Mike Rogers launches Senate campaign to replace retiring Democrat



Former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers (Mich.) announced Monday that he will once again be running for a Michigan U.S. Senate seat, this time to replace retiring Democrat Sen. Gary Peters in 2026.

Rogers was previously the Republican nominee in the 2024 race to replace now-retired Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Although Republicans managed to flip four Senate seats in the 2024 election cycle, Rogers narrowly lost to his Democratic challenger, now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin.

Similar to Rogers' first Senate bid, the Michigan race is expected to be one of the most contested. As of now, Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow is the only Democratic candidate in the running. Notably, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg clarified that he would not be running to replace Peters.

'Michigan is a battleground state, and with Mike as our candidate, I know we will add his seat to president Trump's Senate majority in 2026.'

"President Trump needs strong allies in the Senate to help him deliver on the mandate given by the American people," Rogers said. "That means bringing manufacturing jobs back to Michigan, protecting seniors’ Social Security, lowering the costs of gas, groceries, and prescription drugs, and setting our kids up for success by improving the quality of their education. Michigan, let’s get to work."

Although Democrats have had a steady winning streak in Michigan's Senate seats in past cycles, the swing state's mixed electorate makes for another pickup opportunity that Republicans have set their sights on. Rogers has also maintained support from senior Republican senators, strengthening his bid for the seat.

"Michigan is a battleground state, and with Mike as our candidate, I know we will add his seat to president Trump's Senate majority in 2026," NRSC Chairman Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said in a statement.

"Mike Rogers is the conservative leader that Michigan needs in the U.S. Senate," Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said in a statement. "As an Army veteran and former special agent, Mike understands the importance of putting service before self. We need him in the U.S. Senate to help achieve President Trump's America First agenda and to bring manufacturing and good-paying jobs back to Michigan."

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Republicans set their sights on vulnerable Democrats in Congress



The National Republican Congressional Committee announced which House Democrats it is targeting next election cycle to expand the GOP majority.

The NRCC has set its sights on 26 "prime pickup opportunities" in light of the GOP's sweeping victory in November 2024. After taking back the White House, the Senate, and keeping the House, Republicans are eager to expand their power on Capitol Hill.

'Vulnerable House Democrats have been hard at work demonstrating they are painfully out of touch with hardworking Americans.'

House Democrats will be hit hard in swing states and even in deep-blue states. The NRCC is targeting five Democrats from California, including Reps. Josh Harder, Adam Gray, George Whitesides, Derek Tran, and Dave Min. Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez from the neighboring blue state of Washington is also on the NRCC's list.

The NRCC is also targeting New York Reps. Tom Suozzi, Laura Gillen, and Josh Riley. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, who was the sole Democrat in the House to vote in favor of the GOP-led funding bill on Tuesday, was named as a target.

The NRCC is also keeping an eye on the Midwest, with Democratic Reps. Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Emilia Sykes of Ohio, and Frank Mrvan of Indiana on its list.

The swing-state Democrats from Nevada are on the NRCC's radar, including Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee, and Steven Horsford. Democratic Rep. Don Davis from fellow swing state North Carolina is also one of the NRCC's target seats.

After making significant gains with Hispanics, the NRCC is also targeting Democrats with significant Latino populations like Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Rep. Nellie Pou of New Jersey, and Rep. Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico.

Although the South is usually a safe bet for Republicans, the NRCC is vying for a few pickup opportunities below the Mason-Dixon line, including Democratic Reps. Eugene Vindman of Virginia, Darren Soto of Florida, and Jared Moskowitz of Florida.

"House Republicans are in the majority and on offense,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson said. “Meanwhile, vulnerable House Democrats have been hard at work demonstrating they are painfully out of touch with hardworking Americans. Republicans are taking the fight straight to these House Democrats in their districts, and we will unseat them next fall.”

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Democrats in Disarray Over How To Respond to Trump Immigration Crackdown as Left Wing Threatens a Revolt

Democratic tensions over immigration policy have heightened in recent months, with swing-district Democrats supporting President Donald Trump's crackdown on sanctuary cities even as immigration groups threaten a "break" between the party and progressives.

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'Undermines Your Credibility': Dem Rep Slams Party's Overblown Response to Trump

Democratic congressman Jared Golden (Maine), who represents a swing district that voted three times for President Donald Trump, criticized his fellow Democrats' "outrage" at everything Trump does, warning that it undermines the party's credibility.

The post 'Undermines Your Credibility': Dem Rep Slams Party's Overblown Response to Trump appeared first on .

Swing-state Dem senator announces he will not run for re-election



Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan announced Tuesday that he will not run for re-election in 2026.

Peters was first elected to serve in the House in 2008 and was eventually elected to the Senate in 2014. After serving two terms in the Senate, Peters said he would like to "go back to private life."

'After spending years ignoring illegal immigration and destroying his state's auto industry, Michigan is better off without him.'

With the anticipated vacancy, political heavyweights like former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg have already expressed interest in the Senate seat. At the same time, Michigan's mixed electorate could also give Republicans the opportunity to boost their Senate majority.

“I always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation," Peters said in an interview Tuesday. "I also never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life."

“And that goes back to 2008, when I first won that House seat," Peters added. "I thought it would be for a matter of a few terms that I would serve, and then I would go back to private life.”

With Democrats potentially losing a seat in the Senate, Republicans are keen to take advantage of the upcoming vacancy.

"Gary Peters is reading the room," Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the NRSC chairman, said in a press release. "After spending years ignoring illegal immigration and destroying his state's auto industry, Michigan is better off without him."

"We're committed to giving them a fighter that will stand with President Trump to restore the economic prosperity and security of our country," Scott added.

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Eric Hovde concedes Wisconsin Senate race, cites 'disheartening' tactics



Republican challenger Eric Hovde conceded the race to Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin on Monday.

Hovde lost to the two-term incumbent by less than a percent, the AP called on November 6. Given the slim margins of the race, Hovde did not concede the race until over a week later.

'What is disheartening are the tactics used against me in this race.'

"Nine months ago, I entered the race for the U.S. Senate because I love our country and I am deeply concerned about its direction," Hovde said in a video posted to X.

"The results from election night were disappointing, particularly in light of the last-minute absentee ballots that were dropped in Milwaukee at 4 a.m., flipping the outcome," Hovde said.

"I have heard from numerous supporters urging me to challenge the election results," Hovde said. "However, without a detailed review of all the ballots and their legitimacy, which will be difficult to obtain in the courts, the request for a recount would serve no purpose because you will just be recounting the same ballots regardless of their integrity. As a result, and my desire to not add to the political strife through a contentious recount, I decided to concede the election."

Although Hovde ultimately conceded, he pointed to several tactics Democrats used that he said worked to "deceive" and "mislead" voters. Notably, Democratic operatives emboldened libertarian candidate Phillip Anderson and America First candidate Thomas Leager, who collectively drew in over 70,000 votes.

"I am proud that we received more than 1.64 million votes, more than any Republican in Wisconsin history aside from President Trump's total on Tuesday night," Hovde said. "Furthermore, if not for Democratic operatives placing a phony America First candidate on the ballot to deceive voters and siphon off over 28,000 votes, I would have won this race."

"Democratic operatives also supported a libertarian candidate through mail and other sources without his knowledge to strip votes away from me," Hovde continued. "Are these actions to deceive and mislead voters strengthening and protecting our democracy? Any fair-minded person would say no."

Hovde also described several "disheartening" tactics used against him in the race. Hovde detailed the protests that took place outside his home before he even entered the race, mentioned "phony" lawsuits launched against his companies, and the millions of dollars' worth of ads that made "false claims" about him.

"Senator Baldwin's campaign focused on getting voters to hate me," Hovde said.

"Sadly, our current political system is broken," Hovde continued. "Instead of candidates debating issues and addressing voters concerns, campaigns are now about raising money, often from special interest groups, and launching attack ads with no basis in truth."

Hovde closed his message by thanking his supporters and outlining his plan to move forward.

"After running from morning to night for nine months and leaving it all on the field, I will take a much-needed break, then return to my businesses and foundation and find other ways to make a positive impact," Hovde said. "One thing is certain. I will always fight for the country and state that I love and work to restore the American dream. Thank you."

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Bob Casey refuses to concede Pennsylvania seat to Dave McCormick



Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania has not yet conceded the race to Republican challenger Dave McCormick, despite multiple outlets calling the race in the GOP's favor.

McCormick was announced as the winner on Thursday by outlets like Politico and the Associated Press, as well as many local publications, confirming his narrow victory. Pennsylvania was one of four seats that were flipped by Republicans, as well as seats in Ohio, West Virginia, and Montana.

Despite the widely acknowledged McCormick win, Casey has refused to admit defeat.

"I have dedicated my life to making sure Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard, whether on the floor of the Senate or in a free and fair election," Casey said in a post on X following the election results. "It has been made clear there are more than 100,000 votes still to be counted. Pennsylvania is where our democratic process was born."

'What happened to all the demands that our leaders accept the outcome of the elections?'

"We must allow that process to play out and ensure that every vote that is eligible to be counted will be counted," Casey continued. "That is what Pennsylvania deserves."

Every social media post on his campaign account since then has been about continuing to count the ballots, even though McCormick was already declared the victor.

"Our Commonwealth ran a free and fair election, and we are still waiting on the final results," Casey said in a Monday post on X. "Our election officials will continue counting ballots and ensure that Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard."

Casey was not the only Senate Democrat to take issue with McCormick's election. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer initially withheld McCormick's invitation to the Senate orientation, prompting a critical response from his Republican colleagues.

"Schumer is not allowing [McCormick] to participate in Senate orientation this week because Casey refuses to concede the race," Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said in a Sunday post on X. "What happened to all the demands that our leaders accept the outcome of the elections?"

"Sen. Schumer is refusing to allow [McCormick] to participate in Senate orientation next week even though the race has been called," Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri said in a post on X. "Chuck is an 'election denier' and this is an 'assault on our democracy.'"

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also floated the idea of escorting McCormick to the Capitol alongside other GOP Senators. Since then, Schumer has extended the invitation to McCormick, who attended Senate orientation Tuesday.

At the time of this writing, Casey has still not conceded the race.

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Republicans flip fourth Senate seat, this time in Pennsylvania



Republican challenger Dave McCormick narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania on Thursday.

McCormick won the seat with 48.9%of the vote while Casey managed to secure 48.5%, according to Politico. Pennsylvania is the fourth Senate seat Republicans have flipped this election cycle, alongside Montana, West Virginia, and Ohio.

Republicans now hold the majority in the Senate with 53 seats while Democrats hold 45 seats. The Nevada and Arizona Senate races have not been called yet.

Casey has served as one of Pennsylvania's two senators since he was first elected in 2006, winning his three elections by substantial margins. This time around, McCormick was able to overcome Casey's nearly eight-point lead in August and turn it into a 0.4-point loss in November.

These polling numbers sounded the alarm for Casey's campaign in the weeks leading up to the election. Casey refocused his campaign to moderate his policies and distance himself from his party, even running a pro-Trump ad and calling himself an "independent."

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Two-term Democratic incumbent fends off Republican challenger in Wisconsin Senate race



Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin narrowly won re-election Wednesday against Republican challenger Eric Hovde.

Baldwin secured 49.4% of the vote, while Hovde brought in 48.5%, according to Politico. Although Democrats held on to the contested Wisconsin seat, Republicans have already managed to flip three seats, securing their Senate majority.

Although Baldwin has won her seat by comfortable margins in the past, this race was much narrower.

"The voters have spoken and our campaign has won," Baldwin said in a Wednesday post on X. "Wisconsinites chose someone who always puts them first, shows up, listens, and works with everyone to get the job done. I'm proud to head back to the Senate to keep fighting for our workers, farmers, and families that make our state great."

Although Baldwin has won her seat by comfortable margins in the past, this race was much narrower. Leading up to the race, Hovde closed in on Baldwin's lead, turning her near eight-point advantage from July into less than a single-point victory on Election Day.

While the votes were being counted, Hovde expressed skepticism about the election's integrity.

"We’re watching the final precinct results come in," Hovde said in a Wednesday post on X. "We’re certainly disappointed that the Democrats’ effort to siphon votes with a fraudulent candidate had a significant impact on the race, with those votes making up more than the entire margin of the race right now. We will continue to monitor returns and make sure that every vote is counted."

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North Carolina Called For Trump In First Swing-State Victory Of Election Night

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Screenshot-2024-11-05-at-11.25.53 PM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Screenshot-2024-11-05-at-11.25.53%5Cu202fPM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]The AP has called North Carolina for former President Donald Trump, marking the first swing-state win of election night.