McDaniel to Resign as RNC Chair Following Trump’s Rebuke

Luis Cornelio
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McDaniel to Resign as RNC Chair Following Trump’s Rebuke

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has informed former President Donald Trump of her decision to step down after the South Carolina presidential primary on Feb. 24.

The New York Times reported on Monday that North Carolina Republican Party Chair Michael Whatley, backed by Trump, will seek to replace McDaniel. An election by RNC members is necessary for the immediate filling of her role. Headline USA has reached out to Whatley for comment.

McDaniel’s exit plan coincides with mounting criticism from conservative critics who have been consistently calling for her resignation. Many cite the GOP’s electoral setbacks in 2018, 2020 and 2022 as signs of her perceived failed leadership.

Despite the criticisms, McDaniel dismissed them as online chatter, suggesting that her capacity to win elections is limited to federal elections. However, Trump, currently contending for the Republican presidential nomination, echoed the mounting disapproval of McDaniel.

In a Sunday interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Trump hinted at forthcoming changes in RNC leadership. “I think she did great when she ran Michigan for me,” Trump said of McDaniel. “I think she did okay initially in the RNC, I would say right now there’ll probably be some changes made.”

In a Monday interview with Newsmax host Rob Schmitt, Trump was more explicit, seemingly dealing a final blow to McDaniel’s tenure.

When questioned about whether McDaniel should step down, Trump bluntly replied: “I think she knows that. I think she understands that. As far as me, as far as I’m concerned—almost 100% of the Republicans I endorse win. In the midterms, out of 253 endorsements, I won 222 races.”

Assuming the RNC chairmanship in January 2017, McDaniel has been re-elected four times. In January 2023, she secured re-election with Trump’s backing, despite calls for new leadership. At the time, Attorney Harmeet Dhillon and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell unsuccessfully challenged McDaniel’s re-election.

Republican losses in the Pennsylvania and Virginia elections in November 2023 reignited calls for McDaniel’s resignation. In September 2023, McDaniel came under fire after the Washington Examiner reported that the soon-to-be former RNC chairwoman saw her salary increase from $122,582 in 2017 to a staggering $410,640 in 2020 and $358,431 in 2022.

Biden Pressures Amazon to Suppress Books that Question COVID-19 Vax

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
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Biden Pressures Amazon to Suppress Books that Question COVID-19 Vax

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) It was recently revealed that Amazon caved under pressure from the Biden regime to suppress books that opposed the mainstream narrative regarding COVID-19.

The emails that were obtained by the House Judiciary Committee and shared with the Daily Signal showed that the White House told Amazon to suppress “anti-vax books” and the company decided to take action against the books.

The news source reported that employees from Amazon strategized for a meeting with the White House on March 9, 2021, openly asking whether the regime wanted the company to remove the books that questioned the narrative about the coronavirus from its catalog.

“Is the [a]dmin asking us to remove books, or are they more concerned about search results/order (or both)?” one employee asked.

Andrew Slavitt who was then working as a senior adviser on Joe Biden’s COVID-19 response team was allegedly the person who was involved in the censorship the most.

“Who can we talk to about the high levels of propaganda and misinformation and disinformation [on] Amazon?” he asked.

Slavitt’s far-left behavior was revealed after Elon Musk bought Twitter in October 2022 and the internal files of the social media company were released both in 2022 and 2023.

Amazon’s case was not the only time when Slavitt used his power to silence everyone who doesn’t accept the regime’s narrative regarding COVID-19, with him repeatedly forcing social media companies to suppress anyone who opposed the propaganda about the coronavirus vaccines.

Slavitt complained to Amazon staff on March 2, 2021, about the search results for “vaccines” under the “Books” category.

“… I see what comes up. I haven’t looked beyond that, but if that’s what’s on the surface, it’s concerning,” he said.

Amazon employees tried to push back by saying that they wouldn’t do a “manual intervention” on March 3, 2021, but then they eventually surrendered and moved to “widen the searchlight flag for COVID-19 [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] website re-direct so that it comes to the top of the page on more search keys.”

The Signal reported that Amazon’s decision on March 9, 2021, to change the algorithm to avoid promoting “anti-vax books” appeared to have happened right after the meeting with White House staff.

NY Gov. Faces Calls to Oust Bragg after Cop-Beating Illegals Freed

Luis Cornelio
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NY Gov. Faces Calls to Oust Bragg after Cop-Beating Illegals Freed

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, is facing forceful calls from nearly all Senate Republicans to remove Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg from power over the contentious release of illegal aliens accused of brutally beating NYPD cops.

On Tuesday, twenty Republican senators, led by State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, urged Hochul to oust Bragg after he failed to seek bail for four individuals, all illegal immigrants, who were caught on video attacking two powerless police officers.

“Alvin Bragg’s unconscionable handling of the recent attack on two NYPD officers by a gang of migrants outside of a Times Square shelter must be the final straw,” the 20 Republican lawmakers wrote in a letter, first reported by the New York Post.  

“The public safety of New Yorkers is clearly at risk. We urgently ask you to exercise your power under the State Constitution and the Public Officers Law to remove District Attorney Alvin Bragg from office,” they added.

After the video of the assault went viral on social media, NYPD officers captured four individuals who were later released because Bragg did not seek bail. Following their release, the men gestured with their middle fingers at reporters stationed outside the police precinct.

Hochul herself rebuked Bragg’s decision, stating that the individuals should have been held in jail. She later implied that the accused individuals should have been deported. Even New York Attorney General Letitia James, not particularly known for her tough-on-crime stance, said the alleged crimes warranted bail.

“From the moment he took office, DA Bragg has thumbed his nose at crime victims, turned his back on the police and has selectively prosecuted criminals for political reasons only,” the Republican senators continued. “His incredibly poor judgment is matched only by his unwillingness to take criminals off the streets.”

The letter comes as New York City becomes embroiled in unprecedented illegal immigration that has overwhelmed the taxpayer-funded homeless shelter system. Over 172,000 illegal aliens currently reside in the city, New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared.

According to CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence analyst John Miller, many of the accused individuals in the incident had run-ins with law enforcement shortly after their unlawful arrival in the U.S. NewsNation Correspondent Ali Bradley reported that federal border authorities have identified at least eight individuals linked to the assault, with the majority hailing from Venezuela.

Rashida Tlaib’s Sister Leading Group to Draw Dem Primary Voters Away from Biden

Contributing Author
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Rashida Tlaib’s Sister Leading Group to Draw Dem Primary Voters Away from Biden

(Headline USA) The sister of “Squad” Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., launched a group that seeks to pull Democratic primary voters away from President Joe Biden over his continued support for Israel.

Layla Elabed, the campaign manager for the new group, Listen to Michigan, has been encouraging Michiganders to vote “uncommitted” in the state’s Democrat primary later this month, according to the New York Times.

The group argued Biden has not earned their support because of his refusal to condemn Israel’s military strikes on Hamas following the terrorist organization’s Oct. 7 attack.

Biden must “shift his policy to support a ceasefire at least,” she said, or put restrictions on aid to Israel.

“If we can demonstrate our political power and discontent through as many uncommitted votes as possible in the Michigan Democratic primaries, then the hope is that Biden would feel more at risk of losing Michigan in the general election,” she told the Times.

The group’s website says the Democratic primary is an opportunity for leftist voters to send Biden a “clear message” that “he can count us out.”

Tlaib has also distanced herself from the president over the past several months, warning his campaign that she has a “number of issues” with him and that she doesn’t know whether she will support his reelection bid.

“The struggle that I have with the president is a number of issues,” she said in December, adding that many of her Arab constituents “feel invisible” to the Biden administration.

“And that’s something I need to have a conversation with [Biden] about,” she said. “In Michigan, [Biden] was already fragile. But after Oct. 7, it seems to have gotten worse.”

Tlaib was censured by her congressional colleagues last year for calling for the “destruction of the state of Israel” and “promoting false narratives” about Hamas’s attack on the Jewish state.

U.S. Attorney Accused of Retaliating against Employee Who Joined Hunter Biden Probe

Contributing Author
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U.S. Attorney Accused of Retaliating against Employee Who Joined Hunter Biden Probe

(Headline USA) A Philadelphia U.S. Attorney with ties to the Biden family allegedly retaliated against a prosecutor in her office after he accepted a position to investigate Hunter Biden, according to the New York Post.

Jacqueline Romero, who was nominated to her post by President Joe Biden in the spring of 2022, allegedly told assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Hines that she did not approve of him joining what was then a pre-indictment criminal investigation into Hunter Biden’s finances.

According to sources familiar with the conversation, Romero explained that Beau Biden, Joe Biden’s late son, once worked in the office, and she claimed that Hunter Biden, Beau’s younger brother, was being unfairly targeted.

Hines agreed to join the Hunter Biden investigation anyway, leading Romero to terminate Hines’s access to their downtown office building. Even though Hines is still an employee of the Philadelphia U.S. Attorney’s Office, he now has to “go up and sign in like any other visitor,” one current employee said.

Through a spokesperson, Romero denied that she took issue with Hines’s role in the Hunter Biden investigation, though she did not address the allegations that his security clearance was revoked because of it.

“The representations about Hines’ detail are inaccurate. US Attorney Romero never discouraged Derek Hines from accepting the detail,” the spokesperson claimed.

“In fact, she did support, authorize, and sign off on his detail,” the spokesperson said. “Romero does not have a relationship with the Biden family and didn’t express any view on the merits of the Hunter Biden investigation.”

But one source said the situation was “absolutely symbolic of [Romero] being on a power trip and thinking she can get away with anything.”

In a statement, House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., vowed to look into whether Romero retaliated against Hines.

“The House Committees on Oversight and Accountability, Judiciary, and Ways and Means will continue to investigate the Department of Justice’s misconduct in the Hunter Biden criminal investigation and will hold bad actors accountable,” Comer said.

Biden Deflects Trump’s Debate Challenge: ‘He’s Got Nothing Else to Do’

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Biden Deflects Trump’s Debate Challenge: ‘He’s Got Nothing Else to Do’

(Headline USA) President Joe Biden dismissed former President Donald Trump’s request for an “immediate” debate, claiming the GOP candidate has “nothing else to do.”

Trump issued the challenge on Monday, arguing a debate between him and Biden, the two frontrunners for their parties’ nominations, would be “good” for the country.

When asked about whether he’d be willing to debate Trump during a campaign stop in Nevada, Biden replied, “Immediately? Well, if I were him, I’d want to debate me, too. He’s got nothing else to do.”

It is unclear whether Trump and Biden will face off in a national debate even if both men clinch their respective nominations. Biden has barely appeared on the campaign trail as it is, and Trump has slammed the organization responsible for the debates, the Commission on Presidential Debates, as “totally corrupt” and incompetent.

“They’re totally Democrat-leaning, that’s being nice when I use the word leaning,” Trump said in December. “They are totally corrupt, and they’re terrible.”

However, Trump said he’d still be willing to agree to the commission’s debates just to see if Biden would show up.

“I would do 20 debates even if it was organized by them. I’ll do as many debates as they want. I’d do a debate every night with this guy. But he’ll never show up to a debate,” Trump added.

Top Democrats have sought to lay cover for the 81-year-old president, who some speculate is in the throes of dementia, by suggesting that a debate with Trump would be to unduly normalize and legitimize him.

“I’ve been physically present at one of [Trump’s] debates with Hillary Clinton, and I watched him do outrageous things and say outrageous things,” claimed Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., according to The Hill. “It’s just an opportunity for him to display his extremism.”

The debate commission has so far scheduled three general election debates, with the first taking place on Sept. 16 at Texas State University. The second is scheduled for Oct. 1 at Virginia State University, and the third for Oct. 9 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

When asked if Biden would show up to the first debate, Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler told reporters, “To be honest with you, we haven’t had any real substantive conversations about that quite yet.”

There is mounting speculation that Democrats have no intention of running Biden at all. New York Post columnist Cindy Adams and former Fox New host Megyn Kelly have reported that Biden may reveal his plan to drop out of the race as early as next month.

MSNBC’s Interviews w/ Black S.C. Voters Ahead of Primaries Are Bad News for Biden

Contributing Author
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MSNBC’s Interviews w/ Black S.C. Voters Ahead of Primaries Are Bad News for Biden

(Headline USA) Democrats have often touted the importance of minority voters as their chief reason for having South Carolina be the first official state on the Democratic National Committee’s primary calendar. 

But it turns out that overreliance on minorities could spell serious trouble for the Biden campaign as Republican frontrunner Donald Trump continues to chip away at the longtime Democrat voting bloc.

MSNBC interviewed several black men in South Carolina as part of a focus group this week, only to discover that most of them planned to support Trump.

Trymaine Lee, a correspondent for the network, met with the voters at a barber shop in Charleston and asked why support for Trump had started to rise among their demographic.

Several quickly responded, “Money.”

One voter, Thomas Murray, explained that Trump, “in spite of all his craziness,” is someone he can “kind of agree with as far as business-wise because I’m trying to grow my business.”

President Joe Biden, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to “really care about business like that,” Murray added. “And my concern is having my business, so that I can build generational wealth, so my kids can see and have something to take upon when I’m not here.”

Another voter, Anthony Freeman, agreed that Trump “has a reputation of being the money man.”

Especially among younger black voters, Trump has more “appeal,” the voters admitted.

“A lot of my friends—we’ve only voted once, and Trump is kind of all we know, Trump and Biden,” said voter Kinard Givens.

“And they’re like, ‘Well, we were broke with Biden. We weren’t with Trump,'” Givens continued. “And that’s kind of the only thing that I’m hearing over and over again is that ‘with Trump, we had money.'”

Lee wrapped up the segment by telling MSNBC’s Katy Tur that the voters he talked to in South Carolina ended up in “three buckets”: “Those who are planning on voting for Joe Biden again even though they’re not excited, those who are considering voting for Donald Trump, and those who will sit out all together and take some sort of off ramp out of the process.”

Deep-Fake Scammers Steal $25M w/ Phony AI-Generated Conference Call

Jacob Bruns
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Deep-Fake Scammers Steal $25M w/ Phony AI-Generated Conference Call

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) A Hong Kong company lost the equivalent of over $25 million from a sophisticated scam using deep-fake technology, Ars Techinica reported.

The scammers digital replicated the voice of the company’s chief financial officer’s, along with those of other top level employees, during an online meeting. In it, they issued instructions for an employee to transfer the money 200 million Hong Kong dollars in a series of 15 transactions to five local bank accounts.

All participants in the video chat except the victim appeared to have been digitally created.

According to a police statement, the employee was initially skeptical of the order after receiving email instructions to transfer the money, but she was convinced after the video call that the order was real.

“Police received a report from a staff member of a company on 29 January that her company was deceived of some HK$200m after she received video conference calls from someone posing as senior officers of the company requesting to transfer money to designated bank accounts,” said the statement.

Hong Kong police have declined to release further details at this time, electing to withhold the names of both the victim and the company.

Baron Chan Shun-ching, the acting senior superintendent of Hong Kong’s Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau, noted that artificial intelligence was likely used to pull of the heist.

“[The fraudster] invited the informant [clerk] to a video conference that would have many participants,” Chan said, noting that AI likely served to make the voices of the company’s officials sound realistic.

“Because the people in the video conference looked like the real people, the informant … made 15 transactions as instructed,” Chan added. However, “… it turns out that everyone was fake.”

The prevalence and dangers of AI deep-fakes have been of increasing concern to political authorities in recent months.

From Satanists using AI to try to defame Hobby Lobby to the rise of deepfake “sextortion,” it appears that the new technology may make human life as it has been implausible.

Even music superstar Taylor Swift is not immune. Twitter went into lockdown on searches of Swift’s name last week after AI-generated pornographic images of the 34-year-old warbler began to circulate.

King Charles Diagnosed w/ Cancer

Jacob Bruns
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King Charles Diagnosed w/ Cancer

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) After undergoing recent prostate surgery, England’s King Charles III revealed doctors had discovered a treatable form of cancer, Breitbart reported.

Charles, 75, who ascended to the thrown a mere 16 months ago following the 70-year reign of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, will receive treatment in London as an outpatient for the unspecified form of cancer.

The king will be unable to perform his public duties, but he will still be able to engage in his normal administrative tasks.

A statement from Buckingham Palace suggested that the cancer was unrelated to his prostate exam.

“During [t]he [k]ing’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted,” it said. “Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.”

Reports indicate that he is at least “triple vaccinated” for COVID-19. His daughter-in-law, Princess Kate of Wales, who has also been in the hospital for a serious but yet-undisclosed ailment, is fully vaccinated as well.

After the testing, Charles began a treatment schedule that same day.

Throughout the time of his treatment, “he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” said the statement.

Thanks to the discovery and “swift intervention,” the king “remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible,” it said.

While the royals during Queen Elizabeth’s reign were often known for keeping their personal troubles under wraps, King Charles wanted to be more transparent, encouraging other men to get prostate exams by publicizing his own.

“His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer,” said the statement..

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wished the King “a full and speedy recovery” in a statement of his own.

“I know the whole country will be wishing him well,” he said.

The King’s youngest son, Prince Harry, who quit his royal duties in 2020 to live in California with his wife, Meghan Markle, was expected to fly to England to visit his father in the coming days.

Control of U.S. House Could Hinge on California’s GOP Districts

Wire Editor
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Control of U.S. House Could Hinge on California’s GOP Districts

(Headline USA) Heavily Democratic California might appear an unlikely national battleground, but a string of competitive U.S. House contests is again poised to play a crucial role in determining control of the chamber as Republicans look to maintain their razor-thin majority—without the organizational support of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

The state that was once home for Republican presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan has become so solidly blue that a GOP presidential candidate hasn’t won a general election in California since Reagan’s vice president, George H.W. Bush, did so in 1988.

Democrats hold every statewide office and dominate the Legislature, while Democratic voters outnumber registered Republicans by an overwhelming 2-to-1.

Yet, pockets of conservative strength remain, particularly in the Southern California suburbs and the Central Valley farm belt.

In their most recent round of redistricting, following the 2020 census, Democrats further sought to whittle away at any GOP advantages by dividing up some of the solid-red districts where influential lawmakers like former House Intelligence chair Devin Nunes had drawn steady support.

Yet, despite the gerrymandering, the Californa GOP candidates had a better-than-expected showing in the 2022 midterm election.

As in 2022, the most competitive contests are concentrated in Republican-held districts that were carried by Joe Biden in 2020—although genuinely competitive territory is diminishing nationally.

Leaders in both parties agree that the outcome in California could be the lever that determines who holds the gavel in 2025, after GOP wins in 2022 helped the party gain control. Currently, the House has 219 Republicans, 213 Democrats and three vacancies.

Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom is among those raising money to help his party retake the House. He’s warning of a “disastrous future” if former President Donald Trump wins the White House and Republicans take charge in the Senate, as is expected based on the current political map.

Under that scenario, Democrats must have the House to have any chance of blocking Trump’s agenda, Newsom warned.

If Democrats win four GOP-held districts in the state “we’re going to flip the House in November,” Newsom wrote in a recent fundraising pitch. “And each of them has a very good chance.”

With the state’s Democratic tilt, Republicans hold only 11 of the state’s 52 House seats. In all, about 10 districts appear to be in play statewide, and in some cases the primary election could end up resulting in rematches from two years ago. No incumbents appear in imminent peril.

Voting is about to start, with a Monday deadline for counties to mail ballots.

In the emerging fray, fear of the opposition animates the sales pitch. Democrats are warning about Trump’s possible return to Washington, threats to abortions and unchecked gun rights. Republicans fault the party that dominates state politics for high taxes, inflation, vexing crime rates and an out-of-control homeless crisis.

It’s unknown to what degree the presidential contest will trickle into House races. Turnout could be depressed if President Joe Biden and Trump appear assured of the nominations. Biden’s popularity has faded in the state and nationally, while Trump is widely loathed in California outside his loyal base.

Under California election rules, Democrats and Republicans appear on the same primary ballot and the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of political party.

THE SURVIVOR: A GOP CONGRESSMAN IN DEMOCRATIC LA COUNTY

Rep. Mike Garcia is the last Republican congressman anchored in heavily Democratic Los Angeles County. The once-conservative 27th District running through suburbs and high desert north of Los Angeles has become one of the country’s most competitive battlefields following the last round of redistricting.

The district has a 12-point Democratic registration edge, but over three elections Garcia has shown an uncanny ability to overcome the odds and confound rivals. It hasn’t been easy—Garcia was reelected in 2020 by 333 votes.

The former Navy fighter pilot and Trump supporter with a reliably conservative voting record was first elected running against California’s left-leaning government: “I don’t want my country to turn into what my state has become.”

Garcia’s military service—he flew over 30 combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom—would play well in a district that is home to defense industries and popular with veterans and Los Angeles police officers and firefighters.

The son of a Mexican immigrant father, his Hispanic surname is likely a benefit in a district with a significant Latino population. He also has displayed a keen ear for local issues, including concerns over crime and illegal marijuana cultivation.

The leading Democrat in the primary is George Whitesides, a former NASA chief of staff supported by the campaign arm of House Democrats. He’s been stressing the abortion issue and environmental protection, while labeling Garcia as out of step with the district.

A TOSS-UP DISTRICT THAT WAS ONCE THE HEART OF ‘REAGAN COUNTRY’

Orange County’s 47th District runs along the California coast southeast of Los Angeles and was once the heart of “Reagan Country,” a region long synonymous with conservative politics and known for its ties to the former president.

However, the county that was once largely white and Republican has grown demographically diverse and increasingly Democratic, and the seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, a U.S. Senate candidate, is up for grabs.

Republicans consider it a top target.

Former legislator Scott Baugh, who narrowly lost to Porter in 2022, is the leading Republican, while two Democrats are dueling to get on the November ballot: state Sen. David Min and Joanna Weiss, who founded an organization that promotes progressive candidates.

A STRONGLY DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT THAT VOTES REPUBLICAN

The Central Valley farm belt is a political conundrum. Districts in the sprawling region sometimes called America’s salad bowl typically have significant Democratic registration edges, but those seats are often held by Republicans.

A case in point is Rep. David Valadao, a Republican who has endured despite facing steep registration deficits. Democrats hold a 16-point advantage in his 22nd District. He held his seat from 2013 until January 2019, lost it for a term, then won it back in a 2020 rematch with Democrat T.J. Cox.

He might be headed toward a rematch in November with Rudy Salas, the Democrat he defeated in 2022 ,who is backed by the campaign arm of House Democrats.

Valadao has stressed an independent streak, while spotlighting his efforts to secure more water for farmers, a perennial issue in the Central Valley. Salas has depicted Valadao as a Trump acolyte masquerading as a centrist.

Both Salas and Valadao are facing rivals from within their own party on the primary ballot. Republican rancher Chris Mathys is looking to surprise Valadao, and state Sen. Melissa Hurtado is competing for Democratic votes with Salas.

ROUND TWO IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY

Republican John Duarte defeated Democrat Adam Gray in 2022 in what was then a new House district in the Central Valley. He won by only 564 votes, the closest congressional contest in the state that year.

They are the only candidates on the March 5 primary election ballot, setting up a rematch in the 13th District, which has a prominent Democratic tilt and a large Latino population. But the most likely voters tend to be white, older, more affluent homeowners, as is the case statewide.

Gray, who is backed by the campaign arm of House Democrats, argues that his party can’t reclaim the House majority without winning his district.

ANOTHER POTENTIAL REMATCH EAST OF LOS ANGELES

Rep. Ken Calvert, the longest-serving Republican in the California congressional delegation, held off Democrat Will Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, in a district east of Los Angeles by about 5 points in 2022. That district, the 41st, is about equally divided between Republicans and Democrats.

This year could see a rematch.

Calvert brings the advantages of incumbency, but his conservative credentials and support from Trump could be liabilities in a district that includes many transplanted Los Angeles residents—and the city of Palm Springs, which has a large concentration of LGBT voters. Rollins is gay.

Rollins, who is backed by the campaign arm of House Democrats, says it’s time for new leadership and has depicted Calvert as an extremist.

SOUTH KOREAN IMMIGRANT SEEKS ANOTHER TERM IN ASIAN-HEAVY DISTRICT 

Republican Rep. Michelle Steel, a South Korean immigrant, is looking for another term in a Southern California district specifically drawn to give Asian Americans a stronger voice on Capitol Hill.

Asian Americans make up the largest group in the 45th District, anchored in Orange County. Democrats hold a modest registration edge.

Steel first won the seat in 2020, then prevailed in 2022 with a 5-point win in the district, which includes the nation’s largest Vietnamese community.

Four Democrats are competing this year, including Kim Nguyen–Penaloza, the daughter of a Vietnamese refugee father and a Mexican immigrant mother who was endorsed by the state Democratic Party; and lawyer and labor activist Derek Tran, the son of Vietnamese refugees.

In Congress, Steel has been outspoken in resistance to tax increases, says she stands strongly with Israel in its war with Hamas and sponsored a bill that would expand oversight related to foreign money in higher education, which passed the House last year.

The race will be watched nationally for hints about the preferences of Asian–American voters.

DEMOCRAT DEFENDS COASTAL DISTRICT WITH STRONG MILITARY TIES

Four Republicans are on the ballot in the 49th District running through Orange and San Diego counties, where Democratic Rep. Mike Levin is looking for another term.

Coastal California typically leans Democratic, but the race is seen as competitive. In 2022, Levin got a late-hour visit from Biden in hopes of boosting his chances and notched a 5-point win.

In Congress, Levin has focused on veterans affairs, as well as climate change and the environment, in a district that straddles Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

Key issues in the race have included immigration, housing and inflation.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

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