Schumer-backed Democrat governor joins crowded Senate race



A high-profile Democrat has announced her candidacy for the Senate in a high-stakes bid to flip the upper chamber in the 2026 midterms. With the blessing of Democrat leaders and a lengthy track record in government, if elected, Janet Mills would be the oldest freshman senator ever.

Mills, the 77-year-old, term-limited governor of Maine, joined a crowded Senate race to challenge Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.

'Maine Democrats are locked in a bruising fight between Chuck Schumer’s out-of-touch establishment and Bernie Sanders’ far-left radicals.'

Mills made her Senate campaign announcement on Tuesday on social media. "I’m running for Senate to defeat Susan Collins and give Maine people someone who will stand up for them in Washington," Mills said in an initial post.

In another post, Mills added, "I've never backed down from a bully and I never will. Donald Trump is ripping away health care from millions, driving up costs, and giving corporate CEOs massive tax cuts. And Susan Collins is helping him. My life’s work has prepared me for this fight — and I'm ready to win."

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Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Mills' campaign launch video highlights her clash with President Trump at a meeting with state governors at the White House in February. Trump threatened to pull federal funding from Maine if the state refused to comply with an executive order about men competing in women's sports, to which Mills replied, "See you in court."

According to Fox News, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Democrat leaders see Mills as the best candidate to flip the seat in 2026.

"Maine Democrats are locked in a bruising fight between Chuck Schumer’s out-of-touch establishment and Bernie Sanders’ far-left radicals," National Republican Senatorial Committee communications director Joanna Rodriguez said in a statement in the wake of Mills' announcement, according to Fox News.

Fox News reported that Mills' Tuesday announcement comes after an apparent early launch on Friday. Her campaign posted and quickly deleted that announcement, according to the outlet.

Other Democrat candidates in the race include Graham Platner, Jordan Wood, Dan Kleban, Carmen Calabrese, and Natasha Alcala. Phillip Rench is running as an independent.

Collins, who handily won re-election in several races since she first won the Senate seat in 1996, has not formally announced her intention to run for a sixth term as of this writing.

Blaze News contacted Mills and Collins for comment but did not receive a response.

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Beto O’Rourke 2.0: Obama Praises Texas Dem Who Said ‘God Is Non-Binary’

Barack Obama has fallen yet again for a boy-faced Democrat hoping to "turn Texas blue." During a recent interview on Marc Maron's podcast, the failed former president touted James Talarico, the Texas state lawmaker running for U.S. Senate, as a "terrific, talented young man." Democrats haven't been this excited about a U.S. Senate candidate in Texas since Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke, who lost his race in 2018 but also managed to impress Obama with his terrific talents.

The post Beto O’Rourke 2.0: Obama Praises Texas Dem Who Said ‘God Is Non-Binary’ appeared first on .

Senate Approves ‘FIGHT China Act’ To Halt US Funds Fueling China’s Arsenal

The Senate passed two major pieces of legislation this week targeting U.S. technology and security ties with China, limiting the flow of advanced research and federal funding to Beijing-linked companies. The new legislation comes as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual defense policy bill that includes $879 billion in funding for […]

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The Senate approved its annual defense policy bill Thursday, ending weeks of gridlock over the massive $879 billion package and marking a rare move in approving major legislation during a government shutdown. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes $879 billion in funding for the U.S. military and directs national defense strategy, passed in […]

The Senate Asked Me To Testify About Biden’s Censorship Of The Federalist. Here’s What I Told Them

'Our own government secretly and without any due process charged us with thoughtcrimes, convicted us, and sentenced The Federalist to death,' Federalist CEO Sean Davis said.

FACT-CHECK: Yes, Democrats are responsible for the shutdown



Democrat lawmakers were quick to pin the government shutdown on their Republican counterparts, conveniently sidestepping their role in the gridlock.

U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) shared a post on X blaming Republicans for the shutdown.

"Civics 101: Republicans control all three branches of government. It's their responsibility to pass a budget," Houlahan wrote.

Other Democrat allies have shared similar half-truths on social media.

'This is the puzzling part, Senator Schumer actually voted for this exact same legislation multiple times.'

In response to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's comments that the Democrats were responsible, Matt Corridoni, a Democratic strategist, replied, "Republicans control all three branches of the government."

Even former Vice President Kamala Harris chimed in on the debate, writing, "President Trump and Congressional Republicans just shut down the government because they refused to stop your health care costs from rising."

"Let me be clear: Republicans are in charge of the White House, House, and Senate. This is their shutdown," Harris added.

While the Republicans control the White House and hold a majority in both chambers of Congress, Democrats' remarks overlook a fundamental truth about how the U.S. government is designed to function, deliberately empowering the minority to block legislation.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and Vice President JD Vance. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Republican lawmakers proposed a clean continuing resolution that, if passed, would have allowed the government to remain open by extending funding past the start of fiscal year 2026, which began on October 1. This CR would have acted as a temporary stopgap through November 21, allowing lawmakers time to negotiate a new full-year budget.

However, Democrats, who have refused to support the bill, blocked the bill by triggering a filibuster. Democrat lawmakers refused to budge unless Republicans allowed an extension for Affordable Care Act tax credits. It is important to note that these tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year, after the Republicans' CR would already have dropped off.

Republicans refused to accept Democrats' request, arguing that the health care programs use federal tax dollars to provide services to illegal aliens. Additionally, they contended that specific programs could be negotiated in the full-year budget.

To override the Democrats' filibuster, Republicans filed for cloture, which, if passed, would have forced a vote on the CR.

With a slim Senate majority, Republicans theoretically have enough members to pass a CR in a straightforward vote. However, they do not have the supermajority, 60 votes, needed to invoke cloture and end debate.

RELATED: Democrats deny shutdown is about health care for illegal aliens — then one admits the truth

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Republicans' attempt to invoke cloture fell short by five votes, causing the CR to die by the October 1 deadline, thus triggering a shutdown.

Republicans have referred to the gridlock as New York Democrat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's shutdown.

"Chuck Schumer has led them all to vote against it," House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated.

"I sent them in good faith exactly what they had voted for before. We did not put any Republican provisions in that."

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) had a similar message about Schumer.

"This is the puzzling part: Senator Schumer actually voted for this exact same legislation multiple times," she said.

"He voted for it once. He voted for it twice. He voted for it three times. And he voted for it a fourth time in March. But he won't vote for it today to prevent a government shutdown.

"That's why this is called a Schumer shutdown. Republicans do have control of the House. We do have control of the White House," Malliotakis continued. "But what people have to understand is that for a funding bill to get passed in the Senate, it does need seven Democrat votes."

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John Fetterman Now Has Higher Approval Rating With Republicans Than Democrats

Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman is now more popular with Republicans than he is with Democrats, a new poll shows.  A Quinnipiac report released Wednesday highlighted a hearty swing among registered Pennsylvania voters, with Fetterman jumping 54% in his GOP voter approval since 2024. Other polling this year shows a similar trend in Fetterman’s approval […]

Charlie Kirk assassination inspires famed ESPN commentator to run for Senate — as a conservative



ESPN host and analyst Paul Finebaum might run for office because of Charlie Kirk despite never being involved in politics.

The SEC Network personality and host of "The Paul Finebaum Show" said in a recent interview that he is "considering" leaving the Disney-owned network to run for the United States Senate.

'I felt very empty doing what I was doing that day.'

Perhaps surprisingly, Finebaum said that he would run on the Republican ticket in Alabama, finding inspiration after Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10.

"I spent four hours numb, talking about things that didn't matter to me. And it kept building throughout that weekend," Finebaum said.

"I felt very empty doing what I was doing that day."

Finebaum continued, "It's hard to describe, not being involved in politics ... how that affected me and affected tens of millions of people all over this country. And it was an awakening."

Seemingly revealing his political affiliation for the first time, Finebaum said he is a "registered Republican in North Carolina as of this hour. And I was a registered Republican in Alabama before I moved."

Finebaum also told OutKick's Clay Travis in the interview that he voted for President Donald Trump, but "they also tell us not to discuss that."

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South Carolina football head coach Will Muschamp (R) speaks with radio personality Paul Finebaum. Photo by Lance King/Getty Images

As for the potential seat, Finebaum said after talking to "someone ... who made it clear that there was a desire for me to be involved," he is now considering a seat in Alabama. That seat will be vacated by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R), who has his eye on becoming the state's governor.

Finebaum also revealed to Travis the reason he was so reluctant in the first place.

When Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl was initially rumored to run for Tuberville's seat, Finebaum said he was "hesitant" and did not take the idea of running "too seriously."

Eventually, however, the person he spoke to was so "compelling and compassionate in the approach" that Finebaum began to think about running.

"One or two people in Washington had reached out to me about whether I would be interested in politics, something I'd never thought about before. Something I didn't really think possible," the analyst continued.

"I gave some thought to it as the weekend [after Kirk's murder] unfolded ... and got a little bit more interested."

Born in Tennessee, the college sports host went into greater detail about why Alabama would be the best fit for him, besides the obvious reason of the vacancy.

"Alabama has always been the place I've felt the most welcome, that I've cared the most about the people. I've spoken to people from Alabama for 35 years, and I feel there is a connection that is hard to explain," he noted.

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BlazeTV host Steve Deace said he believes Finebaum "absolutely has the name ID to win a primary."

"Which means winning the election in Alabama," Deace said.

Regarding the idea of yet another sports personality getting into Alabama politics, Deace commented, "I'm fine with people in sports getting involved in politics, as long as they agree with me and know what time it is. It would be delicious irony for woke ESPN to produce a senator inspired by my friend Charlie Kirk's boldness."

ESPN declined to comment on the situation. Finebaum's show did not return a request for comment.

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Black businessman devastated by Democrat soft-on-crime policies won't be heard by key Senate committee after all



Willie Wilson, a conservative Chicago businessman and former mayoral candidate, was apparently invited to testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday regarding the ruinous soft-on-crime Democrat policies that set the stage for what he regards as a badly needed intervention by the National Guard.

"I support the National Guard coming to Chicago," Wilson said in a statement earlier this month. "Crime is out of control, crippling our economy, and costing countless innocent lives. Saving lives is the most important responsibility we have to the citizens of Chicago."

A spokesman for Wilson alleged to Blaze News that his client's invitation to testify was rescinded by the committee of both Democrats and Republicans on the eve of the hearing due to his attempt to unseat Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in 2020.

'It's personal for me.'

"He got a call from the committee staff saying that they have a custom, and the custom is if you've run against someone who's a member of the committee, then you actually cannot testify as a witness on that committee," said the spokesman. "Dr. Wilson's a busy man, and he made time to come out here to Washington, so it's a little disappointing that they would utilize a custom to actually try to silence him."

Wilson said in a statement to WFLD-TV, "Senator Durbin can stop me from testifying, but he cannot silence my voice or refute the facts that under his leadership, Chicago has averaged 652 homicides a year."

"Democrat leaders have failed to protect the African-American community," added Wilson.

Senator Durbin's office did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment by deadline.

A committee aide confirmed to Blaze News on Monday that Wilson "is not noticed as a witness tomorrow."

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Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

"Wilson has experienced personal loss and suffered the real-world impact of Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies," said the aide. "Therefore, the committee has put him in contact with the White House to explore an opportunity to share his experience."

Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, told Blaze News, "It is absolutely ludicrous that Republicans would bow down to the sensitivities of Dick Durbin, of all people. The president and the White House have made it a top priority to restore order to our decayed urban centers. Hearing directly about what's happening in Chicago is absolutely necessary for any committee that's seriously looking into this matter."

The office of Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) declined to comment. The other members of the committee did not respond by deadline.

"It's personal for me, from personal loss," Wilson reportedly said during a press conference in August. "But also personal for me as a citizen of Chicago."

"People who happen to want to help, whatever the motive may be," continued Wilson, "I welcome it."

Editor's note: Mike Howell is a contributor to Blaze News.

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