Democrats

Seattle’s Fox affiliate reports: As dozens gathered to raise an LGBTQ+ pride flag at the state capitol Wednesday afternoon, leaders and community members said celebrations need to be matched with action in light of continued challenges. Members of the Washington State LGBTQ Commission were joined by Gov. Bob Ferguson, state supreme court justices and other community members in the annual …

The Associated Press reports: A former Republican congressman and vocal critic of Donald Trump says he wants to become governor in the president’s adopted home state of Florida, and that he’s running as a Democrat. David Jolly formally announced his bid Thursday, becoming the latest party convert hoping to wrest back control of what had been the country’s premier swing …

The New York Times reports: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York City’s most prominent progressive leader, endorsed Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for mayor on Thursday, throwing her clout behind an upstart socialist who has galvanized young voters. The endorsement, shared in an interview with The New York Times, represented perhaps the most significant attempt yet to push fractured progressives toward a single …

The Hill reports: The Iowa political director of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign Julie Stauch announced Tuesday she is running for Iowa governor. The launch sets up a Democratic primary contest between Stauch and Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand, who launched his bid last month. Stauch made the announcement on her campaign website, where she also posted …

Island News reports: For the first time, Pride flags will be flown at the Hawaii State Capitol throughout June, as Governor Josh Green, M.D., has declared it Pride Month. “In Hawaii, aloha is more than a word, it’s a value that guides how we treat one another, with love, respect and dignity. Flying the Pride flag at our state Capitol …

The Associated Press reports: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka sued Tuesday over his arrest on a trespassing charge, which was later dropped. Barak, who leads New Jersey’s biggest city, is a candidate in a crowded primary field for the Democratic nomination for governor next Tuesday. The lawsuit against interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba coincided with the day early …

The New York Times reports: Andrew M. Cuomo said on Monday that he regretted his decision to resign as governor of New York in 2021 in the face of sexual harassment allegations, suggesting that he and perhaps the state would have been better off had he stayed in office. “If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t have resigned,” …

The New York Times reports: When Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York chose Antonio Delgado to be her lieutenant governor in 2022, she had nothing but the highest praise for her new No. 2. She said Mr. Delgado, then a rising Black political star who represented a competitive House district, was a “battle-tested campaigner.” She praised his work ethic and …

The Iowa Gazette reports: State Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, announced Monday a run for the seat held by Republican Sen. Joni Ernst since 2015. Other state lawmakers, Sen. Zach Wahls from Coralville and Rep. Josh Turek of Council Bluffs, have been talked about as possible challengers for Ernst but so far Nathan Sage, an Iowa Army and Marine Corps …

Politico reports: Sen. Chris Murphy is launching a new PAC aimed at taking on President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress — the latest sign the Connecticut Democrat is eyeing higher office, according to plans that were first shared with POLITICO. Murphy will announce Monday that his group, American Mobilization Project, is doling out $400,000 to organizations that oppose cuts …

Milwaukee’s NBC affiliate reports: Democratic Gov. Tony Evers took aim at the White House on Friday as he raised a pride flag above the state Capitol in Madison in recognition of Pride Month. It’s the seventh time Evers has raised the flag since he was first elected, and it comes as Trump’s administration has taken steps to eliminate protections for …

NBC News reports: Former Sen. Bob Menendez appealed to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a former Senate colleague and a Trump ally, to request a pardon or sentence commutation on his behalf, according to three people with direct knowledge of that effort. Graham and Menendez have long had a close relationship, with Graham standing by the Democrat during Menendez’s first indictment …

Politico reports: The Working Families Party ranked state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani in the top slot for its mayoral primary slate Friday night, following hours of closed-door deliberations. The progressive organization picked City Comptroller Brad Lander second, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams third and state Sens. Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos fourth and fifth in the hopes of defeating frontrunner Andrew …

“People talk about the Trump DOJ, but it was the Democrats who started weaponizing the Justice Dept. When, as the Chairman of the SFRC, I didn’t go along with Obama’s Iran deal, I was indicted, and the next day after being stripped of my position, Obama announced the Iran deal. “Obama told me that he could not have the Democratic …

The Associated Press reports: Dr. Annie Andrews, the South Carolina Democrat who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in 2022, says she’s running against Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham in 2026, challenging the four-term incumbent in part due to what she characterized as his waffling positions over the course of his political career. “He’s changed his position on nearly every …

The Hill reports: Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) received a primary challenge Thursday from volunteer firefighter and former “Jeopardy!” contestant Harry Jarin, who is seeking to make age a centerpiece of the campaign. In a statement announcing his bid, Jarin, 35, said Hoyer, 85, “represents a bygone era of politics that isn’t working” and that congressional seats should …

Emerson College Polling reports: A new Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey of New York City’s Democratic Primary for Mayor finds 35% of voters support former Governor Andrew Cuomo on the first round of the ballot, 23% support State Rep. Zohran Mamdani, 11% support Comptroller Brad Lander, 9% former State Rep. Scott Stringer, 8% City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, and 5% …

Mediaite reports: Democratic congressional candidate Esther Kim Varet’s AI-generated actors accused Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) of parroting policy “prompts” dictated by President Donald Trump and corporate interests in a mocking, tech-savvy ad. The ad features AI avatars that appear to be powered by Google DeepMind’s latest video model, Veo 3, that troll Kim for being “as fake” as they are …

New York City’s ABC affiliate reports: Charlie Rangel, a former congressman from Harlem who was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the lone surviving member of the “Gang of Four,” has died. He was 94. Rangel was elected to the House of Representatives in 1971 after defeating Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. He served in Congress for …

Hartford’s ABC affiliate reports: Former President Joe Biden told News 8 he was “feeling great” as he walked into Bradley International Airport on Friday afternoon. Biden’s brief response to News 8’s questions were the first public remarks he’s made since he disclosed on Sunday that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive prostate cancer. The former president told a small …