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ESPN host Stephen A. Smith was pressed by ABC News' Jon Karl on Sunday about whether he was really considering a run for the presidency — prompting the ESPN host to say that he had no choice but to consider a potential run.
"I have no choice, because I’ve had elected officials — and I'm not going to give their names — coming up to me. I’ve had folks who are pundits come up to me. I've had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others, that have talked to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature. I’m not a politician. I’ve never had a desire to be a politician," Smith said, noting his contract with ESPN.
Smith posted on X that he was leaving the doors open for a run earlier this month.
"People have walked up to me, including my own pastor, for crying out loud, who has said to me, ‘you don’t know what God has planned for you, at least show the respect to the people who believe in you, who respect you, who believe that you can make a difference in this country to leave the door open for any possibilities two to three years down the line.’ And that’s what I’ve decided to do," the ESPN host said. "So, I would hope somebody else would step up that’s more qualified than me, but if it has to come down to me, it is something I would consider. Yes, I would. Because I don’t mind tussling with these folks at all on the left or the right. All of them disgust me, to be quite honest with you."
Smith also took aim at the Democratic Party during the interview and said that the party's failures were the reason why he, a sports analyst, was even being polled as a potential 2028 Democratic contender.
"The bigger picture here is Elizabeth Warren was just on with you. You’re going to have a multitude of Democratic representatives on with you. They talk, and they talk, and they talk, but what can they do? They position themselves to do absolutely nothing. I didn’t hear anything about tariffs from Democrats before the election. Trump had been preaching about this for the longest time," he added.
He argued that Democrats focused on woke culture, cancel culture and abortion rights, and that its focus was not going to win an election.
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"It’s an indictment against the Democratic Party that doesn’t have leadership and doesn’t have a vision, and it’s sad," he said.
"Time to stop messing around. Life is great. Especially at ESPN/Disney. Hate the thought of being a politician. But sick of this mess. So I’m officially leaving all doors open," Smith posted on April 7, including an article noting his thoughts on the matter.
Speaking of the future at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas, Smith suggested, "If it comes in late 2026, 2027, where I look at this country and think it’s an absolute mess and there’s legitimate reason to believe — whether it’s via exploratory committees or anything else — that I indeed have a legitimate shot to win the presidency of the United States, I am not going to rule it out, and I'm not playing."
Fox News' Alexander Hall contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: Former Oakland City Council member Loren Taylor said former Rep. Barbara Lee's ties to the political establishment could help him to win over Oaklanders who are "fed up" with the status quo ahead of the April 15 special election.
A self-described political outsider who only served one term as a city council member after unseating a 16-year incumbent, Taylor shared his plans to bring change to the "struggling" Bay Area city in an interview with Fox News Digital.
"I am running as a political outsider who has just enough experience inside of City Hall to understand what's going on, but not so much that I'm entrenched in the political establishment. That is what Oaklanders are looking for," Taylor said.
While Lee – a former member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and 2024 Senate primary candidate – has name recognition and national experience, Taylor has made waves in Oakland's special election as campaign finance reports reveal he has outraised the career California politician.
CALIFORNIA CITY'S MASSIVE $130M DEFICIT THREATENS DANGEROUS CUTS TO ITS FIREFIGHTING CAPACITY
"We have raised more money than other candidates in this race from local residents," Taylor said. "Over 80% of our contributions come directly from people who live right here in Oakland, compared to less than 50% for my primary component. That speaks volumes about who this campaign is. We are powered by Oaklanders, locals who are impacted by the decisions that are being made. The campaign is surging. Huge momentum these final days fueled by that overwhelming grassroots support."
Oakland's staggering $129.8 budget deficit for Fiscal Year 2024-25 forced some Oakland firehouses to close their doors earlier this year. The City Council passed a resolution to reopen those firehouses, preventing tragedy from financial mismanagement.
The liberal-run city has had four different mayors in a four-month period after former Mayor Sheng Thao was recalled this November and subsequently indicted on eight counts of bribery. Oakland has been without a clear leader this year as the city continues to grapple with a homelessness crisis.
Alameda County Health's January 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) report found there were 5,490 homeless individuals in Oakland in 2024, a 9% increase since 2022.
"Oaklanders are frustrated," Taylor explained. "We are upset that we have not been getting what we deserve, what we should be getting from our local government. The status quo continues to fail us when we see crime rates rising out of control, we see homelessness still growing when it's shrinking in neighboring cities, we see our city facing the largest fiscal budget deficit in our history – a number of failures that show that what we have is not working."
While the Oakland Police Department reported a decrease in violent crime in 2024, 2025 began with a crime surge plagued by five recorded homicides within a 48-hour period. By Jan. 3, The San Francisco Chronicle reported Oakland's third homicide of the year and seventh since Dec. 30, 2024.
Taylor has called for equipping more police officers on the ground with technology to prevent violence and lawlessness.
"We are struggling as a city, and that is what this campaign is speaking to. I am ready to make the hard and necessary decisions in order to fix the mismanagement, in order to address the corruption head on, restore trust in City Hall, make sure that we're delivering as Oaklanders want," he said.
Just across the Bay, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has hit the ground running since assuming office in January. He launched the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Hospitality Task Force and passed the Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance as he works to clean up San Francisco's streets and restore what he describes as commonsense policies to the city.
"I'm absolutely watching what's going on in San Francisco right across the Bay and even in the South Bay, in San Jose, with Mayor Matt Mahan, whom I am proud to have his endorsement," Taylor said. "I think both of those mayors are political outsiders, just like me. They didn't grow up within the ranks of government. They had careers, were making a significant impact outside and saw the gaps that existed with local government. I think that we share a bond in that in terms of bringing a data, results-driven approach to moving things forward."
Lee did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment by deadline.
Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced Thursday she won't seek re-election in 2026, forcing the Democratic Party to defend another open seat in next year's midterms and making more difficult their goal of regaining the Senate majority.
"I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026," Smith said in a social media post. "This job has been the honor of a lifetime. For the rest of my term, I’ll work as hard as I can for Minnesotans and our country. Thank you so much, Minnesota."
Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2018 to succeed former Sen. Al Franken after his resignation over sexual misconduct allegations. She won a special election later that year to serve out Franken's term and was re-elected in 2020 to a full six-year term.
TOP POLITICAL HANDICAPPER REVEALS DEMOCRATS CHANCES OF WINNING BACK THE SENATE MAJORITY
Senate Republicans vowed to try and flip Smith's seat in blue-leaning Minnesota.
"Minnesota is in play, and we play to win. Minnesotans deserve a senator who will fight for lower taxes, economic opportunity and safer communities," National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Sen. Tim Scott said in a statement to Fox News.
But the Senate Democrats' campaign arm quickly pledged to keep the seat in party hands.
FIRST ON FOX: SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHTS ‘TEAM EFFORT’
"No Republican has won a Minnesota Senate race in over 20 years, and Democrats will continue to hold this seat in 2026," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesperson David Bergstein emphasized in a statement to Fox News.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, the top Democrat in the chamber, praised Smith as "a remarkable senator — smart, compassionate, and tireless in her commitment to Minnesota and the country."
"While I will deeply miss her leadership and friendship in the Senate, I have no doubt that her legacy of service will continue to inspire. We have a strong bench in Minnesota, and I’m confident that we’ll keep her seat blue," Schumer predicted.
Smith became the second Democrat in the Senate to announce she would forgo running for re-election in the midterms, following Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, a key Midwestern battleground state.
SENATE REPUBLICANS JUMP OUT TO FAST START IN THIS KEY CAMPAIGN METRIC
Senate Republicans enjoyed a favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red and won a 53-47 majority in the chamber.
The party in power - which is clearly the Republicans right now - traditionally faces political headwinds in the midterm elections. And while an early read of the 2026 map shows the GOP will be forced to play defense in some states, they'll also go on offense in others.
Besides the open seat in Michigan, the GOP will target first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff in battleground Georgia and longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in swing state New Hampshire.
Now the Democrats will have to pay attention to Minnesota, which the Cook Report, a top nonpartisan political handicapper, this week rated as "Likely Democrat," as it unveiled its first read on the battle for the Senate majority in the 2026 cycle.
However, Democrats aim to go on offense in blue-leaning Maine, where GOP Sen. Susan Collins is up for re-election, as well as in battleground North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is also up in 2026.
TRUMP-BACKED 2024 GOP SENATE NOMINEE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE MOVING TOWARD ANOTHER RUN IN 2026
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who served as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate on the Democrats' 2024 national ticket, took to social media soon after Smith's news.
"Tina has always done the work to improve people’s lives: lowering the price of insulin, improving access to mental health services, passing historic climate legislation, and our party’s champion for reproductive freedom. Minnesotans will miss having her in the Senate," Walz wrote.
There is speculation Walz, who is eligible to run for re-election in 2026 for a third four-year term as Minnesota governor, may now have an interest in his state's open Senate seat.
Smith, in a video announcement she posted on social media, noted that Democrats "have a deep bench of political talent in Minnesota. A group of leaders that are more than ready to pick up the work and carry it forward. And I'm excited to make room for them to move forward."
Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan moved toward launching a campaign, saying in a social media post, "I love Minnesota, and my intention is to run for United States Senate and continue to serve the people of this state. I’ll make a formal announcement later this month."
There's also speculation that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a member of the so-called Squad, may make a move to run for the Senate.
Fox News' Julia Johnson and Chad Pergram contributed to this report
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared that the populist Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party is the "future" of Germany in a meeting with chancellor candidate Alice Weidel in Budapest on Wednesday.
The post Hungary’s Orbán Declares Germany’s Populist AfD Party ‘The Future’ in Pre-Election Meeting with Leader Weidel appeared first on Breitbart.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Tuesday that some Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) employees who worked on "mis-, dis-, and malinformation" were put on administrative leave.
In a statement to Scripps News, DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote CISA needs to "refocus on its mission," starting with election security.
"The agency is undertaking an evaluation of how it has executed its election security mission with a particular focus on any work related to mis-, dis-, and malinformation," according to the statement.
As first reported by Fox News Digital, then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified in April 2022 that the Department of Homeland Security was creating a "Disinformation Governance Board" to combat misinformation ahead of the 2022 midterm election.
During an appearance before the House Appropriations Subcommittee, Mayorkas said a "Disinformation Governance Board" was created to address misinformation campaigns targeting minority communities.
MAYORKAS RIPS ‘POLITICIZED’ ATMOSPHERE OVER FEMA DISASTER RESPONSE AMID GOP CRITICISM'
While the agency conducts the assessment, personnel who worked on the alleged "mis-, dis-, and malinformation," as well as foreign influence operations and disinformation, will remain on administrative leave, according to the statement.
The board was allegedly led by Undersecretary for Policy Rob Silvers, co-chair with principal deputy general counsel Jennifer Gaskill.
Nina Jankowicz, who previously served as a disinformation fellow at the Wilson Center, reportedly served as executive director, Politico reported.
Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
A 'February surprise' has been dropped on the chancellor candidate for the far-left German Green party, Robert Habeck, with a prominent media researcher accusing the finance minister of plagiarism in his dissertation with just two weeks left before voters head to the polls.
The post German Green Party Chancellor Candidate Accused of Plagiarism Two Weeks Ahead of Crucial Elections appeared first on Breitbart.
Democrats face "few opportunities" to win back the Senate majority in next year's midterm elections, a top non-partisan political handicapper predicts.
While the Republicans are defending seats in 22 states in 2026 compared to just 13 for the Democrats, the Cook Report's first Senate ratings of the new election cycle point to a tough road ahead for the Democrats as they aim to recapture control of the chamber.
Senate Republicans enjoyed a very favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red and stormed to a 53-47 majority in the new Congress, to go along with President Donald Trump's recapturing of the White House and the GOP's successful defense of their razor-thin House majority.
Cook Report Senate and governors editor Jessica Taylor, looking to new Senate battle, suggests that "the challenge for Democrats to net the four seats necessary to win back the majority looks herculean."
FIRST ON FOX: SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHTS ‘TEAM EFFORT’
The Cook Report rates two seats as toss-ups, and both are controlled by the Democrats.
They are in the battlegrounds of Michigan - where Democrat Sen. Gary Peters announced two weeks ago that he wouldn't seek re-election in 2026 - and Georgia - where Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff faces a rough road to securing a second six-year term in the Senate.
Trump flipped Michigan in last November's election, while then-Rep. Elissa Slotkin narrowly edged Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in the race to succeed longtime fellow Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Rogers is now seriously mulling a second straight bid for the Senate.
SENATE REPUBLICANS JUMP OUT TO FAST START IN THIS KEY CAMPAIGN METRIC
In Georgia, which Trump also flipped after losing the state in his 2020 election loss to former President Biden, the Cook Report calls Ossoff "the most endangered incumbent overall."
State and national Republicans are urging popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp - who is term-limited in 2026 - to challenge Ossoff.
The Cook Report rates the key New England swing state of New Hampshire as Lean Democrat.
Longtime Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a former governor, has yet to announce if she'll seek another term in office. And while plugged in Democrats in the Granite State have told Fox News the past couple of months that they expected the now-78-year-old Shaheen to run for re-election, her recently announced sparse fundraising for the fourth quarter of last year took many politicos by surprise.
Former Republican Sen. Scott Brown, who served as ambassador to New Zealand during Trump's first term in the White House, is making moves towards launching a second run for the Senate in New Hampshire, a dozen years after narrowly losing to Shaheen.
TRUMP-BACKED 2024 GOP SENATE NOMINEE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE MOVING TOWARDS ANOTHER RUN IN 2026
While no Republican held Senate seats are listed as toss-ups, two are rated by the Cook Report as Lean Republican.
They are Maine, where moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins is running for re-election in a state Trump lost last November, and North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is seeking another term in a state Trump narrowly carried last year.
While Cook lists both races as Lean Republican, Taylor notes that "the rating could change if Democrats recruit strong candidates."
Those Democratic candidates could possibly be former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who finished his second term earlier this year, and Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who's term-limited in 2026.
MEET THE REPUBLICAN SENATOR TASKED WITH DEFENDING THE GOP'S SENATE MAJORITY IN 2026
When it comes to potentially competitive races, the Cook Report rates Ohio as Likely Republican. GOP Gov. Mike DeWine last month named Lt. Jon Husted to fill the seat previously held by now-Vice President JD Vance. Husted is now running in 2026 to fill the final two years of Vance's term.
Once a key battleground state, Ohio has shifted to deep red in recent election cycles and its unclear if former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost his re-election last year, will make another bid in 2026.
Cook also lists Minnesota - where Democrat Sen. Tina Smith is up for re-election next year - as a likely Democrat.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said last November that he'd "like to see 55," when asked in a Fox News Digital interview about how many seats he was aiming for in the 2026 midterms.
And this past weekend at the Senate GOP campaign committee's winter meeting, Scott reiterated that "we believe we can get to 55 or maybe even stretch for 56," according to sources attending the confab in Palm Beach, Florida.
The party in power - which this cycle is clearly the Republicans - traditionally faces electoral headwinds in the midterm elections.
But Taylor, pointing to recent polling, notes that the Democrats' "party brand is… deeply unpopular."
"Even if Democrats were able to defend every incumbent and open seat on their side and flip both those states, it would leave them two short of an outright majority. Additional targets are hard to find," Taylor emphasized.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect reporting that New York Democrats have decided not to move ahead with the legislation.
A controversial New York state election bill will no longer come to fruition, as multiple reports said the bill was put on hold at the behest of Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Sources separately told the New York Post and City & State New York that Hochul asked the Democrat-majority legislature not to take any action on the legislation – which would give the governor more power to decide when special elections can be held and potentially delay the filling of U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik's deep-red upstate seat once the Republican is confirmed as U.N. Ambassador.
The Post reported some of the reasoning stemmed from negotiations between Hochul and the Trump administration as to the longevity of the state-operated MTA's "Congestion Pricing" tolling program in New York City – which the president has opposed.
City & State reported state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, declared the bill at least temporarily a non-starter at an afternoon meeting.
Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, R-Oswego, also confirmed the bill is "no longer moving forward."
"It was a terrible piece of legislation in policy & principle. Thanks to strong pushback from Republican legislators & North Country residents, the bill has been halted," Barclay wrote on X.
State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-Niagara Falls, added in a statement to Fox News Digital that while the bill "appears to be defeated for now, we will remain vigilant against any effort to bring it back."
The reform bill had been set to come up for a vote Monday.
Critics called it a naked attempt to keep Stefanik’s North Country congressional district without a representative until November, while Democratic sponsors say it will save local and taxpayer resources.
The bill, which would allow Hochul to postpone elections or combine them with upcoming general elections, was marketed by Democrats as a cost-saving measure that helps ensure more voters will cast ballots in specials.
However, Ortt said that for all Democrats’ claims about President Donald Trump being a threat to democracy, the truth is belied in their own legislation.
"It’s all about the outcome, not process, democracy, voter participation – they could give a s---. They could give a s---," Ortt said.
TOUGH DECISIONS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES AFTER BONDI'S FUND-WITHHOLDING ORDER
"I can’t shame them; they have none… 800,000 folks [in Stefanik’s soon-to-be-former district] will not have a representative in Congress ‘til November. That's a disgrace for a party that says it cares about democracy," he said, predicting Hochul will use the law to its maximum extent when enacted.
Ortt said the bill has two different provisions – one for federal elections and one for state legislative elections and ruminated how they could benefit Democrats.
He pointed out that state Sen. Simcha Felder, D-Brooklyn, is likely to seek an open seat on New York City Council in the politically-moderate, majority-Jewish Borough Park area.
Felder caucused with Senate Republicans from 2013-18, which gave the GOP a slim, technical majority in Albany for part of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s term.
Ortt said Democrats stand to potentially lose Felder’s Senate seat, which explains the reported two-tiered changes in the bill.
Meanwhile, Barclay said 44% of New York state voted for Trump and the legislation shows his opposition is still smarting about it.
GOP RIPS HOCHUL'S INFLATION REFUNDS
"No, they don't accept that result," said Barclay.
"So they're going to do everything they can, including depriving 800,000 people of a say in the budget [or] the SALT (tax deduction for high-taxed states) bill."
Barclay noted that if Stefanik’s seat remains vacant when the Farm Bill is voted on later this year, a significant portion of New York's agricultural lands will lack representation.
But Democrats remained united, with Senate President Andrea Stewart-Cousins saying in a statement that New Yorkers currently face "unprecedented challenges, including the strain on our democracy and our high cost of living."
"[T]his legislation is a common-sense approach that saves taxpayer dollars while maximizing voter turnout," said Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers.
Currently, Hochul has 90 days to call a special election once Stefanik, or Felder, resigns.
The bill’s text suggested the current special elections' framework in Albany is an operational and financial drag on counties and taxpayers – additionally citing "voter confusion and fatigue."
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Therefore, giving the governor the power to potentially consolidate elections is pertinent.
As NY1 reported, the bill also does not mandate Hochul – or any governor – to combine special and general or primary elections, but now gives her the power to do so.
Some in Stefanik’s district, however, believe Ortt’s claims may have substance.
"By holding up a special election, they’re keeping the North Country from having congressional representation at a critical moment," state Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, told Plattsburgh’s NBC affiliate.
Stec is one of several Republicans vying for the seat, along with Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino, Assemblyman Chris Tague of Schoharie, and author Liz Joy, who previously ran against Democratic Rep. Paul Tonko in the neighboring Capital Region district.
Tague told Fox News Digital that Hochul's political career began via a special election using the same laws Democrats are seeking to change.
"She’s tossing them aside to cut backroom deals … leaving the people of Upstate and the North Country without a voice," Tague said.
A spokesman for Stewart-Cousins told NY1 that state Democrats will not "be lectured to by a party that openly celebrated the release of violent felons that attempted to overthrow a presidential election and have opposed every single voting reform that increases voter participation."
The leader of the centrist Christian Democratic Union doubled down on his vow to not form a coalition with the populist Alternative for Germany as he squared off with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a debate held two weeks before Germans head to the polls for a federal election.
The post More of the Same: Merkel Heir Merz Says No Coalition with AfD Despite Immigration Common Ground appeared first on Breitbart.
West Australian (WA) independent lawmaker Benjamin Letts Dawkins legally changed his name to “Aussie Trump” this week, a move he described as a protest against “the tyranny and systematic corruption of the Labor government in WA.”
The post Australian State Lawmaker Changes Name to ‘Aussie Trump’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Conservatives on social media are having a field day mocking the Democratic National Committee for featuring a handful of "beyond parody" moments during its leadership vote over the weekend, which critics say underscores that Democrats have "learned absolutely nothing" from their 2024 election losses.
The DNC voted to elect Minnestota Democrat Party leader Ken Martin as its chair on Saturday, after eight candidates vied to succeed Jaime Harrison. Following the Democratic Party's losses in November, when Republicans reclaimed the White House and Senate and retained control of the House, the DNC's chair vote serves as a fresh slate for the party as they ramp up strategies and fundraising for the next election cycle.
Conservatives and critics took to social media over the weekend to highlight what they viewed as the most out of touch speeches and comments from party leaders, including the election of left-wing activist David Hogg as one of its three co-chairs. Hogg is an outspoken gun control advocate and the co-founder of March for Our Lives, a gun control group that was formed after the Parkland school shooting in 2018.
"DNC Vice Chair David Hogg has some legitimately INSANE views that are wildly out of step with the American people. Good to see that the Democrat Party has learned absolutely nothing," conservative communicator Steve Guest posted to X.
Hogg, a Parkland school shooting survivor, said from the DNC vote in Maryland that the party will put Republicans "on the defense" in the coming days and reclaim lost political ground.
"After Parkland, our country was in a similar moment – where we had a Republican trifecta in Washington," the 24-year-old said during the DNC election. "We went on the offense, put the Republicans on the defense, and we won. That’s what we need to do right now."
"We’re going to show people that the reason people should vote for us isn’t just because we’re not Republicans – it’s because we’re damn Democrats. We give a s---," he pledged. "And we deliver. Now it’s time to rebuild the party and to rethink the way we’ve been doing things."
Amid the hours-long vote and gathering of Democrats on Saturday in Maryland, former DNC chief Harrison announced that the elections must be gender-balanced, including when a non-binary candidate is in the running, sparking condemnation from conservatives.
DEMOCRATS RALLY AROUND LIGHTENING ROD ISSUE AT FINAL DNC CHAIR DEBATE
"We have an amazing group of new officers. So far, as you know, our three at large vice chair positions are used to ensure gender balance among seven offices: treasury secretary, national finance chair and vice chair for civic engagement and voter participation and the three at large vice chairs. Our rules specify that when we have a non-binary candidate or officer, the non-binary individual is counted as neither male nor female, and the remaining six offices must be gender balanced with the results of the previous four elections. Our elected officers are currently two male and two female. In order to be gender balanced… we must elect one male, one female, and one person of any gender."
Before the election kicked off on Saturday, the eight candidates had traveled to Georgetown University for a forum co-hosted by MSNBC on Thursday, where they declared "racism and misogyny" compounded former Vice President Kamala Harris' election loss.
"So, I’m going to have a show of hands. How many of you believe that racism and misogyny played a role in Vice President Harris’ defeat?" MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart asked the eight candidates.
"That’s good. You all passed," Capehart said after all candidates raised their hands in agreement.
Republican lawmakers and pundits pounced on clips of the exchange, including Sen. Tommy Tubervile, R-Ala., who quipped that the GOP will expand its majority in the midterms.
Singing also broke out both during the forum and the vote. Dr. Quintessa Hathaway was in the running for chair and belted out a song with the lyrics, "You fight on, when the government is doing you wrong, you fight on" during the Thursday forum. She also sang another song ahead of the vote on Saturday vowing, "We shall overcome."
FIRST ON FOX: AFTER 2024 ELECTION SETBACKS, DEMOCRATS EYE RURAL VOTERS
Harrison was also spotted on camera singing on Saturday, delivering a rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday."
DEMOCRATS' HOUSE CAMPAIGN CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS HER PLAN TO WIN BACK MAJORITY
DNC members also "acknowledged" during the vote that the U.S. was "built on indigenous lands."
Ken Martin, who previously slammed Trump as a "traitor" who should be prosecuted for treason, celebrated his win on Saturday, vowing to combat Trump and the Republican Party.
"We have one team, one team, the Democratic Party," Martin said following his victory. "The fight is for our values. The fight is for working people. The fight right now is against Donald Trump and the billionaires who bought this country."
"We need to go on offense," Martin said. "We're going to go out there and take this fight to Donald Trump and the Republicans."
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Fox News Digital reached out to the DNC on Sunday for comment on the negative backlash over the gathering, but did not immediately receive a reply.
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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