DOJ drops fight against Texas political maps as Trump administration retreats from voting rights cases
The Biden administration had challenged a Republican-led redistricting plan that diluted the political power of minorities. Other legal challenges will continue.
Orator, conscience, advocate: State lawmakers honor Sylvester Turner with bipartisan accolades in Capitol ceremony
Turner, who spent nearly three decades in the Texas House and died last week, was remembered as a passionate Democrat committed to working across the aisle.
Join us April 8 in Dallas for a full-day symposium about faith, identity and media in Texas
We’ll explore how religion shapes our state and how journalism captures its evolving role.
Trump to invoke wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to fast-track deportations of illegal immigrants
President Donald Trump is reportedly expected to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 in an effort to pave the way for faster mass deportations of illegal immigrants. Trump campaigned on invoking the wartime law, which allows the president to detain or deport the natives and citizens of an enemy nation. ‘WEAPONIZED MIGRATION’: US FACES DEADLY CONSEQUENCES WITH MADURO IN POWER, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION WARNS Trump will use the law to target members of the violent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, the New York Post reported, citing two sources close to the administration. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. The law has been invoked three times during major conflicts: the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II. During World War II, the law was used to detain Japanese Americans. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The move would come weeks into Trump’s second term in office, which has seen 32,000 illegal immigrants arrested in the first 50 days. During his campaign, Trump promised to use the law to combat Tren de Aragua (TdA) members in the United States. TdA is an international gang that has committed a wave of violent acts across American cities, including taking over entire apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado. The group was recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Department of State. “I’m announcing today that upon taking office, we will have an Operation Aurora at the federal level to expedite the removals of these savage gangs, and I will invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798,” he said during an October rally. “Think of that, 1798.” “Yeah, that’s a long time ago, right?” he added. “To target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil.”
Hear the death threats Republican senator received about Trump
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., his staff and family have been the target of harassment and death threats, according to a memo released by his office on Thursday afternoon. Voicemails shared by Tillis’ team, which were filled with profanity and fueled by discontent with President Donald Trump, reveal a frightening new reality. The senator’s senior advisor, Daniel Keylin, said “the volume of threats and harassment directed at members of Congress and their staff is the new normal.” “Yeah, Thom Tillis, afraid of death threats? Then get the f— out of office,” one caller said in a voicemail. Keylin said Tillis’ office in Greenville, North Carolina, received a handwritten and unsigned letter postmarked in Greensboro last month calling his staff members “sacrificial lambs” and insisting they “signed up to be his shield.” The anonymous writer, while reiterating “in no way is this a threat,” said people are going to start “coming in filled with rage.” MEET THE FAR-LEFT GROUPS FUNDING ANTI-DOGE PROTESTS AT GOP OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY The voicemails released by Tillis’ office express outrage over Trump’s policies and include violent threats to Tillis and his staff. “You are not going to destroy my country,” one woman said. Another caller told Tillis he is “not one of the good guys anymore” and said to “get the f— out of government.” SOUTH CAROLINA MAN FACES FEDERAL CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY THREATENING TO ASSASSINATE TRUMP “…When things get really bad, people are going to stop calling and writing. They’re going to start coming in, and they’re going to be coming in filled with rage… And you signed up to be his shield. Resign, please resign, or find a Groupon for self defense class because America’s transition to oligarchy is going to be a wild ride for us peons,” reads the anonymous letter sent to Tillis. The anonymous writer references “America’s transition to oligarchy,” a term that has been used by the left to describe the alleged rising power of the billionaire class. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has drawn thousands of supporters to his “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies across the country, with stops in Michigan and Wisconsin this past weekend. The events are billed as an opportunity to “discuss how we take on the greed of the billionaire class and create a government that works for all and not just the few.” Democrats were outraged by Trump inviting billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg to sit behind him at his inauguration inside the U.S. Capitol. Former President Joe Biden also used the term “oligarchy” in his farewell address to the nation. “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden told Americans on Jan. 13. Two weeks after Tillis’ office received the letter, Indivisible Guilford County, a local arm of a progressive political action group, organized a protest at Tillis’ Greensboro office. While the protest’s press release encouraged peaceful signs and “solidarity,” Keylin said the protesters attempted to break into Tillis’ office. “They angrily yanked and attempted to open the office’s locked door, yelling at Tillis’ staff to open it: ‘Come back, we see you! Open the door!’ and reminding the staff they had no way to exit their office,” Keylin said in the memo. Keylin said Tillis’ office received several media inquiries questioning if Tillis would attend the protests or town halls planned in Republican-held districts. Outlining years of targeted threats that have only escalated since Trump returned to office, Keylin said, “I imagine anyone with a modicum of sanity would understand what a silly question that is.” The memo says that “out of an abundance of caution,” law enforcement has directed the senator’s office to work from home on the days protests are planned. “We will not make any apologies for prioritizing the safety and security of our staff,” Keylin said. The memo outlines two more instances in which the North Carolina senator was subject to death threats. “Senator Tillis, his staff, and even his family have long been subject to threats, harassment, attempted intimidation, and verbal abuse from unstable individuals who don’t agree with his political view,” Keylin said. A U.S. citizen living abroad was arrested for threatening to kill Tillis and cut off the hands of his staffers in 2023, and a Minnesota man was indicted in 2022 for threatening to kill Tillis, the memo confirmed. Protests have shut down town halls and disrupted local legislative offices in the past two months, and Republicans have opted for tele-town halls instead of in-person town halls as a result. Democrats have accused Republicans of ignoring their constituents’ concerns by avoiding in-person town halls. Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., will host town halls on Friday in Republican-held congressional districts in Iowa and Nebraska “to lend a megaphone to the people.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has reportedly started planning her own rallies in Republican-held congressional districts as well. MoveOn.org, which has accepted millions of dollars from billionaire George Soros and his Open Society Policy Center, announced in a press release last month that it was mobilizing resources as part of a “Congress Works for Us, Not Musk” initiative “aimed at pressuring lawmakers to fight back against the Trump-Musk agenda.” The group planned protests at congressional-led town halls and congressional offices.
New poll details Americans’ views on Trump and Musk
President Donald Trump, taking questions from reporters on Thursday, touted that “a lot of great things are happening.” But Americans, nearly eight weeks into Trump’s second tour of duty in the White House, seem divided on the job he’s doing steering the country. Trump’s approval rating stood in negative territory at 42%-53% among registered voters nationwide in a new Quinnipiac University national poll conducted March 6-10 and released on Thursday. That’s down from 46% approval and 43% disapproval in Quinnipiac’s survey from late January, in the days after Trump’s second inauguration. NEW POLLS FLASH WARNING SIGNS FOR TRUMP ON THIS KEY ISSUE The president was also underwater in a CNN poll (46%-53%) conducted March 6-10 and released this week. But Trump was above water in three other surveys in the field in recent days. And Trump, who has long kept a close eye on public opinion polling, took to social media on Monday to showcase his “Highest Approval Ratings Since Inauguration.” HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST POLLING FROM FOX NEWS Trump’s poll numbers are an improvement over his first term, when he started out in negative territory and remained there for his four-year term. An average of all the most recent national polls indicates that Trump’s approval ratings are slightly above water. However, Trump has seen his numbers edge down slightly since returning to the White House in late January, when an average of his polls indicated the president’s approval rating in the low 50s and his disapproval in the mid 40s. “A noticeable uptick of discontent can be seen over President Trump’s handling of a range of issues: from Ukraine to the economy to the federal workforce,” Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy highlighted in the survey’s release. The president’s approval rating was underwater in nine of the 10 issues tested in the Quinnipiac survey, with his handling of trade with China the only issue where most respondents gave him a thumbs-up. And on the top issue on the minds of Americans, the economy, Trump stood at 41%-54%. It was the third poll conducted this month, after the CNN survey and a Reuters/Ipsos poll, to spell trouble for Trump on the economy, which arguably was the most important issue that boosted him to victory in last November’s presidential election. On his handling of the federal workforce, the president stood at 40% approval and 55% disapproval in the Quinnipiac survey. GAME ON: EARLY MOVES IN THE NEXT WHITE HOUSE RACE GET UNDERWAY Trump, through his recently created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is on a mission to overhaul and downsize the federal government. Trump named Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, to steer the organization. DOGE has swept through federal agencies, rooting out what the White House argues was billions in wasteful federal spending. It has also taken a meat cleaver to the federal workforce, resulting in a massive downsizing of employees. The moves by DOGE have triggered a slew of lawsuits in response. Sixty percent of voters questioned in the poll disapprove of the way Musk and DOGE are dealing with workers employed by the federal government, with only 36% approving. And the survey’s release adds that “54% of voters think Elon Musk and DOGE are hurting the country, while 40% think they are helping the country.” The CNN poll indicated that more than 6 in 10 thought the cuts by DOGE would go too far and that important federal programs would be shut down, with 37% saying the cuts wouldn’t go far enough in eliminating fraud and waste in the government. It’s no surprise that there’s a massive partisan divide in the latest polls when it comes to Trump and DOGE. Democrats, by a 96%-2% margin in the Quinnipiac survey, gave the president a thumbs-down on the job he’s doing in office, while Republicans approved by an 89%-9% margin. Independent voters disapproved, 58%-36%. There was also a large partisan gap over how Musk and DOGE are performing, with more than three-quarters of Republicans approving and 96% of Democrats and more than two-thirds of independents disapproving. The poll also asked respondents about Vice President JD Vance’s performance in office. Vance stood at 41% approval and 49% disapproval. Quinnipiac’s survey questioned 1,198 registered voters nationwide for their latest poll. The survey’s overall sampling error was plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Dems Divided
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -White House pulls nomination for CDC director -The Hitchhiker’s Guide to where we stand to avoid a government shutdown -Judge orders Trump admin to reinstate probationary workers fired at 6 agencies Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., was heard screaming inside Democratic senators’ private lunch on Thursday amid ongoing debate over the looming government shutdown. Democrats remained tight-lipped as they left the meeting, which lasted over an hour, but Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters: “You’ll hear from me soon.” Senate Democrats are in disagreement over how to proceed on the House-passed stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown, with some inclined to help advance it and others apparently willing to risk a lapse in funding…Read more ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’: Trump must ditch Biden-era memo pushing ‘racially discriminatory’ discipline, says parents group ‘GREEN CARD ON STEROIDS’: Trump continues to push alternative to controversial visa amid concerns about Chinese influence SHOT ACROSS THE BOW: Trump admin task force moves rapidly to punish colleges for inaction over antisemitism PAYDAY: Trump crafts plan to cut spending without Congress after shutdown is averted ‘BLOATED’ WORKFORCE: Deadline looms for federal agencies to submit mass layoff plans as Trump admin guts ‘bloated’ workforce ‘ABSURD’: White House blasts law firm that helped fuel Russia hoax after challenging Trump order HEATING UP: Pre-season moves in 2028 presidential race getting underway ‘THIS IS NO DRILL’: China’s dominance over US shipbuilding sparks bipartisan effort DEADLY DETERRENCE: Russian border states eye exit of landmine treaty to fortify defenses and deter Putin ‘I THINK IT’LL HAPPEN’: Trump remains optimistic about odds of acquiring Greenland: ‘I think it’ll happen’ SOFTENED STANCE?: Trump softens Gaza stance, says Palestinians will not be expelled from the war-torn territory TO THE SENATE: NIH nominee Jay Bhattacharya full senate vote RUNNING OUT OF TIME: Senate Democrats say they’ll oppose GOP funding bill as government shutdown deadline looms 2026 WATCH: GOP gears up to challenge Georgia’s Dem senator in state Trump won by 2% SENATE SHOWDOWN: Senate Republicans coin ‘Schumer shutdown’ ahead of critical vote on Trump spending bill ‘I’M COMING FOR YOUR SEAT’: Sister of Army soldier murdered at Texas base floats potential congressional challenge to Rep Al Green SQUAD RANT: Dems rally against Trump healthcare changes outside Capitol ANGRY OUTBURST: House Dem goes on screaming rant against Elon Musk, DOGE during hearing ‘AMAZING DIFFERENCE’: Border area bustling under Biden now quiet under Trump, says veterans group PETE’S POLITICAL PLAY: Pete Buttigieg expected to make major announcement regarding his political future TOP LAWYER OUT: FDA chief counsel who defended abortion pill under Biden resigns 2 days into job ‘LET US IN’: Homan warns NY leaders ICE will swarm the state if they don’t accommodate deportation activities UNDER SCRUTINY: Justice Department launches criminal investigation into 2 NYC migrant shelters COMMUNITY NOTES: Meta unveils new community notes program; will not apply distribution penalties nor limit flow of information LIFETIME PASS: More military families could qualify for this free perk JUDGE’S ORDERS: Federal judge orders Elon Musk, DOGE to reveal its plans to downsize government, identify all employees ‘FREE TINFOIL HAT’: Gavin Newsom responds to book claiming he secretly helped fund his own bronze bust ‘BASIC DUTY’: Dems killed VA sex offender bill before it could get a hearing, Republican says, despite recent incidents ‘NEEDS TO RESIGN’: California asks for loan amid skyrocket illegal immigrant healthcare costs COURTING CONTROVERSY: Soros-backed judge defends reduced sentence for repeat child molester at debate in state Supreme Court race Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Dems, facing shutdown, previously criticized Republicans for ‘political games’ during gov funding fights
Senate Democrats are teasing a government shutdown this week in protest of a Republican-led funding bill, despite repeatedly stoking fears over shutdowns and criticizing GOP lawmakers for hesitating over funding legislation in the past. “Funding the government is the most basic responsibility we have in Congress,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in September. The House passed a continuing resolution (CR) this week to keep the government open until October, but Democratic Senators are holding up the legislation to advocate for a “clean” month-long stopgap bill. Schumer said on Wednesday that Republicans “do not have the votes” to pass the House version of the bill – putting the government at risk as the Friday funding deadline looms. While Democrats are on the brink of allowing the government to shut down this week, their past comments reveal they have criticized Republicans over the same issue. SENATE REPUBLICANS COIN ‘SCHUMER SHUTDOWN’ AHEAD OF CRITICAL VOTE ON TRUMP SPENDING BILL In September 2024, Schumer warned of the implications that would follow if the government were to shut down. “If the government shuts down, it will be average Americans who suffer most. A government shutdown means seniors who rely on Social Security could be thrown into chaos,” the Democratic Senator said. “So what changed, Chuck?” Trump’s Rapid Response team said on Thursday in a post on X alongside a resurfaced clip of the remarks. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., amid the September spending bill fight, claimed that “MAGA Republicans have exploited each funding deadline to play political games and force their radical Project 2025 policies on Americans while American families’ livelihoods hang in the balance.” “This is no way to govern, but the last thing Florida families need is a government shutdown as Floridians prepare for Hurricane Helene and its difficult aftermath,” Castor said. TRUMP-BACKED BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PASSES HOUSE DESPITE MUTINY THREATS “We are mere days away from a partial government shutdown on March 1,” Schumer said in a February 2024 letter. “Unless Republicans get serious, the extreme Republican shutdown will endanger our economy, raise costs, lower safety, and exact untold pain on the American people.” In another instance, in 2023, Schumer claimed that “a shutdown would be a terrible outcome for the country despite what some on the hard right would have us ludicrously believe.” “It’s hard for me to believe that some, the extreme right in the other chamber, say they actually want a shutdown. What insanity,” the New York Democrat said. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during a meeting with President Donald Trump in 2018, also cautioned against a government shutdown. “I think the American people recognize that we must keep the government open, that a shutdown is not worth anything,” Pelosi told Trump in the Oval Office. During the same meeting, Schumer mirrored Pelosi’s stance, telling Trump that “we shouldn’t shut down the government over a dispute.” Castor, in response to Democratic opposition to the CR this week, told Fox News Digital, “Elon Musk and Republicans in Congress are exploiting a deadline to continue their illegal shutdowns and firings of public servants who serve veterans, neighbors who rely on Social Security and more.” “Let’s be clear: Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House. This is their chaos, their crisis, and their responsibility,” Castor’s office said in a statement. “If they want to ram through a funding bill that inflicts pain on the American people, they’ll have to do it on their own.” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., speaking to reporters, said that if Democrats shut down the government, it would be “a Schumer shutdown.” A spokesperson for Pelosi told Fox News Digital that, given their majority, it is the Republicans’ responsibility to fund the government. “Republicans have control of the House, Senate and White House. Democrats are ready, willing and able to support bipartisan government funding – but Republicans walked away from negotiations, so it is their responsibility to fund the government. Democrats do not have the ability to shut down the government,” a spokesperson for Pelosi told Fox. Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. Fox News’ Julia Johnson and Remy Numa contributed to this report.
Venezuela agrees to resume deportation flights in response to pressure from Trump
In the face of pressure from the Trump administration, the Venezuelan government has agreed to resume accepting deportation flights from the U.S., according to Richard Grenell, a special envoy to President Donald Trump. As Trump cracks down on illegal immigration, with ICE making upward of 32,000 arrests of illegals across the country, some Latin American countries have refused to accept returns. Grenell announced Thursday the Venezuelan government, led by socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, had agreed to resume the flights. Maduro had previously threatened to halt deportation flights after Trump’s decision to revoke a Biden-era special license allowing U.S.-based Chevron to produce and sell oil from the country. TOM HOMAN TELLS MIGRANT TERROR GROUPS TRUMP WILL ‘WIPE YOU OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH’ “I am pleased to announce that Venezuela has agreed to resume flights to pick up their citizens who broke U.S. Immigration Laws and entered the U.S. illegally,” Grenell said on X. Deportation flights to Venezuela will resume Friday, according to Grenell’s post. Venezuela is home to one of the most notorious migrant gangs in the U.S., Tren de Aragua, members of which have been among the administration’s primary targets for deportation. John Fabbricatore, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital this development will help improve the administration’s deportation operation. ‘SANCTUARY’ CITY MAYOR CONFRONTED AFTER GANG MEMBER ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTS FEDERAL OFFICERS “President Trump has continued to work diligently to ensure that deportation flights continue to countries that have been recalcitrant in the past,” said Fabbricatore. “Venezuela’s acceptance of these flights allows for a smooth deportation process and shorter, overall detention time.” During his first term, Trump pursued a “maximum pressure” sanctions policy against Maduro’s government, especially targeting Venezuela’s energy business. Trump imposed heavy oil sanctions against Venezuela in 2019, but those sanctions were then relaxed by President Joe Biden. AMERICANS HELD CAPTIVE BY SOUTH AMERICAN DICTATOR SYMPTOM OF DEEPER THREAT, SAYS FORMER GREEN BERET Trump detailed the decision in a post on Truth Social, stating that Maduro had not upheld his end of the bargain. “We are hereby reversing the concessions that Crooked Joe Biden gave to Nicolás Maduro, of Venezuela, on the oil transaction agreement,” he wrote. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “The regime has not been transporting the violent criminals that they sent into our Country (the Good Ole’ U.S.A.) back to Venezuela at the rapid pace that they had agreed to,” he added. “I am therefore ordering that the ineffective and unmet Biden “Concession Agreement” be terminated as of the March 1st option to renew.” ‘GET GEARED UP’ BECAUSE ‘ICE IS COMING,’ SAYS LEADING HOUSE GOP MEMBER The Trump administration scored another significant diplomatic victory with Venezuela in January when Grenell visited Caracas, Venezuela’s capital city, and secured the release of six American citizens who were being held by the dictatorship on espionage and terrorism-related charges. Reuters reported last week that Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined Maduro’s government is still holding nine Americans hostage under “questionable circumstances and without respect for their rights.”
Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva dead at 77
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., died of lung cancer-related issues on Thursday morning, his office announced in a statement. In Congress, the southern Arizona Democrat was most known for his work on the House Natural Resources committee. “From permanently protecting the Grand Canyon for future generations to strengthening the Affordable Care Act, his proudest moments in Congress have always been guided by community voices,” the statement read. “He led the charge for historic investments in climate action, port of entry modernization, permanent funding for land and water conservation programs, access to health care for tribal communities and the uninsured, fairness for immigrant families and Dreamers, student loan forgiveness, stronger protections for farmers and workers exposed to extreme heat, early childhood education expansion, higher standards for tribal consultation, and so much more,” the statement continued. “Some of these victories seemed out of reach when he first came to Congress, but with support from community, colleagues, allies, and staff, he helped make them real.” The southern Arizona Democrat was 77 years old, and he had served in Congress since 2003. While receiving treatment, he had undergone local scrutiny for missing dozens of votes on Capitol Hill, KOLD reported. ARIZONA CONGRESSMAN RAÚL GRIJALVA SAYS HE HAS CANCER, BUT PLANS TO WORK WHILE UNDERGOING TREATMENT There was an outpouring of condolences for the late congressman. “First and foremost, as someone who lost their father recently, I want to express my sincerest condolences to the Grijalva family,” Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson, told Fox News Digital. “Losing a parent is beyond one of the hardest experiences one can face. Outside of this political world we are all normal human beings. May the family find peace in the memories that they lived with the Congressman.” BORDER STATE LAWMAKER REVEALS WHAT ‘DRASTIC’ CHANGES CAN BE SOLIDIFIED WITH MAJOR CONGRESSIONAL ACTION “A genuinely devastating loss,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., posted to X. “Raúl Grijalva stood as one of the biggest champions for working people in all of Congress. His leadership was singular. He mentored generously and was an incredible friend. I will always be grateful for his lifelong courage and commitment.” “Sydney and I are saddened to hear about the passing of our friend Rep. Raúl Grijalva. He was a champion for those in need and dedicated his life to fighting for all Arizonans. He will be missed,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., posted to X. “The Congressman was always very kind to me— he had a great sense of humor. As a fellow animal lover, we often found ourselves working together on animal protection issues,” Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., posted. To his daughters Adelita, Raquel, and Marisa, and his wife, Ramona, I send my deepest condolences. May [he] rest in peace.” “Arizonans today lost a dedicated public servant. Raul was a fearless champion of the causes he believed in and he never forgot where he came from,” Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., posted. “While we often disagreed about public policy, he welcomed me into our congressional delegation warmly and always treated me with respect and dignity. Laura and I are praying for his wife Ramona, his 3 children, and all of his family and friends during this difficult time.” “AZ lost a giant today. Congressman Raul Grijalva dedicated his life to fighting for the people of Arizona. From standing up for working families, Indigenous communities, and clean air and water — Raul leaves a legacy that is unmatched. I am thinking of his family and loved ones,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes posted. The Democrat represented a deep blue district, leaving the door wide open for a competitive primary.