Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming, who aims to unseat Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., during the Bayou State's 2026 U.S. Senate contest, assailed the incumbent as a "RINO Republican" during an interview with Fox News Digital, using the acronym that abbreviates the phrase "Republican in name only."

Fleming, who served as a U.S. House lawmaker from early 2009 through early 2017, was one of the founding members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. 

He ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2016 and held several posts during the first President Donald Trump administration. In 2023, with Trump's endorsement, he won election to serve as the Pelican State's treasurer.

When asked by Fox News Digital to name some lawmakers he largely aligns with ideologically, Fleming mentioned GOP Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris of Maryland, as well as Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah.

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When asked whether there are any federal departments or entities that he would like to see fully abolished, Fleming replied that if there are any federal entities he thinks should be eliminated, he said, "First on my list would be the Department of Education."

Regarding the debt ceiling, he said if he were in office, he would seek to "leverage" debt ceiling increases to lower spending, adding, "I don't think we should raise the debt ceiling."

Fleming indicated that he supports foreign aid in some cases.

"I do believe in some level of foreign aid, particularly military foreign aid, when it's in the best interest of the people of the United States," he noted, suggesting that the U.S. should assist Taiwan and Israel. 

Fleming said that America must "be careful about" involving itself in affairs abroad. Pointing to Afghanistan and Iraq, he said, "We seem to win the wars but lose the peace."

Fleming indicated that he is supportive of the TikTok ban that passed last year, because he does not believe it is "wise for us to allow the Chinese or any other foreign power, or even our own government, to spy on us through our social media." He opined that the social media platform should be banned until it is no longer under the influence of the Communist Chinese Party government of China.

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In Louisiana's jungle primary system, candidates of various parties run against each other, and if any candidate wins the majority, they win election to the role — but if no candidate gets the majority, the top two finishers compete in a runoff.

When Cassidy ran in 2014, he placed second in a field that included seven other candidates, advancing along with incumbent Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu to a runoff, which Cassidy won.

When Cassidy was re-elected in 2020, he won the majority and avoided a runoff, defeating a field of more than a dozen other candidates.

Cassidy was one of the seven GOP senators who voted to convict President Trump after the 2021 House impeachment in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Trump had already departed from office by the time of the February Senate vote, and the number of senators who voted to convict ultimately fell short of the threshold necessary for conviction.

During a CNN appearance that the outlet shared on social media in 2023, Cassidy said he thought Trump should drop out of the presidential contest, though the lawmaker noted that the decision was up to Trump, who he said would lose to President Joe Biden based on the polls at the time.

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After Trump had become the presumptive GOP presidential nominee last year, Kristin Welker asked Cassidy on "Meet the Press" whether he would endorse Trump. The senator responded by saying that he planned to vote for a Republican for president.

Cassidy in June pledged to work with Trump if the candidate returned to the White House. 

"Just met with my colleagues and President Trump. I was elected to work for Louisiana and the United States of America. I commit to working with President Trump if he is the next president—and it appears he is going to be—to make things better for all," the senator said in a statement at the time.

He congratulated Trump and Vice President JD Vance on their inaugurations earlier this week.

"Today, the American people start winning again. Republicans are going to secure the border, unleash American energy, and protect American manufacturing," he noted in the statement. "Congratulations to President Trump and Vice President Vance. Let’s get to work!"

The lawmaker, who has served in the U.S. Senate for just over a decade, previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Trump endorsed Cassidy when the senator sought re-election in 2020, thanking him for supporting the Make America Great Again agenda, and praising his "outstanding" work representing Louisianans and Americans at large.

"THANK YOU @BillCassidy for all of your support with our #MAGA Agenda. You are doing an outstanding job representing the people of Louisiana & the U.S.A. You have my Complete and Total Endorsement!" Trump declared in a post.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Cassidy campaign spokesman said of Fleming, "He came in 5th place last time he ran for Senate in 2016 and currently has $500k in campaign debt."

According to a Cassidy campaign press release, the senator "raised another $1 million across his reelection, leadership, and joint fundraising committees in the fourth quarter of 2024, bringing his campaign cash-on-hand to over $6.5 million."

The Fleming campaign responded to the Cassidy spokesperson's comment in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"The senate campaign loan is 100% owed to Treasurer Fleming, personally," Fleming's campaign noted. "With regard to placement, Sen Cassidy ran against a weak Republican and a politically-wounded Democrat who had voted for Obamacare among other things. And, he had the backing of the entire Republican Party." 

"Treasurer Fleming ran in an open seat against 23 opponents of all parties, some of whom divided his political base geographically as well as ideologically," the statement continued. "Sen. John Kennedy ultimately won Fleming's senate race as he was also the Louisiana State Treasurer and had run for the Senate before as Fleming is currently. What truly matters at this time is that Senator Cassidy voted to convict President Trump in the second impeachment trial during Trump's first term. Had Trump been convicted, it would have foreclosed any possibility to reelect Trump leading to either a second Biden term or a Kamala Harris Presidency."

New Hampshire lawmakers are looking to mirror Maine and Nebraska, and make theirs the third state that divides its presidential electors by congressional district in what a top Republican proponent called a bid to give more power to the voters.

Senate Bill 11, sponsored by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Bill Gannon and seven other Republicans, would award a presidential delegate to the winner of each of its two congressional districts and award two more to the winner of the statewide popular vote.

"Congressional district presidential electors shall cast their ballots for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates who received the highest number of votes in their respective congressional districts," Senate Bill 11 reads.

The bill will receive its first committee hearing Tuesday, Fox News Digital has learned.

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The Granite State is known for its "First-in-the-nation" primary contest and midnight canvassing on Election Day in the small community of Dixville Notch.

"We want to stay ‘First-in-the-nation’," Gannon, of Sandown, told Fox News Digital.

"That’s a big, important thing. We want our voters to feel: ‘I go out and vote – my vote counts.'"

Gannon dismissed criticism from state Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, who told WMUR that Republicans should play "fair and square" and claimed state legislature maps are already "very gerrymandered."

"I think this is yet another example of the Republicans kind of trying to change the system to meet their needs," she told the outlet.

Gannon disagreed. "She had a statement; ‘they’re trying to steal a vote’ or something – Not the case at all," he said.

Gannon indicated that if the law were in effect in the contentious 2000 presidential race, the divided electors would’ve benefited Democrats – though Vice President Al Gore took the state under its current winner-take-all system. In 2016, the division would have awarded Donald Trump a lone elector when Hillary Clinton took the state.

"I hope to pick up some Democrat support unless they vote in lockstep. If they're willing to look at the bill and say ‘jeez, it could benefit either side.' It's just going to represent the people more," he said.

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"That's what we're all about in New Hampshire, representing the will of the people."

New Hampshire notably has the largest state legislature in the country at 424 lawmakers. It dwarfs second-place Pennsylvania’s 203-member legislature.

Meanwhile, Democratic state Sen. Debra Altschiler panned the bill and quipped that if New Hampshire wants to follow Maine’s lead in this respect, there are other more progressive initiatives the legislature should take up.

"This bill is completely out of line with New Hampshire values," said Altschiller, of Stratham. 

"And if we, as New Hampshire, wanted to follow Maine's lead, then we would have universal free lunch for all students, and we'd have background checks on firearms purchases. But we don't have that."

"So we don't always take our marching orders from other states."

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In the past three presidential cycles, neighboring Maine has awarded its divided electors 3-1 to the Democratic candidate. Each time, Trump won the one elector from the state’s rural, interior, 2nd congressional district.

The opposite has been true in Nebraska in 2020 and 2024, when President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris each scored the single delegate from the Omaha-centric 2nd congressional district. Trump earned the other four delegates – and previous to 2016, all electors were often awarded to the Republican.

With the Republicans holding a 16-8 supermajority in the state Senate, the bill is likely to pass the chamber later this month or in February. The measure would then head to the state House of Representatives, where the GOP also holds a wide majority and where Republican lawmakers will likely be receptive to the legislation.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that he is "reviewing the opportunity" of possibly mounting a gubernatorial bid. 

The former House lawmaker noted that if he ultimately decides to throw his hat into the ring, he would need to engage in "active steps toward a run" toward the end of 2025.

Gaetz, who recently started hosting a One America News Network program, said that many Floridians have encouraged him to run, and while he believes it is a bit early to decide, he will pray about the prospect and discuss it with his wife.

He noted that he is "deeply concerned" about increasing prices for people in Florida, including property and casualty insurance. "I know how to fight the special interests who've increased prices in my home state," he said, noting that if he believes he could "make a positive change," then he will "significantly" contemplate the move.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who took office in early 2019 and was resoundingly re-elected in 2022, cannot seek re-election in 2026, which means the field will be wide open for candidates interested in vying for the job.

Responding to the Tampa Bay Times' report when Gaetz said he was "starting to think about running for governor," Florida state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat, responded by declaring, "And I will kick his ass."

On the heels of a 2024 re-election victory in Florida's 1st Congressional District, Gaetz swiftly resigned from Congress after President-elect Trump announced the lawmaker as his nominee for U.S. attorney general. 

Later that same month, however, Gaetz withdrew himself from consideration for the role. 

"There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump's DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he said in a post on X.

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Trump has endorsed Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis to fill Gaetz's former House seat — the GOP primary is later this month.

A House Ethics Committee report alleged that "the Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress."

Gaetz declared in a post on X, "There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses."

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Gaetz instigated the ouster of then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from the speakership in 2023.