Author: Aaron Gulbransen

Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life on Post-Roe World and Pelosi Communion Denial

Aaron Gulbransen

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life spoke with The Tennessee Star about what the landscape is going to look like in a post-Roe world and addressed the denial of communion to Speaker Nancy Pelosi because of her pro-abortion views and actions in government.

“We’re going to have to work with lawmakers, first of all, in those states that have either trigger laws or pre-existing pro-life laws that have been blocked by the courts – do whatever is necessary quickly to get those laws activated,” he said. “In some cases it’ll take some legislative action, not to the same extent as starting from scratch, but the steps that need to be taken,” Father Pavone said.

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Kentucky U.S. Representative Thomas Massie Blasts Red Flag Laws

Aaron Gulbransen

U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) blasted red flag laws last week during floor debate on legislation pending in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In a tweet sharing his floor speech, Massie said, “A federal red flag law would create millions of second-class citizens. It won’t stop mass shooters but will deprive millions of Americans of due process and their Second Amendment rights.”

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Attorney General Alliance Annual Meetings Taking Place in Idaho

Aaron Gulbransen

The Attorney General Alliance annual meetings are taking place in Sun Valley, Idaho, starting Monday and ending Thursday.

According to its website, “The Attorney General Alliance (AGA) began as the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG), a 501c3 nonprofit organization and bipartisan group of 15 western states and three territories. Built on a foundation of fostering collaboration between western AG offices, CWAG has long maintained a focus on issues in the fields of Native American, natural resources, public lands, minerals, and energy law.”

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National Association of Attorneys General Blasted Again for Leftward Tilt

Aaron Gulbransen

The National Association of Attorneys General was blasted again, this time by eight of its members in a letter sent on May 24 for its increasingly leftward tilt.

Kentucky Attorney General David Cameron sent the letter, which was signed by the attorneys general of Alaska, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.

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Republicans Are Lining Up in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District to Challenge Vulnerable Democrat Incumbent

Aaron Gulbransen

As Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative Tom O’Halleran continues to look vulnerable, Republicans are lining up to challenge him in the GOP primary for Arizona’s Second Congressional district.

The Arizona Sun Times previously reported that O’Halleran is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrat incumbents in the country and at least five candidates have declared against him.

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OH-9 Incumbent Democrat Marcy Kaptur Facing Uphill Battle for Re-election

Aaron Gulbransen

OH-9 incumbent Democrat U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur is facing an uphill battle in her campaign for reelection.

Prior to redistricting, Ohio’s Ninth Congressional district was considered a safe seat for the current Democrat occupant. Nate Silver’s fivethirtyeight gave OH-9 a partisan rating of D+16. It now gives the district a R+6 rating.

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Louisiana’s Republican Legislature Overrides Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards Veto of Redistricting Plan

Aaron Gulbransen
John Bel Edwards

Louisiana’s Republican-controlled legislature voted to override Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’s veto of the congressional redistricting plan they passed in mid-February.

The new congressional maps will maintain the partisan makeup status quo of the the state’s delegation to the United States House of Representatives.

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Republicans Take Aim at Colorado’s 7th Congressional District Seat

Aaron Gulbransen

Republicans are targeting Colorado’s Seventh Congressional district seat for GOP takeover.

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced that they are targeting CO-7. The NRCC’s job is to win as many seats as possible in November in the effort to attain a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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IL-11 Republican Challenger Jerry Evans Responds to National Republican Congressional Committee Adding District to Target List

Aaron Gulbransen

Illinois Eleventh Congressional district challenger Jerry Evans responded to the news that the National Republican Congressional Committee has added the district to the Democrat incumbent target list.

In a statement issued to The Star News Network, Evans said “The NRCC adding Illinois’ 11th Congressional District to their list confirms what we have seen all along. Illinoisans have had enough of Joe Biden’s dismal economy, catastrophic foreign policy, and undeniable incompetence.” he said. “They no longer wish to be represented by Biden yes-men like Bill Foster. They want a Representative who will go to Washington and fight for them, not kowtow to Nancy Pelosi and the far-left fringes of the Democratic Party. With a strong fundraising record, significant national press, and an elite team, my campaign is well positioned to finally retire Bill Foster.” 

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National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Emmer: Vulnerable Democrat Incumbents ‘Will Be Shown No Mercy’

Aaron Gulbransen

The Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee declared open season on Democrat U.S. House incumbents as the NRCC continues to expand its list of targeted races for Republican takeover.

The NRCC had previously announced seventy targeted races. It is now targeting seventy-two.

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NJ-7 Democrat Malinowski Under Investigation for Murky Financial Dealings, Also Benefited from Well-Timed Stock Trades

Aaron Gulbransen

Incumbent U.S. Representative Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-07) appears to have financially benefited from exceptional timing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hill reported in 2021 that Malinowski previously faced two ethics complaints about his failure to report “trading roughly $1 million in stock in medical companies that were involved in responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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NV-1 Democrat Incumbent Dina Titus Says She’s Stunned by New Lines Turning Congressional District to a ‘Tossup’

Aaron Gulbransen

Nevada’s 1st Congressional District Democrat incumbent Dina Titus says she is feeling vulnerable for her re-election and that she hates her new district lines.

Titus clearly feels that the race for her seat is highly competitive.

Titus has strong words for the Democrat-controlled redistricting process, saying “I totally got f****d by the Legislature on my district,” she said in December when the new boundaries were announced. “I’m sorry to say it like that, but I don’t know any other way to say it.”

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NM-3 Republican Alexis Martinez Johnson Rebukes Democrat Squad Member for Tweet with ‘Racist Implication’

Aaron Gulbransen

The effective Republican nominee for New Mexico’s Third Congressional district Alexis Martinez Johnson rebuked infamous Squad member U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley for what she called a tweet with a “racist implication.”

Some have called Pressley’s tweet bigoted.

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Missouri’s Republican State House Likely to Take Action on the State Senate’s Compromised Congressional Map Plan

Aaron Gulbransen

Missouri’s Republican Majority state House is likely to agree to the timid Senate-passed compromise on the state’s congressional redistricting plan on Monday.

The Missouri state House stands adjourned until Monday, March 28. The filing deadline for candidates seeking to run in primaries for one of Missouri’s eight U.S. House seats is the following day, March 29.

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Deep Blue Oregon May Cough Up a U.S. House Seat to the GOP

Aaron Gulbransen

The famously blue state of Oregon may be the site of a November Republican victory in the Fifth congressional district. The current borders of OR-5 are not far from Antifa-laden Portland.

Democrat incumbent U.S. House Representative Kurt Schrader finds himself taking fire from both sides of the aisle.

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Two Democrat Incumbents Face Off in Primary, Making IL-6 a Race to Watch

Aaron Gulbransen
Sean Casten and Marie Newman

Two Democrat incumbent members of the U.S. House are running against each other in a primary for Illinois’ 6th Congressional district, leaving an opening for a possible Republican pickup in November.

Representatives Sean Casten and Marie Newman are set to face off in the June 28 Democrat primary.

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Republicans Aim for Upset Victory in TX-28

Aaron Gulbransen

In an election year that many are expecting to mirror the 2010 midterm GOP U.S. House landslide, Republicans in Texas are hoping to turn Texas’ 28th Congressional District in their favor.

Redistricting has made TX-28 a little more blue, but that hasn’t stopped the NRCC from targeting the Democrat incumbent for defeat.

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Republicans Aim for Upset Victory in TX-28

Aaron Gulbransen

In an election year that many are expecting to mirror the 2010 midterm GOP U.S. House landslide, Republicans in Texas are hoping to turn Texas’ 28th Congressional District in their favor.

Redistricting has made TX-28 a little more blue, but that hasn’t stopped the NRCC from targeting the Democrat incumbent for defeat.

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Records Show Republican Esther Joy King Has Towering Financial Advantage in Open Seat for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District

Aaron Gulbransen

FEC records show that Republican Esther Joy King has a towering financial advantage over the entire field for Illinois’ Seventeenth Congressional district.

Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos has announced her retirement, making IL-17 an open seat race.

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Kansas Swing Congressional District Tilts Towards GOP Takeover

Aaron Gulbransen

Redistricting has caused a Kansas swing U.S. House district to tilt in partisan makeup towards the GOP.

Kansas’ Third Congressional district, long-considered a swing district, went from a D+4 partisan rating prior to redistricting to a R+3 according to Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight ratings system.

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Deep-Blue Washington State Contains Possible GOP U.S. House Seat Pickup

Aaron Gulbransen

Deep blue Washington State contains a U.S. House district that is being targeted for Republican pickup.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has announced that it is targeting Washington’s 8th Congressional District, which is currently represented by Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative Kim Schrier.

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Democrat Incumbent Switches Districts, Leaving Texas 15th Congressional District an Open Target

Aaron Gulbransen

Incumbent Democrat U.S. Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-15) has elected to run for reelection in TX-34, leaving Texas’ Fifteenth Congressional district an open seat.

Redistricting changed the district lines and made an already competitive TX-15 an even more appetizing target for Republicans, who already have a nominee while the Democrats are scheduled to have a run-off in late May.

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Michigan Redistricting Places Incumbent Democrat U.S. Representative Dan Kildee in Competitive New 8th District

Aaron Gulbransen

Michigan’s redistricting process has placed incumbent Democrat U.S. Representative Dan Kildee in a competitive new 8th Congressional District.

Prior to redistricting changing the numbers and lines, Kildee was running in the old 5th district, a district he has represented since 2013. Kildee is the Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democrat Caucus.

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New Hampshire State Senate Set to Vote on House-Passed Redistricting Proposal

Aaron Gulbransen
New Hampshire State Capitol

The New Hampshire State Senate is set to vote on the House-approved redistricting plan on Thursday.

New Hampshire is one of four remaining states that have yet to complete their congressional redistricting process. The others are Louisiana, Florida, and Missouri.

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Two U.S. House Races to Watch: New Hampshire’s 1st and New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional Districts

Aaron Gulbransen

The campaigns for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District and New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District are two races that are important to the GOP’s chances at taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas of NH-1 and Teresa Leger-Fernández of NM-3 are two Democrat incumbents that could find themselves out of a job in November if their Republican challengers have their way.

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Alexis Martinez Johnson Is Effectively the Republican Nominee for New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District

Aaron Gulbransen
Alexis Martinez Johnson

Engineer and mom Alexis Martinez Johnson is effectively the Republican nominee for New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District.

Martinez Johnson achieved over 87 percent of the vote in the recent 3rd-district GOP pre-primary convention. While Martinez Johnson still technically has to run in primary, because of her strong showing at the pre-primary convention, no other candidate is on the ballot.

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Democrats Currently Lead in National Redistricting Efforts with Four States Still Completing Process

Aaron Gulbransen

Democrats currently have the lead in redistricting efforts with four states still working on new maps.

Forty states, 46 if the states that have one congressional district are included, have finished the process of drawing new maps for U.S. House of Representatives districts. Only Florida, Missouri, Louisiana, and New Hampshire have yet to finish their redistricting process.

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Carpetbagger Morgan Ortagus Dodges Questions from The Tennessee Star: ‘You Need to Stop Being Mean to Me’

Aaron Gulbransen

The former State Department spokesman and candidate in the GOP primary for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional district is clearly feeling the pressure of and takes issue with The Tennessee Star’s reporting on her parachute candidacy, telling The Star, “You need to stop being mean to me.” Ortagus did not take questions from The Star about her campaign.

Carpetbagger Morgan Ortagus made her unprompted remark to The Star as several people were milling about the room after a local Republican meeting of the Bellevue Breakfast Club, which took place Saturday morning at Plantation Pub. On several occasions prior to the unprompted remark, Ortagus campaign staff told The Star that she didn’t have time for questions about her campaign. Campaign staff made it clear that they would not allow The Star to ask Ortagus questions about the campaign. If allowed, The Star would have asked if Ortagus has attained residency in the district or not.

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FEC Records Show Tight Financial Contest Between Democrat Incumbent and Republican Challenger in Race for Maine’s Second Congressional District

Aaron Gulbransen
Bruce Poliquin and Jared Golden

Federal Elections Commission (FEC) records show a tight financial contest between incumbent Democrat U.S. Representative Jared Golden and the nearest Republican challenger, former U.S. Representative Bruce Poliquin, in the race for Maine’s Second Congressional district.

As of the December 31, 2021 filing deadline, Golden has raised $2,136,842.68 for the 2022 election cycle and has $1,426,268.38 on hand. Republican challenger Poliquin has raised $1,482,065.91 and has $1,397,129.24 cash on hand in the bank. That’s a cash on hand edge for Golden of less than $30,000, a paltry sum in a highly competitive congressional race.

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Michigan Democrat Representative Elissa Slotkin Commands a Substantial Financial Advantage in the Race for State’s 7th Congressional District

Aaron Gulbransen

NRCC targeted Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin has a towering financial advantage in the race for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District seat.

Slotkin has raised $3,476,331.42 for the 2022 election cycle and is currently sitting on $4,508,719.04 cash on hand. Republican state Senator and U.S. Army veteran Tom Barrett has raised $311,971.14 with $254,171.87 cash on hand. Barrett declared for the race in November of 2021.

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