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GOP victor in CA House primary cites major momentum shift in deep blue state: ‘Californians are tired’
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Republican congressional candidate and CAL DOGE Director Jenny Rae Le Roux says pushback on decades of Democratic control is fueling a political shift in deep-blue California, which was on display Tuesday with strong performances by gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton and LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt.
«Californians are tired of one-party rule,» Le Roux told Fox News Digital after her Tuesday night primary victory that sent her into a head-to-head match up with incumbent Democrat Dave Min in California’s 47th Congressional District.
«They know that the reason we’re suffering in this state and people are leaving California is because Democrats have been in charge for 60 years, and they’re up to no good.»
Le Roux argues that Min has not done enough to represent people across the district, saying her campaign has «already started doing the job that he’s not doing.»
CALIFORNIANS EXPERIENCING A ‘RED SHIFT’ OF LOCAL DEMOCRATS BECOMING REPUBLICANS AMID MIGRANT CRISIS, CRIME
Spencer Pratt and Steve Hilton scored major victories Tuesday night in California. (HIGHFIVE/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images ; Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County)
«It’s just to do the thing that Dave Min is not doing, which is to represent the district,» she said. «We are out in every community. We have a precinct-by-precinct operation. Anyone who wants to meet with us, we will meet with them.»
Le Roux said residents unable to get answers from Min’s office on fraud, veterans’ concerns or housing issues are turning to Republicans like her for help.
«People are frustrated by his office,» she said. «They’re not responsive. They ask us for help with fraud issues, issues with HUD and veterans’ issues, and we’re making calls and getting things done for the people in the district.»
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Anna Elsasser defended Min, saying his office has helped constituents recover over $5 million from federal agencies.
«Jenny Rae Le Roux’s lame attacks reflect both a lack of familiarity with Dave Min’s office, which has brought back over $5.7 million to constituents, and with the issues that Orange County families care about,» Elsasser said.
The Cook Political Report ranks the race between Min and Le Roux as «Solid D» as Republicans try to hold onto their razor-thin margin in the House.
Democrats’ decades-long control of California has come under scrutiny as the Trump administration investigates alleged fraud involving healthcare, homelessness spending and nonprofit groups, issues Le Roux says are driving residents out of the state and pushing voters toward Republicans.
HOUSE COMMITTEE LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO ‘RAMPANT’ CALIFORNIA HOSPICE FRAUD

Jenny Rae Le Roux and Rep. Dave Min are set to face off in California’s 47th Congressional District race. (Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images 😉
Last month, federal officials suspended 800 California hospice and home health providers in a Medicare fraud crackdown tied to foreign-linked criminal networks accused of stealing more than $1 billion from taxpayers.
Le Roux said her team at CAL DOGE, a private-sector initiative founded by Hilton, is uncovering more fraud in the state and «taking down not just the systems, but actually each one of the criminals that are going to be indicted over the course of the next six months.»
SCOOP: DEMOCRATIC VIRGINIA GOV SPANBERGER’S REPUBLICAN COUSIN AIMS TO FLIP KEY CALIFORNIA HOUSE SEAT RED

Los Angeles Mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt speaks with the media outside Don Antonio’s restaurant in Los Angeles, California, on June 2, 2026, the day of California’s primary elections. (Highfive/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
«We’re finding the fraud that’s happening through Sacramento,» she said. «They’ve been completely silent about it. They haven’t fought it themselves because they’re in on it.»
Since launching in early 2026, CAL DOGE says it has uncovered nearly $700 million in misused taxpayer funds. Le Roux said she will continue working with Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton to root out fraud.
«We’ve got some fraud-fighting on our hands, and I’ll work with Steve up and down the state to make sure our money is being spent wisely before either one of us is in office,» Le Roux said.
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Despite her criticism of Democrats, Le Roux said «it’s really important to keep relationships with people in other parties.»
Le Roux is the cousin of Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, and she told Fox News Digital the two «faithfully messaged each other after campaigns» and despite having «completely different opinions,» we «really love each other.»
democrats elections, abigail spanberger, california, republicans, doge, politics, midterm elections
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Rogers opens door to Democratic voters after El-Sayed’s primary victory: ‘There is still hope’
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Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers opened the door to Michigan Democrats on Friday after far-left progressive Abdul El-Sayed’s primary victory, assuring them «there is still hope,» adding they have a «home» with his campaign.
«If you’re among the majority of Democratic voters that woke up on Wednesday feeling, well, hopeless, because the person who won does not represent your values, well, just know, there is still hope,» Rogers said in a video posted on X Friday.
«Michigan deserves a senator who is ready to sit with you, hear from you and represent you.»
El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., in one of the nation’s most closely watched Democratic primaries, setting up a November showdown with Rogers, who ran uncontested.
2026 MIDTERMS STATE OF PLAY: KEY RACES UNFOLD AS STEVENS, EL-SAYED BATTLE IN MICHIGAN
Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers is making a direct pitch to Michigan Democrats following Abdul El-Sayed’s primary victory. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images ; Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)
Rogers addressed Democratic voters directly, casting his campaign as a home for those who feel their values are not reflected in El-Sayed’s candidacy as he tries to court the hundreds of thousands of Democrats who voted for Stevens but may not feel comfortable voting for El-Sayed.
«The parents across Michigan who want an education system that sets up their kids for success, you have a home with us,» he said. «To grandparents across Michigan who are heartbroken from watching their kids and grandkids leave the state, you have a home with us.
«To young people who are looking for real solutions to solve our housing affordability crisis, you have a home with us. To working families who don’t want higher taxes and lower paychecks, well, you have a home with us.»
Rogers also accused El-Sayed’s campaign of promoting «anger, divisiveness, calls for violence» and views he said are out of step with Michigan voters.
«And to the vast majority of people across Michigan who do not want to throw their support behind a campaign filled with anger, divisiveness, calls for violence and the views that are out of touch with your values, well, you have a home with us,» he said.
EL-SAYED’S THREAT AGAINST GOP RIVAL BACKFIRES AS CONSERVATIVES BRING RECEIPTS: ‘IS DUBAI IN FLORIDA?’

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed speaks to supporters at an election night rally at the Majestic Theatre Aug. 4, 2026, in Detroit. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
If Rogers wins in November, Republicans would flip the seat held by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters and help protect their control of the Senate.
«Over the next 90 days, I’m going to work hard to earn your trust, to earn your support and earn your vote,» Rogers said. «We have a state to save, Michigan. Let’s get to work.»
Rogers’ outreach to Democrats was praised by some conservatives and pundits on social media.
In a post on X, former DSA member Jake Altman wrote, «I voted for Biden. I voted for Harris. I will vote for Mike Rogers. I just donated to the campaign. This is not a time to sit on your hands. Stand up for the man who fights terrorists, not the one who sympathizes with them.»
«Mike Rogers directly asks for Democrats to support him in Michigan. The majority of Michigan Democrats voted against Abdul El-Sayed. This is well done,» OutKick founder Clay Travis posted on X.
In another post on X, Democrats for Mike Rogers wrote, «Mike Rogers is meeting the moment. We’re putting country over party and voting for Mike Rogers in November. It’s never been more important. We must unite and defeat the extremism of Abdul El-Sayed and his allies.»
El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former Wayne County health director who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2018, has campaigned on Medicare-for-all and abolishing Immigration and customs enforcement. He has also been a vocal critic of Israel during its war with Hamas and has called Israel’s actions in Gaza «genocide.»
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: THE REPUBLICAN-LED VOTE THAT REVEALED DEMOCRATS’ NEW DIVIDE ON ISRAEL

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers waits to go onstage at his election watch party with the Michigan GOP Nov. 5, 2024, in Novi, Michigan. Rogers and Democrat Elissa Slotkin are competing for the seat vacated by the retiring Debbie Stabenow. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
He would become the nation’s first Muslim senator if elected.
As some Democrats grapple with the direction of their party following El-Sayed’s nomination, Rogers said the «fight is far greater than just left versus right.»
«The fight is for the very soul of our nation,» he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to El Sayed’s campaign for comment.
politics, michigan, midterm elections, senate, democratic party
INTERNACIONAL
Después de 16 años, el gobierno venezolano liberó a una jueza que estaba presa por «corrupción espiritual»
La justicia venezolana cerró de manera definitiva el caso de la jueza María Lourdes Afiuni, considerada una presa política del fallecido presidente Hugo Chávez, y le otorgó la libertad plena, informó este viernes su familia.
En un comunicado, el hermano de la jueza, Nelson Afiuni y la representante legal de la familia, Thelma Fernández, afirmaron que la decisión «pone fin de manera definitiva al proceso seguido en su contra y restituye plenamente su libertad, cerrando formalmente un caso que nunca debió existir».
La jueza fue detenida en diciembre de 2009 tras otorgar libertad bajo fianza a Eligio Cedeño, un banquero acusado de efectuar operaciones cambiarias ilegales. En televisión, Chávez la llamó «bandida» y pidió que se le impusiera la condena máxima de 30 años de cárcel por supuestamente haber facilitado la fuga del empresario, quien salió del país.
Estuvo en prisión hasta 2011, cuando pasó a arresto domiciliario, y en 2013 obtuvo libertad condicional.
En 2019, fue condenada a cinco años por «corrupción espiritual», es decir, la misma fiscalía reconoció que no tuvo ningún beneficio económico.
Hasta hoy, Afiuni tenía una libertad condicional que incluía, según la familia, prohibición de salir de la ciudad, hablar a la prensa o en redes sociales y votar. Tampoco tenía derecho a un pasaporte y estaba inhabilitada políticamente.
En el comunicado, el hermano y la abogada aseguraron que el cierre del caso y su libertad representan «el final de un largo y doloroso capítulo marcado por graves violaciones a los derechos humanos y al debido proceso».
«Durante años, la jueza Afiuni y su familia soportaron las consecuencias de una persecución que trascendió el ámbito personal y se convirtió en un símbolo inequívoco del deterioro de la independencia judicial en Venezuela», expresaron ambos, quienes agradecieron a todos los que «acompañaron esta causa con firmeza y constancia».
Sin embargo, señalaron que el cierre definitivo del expediente «no borra el sufrimiento vivido ni repara, por sí solo, los daños ocasionados».
Afirmaron que el caso «permanece como una advertencia para toda la región sobre las consecuencias de utilizar el sistema de justicia como instrumento de represalia contra quienes ejercen sus funciones con independencia e imparcialidad».
COMUNICADO CASO DE LA JUEZA @mariafiuni pic.twitter.com/IwX6ZFgPT8
— Nelson Afiuni (@nelsonafiuni) August 7, 2026
«Ningún juez debe volver a enfrentar prisión, persecución, humillación o amenazas por cumplir con su deber, aplicar la ley o dar cumplimiento a decisiones y estándares del derecho internacional de los derechos humanos. Una justicia independiente solo puede existir cuando sus jueces pueden decidir libres de intimidación, presiones o represalias», aseveraron.
La abogada familiar y el hermano de la jueza expresaron su confianza en que la decisión «marque también el inicio de una reflexión indispensable sobre la necesidad de reconstruir la independencia judicial en Venezuela y de garantizar que hechos como los ocurridos en este caso jamás vuelvan a repetirse».
Durante el fin de semana, Afiuni había recibido atención médica de urgencia, tras presentar un cuadro de mareos, vómitos e hipertensión. Allí se detectó que la exjueza tiene tres lesiones tumorales en distintas partes del cuerpo, según señala el comunicado.
«En este momento, cuando su estado de salud requiere atención especializada y decisiones médicas oportunas, resulta indispensable que las autoridades adopten una solución definitiva que ponga fin a un caso que debió haber sido cerrado hace muchos años», informó la familia este jueves.
«El respeto al derecho a la salud de la jueza Afiuni requiere eliminar las restricciones que le impiden acceder plenamente a la atención médica que necesita y reunirse con su única hija en este momento de especial vulnerabilidad», agrega el documento publicado.
Los familiares consideran que la enfermedad de la jueza es consecuencia «de un prolongado proceso de persecución, de su injusta privación de libertad, de las condiciones de reclusión que soportó y de la falta de atención médica oportuna».
Meses atrás, la familia había pedido que Afiuni fuera favorecida por la ley de amnistía impulsada por la presidenta encargada Delcy Rodríguez. Este año, cientos de presos políticos han sido excarcelados y a miles de personas se les han levantado las restricciones a su libertad, luego de la captura de Nicolás Maduro por parte de Estados Unidos.
INTERNACIONAL
Trump urges Jeanine Pirro to revisit dropped Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism case
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President Donald Trump on Friday urged U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to take a second look at the recently dropped charges over vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
«Now that people are able to see it up close, they are reporting pure VANDALISM at The Reflecting Pool,» Trump wrote on Truth Social, sharing photos from a freelance photographer that allegedly showed vandalism.
The president claimed that «People were on their knees with their hands in the water at the exact location of the ‘slashes.’ Additionally, there were witnesses to the VANDALISM, and the flexible areas of the material were cut with a knife.
TRUMP SAYS HE ‘DISAGREES 100%’ WITH U.S. ATTORNEY JEANINE PIRRO OVER REFLECTING POOL CASE
President Donald Trump on Friday urged U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to take a second look at the recently dropped charges over vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. (Getty Images)
«U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro should re-visit her hastily made decision, especially since it turned out that the ‘gentleman’ involved is a big player in ActBlue, a disgraceful fundraising SCAM, and is represented by a TRUMP DERANGED SLEAZEBAG, Political Hack Lawyer, Norm Eisen, and CREW, a group that uses ‘charity’ for political purposes which is, to the best of my knowledge, ILLEGAL!»
Trump has been highly critical of Pirro’s decision to drop the felony vandalism case against former Olympian David Hearn last Friday.
Earlier this week, Trump claimed Pirro «choked» under pressure from a judge regarding the case and «folded like an umbrella.»
A day after the case was dropped, Trump wrote on Truth Social «I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool. I don’t know what she was thinking?»
FORMER US OLYMPIAN DAVID HEARN INDICTED IN ALLEGED REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM
Hearn was indicted on July 2 on one count of felony destruction of property. U.S. Park Police alleged Hearn grabbed and tugged at a loose section of the pool’s coating on June 19, continuing after a National Park Service employee told him to stop. Officials initially claimed he caused more than $1,000 in damage.
However, Pirro’s office said the Department of the Interior initially provided prosecutors with «barebones» reports and failed to disclose records documenting extensive problems with the coating’s installation.

The Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool are seen from the Washington Monument on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Washington. Rahmat Gul/AP (Rahmat Gul/AP)
«Had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment,» prosecutors wrote.
«It was not until after the return of the indictment, that the DOI provided additional documents to the USAO-DC indicating that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June 2026 was the result of flawed installation by the contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings (‘AIC’), and the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026.»
OLYMPIAN CHARGED IN REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM DONATED THROUGH DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT

David Hearn of the United States competes in the men’s C1 whitewater canoeing final of the 2000 Summer Olympics at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium. Penrith, Australia, on Sept. 18, 2000. (David Madison/Getty Images)
The DOJ said the new evidence made it difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hearn caused the damage. Prosecutors asked the court to dismiss the indictment without prejudice, which would leave open the possibility of bringing the charge again.
«The Trump administration’s case against Davey Hearn should never have been brought,» Hearn’s attorneys Norm Eisen, Mary Dohrmann and Steve Levin in a statement last Friday, according to the New York Post. «Its dismissal today does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong. The government’s approach was ready, fire, aim. The administration owes Mr. Hearn an apology.»
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson and Reuters contributed to this report.
justice department, donald trump, politics
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