Maine’s major primaries were resolved early Friday after the state tabulated its ranked choice votes: Democrat Hannah Pingree will face off against Republican Bobby Charles in the race for governor, while Democrat Matt Dunlap will advance to the general election in the pivotal 2nd Congressional District race, NBC News projects
President Donald Trump is now throwing his support behind both of the remaining Republicans in the South Carolina governor’s race as he seeks to avoid the possibility of another primary setback this month
A Wisconsin grant program intended to benefit minority students was struck down by the state's supreme court as discriminatory on Thursday.The court relied heavily on a previous U.S. Supreme Court opinion against race-based admission programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.'This is also a big win for taxpayers, who can now challenge many other race-based programs in state court.'The Minority Undergraduate Retention Grant Program targeted black, Hispanic, and Native American students, as well as immigrants from Cambodia, Laos, or Vietnam who migrated to the U.S. since 1975.Assistant Attorney General Charlotte Gibson argued that the state program was not restricted by the higher court order and met the standards set forth by the court.The court disagreed."The Constitution requires that every person 'must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual — not on the basis of race,'" the ruling of the court reads.During the hearing, Chief Justice Jill Karofsky challenged the plaintiff attorney by citing a post from President Donald Trump about former President Barack Obama that many saw as racist."Just last week, the president of the United States posted a remarkably and insanely racist video of President and Michelle Obama depicted as apes," Karofsky said."In this state, people of color contribute to the vitality of our state, and they are thanked by facing disparities when it comes to housing, access to medical care, transportation, incarceration, financial stability, and education," she added. "Do you take issue with anything I just said up to that point?”Luke Berg, of the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, responded that the worst discrimination is "when the law treats individuals differently based on their race."RELATED: Supreme Court hands huge victory to Trump over DEI funding — John Roberts sides with liberal justices The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty's managing vice president, Dan Lennington, praised the ruling."This is a major win for students," he said. "Race cannot be used to dole out scholarships and other financial aid. This is also a big win for taxpayers, who can now challenge many other race-based programs in state court. WILL is proud to stand for equal rights and make that case everywhere we can."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Trump dangles endorsement in front of Netanyahu in Israel's upcoming elections, saying he likes Bibi but urging the Israeli leader to be "more rational."
Graham Platner's Democratic Senate campaign against Susan Collins faces scrutiny over policies that mirror Augusta's progressive agenda.
Matt Dunlap defeated a candidate backed by the House Democratic campaign arm and is set to face former Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, in a competitive general election.
House Democratic leadership's preferred candidate in Maine's 2nd district, state Sen. Joe Baldacci, lost his primary to progressive rival Matt Dunlap, state election officials announced early Friday morning.Why it matters: This is the second time this month that a candidate backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has fallen short in their primary.California State Assembly member Jasmeet Bains, the DCCC-backed candidate in California's 22nd district, failed to make it to the general election, losing out to progressive Randy Villegas.The DCCC has sparked considerable tension among House Democrats by intervening in these races, with some lawmakers threatening to withhold their dues to the House Democratic campaign arm.Dunlap, Maine's state auditor, defeated both Baldacci and former congressional staffer Jordan Wood in a ranked-choice primary.Catch up quick: Baldacci was one of several candidates in contested primaries who were added to the DCCC's coveted "Red to Blue" list last month.The program is generally meant to help Democratic candidates in open or Republican-held battleground seats defeat their GOP opponents.But party leadership determined that Baldacci and several other candidates in districts across the country had the best chance of flipping or holding their districts.Yes, but: The DCCC's investment was minuscule compared to how much they spent in other primaries in California, Texas and Pennsylvania.They ran a $7,500 joint ad buy with Baldacci, whose own campaign spent nearly $250,000 on ads, according to AdImpact.Outside group Real Change PAC, which has suspected ties to Republicans, spent $500,000 on ads attacking Baldacci.What's next: Dunlap will face off with Republican former Gov. Paul LePage in the race to succeed Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine).The district is seen as one of the GOP's top potential pickups in November, having gone for President Trump by nine percentage points in 2024.
The DOJ is suing Virginia to prevent it from becoming a sanctuary jurisdiction, challenging state laws restricting federal immigration enforcement.
"It would only make matters worse if the king refused to see her," a source said of Markle.