Political News
Reports on political developments, legislation, and leadership. The Daily Signal provides news and conservative analysis of American politics.
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opinion
How Florida Became New Capital of Red State America
In what was an overall frustrating election night for Republicans, in which the oft-predicted “red wave” failed to materialize nationally, there was one state above all that provided a clear beacon of hope. That would be my adopted state of Florida. In the Sunshine State last Tuesday evening, Gov. Ron DeSantis cruised to a second… -
opinion
America’s Electoral System Is Suffering From a Credibility Crisis
Defying all predictions of a photo finish Senate race, Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman won 50.3% of the vote to Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz’s 47.3%. The unexpectedly large margin helped avoid a midterm meltdown. But don’t be deceived; that margin masks major electoral system dysfunction that remains unaddressed. If the margins had been narrower, things might have looked… -
opinion
Democrats, Voter Fraud, and Harpo Marx
Are Republicans “election deniers” and “vote suppressers” because they keep finding voter fraud in critical battleground states? Democrats are certainly making that claim, with Georgia’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Stacey Abrams, the chief purveyor of that charge. But the Democrats, as it turns out, appear willing to use almost any excuse to oppose good-faith efforts to… -
news
Conservative Leaders Call for Delaying House and Senate Leadership Elections
Top conservative leaders released a letter Monday calling on Republican members of the 118th Congress to delay House and Senate leadership elections. Letter signers include Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, Club for Growth President David McIntosh, senior partner at the Conservative Partnership Institute Mark Meadows, Conservative Partnership Institute Chairman Jim DeMint, and more. (The Daily… -
opinion
DeSantis-Endorsed School Board Member Is Training Parents to Run for Office
Bridget Ziegler was among the 30 school board candidates to earn the endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this year. It was a novel approach for a governor to endorse school board candidates, but one that paid off big time for conservatives who support education freedom and parental empowerment. Nationwide, many first-time candidates won election… -
opinion
America’s Fourth World Vote System Is a Global Embarrassment
The whole world is laughing. “US election results: When will we know who won?” the BBC wondered. AZCentral.com columnist Jon Gabriel wrote: “Friends in Hungary and Brazil asked how their entire nations can count votes in a few hours, while it takes Arizona a week or longer.” As of early Friday afternoon, America’s voting system… -
opinion
Tuesday Takeaways
What, if anything, did the midterms tell us about the country—other than underwhelming Republicans could still take the House and Senate? During the COVID-19 lockdowns, American elections radically changed to mail-in and early voting. They did so in a wild variety of state-by-state ways. Add ranked voting and a required majority margin to the mess… -
news
Conservative Senators Defy McConnell, Want to Delay GOP Leadership Elections
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is facing a rebellion in his own conference just days after Republicans underperformed in key races across the country. A growing number of conservative senators want the GOP leadership elections postponed until after the December runoff in Georgia, where Republican Herschel Walker is facing Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock after… -
news
8 Biden-Related Investigations Likely From House’s New GOP Majority
When Republicans secure a narrow House majority, which appears likely as vote counting continues, it will mean an aggressive oversight agenda in the new year, something the Biden administration largely has avoided from Congress in its first two years. As of Sunday afternoon, Republicans appeared to control 212 House seats after midterm elections Tuesday—only six… -
news
Results of State Election Integrity Ballot Measures Are Mixed Bag
Election integrity laws of various stripes were on the ballot in states across the country on Tuesday. Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, who specializes in election integrity issues, broke down some of the most important of those initiatives before the election. You can read his take on the issue… -
news
6 Takeaways From House Freedom Caucus’ COVID-19 ‘Accountability’ Hearing
The House Freedom Caucus hosted a COVID-19 accountability hearing Thursday at The Heritage Foundation. (The Daily Signal is Heritage’s multimedia news organization.) The hearing, which lasted roughly two and half hours, addressed topics such as lockdowns during the pandemic, vaccine efficacy, and the impact of Big Tech censorship. Here are six takeaways. 1. America is… -
opinion
Federal Court Blocks Biden’s Student Loan Bailout. Will the Opinion Stand?
A federal district judge blocked President Joe Biden’s student loan bailout, holding that it is “an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s legislative power and must be vacated.” Biden’s plan cancels $10,000 of debt for borrowers who have federal student loans and make less than $125,000 per year, and $20,000 for borrowers who received a Pell Grant…. -
opinion
How This Air Force Veteran Gives Back to Fellow Veterans
An Air Force veteran is giving back to and assisting the veteran community, one tweet at a time. “We are a unique, one-of-a-kind, social media-driven, veteran nonprofit,” Gretchen Smith, founder of Code of Vets, says. “We operate purely on Twitter and a few other platforms, but primarily we are Twitter-driven.” “We have assisted roughly 5,000… -
opinion
On Veterans Day, Reflect on Why America Is Worth Fighting For
A defining characteristic of our American republic is service and devotion. No group exemplifies these civic virtues better than America’s veterans. On Friday, this Veterans Day, it’s more important than ever to remember the sacrifice our veterans made for this country. Every Nov. 11, on what was once called Armistice Day, we celebrate Veterans Day…. -
news
DC Voters’ Pay Hike for Tipped Employees Will Drive Away Customers, Restaurant Owner Says
Voters in the District of Columbia approved a ballot measure Tuesday that gradually will raise the pay of tipped workers. The approved measure, Initiative 82, also will require that D.C. employers match the pay of tipped employees to the district’s minimum wage requirement by 2027. D.C. restaurants are among employers targeted by the ballot question,… -
news
4 Keys to Understanding Why This Arizona County Still Has Election Problems
On Election Day, Cathi Herrod received calls and emails about problems in Arizona’s Maricopa County about voting machines not accepting ballots, ballot tabulators being broken, and other questions regarding paper ballots. “Voters are skittish in Maricopa County about election integrity,” Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, a conservative think tank, told The Daily… -
news
Sports Star to Be Jailed 10 Months for ‘Transphobic’ Message That ‘God Created Adam and Eve’
One of the most legendary soccer players of his time received a jail sentence and a fine for posting “transphobic” social media messages citing the Bible’s creation account. “God created Adam and Eve,” wrote retired Greek football legend Vassilis Tsiartas in the second of two Facebook posts opposing a 2017 law that would have lowered the age… -
opinion
Pollster Breaks Down Red Washout
As the two sides try to make sense of Tuesday’s surprises, Americans can agree on one thing: There were plenty of successes and disappointments to go around. Republicans and Democrats will both walk away discouraged about certain assumptions they carried into this week—and they are equal parts proud and reassured by other obstacles they overcame. By… -
opinion
Washington State Ban on Natural Gas Heating Is All Cost, No Benefit
The Washington State Building Code Council, an unelected board that governs construction standards, on Nov. 4 decided to effectively ban natural gas heating in new construction homes and office buildings. Advocates of the new restrictions admitted reluctantly that their new requirements will increase the cost of housing, but perhaps even more notable is that the… -
opinion
Biden’s Lies vs. Trump’s ‘Lies’: What a Difference an Administration Makes
During Donald Trump’s presidency, The Washington Post kept a running tally of his alleged lies and/or misleading statements. But when Joe Biden became president, the Post’s fact-checker, Glenn Kessler, announced an end to the database operation. “Maintaining the Trump database over four years required about 400 additional eight-hour days over four years beyond our regular…