Latest news with #DemocraticCongressionalCampaignCommittee
USA Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego will make stop through Iowa amid early 2028 presidential buzz
U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego will make a stop through Iowa in August — a move that likely will generate presidential primary chatter for the Arizona Democrat as well as renewed buzz for Iowa, where some Democrats are eager to regain a foothold on the presidential nominating calendar. Gallego will attend the Iowa State Fair Aug. 8 — a quintessential presidential campaign stop — and then travel to the Quad Cities Aug. 9 where he'll attend a town hall in Scott County, his staff told the Des Moines Register. That event will be co-hosted by the Iowa Democratic Party and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. According to his staff, Gallego plans to speak directly to voters about the "disastrous budget bill" Republicans passed and President Donald Trump signed into law July 4. 'Like most Iowans, Ruben Gallego didn't grow up having things handed to him — he had to work hard and pay his dues," Gallego's chief of staff, Raphael Chavez-Fernandez, said in a statement. "That's why he's headed to the Hawkeye State to call out those who backed Trump's billionaire tax scam at the expense of Iowa's good, hard working people. Ruben's not afraid to say the quiet part out loud: that Iowa families are getting screwed, and Iowans deserve leaders who will fight for them every single day." Gallego defeated MAGA firebrand Kari Lake in 2024 to become Arizona's first Latino U.S. senator, and he is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party after winning a battleground state that Republican President Donald Trump also carried. That victory came in part by overperforming among Latino voters compared with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, a key constituency that Democrats struggled to court in 2024. Gallego is one of several national Democrats who appear to be positioning themselves for a potential White House bid in 2028. Without an incumbent on the ballot or an heir apparent waiting in the wings, the Democratic primary field is expected to be a wide open free-for-all. Gallego stoked speculation about his future ambitions by traveling to Pennsylvania, a key presidential battleground, in May. He held a town hall with local Democrats to help draw attention to Republicans who were not holding public meetings with their constituents. Gallego has also looked to raise his national profile on immigration-related issues, co-sponsoring the Laken Riley Act in the Senate and releasing a campaign-style immigration plan. Other would-be presidential contenders are also making the rounds to other key states as the 2028 shadow primary begins to unfold. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said July 6 he is considering a possible 2028 run. And on July 8, California Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a two-day tour of South Carolina, the state that led off the 2024 primary calendar for Democrats. Is Iowa back in the conversation as 2028 shadow primary unfolds? Gallego's trip to Iowa may help renew a conversation about whether Iowa belongs in the early state lineup as the 2028 presidential primary process gets underway. It follows a May appearance by former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who held his first public in-person appearance since leaving his cabinet post in January. He drew a standing-room-only crowd and a throng of national reporters. Although Iowa no longer officially leads off the presidential nominating calendar, Buttigieg's visit to Iowa still generated national media attention and lots of questions about his future plans. Buttigieg declined to weigh in when asked by reporters whether Iowa should reclaim its first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. But he touted what the caucus experience did for his rise. 'People like me are takers and not makers of the rules on that,' he said. 'What I will say is that Iowa showed me what can happen through a process where you have to be in backyards and do four town halls a day. It made it possible for somebody like me to emerge as a national figure, and it certainly made me better, not just as a candidate, but I think ultimately, as a public servant, when I did have the opportunity to serve in the Capitol.' When Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart was reelected to another term as chair in January, she said she would hold listening sessions around the state to determine how the party's grassroots wanted to move forward with the caucuses. And when the Democratic National Committee removed longtime Rules and Bylaws Committee member Scott Brennan from the panel that sets the presidential nominating calendar, Brennan left the door open to holding a rogue event that goes against the DNC's official calendar in 2028. "I think that we are certainly not constrained in any way from doing what Iowa Democrats and our chair decide," he said at the time. Other Iowa Democrats have also suggested holding a first-in-the-nation nominating event, even if it goes against the DNC's wishes. Iowa House Minority Leader Brian Meyer, D-Des Moines, said on a June 27 episode of Iowa Press that he will push for Iowa Democrats to reclaim their spot at the front of the presidential nominating calendar. "At the end of the day, we can get rid of the weird math that we do as Democrats and just adopt what the Republicans have done, which is more like a straw poll," Meyer said. "Just have a straw poll, and just move forward with this." Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at bpfann@ or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.
Axios
5 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Scoop: Sean Patrick Maloney mulls political comeback against Mike Lawler
Former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is considering challenging Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in NY-17, according to people familiar with the matter. Why it matters: Maloney's entrance into the race would give Democrats a proven fundraiser and a political operative in what will likely be one of the most expensive races in the country. For Maloney, a former chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, it's a shot at redemption after losing to Lawler in 2022. Maloney had represented the neighboring district, NY-18, for ten years, but decided to challenge Lawler after his residence was drawn into NY-17, which scrambled internal Democratic politics. Zoom out: Lawler is a key target of the DCCC as one of three Republicans to win a district that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris. Lawler is also considering running for governor, which could potentially set up a showdown with Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y). Zoom in: Maloney hasn't made a final decision and likely won't until the fall, according to a person familiar with the matter. He returned to the U.S. from Paris this spring, after serving as former President Biden's ambassador to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, and is setting his family back up in New York. But he has told allies that he thinks Lawler is vulnerable and that Democrats need to win the suburban seat if they want to capture the majority, according to people familiar with the matter. Flashback: GOP leaders spent heavily to defeat Maloney in 2022. Republicans gained 9 seats in the cycle, which gave them a thin majority.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
DCCC targets 35 House Republicans over budget law's impact on rural hospitals
WASHINGTON - The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's first national online ad buy of the 2026 cycle will focus on the impact of Republicans' newly enacted tax and spending package on rural hospitals. The digital ads, shared first with CQ Roll Call, are set to begin running this week on Facebook and Instagram and target the 35 House Republicans the DCCC has marked for defeat next year. "Because of [his or her] vote, rural hospitals across America are now at risk of closing," reads the text of these spots. The four-figure digital buy is likely to be the first in a wave of ads by campaign committees and super PACs aligned with both parties spotlighting the sweeping GOP-led measure, which narrowly passed both chambers last week. The DCCC aims to make sure "every battleground voter knows that instead of lowering costs for American families, Republicans are ripping away health care for millions and cutting funding for hospitals, all to pay for massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors," committee spokesperson Viet Shelton said in a statement. The legislation, which contains trillions of dollars in tax breaks and spending cuts, forms the heart of President Donald Trump's domestic agenda. Democrats were united in their opposition, while House Republicans saw two defections: libertarian-minded Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, one of three GOP lawmakers representing districts that Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 presidential race. The impact of Medicaid cuts on rural hospitals was a key issue in the negotiation process over the budget reconciliation bill. Some House Republicans from swing districts had expressed concerns that the sweeping measure could lead to the closure of rural hospitals and hurt vulnerable populations. All ended up voting for the measure after Senate Republicans added a provision that will provide additional funds for rural hospitals, though health advocates say that won't be enough to make up for the shortfall. "Vulnerable House Republicans' incredibly cruel vote to jeopardize hospitals in their districts and across America is going to cost them their jobs and the majority," Shelton said. An independent analysis conducted by KFF found that the budget reconciliation measure would increase the number of people without health insurance by 10.9 million. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
NBC News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
2026 midterms should be a referendum on Trump's bill, Democratic House Campaign chair says
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss the Trump agenda bill and the Democratic messaging for the 2026 midterm 2, 2025
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DNC announces ‘Organizing Summer' campaign tour in key midterm states
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) launched an 'Organizing Summer' initiative aimed at generating Democratic enthusiasm, building a network of volunteers and registering people to vote, ahead of key elections in 2025 and the midterms in 2026. The program is a coordinated effort by the Democratic campaign arms of various bodies of government: the DNC, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) and the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC). The groups will focus on states they deemed 'key' Gubernatorial, House, and Senate battleground states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Democrats will highlight what they view as negative aspects of President Trump's tax and spending agenda through a variety of in-person and virtual events. A press release said the Democrats will be 'equipping volunteers to authentically enter conversation in non-political spaces, both within their personal networks and in their communities, online and in-person, such as in sports forums, community groups, book clubs, and on social media platforms.' Outreach efforts will also take place at summer concerts, sporting events, and state and county fairs, according to the press release. The 'Organizing Summer' campaign also aims to create a direct pathway for supporters to share feedback they receive from voters to help 'the party inform its messaging and strategy on an ongoing basis.' 'Donald Trump's tax scam is the least popular legislation to pass through Congress in 40 years, and the more people know about it, the less they like it. Our job this summer is to make sure working families know exactly who is responsible for taking food off their table and ripping away their health care,' DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement. 'We are deploying an army of thousands of volunteers to activate their communities, register voters, and make sure the Republicans who are putting billionaires ahead of working and middle class Americans lose their elections in 2025 and lose their seats in the midterms up and down the ballot,' he added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
