Author: Aaron Gulbransen

OH-13 Democrat Nominee Emilia Sykes Inserted Pay Increase into Legislation to Benefit First Responders Families

Aaron Gulbransen

In 2018, as an Ohio legislative leader, OH-13 Democrat nominee Emilia Sykes inserted a pay raise for herself into legislation to benefit the families of fallen first responders.

Between December 2017 and December 31, 2018, Emilia Sykes served as the Democratic Whip in the Ohio House of Representatives. In the Ohio House of Representatives, the minority whip “is responsible for monitoring legislation and securing votes for legislation on the floor. The Minority Whip is elected by all members of the House and is responsible for monitoring legislation and security votes for legislation on the floor.”

Read More

Another Poll Shows JD Vance Leading in Ohio U.S. Senate Race

Aaron Gulbransen

A new poll released by the Trafalgar Group shows Ohio Republican U.S. Senate nominee JD Vance with a 4.6 percent lead over Democrat nominee Tim Ryan.

The poll was conducted from August 16 through August 19 and contained the responses of 1087 likely general election voters with a margin of error of 2.9 percent and a confidence rating of 95 percent.

Read More

Ohio Poll Conducted After Mar-a-Lago Raid Shows JD Vance with Three Percent Lead

Aaron Gulbransen

In poll results released on Wednesday by Emerson College Polling, Ohio Republican U.S. Senate nominee JD Vance leads Democrat nominee Tim Ryan 45 percent to 42 percent.

The survey of Ohio voters was conducted between August 15 and 16. The FBI raided former President Trump’s Florida home on August 8.

Read More

OH-13 Democrat Nominee Emilia Sykes Receives Donations from Pharmaceutical Companies

Aaron Gulbransen

OH-13 Democrat Nominee Emilia Sykes has criticized Republicans for voting against capping costs for life saving drugs, and has promised to fight to lower drug costs but has taken over $12,000 from pharmaceutical companies that have raised the prices of lifesaving drugs, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On August 3, 2022, Emilia Sykes tweeted that as an elected official, she “will fight to lower the cost of prescription drugs.”

Read More

Ohio Congressional Hopeful Used City Council Office to Coordinate with Wife’s Company

Aaron Gulbransen

Ohio’s 1st Congressional District Democrat nominee Greg Landsman used his official office to coordinate and introduce a partnership with a company where his wife works as an executive.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Landsman coordinated and introduced a partnership with 84.51 to retrieve data and identify areas of need in the area.

Read More

Records Show OH-13 Democrat Nominee Emilia Sykes Has Only Held Paying Jobs at the Taxpayer’s Expense

Aaron Gulbransen

Records show that the only salaried jobs that Ohio 13th Congressional District Democrat nominee Emilia Sykes has held have been funded by taxpayers.

According to her 2013 resume that she filed with the Summit County Fiscal Office when applying for a position, Sykes reported only having had two salaried jobs, which included work for the United States Bankruptcy Court in Cleveland, OH and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Atlanta, Georgia.

Read More

Marcy Kaptur Stays Close to Biden Administration’s Policies Despite Public Opinion During Presidential Visit

Aaron Gulbransen

As Joe Biden made his way to Ohio on Wednesday, Ohioans likely won’t forget that their longtime U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09) has been a rubber stamp for the liberal Biden agenda that has left families across the country to pinch pennies.

America Rising PAC Press Secretary, Kristen Bennett said to The Ohio Star, “Marcy Kaptur’s decision to stand by Joe Biden today, puts on full display her decision to be a rubber stamp for the Biden agenda that caused the runaway-inflation crisis plaguing Ohioans.”

Read More

OH-1 Democrat Nominee Greg Landsman Opposed Anti-Corruption Legislation

Aaron Gulbransen

OH-1 Democrat nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives, Cincinnati City Councilman Greg Landsman opposed anti-corruption legislation in 2021, and later touted Cincinnati’s Office of Ethics and Good Government, saying that “we needed to do everything in our power to restore public trust” after a scandal involving text messages.

In September 2021, Landsman declared his opposition to a ballot measure creating an amendment to the city charter that was characterized by him and in the press as allowing for individual city employees to be liable “for some violations of open meetings and public records law violations.”

Read More

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.

Read More

Ohio Democrat Marcy Kaptur Touted Eviction Moratorium, Tried to Evict Two Tenants

Aaron Gulbransen

40-year Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09) promoted her involvement in legislation establishing a nationwide tenant eviction moratorium, yet attempted to evict to tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the evictions was requested strictly for the reason of not paying rent.

Read More

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.”

Read More

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.”

Read More

Ohio Attorney General David Yost Attending NAAG Globalist London Retreat on Taxpayer Dime

Aaron Gulbransen

David Yost, the Republican attorney general of Ohio, is on the participant list of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) globalist retreat to London, The Ohio Star has learned.

Along with Yost, the attorneys general of Idaho, Vermont, Nebraska, Hawaii, and Mississippi are scheduled to attend on the dimes of their respective taxpayers.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.” 

Read More

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.

Read More

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.”

Read More

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.”

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

OH-13 Republican Candidate Max Miller Has Nearly $1 Million Financial Lead over Nearest Competitor

Aaron Gulbransen

Republican Candidate Max Miller has a nearly $1 million financial lead over his nearest competitor in the race for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, as of the December 31, 2021 filing deadline.

According to FEC records, Miller has raised $1,828,312.50 and has $968,976.38 cash on hand in the bank. No other candidate in either the Republican field or the Democrat field have more than $15,000 on hand.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More