Free Republic

The House Appropriations Committee chairman was knocked out of his legislative seat Tuesday in a Republican runoff that saw more than $1 million in campaign contributions. Challenger Gene Shaw defeated five-time incumbent Kevin Wallace, winning 54% of the vote in the House District 32 election. Most of the $1 million raised for the runoff election in House District 32 went to Wallace, the House Appropriations and Budget Committee chairman from Wellston. The $780,000 Wallace raised came from other House Republicans plus three senators and the Senate Republicans PAC, as well as Attorney General Gentner Drummond, former Attorney General Mike Hunter...

According to King County Elections, about 38.5% of voters eligible to participate in the potential recall of the District 3 council member had already cast ballots as of a midday count Monday. Only those registered in District 3 are eligible to vote. On Friday, Kendall Hodson, King County Elections chief of staff, said the office was projecting roughly a 50% turnout by the ballot return deadline of 8 p.m. Tuesday. Projections for this election — a December election in an off year and the first recall election of a Seattle City Council member — lack historical precedent. Sawant, who was...

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to support the Trump administration’s lawsuit against California over laws that the state passed last year to limit its role in immigration enforcement. The county will file an amicus brief at the first available opportunity, likely on appeal, said Kristin Gaspar, supervisor for District 3 and chairwoman of the board. “We’re talking about people who are crossing the border illegally, coming into this county and committing a crime and them being let loose probably to commit another crime,” said Dianne Jacobs, supervisor for District 2. “That creates a public safety issue...

New York Rep. Steve Israel said Sunday a significant part of the Republican Party is “animated by racism,” marking the third time in recent days that a leading Democrat has appeared to make race an issue and draw a sharp response from Republicans. Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, whose major role is the get his House members re-elected, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that not all of his Republican colleagues are racist. “Not all of them, of course not,” he said. “But to a significant extent, the Republican base does have elements that are animated by...