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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How SC's Lindsey Graham, Annie Andrews plan to lock up Senate nominations early
Long before South Carolinians have a chance to cast ballots in the June 2026 primaries, there's efforts to try to lock up the major party nominations for U.S. Senate early. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is running for a fifth term, and Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews aiming to oust Graham, are both the front-runners for their party's nominations in the 2026 election. Disposing of competition early on will allow them to save money for a general election. The last time Graham ran for reelection, more than $200 million was spent during the cycle in what was at the time the most expensive senate race in U.S. history. Graham and Republicans Graham has already locked up endorsements from President Donald Trump, Gov. Henry McMaster and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, and his campaign has a war chest of $15.6 million. A superPAC that aligned with Graham ran a TV ad in October of last year promoting Graham's efforts to battle illegal immigration. Graham has assembled a 90-person fundraising committee, and is working with several of the top South Carolina GOP consultants, including Push Digital, First Tuesday Strategies and Forward Communications, keeping them from Republican challengers. His campaign hasn't been shy about spending money early on. Graham's campaign spent more than $1.7 million in the second quarter, FEC records show, while his campaign and joint fundraising committees brought in more than $2 million. That spending includes $209,000 on digital advertising, nearly $403,000 on direct mail, $432,000 on media and $218,000 on polling, FEC records show. 'If you've got a good story to tell, tell it as soon as you can and as often as you can. Senator Graham has a good story to tell,' said Abby Zilch, spokeswoman for the Graham campaign. His campaign has launched its first television ad of the campaign, with a 30-second ad airing on cable and streaming platforms. The ad prominently features Trump boasting about his signature tax cut and spending bill. 'I want to thank every member of the House and Senate who worked to get this bill on my desk,' Trump says in the ad. 'And Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, what a good man he is. He's a great patriot.' Graham's team has been attending county GOP meetings to shore up support among party activists, touting the Trump endorsement and the importance of keeping a Republican majority in the Senate. 'The reason why we are here, more than anything, is not because of who might run against us. It's not about who's running against us. It's about us showing the relationship that we have with each and every one of you and we're here to serve South Carolinians,' Graham campaign Field Director Sam Densmore told the Richland County GOP in June. But in a Republican dominated state such as South Carolina, Graham may always have a primary election. However, in each of his previous re-election bids, he clinched the nomination without the need to go to a runoff. In this cycle however, Graham may be facing his toughest primary challenge. The far rightwing of the party has traditionally been critical of Graham and candidates such as former Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and Greenville businessman Mark Lynch repeatedly have pounced on footage of Graham being booed at a Trump rally in Pickens. Bauer and Lynch continue to hit Graham for being a globalist, when a wing of the party is pushing for America First and wants to avoid getting involved in international conflicts. Graham may have been able to avoid the Bauer challenge. According to senior senator's office, Graham spoke to Trump and the White House personnel office to get Bauer an ambassadorship to Eastern Europe or Central America after the former lieutenant governor reached out to the senator's office on a weekly basis for months. Ultimately an ambassadorship did not happen for Bauer before he opted to jump in the Senate race. And Bauer now says he's going to put in the effort to visit each of the state's 46 counties to oust Graham. 'I'm gonna focus my attention on the people of South Carolina. I'm getting ready to hit the road, and I'm gonna cover this state like the Duke covers Dixie,' Bauer said. 'I think I can canvas the state better than anybody,' Bauer added. 'I love retail politics, and I'm going to go shake every hand of every voter I could possibly find in South Carolina.' Bauer declined to disclose how his early fundrasing is going since entering the race on July 2. The third quarter reports are due in October. 'I think it's a lot less about money and it's a lot more about message and being able to show up at events and people receive you well. Let us not forget, I spoke for four minutes at a Trump rally to lots of cheers and applause. Lindsey Graham came behind me and spoke for six minutes of boos, and he was born in that county,' Bauer said. Lynch put in $5 million of his own money for his bid. Outside of the millions he's put in, he has only raised $174,000 during his campaign, and only spent $195,000, FEC reports show. Still he's putting up an appearance he's confident an anti-Graham sentiment is strong enough, releasing an internal poll from May, showing Graham only led Lynch 43% to 29%. Lynch's campaign paid Rasmussen Reports $5,000 in May for polling, FEC records show. 'We're all tired of Lindsey Graham and the state has said, the public has spoken that (Trump's) endorsement won't save Lindsey this time,' Lynch said. Andrews building her Democratic campaign Andrews, who kicked off her bid in May, is a pediatrician who lives in Charleston who ran against U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in 2022 in the lowcountry congressional district. After her unsuccessful bid, Andrews built a brand posting videos to mock and criticize Republicans. Andrews, who has made national television appearances on cable, has raised $1.2 million in her first month as a Senate candidate, according to her FEC report. 'With this kind of grassroots enthusiasm, we're not just building a campaign — we're building a movement that's rooted in hope, powered by people, and ready to take on the toughest fights,' Andrews Finance Director Renee Harvey said in a statement. 'The energy we're seeing across the state is incredible, and the best part is — we're only just getting started.' The campaign, however, has burned a little less than half of that haul as an investment to build up a campaign infrastructure that can compete with Graham financially in a general election. Andrews also has assembled a group of veteran staffers, including several who worked on Jaime Harrison's 2020 campaign. Her second quarter report includes nearly $328,000 in media advertising and $160,000 in text message outreach, FEC records show. Andrews' fundraising is easily outpacing her Democratic opponents. Andrews more productive quarter contrasted with Lee Johnson's struggles. Even though Johnson, a Greenville engineer, put in $500,000 of his own money into the campaign, he was only able to raise $67,000 in his two months on the campaign trail, according to FEC records. He ended his bid after spending $117,000. Other candidates also don't appear to be fairing well financially. Kyle Freeman, of Columbia, only reported having $654 cash on hand at the end of the second quarter. Catherine Fleming Bruce, who ran for U.S. Senate in 2022 and state Democratic Party chair in 2023, did not raise any money in the second quarter and only had $5,000 cash on hand. Brandon Brown, an education leader and small business owner in Greenville who joined the race in July, had a splashy kickoff with a well-produced launch video and social media presence. His campaign manager Kerry Billings said $75,000 has been raised so far for Brown and they plan to run a lean budget to get them through the primary and a general election. 'We have a campaign of seasoned veterans behind Brandon who know that we're not in this for the short, immediate bump. We're in this long haul. We know that Annie got it first, and she created big momentum at the national level behind her campaign,' Billings said. 'But there's a lot of South Carolinians across the state who don't know who she is, and we feel that we're just going to take the case to her to South Carolinians come June.' Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
A party resolution accusing Israel of genocide divides Democrats in a key swing state
When the executive committee of North Carolina's Democratic Party passed a resolution in June calling for an immediate arms embargo on Israel, it set off another episode in the party's ongoing struggles with how it addresses the Israel-Hamas war. Some Jewish Democrats in North Carolina said the resolution was consistent with their support of Palestinian human rights while others characterized it as divisive. The resolution's backers are talking to Democrats in other states who want to take the same stand. And top state leaders – notably the party chair and North Carolina's Democratic governor – have declined to comment. The Israel-Hamas war still divides the party as it did before the November election, when Democratic nominee Kamala Harris faced protests and boycott threats from parts of the base before eventually losing to President Donald Trump. In North Carolina, where Sen. Thom Tillis' retirement opened an opportunity for Democrats to flip a Republican-held seat, some in the party are worried the disunity will make it harder to compete in a race they almost certainly have to win next year to regain Senate control. 'This is an issue that's going to divide Democrats at a time when Democrats need to be working together on the issues that voters actually care about, the kitchen table issues,' said Kathy Manning, who chairs the Board of Directors for the advocacy group Democratic Majority for Israel. Alan Smith, a lead sponsor of the resolution and a member of the state party's progressive caucus, sees it differently. Passing the resolution, he argues, shows the party is responsive to the will of Democratic voters. 'I think it's only going to help the Democratic Party. It's going to get people to come back,' Smith said. According to a May survey from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Democrats younger than 45 are far less likely than their older partisan peers to favor the US supporting Israel militarily, with only 38% saying they favor military support until the hostages are returned, compared with 48% support among older Democrats. Disputes over the war have shaped other Democratic races, notably the New York mayoral primary, where Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist and strident critic of Israel, scored an upset victory despite criticism from some Jewish groups that he hadn't sufficiently denounced antisemitism. And in Michigan, where Democrats hope to retain control of an open Senate seat next year, the main candidates in the primary have taken sharply different positions on the war. Trump flipped Michigan in 2024 in part by capitalizing on anger in both Jewish and Arab American communities. Though other Democratic state parties, in Wisconsin and Washington, have recently passed resolutions critical of Israel since the country launched its war against Hamas following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, the language passed by North Carolina Democrats is the only example that explicitly calls for an embargo on military aid and weapons transfers and accuses the state of committing genocide and apartheid. 'The military resources that have been made available to Israel through annual and emergency military aid have been used to commit the crime of genocide and other war crimes in Gaza,' it reads. 'The North Carolina Democratic Party supports an immediate embargo on all military aid, weapons shipments and military logistical support to Israel,' it continues. The resolution also won the support of NCDP's African American Caucus, the Arab Caucus, the LGBTQ+ Caucus, the Association of Teen Democrats, the Jewish Democrats and various other groups within the state party. Israel rejects claims that its war against Hamas, which killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack and still holds Israeli hostages, constitutes a genocide. It also rejects allegations that its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank is akin to apartheid. Earlier this month the Gaza Health Ministry reported the Palestinian death toll had passed 58,000, with the most recent rounds of casualties taking place near food distribution sites. Manning says Democratic Majority for Israel is in conversations with Democratic voters across the state and helping them to make their displeasure with the resolution known to state party leadership. The resolution's advocates worked over a multiyear process to get the statement passed, starting at the local precinct level, on to the county convention, then through the congressional district convention, the platform resolutions committee and ultimately the party's state executive committee. 'We see it as an issue of unity and an issue that is local, because we want taxpayer dollars to be invested here, and we believe that speaking up for human lives, including Palestinian lives, is actually a local issue and is a reminder that when grassroots groups come together, that they can accomplish the things that they wish to see within their party,' said Reem Subei, chair of the party's Arab Caucus. Since the resolution's passage, Subei says those engaged with their state-level executive committees have reached out to her asking how they could mirror this effort, including organizers in Texas, Oklahoma and Minnesota. Lisa Jewel, president of the state Democratic party's Jewish Caucus, condemned the resolution as divisive and leaned on leadership to block the effort. 'Our leadership needs to call these extremists out. They need to take a strong stand against antisemitism. By placating these extremists, it helps raise the drum beat that leads to violence,' said Jewel, arguing that state Democrats should be focused on cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, women's reproductive health, the cost of housing, gerrymandering, and other consensus-driven issues. She also voiced fear in the wake of threats against her own synagogue. The Jewish Caucus was created last year in response to what Jewel described as growing antisemitism in the Democratic party and across North Carolina. This is not to be confused with the state party's Jewish Democrats, a separate group that supported the resolution. For a long time, party leadership resisted religious groups creating their own caucuses and wanted the groups to all fall within the Interfaith Caucus out of fear of these very types of disputes, but Jewel says some Jews did not feel welcome in the interfaith group and insisted they would go out on their own. 'It is not feasible for us to disconnect our Judaism from Israel, regardless of the politics that are happening there. It's just part of who we are,' said Jewel. Mark Bochkis, who leads communications for the Jewish Democrats, said he moved to Greensboro as a child from the former Soviet Union and that his extended family lives in Israel. 'We have to take a look at what wins statewide, and we cannot ignore the will of Democratic voters or their values. And their values right now are saying we care about Palestinian human rights,' Bochkis said. 'This is the new North Carolina Democratic Party. This is the way forward. I think the Jewish Caucus represents kind of a view that we're moving past,' he added. The next flashpoint will be if or when the resolution is ultimately adopted into the party platform. Its supporters believe they have cleared all the necessary procedural hurdles and that it will eventually be a part of the party's mission statement, but its opponents argue party leadership can still block that from happening. The timeline for when the platform will be voted on is unclear. There is no readily available record of who supported the measure and no video or even mention of the proceeding on the state Democratic Party's website, though proponents of the resolution say it passed 161-151. According to people who attended the vote, party chair Anderson Clayton and other party officers abstained. Clayton has not commented publicly in local press in the weeks since the resolution passed and declined to speak to CNN. Gov. Josh Stein, the state's first Jewish governor, and his predecessor, Roy Cooper, who many state and national Democrats are pushing to run for Tillis' open Senate seat, also declined requests for comment. An adviser to Cooper told CNN that he generally does not opine on party resolutions. Former US Rep. Wiley Nickel, who is already running for Tillis' seat, dismissed the resolution as one-sided but also criticized the Trump administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 'In an issue as complex as this, nuance is essential, and that's something politics often overlooks. You can look at my record and see I'm a staunch supporter of Israel as a key U.S. ally, but I also care deeply about the suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza. The current approach by Trump and Netanyahu is not leading us toward peace or a two-state solution. Instead, their policies are fueling division and perpetuating violence, making a two-state solution seem more out of reach than ever,' said Nickel in a statement to CNN. And Rep. Don Davis, a Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee who could also mount a Senate run, reaffirmed his commitment to Israel as an ally of the United States. 'I believe that providing support to our allies, including Israel, is essential in our commitment to countering the threats posed by the Iranian regime and its associated terrorist proxies,' said Davis in a statement to CNN.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Stefano Famiglietti wins Democratic primary to fill Dominick Ruggerio's Senate seat
North Providence Town Councilman Stefano Famiglietti has won the Democratic nomination to fill the late Dominick Ruggerio's Senate seat. Famiglietti, a 33-year-old attorney, coasted to victory over three opponents in the Senate District 4 special Democratic primary Tuesday, July 8, according to preliminary results from the state Board of Elections. He received 1,649 votes, 70% of the 2,404 votes cast. Former state representative Marcia Ranglin-Vassell was second with 309 votes, Lenny Cioe third with 265 and Manny Taveras fourth with 113 votes. Famiglietti will take on Republican Alexander Asermely, who was unopposed for the GOP nomination, in the August 5 special general election. The winner of the general election will be the first person other than Ruggerio to represent District 4 since 1984, when he replaced his father-in-law Majority Leader Rocco A. Quattrocchi, and first person outside Ruggerio's extended family to hold the seat since 1971. Famiglietti had State House establishment support, including the endorsement of Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone and the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. He also had a significant fundraising advantage over his three Democratic opponents. Senate President Valarie Lawson was ready to congratulate Famiglietti within minutes of results being posted. "As a councilman with deep roots in the community, Stefano has a keen understanding of the needs of District 4, and he will carry forward the sincere commitment to service that Senate President Dominick Ruggerio exemplified," Lawson said in a news release. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Famiglietti wins Dem primary to fill Dominick Ruggerio's Senate seat
Al Arabiya
08-07-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Independent Dan Osborn Launches New US Senate Bid to Challenge Nebraska Republican Pete Ricketts
A former labor union boss who drew national headlines last year as an independent candidate challenging Nebraska Republican US Sen. Deb Fischer is again entering the political arena–this time to challenge Nebraska's junior senator, Republican Pete Ricketts, in 2026. 'I'm running for Senate because Congress shouldn't just be a playground for the rich,' Dan Osborn said in a video released Tuesday to announce his candidacy. He criticized Ricketts, a former two-term Nebraska governor and multimillionaire who is the son of billionaire TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, as a lawmaker who bought his Senate seat. Ricketts' campaign responded by touting his voting record to secure the border and cut taxes for Nebraska workers and painted Osborn as beholden to Democrats. 'Dan Osborn is bought and paid for by his liberal out-of-state coastal donors,' Ricketts' campaign spokesman Will Coup said in a written statement. That was a reference to the nearly $20 million Osborn received last year from political action committees, including those that tend to support Democratic candidates. As he insisted last year, Osborn said he would serve as an independent if elected and has no plans to caucus with either Democrats or Republicans. He pointed to Ricketts' vote for Republicans' massive tax cut and spending bill last week that contains $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and cuts Medicaid and food stamps by $1.2 trillion. 'Congress spends their time bickering about how much we should cut taxes for billionaires and multinational corporations. We're just an afterthought,' Osborn said. 'My kids and yours deserve an American dream, too.' It's a familiar refrain from Osborn, who centered his campaign last year on representing working families he says are being steamrolled by an ever-growing wealth gap and policies that favor the rich over the middle class. Osborn was known in labor union circles as the Omaha industrial mechanic who successfully led a labor strike at Kellogg's cereal plants in 2021, winning higher wages and other benefits. He was a political newcomer when he challenged Fischer, outraising her by more than $1 million and coming within 6 percent of the two-term senator, who was used to winning by wide margins. Osborn acknowledged that it would be difficult to pose a campaign finance threat to Ricketts, one of the richest members of the US Senate. Federal campaign finance reports show Ricketts' campaign had more than $800,000 cash on hand at the end of March. But Osborn believes his populist message appeals more to Nebraska voters than campaign war chests. 'I think if you throw $100 million of your own money into Nebraska, I don't know that that moves the needle any more than $30 does,' he said. 'I think we're going to win this the old school way: Go out to where people are. Just hold town hall after town hall and talk with the good people in Nebraska.' Ricketts is seeking reelection next year after winning a special election last year to finish out the term of former Sen. Ben Sasse, who resigned in 2022. Ricketts was appointed to the seat by his successor, fellow Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, to fill the vacancy–a move widely panned as having the appearance of backroom dealing, as Ricketts had heavily supported and donated more than $1 million to help elect Pillen.
Associated Press
08-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Independent Dan Osborn launches new US Senate bid to challenge Nebraska Republican Pete Ricketts
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former labor union boss who drew national headlines in his race last year as an independent candidate challenging Nebraska Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer is again throwing his hat into the political ring — this time to challenge Nebraska's junior senator, Republican Pete Ricketts, in 2026. 'I'm running for Senate because Congress shouldn't just be a playground for the rich,' Dan Osborn said in a video released Tuesday to announce his candidacy. He criticized Ricketts, a former two-term Nebraska governor and multimillionaire who is the son of billionaire TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, as a lawmaker who 'bought his Senate seat.' Ricketts' campaign responded by touting his voting record 'to secure the border and cut taxes for Nebraska workers' and painted Osborn as beholden to Democrats. 'Dan Osborn is bought and paid for by his liberal, out-of-state, coastal donors,' Ricketts campaign spokesman Will Coup said in a written statement. That was a reference to the nearly $20 million Osborn received last year from political action committees, including those that tend to support Democratic candidates. As he insisted last year, Osborn said he would serve as an independent if elected and has no plans to caucus with either Democrats or Republicans. He pointed to Ricketts' vote for Republicans' massive tax cut and spending bill last week that contains $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and cuts Medicaid and food stamps by $1.2 trillion. 'Congress spends their time bickering about how much we should cut taxes for billionaires and multinational corporations. We're just an afterthought,' Osborn said. 'My kids and yours deserve an American dream too.' It's a familiar refrain from Osborn, who centered his campaign last year on representing working families he says are being steamrolled by an ever-growing wealth gap and policies that favor the rich over the middle class. Osborn was known in labor union circles as the Omaha industrial mechanic who successfully led a labor strike at Kellogg's cereal plants in 2021, winning higher wages and other benefits. He was a political newcomer when he challenged Fischer, outraising her by more than $1 million and coming within 6 percentage points of the two-term senator, who was used to winning by wide margins. Osborn acknowledged that it would be difficult to pose a campaign finance threat to Ricketts, one of the richest members of the U.S. Senate. Federal campaign finance reports show Ricketts' campaign had more than $800,000 cash on hand at the end of March. But Osborn believes his populist message appeals more to Nebraska voters than campaign war chests. 'I think if you throw $100 million of your own money into Nebraska, I don't know that that moves the needle any more than $30 does,' he said. 'I think we're going to win this the old school way: Go out to where people are. Just hold town hall after town hall and talk with the good people in Nebraska.' Ricketts is seeking reelection next year after winning a special election last year to finish out the term of former Sen. Ben Sasse, who resigned in 2022. Ricketts was appointed to the seat by his successor, fellow Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, to fill the vacancy — a move widely panned as having the appearance of backroom dealing, as Ricketts had heavily supported and donated more than $1 million to help elect Pillen.
