Politics

Melissa Nann Burke and Jonathan Oosting and Beth LeBlanc The Detroit News Published 9:38 AM EST Jan 24, 2019 Michigan Democrats flipped two seats in the U.S. House in last fall's election, but the effort was not easy or cheap. The state’s 14 congressional races attracted a combined $80 million in campaign donations and outside spending, according to a new analysis from Craig Mauger, a watchdog with the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. That’s roughly twice as expensive as races in the exact same districts in 2016, with a majority of the cash flowing to two record-setting contests won by freshman Democratic Reps. Elissa Slotkin of Holly and Haley Stevens of Rochester Hills. Slotkin and her allies outspent incumbent Republican Mike Bishop in the 8th District race that attracted a combined $28.3 million, making it the most expensive U.S. House contest in Michigan history, Mauger said. The previous record was $14 million. Stevens and her allies also outspent … [Read more...] about Political Insider: Spending in Mich.’s congressional races doubled while setting record

Allan Fram and Andrew Taylor Associated Press Published 10:21 AM EST Jan 23, 2019 Washington – Senate leaders agreed to hold votes this week on dueling proposals to reopen shuttered federal agencies, forcing a political reckoning for senators grappling with the longest shutdown in U.S. history: Side with President Donald Trump or vote to temporarily end the shutdown and keep negotiating. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., set up the two showdown votes for Thursday, a day before some 800,000 federal workers are due to miss a second paycheck. One vote will be on his own measure, which reflects Trump’s offer to trade border wall funding for temporary protections for some immigrants. It was quickly rejected by Democrats. The second vote is set for a bill approved by the Democratic-controlled House reopening government through Feb. 8, with no wall money, to give bargainers time to talk. In the Democratic-controlled House, Wednesday will bring more votes … [Read more...] about Shutdown votes set up political test for Senate