Jim Marter, the Republican Nominee for US Congress in Illinois’ 14th District, has received a major endorsement from Congressman Darin LaHood. LaHood praised Marter's decade of community service and expressed confidence in his ability to uphold shared beliefs in limited government and the American Dream. LaHood is a Vice-Chair of the National Republican Campaign Committee and currently serves as the Director of the Patriot Program. Marter, who grew up in Peoria County, is honored to have the endorsement. LaHood, a U.S. Representative from Illinois since 2015, is a member of the Republican Caucus and the son of former U.S. Representative Ray LaHood. [82dbf044]
Former New York Representative George Santos, who is currently indicted on multiple charges including unemployment fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, stealing from his own campaign donors, and lying to Congress, has announced his candidacy for Congress again. Santos made the surprise announcement during President Biden’s State of the Union address, catching many of his former colleagues off guard. Santos had previously claimed that he would not be running for re-election, but he is now switching districts and will be running against incumbent GOP Rep. Nick LaLota in New York's First District. Santos' criminal trial is scheduled for September, and if he wins the primary, he may face the challenge of convincing voters to cast their ballot for a convicted felon. Santos' fundraising and spending will face heavy scrutiny, as his old campaign committee still has outstanding legal debt and unpaid debts to former campaign staffers. Santos' former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, pleaded guilty to collaborating with Santos to file false FEC reports. Santos has pleaded not guilty to the charges. [45bf1719]
Naysa Woomer, former communications director for George Santos, called his surprise comeback campaign a 'joke' and said the media attention he received increased his ego. Santos, who was expelled from Congress, attended President Biden's State of the Union address and declared his intention to challenge Rep. Nick LaLota in New York's First Congressional District. Santos was previously elected to and expelled from New York's 3rd Congressional District due to misuse of campaign funds. LaLota welcomed the chance to defeat Santos in a primary. Rep. Ritche Torres announced legislation to revoke floor privileges for expelled former House members. Woomer supported the proposal. [71ba8afe]
If Santos is expelled, he would be the sixth member in U.S. history to be removed from the House of Representatives. The three previous expulsions occurred during the Civil War, while the other two members were convicted of federal crimes. The expulsion would take immediate effect, and the staff of an expelled member would be overseen by the House Clerk. Santos would not be barred from running for Congress again. Other members previously expelled from the House include Michael Myers, who was expelled for corruption in 1980, and James Traficant, who was expelled in 2002 for corruption and fraud. [56ffc7dd]
Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) announced his surprise congressional run during President Biden’s State of the Union address. Santos, who was expelled from the House a few months ago, is set to challenge Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.). Santos lost his Long Island congressional seat in December and faces over 20 criminal charges. The New York primary election is scheduled for June 25. [c19b27ab]
John Oliver Delos Reyes Bolis Gonzales has formally announced his candidacy for the U.S. Congress in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Gonzales plans to build upon the successes of the current delegate, Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, and leverage the Covenant to lobby for critical leadership support and carve out specific exemptions for the CNMI's geographical, economic, and social circumstances. Gonzales aims to craft legislation to alleviate the high costs of living, improve power plants, rebuild the dilapidated hospital, and secure funding for infrastructure. He also wants to revitalize and attract new industries beyond tourism, explore U.S. and multinational corporations' investments, revisit the Jones Act and U.S. Cabotage Act, and prioritize the people and businesses over birds and the economy. Gonzales seeks the Republican nomination and will participate in a delegate primary. Other potential candidates include Edwin Propst, Edith Deleon Guerrero, Juan Tudela Lizama, and Thomas John Manglona. [2951d176]
Former New York Rep. George Santos announced that he was leaving the Republican Party and would continue his congressional comeback bid as an independent. Santos, who faces a slew of federal charges and was expelled from the House last year, attacked the GOP in a social media post and pledged to take 'Ultra MAGA/Trump supporting values to the ballot in November as an Independent.' Santos previously represented New York’s 3rd Congressional District on Long Island. Earlier this month, during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, the former congressman announced he would challenge Republican Rep. Nick LaLota in the neighboring 1st District. LaLota introduced a resolution to expel him last fall. Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including allegations of fraud related to Covid-19 unemployment benefits, misusing campaign funds, and lying about his personal finances on House disclosure reports. For Santos to run as an independent in November, he’ll need to file an independent nominating petition with the signatures of 3,500 voters in New York’s 1st District to the Suffolk County Board of Elections by May 28. [def404b4]
John Oliver Delos Reyes Gonzales formally announced his candidacy for delegate to the U.S. Congress as an independent. Gonzales explained that he left the NMI Republican Party due to the need to respect the fundamental rights of voters. He decided to withdraw from running as a delegate under the NMI Republican Party and is now running as an independent. The CNMI Republican Party's primary election did not push through after Gonzales notified the party of his withdrawal. The NMI Democratic Party's candidate for delegate is Rep. Edwin K. Propst. Former representative Ramon S. Basa resigned from the CNMI Republican Party board to join Gonzales' committee as co-chairman. Gonzales emphasized the importance of the power and right of voters to vote for their preferred candidate without any restriction by a political party. He pledged to address issues such as the ailing economy, the need for solutions, and the better quality of life for the people. Gonzales has a degree in political science and history and has a master's degree in business in international management. He is currently a freelance business consultant and grant writer. Gonzales served as a chief of staff and policy staffer to former Tenorio-Sablan administration and later under Eloy S. Inos-Ralph DLG Torres/Victor Hocog where he worked on NMI-federal relation issues related to the Covenant. [9738e469]
Republican U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales will face a primary run-off against Brandon Herrera, a gun rights YouTube celebrity, after failing to win outright in the state's March primary election. The winner will face Democrat Santos Limon in the November election. Gonzales has positioned himself as a pragmatic Republican and successful fundraiser, but has angered hardline conservatives with his voting record. Herrera has a large YouTube following and has raised significant funds for his campaign. Gonzales has shown no sign of being intimidated by his opponent or the support he has received from Republican hardliners. In another primary runoff, Republicans Lazaro Garza and Jay Furman are competing to take on Democratic congressman Henry Cuellar, who is facing federal charges. Cuellar ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, but the court case could impact the November election. [e9177359]
Brandon Herrera, a candidate for the United States Congress, is facing criticism after a video surfaced of him joking about the IRA and its use of the ArmaLite rifle. The video, which was viewed 2 million times, shows Herrera wearing a balaclava and firing rounds while the rebel song 'Come out, ye Black and Tans' plays in the background. Herrera is currently running in a run-off vote against incumbent representative Tony Gonzalez. The video was branded 'jaw-droppingly stupid' by a human rights activist from Northern Ireland. Herrera has previously faced criticism for testing a submachine gun from Nazi Germany while goose-stepping to a marching song associated with its soldiers. [de38d178]