Free Republic

Rep. John Sarbanes (D-3rd) said Thursday he will not seek a 10th term in office in 2024. In the surprise announcement, Sarbanes said he was voluntarily stepping down at the end of his current term to return to work in the nonprofit sector. “I believe in public service. My siblings and I grew up with the teaching that there are many ways to serve. Being in Congress is one of them — a truly humbling opportunity to make a difference,” Sarbanes said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “But before coming to Congress, I also found great reward in working with...

Amid speculation over election processes in key states, midterm elections in Iowa came down to a hand recount between candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives. After election night, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced that there would be a hand recount in Scott County, House District 81. In four tabulations of the ballots, including the hand count of the ballots that Thursday and a machine count on the next day, Friday, the tabulation totals matched and every ballot was accounted for in a fast and agreed upon resolution. “Accuracy is the most important factor in elections, and we...

R.I. (WPRI) – Rhode Island is now just 157 residents away from losing one of its two seats in the U.S. House, which would give the state a single vote there for the first time since George Washington was president, according to an analysis of newly released population data. Kimball Brace, the reapportionment expert who has been involved in drawing legislative and congressional districts in Rhode Island since the early 1980s, ran the numbers Wednesday after the U.S. Census Bureau announced Rhode Island had added about 2,000 residents between July 2016 and July 2017.

Rhode Island is likely to lose one of its two U.S. House seats after the 2020 U.S. Census, according to projections by reapportionment guru Kimball W. Brace, who has for many years helped Rhode Island lawmakers draw both state legislative and congressional districts

Disgraced former Rep. Vito Fossella (R-SI) said today he will not run for his old seat, but did not rule out a future run for public office. Speaking outside his office in Midtown Manhattan this afternoon, Fossella declined the Staten Island GOP executive committee's endorsement from last week. "I gave it thoughtful consideration. ... I'm frankly at a very good place in my life. I'm where I need to be and where I want to be and as a result ... I will not seek election to congress this year," Fossella said. The former congressman decided not to run for...

It could be that would-be voters were miffed that Democrat Nick Clooney didn't attend. In that case, however, they could have attended en masse with signs howling "Where's Nick?'' and shown their annoyance with tough questions for Republican Geoff Davis and Independent Michael Slider.