Mediaboss Marketing

Charles Laspata, a union electrician from Millville, filed petitions in the spring to challenge Republican incumbent Michael Testa for his 1st Legislative District Senate seat.

It does not sound like hes done much about the campaign since then.

Democratic leaders in Cape May and Cumberland counties say they have not heard from Laspata, and attempts to contact the candidate through email, social media and by phone have been unsuccessful.

We havent had any contact with him, said S. Harvey Roach, chairman of the leadership committee for Cape May County Democrats. The candidates were picked in Cumberland County and introduced to Cape May County.

But there does not seem to be any more contact with the candidate from the Cumberland County party.

He hasnt spoke to me, said former Cumberland County Democratic party Chair Nancy Sungenis on Tuesday. She led the party when Laspata filed petitions to run. The current party leader, Kevin McCann, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Laspata has not withdrawn from the race, but hed be easy to miss. His name does not appear on a flyer for a meet the candidates event the Cape May County Democrats plan to hold remotely Sept. 18, at which his running mates, Assembly candidates Damita White-Morris and Eddie Bonner, are set to speak.

He also is missing from the candidate profiles on the respective websites of the Cumberland County and Cape May County Democratic parties.

In his second term in office, state Sen. Mike Testa, R-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, has b

He has no campaign website of his own, and there is little activity on his personal Facebook page. The website of New Jerseys Election Law Enforcement Commission does not show any of the required campaign finance forms have been filed for the primary election.

Campaign finance forms for Testa from June show his campaign had more than $230,000 left at the end of the primary.

Finance reports from the Assembly side show Republican incumbents Erik Simonsen and Antwan McClellan with a closing balance of $31,440 at the end of an uncontested primary, while Democrats White-Morris and Bonner did not raise any money.

Its possible the Democrats have been busy raising money all summer, said John Froonjian, executive director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University. But he said there does not seem to be any campaign activity from Laspata at all. That includes actions that dont cost the campaign anything, such as communicating with news media or filling out a questionnaire for Ballotpedia.

It is tough to be a Democrat these days in the 1st District and in much of South Jersey, which has trended Republican in recent elections, Froonjian said Monday. But I think its a fair question for the media and voters to ask whether this is a candidacy in name only or will the candidate or the slate actually be out seeking votes or running ads.

Meanwhile, Testa appears to be a rising star, building a statewide profile despite being in the minority party in the Senate.

The district which encompasses all of Cape May County, most of Cumberland County and three towns in Atlantic County had once been firmly Republican, but then-Democrat Jeff Van Drew put together a team that kept the district blue for a decade before running successfully to succeed U.S. Rep. Frank Lobiondo, R-2nd, in 2018, bringing that seat to the Democratic column for the first time since Bill Hughes announced he would not run for reelection in 1994.

Van Drew became a Republican in his first term, throwing his support behind then-President Donald Trump, shortly after Testa, Simonsen and McClellan flipped New Jerseys 1st District to the GOP, ousting Van Drews picks of Bruce Land, Matthew Milam and Bob Andrzejczak.

The 2nd Legislative District has hosted the top-spending race three times since 2001 and ranked in the top five six times, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. This year, however, spending has been light so far.

That was a relatively close race, but the GOP teams reelection effort in 2021 was not, with the incumbents far outpolling the Democratic challengers that year.

This spring, Republicans challenged Laspatas place on the ballot, according to a story in the New Jersey Globe in April, which stated that Laspata had gathered just 115 signatures for his place on the primary ballot. A judge was not convinced enough of those signatures were invalid to remove him from the ballot, the news story states.

Republican incumbent Dennis Levinson will be challenged by Democrat Joyce Pratt in the race for the county executive office.

Republican Alexander C. Clark IV will challenge Brendan Santangelo for a seat on city council representing the 1st Ward. The seat is currentl

Democrat incumbent Aaron "Sporty" Randolph will be challenged by Republican Matthew McGrath for a four-year seat on council representing the 1

Republican Joseph Baruffi will run unopposed for the mayor's post. Former Mayor David Zappariello has decided not to run for re-election.

Incumbent Republican Mayor William Ruggieri will be challenged by Ronald Stone.

Republican Kelly Yeats and Democrat Nikki Nichols will be running for a three-year term on City Council. Councilmen William Collins decided no

Six candidates are vying for three seats on the City Council. Democratic incumbents Ryan Rodriguez, Karl Timbers and Mason Wright will be chal

Republican incumbents Paul W. Hodson and Laura Pfrommer will be challenged by Democrats Trina T. Jenkins and Lisa M. March for their three-yea

Republican incumbent Linda Givens will be challenged by independent Joe Venezia for a three-year seat on City Council.

Republican Glenn Smith is running unopposed for mayor. Current Mayor Greg Schenker has decided not to run.

Republican incumbents Anthony Coppola, Tony DiPietro and Rich Clute will be challenged for their seats on Township Committee by Democrats Robe

Republican incumbent Arthur Schenker and Democratic incumbent Judy Link will face off for a three-year seat on Council.

Six people are running for three seats on Town Council. Republicans Eric Adkisson, Joseph Caruso Jr. and Adam Re are running against independe

Republican incumbent Mayor Darren Matik is running unopposed for his seat.

Incumbent Carl Tripician is running unopposed for a three-year term on the Longport Board of Education.

Republican Charles Muller will be running unopposed for a three-year seat on Township Committee. Muller defeated current Committeeman Christop

Republican incumbent Mayor Erland Chau is against Democrat Robert Zlotnick for the post.

Democrat Charles Oglebsy will run unopposed for a seat on City Council representing the 1st Ward.

Incumbent Republican Michael Turner is running against Democrat Shawn M. Busch for a seat on Council representing the 1st Ward.

Republican Dennis Tapp and Democrat Susannah Morgan Slaughter will face off for the mayor's office. Mayor Jack Glasser has decided not to run

Incumbent Republican C. Peter Keiffenhiem will be challenged by independent Chris Egbert for a seat on Township Committee.

Republican incumbent Robert A. Nelson is running unopposed for the county sheriff.

Incumbents Alexis Batten Binder and Lois A. Scarpa are running unopposed for three-year seats on the borough's Board of Education.

Incumbents Sharon Lee Kustra, Larry Reed and Janet VanPelt are running unopposed for three-year seats on the city's Board of Education.

Peter J. Manzo Jr. is running for a three-year term on the city's Board of Education.

Republican incumbents Scott J. Turner and Thomas Van Artsdalen will run unopposed for seats on Township Committee.

Seven candidates are running for two seats three-year seats representing the township on the Lower Cape May Regional Board of Education.

Republican Christopher Leusner is running unopposed for a seat on Township Committee. Current Mayor Tim Donohue decided not to run.

Incumbent Republican Salvatore T. Zampirri, Sr. is running unopposed for an at-large seat on City Council.

Seven people are running for three three-years seats on the Ocean City Board of Education. Incumbents Cecilia Gallelli-Keyes and Robin Shaffer

Incumbent Kerry E. Mullane was the only person for two three-year seats on the Sea Isle City Board of Education.

Republicans Robin Casper, an incumbent, Tim Carey, and independent Kara F. Sweet are running for seats on the Borough Council.

Republican incumbent Curtis T. Corson is running against independent Jon K. Grubb for a seat on Township Committee.

Incumbent Kathleen Elwell is running unopposed for a three-year seat on the Lower Cape May Regional Board of Education representing West Cape May.

Incumbents Kelly Phillips and Lynn Quinlan are running for three three-years terms on the Wildwood Board of Education.

Incumbent Justin Ferarco will be challenged by Joelle Tenaglia for a three-year seat on the Wildwood Crest Board of Education.

Republican incumbents David Bennett and Hector Cruz are running unopposed for seats on City Council.

Democrat incumbent Robert A Austino will face off against a Republican in the race for the county sheriff's office.

Incumbents Erica Mosely, Albert Morgan, and Kenny Smith-Bey are running unopposed for three three-year seats on the Bridgeton Board of Education.

Republican Ronald L. Sutton and Democrat Temika Langston-Myers are running for a seat on Township Committee.

Republicans Dominick Patitucci and John A. Wolbert and Democrat John J. Stanzione Sr. are running for two seats on Township Committee.

Republicans incumbents Edward Bart and Stephen Byrne are running unopposed for seats on Township Committee.

Democrat Julia Burrus is running unopposed for a seat on Township Committee.

Democrat William Reinhart is running unopposed for a seat on Township Committee.

Republicans Kelsey M. Bayzick, an incumbent, and Jeffrey W. Shimp are running unopposed for seats on Township Committee.

Republican incumbent Elmer "Skip" Bowman is running unopposed for a seat on Township Committee.

Incumbent Republican Joseph Sterling is running unopposed for a seat on Township Committee.

Four people are running for three three-year seats on the Millville Board of Education. Incumbents Michael Beatty and Jeff Lambert will be cha

Incumbent Republicans Jeffrey Knerr and Medeia Willis are running unopposed for seats on the committee.

Republican incumbent Dale F. Cruzan Jr. is running unopposed for a seat on Township Committee.

Republican incumbent James Crilley is running unopposed for a seat on Township Committee.

Six people are running for three three-year seats on the Vineland Board of Education. Incumbents Makema Douglas, Cedric Holmes, and Dennis Riv

Republican incumbent Jeffrey W. Moran is running against Democrat Charles D. Bauer in the races for the county surrogates office.

Republican incumbents Joseph Marte and Alfonso Cirulli are running against Democrats Charles J. Cunliffe and Ronald J. Naples for two seats on

Incumbent Paul F. Sharkey is running against Jennifer Tomlinson for a three-year seat on the Southern Regional Board of Education representing

Republican incumbent Michelle Sysol is running unopposed for a seat on Township Committee.

Republican incumbent PeggySue Juliano is being challenged by Democrat Kaitlyn Triano for a seat on Township Committee.

Republican incumbents Ray Gormley and John Kehm are running against Democrats Lisa Stevens and Charles Griffin for seats on Township Committee.

Incumbent Danielle Hagler is running unopposed for a three-year seat on the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District Board of Education

Republican incumbent Kenneth Baulderston is running against Democrat Rita Ann Kopacz for a seat on Township Committee.

Republican incumbents David Hartman and Edward English are running unopposed for seats on Borough Council.

Incumbents Chris Taylor and Heather Tatur will be challenged by Joseph Mangino for two three-year seats on the Southern Regional Board of Educ

Republican incumbent Francis R. Hodgson Sr. is running unopposed for the mayor's post.

Republican incumbent Brian Martin and Keith Vreeland are running unopposed for seats on Borough Council.

Contact Bill Barlow:

609-272-7290

bbarlow@pressofac.com

Twitter @jerseynews_bill

Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Read the rest here:
Democrat challenging Testa is ghosting the campaign - Press of Atlantic City

Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) announced Tuesday that he has reintroduced legislation that would limit the ability of major defense contractors and foreign governments to hire former Defense Department officials and influence the Pentagon as lobbyists.

The Department of Defense Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act would impose a four-year ban on defense contractors hiring senior Pentagon officials and enact a similar ban on former Defense Department employees who managed their contracts.

It would also extend the prohibition of former military generals lobbying the Defense Department; require defense contractors to submit public, annual reports on the hiring of former senior department officials; and ban senior government officials from owning stock in major defense contractors that receive more than $100 million in revenue from the Pentagon.

Kim, the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee’s Military Personnel subcommittee, said the Pentagon needs to “prevent conflicts of interest, root out corruption, waste, and fraud so officials can focus on the mission in front of them.”

“This bill is meant to reinforce those values and make sure that Americans know our defense force has their backs,” he said in a statement released Tuesday.

The Defense Department Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act is companion legislation to a bill reintroduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in June.

It undoubtedly faces an uphill battle in Congress, where extensive legislation seeking to crack down on defense contractor influence has rarely seen the light of day.

Warren, who has tried for years to pass similar legislation with no success, said “national security is put at risk” when former senior military officials “sell their credentials to the highest bidder.”

“I’m renewing the push with Representative Kim to pass legislation that will root out corruption, rein in foreign influence, and ensure greater transparency over defense contractors and their interactions with [the Defense Department],” she said in a statement earlier this year.

Warren published a report in April that found about 672 instances of former government officials or military officials who went to work for contractors since 2021, most of whom became lobbyists. Boeing, Raytheon and General Electric hired the most, according to Warren’s report.

The proposed bill also seeks to ensure transparency on the issue by forcing contractors to submit detailed reports of their lobbying activities and requiring the Defense Department secretary to more routinely publish copies of unclassified Pentagon contracts.

In a similar vein, the legislation would limit the influence of foreign interests on the Pentagon, addressing concerns about retired military officials taking jobs abroad.

The Washington Post published an investigation last year that found more than 500 veterans, including generals and admirals, were hired for lucrative jobs around the world since 2015, particularly in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Persian Gulf states.

The bill from Kim would prohibit senior national security officials or intelligence government personnel from working on behalf of foreign governments or private firms connected to foreign governments.

Go here to read the rest:
Democrat introduces bill to limit defense contractor, foreign government influence on Pentagon - The Hill

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe

Read the rest here:
The Women of the Mountain Democrat | Special Publications ... - Mountain Democrat

MIAMI Donna Deegan, a Democrat, was elected mayor of Jacksonville on Tuesday, shaking up the politics of Floridas largest city, where Republican mayors have been in power for all but four of the last 30 years.

Ms. Deegan, a former television news anchor, defeated Daniel Davis, a Republican endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had been seen as the likely favorite in the traditionally Republican stronghold. In recent years, Jacksonville had been the most populous city in the country with a Republican mayor, Lenny Curry, who is term-limited; that distinction now goes to Fort Worth, Texas.

Ms. Deegans victory is a rare bright spot for Florida Democrats, whose losses have mounted in recent elections to the point that the party has little sway in the State Capitol and a thin candidate bench.

But while Florida has become decidedly more Republican and while many have viewed Mr. DeSantis, a likely 2024 presidential contender, as all-powerful in state politics Jacksonville has emerged as a swingy corner of the state. A majority of voters in Duval County, which shares a consolidated government with the city of Jacksonville, voted for the Democratic nominee for governor in 2018, for the Republican mayor in 2019, for President Biden in 2020, for Mr. DeSantis last year, and now for Ms. Deegan, who will be the citys first female mayor.

We made history tonight, Ms. Deegan told cheering supporters Tuesday night after Mr. Davis conceded.

Ms. Deegan campaigned as a change candidate, leaning into the relationships she had made in the community as she overcame breast cancer three times while working on television and as she later created the Donna Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps people diagnosed with breast cancer.

I made a decision when we got into this race that, no matter what happened, no matter what the landscape was like, we were going to lead with love over fear, Ms. Deegan said Tuesday night. We would not go with division. We would go with unity.

Mr. Davis, the chief executive of the local chamber of commerce, out-raised Ms. Deegan by a margin of four to one and seemed like the sort of business-friendly Republican that has long dominated elections in Jacksonville, a Navy and shipping town. Mr. Curry, the outgoing mayor, was previously the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

Mr. Davis was known as more of a moderate when he was a state lawmaker, and as the leader of JAX Chamber he supported positions such as protections for the L.G.B.T.Q. community. But as a mayoral candidate, he campaigned from the political right, promising to promote causes espoused by the conservative group Moms for Liberty, which is closely aligned with Mr. DeSantis. He also pledged to be tough on crime in a city that has struggled with stubbornly high crime rates for years, including under Republican leadership.

In advertisements, Mr. Davis and other Republicans cast Ms. Deegan as radical for backing demonstrators after the murder of George Floyd in 2020 though Mr. Curry and other local Republicans also supported the protests at the time.

On Tuesday night, Mr. Davis said he would be willing to help Ms. Deegan for the good of the city. Im going to do everything I can to make sure Mayor-elect Deegan is successful in making Jacksonville the best Jacksonville it can be, he said. The city has a strong-mayor form of government, giving the mayor broad administrative powers.

Mr. DeSantis, who won Duval County by an 11 percentage-point margin in November, did not endorse Mr. Davis until late March after Mr. Davis had already been forced into Tuesdays runoff against Ms. Deegan.

Beyond his lukewarm endorsement, which took place via Twitter on a Friday afternoon, Mr. DeSantis offered Mr. Davis little support. The governor did not visit Jacksonville to campaign, unlike one of Floridas other top Republicans, Senator Rick Scott, who spent last weekend knocking on voters doors.

In 2020, Ms. Deegan lost a congressional race by 22 percentage points. On Wednesday morning, unofficial results showed she had won about 52 percent of the vote, compared with Mr. Daviss 48 percent, a difference of about 9,000 votes. Turnout was about 33 percent.

Though 39 percent of Duval County voters are registered Democrats, compared with 35 percent registered Republicans and 24 percent registered without party affiliation, Republican voters outnumbered Democratic ones by about 3.5 percentage points on Tuesday meaning that Ms. Deegan won independents and crossover Republican votes.

Five other Jacksonville Democrats were elected on Tuesday, one as property appraiser and four to the City Council.

Ashley Walker, a political consultant for Ms. Deegan, said that campaigning on local issues and with a candidate who connected well with voters were key to flipping Jacksonville from red to blue.

Democrats in Florida have to eat the elephant piece by piece, she said. We have to go win in these local areas that are purple and get down to the base of some local campaigns to have any chance of coming back statewide.

Nicholas Nehamas contributed reporting.

Here is the original post:
Democrat Donna Deegan Wins Jacksonvilles Mayor Race in Florida Upset - The New York Times

National Democrats are heartened by Rollins close loss to Rep. Ken Calvert, dean of the California Republican delegation, in 2022.|Francis Chung/POLITICO

Rollins formal entry into the race again throws into play a tight district that became bluer as part of the last redistricting process, including picking up Palm Springs and its large LGBTQ community. National Democrats are heartened not just by Rollins close loss to Calvert in 2022, where he was among the top overperformers in the country, but also by recent swings in voter registration that give the party a slim advantage. Trump narrowly carried the 41st district in 2020, and Democrats expect it to go to Biden in 2024. And they view Rollins as having the kind of profile that could appeal to unaligned voters in a fast-changing part of the state.

Rollins added: I think we built a really great foundation for flipping the seat in 24, and Im not masochistic enough to do it twice without knowing I can win.

The region has been a political hotbed, with another likely rematch further down the ballot coming between state Assemblymember Greg Wallis (R-Bermuda Dunes) and Democrat Christy Holstege.

While at least two other Democrats have announced plans to challenge Calvert for the House seat hes held for more than three decades, Rollins announcement comes with heavy reinforcement, including Day 1 endorsements from Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and all three major Democratic U.S. Senate candidates, Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee.

In the interview, Rollins said he plans to talk up his support for congressional term limits, which he favors as six terms for the House and three in the U.S. Senate. He favors a cap on Supreme Court justice terms and likes the idea of federal circuit judges that rotate on and off of the high court. Rollins said he doesnt favor age limits for elected officials, though.

The concern I have with a blanket rule on age is that some people can function very well at an older age and some people at a younger age are incompetent, he said.

He wasted no time in assailing Cavert for earmarking money over his long career in Congress and personally profiting off of the projects. He repeatedly sought to tie Calvert to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, refusing to certify the 2020 results in key battleground states and later downplaying the legal severity for the rioters. Rollins also pointed to recent contributions to Calverts campaign from the likes of GOP firebrands Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jim Jordan. Democrats also have tried to paint Calvert as being out of step with the redrawn districts values, particularly around LGBTQ rights.

Abortion rights, too, will be a major differentiator this time, Rollins said.

I think in 22, some voters in states like California and New York may not have perceived the threat to reproductive health care access as credible. They thought they lived in blue states so they would be safe, he said. That is absolutely not the case in 24 when Congress and the White House are up for grabs.

See the original post here:
A do-over in the desert: California Democrat who almost won seeks ... - POLITICO