Seth McLaughlin
Articles by Seth McLaughlin
Steve Bullock, John Hickenlooper and Jay Inslee, governors, find experience pitch no longer sells
The adage that running a state is the best preparation for running a country is not getting much love these days. Published September 11, 2019
Beto O’Rourke goes full Spanish on Twitter
Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke on Wednesday broke ground as the first candidate in the Democratic presidential field to roll out a Spanish-language Twitter account. Published September 11, 2019
Jon Ossoff announces 2020 Senate campaign for Georgia seat
Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff — of 2017 special election fame — has launched a bid to unseat Republican Sen. David Perdue in the 2020 election, setting up a potential high-profile Senate battle next fall that could test the Democratic theory that Georgia is becoming bluer. Published September 10, 2019
Donald Trump has work to do in Texas to shore up approval, a new poll finds
President Trump has his work cut out for him in Texas, according to a new poll that shows more registered voters are poised to vote for his Democratic rival in the 2020 presidential race. Published September 10, 2019
Jon Ossoff, Dem, seeks to unseat David Perdue, Republican, in Georgia Senate race
Democrat Jon Ossoff has launched a bid to unseat Republican Sen. David Perdue in the 2020 election -- setting up a possible high-profile Senate battle next fall that could test the Democratic theory that Georgia is politically turning more blue. Published September 10, 2019
28% of Democrats say it should be illegal to join the NRA: Poll
Almost three in 10 Democrats say it should be illegal to become a member of the National Rifle Association, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey released on Monday. Published September 9, 2019
Elizabeth Warren wades into Texas primary battle, backs Rep. Henry Cuellar’s liberal challenger
Sen. Elizabeth Warren picked sides Monday in a Democratic primary House race in south Texas, throwing her support behind incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar's opponent Jessica Cisneros. Published September 9, 2019
Joe Biden bloody eye, memory woes overshadow 2020 bid
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden's red eyes and shaky memory have become major media stories in recent days, complicating the 76-year-old Democrat's insistence that he is up for running the White House. Published September 5, 2019
2020 Democrats enter crucial stretch as field narrows
The Democratic presidential race is entering a crucial three-month stretch of the race that will test the mettle of the top candidates and determine whether their lesser-known and lesser-funded rivals will emerge as serious contenders or get kicked to the curb. Published September 2, 2019
Bernie Bros battles Yang Gang to win Democrats, leftists
The scrapping between the Yang Gang and Bernie Bros is one of the more fascinating fights in the 2020 field, with Andrew Yang, the newcomer, making a serious play for liberal and disenchanted voters who backed the maverick senator the last time. Published September 1, 2019
DNC faces criticism for stricter standards for presidential debates
As the field was being set Wednesday for the next debate, the Democratic National Committee still struggled to convince the excluded candidates and their followers that it wasn't putting its finger on the scale as it did in the 2016 primary race. Published August 28, 2019
Elizabeth Warren, 2020 Democrats abandon Trump impeachment push
Sen. Elizabeth Warren was part of the pro-impeachment stampede of presidential hopefuls in April, taking to Twitter to announce her support for ousting President Trump. Published August 27, 2019
Monmouth Poll: Warren, Sanders, Biden virtually tied for top spot in Democratic race
The race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination is tightening up, according to a new poll that shows a virtual three-way tie between former Vice President Joseph R. Biden and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernard Sanders. Published August 26, 2019
Joe Kennedy III confirms interest in 2020 Senate bid
Rep. Joe Kennedy III confirmed the rumors Monday that he's flirting with running for the U.S. Senate - setting up a possible 2020 primary showdown with Sen. Ed Markey in Massachusetts. Published August 26, 2019
Tulsi Gabbard knocks DNC over debate qualifying rules
Scrambling to win an invite to the third Democratic presidential debate, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is calling on the Democratic National Committee to expand the list of "certified" polls it uses to determine who gets a ticket to the big show. Published August 26, 2019
Bernie Sanders’ ‘Medicare for All’ sputters as Kamala Harris, 2020 Democrats flee
When Sen. Bernard Sanders reintroduced his "Medicare for All" bill in the Senate in April, four of his fellow Democratic presidential hopefuls signed on with him, thrilling liberal activists who believed the universal health care proposal was becoming unstoppable. Published August 15, 2019
Pete Buttigieg sexuality, youth worry Iowa voters
Democratic voters here love Mayor Pete, but they may be penalizing him because he's gay. It's not that they hold it against Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, but they fear the rest of the country may not be ready for a 37-year-old, married, openly gay man to sit in the White House, so they are reluctant to help him win the party's presidential nomination. Published August 13, 2019
Steve Bullock finds support among Iowa Democrats as Joe Biden backup candidate
Dan Lovett, shopping for a possible alternative to former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, popped into a house party in Iowa recently to hear Montana Gov. Steve Bullock speak. Published August 12, 2019
Tom Steyer ad blitz wows Iowa voters, pushes billionaire near debate qualification
Hedge fund billionaire and Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer quickly demonstrated that money talks and voters listen, with a TV ad blitz in crucial early voting states getting his self-funded campaign noticed and pushing him up in the polls. Published August 12, 2019
Iowa Democrats want moderate candidate for 2020 election
Some Democrats sound poised to blow a hole in the plot-line that suggests the aggressive far left-wing politics that have dominated the headlines in Washington will rule in Iowa's first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses next year. Published August 11, 2019