Happy New Year 2025

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Andy Barr mulls Senate bid “independent” if Sen. Mitch McConnell runs or not

EXCLUSIVE: Republican Rep. Andy Barr’s decision on whether to run for U.S. Senate in Kentucky will be made “independent of the decisions that others make, including Sen. Mitch McConnell,” he told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview Friday morning, stressing that “it’s time for Kentucky to have a U.S. senator who supports President Trump.”

The congressman, who currently represents Kentucky’s 6th congressional district, told Fox News Digital that he is “doing a lot of listening right now.”

“I’m listening to supporters, advisors, friends, people I trust, but most importantly, I’m listening to my family and talking to my family, and I am grateful for the strong encouragement to run,” he said. “A lot of constituents are encouraging me to run for the Senate, and I am grateful for the outpouring of financial support that’s coming my way.”

Rep. Andy Barr, left, R-Ky., said “it’s time” for his state to have a senator who supports President Donald Trump. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Scott Eisen)

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But Barr said that “ultimately, this is going to be a family decision on our timeline.”

“It will be a decision that we make independent of the decisions that others make, including Sen. McConnell, or others who have or will express an interest in running for the Senate in 2026, so this will be a family decision that we make,” Barr said. “All I can say is, I am very, very grateful for the outpouring of support, mainly from Kentuckians, but people around the country who want to see strong, America First leadership in the U.S. Senate.”

Sources close to Barr told Fox News Digital back in 2023 that he could be “a serious contender” for McConnell’s seat in 2026.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was the longest-serving party leader in U.S. Senate history. (J. Scott Applewhite/The Associated Press)

In a veiled swipe at McConnell, Barr told Fox News Digital that “it’s time for Kentucky to have a U.S. senator who supports President Trump.”

McConnell, at this point, has now opposed three of Trump’s now-confirmed Cabinet secretaries: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“He votes against almost everything now,” the president said of McConnell on Thursday. “He’s a, you know, very bitter guy.”

Trump also said McConnell is “not equipped mentally” and said he “let the Republican Party go to hell.”

Barr doubled down, saying: “I think it is time for Kentucky to have a U.S. senator who has a vision, not only to make America great again, but to make Kentucky great again, and I think that’s why a lot of people have encouraged me to run,” Barr said. “They see me as someone who has been, and has a proven record of, supporting President Trump’s America First agenda, but also a very strong record of supporting the signature industries of Kentucky and building a very strong record of constituent services and accessibility to the people of Kentucky.”

He added, “I have a vision for Kentucky, just like America, to be great again. I have a vision for Kentuckians to achieve their potential and to restore the American Dream for Kentuckians.”

Barr said he believes the state has “enormous potential” and said that “with strong partnership with President Trump, we can deliver just extraordinary possibilities for the people of Kentucky.”

Rep. Andy Barr’s decision on whether to run for U.S. Senate in Kentucky will be made “independent of the decisions that others make, including Sen. Mitch McConnell,” he said. (Fox News)

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When asked for comment, a McConnell aide told Fox News Digital that the senator has not made an announcement on his 2026 plans.

McConnell, who will turn 83 later in February, stepped away from serving as the Senate Republican leader in November 2024. McConnell was the longest-serving party leader in U.S. Senate history.

Meanwhile, Barr told Fox News Digital, “I’m my own man.”

“People try to peg me as this type of Republican or that type of Republican, but at the end of it, I’m an America First conservative who loves my home state, the commonwealth of Kentucky,” he said.

“I think what sets me apart is that nobody else looking at the race has been in the trenches on the job with President Trump to drain the swamp,” he continued. “I’ve got a proven record, and I think that does differentiate me from anyone else.”

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But Barr stressed that his decision on whether to run for the U.S. Senate “is not dependent on anybody else.”

“I’m just going to remain focused on working with President Trump and working with his team to deliver on his America First agenda — we don’t have any time to waste,” Barr told Fox News Digital. “And so that’s my focus right now.”

Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.

February 14, 2025
Major California Democrat predicts Kamala Harris would be ‘field-clearing’ if former VP runs for governor

California Attorney General Rob Bonta says he will support former Vice President Kamala Harris if she decides to run for Golden State governor in 2026.

Bonta, a former state lawmaker who has served as California attorney general since 2021, says he will run for re-election next year rather than launch a gubernatorial campaign, putting to rest speculation about his next political moves.

“Kamala Harris would be a great governor,” Bonta said in an interview with Politico.

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced he would seek re-election in 2026 rather than run for governor. (Loren Elliott/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“I would support her if she ran. I’ve always supported her in everything she’s done. She would be field-clearing,” he said as he added that he had not spoken directly with Harris about any potential run for governor.

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Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and cannot run for re-election again in 2026.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with Fox News Digital at the Donald Trump-Joe Biden presidential debate on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Harris served as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and represented the Golden State in the U.S. Senate before becoming vice president.

There has been plenty of speculation since her election defeat last November to President Donald Trump regarding Harris’ next political move, with the two potential options likely being launching a 2026 gubernatorial run in her home state or seeking the presidency again, in 2028.

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Sources in the former vice president’s political orbit say no decisions have been made about any next steps.

However, Harris, in a video message to the Democratic National Committee, as it huddled for its winter meeting last weekend, pledged to be with the party “every step of the way,” which appeared to be a signal she still has political ambitions.

Then-Vice President Kamala Harris delivers her remarks at the Democratic National Committee’s Holiday Reception at Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The Democrats’ field for governor in the heavily blue-leaning state is already crowded.

Among the more than half-dozen candidates already running for governor are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis – a Harris ally – and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

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Former Rep. Katie Porter, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic Senate nomination last year, has expressed interest in launching a campaign.

Additionally, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who served in Congress and as California attorney general before joining the Biden administration, is also seen as a potential contender.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

February 5, 2025
JD Vance’s half-brother, Cory Bowman, runs for Cincinnati, Ohio mayor

Vice President JD Vance’s half-brother, Cory Bowman, announced that he is running for mayor of Cincinnati.

Bowman, a pastor, coffee shop owner and registered Republican, revealed his candidacy in an interview published Tuesday by The Cincinnati Enquirer.

The last Republican to run for mayor of Cincinnati was Brad Wenstrup in 2009. Wenstrup later successfully ran for a U.S. House seat.

Cincinnati has been run by an all-Democrat, nine-member council since Republican Liz Keating was voted out in 2023.

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Cory Bowman, the half-brother of Vice President JD Vance, is photographed outside his coffee shop on Feb. 4, 2025 in Cincinnati. (Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Eight people have filed petitions to run for mayor of Cincinnati, the newspaper reported. The deadline to submit the required 500 signatures to be on the ballot is Feb. 20.

None of the petitioners have met that requirement yet, including the current, first-term Mayor Aftab Pureval, a Democrat. Pureval told the newspaper he is running for re-election and has started hosting fundraisers.

As the Trump administration continues its crackdown on criminal illegal immigrants, Pureval notably said Cincinnati would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, WXIX reported.

The mayoral contest is a non-partisan field race. The two top voter recipients advance to a general election. There is no primary if fewer than three candidates qualify to run.

Bowman said he spoke to Vance in the “initial stages” of considering running for mayor, describing Vance as his inspiration and adding that the two have a friendly sibling rivalry.

“I don’t necessarily speak for my brother because he speaks pretty well for himself. And he’s doing well,” Bowman told The Enquirer. “I will say that he’s an incredible role model of mine.”

Bowman grew up in Butler and Preble counties, and he and his wife moved back to Cincinnati in 2020, when they founded The River Church in the West End neighborhood.

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a visit to East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2025. Residents were forced to evacuate in February 2023 when a Norfolk Southern train carrying chemicals derailed, covering the area in black smoke. (REBECCA DROKE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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Having been pastor of a nondenominational Christian church for four years, Bowman told the Enquirer he considered running for local office as a way of giving back, an interest that was further ignited by attending President Donald Trump and Vance’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., last month.

“There’s nobody that cheered louder when he was getting sworn in than me, because he’s my brother,” Bowman said of Vance.

Vance and Bowman share the same father, Donald Bowman, who died in 2023. He was the second husband of Vance’s mother, Beverly Aikins.

Donald Bowman put Vance up for adoption when the now vice president was in kindergarten. In his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance describes reconnecting with his father and his half siblings, including Cory, as a teenager.

Vance also describes living with his father at their family farm house in Preble County, contrasting that experience to growing up with his mother, who had battled addiction.

Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks with Vivek Ramaswamy as Vance and second lady Usha Vance arrive at Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna Ohio, en route to East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2025. (REBECCA DROKE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

“It was a great childhood,” Cory Bowman told The Enquirer of his life on the farm. “We learned those foundations as kids. But there was always something about the city that enticed me.”

Vance’s mother changed his name from James Donald Bowman to James David Hamel when she remarried. He later took his grandfather’s last name, Vance.

Bowman also owns the Kings Arms Coffee in the West End of Cincinnati. “My heart fell in love with it,” he said of the neighborhood.

He resides in the College Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati.

Vance has not yet weighed in on his half-brother’s campaign announcement.

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Bowman attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July, when Vance was announced as Trump’s running mate. He said he observed many new Republicans, though he was not one of them.

“Half of those people [who were in attendance] wouldn’t have been caught dead in that room eight years ago,” Bowman said. “It wasn’t just established Republicans, it was more so people wanting a change.”

Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X: @danimwallace.

February 5, 2025
Commanders will hit Jalen Hurts ‘like a running back’ if Eagles deploy him on designed runs, coach says

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts finished the regular season with 630 rushing yards. Hurts’ running ability is a key part of the Eagles’ offense, but it remains unclear how much of a threat his legs will be in this weekend’s NFC championship game.

Hurts appeared to tweak his knee during last week’s divisional round playoff game when he was awkwardly pulled to the ground as he was sacked by a Los Angeles Rams defender. The Eagles signal-caller entered the blue medical tent after the Eagles punted the ball, but he returned to the huddle on Philly’s ensuing offensive possession.

Although Hurts did not miss a play in the 28-22 win over the Rams, his movement appeared to be limited for the remainder of the game.

The Eagles will meet the Commanders in the conference title game Sunday, and Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said Hurts’ possible limitations won’t prevent his unit from playing an attacking style.

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Jalen Hurts (1) of the Philadelphia Eagles scrambles to avoid a tackle attempt by Andrew Adams of the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field Dec. 4, 2022, in Philadelphia. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

The Eagles’ offensive scheme typically calls for a few designed quarterback runs a game. If Hurts does run from the pocket at any point this Sunday, Whitt plans to make the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback pay.

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“We’ve had a number of these guys that we’ve had to prepare for,” Whitt told reporters Thursday. “The one thing is, is if he’s going to run the ball, and if the coordinator makes the decision for him to run the ball, we’re going to treat him like a running back, and we’re going to hit him that way.

“So, that’s their decision if they want to get him hit the way he gets hit. If they don’t, they’ll keep him in the pocket. So, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) is sacked in the end zone for a safety during the third quarter by Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (92) in an NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field In Philadelphia Jan. 19, 2025. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)

Hurts ran for 39 yards and a touchdown when the Eagles met the Commanders in Week 11. When the NFC East divisional foes met for a second time in the regular season, Hurts left with a head injury after a 13-yard run. He did not return to the lineup, and the Eagles lost, 36-33.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on the field during warmups before a game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)

“Every team is going to try to tackle Jalen like a running back,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. “He’s running with the football. They’ll try to tackle him. We ultimately are cautious with how we use him and how we think about each play because we know how important it is to have him out there.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else. Jalen knows how to take care of himself. We know how to help him do that as well as far as the scheme goes.”

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Hurts practiced Wednesday, although he was listed as a limited participant. The Eagles are favored to win the NFC title game. If the Commanders do pull off the upset, Jayden Daniels would be the first rookie quarterback in history to start in the Super Bowl.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 24, 2025