Virginia voters approve Democrats’ redistricting plan, giving the party a midterm election boost
By Jane C. Timm Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a Democratic redistricting plan that could allow the party to pick up as many as four new seats in the midterm elections, NBC News projects. With 97% of the vote in, the “yes” vote on the ballot referendum held a narrow lead of 3 percentage points. The special election is a major victory for Democrats as they seek to gain control of the narrowly divided House this fall. Democrats have now won statewide votes in California and Virginia to redraw congressional maps as part of a mid-decade redistricting arms race that began last year
Virginia voters to decide whether to allow a new Democratic-drawn map for the midterms
By Adam Edelman Virginia voters on Tuesday will decide the fate of a constitutional amendment that would pave the way for a new congressional map designed to allow Democrats to pick up as many as four seats in this year’s midterm elections. The special election marks the latest fight in the mid-decade redistricting war that has unfolded across the country as both parties vie for control of the narrowly divided House. Under the proposed map in Virginia, Democrats would be in position to hold up to 10 of the state’s 11 districts, rather than the current six. Virginia Democrats have framed their aggressive
Bowie State Alum Jakeya Johnson Could Become Youngest Black Woman Elected to Congress
Jakeya Johnson runs for Congress with more than a campaign launch behind her. The Bowie State alumna is now part of Maryland’s June 23 Democratic primary for the 4th Congressional District, where she is challenging incumbent Rep. Glenn Ivey and pitching herself as a younger, movement-built alternative in a deep-blue seat. Her campaign says that if she ultimately wins the seat, Johnson would become the youngest Black woman ever elected to Congress at 31, a mark now associated with Lauren Underwood, who was 32 when she was sworn in. Jakeya Johnson runs for Congress in a crowded primary The race is not a
Democrat Analilia Mejia wins New Jersey special election to fill Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s House seat
By Owen Auston-Babcock Democrat Analilia Mejia has won the special election to fill New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s seat in the U.S. House, NBC News projects, defeating Republican Joe Hathaway. Mejia, a progressive activist backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., entered Thursday’s contest in the 11th Congressional District as the favorite. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by 9 points in the 2024 presidential election, while Sherrill carried it by 15 points in her campaign for governor last year. And Mejia had outraised Hathaway, a Randolph Township Council member, by 2-to-1. Mejia will fill the rest
Tillis vows to keep blocking Fed nominee and says Trump should apologize for pope attacks
By Julie Tsirkin WASHINGTON — During an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo that aired Wednesday, President Donald Trump suggested Sen. Thom Tillis, a centrist Republican who has occasionally broken with the president, “already quit” the Senate and wouldn’t be a factor in confirming his nominees. But Tillis is still here. And as a member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, he’s exercising his ability to single-handedly block Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell as the head of the Federal Reserve. In an extensive interview with NBC News, Tillis called Warsh “a perfect candidate,” but maintained that
Hill, Adams, McCormick, and Figures Introduce HBCU Research Capacity Act to Enhance Federal Research Funding Access
The HBCU Research Capacity Act aims to enhance federal research funding access for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Quiver AI Summary Introduction of HBCU Research Capacity Act: U.S. Representatives French Hill, Alma Adams, Richard McCormick, and Shomari Figures have introduced the HBCU Research Capacity Act, aimed at increasing access to federal research funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This legislation serves as the House companion to a similar bill in the Senate. Legislation Goals: The HBCU Research Capacity Act seeks to create a federal clearinghouse that provides HBCUs with centralized information on federal grant opportunities and best practices for research
Race for California governor moves on after dramatic downfall of Rep. Eric Swalwell
By Michael R. Blood After the dramatic downfall of Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, the race for California governor is moving on. Once a leading candidate to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, Swalwell suspended his campaign — then announced he would resign from Congress — following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman. A lengthy lineup of remaining candidates is scheduled to gather Tuesday in Sacramento, their first public appearance together since Swalwell’s departure reshaped the wide-open contest. Meanwhile, lawyers said a woman would detail new allegations of misconduct against Swalwell on Tuesday in Beverly Hills. In a crowded race with no clear leader in
Congress returns to battles over DHS, expelling lawmakers and the Iran war
By Sahil Kapur and Scott Wong WASHINGTON — After a two-week recess, Congress returns Monday to a growing agenda. It needs to fund the still-shuttered Department of Homeland Security, for which Republicans want to pass a separate, party-line bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol. And there’s a push in the House to expel up to four members, including Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who ended his campaign for governor of California over the weekend after multiple women accused him of sexual assault and misconduct. Swalwell has said the sexual assault allegations are “false” and apologized for “mistakes in judgment.” There will also be a debate about President Donald Trump’s
Sen. Tim Kaine says Congress will ‘have a hard time’ reviewing Trump’s military budget request
By Alexandra Marquez Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., expressed skepticism Sunday about the Trump administration’s 2027 budget plan, which includes a request of $1.5 trillion from Congress to fund the Defense Department, 44% more than what was appropriated for this year. “I have a hard time seeing that size of an increase as being justified,” Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” He added that he and other members of the committee would be “taking a look at it” over the next several weeks. Part of his doubts, Kaine said, stem from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision
Democrats fighting for Iowa Senate seat tussle over Chuck Schumer and super PACs
By Henry J. Gomez DES MOINES, Iowa — Two Democrats seeking to flip one of Iowa’s Republican-held Senate seats spent Wednesday evening at a forum here, appealing to progressive activists and voters who could influence the June primary. But it was a Democrat from 1,100 miles away who emerged as a tension point. State Sen. Zach Wahls tried to characterize his primary rival, state Rep. Josh Turek, as an extension of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. While Schumer has not endorsed in the race, there have been signals that he prefers Turek. Playing to a crowd unhappy with the influence of
