Seth McLaughlin
Articles by Seth McLaughlin
Congressional Democrats vow to end ‘culture of corruption’ in Washington
Congressional Democrats unveiled another part of their anti-Trump 2018 campaign platform Monday, proposing tightening campaign finance and ethics laws they said have been exposed as too weak after they failed to snare President Trump. Published May 21, 2018
Texas Democrats Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, Laura Moser divided on Obamacare
Houston-area voters will have the chance Tuesday to weigh in on whether the Democratic Party should go all-in for Medicare-for-all when they cast ballots in a primary runoff race between congressional candidates Lizzie Pannill Fletcher and Laura Moser. Published May 20, 2018
Mitch McConnell is the biggest factor in Senate control
Mitch McConnell has been the Senate Republican leader for more than a decade, but never has his influence been more felt than this election year as he tries to defend his party's slim majority against Democrats riding an anti-Trump wave. Published May 17, 2018
Republicans confident in candidates ahead of 2018 midterm vote
Republicans say last week's primaries delivered the kind of candidates their party needs to expand its majority in the Senate, though Democrats say they also did what they needed to do to advance toward their goal of netting the two dozen House seats that would flip control of the lower chamber. Published May 13, 2018
Don Blankenship devising ways to kneecap Patrick Morrisey’s Senate bid
Greg Thomas, a Blankenship spokesman, said Thursday that the former coal baron plans to do whatever he can to stop Republican Senate nominee Patrick Morrisey, the state's attorney general, from winning West Virginia's Senate race this fall. Published May 10, 2018
Gina Haspel grilled by Democrats in hearing
Democrats used Gina Haspel's nomination to lead the CIA to score points with the party's anti-Trump liberal base, as senators and Senate hopefuls competed with each other Wednesday to prove they were taking a tough stance against her. Published May 9, 2018
Mike Braun wins Republican Senate nomination in Indiana
Mike Braun emerged victorious in the GOP Senate primary in Indiana, triumphing over two members of Congress in a bitter contest that turned into a wrestling match over which of them was most committed to President Trump. Published May 8, 2018
Republicans’ hold on House could rest on critical primaries
Republicans, desperate to hold onto seats of retiring lawmakers, will learn Tuesday who their candidates will be in a handful of critical races across the country that will go a long way toward determining whether the GOP holds on to the House this November. Published May 7, 2018
Donald Trump’s campaign style seen in Senate primary races
The race in West Virginia, like the Republican senatorial primaries in Ohio and Indiana on Tuesday, has turned into a test of Trumpiness. Published May 6, 2018
Doug Jones quietly fulfills campaign promises in Senate
When Doug Jones won his seat in last year's Senate special election in Alabama, fellow Sen. Joe Manchin embraced him as a member of the "radical middle" in Congress, predicting he'd cross party lines to get things done. Published May 3, 2018
GOP welcomes Nancy Pelosi’s desire to regain House gavel
Republicans are happy to hear that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi envisions sticking around after the 2018 election, signaling they believe that her hopes of winning back the speakership will help energize GOP voters in the fall. Published May 2, 2018
Nancy Pelosi to run for speaker when Democrats win House in 2018
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi predicted Tuesday that Democrats will win back the House in the midterm elections and she will run for speaker, adding another wrinkle to the speculation over the California Democrat's political future. Published May 1, 2018
Mike Braun, Luke Messer, Todd Rokita trade insults in final Indiana GOP Senate debate
The attacks in the fourth debate of the Indiana GOP Senate race started in the candidates' opening statements and didn't stop until they left the stage. It was a fitting finale, given the rock-'em, sock-'em tenor of the campaign between Reps. Todd Rokita and Luke Messer and former state Rep. Mike Braun. Published April 30, 2018
Indiana Republican Senate candidates trading punches to very end
The GOP Senate race in Indiana started off ugly and is ending in similar fashion, with the candidates trading barbs -- in one case symbolic punches -- over everything from where they live to drunken rap sheets to their fidelity to President Trump. Published April 29, 2018
Ted Cruz endorses Patrick Morrisey in W.Va. Senate race
Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday endorsed Patrick Morrisey in the competitive U.S. Senate race in West Virginia. Published April 27, 2018
GOP Rep. Patrick Meehan resigns, decision tied to harassment settlement
Republican Rep. Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania resigned Friday amid an ethics probe into a secret payment he made to a former staffer over a sexual harassment claim. Published April 27, 2018
House Democrats roll out innovation plank of ‘Better Deal’
House Democrats on Friday unveiled the "innovation" plank in a legislative blueprint that they hope will serve as a springboard for winning back the U.S. House in the November midterm elections. Published April 27, 2018
Robert Menendez ‘severely admonished’ by Senate ethics committee
The Senate Select Committee on Ethics "severely admonished" Sen. Robert Menendez Thursday over his relationship with a Florida eye doctor and the gifts he received from him. Published April 26, 2018
Steny Hoyer should resign over primary shenanigans, say Progressive Democrats
Liberal groups demanded the resignation of a top House Democrat on Thursday after he was caught on a secret recording trying to strong-arm a progressive candidate to nix his congressional campaign and clear the way for party leaders' preferred pick to win. Published April 26, 2018
Elizabeth Warren ‘barf bags’ to be given out by super PAC at Massachusetts GOP convention
A political action committee announced Thursday it plans to dole out free "Elizabeth Warren barf bags" at the Massachusetts GOP convention this weekend, where the party is slated to endorse one of the liberal Democrat's rivals. Published April 26, 2018