RandySF
RandySF's JournalMelania Trump to Chair U.N. Security Council Meeting
First lady Melania Trump will chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday as the U.S. takes over the monthly rotating presidency, Reuters reports.
https://politicalwire.com/2026/02/26/melania-trump-to-chair-u-n-security-council-meeting/
ME-SEN: Platner deletes social media post promoting far-right figure Stew Peters
Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner is facing backlash after amplifying a post made by far-right figure Stew Peters.
“War with Iran is the only thing republicans and democrats have both given a standing ovation for. Let that sink in,” Peters, who has been deemed a conspiracy theorist, Christian nationalist and “prolific” espouser of antisemitic views by the Anti-Defamation League, wrote in a Tuesday post on the social platform X.
His comments referred to the applause from Democrats and Republicans while President Trump touted his administration’s efforts against Iran’s nuclear program during the State of the Union.
Platner shared Peters’s comment and wrote a similar statement in a now-deleted post.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5757567-platner-stew-peters-post-controversy/
Donald Trump Considers Using National Emergency Powers to Assert Control Over Federal Elections
A group of legal advisors and political allies is reportedly urging Donald Trump to invoke emergency authorities to expand executive oversight of the American electoral process. This strategy, which is currently being debated within the inner circles of the former president’s legal team, suggests that the executive branch could utilize the National Emergencies Act to intervene in state-led voting procedures. Proponents of this move argue that such drastic measures are necessary to ensure what they describe as election integrity, though constitutional experts warn that such an action would face immediate and severe challenges in the federal court system.
The proposal centers on the idea that the president could declare a national emergency based on claims of foreign interference or systemic vulnerabilities within the voting infrastructure. By doing so, the administration would theoretically attempt to bypass the traditional decentralized model where individual states manage their own elections. This push represents a significant departure from historical norms, as the United States has long maintained a fragmented election system to prevent the concentration of power within a single federal office. Critics of the plan argue that using emergency powers in this manner would essentially strip the states of their sovereign right to oversee the democratic process.
Legal scholars point out that while the National Emergencies Act provides the president with broad discretion, it was never intended to serve as a tool for administrative control over the ballot box. The 1976 law was designed to allow for rapid responses to natural disasters, economic crises, or immediate national security threats. Attempting to apply this framework to election administration would likely be viewed by the Supreme Court as an overreach of Article II powers. Nevertheless, the conversation surrounding these powers highlights a growing rift in the Republican party between traditionalists who favor state-led elections and a new wing that seeks a more centralized federal approach.
Inside the strategy sessions, advisors have pointed to various executive orders from previous administrations as potential precedents for such a move. They suggest that the infrastructure of the Department of Homeland Security could be leveraged to take a more active role in monitoring and certifying results. However, the logistical hurdles are as daunting as the legal ones. Election officials across the country, including many in conservative-leaning states, have expressed deep skepticism regarding federal intervention. These officials maintain that local control is the most effective safeguard against fraud and administrative error.
https://washingtonmorning.com/2026/02/26/donald-trump-considers-using-national-emergency-powers-to-assert-control-over-federal-elections/
WI-GOV: Marquette poll (Gold standard): Hong, Barnes top Democratic primary for governor, but most voters undecided
A new poll released Wednesday by Marquette University Law School shows former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has more name recognition than any other candidate for governor — but he isn’t Democratic voters’ clear first choice.
Marquette surveyed 818 registered Wisconsin voters from Feb. 11-19. It found 58 percent had only heard “a little” about the candidates running for governor, while 35 percent had heard “nothing at all.” Among Democratic primary voters, 65 percent reported they hadn’t made a choice.
But among those who have, results show former Barnes and state Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, are essentially tied when the survey’s margin of error is taken into account.
That’s notable because the Marquette poll found Barnes was the only candidate in the race with name recognition higher than 50 percent, which was well ahead of his Democratic opponents, and even ahead of GOP candidate Tom Tiffany. Barnes’ recognition comes from his previous statewide race for Lt. Gov. in 2018 and his unsuccessful 2022 U.S. Senate race against Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.
https://www.wpr.org/news/marquette-poll-hong-barnes-democratic-primary-governor-supreme-court-undecided
Wyandotte school board calls for member to resign over Facebook post
Wyandotte — The Wyandotte Public Schools board is calling on one of its own members to resign after posting a social media comment that residents called racist and dehumanizing toward Muslims.
A screenshot of the post circling social media shows board member Cindy Kinney commenting on a post that asks, "Dogs or Muslims you can only keep one." Kinney commented, "Dogs." It's unclear when the post was made.
The board held a special meeting Tuesday night to pass a resolution condemning the post and to hear from the public. A school board cannot remove one of its own members, per state law. Only the public has recourse through a recall.
The resolution called the post "discriminatory and hurtful" and was "not in any way authorized or endorsed by the full school board, and does not reflect its views or perspective."
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2026/02/25/wyandotte-school-board-cindy-kinney-facebook-post-resolution-resign/88864133007/
Lansing politico Saif Alsenad punished for lying to FBI agents
A politically connected Dearborn Heights man was spared a prison sentence Thursday for lying to FBI agents who were investigating bribes paid to his former boss, ex-Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly.
Instead, U.S. District Judge Linda Parker sentenced Wimberly's former executive assistant, Saif Alsenad, to 18 months' probation and a $20,000 fine.
Alsenad, 34, was sentenced five months after pleading guilty, marking the latest conviction in a continuing crackdown on public corruption and related wrongdoing in Metro Detroit that has led to prison sentences for about 130 politicians, school leaders, United Auto Workers officials, auto executives and Wimberly, who was sentenced to two years in federal prison last year for demanding $100,000 in bribes from a developer who also was an FBI informant.
Few convicted during the corruption crackdown have had as many supporters as Alsenad. Numerous supporters filed letters with the court, including one from state Rep. Jamie Thompson, who penned a message on Michigan House of Representatives letterhead describing Alsenad as "a man of high integrity, compassion and a genuine heart for service."
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2026/02/26/lansing-politico-saif-alsenad-punished-for-lying-to-fbi-agents/88876797007/
PA-HD142: Democrat Kristin Egan Announces Bid to Unseat Bucks County Incumbent Republican Joe Hogan
Kristin Egan, a Neshaminy School District board director and public school teacher and Democrat, is challenging incumbent Republican Joe Hogan to represent Bucks County’s 142nd House District in the Pennsylvania State Legislature.
Hogan announced his re-election campaign bid in early February; Egan recently announced her intention to run against him.
HD-142 is made up of Langhorne, Langhorne Manor and Penndel boroughs; portions of Middletown and Northampton townships and Lower Southampton Township. A map of the 142nd district may be found here.
“I’ve consistently been ranked as one of the most independent house members in Harrisburg, working with anyone who wants to help our community,” Hogan said in a press release.
https://buckscountybeacon.com/2026/02/democrat-kristin-egan-announces-bid-to-unseat-bucks-county-incumbent-republican-joe-hogan-to-represent-hd-142/
NJ-03: Lisa McCormick ally will challenge Conaway in NJ-3 primary
Lisa McCormick, the shadowy perennial candidate who is waging her latest campaign this year against U.S. Senator Cory Booker, is recruiting other candidates to run on her statewide Democratic primary ticket.
Shawn Scott, a Marine Corps veteran and corrections officer from Cinnaminson, will run on McCormick’s “Democrats for Change” slate against Rep. Herb Conaway (D-Delran) in the 3rd congressional district. (Despite the shared name, the slate has nothing to do with Steve Fulop’s gubernatorial campaign slogan from last year, and McCormick used the same slogan in her 2018 Senate campaign.)
There could be more McCormick-aligned challengers still to come; Scott told the New Jersey Globe that he’s the only House candidate that he knows of so far, but that McCormick and her controversial partner James Devine are looking to add more.
For his own campaign, Scott said that he plans on running as a “progressive and aggressive politician,” criticizing President Donald Trump for his deportation policies, his attacks on the Federal Reserve, and his disparagement of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance. Conaway, Scott said, has failed to sufficiently push back against Trump and advocate for the residents of the 3rd district.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/lisa-mccormick-ally-will-challenge-conaway-in-nj-3-primary/
Walter and Cimino face Dem convention challenger in Mercer
Two Mercer County Commissioners will face a challenge tomorrow night when they seek the endorsement of the Democratic county convention in their bids for re-election.
The incumbents, Lucylle Walter and John Cimino, face challenges from Nakia White Barr, a former assistant vice president at Princeton University and Harvard Law School graduate who served as an assistant Trenton city attorney while Douglas Palmer was mayor.
Also seeking party support is Henggao Cai of East Windsor.
White Barr spent more than three years as Trenton’s chief municipal prosecutor before a stint as the associate general counsel and secretary of the Board of Trustees at Michigan State University. At Princeton, she ran the office of institutional affairs.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/walter-and-cimino-face-dem-convention-challenger-in-mercer/
NY-07: WFP endorses Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso (D) in Congressional race
The New York Working Families Party (WFP) has endorsed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the race to succeed outgoing U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez in New York’s 7th Congressional District.
Reynoso is running against Assembly Member Claire Valdez and Council Member Julie Won to succeed Velázquez, who announced late last year that she would not seek re-election after 33 years in office.
The district, which straddles north Brooklyn and western Queens, is one of the most liberal congressional districts in the country, pitting three progressive candidates against each other ahead of the Democratic primary in June.
Reynoso, who scooped an endorsement from Velázquez in January, picked up the WFP endorsement on Monday, with the WFP describing the Brooklyn Borough President as the “best candidate” to represent working families.
https://qns.com/2026/02/wfp-endorses-antonio-reynoso/
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