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MADISON, Wis. (AP) A Republican-controlled committee on Monday recommended firing Wisconsin's top elections official rather than reappointing her, clearing the way for a vote by the full GOP-led state Senate as soon as Thursday.

The Senate elections committee voted 3-1 along party lines, with one Democrat abstaining, against confirming nonpartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe for a second term. Democrats have accused GOP leaders of improperly pushing through Wolfe's confirmation after the elections commission's three Republicans and three Democrats deadlocked along party lines in a reappointment vote in June.

Monday's vote comes despite objections from the state's Democratic attorney general and the Legislature's own nonpartisan attorneys who have said that without a majority vote by the commission to reappoint Wolfe, the Senate doesn't have the authority to go forward with deciding whether to confirm or fire her.

In the absence of a majority vote by the commission, a recent Supreme Court ruling appears to allow Wolfe to stay in office indefinitely as a holdover. Conservatives have used that ruling to maintain control of key policy boards. If Wolfe's confirmation is rejected by the full Senate a result that would normally carry the effect of firing her the matter is likely to be resolved through a lawsuit.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu did not immediately respond to an email sent Monday asking about his plans for scheduling a floor vote on Wolfes future. The Senate's next floor period is set for Thursday.

As I said when the Committee first met to discuss Administrator Wolfes continued service to the people of Wisconsin, this nomination is not before us and Senate Republicans are on a path that will waste taxpayer money and create unnecessary controversy around our elections while attacking qualified, hard-working election officials," Democratic Sen. Mark Spreitzer, who cast the sole vote to confirm Wolfe's appointment, said in a statement on Monday.

Spreitzer promised to submit a minority report saying the Senate was moving ahead illegitimately.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers commented on Monday's vote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Republicans are hell-bent on doing everything they can to interfere with our elections, including trying to abuse their power by improperly firing the states elections commissioner, he said.

Wolfe did not attend a public hearing the Senate elections committee held last month on her reappointment. That hearing attracted dozens of election skeptics who repeated widely debunked claims about the 2020 election and called for Wolfe to be fired or even arrested.

She didn't bother to show up to her own public hearing, Republican Sen. Dan Feyen, who voted against reappointing Wolfe, said in a statement. What I heard instead were numerous concerns from Wisconsinites around the state who have lost faith in the job she was doing as administrator.

Conspiracy theorists falsely claim Wolfe was part of a plot to rig the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden, and some Senate Republicans have vowed to oust her before the 2024 presidential election. Biden defeated former President Donald Trump by nearly 21,000 votes in Wisconsin, an outcome that has withstood two partial recounts, a nonpartisan audit, a conservative law firms review and numerous state and federal lawsuits.

Elections observers have raised concerns that firing Wolfe or disputing her position through the 2024 election could encourage election skeptics who have already harassed and threatened election officials over the 2020 election.

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Harm Venhuizen is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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Senate committee recommends firing Wisconsin's top elections official in process Democrats dispute - Yahoo News

Rep. Omar has been elected by her constituents three times and has consistently stood up for them, including through her service on the House Budget Committee, Jeffries said in a statement. As House Democratic Leader, I vigorously endorse her re-election and stand with her as we battle Extreme MAGA Republicans for the future of our nation.

In addition to Jeffries, Omar is picking up support from House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) and the previous top trio of House Democratic leadership: Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.). A spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also confirmed the plan to back incumbents.

In a statement, Omar said she was proud to have earned the respect and support of every single member of the Democratic House leadership for my re-election campaign.

Although party leaders generally endorse their incumbent members, the support will ease perennial primary jitters on the progressive left, especially amid recent reporting about potential AIPAC-backed challenges. Jeffries and other leaders are embracing their first chance to show support, despite the awkwardness inherent in defending progressive squad members who won their seats by toppling incumbents or who backed primary opponents to other sitting lawmakers.

Omar, whos served in the House since 2019, represents a reliably blue seat, but she faced a tougher-than-expected primary challenge last year who ran a more centrist campaign, including a focus on funding police. This cycle, other members of the caucus progressive flank are potentially facing AIPAC-backed challenges from Democratic candidates who might try to make Israel a wedge issue, Jewish Insider has reported.

Its not the first time AIPAC has provoked progressive resentment; the groups campaign arm spent heavily last cycle against now-Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) and other liberals. Meanwhile, other Democrats have continued to support the advocacy group, and recent lawmaker trips to Israel sponsored by the groups sister organization, the American Israel Education Foundation, have raised eyebrows on the left.

We proudly support progressive candidates who will advance the US-Israel relationship and oppose anti-Israel candidates, AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann said in a statement. We have supported the House Democratic leadership, almost half of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and over half of the Congressional Black Caucus and Hispanic Caucus.

The show of support from Jeffries and other Democratic leaders is likely to resonate with the caucus, as members aim to stave off fractious primaries next year and focus on taking back a majority that feels within their reach. Although progressives criticism of the conservative Israeli government and AIPAC has presented pitfalls for Hill Democrats, leadership is clearly sending a message that it will back even Democrats leftmost members.

Theres nothing wrong with primaries, and everyone has the right to run against the incumbent. But when youre trying to build a family, its really hard to say: Im going to support Billy and Jim and Susan, but not Ilhan when you ask them to pay dues, said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), the DCCCs recruitment chair. You cant be constantly out there pressing for unity, and then abandon those teammates because they have a primary.

I think itd be helpful for our leaders to say: Please stay out of these family fights, Beyer added, in a nod to AIPAC.

Jeffries, for his part, has been consistent in publicly supporting incumbents. He co-founded a PAC last cycle that backed members facing primary challengers, which some on the left saw as a response to progressive attempts to unseat Democratic lawmakers. Although the PACs spending was relatively modest in comparison to other groups, Democrats still valued the show of support from their partys rising star. (Jeffries is no longer listed as part of the groups board after his promotion to party leader.)

Jeffries spokesperson Christie Stephenson said in a statement that the New York Democrat intended to continue his practice of supporting the reelection of every single House Democratic incumbent, from the most progressive to the most centrist, and all points in between.

On the other side of Democrats ideological spectrum, leaders similarly threw their weight behind centrist Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) earlier this month. Hed faced left-leaning challengers over the last several cycles, many focused on his anti-abortion stances.

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Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon (D) has issued a scathing rebuke of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s response to a white supremacist’s deadly rampage in Jacksonville this weekend. 

Nixon, who represents the Jacksonville district where the shooting happened, told MSNBC’s Yasmin Vossoughian on Sunday that DeSantis has been leading “an all-out attack on the Black community with his anti-woke policies” and because of this, the GOP presidential candidate is responsible for Saturday’s violence. 

“This is a governor who has done nothing but fan these types of happenings throughout our state,” Nixon said. “At the end of the day, the governor has blood on his hands.”

Nixon said that the policies DeSantis has been pushing have been “dog whistles to get folks up and riled up in the way in which it just happened.”

Ryan Christopher Palmeter, 21, opened fire in a Dollar General store Saturday afternoon, killing three people before shooting and killing himself. All three victims of the shooting were Black.

Palmeter, who was white, had written numerous racist manifestos ahead of the shooting, according to Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters.

DeSantis condemned the shooting, calling Palmeter a “deranged scumbag.” 

“Perpetrating violence of this kind is unacceptable, and targeting people due to their race has no place in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said Sunday.

But Nixon dismissed DeSantis’s statement by pointing out warnings she and other members of the state Legislature had given the governor over the last few years. 

“My blood is literally boiling. Myself and other representatives, particularly Black representatives, throughout the past few legislative sessions have repeatedly told him what his rhetoric was going to do and that is exactly what transpired on yesterday,” Nixon said. “This is absurd. It’s ridiculous. He is one of the causes to this. This is an agenda that he has been pushing since he gets gotten into office. He showed us who he was when he initially ran for governor saying ‘Don’t monkey this up.’ Those types of statements, it only leads to things like this.”

The Hill has reached out to DeSantis’s office for comment.

DeSantis, who is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has come under fire for policies his administration has passed that many have called anti-Black. At the start of this year, his administration rejected the College Board’s Advanced Placement course on African American studies, arguing its content is “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.”

Then, in June, the state’s Board of Education approved new standards for teaching African American history, including a rule directing teachers to instruct on “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”

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Florida Democrat: DeSantis has blood on his hands after Jacksonville shooting - The Hill

A House Democrat raised concerns about the trial schedule ahead ofDonald Trump and how it might impact the former presidents ability to run his 2024 election campaign.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) talked on Wednesday with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, who made the point that blue America doesnt seem to understand that red America thinks this is a complete setup job when it comes to Trump facing four criminal cases.

The congressman dismissed the notion that people could declare their candidacy for office to try and shake prosecutions, but did note some contention when it comes to the timing of the proceedings.

I do think we need to make sure that in the timing, if Trump does emerge as the Republican nominee, that it does not compromise the ability to have a robust campaign schedule, Khanna said.

And I imagine that the courts will take that into consideration if he is the nominee, he added. You know, he may not be the nominee.

Trial start dates have been picked in three of the criminal cases against Trump, who is the frontrunner in the GOP presidential nomination contest in a large field of candidates.

A federal judge just set Trumps federal election interference trial in Washington, D.C., for March 4, which is one day before Super Tuesday. In addition, the hush-money criminal case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and special counsel Jack Smiths documents case are set to begin on March 25 and May 20, respectively, both of which are right in the middle of a slate of election contests.

One other criminal matter this one in Georgia remains unclear as of press time. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has proposed starting the trial in her 2020 election case against Trump and 18 of his allies on March 4, which is the same date now selected for the federal election case. It also happens to be one week before Georgias primary on March 12.

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The Republican National Convention is scheduled to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15-18.

Across all the legal matters, Trump has broadly denied any wrongdoing and said that the indictments should be viewed as a campaign contribution to President Joe Biden, who is also seeking re-election. He has pleaded not guilty to charges in New York, D.C., and Florida. Trump and his co-defendants in the Georgia election case are set to be arraigned next week.

Khanna, whose district lies in Silicon Valley, said as a member of Congress trial dates are not up to him, though he reasoned that they may ultimately change depending on Trumps success on the campaign trail.

My instinct on all of this is theyre not going to have trials in the middle of something thats going to compromise a candidates ability who has real traction to have a fair fight, he said. I just dont see that happening in our country.

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Democrat Objects To Trial Schedule Disrupting Trump's Campaign - The Daily Wire

Democrat Trudy Berry formally announced a write-in campaign for Senate District 9 an area that includes Danville and Pittsylvania County after a typo snafu left her off the November ballot.

Berry faces Sen. Frank Ruff, R-Clarksville, a longtime lawmaker in the Republican-leaning district.

She lost an appeal earlier this month with the state Board of Elections to declare her the Democratic nominee for the district.

An email that Berry forwarded to the Richmond Times-Dispatch shows local Democratic committee official Clomeniea Oliver sending a party certification form to the Department of Elections on April 10, 2023, but the email address was missing the needed .gov at the end to go through.

In Olivers April 10 email, both Jack Foley, a political director at the Democratic Party of Virginia, and Patricia Harper-Tunley, who chairs the 5th District Congressional Democratic Committee, were copied on the email, the Richmond newspaper reported. No one caught the mistake at the moment.

After extensive consideration and uncertainty, I hereby announce that I am launching my Democratic write-in campaign to give all voters the opportunity to protect their rights and freedoms by giving them a Democratic choice on their ballot, Berry said in a statement issued Saturday. My focus has always been on representing the people and making sure their voices are heard in the General Assembly.

Berry said her name will be placed on sample ballots in precinits throughout the district.

In her write-in announcement, she said everyones personal rights and freedoms are being challenged by the Republicans in our state legislature.

On her website, Berry said she decided to seek the seat because residents need a lawmaker who will represent them and not special interests.

As the peoples representative, I will help protect their personal rights and freedoms and extend equality and justice for all, she wrote online I will work to end government overreach into their personal life and health decisions.

She then waded into the debate over abortion.

The most personal decisions people make are about their bodies and identities, she explained. No government should interfere with the fundamental right of the people to make those personal decisions.

Danville residents vote for candidates in the 2022 election.

Citing the time issues economy, education, health care, housing and the environment she said while all complex, the intersect with one another.

Berry was born and raised in Michigan and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after high school graduation. During her service, she received an Administrative Specialist Course Honor Graduate certificate, worked as a legal services specialist and received an honorable discharge, according to her campaign website.

She first moved to Virginia in 1990 and then to Lunenburg County where she still resides in 1998.

The newly redrawn district include Danville and the counties of Pittsylvania, Halifax, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Charlotte Luneburg and part of Prince Eward.

My work experience includes the military, civil service, private sector, retail and substitute teacher, Berry wrote online Ive always felt a calling to serve, so while my children were growing up, I volunteered with the church, PTA, homeowners association, Cub Scouts, Brownie Girl Scouts,and Little League.

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