitution. In Washington, that's practically a revolutionary act. Massie represents what MAGA was supposed to be before it got hijacked: a rebellion against the permanent ruling class, not a rebranding of it. While Trump's movement descended into ego worship and grievance theater, Massie stayed where it began — principled, skeptical and unwilling to bow to power, no matter who holds it. The movement that promised to drain Washington ended up building a new palace. It said 'America First,' but delivered 'Trump First.' Through all this, Massie stayed exactly where he was: demanding spending cuts, opposing executive overreach and defending the Constitution even when his own party tried to bulldoze it. Every MAGA promise has been shattered by its loudest apostles. Fiscal restraint? Trump exploded the deficit. Constitutional order? He ruled by tweet and tantrum. Endless wars? He launched unauthorized strikes. Dismantling the swamp? He just gave it a new uniform. Massie didn't move. He voted against every bloated stimulus package. He fought against illegal wars — not just when Democrats launched them, but when Trump did it, too. He defended congressional authority when his own party told him to shut up and fall in line. That's not rebellion for show — it is actual courage. Of course, the MAGA faithful will call him a traitor. That's the tell. They don't oppose the establishment; they have just built a new one. And Massie, by refusing to play along, exposes the absurdity of their game. Trump's pollsters wave around numbers like talismans. They predict a pro-Trump challenger will sweep the district. But Massie knows his district. He has fought off three primary challenges since 2012. His voters value independence over obedience, and he gives them that, in spades. The Republican Party faces a choice. It can become Trump's private army, where one stray thought earns you a superPAC hit-job, or it can remember what it once stood for: Small government, constitutional order and leaders who know the limits of power. Massie is the road not taken. He endorsed the 2024 presidential bid of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis when Trump was in the basement. He voted against war fever when it was politically convenient to stay silent. His offense isn't ideological drift; it's consistency. And in a party now built on sycophancy, many view that as unforgivable. The irony is delicious. Trump, the man who ran against the swamp, now uses the swamp's playbook, word for word. Endless money, poll-tested puppets and political punishment for disobedience. The populist hero has become everything he claimed to hate. Massie's libertarian, constitutional streak isn't a glitch. In a party now driven by clicks and blind devotion, he's the outlier who still believes in self-government. When Trump calls for bombing another country on a whim, Massie's the one reminding us we're a republic, not a monarchy. This is what real anti-establishment politics looks like: not all-caps rage posts, not loyalty parades, but stubborn, often unpopular principle. Trump built a machine to generate outrage. Massie just shows up and votes the way he always has. If Massie falls, the Republican Party won't just lose a congressional seat; it will forfeit the last trace of the ideals it once pretended to believe in. Who will vote against the next trillion-dollar spending spree? Who will stand up to the next foreign war fever dream? Who will remind the executive branch — Republican or Democrat — that it is not above the law? Trump may have the war chest, but Massie has something far more dangerous to the machine: credibility and conviction. While others orbit Trump's moods, Massie orbits the founding documents. While others contort themselves to fit the day's narrative, he hasn't bent once in over a decade. This isn't just a primary. It's a referendum on whether the Republican Party still has room for Republicans. Not sycophants. Not performers. But actual public servants, men and women who care more about liberty than likes, more about separation of powers than social media relevance, more about the country than any cult of personality. Thomas Massie is the last Republican who remembers what the job is actually for. If he falls, what's left isn't a party. It'll be an echo chamber dressed up as a political movement. John Mac Ghlionn is a writer and researcher who explores culture, society and the impact of technology on daily life. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Augusta Commission has big decision to fill vacancy
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The sudden resignation of Former Commissioner Alvin Mason has left voters in the 4th District without their representative.'I'm concerned, will have to wait to see what happens. I thought he was doing a good job,' Cheryl Lovett, an Augusta voter. Mason has been battling back issues. It caused him to take a three-month absence last year. He told his colleagues last week this would be his final meeting.'So madam clerk effective immediately, I am resigning from this commission and it's somebody else's job to take it from here,' Mason said from the the charter, the commission will vote on naming an interim commissioner to replace Mason and then call for a special election. The commissioners in the 9th Super District are expected to lead the discussion.'Super 9 and the mayor will collaborate together and try to build consensus with the commissioners to see who has the support,' said Mayor Pro-Tem Wayne early, but one name being mentioned is Tanya Barnhill-Turnley, who Mason appointed to the Charter Review Committee.'Tanya – she always cared about Augusta. Her and Alvin were very close. She was his campaign manager,' said voters will ultimately get the final say in who replaces Mason, but that will likely take place after commissioners appoint an interim. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat Ryan Melton suspends campaign for Iowa's 4th Congressional District. Here's why:
Ryan Melton has suspended his 2026 bid for Congress in Iowa's 4th District, leaving the field clear of Democratic candidates in the race for a potentially open seat in the Republican-leaning corner of the state. The race could have been a rematch against incumbent GOP U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who hasn't officially announced he's seeking reelection and has instead launched an exploratory committee and run campaign ads to run for governor in 2026. In a social media post Tuesday, June 17, Melton said this was "one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make." "It's been one of the tougher past few weeks of my life," Melton wrote. "I was notified due to reorganization at the company I've long worked for that I'm losing my job, and as the sole breadwinner at home, I really need to find a new job to support my family. I am also now dealing with a health concern I need to prioritize. Additionally, through a month of campaigning, it is clear my 6-year-old son at home is finding it much harder to have me on the road, and that, of course, makes it harder on my wife as well, and both have already sacrificed so much during my first two runs." Melton had launched his second congressional campaign May 12. He was the Democratic Party's 4th Congressional District nominee in both 2022 and 2024. The 4th District includes cities in the northwestern quadrant of the state, including Council Bluffs, Sioux City, and Ames. It is Iowa's most conservative congressional district. Feenstra won by about 37 percentage points in 2022 and by about 34 percentage points in 2024. Feenstra, a former state lawmaker, businessman and professor, won the seat in 2020 after ousting longtime U.S. Rep. Steve King in a Republican primary that year. Melton's platform was focused on public health, rural revitalization, property rights and transparent and responsive government. "It was an honor to fight the good fight on your behalf, and I will continue to, just in different ways," Melton said. "It's the biggest sacrifice I've ever made for the greater good, but I don't regret a single minute, and am proud of the fact that the party out here in the 4th is in a much better place now than it was when I first began running. It was an honor to help party build at the county level and to boost our candidate count last cycle." Melton touted his calls to fight against the use of eminent domain to seize private property, address the cancer crisis and take on corruption in politics, and said he was proud to receive an endorsement from Feenstra's GOP primary challenger in 2024. Republican Kevin Virgil, who unsuccessfully challenged Feenstra in the 2024 GOP primary for the 4th District seat, endorsed Melton over the two-term incumbent, saying Republicans had become complacent in the deeply conservative district. Melton said he ran for federal office without taking corporate PAC money while receiving no support from the national party, and without being recruited by anyone or being wealthy. He offered to be a resource for anyone eyeing an opportunity to run for office. "I showed you can cause a lot of good trouble through a grassroots campaign," Melton said. "I started from literally nothing my first campaign. I wasn't recruited by anyone, had no start up money, and had no name recognition. This was never something I thought I'd do with my life, but when it was clear our party wasn't going to be able to find a candidate, I jumped in and learned on the fly, and so many awesome volunteers boosted us. We need more working people that struggle every day along with most Americans to run for every office." The only other candidate to consider running for the 4th District so far is Republican state Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia. He launched an exploratory committee May 17 to weigh a bid for the seat. Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@ Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @marissajpayne. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ryan Melton suspends Iowa 4th Congressional District campaign
