Democratic strategist begs Kamala Harris not to run again



Kamala Harris' first attempt to secure the White House was a colossal failure. While struggling to break out of the single digits in early state polls, Harris learned that a majority of Democrats in her home state of California wanted her to call it quits. She obliged them in December 2019. Years later, she supplanted the candidate who single-handedly salvaged her career only to suffer an even more humiliating defeat, burning through over $1.5 billion for the privilege of losing in the Electoral College by a landslide.

Apparently, the 60-year-old leftist thinks the next time might be different and has signaled an interest in trying again. On Tuesday, Democratic strategist Theryn Bond begged the vice president to throw in the towel on her presidential ambitions.

Last week, a Morning Consult survey indicated that 43% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents would now vote for Harris in a presidential primary of the kind effectively voided by the party earlier this year. A recent Echelon Insights snap poll indicated that 41% of respondents would vote for Harris in a Democratic primary held today.

'Please don't.'

Politico reported Monday that Harris, likely aware that a great many Democrats are willing to overlook her repeated failures, "has been instructing advisers and allies to keep her options open — whether for a possible 2028 presidential run, or even to run for governor in her home state of California in two years."

Harris has repeatedly told reporters, "I am staying in the fight."

Five individuals in the vice president's inner circle who spoke to Politico on the condition of anonymity suggested that Harris will think over her political options with family members over the Christmas season.

On Tuesday, within hours of Democrats releasing a bizarre and widely ridiculed video of Harris, Theryn Bond urged the vice president on Newsmax's "National Report" "not to run again in 2028. Please don't."

'If they're dumb enough to run her again, I can't wait.'

"I can't really speak for governor of California. Californians seem to support her significantly. We haven't yet been able to measure what that support looks like after this current run she just had," said Bond.

The Democratic strategist suggested that a gubernatorial bid might "make sense for her to consider, but another shot at the presidency — I hope she doesn't. And if she is relying on those same advisers that advised her this cycle, that's not who I would listen to."

Conservative political strategist Luke Ball largely agreed with Bond's assessment, noting that in California, Harris would have "high name ID, but if she ran anywhere else in the country, I don't think she'd be able to get elected to dog catcher."

Conservative filmmaker Robby Starbuck noted, "Wow. This Echelon poll asked Democrats who they'd vote for in the 2028 Presidential primary and 41% said Kamala Harris. If they're dumb enough to run her again, I can't wait."

Conservative commentator Michael Knowles said that Harris, "who lost in a massive landslide, who allowed the Republican to win the popular vote for the first time in 20 years — the Republican who we had all been told was Hitler incarnate, who was running for an implausible nonconsecutive second term — that woman wants to run again in 2028? I strongly encourage this. I might donate to the Kamala primary campaign."

A Democratic strategist granted anonymity by Politico said, "I can't conceivably imagine the party turning to her a second time."

Speculation now abounds about the possibility that another failed Democratic presidential candidate might try her luck again in 2028.

After the the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported Wednesday that Bill and Hillary Clinton will give speeches in Little Rock in December to help mark the Clinton Presidential Center's 20th anniversary, senior Trump adviser Jason Miller responded, "SHE'S RUNNING!"

"Just when I thought I couldn't be more thankful," tweeted Donald Trump Jr.

Elon Musk replied to the prospect of a third Clinton campaign with a laughing emoji.

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Left-wing Sen. Bernie Sanders announces re-election bid



Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has served in the Senate since early 2007, has announced that he will seek another term in office.

In a video announcing his plan to seek re-election, he pushed climate alarmism ideology. "This is a global crisis. We must work with every country on earth to cut carbon emissions and save the planet for our kids and future generations," Sanders claimed.

"We must codify Roe v. Wade into national law," he also said in the video.

Sanders, who is currently 82, would be 89 by the conclusion of his next term if he were to win re-election.

Before serving in the Senate, Sanders had been a member of the House of Representatives for 16 years.

Other left-wing lawmakers expressed support for Sanders.

"Bernie's lifelong commitment to progressive values provides invaluable leadership in the United States Senate. From Medicare for All to the Green New Deal, I am lucky to be his partner in the tough fights to secure a better world. Let's keep fighting," Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts said in a tweet.

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"Bernie showed us we don't have to settle for half-measures, that we are right to demand that democracy work for ALL of us. @BernieSanders has been a leader for decades. It's time to send him back to Congress to continue fighting for working-class people across the country," Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York declared in a post.

"Bernie will always fight for the America that lives up to what it says on paper — the one we deserve. Thrilled to have his voice for a fourth term in the Senate," Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota tweeted.

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Republican Rep. Jake LaTurner announces he won't run for re-election



Republican Rep. Jake LaTurner of Kansas, who has been serving as a House lawmaker since early 2021, has announced that he will not seek re-election this year.

"I will proudly serve the remainder of the 118th Congress, but after much prayer and consideration, I will not seek reelection this Fall. The people of Kansas who elected me to serve in the United States House of Representatives have given me the professional honor of my life, but it is time to pursue other opportunities and have the benefit of spending more time with my family," the congressman said in a statement.

"Suzanne and I are the proud parents of four young children, and for us the busy schedule of serving in and running for Congress has taken a toll. The unrepeatable season of life we are in, where our kids are still young and at home, is something I want to be more present for," he explained.

GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida suggested that the Congress should become more "family friendly," tweeting, "@RepLaTurner sits on committee with me. We will be losing a good member of House Oversight. I think this also speaks to the nature of Congress... it's not exactly family friendly. That should change."

While some House Republicans, including Luna, voted against passage of two government appropriations packages last month, LaTurner was one of the GOP lawmakers who voted in favor of passing both packages.

"While I will not be a candidate in 2024 or the state elections in 2026, I am hopeful that in another season of life, with new experiences and perspectives, I can contribute in some small way and advocate for the issues I care most about," LaTurner said in his statement.

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EXCLUSIVE: Sen. John Barrasso Officially Launches Reelection Campaign

'I’m more excited about Wyoming’s future than I have ever been'

Menendez says he won't run in Democratic primary but suggests if exonerated, he'll run in general as 'independent Democrat'



Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, who has served in the Senate since early 2006, announced in a video message that he will not file to run in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in the Garden State this year, but indicated he is "hopeful" that he will be exonerated this summer and then be able to run in the general election as an "independent Democrat."

In the video, Menendez, who has been accused of accepting bribes, claimed that he is innocent of the accusations against him. "All I can ask of you is to withold judgment until justice takes place," he said.

"From at least in or about 2018 up to and including in or about 2023, MENENDEZ and his wife, NADINE MENENDEZ, a/k/a 'Nadine Arslanian,' the defendant, engaged in a corrupt relationship with three New Jersey associates and businessmen— WAEL HANA, a/k/a 'Will Hana,' and FRED DAIBES, the defendants, and Jose Uribe—in which MENENDEZ and NADINE MENENDEZ agreed to and did accept hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using MENENDEZ's power and influence as a Senator to seek to protect and enrich HANA, DAIBES, and Uribe, and to benefit the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Qatar. Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value," according to a superceding indictment.

A number of Democratic lawmakers have previously called upon Menendez to resign from office.

In response to Menendez's announcement, a tweet from Democratic Sen. John Fetterman's @SenFettermanPA X account stated, "dibs on your parking space."

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Kyrsten Sinema announces she'll depart Senate at end of year



Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has announced that she will depart from the Senate at the end of the year.

"The only political victories that matter these days are symbolic. Attacking your opponents on cable news or social media. Compromise is a dirty word," Sinema said in a video. She said that her approach is "not what America wants right now."

"Because I choose civility, understanding, listening, working together," Sinema said, "I will leave the Senate at the end of this year."

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Sinema has served in the Senate since 2019. She won election in 2018 as a Democrat but switched to independent in 2022.

"In a natural extension of my service since I was first elected to Congress, I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington and formally registering as an Arizona Independent," Sinema tweeted in 2022.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Kari Lake for the Senate seat last year, well ahead of the Republican primary for the Senate seat which will take place later this year.

"As a Journalist, I covered Kyrsten Sinema for many years. We may not agree on everything, but I know she shares my love for Arizona," Lake said in a tweet on Tuesday. "Senator Sinema had the courage to stand tall against the Far-Left in defense of the filibuster—despite the overwhelming pressure from the radicals in her party like Ruben Gallego who called on her to burn it all down."

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Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is also aiming to win the Senate seat.

"I want to thank @SenatorSinema for her nearly two decades of service to our state," Gallego said in a tweet. "It's time Democrats, Independents, and Republicans come together and reject Kari Lake and her dangerous positions."

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Rep. Mark Green reverses course, announces he will run for re-election



Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee, who announced earlier this month that he would not seek re-election, has now reversed course and declared that he will run for another term.

"While my strong desire was to leave Congress at the end of this year, since my announcement, I have received countless calls from constituents, colleagues, and President Trump urging me to reconsider," the lawmaker said in a statement, according to reports. "I was reminded of the words of General MacArthur on a statue at West Point: 'Duty, honor, country.' I realized, once again: I had a duty to my country to fulfill. I will be running for re-election so I can be here on Day 1 next year to help President Trump end this border crisis once and for all."

In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, former President Donald Trump said that if Green ran for re-election he would endorse the lawmaker's bid.

"Mark Green has had lots of options because of his political talents, and the great job he has done as a Congressman, but given the fantastic work he's doing as Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I hope he runs for Re-Election to the U.S. House of Representatives. If he does, he has my Complete and Total Endorsement!" Trump declared.

Earlier this month, when revealing his intent not to seek re-election, Green had said in a statement, "Our country–and our Congress–is broken beyond most means of repair. I have come to realize our fight is not here within Washington, our fight is with Washington. As I have done my entire life, I will continue serving this country–but in a new capacity."

Green has served in Congress since 2019.

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'Our country–and our Congress–is broken': Rep. Mark Green won't seek re-election



Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee, who currently chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, will not seek another term in Congress. He has served as a House lawmaker since 2019.

"At the start of the 118th Congress, I promised my constituents to pass legislation to secure our borders and to hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable. Today, with the House having passed H.R. 2 and Secretary Mayorkas impeached, it is time for me to return home," Green said in a statement.

Earlier this week, in a 214-213 vote, the House impeached DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas. But the matter will likely fail to clear the threshold necessary for conviction over in the Senate.

In his statement, Green said that the nation and Congress are "broken."

"In the last few months, in reading the writings of our Framers, I was reminded of their intent for representatives to be citizen-legislators, to serve for a season and then return home. Our country–and our Congress–is broken beyond most means of repair. I have come to realize our fight is not here within Washington, our fight is with Washington. As I have done my entire life, I will continue serving this country–but in a new capacity," the congressman noted.

Green also expressed gratitude toward his family, constituents, and staff.

"Chairman Mark Green has been a champion for Tennessee families and conservative values. As a combat veteran, physician, and successful businessman, Mark has brought wisdom and a wealth of experience to Congress," House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a social media post. He described Green's upcoming departure as "a huge loss for the House."

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GOP Rep. Victoria Spartz reverses course, announces re-election bid



After announcing last year that she would not run for office in 2024, GOP Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana has now indicated that she will seek re-election.

"Deciding where your duty lies - family, work, or country, is never an easy task. Earlier last year, I decided to take some time off from running for public office to recharge and spend more time in Indiana with my family. However, looking where we are today, and urged by many of my constituents, I do not believe I would be able to deliver this Congress, with the current failed leadership in Washington, D.C., on the important issues for our nation that I have worked very hard on," Spartz said in a statement.

"As someone who grew up under tyranny, I understand the significance of these challenging times for our Republic, and if my fellow Hoosiers and God decide, I will be honored to continue fighting for them. We must carry on the sacrifice of countless Americans for our liberties and keep the American dream alive for our children," the lawmaker added.

Spartz, who grew up in Ukraine under the Soviet Union, has been serving in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2021.

Her re-election bid announcement comes as a reversal from her announcement last year that she would not run for office in 2024.

"I won a lot of tough battles for the people and will work hard to win a few more in the next two years. However, being a working mom is tough and I need to spend more time with my two high school girls back home, so I will not run for any office in 2024," Spartz said in a statement last year.

Spartz described then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year as a "weak Speaker," and McCarthy reportedly responded by saying that if Spartz was "concerned about fighting stronger," he wished the congresswoman would "not quit."

"I wish @SpeakerMcCarthy would work as hard at governing our country as he does at collecting checks but his wish might come true," Spartz fired back in response.

McCarthy, who was ousted from the role as House speaker last year, is no longer a member of Congress because he decided to leave office before the end of his term.

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Report: Kyrsten Sinema is blowing campaign funds on luxurious living while her re-election chances diminish



There are mounting indications that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's days in the U.S. Senate are numbered. Her major challengers, Republican Kari Lake and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, are grossly out-fundraising her, and she appears less than eager to make the deadline for signature collection. The biggest indicator — beyond her apparent reluctance to announce her re-election bid — comes down to her recent spending habits.

Despite raising a paltry $595,00 in the last quarter, the former Green Party activist and critic of "seeing Washington bureaucrats use their hard-earned tax dollars for personal gain" has been rapidly blowing campaign funds on a luxurious lifestyle involving five-star European hotels, lavish getaways to coastal vineyards, and expensive vehicles.

The New York Post reported that Federal Election Commission filings show Sinema spent $796,565 between Oct. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31 on expenses such as luxury hotels, a brand new car, concert tickets and the security detail that follows her around on her adventures.

Sinema threw down $77,000 on a new Chevrolet described in paperwork as a "van," even though she reportedly already bought a $70,000 "security detail vehicle" for herself two years ago. If she loses a re-election bid or doesn't bother to even try, then she will still get to keep the vehicles, assuming they are licensed to her.

According to the Post, Sinema also spent over $3,000 on limos in London and Paris, ostensibly for personal use.

The Daily Beast indicated that Sinema has ignored her own longstanding criticism of "first class air travel," having spent $210,000 in taxpayer funds on private chartered air travel since 2020.

Sinema reportedly stayed in July and October of last year at the five-star Le Roch Hotel & Spa in Paris, which cost her personal political action committee, the "Getting Stuff Done PAC," $7,600. The PAC also fitted the bill for her $2,500 July stay at Madrid's Edition Hotel, a "luxury lifestyle urban five-star resort," reported the Beast.

Sinema's PAC also paid the senator's way through various wineries in California and Oregon.

The Washington Examiner reported that Sinema has $10.6 million remaining in her coffers and some suspect the senator intends to spend as much of it as she can on her way out.

"Look, I have no direct knowledge, but just her actions and fundraising speaks louder than words – this is not a candidate who is running," an anonymous Sinema ally told the Examiner. "As much as I'd like her to run, and I think the people of Arizona are best represented by her, this is not the way you start one of the most politically challenging campaigns of your career."

When asked about her fundraising earlier this week, Sinema told reporters, "Not talking about that at all."

"Why are you wasting your question on that? I want to be clear to all of you: total waste of a question. I'm here to talk about substance," added Sinema.

FEC rules allow for campaigns to fund a candidate's trips if the trips serve a campaigning or fundraising purpose. The Beast noted that Sinema has in recent years added donor meetings to personal trips so that she wouldn't have to open her wallet when traveling to various marathon and triathlon events. Her latest expenditures might amount to more of the same.

Thomas Jones, president of the American Accountability Foundation, told the New York Post, "Sen. Sinema's use of campaign funds for seemingly personal expenses raises serious ethical questions. It also raises overall questions regarding the Senator's judgment."

"Particularly disturbing is the campaign's extravagant spending on security even as leftists like Sinema make Americans less safe by attacking police… This is elitist hypocrisy at its worst," added Jones.

Sinema has not yet filed her statement of interest with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office to begin gathering the 42,303 signatures required by April 8 so that she might appear on the ballot.

A recent poll had Sinema trailing Lake and Gallego both by over 25 points.

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