Grijalva Finally Sworn In, Adds Final Signature Needed on Discharge Petition to Release Epstein Files By Sarah Rumpf
November 12, 2025
Introduction:
(Mediaite) Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) can now finally call herself a member of Congress, after a 50-day delay, and has signed a much-anticipated petition for a vote to release files on deceased child sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein.
On Wednesday, Grijalva was able to drop the “Rep.-elect” moniker that has preceded her name since she won a special election on Sept. 23 to succeed her father, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) in representing Arizona’s 7th district. The elder Grijalva passed away on March 13.
House Republicans dragged their feet on letting Grijalva officially join their ranks, using the government shutdown as an excuse. Grijalva and her supporters have openly speculated that the delay is driven by the fact that she would be the 218th signature in the House for a petition to vote to release the Epstein files.
Additional Extract:
However, as several commentators have pointed out, the House discharge petition is not the final step for the release of the files. It would still need to pass the Senate — and get the signature of President Donald Trump.
Katie Wilson Wins Seattle Mayor’s Race After Insurgent Campaign Demanding Affordability November 14, 2025
Introduction:
(Democracy Now!) In Seattle, first-term mayor Bruce Harrell has conceded defeat in his reelection fight against community organizer Katie Wilson, who campaigned on a message of affordability in a city where the cost of living has soared. Wilson’s platform calls for progressive taxation to raise revenue from the wealthiest households and corporations to pay for affordable housing and social programs benefiting families. Wilson spoke to reporters Thursday after mayor Harrell conceded.
Katie Wilson: “I want everyone in this great city of ours to have a roof over their head. I want universal child care and free K through 8 summer care. I want worldclass mass transit. I want great, safe public spaces where kids can run around with abandon. I want stable, affordable housing for renters. I want social housing. I want much more land and wealth to be owned and stewarded by communities instead of corporations. I want a robust economy with thriving small businesses, great living wage jobs, and strong rights for workers.”
GOP’s Redistricting Power Grab One Step Closer to Spectacularly Backfiring By Brad Reed
November 11, 2025
Introduction:
(Common Dreams) President Donald Trump’s push for mid-decade redistricting to prevent Republicans from losing control of the US House of Representatives appears to be on the verge of backfiring.
The latest blow to Trump’s nationwide redistricting efforts came in Utah, where District Court Judge Dianna Gibson shot down a proposed map drawn by Utah Republicans because it failed to abide by a 2018 ballot measure that restricted partisan gerrymandering in the state.
As reported by NBC News, Gibson instead approved a map that created “a solidly Democratic seat ahead of next year’s midterm elections,” thus giving Democrats a likely net gain of one seat in the US House.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin hailed Gibson’s ruling and vowed that Democrats weren’t finished fighting Trump’s efforts to rig next year’s elections in his favor.
“Utah Republicans gerrymandered the maps because they knew they were losing power in the state,” he said. “Republicans doubled down when they chose to submit another gerrymandered map, but today, they were once again thwarted by impartial Courts. Democrats will continue to fight for fair maps in Utah, regardless of what Donald Trump and Utah Republicans try next. Every seat counts, and Democrats everywhere are fired up and ready to take back the House in the midterms in 2026.”
The article also discusses the possibility that Republican gerrymandering will unintentionally increase the number of vulnerable districts. This is due to a potential reversal of gains among Latino voters and young men as experienced in the recent Virginia and New Jersey elections.
Sunrise Launches Historic Primary Program: “It’s time to clear house” by November 13, 2025
Introduction:
(The Progressive Newswire – A project of Common Dreams) WASHINGTON - As outrage grows over Chuck Schumer and Establishment Democrats’ refusal to stand up to Donald Trump’s authoritarianism and right-wing extremism, Sunrise Movement announced the launch of the most ambitious primary programs in its history, seizing on the record-breaking number of open seats and challengers across the country.
“For far too long, Democratic leadership has failed to meet the moment; it’s time to clear house,” said Sunrise Movement Executive Director Aru Shiney-Ajay. “I’m extremely excited about the crop of candidates running in 2026. This year, we have an unprecedented opportunity to elect a new generation of leaders who are challenging our broken political system and fighting for a livable and affordable country.”
The initiative will include a nationwide field, protest, and communications program targeting over a dozen congressional primaries. Sunrise organizers and volunteers will mobilize thousands of young people to knock on doors, make calls, and take direct action to elect progressive champions ready to challenge the Democratic Party’s complacency and reimagine what Democratic leadership can look like.
In the 2026 general election, Sunrise will lead one of the largest youth electoral efforts in the country, organizing students on campuses across the country to ensure young voters turn out to reject authoritarianism at the ballot box and are prepared to mobilize in defense of election results if Trump or his allies attempt to subvert democracy.
The initiative marks a new phase in Sunrise’s continued work to confront the threats Trump poses to democracy and to build a political system that works for working people. A central focus of the initiative will be campus organizing, empowering students to resist the Trump administration’s attempts to control curricula and limit political expression.
Tennessee's Seventh Congressional District Special Election to be Held on December 2
By Garrison Hayes
November 21, 2025
Introduction:
(Mother Jones) You should be paying attention to Tennessee.
The congressional race in the state’s seventh congressional district, which includes Nashville, is where cracks in Donald Trump’s base are starting to show. Democrat Aftyn Behn is facing off against Matt Van Epps, a Republican West Point grad who had been strongly favored to win.
Both parties have bombarded the state ahead of the special election on December 2. Trump held a telephone rally for Van Epps, and super PACS from both sides have flooded the race with money, including $1 million from one allied with Trump, according to the New York Times.
“This is a predominately Republican district,” Behn told me. “It was drawn that way.” Indeed, Republicans never intended for it to become a battleground, but the special election has given Democratic voters in the state who are fed up with Trump’s agenda an opening.
Despite Tennessee being one of the lowest turnout states in the country, Democratic lawmakers—sensing an opportunity during a special election that’s activated voters facing an affordability crisis—have shown up big. Former Vice President Kamala Harris recently campaigned for Behn, along with Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas).
Kshama Sawant Wants to Start a ‘Political Earthquake’ By Ed Rampell
November 24, 2025
Introduction:
(The Progressive) It would be easy to dismiss Kshama Sawant as a far-left radical with pie-in-the-sky dreams, if not for the fact that she was elected three consecutive times to Seattle’s City Council, narrowly survived a recall campaign, and won victories while in office, such as establishing a $15 an hour minimum wage in 2014 and fighting for a historic tax on large corporations such as Amazon. Now Sawant—who was born in India, immigrated to the United States in 1996, and describes herself as a Marxist and a revolutionary socialist—has tossed her hat in the ring to run for the U.S. Congress seat currently held by fourteen-term incumbent Adam Smith in Washington State’s ninth Congressional district.
Kshama Sawant spoke with The Progressive virtually from her home in Seattle on October 28. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: Can you talk a bit about your time serving on the Seattle City Council?
Kshama Sawant: I was first elected to the city council in 2013. I was reelected in 2015, and ran for reelection in 2019, and won that. Then, in 2021 there was an attempt by the Trump-oriented rightwing, the Democratic Party, and big business, to recall me—which failed. I left the city council undefeated in December 2023. I was the sole socialist on the council; the other eight members were all affiliated with the Democratic Party, although the council seats are officially nonpartisan.
Conclusion:
(Sawant): History shows that the arsenal to kill people is primarily in the hands of the capitalist class. As far as the ballot part of your question is concerned, I think it’s a false dichotomy to say, “I believe in movements; I don’t believe in electoralism,” or vice versa. Marxist revolutionary leadership is absolutely crucial, as is challenging the Republicans and Democrats and building our own party, winning elections—all the while understanding that all aspects of our work have to be directed towards revolutionary movements. Electing a revolutionary socialist to Congress will be nothing short of a political earthquake.
Challenge to GOP's Gerrymander in Crucial Battleground State Suffers Early Loss By Matthew Chapman
November 26, 2025
Introduction:
(Raw Story) A panel of Republican-appointed federal judges dealt an early blow to a lawsuit seeking to have the North Carolina GOP's mid-decade gerrymander of state congressional districts tossed as a violation of the Voting Rights Act.
North Carolina Republicans already aggressively redrew their congressional maps after winning control of the state Supreme Court this decade, creating a map to reliably elect 10 Republicans and four Democrats in a state that routinely has razor-thin statewide results.
However, earlier this year, the legislature did yet another redraw in response to President Donald Trump's demand for Republicans to create extra seats for themselves, reconfiguring the 1st and 3rd Districts to try to draw out Democratic Rep. Don Davis, who represents a heavily Black area of the state.
Plaintiffs, including the state NAACP, argued in a suit that the redraw is a scheme to deprive Black voters of their rights.
Republican Matt Van Epps Wins House Special Election in Tennessee December 2, 2025
Introduction:
(PBS) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Matt Van Epps has won a nationally watched special election in Tennessee for a seat in the U.S. House, maintaining his party’s grip on the district with help from President Donald Trump.
A military veteran and former state general services commissioner from Nashville, Van Epps defeated Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn to represent the 7th Congressional District.
Van Epps benefited from more than $1 million in spending from MAGA Inc. It was the first time the Trump-supporting super PAC spent money on a campaign since last year’s presidential race, a reflection of the special election’s outsize importance.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP chair Joe Gruters rallied supporters in Tennessee on Monday. Trump addressed a crowd at a rally in the state by phone and later in the day held a tele-rally for Van Epps, his second of the general election.
Republicans entered Election Day hoping to scuttle Democratic claims that even red districts are now in play as Trump struggles with low approval ratings and persistent economic dissatisfaction.
caltrek’s comment: With 99% of the vote counted Van Epps had 53.9% of the vote to Aftyn Behn’s 45%. Republicans argue that a win is a win. Many Democrats and liberal pundits point to the fact that Trump won this district by 22% in the last general election. That is a 13% swing to the Democrats. Some indicate that privately that is cause for worry among Republicans.
This race (see below) did not receive much (if any) attention on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) or CCN.
Progressive Topples Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey in Jersey City Mayoral Runoff By Ry Rivard
December 2, 2025
Introduction:
(Politico) James Solomon, a 41-year-old city councilmember elected with the support of anti-machine progressives, will be the next mayor of New Jersey’s second largest city.
Shortly after polls closed, Solomon was leading with 69 percent of the vote, according to The Associated Press, which called the race.
Solomon won Tuesday’s runoff to lead Jersey City, besting disgraced former Gov. Jim McGreevey. Both men are Democrats but from different parts of the party.
“Tonight is a win for Jersey City against the corrupt political machine,” Solomon said in a statement. “Together, we’re going to build a more affordable Jersey City, where everyone has a chance to thrive and where the people are put first, not developers and special interests. My promise to Jersey City is simple: I will be a mayor for you.”
McGreevey, who announced his campaign an unheard-of two years before the election, had establishment backing that turned into baggage. He joins former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who last month lost his bid to become mayor of New York City, just across the Hudson River — as a politician who grasped for a second chance in public life that voters didn’t want to give them
Republican Ousted by Democrat in Georgia By Kate Plummer
December 3, 2025
Introduction:
(Newsweek) A former Democratic state representative has won the race to be the next mayor of Roswell, Georgia, ousting an opponent who had the backing of the Republican State Governor.
Mary Robichaux, a former Democratic member of the Georgia House of Representatives, won the election with 53 percent of the votes, beating the incumbent Kurt Wilson, who garnered 47 percent of the vote share.
While the mayoral election was non-partisan, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican, had called on Georgia voters to back Wilson, calling him a “Republican” mayor who had kept his city “safe and thriving.” Meanwhile, Robichaux served in Georgia’s House as a Democratic state representative from 2019 to 2023.
The election came as neither candidate secured a majority in the general election on November 4, forcing a runoff.
In the previous election, there were just 185 votes between Wilson and Robichaux.
In the previous election, there were just 185 votes between Wilson and Robichaux.
Mike Johnson Faces GOP Rebellion After Red State Election Scare By Sarah Ewall-Wice
December 3, 2025
Introduction:
(The Daily Beast) Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership in the House faces growing threats of rebellion and mounting scrutiny as Republicans start to panic ahead of next year’s midterms.
While Republican Matt Van Epps won the special election in Tennessee on Tuesday night, the massive overperformance by Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn in the deep red state has some Republicans feeling the heat.
Additional Extract:
The speaker was already facing tension with members of his own caucus before the humiliating results came in.
GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is running for governor of New York, took direct aim at Johnson on Tuesday over a provision she wanted in the annual defense policy bill. She accused him of siding with Democrats against Trump.
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna filed a discharge petition this week to force a vote on a bill to ban stock trading in Congress. She called out leaders of both parties over the “political games” playing out behind closed doors.
The Roberts Court Just Helped Trump Rig the Midterms By Ari Berman
December 4, 2025
Introduction:
(Mother Jones) The Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated the Trump-inspired gerrymandered congressional map in Texas after it was blocked by a lower court, with the Roberts court once again putting its thumb on the scale to weaken protections for minority voters and entrench GOP political power.
The conservative justices approved the Texas map, they wrote in an unsigned order, because “the District Court failed to honor the presumption of legislative good faith” and “improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign, causing much confusion and upsetting the delicate federal-state balance in elections.”
Conclusion:
California voters last month passed Prop. 50, approving a new congressional map designed to give Democrats five new seats to offset Texas. (The Trump administration is now challenging the California map in court.) And though the GOP will likely pick up new seats in Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio through new legislative maps, Democrats gained a seat through a court-order in Utah and could redraw maps in other Democratic states including Virginia. Meanwhile, Republicans have thus far been unable to muster enough support within their own ranks to draw new maps in Indiana, Kansas, New Hampshire, and Nebraska. That means the parties could more or less break even in a redistricting war.
Despite the best efforts of the Roberts court, what once appeared to be a decisive win for Trump’s party is now looking much more like a stalemate.
Fox News Turns Sour on Trump Economy — and So Do His Voters By Sophia Tesfaye
December 7, 2025
Introduction:
(Salon) Donald Trump is preparing to launch his new “affordability tour,” heading to Pennsylvania early next week to revive the worn pledge: “I alone can fix it.” It’s the same nostalgia-driven promise that powered his 2016 ascent. But something has shifted for MAGA. Not only is the economy still grinding under the strain of inflation, high housing costs, and rising bills for energy and insurance, the messaging around those issues is starting to crack — even in places that once functioned as Trump’s best bulwarks.
This hurried sales job, notably, follows shortly after the president’s rhetoric turned sharply dismissive on “affordability” concerns, so much so that even his most loyal surrogates have been scrambling to explain it.
Trump called the affordability crisis a “scam” and a Democrat-crafted “con job” during a Cabinet meeting last Tuesday (in between his apparent naps), telling reporters that “affordability … doesn’t mean anything to anybody.” Vice President JD Vance, attempting a clean-up job the next day, insisted that any expectations that the Trump administration could fix all affordability problems within the first year were a hoax. “The hoax is the idea that it’s our fault and not the Democrats’ fault,” he said.
Republicans on Capitol Hill, however, are waking up to a grim political reality that many of them can no longer afford to ignore: When people cannot pay rent, fill the tank, buy food or keep a roof over their heads, they’re likely to take out their frustrations on the party in power, no amount of rhetoric or red-meat culture-war fodder can paper over the electoral risks.
November’s off-year election blowout has begun to shake up elements within the Republican Party, reinforcing how risky it is to ignore continued inflation and cost-of-living pressures.
