The red states charging ahead with America’s wealth as rivals watch billions slip away
Americans and their billions in income are streaming to Southern and Sun Belt states while several coastal counterparts suffer the losses of residents, wealth and, in turn, political influence, according to IRS migration data. The relocation patterns are increasingly reshaping population pockets in the U.S. and where economic and political power is concentrated ahead of the 2026 midterms. As residents and wealth continue flowing into fast-growing red states, the shifts influence housing markets, state economies, congressional clout and the balance of power. That shift is already playing out in many Republican-led states, and there are less than six months until the midterm elections. THE RED-STATE WINNERS IN THE CLIMB TO BECOME AMERICA’S NEXT ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE Texas and Florida led the nation in inbound migration between 2022 and 2023, gaining more than 56,000 residents and 55,000 income tax filers, according to the IRS data. The migration boom also attracted some of the nation’s largest income gains, with Florida bringing in roughly $20.6 billion in taxable income and Texas gaining another $5.5 billion. AMERICANS KEEP MOVING TO TEXAS AND FLORIDA — BUT ONE OTHER RED STATE IS GROWING EVEN FASTER North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Arizona — also red states — ranked among the top destinations for Americans relocating across state lines, underscoring the broader population boom across the South and Sun Belt. The migration trends looked even more dramatic when adjusted for population size. South Carolina posted the nation’s largest population gain from domestic interstate migration at 1.12%, fueled by more than 29,000 incoming households carrying roughly $4.1 billion in taxable income. Meanwhile, deep-blue California recorded the nation’s largest outbound migration losses, with more than 100,000 income tax filers and nearly $12 billion in taxable income leaving the state between 2022 and 2023. New York followed closely behind, losing roughly 72,000 households and nearly $10 billion in taxable income, while Illinois and New Jersey shed about $6 billion and $2.6 billion in taxable income, respectively. BLUE-STATE TAX BURDEN FUELS AMERICANS FLEEING TO REPUBLICAN-LED SOUTHERN STATES Experts say the migration boom reflects broader economic pressures reshaping where Americans choose to live, particularly as affordability concerns push more households toward lower-cost and lower tax states typically found in the southern quarter of the country. “While tax friendliness is not the sole determinant of where one chooses to live or start a business, states experiencing net in-migration tend to have more competitive tax structures and lower overall costs of living,” Nicole Fox, a policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, told Fox News Digital. The migration trends are also reshaping state economies, labor markets and housing demand as fast-growing Sun Belt states absorb new residents, businesses and taxable income. At the same time, states experiencing sustained outbound migration may face mounting challenges tied to shrinking tax bases, slower population growth and affordability concerns that continue pushing residents elsewhere.
Mace targets Squad Dem with proposed constitutional ban on foreign-born lawmakers
FIRST ON FOX: Under the U.S. Constitution, anyone who is not a “natural-born citizen” is barred from becoming president or vice president. Now, a House Republican wants to expand that requirement to much of the federal government. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., plans to introduce a joint resolution Wednesday proposing a constitutional amendment requiring members of Congress, federal judges and other Senate-confirmed appointees to be natural-born citizens. The proposal would affect more than a dozen naturalized citizens currently serving in Congress, including several Republicans. TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CRUSADE DRAWS BACKING FROM COHORT OF PROMINENT LEGAL SCHOLARS Mace, who is running to be South Carolina’s next governor, suggested that the country’s nearly 25 million naturalized citizens, who made the deliberate choice to become Americans, may have divided loyalties. “If you hold power in the American government, you should be a natural-born American citizen,” Mace told Fox News Digital in a statement. “For too long we have allowed foreign-born members to hold seats in this government, while making clear their loyalty is not here. We see it every day.” Mace specifically called out progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who was born in Somalia and became a naturalized citizen in 2000. “Ilhan Omar is just one of many foreign-born members of this government who have made clear, time and again, their loyalty is not here,” Mace said. “The American people deserve leaders who put America first. This amendment closes a gap in our Constitution long overdue for closing.” Omar’s path to U.S. citizenship has also faced heightened scrutiny from Republicans in recent months. Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that Omar is under investigation by the Department of Justice for possible immigration fraud. Some Republicans have called for her deportation over the alleged offense. A spokesperson for Omar did not immediately respond to a request for comment. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: OMAR’S LONG HISTORY OF CONTROVERSY KEEPS HER IN THE SPOTLIGHT Mace’s proposal faces steep odds of becoming part of the Constitution, requiring a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress before ratification by three-fourths of U.S. states. Amendments can also be proposed through a constitutional convention requested by two-thirds of state legislatures, though that method has never been used successfully. There are 19 foreign-born members of Congress, though some are natural-born citizens due to having at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen. Under Mace’s proposal, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, an ally of President Donald Trump who was born in Colombia and became a U.S. citizen at 18, could no longer serve in Congress. The same restriction would apply to Reps. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., Young Kim, R-Calif., and Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., who became naturalized citizens after immigrating to the United States from Mexico, South Korea and Ukraine, respectively. On the Democratic side, Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Ted Lieu and Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., are among the lawmakers who would be affected. Former Trump Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Alejandro Mayorkas, former President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security secretary, also would have been ineligible to serve in Cabinet posts under the proposal.
WATCH: Omar silent when confronted on alleged ties to massive Minnesota fraud scandal
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., refused to engage when asked by Fox News Digital if she would cooperate with the investigation into Minnesota’s “Feeding Our Future” scheme. The progressive lawmaker is accused of having ties to those involved in the scandal that federal prosecutors say cost taxpayers roughly $250 million. But when asked about her connections, Omar stayed silent. “Did you ask Minnesota Democrats to block the subpoena for the investigation of Feeding Our Future on the state level?” Omar was asked when confronted in the halls of Congress on Monday, but did not respond. She then ignored a second question: “Would you cooperate with that subpoena and provide documents if they request it here in the House Oversight Committee?” OMAR CAMP BREAKS SILENCE ON FRAUD PROBE, BLAMES WALZ, TRUMP AS NEW CLAIMS CLASH WITH EARLIER STATEMENTS After publication, Omar provided a statement to Fox News Digital denying any wrongdoing. “Any claim that I had knowledge of this scheme is flat-out false,” Omar said. “The MEALS Act was signed into law by President Trump and passed with bipartisan support as part of a broader legislative package. Trump’s USDA Secretary set the regulatory framework during the rollout of the program. I have always championed feeding kids and will continue to ensure our children do not go hungry.” Omar continued, “The moment this fraud came to light, I immediately sent a letter to the USDA Secretary demanding answers and accountability. As I stated from the beginning, stealing millions of dollars under the guise of feeding hungry children to bankroll lavish lifestyles and extravagant expenses is reprehensible. I’m grateful that Aimee Bock and every individual involved in this abhorrent scheme are being held accountable for defrauding taxpayers and betraying vulnerable children.” It’s thought that Omar’s MEALS Act, a federal COVID-19 relief measure she sponsored in 2020, ties her to the massive scandal. Many Republicans argue her bill enabled the fraud by rapidly expanding USDA waiver authority at meal sites. Despite the concerns, the Minnesota Democrat has declined multiple opportunities in recent months to directly answer questions or provide information on her alleged ties to the fraud, including documented ties to some of the convicted fraudsters. The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee invited her to testify this month, requesting documents tied to the fraud scandal. Omar missed the response deadline, triggering a failed subpoena vote that received only five of the six votes required to pass after Democrats blocked the GOP-led effort. “She didn’t even respond, ghosted us,” state Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, told Fox News Digital in April when Omar did not respond to requests for information. The committee asked Omar to turn over communications showing how she promoted expanded access to federal child nutrition programs, including emails, texts and meeting records with the Minnesota Department of Education and constituents. The request also zeroed in on Omar’s public promotion of a Minneapolis restaurant that later became linked to the program. Robbins cited a Somali-language TV appearance in which Omar highlighted Safari Restaurant as a meal distribution site and asked for all communications related to the video and the restaurant’s participation. OMAR DUCKS QUESTIONS AS SCRUTINY GROWS OVER FILINGS THAT SLASHED HER REPORTED WEALTH BY MILLIONS The committee also asked for records of any contact between Omar and a long list of individuals charged or implicated in the Feeding Our Future case, including nonprofit founder Aimee Bock and dozens of alleged co-conspirators. Bock is currently facing a possible 50-year prison sentence for her role in the scheme, Fox 9 Minneapolis reported. “A lot of the sites were working directly with her, being that a lot of the operators were from the same Somali community,” Bock recently said about Omar in a jailhouse interview with the New York Post. “There were a lot of people that had been reaching out to her office and staff — and I presume her personally — to work through some of those gaps with the waivers.” Just last week, an 84-page report released by the Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee accused Gov. Tim Walz’s administration of fostering a “culture of tolerance” that allowed fraudsters to steal billions in taxpayer dollars. The report comes after two dozen hearings and hundreds of whistleblower tips alleging oversight failures and ignored internal warnings. MILITARY VET SEES OPENING FOR GOP IN BLUE STATE AMID ‘EMBARRASSMENT’ OF ‘STOLEN VALOR WALZ’ An estimated $300 million in federal meal program fraud and up to $9 billion in Medicaid fraud were stolen from taxpayers, a cost significantly higher than initially believed, according to the committee. It also said Omar’s MEALS Act loosened anti-fraud safeguards in federal nutrition programs, making it harder to verify if children were actually being fed by the Feeding Our Future program. Fox News Digital reached out to Omar and Walz’s office for comment but did not hear back.
American ‘jihad’ fueled by ‘risky source’ inside US borders, warns national security expert
After the Justice Department announced charges against an Iraqi militia leader for directing terror attacks inside the U.S., a national security expert warned of a “risky source” contributing to “jihad”-type terrorist activity inside America’s borders. Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a senior member of the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hizballah terror group, is accused of orchestrating nearly 20 terrorist attacks across Europe and plotting attacks on Jewish institutions. Authorities also said al-Saadi publicly threatened President Donald Trump and his family. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, said that vetting failures of supposed Iraqi and Afghan allies and an all-too-generous social welfare system have left the United States vulnerable to terrorism. “It’s not just open borders. We offer so many pathways to immigrate here, either temporarily or permanently, and, unfortunately, every time you offer an immigration benefit, people will flock to it and often commit fraud to obtain it,” said Ries. FBI BRINGS IRAQI MAN ACCUSED OF COORDINATING NEARLY 20 TERROR ATTACKS IN EUROPE TO FACE TRIAL IN NEW YORK “When you combine these factors of a prior open border, millions of deportable aliens inside the U.S., common believers for jihad, then that leads to real terror threats inside the U.S.,” she said. “Al-Saadi calls on others to carry out jihad, and, unfortunately, there are many who are willing to do it.” Ries explained that the U.S. intelligence community’s threat assessments for this year and 2025 included “discussion of Iranian commitment to decades-long attacks against the U.S. using surrogate networks inside the U.S.” In the last year, Ries said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 11 Iranian nationals illegally present in the country, including a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps member with Hezbollah ties, other IRGC members and operatives, a former Iranian army sniper and known terrorists. One of these, Asif Merchant, who prosecutors described as a trained IRGC operative, was convicted in April of murder for hire and attempting to commit an act of terror. From this, Ries said, “We have to assume there are more operatives inside the country.” Besides the open-border policies under the Biden administration, Ries said, “There’s so much fraud in the system, whether that’s asylum fraud, whether that is marriage fraud, H-1B fraud, a plethora of visa types.” “Also,” she continued, “We’ve had programs in place for decades to reward those who helped in some fashion the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it’s difficult to vet them thoroughly.” “If people truly assisted the U.S. military, not some attenuated contractor scenario, which is very common, and they deserve protection, then let’s protect them,” she granted. “But that doesn’t mean bring them all here, because that is a risky source of threats inside the U.S.” WATCH: EYE-POPPING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION STAT PROMPTS SENATOR’S DEMAND TO ‘REDOUBLE’ DEPORTATIONS Further, she said America’s generous immigration benefits have created an “unwieldy, unmanageable” system that “just endangers the U.S. from a national security perspective and economic security perspective, public safety, etc.” “You need very thorough vetting for any immigration benefit that’s offered,” she explained, adding, “We need to be choosy, in particular, about the types of benefits we’re giving.” Ries called for the “narrowing” of immigration into the country, saying leaders need to “be very thorough and deliberate about who we are bringing to the U.S.” “We saw people come to the U.S. from at least 180 countries during the Biden administration. There’s only 192 other countries. So truly, most of the world came here,” she said, adding, “We as a nation can be and should be very choosy in particular about who we bring here and why.” PATEL SAYS FBI IS ‘MANHUNTING’ TERROR SUSPECTS AROUND THE GLOBE AFTER TWO HIGH-VALUE CAPTURES She said al-Saadi’s case highlights these dangers, explaining, “He doesn’t even have to have direct contact with those who have similar beliefs inside the U.S., but elsewhere in Europe, Canada, etc., who are perfectly willing to carry out jihad against those they view as the infidels, Americans, Jews, etc.” “So, ICE has a lot of work to do still to conduct mass deportations with terror threats at the top of the list,” Ries added.
FIRST ON FOX: Behind the scenes of Arlington’s Memorial Day tribute for America’s 250th birthday
FIRST ON FOX: In observance of Memorial Day, country stars, veterans and lawmakers will host a candlelight ceremony to mark America’s 250th birthday at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia Monday. “Memorial Day is a sacred reminder that freedom is never free. We honor the brave men and women who gave their lives defending America and its founding principles that we hold dear,” said the event’s master of ceremonies, Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, to Fox News Digital. “Their sacrifice is the foundation of American freedom, and we thank God for their courage.” Organizers shared event details and rendering with Fox News Digital for a national celebration honoring America’s heroes during a pivotal year bringing together country music stars and officials. “Set against the sacred grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, the evening will serve as a powerful national tribute to America’s fallen heroes through storytelling, music, remembrance, and reflection,” said Freedom250, the nonpartisan group helping coordinate the broader America250 effort, said in a press release. TRUMP LAUNCHES MASSIVE ‘FREEDOM 250’ PUSH TO IGNITE AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Grammy Award-winning country music artist Gretchen Wilson will take the stage to perform. “I am overwhelmed to have been asked to honor the fallen heroes and their families this Memorial Day. What a sacred place, I pray I do it justice,” said Wilson. A newly released rendering shared first with Fox News Digital showed an aerial view of the amphitheater where the event will take place. COUNTRY SINGER CRAIG MORGAN SAYS HE’S NOT DONE SERVING AFTER ARMY RESERVE PROMOTION AT 61 The program will honor Medal of Honor recipient, West Point graduate and Vietnam prisoner of war Capt. Humbert “Rocky” Versace, highlighting his faith, leadership and resilience during his time in captivity. The evening will also honor Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, a U.S. Army Special Forces officer, Green Beret and Citadel graduate who was killed in Afghanistan while serving alongside Afghan commandos in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Fox News Digital learned. Eggers was remembered for his humility, courage and unwavering commitment to his fellow soldiers, said Freedom250 in a press release. MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT REMEMBERS SERGEANT MAJOR KILLED IN IRAQ: ‘WE WERE GOING TO AVENGE THAT MAN’ Veteran and national security leader Jason Beardsley, Medal of Honor recipient Maj. Gen. Patrick Henry Brady, noted historian Dr. Mark Moyar and members of the Eggers family are expected to share personal reflections on military service, sacrifice and the lasting human cost of freedom during the evening’s tribute. “Memorial Day is about more than remembrance,” said Beardsley, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and Army Special Operations Forces, said in the press release. “It is about preserving the legacy of those who gave everything for this country and ensuring future generations understand the true cost of freedom.” There will also be a wreath-laying and National Memorial Day Observance both streamed live. The wreath-laying pre-program will additionally have a performance by veteran and country singer Craig Morgan. The candlelight tribute will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday and conclude at 10 p.m.
Newsom’s ‘break the glass’ warning fuels Hilton accusation Democrats are exploiting jungle primary fears
California Republican gubernatorial frontrunner Steve Hilton blasted Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for “fear mongering” after the governor suggested he had a contingency plan if Democrats appeared at risk of being shut out of the general election. California’s primary election is just two weeks away, and under the state’s jungle primary system — where the top two vote-getters advance regardless of party — both Democrats and Republicans fear they won’t be represented in the general election. Newsom expressed his concern about a Republican shutdown last Thursday during a news conference, explaining that he has a “break the glass scenario” to ensure Democrats aren’t “locked out.” “There’s many people that have a deep understanding of what it would look like if Democrats were locked out, and we’re going to do everything to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Newsom said. “I’ll leave it there.” JOY REID BLASTS CA DEMS FOR LETTING GOP CONTENDERS TAKE LEAD IN GOVERNOR’S RACE Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for further comment. Hilton claimed that Newsom’s comments were a tactic to split Republican voters between himself and Republican candidate Chad Bianco. “He’s not trying to stop a ‘top two Republican’ outcome because that is not possible and never was,” Hilton said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Chad Bianco is far behind in the polls and fundraising, and has no chance of being in the top two.” GOP CANDIDATE BIANCO’S TWO-WORD JAB AT KATIE PORTER DRAWS GASPS FROM CALIFORNIA DEBATE AUDIENCE RealClearPolitics’ polling averages show Hilton leading the pack of candidates, with Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra in a close second. Meanwhile, Bianco trails in fourth place. Hilton argued it would be Newsom’s “ideal scenario” to have two Democrats facing off, saying it would deflect attention from Newsom’s “appalling record” as he eyes a 2028 presidential run. “Newsom and the Democrats are fearmongering over a R vs R matchup in the general election precisely to encourage Republicans to split their votes, thus guaranteeing an all-Democrat top two,” Hilton said in a statement for Fox News Digital. In a video posted to X on Tuesday, Hilton called on his Republican opponent Bianco to drop out of the race, in an effort to ensure a Republican is on the ballot. Political strategists have said there is a valid fear among both Democrats and Republicans that their party could be shut out of the general election due to the jungle primary system, which went into effect after voters approved it in a statewide referendum in 2010. “This is really the first gubernatorial election where there’s no obvious winner, so that’s why it’s such a tense thing,” Richard Winger, owner of Ballot Access News, told Fox News Digital. Winger and former Democratic state Sen. Dario Frommer pointed to other races where the seat was open and two candidates of the same party were running against each other in the general election. “The Republicans were shut out in the California U.S. Senate primary in 2018 when the top two vote getters were Kamala Harris and Rep. Linda Sanchez, and there have been other races where either Republicans or Democrats were shut out of the general election because of the top two,” Frommer, who is now a legislative strategist, told Fox News Digital. “I think early on there was genuine, genuine concern of the Democratic party, because there were so many Democratic candidates that Hilton and Bianco were going to be the top two vote getters,” Frommer told Fox News Digital. “Now that’s changed a bit.” Frommer said that, based on current polling, the top two vote-getters appear likely to be Hilton, Becerra, and Democratic candidate Tom Steyer. But at the same time Frommer said Democrats aren’t in the clear either. “Usually, there’s a lot more people overall voting by this point, and they’re not, and so I think that concern is real for Democrats, that people wait too long to fill out their ballots, and there’s only two Republican candidates,” Frommer told Fox News Digital. The fear of either party being shut out of the general election this fall has prompted Democratic strategist Steven Maviglio to organize a ballot initiative campaign to eliminate the jungle primary system, a measure that could appear on the 2028 ballot. “I think if two Republicans make the ballot, or if two Democrats make the ballot, then voter outrage will be high, and that will only focus on just what a failed experiment this is,” Maviglio said of the jungle primary system.
Idaho Democrats choose small business owner in uphill race against incumbent GOP governor
Gov. Brad Little, R-Idaho, will face Democratic candidate Terri Pickens in November as he vies for a third term. Pickens, a private practice attorney and small business owner, edged out several challengers in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, The Associated Press reported. She faces an uphill battle in a Republican-heavy state that has not elected a Democratic governor in 36 years. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, a leading election forecaster, rates Little’s re-election bid as “Solid Republican.” IDAHO GOV BRAD LITTLE COMMENDS BOISE STATE VOLLEYBALL FOR FORFEITING PLAYOFF MATCH VS SJSU AND TRANS ATHLETE Pickens previously ran as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2022, when she lost to Republican candidate Scott Bedke by 34 points. Bedke is the state’s current lieutenant governor and is running for another term. Little, who won the state’s GOP primary, is endorsed by President Donald Trump and is expected to cruise to the general election. Former Idaho Supreme Court Justice John Stegner has also launched a bid to unseat Little as an independent. IDAHO BECOMES FIRST STATE TO PREFER DEATH BY FIRING SQUAD FOR EXECUTIONS Little, a rancher who previously served in the state Senate and as lieutenant governor, has embraced deregulation, increased public education funding and tax relief in his bid for a third term. He defeated a crowded field of GOP candidates on Tuesday, including former police officer Mark Fitzpatrick, who challenged him from the right. Little recently signed into legislation a law cracking down on transgender individuals using bathrooms that do not correspond with their biological sex. Idaho’s law is one of the most stringent in the country because it applies to private businesses in addition to public property.
Georgia GOP Senate primary heads to runoff as Republicans battle to unseat Ossoff
The quest to find the one candidate that can beat Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., isn’t quite over yet, with a runoff between a political outsider and an experienced lawmaker teed up for next month. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., and former college football coach Derek Dooley are headed to a runoff election on June 16 in a state of particular political consequence for either party hoping to keep or gain power in the Senate. The contest comes after a bruising primary between Collins, Dooley, and Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., and a battle that President Donald Trump has so far avoided. GOP CIVIL WAR ERUPTS OVER SHUTDOWN POLITICS IN CRITICAL SENATE RACE: ‘NOT A WINNING FORMULA’ His endorsement, as in other races, could make or break either Collins’ or Dooley’s chances moving forward. Dooley has embraced the outsider moniker, arguing that he would side with Trump in ways that benefit Georgians. “As your Senator, I’ll never forget that you’re the boss and D.C. politicians need accountability,” Dooley said on X. “Term limits. Ban insider trading. End government shutdowns. I’ll fight to end politics as usual in Washington.” Collins has heavily leaned into his MAGA bonafides in trying to court the president to back him in the race. SCOOP: TRUMP ALLY TO LAUNCH KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE CAMPAIGN IN BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT “Georgia needs the right Republican to take on Jon Ossoff,” Collins said on X. “Someone who’s delivered, has the conservative record to prove it, and had President Trump’s back when it mattered most.” But for Ossoff’s campaign, it doesn’t matter which opponent they face in November. “Regardless of which Trump puppet makes it out of this messy and brutal GOP primary, they will be bruised and terminally inseparable from the toxic president,” Ossoff campaign spokesperson Ellie Doughtery told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Meanwhile, the juggernaut Ossoff campaign will continue building insurmountable momentum to win decisively in November.” While Trump has stayed out of the race, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who Republicans heavily lobbied to run for the Senate until he ultimately declined, has weighed in. Kemp threw his support behind Dooley, a family friend that he believes can bring a shake-up to the GOP establishment, given his lack of political experience. TOP GOP RECRUIT FOR CRUCIAL 2026 SENATE RACE HINTS WHEN HE WILL MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT “I want to win our Senate seat back,” Kemp said before Election Day. “We haven’t done so well in U.S. Senate races here in the state of Georgia in the last several cycles, and we have one more opportunity to try to get one of our Senate seats back. And we got to have the right person to do that.” The runoff could turn into another political battle between Kemp and Trump, who have sparred since the 2020 election. And Dooley and Collins would act as surrogates in the back and forth should the president decide to get involved. Meanwhile, Democrats are confident that Ossoff will hold on to his seat despite being the only Senate Democratic incumbent running for re-election in a state Trump won in 2024. But the infighting among Republicans and Ossoff’s battle-tested track record have encouraged Democrats that they can win in November. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., who, like Ossoff, beat an incumbent and again won against a Trump-backed opponent in 2023, had some advice for Republicans hours before polls closed. “I want to offer a word of encouragement,” Warnock told Fox News Digital of the GOP’s infighting. “They should keep that up.”
Firefighters union boss wins hotly-contested Dem primary in a key Pennsylvania swing district
One of the nation’s most narrowly divided swing congressional districts chose its Democratic nominee Tuesday evening, as Bob Brooks was projected to win in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District. The contested primary brought Democratic Party divisions front and center, featuring firefighters union boss Bob Brooks — endorsed by both Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. — former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure and EMILY’s List-endorsed candidate Carol Obando-Derstine, who is seen as the preferred pick of the district’s last Democratic representative, former Rep. Susan Wild of Allentown. Brooks received several high-profile endorsements from Shapiro, Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and top state Democrats, including House Majority Leader Matt Bradford of Skippack and Sen. Vincent Hughes of Northwest Philadelphia. TRUMP PLEDGES ‘AMERICA’S NEW GOLDEN AGE’ AS HE RALLIES IN PA’S POST-INDUSTRIAL THIRD-LARGEST CITY Brooks also earned the endorsement of the mayor of the area’s largest city — Allentown, the third-largest city in the commonwealth. Meanwhile, McClure — the only current local officeholder in the race — did not immediately gain traction against Brooks. Brooks appeared to weather intraparty controversy after old social media posts expressing more moderate or conservative views resurfaced — including one using an off-color sexual term to describe former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick for criticizing law enforcement during the BLM era. FIRM THAT PROPELLED MAMDANI TO VICTORY IN NY LOOKS TO UNSEAT HOUSE GOP MEMBERS IN PA Crosswell was born in nearby Schuylkill County but for many years worked in Washington for the Justice Department. He was one of several prosecutors who resigned in protest of the Trump administration dropping a federal probe into former New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Adams has since become less critical of the right and has often dinged his successor, Zohran Mamdani, on social media. The district’s tri-city hub of Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton — known locally as “A.B.E.” or “The Valley” — has a blue-collar history that has at times entered the national consciousness through Billy Joel’s famous anthem about Bethlehem Steel and other firms “closing all the factories down,” while the now-blighted SteelStacks often serve as both a backdrop for what once was and a rallying call for politicians pushing what comes next. That “next” has included a wave of new warehouses and firms dedicated to interstate commerce, along with growth tied to the tech sector. GOP CHALLENGER UNSEATS REP. SUSAN WILD IN PENNSYLVANIA Farmland in the northern part of the district is gradually being developed into homes and warehouses — to the chagrin of many longtime residents — as an influx of people from higher-tax New Jersey and New York, along with the area’s changing socioeconomic makeup, brings more liberal and progressive voters into a once “Reagan Democrat”-style region rooted in agriculture and union labor. The district’s current boundaries still reflect that contrast, as the farther north one travels, the more rural, agrarian or forested — and conservative — the area becomes. Wild drew criticism twice for appearing to insult the Trump-supporting swath of Carbon County, the only one of the district’s three counties entirely within the 7th Congressional District to vote for Mackenzie in 2024. The Republican in the race, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie of Lower Macungie, was a state representative in western Lehigh County for many years before upsetting Wild by one percentage point in 2024. Mackenzie has since drawn praise from President Donald Trump and criticism from the left, whose protesters often gather outside his office and spill onto busy Cedar Crest Boulevard in southwest Allentown. As the House GOP’s narrow majority hangs in the balance, it remains to be seen which side is energized enough to turn out for its candidate in a race the nation will be watching closely.
Ex-Biden official wins Georgia Dem primary for governor in bid to end party’s losing streak
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who also served in the Biden administration, has captured the Democratic nomination for governor in the key southeastern battleground of Georgia. Bottoms won a majority of the vote in Tuesday’s primary, the Associated Press reports, in a large field of candidates that also included former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican-turned-Democrat; former state Sen. Jason Esteves; state Rep. Derrick Jackson; and former state labor commissioner and former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond. Democrats are aiming to break their losing streak in Georgia, where it’s been nearly three decades since the party has won a gubernatorial election. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. Roy Barnes’ 1998 victory. Since then Republicans have been on a winning streak, with former Govs. Sonny Perdue and Nathan Deal, and Brian Kemp, all winning election and re-election. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Bottoms was the frontrunner during the primary campaign, and faced plenty of attacks from her rivals over her single term as Atlanta mayor, which garnered harsh reviews. She was elected in 2018 but declined to seek re-election in 2022 and instead later served as senior advisor and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement in then-President Joe Biden’s administration. The former mayor’s rivals argued that Bottoms’ vulnerabilities could hurt the Democrats as they work to win back the governor’s office in Atlanta, during a midterm election cycle where the party is energized and Republicans are facing traditional political headwinds and a rough climate. That energy was witnessed the surge in turnout in early voting in Georgia. More than a million ballots were cast ahead of Election Day, with Democrats enjoying a sizable turnout advantage over Republicans.