Latest news with #DemocraticCommittee
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Is a Republican who voted against state budget in one of Wisconsin's most flippable seats?
It's fair to say election season is never really over in Wisconsin. Democrats are already looking ahead to the fall 2026 elections, when they'll have more chances to pick up seats in the state Legislature, and perhaps flip control of the state Senate. The State Senate Democratic Committee is already eyeing one competitive seat, held by Republican state Sen. Rob Hutton of Brookfield.'Senator Hutton is in the most flippable Senate seat in Wisconsin,' the SSDC, which works to get Democrats elected to the chamber, posted on X on June 27, 2025. This is all in the context of the state's two-year budget and speculation at the time that Hutton might vote against it. Hutton ultimately voted 'no' on the budget, joining three Republicans and 10 Democrats in the Senate who rejected the full plan because it either spent too much or didn't invest enough in areas like K-12 education. In a statement after his vote, Hutton said the budget would create a deficit, 'putting Wisconsin families in a worse spot for the future.' 'In a time of economic uncertainty, when our spending decisions warrant further restraint and discernment, we need a budget that creates proper spending priorities and puts taxpayers first,' Hutton said. Wisconsin voters are likely to hear lots about toss-up legislative seats and how incumbents voted on policies in the budget. Let's determine whether Hutton's district, which includes communities west of Milwaukee like Brookfield, Wauwatosa, Pewaukee and West Allis, is truly the most competitive. We contacted the SSDC, which said it ran the math based on voting results from the 2024 presidential and Senate elections. Democrats see two other seats as competitive, those held by Sen. Howard Marklein of Spring Green and Sen. Van Wanggaard of Racine. Both Republicans voted for the budget. The question for us is whether Hutton's seat is more competitive than the other two. Based on the committee's math, former Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin carried Hutton's district by a higher percentage than they carried the other two districts. In Hutton's district, about 6,500 more voters cast ballots for Harris than President Donald Trump, compared to around 1,000 in the two other districts. And around 5,400 more voters in Hutton's district voted for Baldwin over Republican candidate Eric Hovde, significantly more than in the other two competitive districts. The SSDC didn't provide a breakdown of the district's voting pattern in the state Supreme Court race, but said liberal Justice Susan Crawford's performance in Hutton's district added to its conclusion. John Johnson, a research fellow at Marquette University, did a similar analysis. His findings confirmed that Harris and Baldwin performed better in Hutton's district than in three other battleground districts. Meanwhile, Johnson found Crawford carried Hutton's district by double digits – Crawford actually had a higher margin in Marklein's district. We're getting way into the details, but all this supports Democrats' claim that Hutton's district is at least one of the two most flippable in Wisconsin. Of course, races for the state Legislature are different than those for president, Senate and state Supreme Court. We can't look at how much Hutton won by in 2024 in his new seat, because he wasn't on the ballot last year. In 2022, when his district lines were different, he won by about seven percentage points. Democratic candidate Sarah Harrison is running against Hutton this time around. She ran for state Assembly in 2024, losing to Republican Rep. Adam Neylon from Pewaukee by about 18 points. PolitiFact Wisconsin asked Hutton for further comment but didn't hear back. The State Senate Democratic Committee said Hutton 'is in the most flippable Senate seat in Wisconsin.' Hutton was one of 53 lawmakers, including Republicans and Democrats, who voted against the state budget. Calculations from the SSDC and an independent researcher confirm Harris and Baldwin carried Hutton's district by a higher percentage than two other competitive districts held by Republicans. And while Crawford performed slightly better in one of those other battlegrounds, she still carried Hutton's district by a significant margin. None of this confirms Hutton's seat will turn blue next year, but it is likely the Senate's most competitive seat. We rate the claim True. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, After an intense election season, the political focus shifts to state races in Wisconsin, Nov. 11, 2024. X, Wisconsin Senate Democrats, June 27, 2025. MacIver Institute, Budget Delay Is an Opportunity for Reform, Sen. Rob Hutton, June 27, 2025. Wisconsin State Legislature, 2025 Senate Vote 81, July 2, 2025. Wisconsin State Senator Rob Hutton, Statement on Budget, July 2, 2025. Wisconsin State Legislature, Senate District 5. Email exchange, Will Karcz, State Senate Democratic Committee communications director, July 1, 2025. Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog, John Johnson, What the Supreme Court Election tells us about Wisconsin's Legislative Districts, June 4, 2025. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2022 Wisconsin State Senate - District 5 Election Results. WisPolitics, Harrison campaign: Announces bid for Wisconsin State Senate district 5, June 13, 2025. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2024 Wisconsin General Elections Results - State Assembly District 15. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Legislature passes and Evers signs budget after sprint to get ahead of Trump big bill, July 3, 2025. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Does GOP state budget holdout have most competitive seat in Wisconsin?
Washington Post
15-06-2025
- Washington Post
SUV drives through protesters in Culpeper, Va., police say
A man was arrested Saturday in Culpeper, Virginia, after an SUV drove through a crowd following a 'No Kings' demonstration there, the town police said. Preliminary investigation indicated that at least one person was struck, but in a statement issued Saturday afternoon, police said the person had not been located. No injuries had been reported to law enforcement, the statement said. The incident appeared to be the most disruptive reported during any of the 'No Kings' demonstrations held in the Washington region. The demonstrations were held around the country to oppose what organizers called growing presidential authoritarianism. Culpeper, the seat of Culpeper County, is a town of 20,000 that is about 60 miles southwest of Washington. On its website, the county Democratic Committee expressed gratitude to volunteers and attendees 'who made our massive No Kings event so peaceful, safe and empowering.' There was no apparent mention of the SUV incident. In their account, police said demonstration participants were leaving, and crossing a business parking lot, when officers saw an SUV 'drive recklessly through the crowd of pedestrians' in what appeared to be 'dangerous driving behavior.' Police indicated that the incident occurred in a shopping area on Route 15. It was not clear how many people were in the crowd. About 600 people attended the demonstration, according to Officer Julia Schoelwer, of the Culpeper police. After the incident, officers made a traffic stop, the police said. They said Joseph R. Checklick Jr, 21, of Culpeper was arrested and charged with reckless driving. He appeared before a magistrate and was held without bond, the police said. They said the matter remained under investigation.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Union County Democratic Committee awarded $20,000 grant
LEWISBURG — The Union County Democratic Committee has been awarded a $20,000 grant from Vote Save America. The organization, one of the nation's leading political action committees, recognized the committee for the work they have done mobilizing citizens to run for office, empowering citizens to participate in the democratic process, and serving the community. Union County was one of several rural counties in Pennsylvania to get 'bluer' last year, delivering 1 percent more of the share of total votes to Kamala Harris in 2024 than they did to Joe Biden in 2020, according to Shari Jacobson, committee chair. 'For too long, rural Americans have been underserved by the Republicans who represent us, and voters are starting to take notice," Jacobson said. "Shrinking access to quality health care, a dearth of affordable housing, and the perpetual lack of broadband and cell service are telling voters that we need more options on the ballot.' In this year's municipal elections, Union County voters will find at least 28 local Democrats running for various seats in voting precincts, municipalities and school districts. Each is ready to deliver for constituents, and Vote Save America's support will help the committee get out the vote for them, Jacobson said. "The UCDC plans to use the grant to support a full-time, year-round office," Shaniqua McClendon, head of Vote Save America and vice president of political strategy at Crooked Media, said. "Vote Save America knows that lasting political change is built year-round and from the ground up. That's why we're proud to support organizations such as the Union County Democratic Committee, who are doing the hard, everyday work of building progressive power. "Having a public-facing office will be more than a workspace; it will be a community anchor, a hub for organizing and a visible commitment to the future we're fighting for." Jacobson said the office will provide a space for the service committee to carry out operations, the elections team to help get out the vote and run voter registration trainings, the high school and college Democrats to meet and the events committee to organize gatherings. Long-range goals include developing skilled volunteers to help Union County residents "fill in the gaps created by the Trump administration's drastic cuts to our local support system," Jacobson said. — THE DAILY ITEM
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gaughan, county appealing court ruling in vacancy case
Lackawanna County and Democratic Commissioner Bill Gaughan are appealing a county judicial panel's ruling that the county's Home Rule Charter controls the process of filling former Democratic Commissioner Matt McGloin's vacant seat. Gaughan and the county, co-petitioners in litigation challenging the charter process, are also appealing the panel's ruling that the county lacks authority to proceed as a party in the legal matter. With Senior Judges Carmen D. Minora and Vito P. Geroulo in the majority and Senior Judge Robert A. Mazzoni dissenting, the three-judge panel ruled Thursday that the charter supersedes a state rule of judicial administration that would have removed the county Democratic Committee from the replacement process. It amounted to a legal victory for the committee, which the charter tasks with playing a major role in filling vacancies when a Democratic commissioner or other elected Democratic county row officer leaves office mid-term. Attorneys for Gaughan and the county filed a notice Friday in county court stating the parties are appealing the ruling in Commonwealth Court. The Scranton law firm Myers, Brier & Kelly filed the notice as part of its standing engagement, county spokesman Patrick McKenna said in an email, nothing there will be no further cost associated with the appeal. The HRC specifically tasks the Democratic Committee with submitting the names of three potential candidates to fill the vacancy for consideration by the commissioned judges of the county Court of Common Pleas, and the judges with appointing McGloin's successor from that short list. That process played out controversially in late February when the committee held a closed-door vote to submit former county Economic Development Director Brenda Sacco, Olyphant Borough Council President James Baldan and Scranton School Director Robert J. Casey as potential appointees. Gaughan and the county challenged the charter process in March, arguing it violates Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration 1908. That rule, adopted by the state Supreme Court in 2019, says the county court alone, not a political party, 'shall receive applications from any interested candidates for the position' pursuant to a deadline established by the court. Both sides made their respective cases in court filings and during oral arguments before the panel, with the committee arguing for the supremacy of the charter and Gaughan and the county for Rule 1908. Minora and Geroulo ultimately ruled the charter process supersedes the rule of judicial administration, writing that Gaughan and the county's reading of Rule 1908 'simply defies logic and means every time the court issues a new rule, be it administrative or procedural, HRC communities better hold their breath lest their constitutionally guaranteed right to self-rule be consumed … by a pac-man like anonymous rule making committee unanswerable to any public input.' Mazzoni, dissenting, wrote that the 'clear and unambiguous language in Rule 1908 … makes its application in this case compelling.' 'As noted in the language of Rule 1908, the application of this Rule makes the selection of a candidate more transparent and, of course, more diverse by creating a larger pool of worthy applicants,' Mazzoni wrote. 'A result which truly serves the ends of justice.' The senior judges spoke in one voice on another element of the case, unanimously ruling that the county lacks authority to proceed as a party to the matter while rejecting the claim that county Solicitor Donald Frederickson can commence and prosecute litigation on behalf of the county without authorization from a majority of the commissioners. The county has no authority to proceed because Republican Commissioner Chris Chermak, one of two sitting commissioners, never authorized the county's participation, per the ruling. Attorneys for Chermak — who himself objected to the use of county personnel, resources and taxpayer money to make the legal challenge — had argued in court against the county's participation for that reason. The senior judges did, however, rule that Gaughan has standing to proceed in his official capacity as commissioner since he has a substantial, direct and immediate interest in the case. 'The employment of an appropriate selection process can have an impact on Gaughan's ability to function as a Commissioner,' they wrote. The ruling notes that Chermak also has standing as a commissioner. County President Judge James Gibbons has not provided specific details or a timeline on how the county judges might proceed in light of Thursday's ruling, now being appealed, which orders them to 'follow the directives of the Home Rule Charter' when filling McGloin's seat. 'We will provide information as it becomes available,' Gibbons said in an email. Reached Friday morning, Frederickson said the appeal will stay Thursday's county court ruling pending a ruling from the appellate court. The notice of appeal filed Friday is not the appeal itself, which will be filed at a later date. County Democratic Chairman Chris Patrick declined to comment on the appeal beyond saying 'they have to do whatever they have to do.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Majority of judges rule Home Rule Charter prevails in vacancy fight
The Lackawanna County Home Rule Charter's process for filling former Commissioner Matt McGloin's vacant seat supersedes a state rule of judicial administration that would have removed the county Democratic Committee from the replacement process, the majority of a panel of senior county judges ruled. While split on that question, the panel unanimously ruled that the county — which as a co-petitioner brought litigation challenging the charter process alongside Democratic Commissioner Bill Gaughan — does not have the authority to proceed as party in the matter. Republican Commissioner Chris Chermak and his attorneys had argued against the county's right to do so or participate in the case at all, since Chermak, one of two sitting commissioners, never authorized the county's participation. Thursday's ruling comes a month after the panel of Senior Judges Carmen D. Minora, Vito P. Geroulo and Robert A. Mazzoni heard oral arguments in the litigation Gaughan and the county initiated in March seeking to remove the county Democratic Committee from the process of replacing McGloin, a Democratic commissioner who resigned and left office in late February. Objecting to the HRC process the committee followed in nominating three potential replacements — former county Economic Development Director Brenda Sacco, Olyphant Borough Council President James Baldan and Scranton School Director Robert J. Casey — attorneys for Gaughan and the county argued in court that the HRC procedure violated Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration 1908, adopted by the state Supreme Court in 2019. The Democratic Committee rejected that argument, arguing in court for the supremacy of the charter. Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan speaks during the commissioners' meeting held at the county Government Center in Scranton Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) The HRC tasks the Democratic Committee with submitting the names of three potential candidates to fill the vacancy for consideration by the judges of the county Court of Common Pleas, and the judges with appointing McGloin's successor from that short list. Rule 1908, on the other hand, says the county court alone, not a political party, 'shall receive applications from any interested candidates for the position' pursuant to a deadline established by the court. Minora and Geroulo ruled that the charter supersedes Rule 1908, with Mazzoni dissenting. The majority ruling amounts to a legal victory for the county Democratic Committee. 'The logic behind the entire HRC concept is to provide HRC municipalities with power at the local level to govern at the local level,' Minora and Geroulo wrote in their ruling, which notes Gaughan and the county's reading of Rule 1908 'simply defies logic and means every time the court issues a new rule, be it administrative or procedural, HRC communities better hold their breath lest their constitutionally guaranteed right to self-rule be consumed … by a pac-man like anonymous rule making committee unanswerable to any public input.' In his dissent, Mazzoni disagreed that the HRC controls the replacement process, noting the 'clear and unambiguous language in Rule 1908 … makes its application in this case compelling.' He also reiterated a point he made in court last month that the matter appears to be a case of first impression, meaning the issue before the court hadn't been addressed before. In other words, no court had been asked to decide whether Rule 1908 supersedes a HRC when there's an inconsistency between the charter and Rule 1908. 'As noted in the language of Rule 1908, the application of this Rule makes the selection of a candidate more transparent and, of course, more diverse by creating a larger pool of worthy applicants,' Mazzoni wrote. 'A result which truly serves the ends of justice.' Gaughan raised transparency concerns both before and after the Democratic Committee submitted Sacco, Baldan and Casey for the judges' consideration, blasting the way the committee went about nominating those three from a larger pool of 18 candidates as opaque and politically tainted. County Democratic Chairman Chris Patrick repeatedly defended his process as complying with the charter. 'We just received the ruling and we're currently reviewing it and we will decide very soon on how to proceed,' Gaughan said Thursday. Patrick said his committee stood behind the charter from the beginning. 'We knew it was the right and legal process,' he said. 'At the end of the day I'm just thankful that the senior judges ruled and decided to defend the integrity of the Home Rule Charter. … As far as I'm concerned it's time to move on. There's been enough fighting. There's been enough name calling.' How and when the county court judges might proceed with the three potential appointees before them remains to be seen, but the majority ruling 'orders the commissioned judges that the active court follow the directives of the Home Rule Charter' when voting to fill McGloin's seat. Standing The senior judge panel's ruling on the issue of standing and the county's continued participation in the legal matter was unanimous, with all three finding the county lacks authority to proceed as a party to the litigation. They also rejected the claim that county Solicitor Donald Frederickson can commence and prosecute litigation on behalf of the county without authorization from a majority of the commissioners, but ruled that Gaughan does have standing to proceed in his official capacity as commissioner. 'To permit a single commissioner without majority concurrence to unilaterally proceed in the name of the County would lead to chaotic results infused with political agendas this Court is not willing to sanction,' the judges wrote. Chermak had objected to the use of county resources and personnel in, and taxpayer money to fund, the legal battle. He said in a statement he was pleased with the judges' unanimous decision to remove the county from the litigation. Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak listens during the commissioners' meeting held at the county Government Center in Scranton Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) 'I fought to have the county removed from this suit because the taxpayers of Lackawanna County should not be responsible for paying for a fight between Bill Gaughan and the Democrat Party of Lackawanna County,' he said. In permitting Gaughan in his capacity as commissioner to proceed, the judges found he has a substantial, direct and immediate interest in the case. 'The employment of an appropriate selection process can have an impact on Gaughan's ability to function as a Commissioner,' they wrote. 'Without Gaughan's challenge, he would be conceding to a selection process which he feels is unconstitutional.' Whether Gaughan appeals the ruling remains to be seen.
