Amid talk of generational change, Democrats eye committee leaders

Amid talk of generational change, Democrats eye committee leaders-rollcall: Democrats in both chambers of Congress are seizing on the rising support for generational change in party leadership and proposing ways to apply that to their committee leaders in addition to the elected leadership teams.

Jeffries on leadership transition: Honor to stand on the shoulders

Jeffries on leadership transition: Honor to stand on the shoulders-politico:  Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y), widely expected to lead his caucus in the next Congress, said Sunday it was an honor to follow the previous generation of top Democrats.

How a secret meeting put Hakeem Jeffries on track to replace Pelosi

How a secret meeting put Hakeem Jeffries on track to replace Pelosi-politico:  The race to succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the leader of House Democrats may have been clinched at a meeting in the Capitol on Sept. 1.

Democrats in array at last, with domestic agenda in bloom

Democrats in array at last, with domestic agenda in bloom-politico:  Democrats are on the cusp of their biggest victory since taking full control of Washington 19 months ago. The November fragrance of their late political bloom remains to be seen.

Drug pricing, climate, immigration: House Dems eye ‘kitchen sink’ for next big bill

Drug pricing, climate, immigration: House Dems eye ‘kitchen sink’ for next big bill-politico:  Less than two weeks after President Joe Biden signed into law one of Congress’ most expansive measures in decades, House Democratic leaders are already dreaming bigger.

Democrats aim to move health care agenda despite slim majorities

Democrats aim to move health care agenda despite slim majorities-rollcall:  The outlook for Democrats’ health care priorities was boosted by the party’s two final Senate victories in Georgia this week, yet exactly what the party may accomplish remains to be seen.  President-elect Joe Biden said in a statement Wednesday that “the bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill passed in December was just a down payment,” signaling that another pandemic response bill is on tap.

How record-high turnout in Iowa could upend the 2020 race

How record-high turnout in Iowa could upend the 2020 race-politico: It might not be enough to blunt the momentum swinging nationally to Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. But for Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, high turnout in the Iowa caucuses may be their only chance.

Biden leads Sanders by 7 in new national poll

Biden leads Sanders by 7 in new national poll-thehill: Former Vice President Joe Biden has a 7 point lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in a new national poll, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) a distant third place. The latest Monmouth University survey finds Biden at 30 percent, followed by Sanders at 23 percent and Warren at 14 percent. All three candidates saw a modest increase in support, with Biden gaining 4 points, Sanders 2 and Warren 3.

Biden could be winner in Warren-Sanders fight

Biden could be winner in Warren-Sanders fight-thehill: Former Vice President Joe Biden is an interested observer of the squabble between Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Biden, who after downplaying expectations in Iowa is now signaling he believes the state’s caucuses are in play for his campaign, could end up benefiting if voters in the state are turned off by the fight between his two progressive rivals.

What we learned about the Democratic field from the debate

What we learned about the Democratic field from the debate-politico: This was not the debate anyone expected, but it was perhaps the debate that voters needed. Democratic voters, especially those who don’t have the time to pay close attention to politics, in polls and interviews have consistently been bewildered by the size of the field and turned off by petty fights between candidates that do little to clarify their differences.

Democrats top Trump in Michigan matchups: poll

Democrats top Trump in Michigan matchups: poll-thehill: A poll in Michigan finds several 2020 Democratic White House hopefuls leading President Trump in hypothetical matchups in the crucial battleground state, according to the Detroit News. The Glengariff Group poll showed former Vice President Joe Biden with the widest lead, at 50 percent to Trump’s 43 percent, followed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, at 47 percent to 41 percent, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) with a 4-point lead, 49 to 45 percent.

DNC says next debate will be rescheduled if it conflicts with impeachment trial

DNC says next debate will be rescheduled if it conflicts with impeachment trial-politico: The chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Tom Perez, said on Tuesday that the party organization would reschedule next week’s presidential primary debate in Iowa if the televised event conflicts with President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate.

Biden builds primary strategy around general election

Biden builds primary strategy around general election-thehill: Former Vice President Joe Biden is running a general election campaign during the Democratic primary. While other candidates are running campaigns tailored to the Democratic base, Biden's message, for the most part, is targeting centrists and independents, a move typically reserved for the general election. While the strategy can be risky for primary candidates, Democrats say the strategy works well for Biden. He is currently well ahead of his competitors.

Presidential field narrows again as Castro suspends campaign

Presidential field narrows again as Castro suspends campaign-rollcall: Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro announced Thursday that he is suspending his presidential campaign. But the Democratic primary field remains crowded, with 14 candidates still in the race. “I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together,” Castro said in a tweet Thursday morning. “I’m going to keep fighting for an America where everyone counts, I hope you’ll join me in that fight.”

Wine caves, health care clashes and age attacks: Biggest debate moments

Wine caves, health care clashes and age attacks: Biggest debate moments-politico: The sixth and final Democratic presidential debate of 2019 began with near-unanimity about the impeachment vote in the House a day earlier, and within an hour careened into a spirited battle over transparency and money in politics. The long-awaited confrontation between Sen. Elizabeth Warren and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg materialized in the debate’s second hour, when the Massachusetts senator slammed her 37-year-old opponent for holding a pricey campaign fundraiser in a cave at a tony California winery. That cascaded into a stage wide battle, with Sen. Bernie Sanders joining the billionaire-trashing brigade.

Kamala Harris drops out of presidential race

Kamala Harris drops out of presidential race-politico: Kamala Harris ended her presidential campaign on Tuesday after months of failing to lift her candidacy from the bottom of the field, a premature departure for a California senator once heralded as a top-tier contender for the nomination.

Bloomberg officially announces he's entering presidential race

Bloomberg officially announces he's entering presidential race-thehill: Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Sunday officially announced his entrance into the Democratic presidential primary field. "We cannot afford four more years of President Trump’s reckless and unethical actions," Bloomberg said in a statement. "He represents an existential threat to our country and our values. If he wins another term in office, we may never recover from the damage." Bloomberg's statement said he will focus on creating jobs, providing health care, ending gun violence, combating climate change, adjusting the immigration system and increasing taxes on the wealthy "like me."

Five takeaways from the Democratic debate

Five takeaways from the Democratic debate-thehill: Ten Democrats took the stage here Wednesday night with less than three months to go before the Iowa caucuses, and after a day of high political drama at the impeachment hearings back in Washington.

Deval Patrick takes swipes at rivals as he busts into presidential primary

Deval Patrick takes swipes at rivals as he busts into presidential primary-politico: Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick made his presidential campaign official on Thursday, acknowledging the challenges of his late entry into a crowded field while also subtly knocking rivals for running on "nostalgia" or taking an "our way" or "no way" approach to governance. Patrick made the comments during an interview with CBS News, where he had analyzed the Democratic presidential field as a contributor until jumping into the race himself.

Democrats confront prospect of long primary

Democrats confront prospect of long primary-thehill: There is no true front-runner in the Democratic presidential race, and that opens up the specter of a long and divisive nomination fight within a party desperate to beat President Trump in 2020. At a time when some Democrats hoped that the field was being winnowed down, speculation is instead focused on possible late entrants to the field. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick are both said to be moving toward bids. Their maneuvering has attracted plenty of skepticism, but it is also evidence of the unsettled nature of the race.