Key pickup opportunities for Republicans to secure their House majority



Republicans will likely maintain their slim majority in the House, but several key races have not yet been called.

Republicans are just four seats away from the majority, currently holding 214 seats, while Democrats hold just 203 seats. In order for one party to win the majority, the party must hold at least 218 of the 435 House seats.

Although Democrats are leading 10 of the 18 uncalled races, Republicans are well on their way to maintaining their House majority.

California is the most likely path to victory for the GOP, with Republicans leading in four of the 10 uncalled congressional races. Republican incumbents John Duarte of California's 13th Congressional District, David Valadao of California's 22nd Congressional District, Ken Calvert of California's 41st Congressional District, and Michelle Steel of California's 45th Congressional District are all leading their Democratic challengers.

These four competitive California races would be enough to keep Republicans in the majority.

The GOP has another pickup opportunity in the neighboring state of Arizona. Republican incumbent Juan Ciscomani of Arizona's 6th Congressional District is currently leading Democratic challenger Kirsten Engel. Ciscomani's is the only congressional race that has not yet been called in Arizona.

Up north, Republicans are guaranteed another seat in the race for Washington's 4th Congressional District. Unlike most other states, Washington has a ranked-choice system, which allows voters to rank their candidates in preferential order rather than having a two-party primary like most other races. As a result, constituents are voting between two Republican candidates, incumbent Dan Newhouse and challenger Jerrod Sessler.

Newhouse is currently ahead of Sessler, but no matter which way the race pans out, Republicans will have secured the seat.

Similar to Washington, Alaska also adopted the ranked-choice voting system, though notably, Alaska introduced a ballot measure to end ranked-choice voting, which is currently on track to pass in the state.

Of the three Alaskan candidates, Republican challenger Nick Begich is leading Democratic incumbent Mary Peltola and independent candidate John Wayne Howe in the race for Alaska's sole congressional seat.

While the race has not yet been called, Begich is leading Peltola by four points, making the longtime red state a likely layup for the GOP.

Republicans are leading a much tighter race out east in Iowa's 1st Congressional District. Republican incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks is currently ahead of Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan by just 0.2% with 99% of the votes counted. Miller-Meeks holds just a 1,200-vote advantage.

Although Democrats are leading 10 of the 18 uncalled races, Republicans are well on their way to maintaining their House majority.

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Democrat Will Rollins Has Long History of Going Easy on Meth Dealers—Including a Violent Gang Member—But He's Running for Congress as a Tough-on-Crime Prosecutor

When Democratic California congressional candidate Will Rollins boasts of having taken on "the Sinaloa cartel to stop drug trafficking" during his time as a federal prosecutor, it may be instructive to consider the case of one central California drug dealer named Rodney Michael Haskins.

The post Democrat Will Rollins Has Long History of Going Easy on Meth Dealers—Including a Violent Gang Member—But He's Running for Congress as a Tough-on-Crime Prosecutor appeared first on .

A Serial Poisoner Poured Bleach on Groceries 15 Times in Bizarre, Multi-Store Crime Spree. Why Did Will Rollins Give Him a Sweetheart Plea Deal?

David Lohr walked into a Los Angeles grocery store in November 2018 and poured Clorox into a refrigerator full of cheese for sale. He doused bleach on more groceries like ice, alcohol, and frozen shrimp in California stores—four more times—before being arrested on federal charges in February 2019, according to court documents reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.

After the FBI determined Lohr was also behind a 2016 bleaching incident, the serial poisoner—who told a TV news reporter that "I committed no crime"—faced six counts of tampering with consumer products, a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine. Three months later, as that case was playing out, Arizona issued a separate indictment, accusing him of contaminating products on nine additional occasions at multiple Target and Walgreens stores.

The post A Serial Poisoner Poured Bleach on Groceries 15 Times in Bizarre, Multi-Store Crime Spree. Why Did Will Rollins Give Him a Sweetheart Plea Deal? appeared first on .

GOP Rep Earmarks $5 Million For Train Connecting Los Angeles To Coachella Valley

The funds, Calvert claims, will be used to complete environmental documentation

GOP lawmaker says national security officials confirmed to him that the Kabul suicide bomber had previously been held in Bagram prison



Republican Rep. Ken Calvert of California says that national security officials have confirmed to him reports that the terrorist who killed 13 U.S. service members and others in Afghanistan last month had been incarcerated in Bagram prison until shortly before the attack.

"U.S. national security officials have now confirmed to me the reports that the August 26th Kabul bomber was a known ISIS-K terrorist that was previously detained at the Bagram prison and was released along with thousands of others just days before the deadly attack," Calvert said, according to a press release.

The lawmaker told Fox News that Indian intelligence sources are reporting that the terrorist was among the incarcerated individuals that the Taliban released from the prison. All American forces were yanked from Bagram Air Base in July, according to the outlet.

"It is my belief that the Indian intelligence services are correct in their assumptions, and I have good reason to believe that the intelligence is correct in their assessment," Calvert said, according to the outlet.

The individual who perpetrated the suicide bombing had previously been locked up in Bagram prison for several years, the Indian outlet Firstpost has reported, citing "credible intelligence sources."

Calvert, who has served in Congress since 1993, is the Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

"Why didn't we move or secure those prisoners in the first place? And who is going to take responsibility for this miscalculation?" Calvert queried, according to the outlet.

Fox News reported that U.S. Central Command Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie said on Wednesday said that America is "still waiting to find out" whether the bomber had previously been imprisoned at Bagram Air Base.

One of the U.S. service members killed in the terror attack was from Calvert's district.

In the statement included in his press release, the congressman lambasted President Joe Biden, who has been heavily criticized for botching the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"President Biden's disastrous handling of our withdrawal from Afghanistan led to a series of events that culminated with the tragic loss of life on August 26th outside of the Kabul airport," Calvert said. "Thirteen Americans, including one of my constituents, were killed because of the poor judgement and execution of our troop withdrawal. The Biden Administration needs to explain why these prisoners were not transferred and secured at another location. Those responsible for these grave errors not only put our brave service members in harm's way but have now – by our military's own admission – placed Americans in greater danger than they were before."