Mark Pocan

The Harris campaign is casting a drastically wider net in recruiting House Democrats to stump for the presidential ticket, gauging the interest of almost every member, Axios has learned.Why it matters: Over a dozen Democratic lawmakers and aides described a "night-and-day" contrast with the surrogate operation under President Biden.To many House members, the shift is evidence of their new importance under the leadership of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former House member.What we're hearing: Harris' campaign has widely canvassed House members about their openness to being surrogates, an effort that began almost immediately after Biden dropped his candidacy in July. The center-left New Democrat Coalition polled their nearly 100 members at the campaign's request to "find out who's available," Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), the group's chair, told Axios.A senior House Democrat said the Harris campaign has "asked all members if they are interested in being surrogates," and those who agreed have been contacted each week about their availability to travel."They've asked what our interest level is in a way I haven't been asked previously. Often it's the people who really want to go do it who say something. This time, they're approaching everyone," said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.).Zoom in: Several House Democrats who were not stumping for Biden have signed on to do so for Harris."I wasn't a Biden campaign surrogate because I wasn't asked ... But Kamala, it's a different story," said Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.).A top aide to another House Democrat told Axios their boss has been tapped to travel twice and do swing-state media for Harris – a "glaring" difference from their non-existent role for Biden."They have asked for as many members as possible ... to be surrogates," said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), adding that Harris made the request to her directly when they were at an event together.Between the lines: The Harris campaign knows "the Biden team had an issue of many members not feeling included and are attempting to address the issue of including more people," said the senior House Democrat.Lawmakers saw Biden's approach as a function of his age and reliance on his tight inner circle and campaign co-chairs, including Reps. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.)."He has his circle, and they have their friends, and their friends have their friends, and that's it. And that's maybe what they're comfortable with," said another House Democrat.Biden was "leaning on the ones that were his surrogates when he was running the first time" in 2020, said Kamlager-Dove, while Harris "basically jumped into this a month ago."Yes, but: Sources noted that the general election was just starting at the time of the disastrous debate that precipitated Biden's withdrawal weeks later.The Harris campaign has also retained most of Biden's staff infrastructure, including Hillary Beard, a former chief of staff to Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) who oversees relationships with House members.Harris is also facing a truncated schedule, with Pocan telling Axios the vice president called many members the day Biden dropped out because she "realized that if you're starting a campaign with little runway, you've got to hit [the ground] more than sprinting."And Harris is trying to expand the map. "You're seeing surrogates go to Florida, you're seeing surrogates in Texas," said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.).Zoom out: House members, feeling more highly regarded by Harris and her team, are rewarding the vice president in turn with far greater enthusiasm.One House Democrat who expressed interest in speaking at the Democratic National Convention was told by their staff that while it may have been feasible under Biden, there is far more competition for public-facing roles in Harris' candidacy.The Harris campaign has been hearing from members proactively reaching out with offers of assistance, according to a source familiar with the matter.Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told Axios the campaign has "more interested surrogates than they know what to do with."The bottom line: "It's night-and-day," said Kuster, who told Axios roughly three-fourths of her group's members expressed interest in being Harris surrogates."Everybody wants in on this campaign, and they're excited about it."

CHICAGO — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) has silenced the Democratic doubters. Heading into the Democratic National Convention, there were questions swirling inside the party about the wisdom of Vice President Harris picking the Minnesota governor — a relatively unknown figure from a safely Democratic state — as her running mate. But Walz has stormed [...]

Republican Erik Olsen defeated his Republican primary opponent Tuesday night in Wisconsin's 2nd District, setting up a battle to unseat Democrat Rep. Mark Pocan in a deep-blue district.

Many LGBTQ+ Americans are making it increasingly clear that they view Trump and the broader Republican agenda as an existential threat.

Democratic Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, left and Republican challenger Eric Hovde have been battling each other for months, making Tuesday’s primaries more of a formality.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — For a brief moment this week, the fierce competition for swing voters in swing-state Wisconsin converged on the tarmac of the tiny Chippewa Valley Regional Airport.

If Vice President Kamala Harris ends up selecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, he will in part have his former congressional colleagues to thank.Why it matters: A House member from 2007 to 2019, Walz' congressional relationships have manifested into what one senior House Democrat described as "quiet diplomacy" on his behalf.Walz's political bases of support are members from the Midwest and progressives, but others with whom he has deep personal relationships are campaigning for him as well."People like me think the world of him. A truly great human being," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) a House veteran who serves as ranking member of the House Rules Committee.Zoom in: Walz is believed to be a finalist along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has his own base of support on Capitol Hill.Several House Democrats from Pennsylvania, including swing-seat Reps. Susan Wild and Matt Cartwright, have lobbied hard for Shapiro, as Axios previously reported.What we're hearing: In addition to public pronunciations of support, many lawmakers have privately reached out to the Harris campaign voicing support for Walz, according to lawmakers familiar with the outreach.A second senior House Democrat told Axios that "a lot of members really like Tim, myself included, and have made that known to the campaign."The senior lawmaker estimated that dozens of members are advocating for Walz in public and private.Another House Democrat told Axios that Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), a veteran progressive from Walz's home state, has reached out to colleagues urging them to "to call [Harris] and talk to press" in favor of Walz.Between the lines: Walz's record as governor has made him the favorite of the party's left flank."A number of [members] on the progressive caucus side like him most," Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), the former chair of the Progressive Caucus, told Axios, noting that some have taken to social media to tout their support.Another House Democrat said of Walz's support among progressives and Midwesterners: "He definitely seems to be the only one who can draw from both of those camps within our caucus."The bottom line: "Whoever she picks I — and I think all Democrats in the house — will enthusiastically support," said McGovern.

The Apostle Islands would become Wisconsin's first national park under a bill introduced by northern Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, opening more access to federal resources.

A federal judge said that Rudy Giuliani's bankruptcy has not been officially dismissed because the former New York City mayor has refused to pay administrative expenses — even though he seems to have the funds to do so.In July, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane said he would dismiss the bankruptcy case at the request of Giuliani and two former Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. Giuliani had initially declared bankruptcy after a court ordered him to pay Freeman and Moss $148 million for defamation.In a five-page order on Thursday, Lane noted that the order to dismiss the case had not been entered into the court record because Giuliani claimed he could not afford to pay related administrative expenses."The administrative expenses in question are the fees for the financial advisors retained by the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors," the judge's Thursday order said. "What little we know about the Debtor's financial situation makes his stance here more troubling.""Even assuming that the Debtor does not have the funds on hand to immediately pay these bankruptcy expenses, he certainly has considerable assets upon which he can draw to pay such expenses," Lane continued. "It is undisputed that he owns two apartments of considerable value."Giuliani's New York apartment was said to be worth $5.6 million, and his Florida apartment was valued at approximately $3.5 million.EXCLUSIVE: Trump ‘secretary of retribution’ won't discuss his ‘target list’ at RNCLane explained that the "most obvious path forward" would be to hold hearings to determine Giuliani's financial conditions and possibly force him to testify."[T]here may come a point when dismissal is no longer an option because the Debtor is unwilling to pay these administrative expenses, a necessary requirement under the law for dismissal of the case," Thursday's order said. "Under such circumstances, the Court may be forced to reevaluate the alternative of a Chapter 11 trustee to supervise the administration of the Debtor's financial affairs and to promptly liquidate assets such as the New York apartment as appropriate."Lane gave Giuliani and his creditors until July 31 to submit proposals for a path forward.

A GOP strategist unleashed an attack on Kamala Harris that was dripping in sarcasm Thursday after losing his cool over positive media coverage of the Democratic Party’s presumed presidential candidate.Doug Heye was on CNN as the vice president finished a rally speech in Houston. As his co-guest, Democratic Party strategist Maria Cordona, finished praising the candidate’s performance, Heye got flustered.Raising his voice, he said, “Everything we heard is 'Oh my god, Kamala Harris is the greatest thing ever. She's the greatest cook that we've ever had near the Oval Office. She knows more about wine than anybody other than maybe Thomas Jefferson. Everything she does is amazing.'“So we should just cancel the election because clearly she's going to win by 25 points?”He then tried to bring the CNN panel back from what he saw as rose-colored adoration.ALSO READ: ‘Creepy weirdos’: Senator fears Trump WH staff would destroy government from ‘inside’“The reality is, i'm not going to get in Donald Trump's head, don't want to be there, don't know what's in there. But he sees the same polling that we do," he said.“Kamala Harris is marginally less unpopular than Joe Biden. She's not winning in the polls. Maybe that changes in a week or two, or six or eight, but at this point, Donald Trump is still winning despite this barrage of nothing but positive press for Kamala Harris and has been marinated in the public's mind.”Cardona had set him off by suggesting that Trump was “going through a mental meltdown” because of his opponent's popularity.“Not just that she is incredibly accomplished as DA, AG, senator, VP,” she said, “but the fact that she is also very attractive. I mean, I have to say it.“...In addition to that, she's not only a woman, she's a woman of African American Asian descent, daughter of immigrants, Jamaican descent.I mean, it's it's this sort of cauldron of all of the things that Trump has nightmares about every single night.”Watch the video below or click the link here.

While Republicans are looking forward to Netanyahu’s speech, most Democrats are approaching the occasion with bated breath and dread — if they plan to attend at all.

A number of Democratic lawmakers, governors and past leaders were quick to rally behind Vice President Harris as she pursues the Democratic Party's presidential nomination following President Biden's withdrawal from the race. Shortly after dropping out of the presidential race, Biden endorsed Harris as his successor, stating it is "time to come together and beat" [...]

Donald Trump’s political team has been preparing to run against Vice President Kamala Harris for weeks, something they got one step closer to on Sunday after President Joe Biden said he is dropping out of the 2024 race.

Vice President Harris is racing to lock down support for her White House bid, just hours after President Biden announced that he would no longer seek re-election. Harris on Sunday spoke with the chairs of three key coalitions on Capitol Hill: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) of [...]

A growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers called Friday for Biden to drop his reelection bid, even as the president insisted he'll return to the campaign trail next week.

More than 30 congressional Democrats are publicly panicking that he can't defeat Donald Trump and urging the president to "pass the torch."

A total of 34 Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to drop out following a rocky debate performance and two gaffe-filled public appearances.

In a statement, the president said he looks forward to getting back on the campaign trail, an unwelcome prospect for a growing number in his party.

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey signed onto a joint statement calling on Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee in a new letter Friday.

Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee's rulemaking arm held a meeting Friday, pressing ahead with plans for a virtual roll call before Aug. 7 to nominate the presidential pick, ahead of the party’s convention later in the month in Chicago.

A total of 28 Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to drop out following a rocky debate performance and two gaffe-filled public appearances.