John Thune snags another endorsement in competitive GOP leader race to succeed McConnell
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., will be voting for Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., in the first secret ballot on Wednesday morning during the leadership elections. “I told both Rick Scott and John Cornyn today that I’ll be casting my first vote for John Thune,” the North Dakota senator said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. Thune is competing against Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as Republican leader in the upper chamber. McConnell is the longest-serving party leader in Senate history. “Thune has never lied to me,” Cramer said of the leader candidate. “I can’t say that of everybody.” Despite this comment, he maintained he has no “enemies” within the conference, which he said is a “good group.” TRUMP ALLIES BACK RICK SCOTT IN GOP SENATE LEADER RACE AS THEY LOOK TO INFLUENCE SECRET BALLOT He said making an endorsement was “the way to do it,” in his opinion. “There’s 53 of us. We all sought these positions of influence and, you know, appearing neutral seems sort of cowardice, if you will.” As his reasoning for supporting Thune, the senator explained their long history, both coming from a Dakota. “I’ve known John Thune since we were children, basically,” he said, referencing the 1990 election cycle in both North and South Dakota when they were Republican Party directors. SCHUMER WON’T ALLOW DAVE MCCORMICK AT SENATE ORIENTATION, CITING OUTSTANDING PA BALLOTS “All four of us from the Dakotas, of course, are supporting him,” he added. Thune and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., are publicly backing the former, but Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., hasn’t made a public endorsement. Hoeven’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. “I mean, John and I have a long personal relationship. He’s a good friend. He is from the neighborhood,” Cramer said. According to the North Dakota Republican, he thinks the leader race will need to go to a second secret ballot, as one candidate must reach 27 votes in order to win. SENATE LEADER CONTENDER JOHN THUNE RESPONDS TO NEW TRUMP LITMUS TEST AHEAD OF ELECTION As for the high-profile endorsements of Scott coming from external figures frequently aligned with President-Elect Donald Trump, Cramer said, “Everybody has an opinion. I mean, I have people in my own party in North Dakota that would like me to do one thing or another.” But, he stressed that the Republican conference as a whole is in line with Trump. “I endorsed Donald Trump and Donald Trump endorsed me,” the senator said. “[W]hen it comes to the—literally the issue of governing, we’re all on the same team. The Republican majority in the Senate to a T is in sync with Donald Trump’s agenda.” CORNYN TOUTS LIFETIME FUNDRAISING PROWESS FOR GOP IN FINAL CASE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL Trump notably has not endorsed a leader candidate, despite the pressure coming from those in his orbit, such as billionaire X owner Elon Musk. Thune has also been endorsed by Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. Cornyn was recently backed by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Scott is being supported by Sens. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
Fox News Politics: Transition Mission
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -What to know about Trump’s pick to oversee deportations -House majority hinges on 18 uncalled races, with Republicans just 4 seats away -Stefanik to reportedly meet Israeli president after Trump names her next UN ambassador –Pennsylvania Republicans win first State Senate seat in Philadelphia in nearly 3 decades Thomas Homan, who President-elect Donald Trump appointed as “border czar” on Sunday night, has a clear message for any Democratic governors who oppose the planned mass deportation operation. “If they’re not willing to help, then get the hell out of the way because [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] is going to do their job,” Homan, who was acting ICE director during the first Trump administration, told Fox News Digital in an interview on Friday. Trump announced on Sunday that Homan will be appointed “border czar” and would be in charge of the borders and “all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their country of origin” in the new administration…Read more END THE ED: State education chief ‘on GOP radar’ launches gameplan for nixing cabinet department…Read more ‘ADMINISTRATION’S PATTERN’: State Department provides promotional advantages based on gender, report finds…Read more NEW LEADERSHIP: Trump taps former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin to lead EPA…Read more MILLER TIME: Vance congratulates Miller on new Trump administration position…Read more ‘HE WILL DELIVER’: Trump to install ‘energy czar’ to dismantle Biden climate rules: report…Read more COME TOGETHER: Biden, Harris to appear together for first time since Election Day at Veterans Day ceremony…Read more STICKING WITH SENATE: Eric Schmitt withdraws from Trump attorney general consideration to remain in Senate…Read more ‘MORALLY BANKRUPT’: What Stefanik’s House tenure reveals about what type of UN ambassador she may be…Read more RACE IS ON: Trump allies back Rick Scott in GOP Senate leader race as they look to influence secret ballot…Read more PERSONAL ‘ESCORT’: GOP senator offers to ‘personally escort’ McCormick to Senate orientation after Schumer hold…Read more DON’T GO THERE: Joe Rogan reveals Harris team wanted ‘restrictions’ on potential interview…Read more FIRST PEEK AT 2028: Here are the Democrats who may eventually run for president in 2028…Read more ‘AFRAID OF FIGHTS’: Blue state Democrats issue scathing reflection on election loss: ‘We’re out of touch’…Read more CONFERENCE CHAIR: Rep Lisa McClain announces run for GOP conference chair after Stefanik tapped for UN ambassador…Read more ‘THROUGH THE ROOF’: Border Patrol agents’ morale soars after Trump’s re-election…Read more ‘DISGUSTING’: Pro-Palestine protesters plan anti-Veterans Day gathering at Columbia University…Read more FIGHTING ‘HATE AND LIES’: Israeli official praises Stefanik as UN pick, says her ‘moral clarity’ will combat body’s ‘hate and lies’…Read more TAIWAN: Would the US defend Taiwan under Trump if China invades? Fox News investigates…Read more FLYING HAZARDS: Spirit Airlines flight from Florida hit by gunfire while trying to land in Haiti…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Kevin Costner defends Liz Cheney: ‘We should applaud her. We should protect her.’
Actor Kevin Costner on Monday defended Liz Cheney, saying the former Republican congresswoman from Wyoming should be applauded for her public service. “I expect people in government to do the right thing. Public service is about public service. It’s not about your career. It’s not about your ego. Your four years is your four years,” the former “Yellowstone” star said during a live, town-hall edition of “The Michael Smerconish Program” on SiriusXM. LIZ CHENEY BLASTS TRUMP AS ‘DEPRAVED,’ ‘UNSTABLE,’ CLAIMS PRO-LIFE AND PRO-CHOICE WOMEN RALLYING BEHIND HARRIS Cheney came under fire from President-elect Trump in the days before his Election Day victory. She denounced his remarks in which he called her a “war hawk” from the comfort of Washington, D.C. “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK,” Trump said. “Let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face.” Cheney has been one of Trump’s biggest critics and campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris. She criticized Trump after many of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. TRUMP LAMBASTES LIZ CHENEY AS ‘CRAZED WARHAWK’ AS SHE CAMPAIGNS FOR KAMALA HARRIS Costner endorsed Cheney ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. That year, Cheney shared a photo of the actor wearing a T-shirt saying, “I’m for Liz Cheney.” “I’m very proud of Liz Cheney,” Costner said. “I found a person completely at odds with one side willing to stand up. We should applaud her. We should protect her.” “This woman should never be threatened,” he added. Cheney lost her re-election bid to Rep. Harriett Hageman, who was backed by Trump, in the GOP primary.
Trump taps former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin to lead EPA
Former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin has been picked to join President-elect Trump’s administration as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator. Trump confirmed the news in a statement Monday afternoon, writing in part: “Lee, with a very strong legal background, has been a true fighter for America First policies. He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet. He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.” Trump said Zeldin has “brilliantly” handled some “extremely difficult and complex situations.” He said he is sure Zeldin will “quickly prove to be a great contributor!” FORMER NY CONGRESSMAN LAYS OUT DEMS’ YEARS-LONG ESCALATING RHETORIC AHEAD OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT The New York Post was first to report on Trump picking Zeldin to lead the EPA. “It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator,” Zeldin wrote on X. “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”
What to know about Thomas Homan, Trump’s incoming ‘border czar’
President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday announced that former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Thomas Homan will be his “border czar” in the new administration. Who is Homan, and what is he likely to do? “I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders. Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job,” Trump said on Truth Social on Sunday. Homan is a former New York state police officer and former Border Patrol agent. He was tapped by the Obama administration to lead ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and was given an award for his efforts in deporting illegal immigrants. TRUMP’S ‘BORDER CZAR’ WARNS DEM GOVS REJECTING TRUMP DEPORTATION PLAN: ‘GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY’ In a 2016 profile, the Washington Post said of Homan, “Thomas Homan deports people. And he’s really good at it.” But Homan said that was a badge of honor, and he had that story framed in his office. When Trump was elected in 2016, he named Homan the acting director of the entire agency, and Homan became one of the main faces of the first Trump administration in its first years and a fierce advocate for broader deportations. President-elect Trump has promised to launch a “historic” mass deportation campaign in his second term. His involvement in the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, which involved the separation of minors from accompanying adults, made him a lightning rod for controversy for Democrats, some of whom sought to abolish the agency entirely. Homan repeatedly clashed with top Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., at House hearings, clashes that went viral and are still regularly shared on social media platforms today. In his clash with Ocasio-Cortez, Homan defended the separation of families. “If I get arrested for DUI and I have a young child in the car, I’m going to be separated,” he said. “Mr. Homan, with all due respect, legal asylees are not charged with any crime,” AOC said. ‘LIBERATION DAY’: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ON BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION Homan shot back, “When you enter the country illegally, it’s violation 8 United States code 1325. … If you want to seek asylum, go through the port of entry, do it the legal way.” Jayapal, in a clash with Homan at a Judiciary subcommittee hearing in 2019, resorted to banging her gavel when he wouldn’t back down when his time expired. “I’m a taxpayer, you work for me,” Homan told Jayapal. In interviews, Homan has been similarly blunt and has a reputation for answering clearly and directly to questions posed to him. When asked in a 60 Minutes interview last month how family deportations could occur without family separation, Homan replied, “Families can be deported together.” On Friday, days before he was announced as border czar, Homan spoke to Fox News Digital about what mass deportations would look like, downplaying some of what he saw as overheated rhetoric from the left. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “It’s not going to be a massive sweep of neighborhoods, it’s not going to be massive raids. It’s going to be a targeted enforcement operation,” he said, promising that national security and public safety threats would be targeted first. However, he warned that it does not mean anyone is off the table: “If you’re in a country illegally, you’ve got a problem.” He also had a warning to states that have promised to resist any deportation efforts. “We have a mandate. I think the American people just gave President Trump a mandate. That’s why he’s elected, to secure the border, save lives and deport people, especially national security threats and public safety threats. So if you’re not going to help us, step aside, but don’t get in our way, because there will be consequences.”
Stefanik to reportedly meet Israeli president after Trump names her next UN ambassador
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will reportedly meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog when he visits the nation’s capital on Tuesday after President-elect Donald Trump named the House Republican Conference chair to be his next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Herzog is expected to meet with multiple high-profile lawmakers in D.C. Tuesday, including President Biden, Sen. Lindsey Graham and Stefanik, his office told The Times of Israel. The meeting with Stefanik comes shortly after Trump said she would be his next ambassador to the United Nations. On Monday, Trump confirmed reports that he would be nominating the GOP conference chairwoman to be his next UN ambassador, noting how she “is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.” WHAT STEFANIK’S HOUSE TENURE REVEALS ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF UN AMBASSADOR SHE MAY BE Stefanik, the top Republican in the House of Representatives, is also a firm supporter of Israel and has been a leading voice challenging the rising tide of antisemitism on college campuses following the tragic Hamas massacre of innocent Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. Stefanik, for example, made headlines last year after pressing the presidents of three of the nation’s most prestigious colleges to share whether they thought “calling for the genocide of Jews” was against their codes of conduct. Eventually, pressure from Stefanik and other GOP leaders resulted in the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania to resign. “The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak US leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries,” Stefanik said in a statement to the New York Post after news broke she had been tapped for the UN ambassadorship. STEFANIK SPARS WITH HEAD OF TOP SCHOOL OVER FAILING GRADE ON ANTISEMITISM, STUNNING WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIM Stefanik will be the first major policymaker to meet with Herzog on Tuesday, with their meeting scheduled at 9:00 a.m. EST, The Times of Israel reported. Herzog will then reportedly meet with Graham and Biden afterward. A spokesperson for Graham told Fox News Digital that their meeting was “not yet confirmed” but that they were working out scheduling. Herzog’s visit to the U.S. comes amid the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly, held Sunday through Tuesday in the nation’s capital, during which Herzog will be a keynote speaker. Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Stefanik and Herzog but did not hear back prior to publication time.
Blue state Democrats issue scathing reflection on election loss: ‘We’re out of touch’
Two blue state Democrats in Congress issued blistering assessments of where their party stands after Tuesday night’s overwhelming election defeat and offered suggestions about changes that Democrats need to make. “That was a cataclysm,” Connecticut Sen. Chis Murphy posted on X. “Electoral map wipeout. Senate D practical ceiling is now 52 seats. R’s is 62.” “Time to rebuild the left,” Murphy wrote. “We are out of touch with the crisis of meaning/purpose fueling MAGA. We refuse to pick big fights. Our tent is too small.” In a lengthy X thread that had more than 7 million views on Monday morning, Murphy said Democrats “don’t listen enough; we tell people what’s good for them” and skip “past the way people are feeling (alone, impotent, overwhelmed) and straight to uninspiring solutions (more roads! bulk drug purchasing!) that do little to actually upset the status quo of who has power and who doesn’t.” HARRIS PAID OPRAH $1 MILLION IN FAILED BID TO HELP CAMPAIGN: REPORT Murphy acknowledged a disconnect between everyday working class voters and the “elites” and suggested the party needs to more openly embrace candidates who reject the status quo. “And when progressives like Bernie aggressively go after the elites that hold people down, they are shunned as dangerous populists,” Murphy wrote. “Why? Maybe because true economic populism is bad for our high-income base.” “We cannot be afraid of fights – especially with the economic elites who have profited off neoliberalism. The right regularly picks fights with elites – Hollywood, higher ed, etc. Democrats (e.g. the Harris campaign) are tepid in our fights with billionaires and corporations.” MARK CUBAN, MAVERICKS MINORITY OWNER AND HARRIS SURROGATE, TAKES HEAT FOR DELETING SUPPORTIVE POSTS OF VP Murphy told his followers that “real economic populism should be our tentpole.” “Those are hard things for the left,” Murphy wrote in the final post of the thread. “A firm break with neoliberalism. Listen to poor and rural people, men in crisis. Don’t decide for them. Pick fights. Embrace populism. Build a big tent. Be less judgmental. But we are beyond small fixes.” New York Democrat Rep. Pat Ryan, who won re-election in New York’s 18th Congressional District despite the red wave that swept across most of the country, also put forward a post-mortem on social media that was seen by millions of users. “First and foremost, if you’re using the words ‘moderate’ or ‘progressive’ you’re missing the whole f***ing point,” Ryan wrote on X. “It’s not ideological. It’s about who fights for the people vs. who further empowers and enables the elites.” Ryan explained his take on why he was able to win as a Democrat in a pro-Republican climate and said he “put affordability front and center every day.” “Most importantly, I told folks exactly who it was that was ripping them off, and I grounded it locally. It’s the billionaires and big corporations making record-breaking profits while the rest of us struggle.” Ryan wrote, “It’s not enough to throw these seemingly disparate policies at people. We must articulate a unifying principle, and clearly tell folks who’s at fault. For me, it was Freedom. and Patriotism. And the fault lies with the same elites, in both parties, who’ve run this country for far too long.” Various camps within the Democratic Party have been pointing fingers at each other Democrat presidential candidate Vice President Harris’ loss to President-elect Donald Trump last week. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders pinned blame for the loss on the Democratic Party for “abandoning” the working class, sparking a rebuke from former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change,” Sanders posted to X last week, accompanied by a press release on the election results. “And they’re right.” Pelosi responded that the party has not left the working class behind in favor of kowtowing to “big-money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party,” as Sanders had argued in his press release. “With all due respect, and I have a great deal of respect for him [Sanders], for what he stands for, but I don’t respect him saying that the Democratic Party has abandoned the working-class families. That’s where we are,” Pelosi told the New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast on Saturday. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Israeli official praises Stefanik as UN pick, says her ‘moral clarity’ will combat body’s ‘hate and lies’
The “moral clarity” that Rep. Elise Stefanik is bringing into her new role as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations will help fight the organization’s “hate and lies,” Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. said Monday. The appointment of the New York Republican by President-elect Donald Trump is one of the first personnel moves announced in the early days of his transition period. “Congratulations Rep. Elise Stefanik on your nomination as the next U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.,” Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon wrote on X. “At a time when hate and lies fill the halls of the U.N., your unwavering moral clarity is needed more than ever.” Danon is looking forward to “working closely with Elise Stefanik on tackling malicious lies at the U.N. advanced by hostile nations while staying unswervingly committed to truth and justice,” Jonathan Harounoff, Israel’s U.N. spokesperson, told Fox News Digital. TRUMP NAMES STEFANIK UN AMBASSADOR Trump said in an earlier statement to the New York Post — which was the first to report on Stefanik’s nomination — that “Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.” Stefanik is currently the chairwoman of the House Republican Conference and is the fourth-highest ranking House Republican. VETERANS DAY SUPPORTERS COMBAT IVY LEAGUE PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATING AGAINST ‘ISRAEL-US WAR MACHINE’ She was elected to her sixth term in the House last week and previously has made national headlines for grilling the presidents of Ivy League universities about the rising antisemitism on college campuses in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel. “I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” Stefanik told the New York Post. “During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate. President Trump’s historic landslide election has given hope to the American people and is a reminder that brighter days are ahead – both at home and abroad.”
Swing state rep announces run for GOP conference chair after Stefanik tapped for UN ambassador
Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., is running to lead the Republican conference in the next congress, officially announcing after the current chair was tapped for a top Trump administration role. “The modern Republican Party personifies my home state of Michigan and delivered Republicans the White House, Senate, and House majority,” McClain said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital. “From my humble beginnings working on a horse farm to building a company with billions of assets under management, our modern Republican Party needs someone who has lived the American dream and can effectively communicate President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda with the American people. That’s why today, I announce my candidacy to lead the House Republican Conference as Chairwoman.” The announcement comes just hours after President-elect Trump nominated the current chair, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to be ambassador to the United Nations in his upcoming administration. “It’s been an honor to serve our Conference as Secretary for the past two years alongside Chairwoman Stefanik. Elise has done a tremendous job during her tenure, and I fully intend to build upon the successes she has brought to our Conference as we work with President Trump to Make America Great Again,” McClain added. TRUMP NAMES STEFANIK UN AMBASSADOR The conference chair, the fourth-ranking position in the chamber, will preside over conference meetings and day-to-day operations for Republican members of the House. HOUSE MAJORITY HINGES ON 18 UNCALLED RACES, WITH REPUBLICANS JUST 4 SEATS AWAY With Stefanik, who has held the position since replacing former Rep. Liz Cheney in 2021, stepping into the Trump administration, a race for the chair position remains wide open. Also reportedly running for the position is Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., and Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind. In a Dear Colleague letter, shared first with Fox News Digital on Monday, McClain made her case for the position. “First, I am the right person to effectively communicate our policies to the American people, and defend the Conference from the expected onslaught of attacks that will come our way,” she wrote. McClain also noted her ability to maintain her seat in a blue state. “Second, I hail from a blue state, one of the most critical battlegrounds for the presidency and our House majority. I understand what it takes to win tough races. As a proud surrogate for President Trump, I helped deliver Macomb County, a political bellwether, by directly appealing to and earning the trust of a large and diverse coalition of voters,” McClain wrote to her colleagues. “It is precisely this approach that we will need the next two years to ensure we retain and even grow our Conference, as we did for our great teammates.”
GOP wins first Philadelphia state Senate seat in 28 years, as red gains in blue areas continue
Neither President-elect Donald Trump nor Sen.-elect David McCormick came close to winning Philadelphia County in Tuesday’s election, but the GOP still notched a historic win in the blue bastion, mirroring Republicans’ overperformance nationwide. In northeast Philadelphia, the most moderate area of the liberal city, Joe Picozzi defeated Democratic state Sen. Jimmy Dillon 50.5% to 49.5% in the 5th district. The win signaled the Republicans’ first at the state Senate level citywide in nearly 30 years. Of the seven state Senate districts in Philadelphia, the 5th was also the most recent to go red, with former state Sen. Frank Salvatore’s last re-election in 1996. Salvatore was defeated in 2000 by future Lt. Gov. Mike Stack. The longest dearth is in Democratic state Sen. Vincent Hughes’ seat in northwest Philadelphia, which has not hosted a Republican since state Sen. Augustus F. Daix Jr. in 1932. Picozzi, of Tacony, is the son of a Philadelphia firefighter and was previously a member of the Philadelphia Youth Commission. He was considered a political newcomer and was backed by state Republicans but reportedly not the PhillyGOP. PHILLY STAKES: TRUMP APPEARS TO OVERPERFORM IN SURPRISING PENNSYLVANIAN PLACES The Penn Capital-Star and other outlets reported as much, while the state Senate’s GOP campaign arm and state Senate leader Kim Ward offered their full support. In a Facebook post after Picozzi’s win, the PhillyGOP “applauded [him] for his relentless work to defeat an incumbent and well entrenched State Senator.” “Joe Picozzi soundly defeated his opponent to give Philadelphia a [R]epublican voice in the Pennsylvania Senate,” the post added, followed by replies from users who criticized the non-endorsement. Ward told the Capital-Star that Picozzi “went 24/7” and “all-out” in the uphill battle to flip the seat. “I don’t know that you win that seat with just a candidate who isn’t going to work like that,” she said. Dillon conceded to Picozzi on Sunday, saying he wished him “every success in delivering for our neighbors” and “making Northeast Philly stronger and safer for all who call it home,” according to WCAU. An “elected Democrat” in the area told the Inquirer that Dillon’s loss was the “most embarrassing” piece of the election and that Picozzi was not taken as seriously as he should have been. Democrats spent $254,000 on the race, but most of those funds went out in the closing weeks, according to the paper. PENNSYLVANIA SEN-ELECT MCCORMICK THANKS CASEY FAMILY FOR ‘DECADES OF SERVICE’ AS DEMOCRAT REFUSES TO CONCEDE Picozzi made crime a top issue in his campaign. Philadelphia has been wracked by looting, flash mobs and wild, unsanctioned “car meets” in the middle of the night in Center City. During 2020 protests following a police-involved shooting of a Black man, a Walmart not far from Picozzi’s district on Aramingo Avenue was ransacked. The district includes residential areas like Mayfair, Rhawnhurst, Somerton and Torresdale. It is notably just inside the city line from the Trevose McDonald’s where Trump cooked french fries and served drive-thru customers during a campaign stop. “Over the last year, I talked to thousands of people who have touched my heart profoundly and eternally. I am grateful for the trust you have placed in me to serve you as your next State Senator,” Picozzi said in a statement on social media. “I want to thank Senator Dillon for his service to our home. It’s time for all of us to come together as one community to find common sense solutions to restore and secure Northeast Philadelphia.” While considered a political newcomer campaign wise, he worked briefly as a staffer for then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., while attending Georgetown University. A Democratic community leader from Fox Chase, along the city line with Montgomery County, was asked about the race by the Philadelphia Inquirer prior to Election Day. He compared northeast Philadelphia to Bucks County – the “swing” bellwether that was subject to nationwide media attention in the closing days of the 2024 election. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Voters in that part of the city tend to cast their ballot based on issues rather than candidates, no matter the partisan registration bent, Brian Eddis told the paper. After recent redistricting, which saw metro areas like Allentown and Harrisburg host districts more favorable to Democrats, Republicans needed a key win to preserve their 6-seat majority there. Democrats currently control the 203-seat state House by one vote and Gov. Josh Shapiro is a Democrat. Ward pointed out in the Harrisburg example that Democrat Patty Kim won the longtime Republican open-seat of retiring state Sen. John DiSanto, in that Picozzi’s win preserves their statewide margins. Trump lost Philadelphia 79%-20% and Sen.-elect David McCormick by a similar 78%-19%. Fox News Digital reached out to the PhillyGOP and Republican Party of Pennsylvania for comment.