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WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans want Vicente Gonzalez gone again.

The Republican conferences campaign arm announced Monday it is adding the South Texas Democrat to its main target list in the 2024 congressional elections, singling him out as a top priority for next year in a sign that they believe his district is still flippable. His inclusion on the list means they intend to pour serious outside cash into a yet-unknown Republican challenger, ending the days when Democrats could run in the region without having to put up much of a fight.

Republicans are in the majority and on offense. We will grow our House majority by building strong campaigns around talented recruits in these districts who can communicate the dangers of Democrats extreme agenda, said National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson in a statement. These House Democrats should be shaking in their boots.

Gonzalez ran in the 34th congressional district last year after redistricting moved his home out of the McAllen-based 15th district, which he previously represented. Both the 34th and 15th districts were among the most competitive races in the state, with influxes of outside cash from both parties flowing into the campaigns. Gonzalez ran against incumbent Republican Rep. Mayra Flores, who had won the seat the summer before in a special election after Rep. Filemon Vela retired early from Congress to become a lobbyist.

Flores victory in the special election came with a massive surge in cash from out of the district, giving Republicans their first-ever seat in the Rio Grande Valley. But national Democrats opted not to match the spending spree and essentially abandoned the district, leaving their candidate Dan Sanchez vastly underfunded. Local Democrats were furious that giving the seat away to the Republicans would create a substantially greater challenge for Gonzalez in the general election, but national Democratic operatives contended it would be more advantageous to keep their powder dry to have more to spend in November.

Gonzalezs victory was not a knockout. In a district that was drawn to be more Democratic and would have voted for President Joe Biden with a margin of over 15 percentage points, Gonzalez won by roughly 8 percentage points.

His campaign in the 34th district ended up being his most expensive and, he admitted at the time, his most challenging. Both campaigns spent over $3 million in the race, and Republicans blasted Gonzalez for a number of verbal gaffes. Gonzalez told Newsweek that he didnt come here through chain migration, I didnt come through asylum or amnesty or whatever in a bid to distinguish himself from Flores, who was the first Mexican-born woman ever elected to Congress.

Flores also had her share of difficulties, including allegations of sexual assault against her district director. She denied knowledge of the alleged assault.

In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Gonzalez credited his election last November to his ability to bring federal dollars back to the district over the six years he's been in office. Flores held her seat for only about seven months, coinciding with a slow legislative period when most members of Congress were focused on campaigning.

In 2022, South Texas voters sent a message: they want someone who delivers," Gonzalez said in his statement. "Since coming to congress, Ive brought over $6 billion to South Texas for VFWs and community centers, drainage and roads, and Title 1 funding for our students. And I intend to keep putting the needs of South Texans first.

The national partys investments in Gonzalezs race also left less money for other candidates, whom the party did not deem viable or established enough to receive steady, robust support. National Democrats essentially let the tap run dry on Michelle Vallejo, a progressive, young Democrat who ran to replace Gonzalez in his old district next door, much to the ire of progressives in the state. President Donald Trump-endorsed Republican Monica De La Cruz ended up winning that race, becoming the first of her party to represent the 15th congressional district.

Flores has since joined the Texas Public Policy Foundation as a senior fellow. In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Flores said she was glad to hear about the NRCC's decision.

"Our region has seen historic shifts towards the Republican Party as more and more Hispanics realize that our conservative policies are all about God, Family, and the American Dream. I am confident this trend will continue and that this district will turn Red soon." When asked if she would run again in the district, Flores said she hasn't yet decided.

Republicans assert their messages of strict border enforcement, abortion restrictions and support for the local oil and gas sector will resonate with culturally conservative Latino voters in the region. South Texas Democrats have historically been among the most moderate in their caucus.

Border security is also top of the list among Republican priorities and attack points against the Biden administration, and the party is eager to have more Texas border Republicans to put at the forefront of their messaging on the issue. Texas contains more of the southern border than any other state.

Disclosure: The Texas Public Policy Foundation has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

We cant wait to welcome you Sept. 21-23 to the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, our multiday celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the days news all taking place just steps away from the Texas Capitol. When tickets go on sale in May, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.

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National Republicans say they will spend big to oust Rep. Vicente ... - The Texas Tribune

The video, taken by a rioter who entered the Capitol moments after the breach and released in a case separate from Pezzolas, shows the Proud Boy gazing past the police officer at the evacuating senator, though its unclear if he recognized Grassley. As the camera pans, Pezzola is shown speaking on his phone before turning away from the scene.

That first wave of the mob which also included Jacob Chansley, known as the QAnon Shaman would moments later follow Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman up a flight of stairs to come within feet of the Senate chamber in a now-famous confrontation.

The footage is the latest example of how close powerful government figures came to a direct brush with the mob of then-President Donald Trumps supporters. Rioters came within 40 feet of then-Vice President Mike Pence during his own evacuation, according to evidence released by the Jan. 6 select committee. And then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, accompanied by his own security detail, came within sight of rioter Joshua Pruitt while waiting for an elevator.

The security detail and Senator Schumer reversed course and ran away from the elevator, back down the ramp, away from Pruitt, according to a statement of facts agreed to by prosecutors and Pruitt in connection with his plea deal.

Then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris had a different kind of close call on Jan. 6: She had been ensconced at Democratic National Committee headquarters near the Capitol when police discovered pipe bombs had been placed outside the DNC and RNC buildings.

Just moments before the timing of the video, Grassley had been presiding over the Senate filling in for Pence, who was evacuated from the floor himself just minutes earlier by Secret Service agents. The Iowan was the Senate president pro tem at the time, putting him in the line of presidential succession.

C-SPAN footage showed Grassley being rapidly ushered off the Senate dais at about 2:15 p.m. and out a nearby door.

Grassley told POLITICO that he couldnt remember many details about the rushed evacuation, noting that he was taken down a back staircase to the first floor of the Capitol where the footage shows he unknowingly had that close brush with rioters and then down another staircase to the basement. Grassleys office declined to comment but did not dispute that the footage appeared to show the 89-year-old senators swift exit from the Senate.

I wasnt aware of any of it, Grassley said of his apparent near-encounter. They just said: Weve got to get you out of here.

The footage also underscores the possibility of more significant revelations about Jan. 6 sitting in the thousands of hours of security camera video that Speaker Kevin McCarthy has indicated he intends to release publicly, after providing early access to Carlson.

And Grassleys evacuation isnt the only snapshot laid bare by recently released footage in Jan. 6 criminal cases. Other film shows the moment the Senate parliamentarians door was breached, leading to rioters ransacking her office. NBC recently revealed that Sen. Jim Rischs (R-Idaho) hideaway was among those trashed by rioters.

In addition, court papers connected to a newly filed criminal case indicate that rioters breached the House Appropriations Committees third-floor space in the building, before Capitol Police officers with their guns drawn subdued them.

There, the officers held rioters under supervision while Members of the House of Representatives were evacuated from the House Gallery, according to the charging documents.

Those new details are in addition to well-known breaches of former Speaker Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) office suite, Sen. Jeff Merkleys (D-Ore.) hideaway and the Senate chamber itself.

The video of Grassleys apparent close encounter was released in connection with Chansleys criminal case, after a request by media outlets for videos the government used in his sentencing. Chansley is one of the most widely recognized members of the Jan. 6 mob due to his appearance during the attack he wore a horned Viking helmet and face paint, striding shirtless through the Capitol.

He returned to the spotlight after Carlson aired security footage showing Chansley walking alongside police officers calmly, footage the Justice Department said misleadingly cast his hour-long trip through the Capitol as authorized by police.

The footage of Chansleys entry into the Capitol, just moments after Pezzola set off the breach by smashing the window, appears to have been taken by Jan. 6 defendant Daniel Adams, who closely followed Chansley inside. Adams can be seen on security footage holding up his camera and recording the moment.

Pezzola is currently on trial for seditious conspiracy, along with other Proud Boys leaders.

The video also shows a moment that Chansley himself had highlighted in his own defense: his chastising another member of the mob for attempting to steal items from the Senate refectory. Other recently released footage shows members of the Proud Boys snatching snacks and drinks from the convenience store after they entered the building.

The Justice Department indicated that Carlsons footage showed only a four-minute window of the hour Chansley spent inside the Capitol. That time also included Chansley breaching police lines outside the complex, a standoff with police outside of the Senate chamber and his decision to leave an ominous note for Pence on the Senate dais.

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In the mob's eyeline: A senior Republican's close brush revealed in ... - POLITICO

By Daniel J. Chacn, The Santa Fe New Mexican

Santa Fe County sheriffs deputies investigated a domestic disturbance Sunday morning involving Sen. Cliff Pirtle, a leading Republican from Roswell, whose wife alleged she found him in a rented Santa Fe home with another woman, according to law enforcement documents.

Pirtle, who was largely missing from Mondays Senate floor session, said in a brief interview it was a personal matter.

I would appreciate privacy for my family as we work through this, said Pirtle, who appeared emotionally distraught.

Just after 10 a.m. Sunday, a Santa Fe County sheriffs deputy was dispatched to a home in the 1900 block of Goodrich Plaza Drive in Agua Fra village after receiving a report of a couple yelling outside.

The caller reported two women had driven off in a white Suburban after the incident. The deputy dispatched to the scene saw a vehicle matching the description pull into a gas station at the intersection of Siler Road and Agua Fra Street.

I made contact with the driver later identified as Aysia Marie Pirtle, the report states. I asked Mrs. Pirtle what occurred [and] she indicated to me she caught her husband [Sen.] Cliff Pirtle with another female.

Aysia Pirtle told the deputy she suspected her husband of cheating and drove from Las Vegas, NM where they are renting a home, the report states.

When she arrived at the residence Cliff Pirtle is renting in Santa Fe, Mrs. Pirtle told me she looked inside the bedroom widow and discovered her husband to be lying in bed with another female, the report states.

Pirtles wife started banging on the front door, which the senator opened, leading to a verbal altercation that turned physical, the report states.

Aysia Pirtle told the deputy she shoved Cliff on the shoulder, the report states. Mrs. Pirtle said the verbal altercation de-escalated [and] she left the residence with her kids and mother.

When the deputy approached Aysia Pirtle and her mother at the gas station, he told them the sheriffs office had received a report of people yelling.

Well, it mustve been us, sir, Aysia Pirtles mother told the deputy, according to lapel camera video obtained byThe New Mexican.

It was us, Aysia Pirtle said, choking back tears.

So whats going on today? the deputy asked.

When you find your husband with another woman, what do you think? A state senator. Her husband is a state senator, Aysia Pirtles mother told the deputy, adding they were getting it all out, screaming our guts out, thats it.

At that point in the video, Aysia Pirtle started complaining of chest pain.

The deputy reported Pirtles wife was very emotional and told me she was having a hard time breathing, the report states. Based on her statements I had medics arrive on scene to conduct a medical evaluation.

Another deputy went to the home where the alleged disturbance occurred and spoke with the senator.

Mr. Pirtle [told the deputy] a verbal altercation occurred between his wife and himself, the report states. Mr. Pirtle did not elaborate to the reason on why but confirmed the altercation to be only verbal.

According to lapel camera video, the deputy informed the senator an ambulance was being called for his wife because she was experiencing chest pains.

Shes probably having a panic attack, Cliff Pirtle told the deputy.

Asked if he was doing OK, the senator said, Yeah, Ill be fine.

What happened, if you dont mind me asking? the deputy asked the senator.

Just an argument, he responded.

Not physical or nothing like that? the deputy asked.

Nah, the senator replied.

What were you guys arguing about? the deputy asked.

Personal problems, Cliff Pirtle responded.

While on scene, the deputy did not observe any signs of a physical altercation taking place, the report states.

Based on statements made, I was unable to determine if a battery had occurred, the report states. I explained to Mrs. Pirtle on how to obtain a temporary restraining order (TRO). Mrs. Pirtle agreed, she told me she would be returning to Las Vegas, NM rental home to collect her belongings and head home to Roswell, NM.

The report concludes by stating no further action was taken and a supplemental report would be submitted if any additional information should arise.

Cliff Pirtle, a dairy farmer, represents Chaves, Eddy and Otero counties. He has been in the Legislature since 2013. He is known for his outspoken stance on a number of issues, including gun rights, cannabis legalization and representing rural New Mexicans agricultural interests.

His Twitter profile describes him as a hard working, loving father and husband.

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Deputies respond to domestic dispute involving state Republican ... - New Mexico Political Report

Isom

A man with reported residences in Marshalltown and Fort Dodge was charged with both first degree murder and armed robbery over the weekend in connection with two separate incidents.

The Marshalltown Police Department announced an investigation into the death of 27-year-old Isiaiah Montell Forest at 618 W. Boone St. Friday afternoon.

After responding to a 911 call about a man being injured and not breathing, the MPD arrived at the location to find a deceased man. They described the circumstances as suspicious, and an autopsy confirmed that Forest died of a gunshot wound.

Late Saturday night, the MPD announced in a press release that Amarrion Demeir Isom, a 20-year-old with reported residences in both Fort Dodge and Marshalltown, was arrested for first-degree robbery, a Class B felony in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred on March 6. On Friday, a 23-year-old Marshalltown woman reported that she had been robbed at gunpoint on March 6 in the area of Center Street and Grant Street.

On Sunday night, a new release indicated Isom had also been charged with murder in connection to the death on Friday, and as of presstime, he is being held in the Marshall County Jail.

There is no reason to believe a threat exists to the general public, per the MPD. Assisting the department in the investigation of the death was the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper noted that the robbery was not reported until the death investigation began, but otherwise, the incidents are being treated as separate crimes with separate victims.

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Man charged with murder, robbery over weekend | News, Sports, Jobs - Marshalltown Times Republican

By Kanishka Singh and David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was released from a hospital and will continue receiving treatment at a rehabilitation facility, his office said on Monday after one of Washington's most powerful figures suffered a fall last week.

McConnell's recovery from a concussion is proceeding well, his office said in a statement, adding that he also suffered a minor rib fracture in the fall. His continued treatment means McConnell will not be present when the Senate returns to Washington on Tuesday.

A senior Senate Republican aide suggested McConnell could be in rehab for up to two weeks.

"That decision (on a rehab timeline) will be made by the leader's physicians and the therapists. It is very common to undergo physical therapy to regain strength after a hospital stay, and this ranges anywhere from a week to two weeks," the aide told Reuters.

The Republican leader, who is 81 and was first elected to represent Kentucky in the Senate in 1984, tripped at a dinner event on Wednesday evening and was admitted to a hospital for treatment for a concussion. A former aide of the leader said on Friday that McConnell was eager to be discharged.

His hospitalization came as Democratic President Joe Biden and Republicans, who control the House of Representatives after the midterm elections, remained locked in a standoff over the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling. A lack of progress in talks has raised concern about a possible default over the summer.

Several of his fellow Senate Republicans told reporters last week that McConnell was likely to be hospitalized for a few days but added they were confident he would be back on the job when the Senate reconvened this week.

As Senate minority leader, McConnell has taken a back seat to Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on the debt ceiling issue. But independent experts view the Kentucky Republican as a skilled negotiator who could broker a compromise deal in an emergency.

Story continues

Currently serving his seventh six-year term, which runs through 2026, McConnell was the third U.S. senator to be hospitalized in recent weeks. Democrat John Fetterman is being treated for depression, while Democrat Dianne Feinstein was discharged to recuperate at home following a bout with shingles.

McConnell served as Senate majority leader from 2015 to 2021 and as Senate minority leader since then. Democrats, including three independents who vote with them, currently hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate, when all senators are present.

McConnell's legislative skills have torpedoed many Democratic initiatives over the years, both when his party held a majority in the chamber and when Democrats have held the edge, as they currently do.

He has long been criticized by Democrats, particularly for his tactics that allowed Republicans to build a 6-3 conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court, including having the Senate refuse to consider a 2016 nomination to the high court by Democratic then-President Barack Obama.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and David Morgan; additional reporting by Costas Pitas Editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis)

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Top U.S. Republican McConnell to move to rehab after being released from hospital - Yahoo News