Free Republic

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) suggested Friday that open Senate seats in Michigan and Minnesota could serve as potential pickup opportunities for Republicans in 2026. “I think they are,” Thune said during an interview on Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom,” when asked if both states served as possible pickups for the GOP. “I mean, those are open seats. Minnesota is arguably slightly harder than Michigan,” he continued. “Both are our states that we haven’t elected a Republican senator to from — in a long time. But I think that these are different times and people are looking for change in...

Control of the House has yet to be determined, as a number of critical races remain too close to call, leaving lawmakers — and voters — waiting to see which party will hold the majority next year. The sprint to 218 seats, however, is nearing the final stretch, after a handful of additional races were called in the days following election night. Republicans had secured 216 seats in the lower chamber as of Friday evening, with Democrats trailing at 208 seats, according to Decision Desk HQ. A total of 11 races have not yet been called: Democrats are leading in...

Republicans have taken the lead in two of the most consequential U.S. House races in the country, which will have large roles in deciding which party takes control of the 119th House of Representatives. An internal poll for California Republican Scott Baugh, conducted by WPA Intelligence October 17-18, finds him leading Democrat Dave Min in California’s 47th Congressional District, a seat currently occupied by Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA). Baugh has 43 percent support to Min’s 40 percent, with an advantage among independent voters, Hispanic voters, and white voters. Min has slid five points since a September WPA Intelligence poll, while...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rise in the polls continues, with his Likud Party reaching the key threshold of 30 seats (out of 120) in a new poll by Israel’s center-right Channel 14. The poll, published Thursday, is the first poll since the Hamas terror attack of October 7 and the war that has followed to show the Likud Party at or above 30 seats — near the 32 seats it won in the November 2022 election, when it led a right-wing bloc to victory. The two major opposition parties continued to fall behind, as did their leaders. Netanyahu was...

A London bus passenger was stabbed by a fellow commuter after asking his assailant to take his feet off the seats, the latest in a week of knife attacks in the capital. The victim, who was in his 50s, was attacked on a bus in Croydon, south London, the Daily Telegraph reports. Detectives have issued a picture of a suspect they want to speak about the incident. The attack took place at around 3am on June 4 after the suspect boarded and put his feet up on the seats. The victim confronted him and an argument followed. Khan’s London: 43...

The French election results showed that the “alliance of dishonour” between President Emmanuel Macron and the far left effectively blocked the populist National Rally from gaining a majority despite the Le Pen party having won the most votes. According to the French Interior Ministry, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) won the most votes of any party during Sunday’s second round of the snap legislative elections at over 8.7 million, good for 32.05 per cent of the vote. When combined with their electoral alliance partners from disputed Les Républicains president Eric Ciotti, who earned nearly 1.4 million, good for 5...

Reclining seats are one of the most controversial airline amenities. For some, it's a necessity for getting comfortable on long flights. But for others, it's a source of broken laptops, spilled drinks, and mid-flight arguments. No matter which camp you fall into, it's no secret that personal space in economy has slowly, but surely, eroded over the years. And as airlines release new seat designs, some travelers fear When Southwest Airlines recently debuted its new cabins rolling out on planes in 2025, travelers were quick to take to social media complaining about the seemingly thin design. The airline has since...

Given that 2030 is still several years away, there's a big "if" here when it comes to if such trends continue. But, if they do in fact continue, bright blue states like New York, California, and Illinois all could lose congressional seats following the 2030 census. The Hill recently covered such a trend, citing analysis from the Brennan Center For Justice. Should such trends continue, California would lose four of its 52 congressional districts, which would lose seats for only the second time. The Golden State, the most populous state in the country, lost a seat following the 2020 census....

Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) decision to retire has made the Senate landscape in 2024 even more complicated for Democrats. The party was already facing an uphill slog to hold on to its Senate majority, as it prepared to protect seats in West Virginia, Montana and Ohio — three states where the GOP nominee for president will be heavily favored. Manchin’s name on the ballot suggested a competitive race. Without him, the Senate seat seems wrapped for the GOP as a gift. Losing the state would leave no room for another loss for Democrats if they hope to keep their majority,...

A plus-size influencer who previously demanded airlines comp larger passengers for extra seats is now asking hotels around the world to make a number of changes to better accommodate overweight guests — including by making the hallways wider. In a video posted to her TikTok last month, Jaelynn Chaney listed several ways hotels can create “size-inclusive” amenities. She said she is “on a mission to revolutionize the travel industry, and make it a more accessible, accepting, accommodating place for all,” adding: “The needs of plus-sized travelers matter just as much as anybody else.” “We deserve an environment that respects our...

Democrat-run California could lose five congressional districts in 2030 due to population loss. Tee hee. This news comes from Decision Desk HQ, which looked at the data and concluded, “If current trends continue, the state could lose as many as five congressional districts in the 2030 reapportionment cycle.” Now you know one of the many reasons Democrats are flooding America with illegals and want to make them citizens.

With last minute bookings, confusing websites and the general chaos of flying it's easy for fellow travellers to get split up when they board the plane. For most this can give a relaxing few hours of alone time before or after the holiday but for parents with young children it's a little more tricky. Someone with a young child might be nervous about leaving them on the other side of a busy plane, worried about what they might get up to. That's why often parents might ask someone to move so they can sit with their children. post read: "Had...

The 2024 battle for the Senate started with a bang earlier this year and has not let up, as candidates in top races continue to roll out their campaigns and incumbents scratch and claw to win reelection. Their efforts will determine who will control the upper chamber for the next two years. Democrats are trying to play defense in a number of red-leaning states to hold on to their one-seat majority, while Republicans fight recruiting battles in several states to give them the best shot at winning a majority.

House Democrats have identified 31 Republican-held districts and two open Democratic-held districts as critical battlegrounds to reclaiming the House majority in next year’s elections. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) released its list of “Districts In Play” Monday, detailing its strategy ahead of 2024. The list follows the DCCC in March naming 29 incumbent House Democrats as vulnerable for defeat. Previewing House Democrats’ 2024 messaging, DCCC Chairwoman Rep. Suzan DelBene (Wash.) said in a press release that the districts’ Republican incumbents “worked hand in hand with Speaker McCarthy to enable the most dangerous wings of their party to threaten our...

Democratic consultant and political commentator James Carville said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that former President Donald Trump was the reason Democrats did not lose up to 57 seats in the House of Representatives. Co-host Joe Scarborough asked, “But James, you know, this is just the ebb and flow of politics. Bill Clinton wins big in ’92. Idiots like me get elected in ’94. Obama wins massively in ’08. The Tea Party wins in ’10. Could you explain to people who don’t know politics as well as you how historic last night was?” Carville said, “I’m going try. If you...

Former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean claimed Wednesday on MSNBC’s “The Beat” that the Democrats will increase their majorities in both the U.S Senate and House in Tuesday’s midterm election. At a campaign rally, former President Barack Obama said, “If they just ignore or make light of that kind of violence, or if they encourage their supporters to stand outside voting places armed with guns and dressed in tactical gear if that is the environment we create, more people are going to get hurt.”

Representative Sean Maloney (D-NY), the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that the Democratic Party will keep their majorities in the House of Representatives in the midterm elections. Anchor Jonathan Karl asked, “So you’ve been pretty optimistic all along. You still feeling good about your chances in the House?” Maloney said, “Oh, look, you guys have been writing us off for two years, and we just went to work fixing people’s problems, helping our veterans with healthcare, capping seniors’ out-of-pocket costs in Medicare, taking on big drug companies, passing gun safety legislation, you...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was ridiculed Wednesday for announcing House Democrats will pick up House seats and retain the majority, a projection that may prove itself to be overconfident. “Yes, indeed,” Pelosi told by Punchbowl News when asked if Democrats will win seats in November. “So we’re ready. Mobilizing on the ground … messaging, raising the money. But the biggest factor of all is not only do we believe, the candidates believe. So for a year, 10 months, eight months, terrific people had put themselves out there believing they could win in those districts.”

Democrats are fighting tooth and nail to hold on to their ultra-narrow Senate majority this year in a midterm election cycle that has several of the party’s most vulnerable incumbents facing voters amid rising inflation and surging gas prices. Republicans need to net just one new seat this year to reclaim control of the upper chamber. Still, Democrats are more optimistic about their chances of holding their Senate majority than they are their House majority and are eyeing several opportunities to flip GOP-held seats.

Boris Johnson’s ruling Conservative Party is set to lose over 500 seats in Britain’s upcoming local elections, if polling is to be believed. Cataclysm appears to be on the cards for Boris Johnson’s ruling Conservative Party, with a survey finding that the scandal-prone government looks set to hand over a seat advantage to its leftist rival Labour Party the likes of which has not been seen in decades.