Page 20 – Texas Weekly Online

Washington state Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez holds on to House seat, narrowly defeating GOP challenger

Democratic Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is projected to win re-election in Washington state’s closely watched 3rd Congressional District. Gluesenkamp Perez has defeated Republican challenger Joe Kent for the second time in two House cycles, The Associated Press reported Saturday. Gluesenkamp Perez, who was elected to represent the 3rd District in the southwest part of the state bordering Portland, Oregon, was widely viewed as one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House after winning her 2022 race by less than 2 points. VOTERS SPEAK OUT IN KEY SWING DISTRICT THAT COULD DETERMINE CONTROL OF HOUSE: ‘KICKED’ TO THE ‘CURB’ Gluesenkamp Perez, running in a district with a significant Republican voter presence, notably declined to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. The Republican-leaning district featuring sprawling farmlands as well as the suburbs of Portland, narrowly went for Trump in 2020, making it a crucial target for the GOP this year. Gluesenkamp Perez had sought to showcase herself as an independent-minded moderate. Her actions during her tenure have ranged from co-sponsoring a bill to protect medication abortion to voting in favor of a resolution rebuking Harris’ role in the handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. She was also ranked by the Lugar Center and the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy as having one of the most bipartisan voting records in the U.S. House. MIKE JOHNSON KICKS OFF SWING-STATE TOUR AS GOP CLINGS TO HOUSE CONTROL Kent, a former Green Beret, blamed his opponent on the campaign trail for her support of a variety of Biden policy items and cited inflation and illegal immigration as top concerns. Two years ago, Gluesenkamp Perez came out of nowhere to win a congressional seat against Kent, who had Trump’s backing in a district that hadn’t been in Democratic hands for over a decade. She took over a seat held by a more moderate Republican who lost the primary in part because she voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

House of Representatives: Race to majority tightens with Republicans inching closer

The race for the majority in the House of Representatives is on with each party vying for power and key races yet to be called. As of Saturday, Republicans held 212 seats and Democrats held 200. A party needs 218 seats for a majority. The path to victory for a Democratic majority in the House is narrowing, with the party needing to sweep the most contested races to win power. Many undeclared seats are in the western U.S. or in swing districts, including Arizona, Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio, Maryland, New York, Maine and Alaska. ALL EYES ON CALIFORNIA AS HOUSE MAJORITY STILL HINGES ON TIGHT RACES Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola is in a tight race in Alaska’s at-large congressional district, where she is trailing Republican entrepreneur Nick Begich. As of Saturday evening, Begich was leading Peltola 49.49% to 45.42% with 76.5% of the vote counted. The race in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District is tight, with the Republican candidate barely leading. Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani, a first-term lawmaker, was leading former Democratic state lawmaker Kirsten Engel by just 1,795 votes as of Saturday evening. According to Fox News’ Decision Desk, 75.64% of the vote has been counted. Republican Rep. John Duarte is leading former Democratic state Assembly member Adam Gray in California’s 13th Congressional District, but the highly contested race remains uncalled as of Saturday. With 61.7% of the vote, Duarte, a first-term lawmaker, was ahead of Gray. Duarte took the lead with 52% of the vote, and Gray trailed with 48.75% with 61.73% of the vote counted. SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE The race to succeed outgoing Democratic Rep. Katie Porter in California’s 47th Congressional District is also razor-thin. Republican Scott Baugh, a former Assembly member, and state Sen. Dave Min, a Democrat, are vying for the open seat. Min has 50% of the vote to Baugh’s 49.8% with 79% of the votes counted. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a Democrat, is trailing Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. With 86% of the votes counted, Evans was ahead of Caraveo. The lead, if sustained, would be a flip for Republicans. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said the House is poised to remain in GOP hands, and he has launched his bid to retain the gavel. Democrats are holding out hope they could win by a razor-thin majority. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wrote on X Thursday it “has yet to be decided who will control” the House next year, pointing to ongoing ballot counting in Oregon, Arizona and California.

Former Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler to serve on Trump’s inaugural committee

President-elect Donald J. Trump announced on Saturday that his inaugural committee will be led by former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia. In a statement, the Trump campaign said that the committee, which will plan inaugural events, will be co-chaired by Loeffler and Steve Witkoff, a New York real estate investor. “On Election Night, we made history, and I have the extraordinary honor of having been elected the 47th President of the United States thanks to tens [of] millions of hardworking Americans across the nation who supported our America First agenda,” Trump said in a statement. “The Trump Vance Inaugural Committee will honor this magnificent victory in a celebration of the American People and our nation.” “This will be the kick-off to my administration, which will deliver on bold promises to Make America Great Again,” the president-elect added. “Together, we will celebrate this moment, steeped on history and tradition, and then get to work to achieve the most incredible future for our people, restoring strength, success, and common sense to the Oval Office.” NEW YORK DEMOCRAT RIPS ‘FAR LEFT’ FOR TRUMP VICTORY: ‘IVORY-TOWERED NONSENSE’ The appointment of Loeffler came after Trump won the Peach State against Vice President Harris by a surprising margin, picking up 16 electoral votes. As of Saturday afternoon, Trump had roughly 120,000 more votes than Harris in the hotly-contested battleground state. Loeffler, who served as a senator in 2020 before losing a special election to Democrat Raphael Warnock in 2021, has been a vocal ally of the former president. In 2020, Loeffler was accused of insider trading, but the Department of Justice (DOJ) later dropped its investigation. Loeffler has been involved in conservative politics since leaving office. Last month, Loeffler called out Mark Cuban on X for claiming that Trump didn’t surround himself with “strong women.” “@mcuban I’ve been a CEO and professional sports team owner JUST like you,” Loeffler wrote in an Oct. 31 post. “I’m one of the millions of strong, conservative women who back Trump. You might think we’re stupid, or that we’re garbage. We think it’s time to replace you and Kamala with leaders who don’t hate us.” MONTAGE: LIBERAL MEDIA PUNDITS PREDICTED KAMALA HARRIS VICTORY In September, Loeffler’s conservative advocacy group launched a six-figure ad campaign aimed at exposing “the failures” of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The group, called the Greater Georgia 501(c)(4), argued that “murders, rapes, burglaries are all on the rise” under Willis’ watch. “She’s focused on herself, her political ambitions, high profile prosecutions and profiting off partisan lawfare, all at the expense of families living in fear and innocent lives lost. We deserve a district attorney who will do the job to keep us safe,” the ad claimed. Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign and Loeffler for comment. Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee and Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.

U.S.-Mexico water agreement might bring relief to parched South Texas

The amendment to a 1944 treaty will help Mexico catch up with its water deliveries to the U.S. and might help Rio Grande Valley farmers devastated by low rainfall.

Estimated 500,000-plus ballots still uncounted in Arizona: ‘Elections do not end on Election Day’

Election Day is long gone, but Arizonans and Americans across the nation are still waiting for results from the Grand Canyon State, including the outcome of the closely watched U.S. Senate contest pitting Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego against Trump-backed Republican Kari Lake. “Elections do not end on Election Day. It takes time to ensure all eligible votes are counted,” the state’s ballot progress page states. According to the page, the estimated number of uncounted ballots stands at 588,223. KARI LAKE ARGUES DEMOCRATS ARE SICK OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY While Election Day was Tuesday, the outcome of the Senate and presidential race in the state of Arizona remain unclear as of Saturday. Fox News Digital reached out to request a comment from Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes about why it is taking so long to count 2024 election ballots in the state and when he expects the counting process to be completed. Deputy communications director JP Martin replied via email, “Arizona has historically taken 10-13 days to count results. The secretary has been reminding the public of this fact before the election even occurred. Your premise is incorrect.” BORDER STATE ARIZONA BACKS HAVING LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ARREST SUSPECTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “Accurate election results take time,” Fontes noted in a post on X. “Signature verification is the process of comparing the sig. on a voter’s ballot envelope against info in the database. The ballot is then separated to keep the voter’s identity secret and sent for tabulation.” Lake has been urging people to volunteer to help “cure” ballots. 7 STATES VOTE TO PROTECT ABORTION RIGHTS, 3 KEEP RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE “I can’t stress enough how important ballot curing is. Every single vote is going to count for this election, so we need to make sure every single vote gets counted. We have until Sunday to cure ballots. I URGE you to get involved if you haven’t,” Lake tweeted. Maricopa County Elections explained, “Curing is the process of resolving any problems with your signature on the green affidavit envelope for early voting. For your ballot to be tabulated, we must have a verified signature each election cycle. There is a small window of time to cure signature issues.” The winner of the U.S. Senate contest will replace Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat turned independent who opted not to seek re-election in 2024. Regardless of whether President-elect Trump wins in Arizona, it is already clear he earned an Electoral College blowout over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 White House contest.

Officials say Qatar decided alone to expel Hamas, not Biden admin due to frustration with political situation

Qatar has grown increasingly frustrated with “political exploitation” from all sides involved in the months-long Gaza peace talks it has hosted, and insists they informed Hamas they are no longer welcome in their nation without the help of the Biden administration, Fox News Digital has learned. U.S. officials said it was the Biden administration who had asked Qatar to push out Hamas political officials after Hamas refused proposals to release even “a small number of hostages” during recent meetings after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The U.S. had come to the position after the killing of Hersh Goldberg Polin, an American taken hostage on October 7. But another diplomatic source briefed on the matter said it was Qatar’s decision on their own to ask Hamas leaders to leave after “both sides repeatedly refused to participate in negotiations except on their conditions without showing willingness to engage constructively.” The source said that Qatar had warned U.S. officials, as well as Hamas and Israel, they would not accept “being subjected to political exploitation aimed at gaining political leverage at Qatar’s expense while misleading public perception.” “The Qataris have concluded that there is insufficient willingness from either side, with the mediation efforts becoming more about politics and elections rather than a serious attempt at peace.” “Once the Qataris had made their decision, they notified both sides, Israel and Hamas as well as the U.S. administration. All sides were given no advance warning and were informed after the decision was made.” QATAR AGREES TO KICK HAMAS OUT OF DOHA AFTER REQUEST FROM BIDEN ADMINISTRATION A senior Biden administration official said in response: “Will refer you to Qatar to speak to their decision. The U.S. is continuing to pursue a number of initiatives to secure the release of hostages. That work is ongoing.” The official breakdown in talks was reported just after President-elect Donald Trump won the U.S. election. But U.S. sources say it was in the works before the election and that the Biden administration asked Qatar to ask Hamas to leave about two weeks ago and that Qatar gave Hamas notice they would no longer be welcome about 10 days ago. Another source who is familiar disputes that the Biden administration asked Qatar to remove Hamas two weeks ago, but confirmed Hamas was informed of the decision 10 days ago. “The State of Qatar notified the parties 10 days ago, during the last attempts to reach an agreement, that it would stall its efforts to mediate between Hamas and Israel if an agreement was not reached in that round,” Dr. Majed bin Mohammed al Ansari, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement posted on X. “The State of Qatar will not accept that mediation be a reason for blackmailing it,” he stressed. The source said that those involved in the talks showed a “very clear demonstration to undermine the efforts by backing out from some of the commitments throughout the negotiations and trying to make them as deal breakers for political optics rather than a serious security matter.” “The Qataris informed both the Israelis and Hamas that as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith, they cannot continue to mediate. As a consequence, the Hamas political office no longer serves its purpose.” The source reiterated that Qatar had only notified Israel, Hamas and the U.S. that it would no longer be hosting talks after they had come to the decision, adding they would return to the negotiating table once both sides got serious about ending the war. A similar message had been conveyed in April, prompting members of Hamas to leave for Turkey. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU FIRES DEFENSE MINISTER YOAV GALLANT But two weeks after that, the Biden administration and Israeli government asked Qatar to request Hamas’ return, because they were keen to continue the talks. Since the start of the war in Gaza, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has said to have played a key role in peace talks between Israel and Hamas, alongside the U.S. and Gaza, helping to secure the release of nearly 200 hostages over the past year. But U.S. officials say Hamas has shown no signs of budging off “unrealistic”demands to remain in power in Gaza, a position the U.S. and Israel will never accept. With Trump’s win, the Biden administration, now in a race against time to salvage its foreign policy legacy, has just over two months to secure a ceasefire deal. “When it comes to the Middle East, we will continue to pursue an end to the war in Gaza, an end to the war in Lebanon, a surge of humanitarian assistance. And that is our duty to pursue those policies right up until noon on January 20th,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters this week. Trump, having run on a platform of negotiating ends to conflicts around the world, will also be keen to see peace return to the Middle East. He reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wants Israel to win the war quickly. Trump and al-Thani met in Florida in September and had “productive” discussions about bringing peace to the region, a source who was familiar said. Fox News Digital reached out to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but did not hear back by press time. An Israeli official in Netanyahu’s office issued a statement to reporters welcoming Qatar’s decision, saying that no country should host the terror group. The Times of Israel reported that the Israeli official also stated that “Donald Trump’s election victory this week also contributed to the decision, suggesting that the Republican president-elect would not have supported Hamas’s continued presence in Doha.”

President-elect Trump to meet Biden in Oval Office Wednesday

President-elect Trump is set to meet President Biden at the Oval Office on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Saturday. The announcement comes as the pair work towards a transition of power which will conclude with Trump being sworn in as the 47th president on Jan. 20, 2025. “At President Biden’s invitation, President Biden and President-elect Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Additional details to follow,” Jean-Pierre announced in a short statement.

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