I’m tired of people like U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio exploiting the trauma of my community for political gain. Cuban people suffer from a government that doesn’t care about them. They are hungry, lack basic medicines, and recently the entire island was plunged into darkness after an electrical outage in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Homes fall apart due to lack of maintenance on a regular day, let alone when they are subjected to the stress induced by heavy rainfall and high velocity winds.

Cubans are in pain and want freedom and democracy. Politicians like Rubio weaponize the desperation our exiles have when watching the situation on the island. They offer no solutions to bring freedom to Cuba while accusing their political opponents of being rabid Marxist-Leninists who are on the verge of establishing a communist dictatorship in the United States.

That’s nonsense but it’s effective manipulation of a diaspora community who saw their freedom and economic opportunities stripped away by a revolution which disguised itself as an uprising to establish democracy in Cuba, but turned sharply against those ideals when aligning itself with the Soviet Union in the early 1960’s and forfeiting elections in favor of authoritarianism.

What does Rubio do to help Cuban-Americans, and Floridians? He opposes increasing the federal minimum wage. He supported repealing the Affordable Care Act, which would have resulted in millions of Floridians losing health insurance. He obstructs immigration reform and pathways to citizenship for Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status recipients, denying refuge to those fleeing the same dictatorships he hypocritically pontificates about. His awful record is why I joined the Service Employees International Union 'We Decide' campaign to speak out.

We can’t even count on Rubio to defend democracy here at home. He lives in perpetual fear of Donald Trump and his extremist MAGA base, refusing to criticize the former disgraced reality TV host.

BLOUNTSTOWN, Fla. — A woman wearing a pink “Trump 2024” cap was fervently telling Rep. Al Lawson on Saturday why she won’t be voting for him — or any other Democrat.

“Our country is going down the tubes and the Democrats are not doing anything to help,” Margaret Belgard told the three-term Democratic congressman from nearby Tallahassee.

Lawson, a 6-foot-7 former athlete trying to save his job after Gov. Ron DeSantis drew him out of his district, had been making the rounds among the food vendors and tents at the annual Goat Day festival in this small town near the Apalachicola River when he encountered Belgard.

“I’m Al Lawson. I need your help,” he’d been repeating all day. But Belgard wasn’t offering any as she criticized Democrats and President Joe Biden. Lawson countered that he steered millions of federal dollars to the area and made a vow: “I won’t give up on you for nothing.”

“If you became a Republican, I’d vote for you all day long,” retorted Belgard.

Several voting and civil rights groups have filed legal challenges against DeSantis’ redistricting efforts in state and federal court but neither are expected to be resolved any time soon.

Instead of retreating, or ending his political career, the 74-year-old Lawson blasted DeSantis’ involvement in redistricting and announced he would challenge Dunn even though the revamped district went for former President Donald Trump over Biden by 11 points in 2020.

“I still had it in my blood,” explains Lawson, who noted that he represented many of the rural counties in the newly-formed congressional district during his 10-year career in the state Senate.

BLOUNTSTOWN, Fla. — A woman wearing a pink “Trump 2024” cap was fervently telling Rep. Al Lawson on Saturday why she won’t be voting for him — or any other Democrat.

“Our country is going down the tubes and the Democrats are not doing anything to help,” Margaret Belgard told the three-term Democratic congressman from nearby Tallahassee.

Lawson, a 6-foot-7 former athlete trying to save his job after Gov. Ron DeSantis drew him out of his district, had been making the rounds among the food vendors and tents at the annual Goat Day festival in this small town near the Apalachicola River when he encountered Belgard.

“I’m Al Lawson. I need your help,” he’d been repeating all day. But Belgard wasn’t offering any as she criticized Democrats and President Joe Biden. Lawson countered that he steered millions of federal dollars to the area and made a vow: “I won’t give up on you for nothing.”

“If you became a Republican, I’d vote for you all day long,” retorted Belgard.

Several voting and civil rights groups have filed legal challenges against DeSantis’ redistricting efforts in state and federal court but neither are expected to be resolved any time soon.

Instead of retreating, or ending his political career, the 74-year-old Lawson blasted DeSantis’ involvement in redistricting and announced he would challenge Dunn even though the revamped district went for former President Donald Trump over Biden by 11 points in 2020.

“I still had it in my blood,” explains Lawson, who noted that he represented many of the rural counties in the newly-formed congressional district during his 10-year career in the state Senate.

He’s running a lazy campaign.

She’s fearless and hard-working.

And — if Florida women angry at the erosion of abortion rights Roe v. Wade gave us vote like their lives depend on this midterm election — he’ll be sweating every last vote.

Perhaps, for the first time, in his maverick political career.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, master of the gift of gab, is so sure that Florida voters will re-elect him over a Democratic Black woman that he hasn’t taken his challenger, U.S. Rep. Val Demings, as seriously as he should.

His confidence stems from the now time and election-tested religious and conservative North-South alliance that makes nationalist whites and Cuban-American Republicans like Rubio political bedfellows.

At Tuesday night’s debate in Lake Worth and broadcast on NBC, she came out swinging first.

“The senator, who has not run anything at all, but his mouth,” Demings called Rubio.

He, in turn, dished cockiness.

Asked if he would accept the 2022 election results, Rubio said: “Sure, because I’m going to win.”

Working for the Cuban vote

Unlike others running in statewide races who shy away from controversial Miami, Demings wasn’t afraid to plunge right in and, first, visit “to learn” as soon as she launched her campaign, and then visit again to engage with voters.

Oh yes, she did go for the touristy Cuban tour usually reserved for Republicans.

She played a game of dominoes — with gusto — in Little Havana and she hung out at a house party. Her trips south won her fans — and energized Cuban-American Democrats, who so often feel undervalued and sidelined.

https://twitter.com/valdemings/status/1570822772527599617

He’s running a lazy campaign.

She’s fearless and hard-working.

And — if Florida women angry at the erosion of abortion rights Roe v. Wade gave us vote like their lives depend on this midterm election — he’ll be sweating every last vote.

Perhaps, for the first time, in his maverick political career.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, master of the gift of gab, is so sure that Florida voters will re-elect him over a Democratic Black woman that he hasn’t taken his challenger, U.S. Rep. Val Demings, as seriously as he should.

His confidence stems from the now time and election-tested religious and conservative North-South alliance that makes nationalist whites and Cuban-American Republicans like Rubio political bedfellows.

At Tuesday night’s debate in Lake Worth and broadcast on NBC, she came out swinging first.

“The senator, who has not run anything at all, but his mouth,” Demings called Rubio.

He, in turn, dished cockiness.

Asked if he would accept the 2022 election results, Rubio said: “Sure, because I’m going to win.”

Working for the Cuban vote

Unlike others running in statewide races who shy away from controversial Miami, Demings wasn’t afraid to plunge right in and, first, visit “to learn” as soon as she launched her campaign, and then visit again to engage with voters.

Oh yes, she did go for the touristy Cuban tour usually reserved for Republicans.

She played a game of dominoes — with gusto — in Little Havana and she hung out at a house party. Her trips south won her fans — and energized Cuban-American Democrats, who so often feel undervalued and sidelined.

https://twitter.com/valdemings/status/1570822772527599617

If Susan Tyler Witten had filed her paperwork to run for House District 31 one day later, she would have been fine.

But Jefferson Circuit Judge Annie O’Connell sided with GOP candidate Witten’s opponent, Democratic candidate Susan “Sue” Foster, in a lawsuit challenging Witten’s candidacy. The basis: Witten and two voters who signed affidavits in support of her candidacy on Jan. 19 were not yet technically residing in the new 31st House District, which took effect one day later on Jan. 20 after the legislature overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of their redistricting maps.

The redistricting process is required to occur every ten years to conform with population changes as documented by the U.S. Census. In Kentucky, the legislature has the sole power to draw new maps for state House and Senate, as well as U.S. Congress and Kentucky Supreme Court districts. Beshear, a Democrat, vetoed the new House maps, calling them an instance of “unconstitutional political gerrymandering.” The Kentucky Democratic Party is fighting a legal battle against the House and U.S. Congressional maps, currently held up in Franklin Circuit Court, using a similar argument.

According to state statute, candidates must file a notification and declaration of their candidacy with the Secretary of State that “shall be signed by the candidate and by not less than two registered voters of the same party from the district or jurisdiction from which the candidate seeks nomination.”

At the time, Witten and the two individuals that signed onto her paperwork resided in House Districts 32 or 33, according to O’Connell’s order.

Democrat Joy Hofmeister appears to have a shot at unseating Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt in November, according to a slew of new polls that show her rapidly rising in popularity just weeks before the election.

Once considered a shoo-in for Stitt, the Oklahoma gubernatorial race is now a top battleground that's caught the nation's attention. In July, Hofmeister was averaging more than 16 points behind Stitt in polls; as of Tuesday morning, she's averaging only one point behind.

The state's superintendent of public education, Hofmeister was registered as a Republican until last year when she declared her candidacy for governor. She's argued that Stitt is too partisan to represent the needs of Oklahomans, painting herself as the unifying antidote to his far-right political crusade.

Stacey Abrams
@staceyabrams
Governor candidate, GA

What an incredible atmosphere in Athens today with so many young Georgians. Keep coming out and showing up. Your energy — and your vote — will bring hope back to Georgia.


https://twitter.com/staceyabrams/status/1582856951725445123

No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen
@NoLieWithBTC

Finally. A Democratic candidate just correctly pointed out that red states like Oklahoma have HIGHER crime rates than New York and California.

The Republican candidate and moderator refused to believe it.

No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen
@NoLieWithBTC

The Democratic candidate for Oklahoma Governor is @Joy4OK
.

In 2020, per capita murder rates were *40% higher* in states won by Trump than those won by Biden.

8 out of 10 of the states with the highest murder rates voted for Trump.

The Red State Murder Problem - Third Way

Salem Media Group, a media company that owns dozens of conservative and Christian radio stations and publications, announced on Tuesday that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Miami radio stations WWFE La Poderosa 670 AM and WRHC Cadena Azul 1550 AM.

The deal, which includes the stations’ FM affiliates, marks the latest shift in Miami’s Spanish-language talk radio landscape, with La Poderosa, a longtime voice for Cuban exiles in Miami, the latest to change hands.

Salem Media Group explained in a press release announcing the deal that it intends to continue broadcasting the stations in Spanish.

An executive was quoted in the announcement saying “leading Spanish-speaking voices of freedom” will be added to the lineup, but a La Poderosa spokesperson said that in a meeting between Salem Media Group and the station, La Poderosa representatives were told that there were no plans to add new programming or new hosts at the station.

Salem Media Group reaches over 11 million radio listeners, owning more than 100 radio stations and with more than 3,100 network affiliate stations, according to the press release. Salem’s programming includes conservative personalities such as Charlie Kirk, Brandon Tatum, Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher, and others. Salem Media Group also owns news and opinion websites Townhall.com and Redstate.com.