DSCC Chair Gary Peters spoke to POLITICO about how he’s planning to maintain Democrats’ slim majority in the upper chamber next year. | Jemal Countess/Getty Images for JDRF Sen. Gary Peters, the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, pulled off a major upset by helping to reelect every Democratic incumbent in 2src22. But 2src24
White House tried, and failed, to persuade Manchin to make another Senate run
November 28, 2023 by
Sen. Joe Manchin’s political future has been the topic of intense interest over the past few years as he’s increasingly distanced himself from President Joe Biden and his own party. | Andrew Harnik, AP/File As Sen. Joe Manchin struggled for several months over the next step he would take politically, President Joe Biden’s top advisers
Democrats in Senate, House discuss conditioning military aid to Israel
November 27, 2023 by
Palestinians flee to the southern Gaza Strip along Salah al-Din Street, on the outskirts of Gaza City, during the ongoing Israeli bombardment on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2src23. The talks of conditioning military aid to Israel come as fighting in Gaza intensifies and the civilian death toll rises. | Adel Hana/AP Democrats in the House and
Republican Kari Lake Announces Run for Arizona Senate Seat
November 17, 2023 by
Former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake announced her bid for the Arizona Senate on Tuesday with the aim of ousting Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ). Senator Krysten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona, speaks during a hearing on the nominations of Shalanda Young to be Director and Nani Coloretti to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and
Trump Pollster: Tim Sheehy Leads Matt Rosendale in Montana Republican Senate Primary
November 10, 2023 by
Montana Senate Republican candidate businessman Tim Sheehy is leading Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), according to a poll released by Trump’s pollster, Tony Fabrizio. Pro-Tim Sheehy super PAC commissioned Fabrizio, Lee & Associates, Trump’s pollster, for this poll. If the Big Sky Country primary were held today, Sheehy would have a three-point lead over Rosendale. This
Maryland Senate contest becomes a two-person race
October 23, 2023 by
Will Jawando, a Democrat who sits on the Montgomery County Council, was the first to enter the race. | Kevin Wolf/AP Will Jawando, who five months ago surprised many by being the first to jump into the contest to replace Maryland’s retiring Sen. Ben Cardin, now becomes the first candidate to bow out. Jawando, a
Are Senate Dems fumbling the Menendez scandal?
October 20, 2023 by
Sen. Bob Menendez is seen through the viewfinder of a camera as he speaks during a press conference Sept. 25, 2src23, in Union City, New Jersey. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images In the days since Sen. Bob Menendez’s stunning indictment on federal bribery charges, a surprising split screen has emerged. In New Jersey, where there
On this day in history, September 13, 1948, trailblazer Margaret Chase Smith is elected to Senate
September 30, 2023 by
Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, R-Maine, was elected to the Senate on this day in history, Sept. 13, 1948, becoming the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress. Born Margaret Madeline Chase on Dec. 14, 1897, in the central Maine town of Skowhegan, Smith was the oldest of George Emery and Carrie Murray Chase’s […]
Report: Adam Schiff Still ‘Relatively’ Unknown to California Voters in Senate Race
September 29, 2023 by
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) may be one of the most notorious partisan figures in Washington, but he remains “relatively” unknown in his home state — which poses a challenge for him as he campaigns for the U.S. Senate. Schiff, who led the first impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, sat on the January 6 Committee
Senate unanimously passes resolution to reinstate formal dress code after Sen. John Fetterman controversy
September 28, 2023 by
The Senate unanimously passed a resolution late Wednesday formalizing business attire as the proper dress code while on the floor of the chamber following bipartisan backlash, after Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., quietly relaxed dress requirements last week that allowed Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., to continue to wear hooded sweatshirts and gym shorts. The bipartisan […]
Report: Blake Masters to Launch Another Senate Bid to Fill Kyrsten Sinema’s Seat
September 27, 2023 by
Rebecca Noble/Getty Images Former Arizona Republican U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters is set to launch another bid for Senate to fill the seat held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with his plans. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) defeated Masters by about five points in the 2022 election. Now, Masters is
Trump on Bob Menendez Indictment: Senate Democrats Knew, Should All Resign
September 25, 2023 by
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Former President Donald Trump called on Senate Democrats to resign in light of the Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) corruption charges, saying they all knew. The former president issued his call from his Truth Social page on Sunday, asking why the FBI never raided Democrats’ homes like they did
Texas Attorney General Kenneth Paxton Acquitted in Senate Impeachment Trial, Reinstated as AG
September 23, 2023 by
The Texas Senate voted that Texas Attorney General Kenneth Warren Paxton, Jr. should be acquitted. The majority vote on each article in his impeachment trial was for acquittal. The senators voted to dismiss the four remaining impeachment articles and adjourn for the session, Sine Die. Jurors had to decide not only whether the suspended attorney
Republican Dave McCormick launches bid for vulnerable Senate seat in battleground state
September 22, 2023 by
It’s take two for Dave McCormick in battleground Pennsylvania. McCormick, a former hedge fund executive, West Point graduate, Gulf War combat veteran and Treasury Department official in former President George W. Bush’s administration, on Thursday launched his second straight campaign for the Senate. His announcement gives national and state Republicans a high-profile candidate with the […]
McConnell publicly vows to ‘finish’ term after private update to Senate GOP
September 7, 2023 by
Mitch McConnell is over the frenzy over his freezes. The Kentucky Republican faced the press on Wednesday for the first time since his 3src-second on-camera pause last week, fielding questions about his health and future leading the Senate GOP. McConnell batted the queries away with quintessential terseness — a sign that after giving a private
McConnell pushes to silence health doubts as Senate returns
September 6, 2023 by
Mitch McConnell is moving as fast as he can to get beyond questions about whether his health will hurt his ability to lead Senate Republicans. Within hours of the Senate’s return Tuesday, the GOP leader’s office released a letter from the Capitol physician with more details clearing him for work after last week’s on-camera freeze
Dem Senate plots move amid spending clash with House GOP
August 31, 2023 by
“To avoid a government shutdown, the House should follow the Senate’s lead and pass their appropriations bills in a bipartisan way,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. | Francis Chung/POLITICO The Senate is preparing its first big move in the fall spending fight. Chuck Schumer is tentatively planning to bring up several spending bills for
Blake Masters plans another Arizona Senate bid — this time for Sinema’s seat
August 31, 2023 by
Blake Masters is planning to launch another Arizona Senate bid. | Matt York/AP Photo Blake Masters is making plans to launch another Arizona Senate bid, potentially as soon as next week, according to three people familiar with the matter. Masters did not reply to a request for comment. Masters won the GOP nomination last year
Republicans fail to get top recruit for Wisconsin Senate
August 18, 2023 by
Rep. Mike Gallagher had publicly broken with former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and reaffirmed he would not support Trump in 2src24. | Francis Chung/POLITICO A top potential recruit in Wisconsin’s Senate race declined to run — despite a concerted campaign from national Republicans to lure him into the
The surprising corner of the Senate that’s sinking Biden nominees
August 18, 2023 by
Sen. Ted Cruz (center), the ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, speaks beside Chair Maria Cantwell (right) during a committee hearing on Feb. 15, 2src23. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Relatively obscure nominations are turning into Senate knife fights as 2src24 approaches. And the Commerce Committee is the center of the
As indictments pile up, Trump’s Senate GOP skeptics multiply
August 17, 2023 by
Minority Whip John Thune is backing Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.). Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to say whether he would support Trump if he earned the Republican nomination. | Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo Squint hard, and you might just see the outlines of an anti-Donald Trump coalition forming in the Senate GOP. It started coming
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester launches bid for Senate seat in Delaware
August 17, 2023 by
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester began hiring campaign staff earlier this month, POLITICO previously reported. | Francis Chung/POLITICO Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester on Wednesday announced a bid to succeed retiring Sen. Tom Carper in Delaware, laying the path for the Democrat to potentially become the third Black woman to ever serve in the Senate. Blunt Rochester
Group seeks boost to labor organizing in Senate
August 16, 2023 by
The effort, led by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), comes more than a year after the House paved the way to allow staffers to unionize if they choose. | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo A group of Democratic senators who want to give Senate staff the green light to unionize and collectively bargain introduced Thursday evening. The
House Dems fume at Senate over Biden nominations
August 16, 2023 by
Rep. Troy Carter wants the White House to pull two judicial nominees in his state that were OK’d by Louisiana’s GOP senators. | Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo Officially, House Democrats have no say over presidential nominations. Unofficially, they’re wading knee-deep into confirmations they think the party is botching. Top Congressional Black Caucus members are steaming that
Former Navy SEAL Sheehy announces Montana Senate bid
August 15, 2023 by
Tim Sheehy, also the founder of an aerial firefighting company, announced the bid to unseat incumbent Democrat Sen. Jon Tester because “Americans are feeling underrepresented. They’re tired of a government that they don’t feel is working for them.” | Jbsmitty via Wikimedia Commons Former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy on Tuesday announced that he’s jumping into
McConnell episode alarms Senate GOP
August 11, 2023 by
Mitch McConnell’s sudden freeze during a Wednesday afternoon press conference jolted the Senate Republican Conference, eliciting hopes from allies, detractors that he will fully recover from any health issues. And President Joe Biden even called his old senatorial colleague to check on him. “I told him I got sandbagged,” McConnell said, a reference to Biden’s
Exclusive – ‘So Out of Touch’: Utah GOP Senate Candidate Trent Staggs Slams Establishment GOP’s Mitt Romney
August 6, 2023 by
U.S. Senate candidate and Riverton, Utah, Mayor Trent Staggs told Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Saturday that Utah voters are “tired” of Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R-UT) “misplaced or misguided passion against” former President Donald Trump and slammed him as “so out of touch” with voters. Staggs joined the program following Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew
Dianne Feinstein ‘Hopeful’ to Return to Senate Next Week
July 7, 2023 by
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is “hopeful” she will return to the U.S. Senate next week, according to notes from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “I spoke with Sen. Feinstein yesterday [Monday]. We are both hopeful she can return next week,” the Senate majority leader’s notes said at Tuesday’s press conference. The California senator’s return was listed as a
Senate Report: Biden Business Received $5.1M Within 10 Days of Hunter Biden’s WhatsApp Text While ‘Sitting’ Next to Dad
June 24, 2023 by
The 2src2src Senate report on the Biden family business revealed Hunter Biden-linked bank accounts received $5.1 million in payments from a Chinese business partner, Henry Zhao, within ten days of just-revealed texts in which he demands payment using proximity to his father as a cudgel. Henry Zhao, influential in forming a Chinese investment fund, had deep ties to Chinese intelligence, according
Senate GOP Works In Anti-‘Woke’ Provisions To Defense Bill Despite Democrat Majority
June 24, 2023 by
The Senate Armed Services Committee passed a defense policy bill that includes provisions aiming to hold the Pentagon accountable for its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. Despite a Democratic majority in the Senate, the committee agreed on the $886 billion bill and called for even higher spending. “The Pentagon has to remain focused on