History was made in several races during the 2017 off-year elections, with minorities, first-timers, and other under-represented candidates winning their campaigns. But it was no easy feat. Some hopefuls were hit with racial epithets and discriminatory advertisements before they won.
And for them, victory sent a clear message: our state is not a state of hate.
At least this was Virginia’s delegate-elect Elizabeth Guzman’s reaction. She and Hala Ayala this year became the first two Latinas ever elected to the state's House of Delegates. In an interview with Cheddar on Tuesday, Guzman said that many Republicans were mimicking the anti-immigration rhetoric exhibited by President Donald Trump. In her case, her opponent accused her of wanting to protect criminals.
“I think it was a huge response from Virginia to Washington, D.C., and also to Richmond, and Prince William County,” she said about winning. “We are not a state of hate. We are a state that is diverse, and we are proud of our diversity.”
Guzman, who began campaigning in October 2016, says her children were a motivating factor for her run for office. The public administrator and social worker was already heavily involved in her community. As a delegate, she hopes to encourage Latin children to feel represented and hopes more people with her background run for office in the future.
Victor Santos is what America is all about: Brazilian born, he came to the U.S. with his parents, graduated from Berkeley, worked at Google, and founded his own company to help "unbanked" people in the third world get access to basic banking infrastructure. But because of his status as a Dreamer, he could be deported.
Bettis, known as "The Bus" when he was an unstoppable running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, voiced support for the NFL player protests but also said he thought the league was "doing the right thing" in a tense situation.
The Vice President walks a fine line between unbreakable devotion to the president and keeping himself above the multiple scandals ensnaring the White House. Pete Eisner, co-author of "The Shadow President: The Truth About Mike Pence," said that's no coincidence.
Marc Molinaro, the Republican candidate running to replace Andrew Cuomo as New York's governor, said his first action items would be cleaning up Albany and lowering property taxes. Molinaro trails Cuomo by more than 20 points.
Obama will be a galvanizing force on the trail for Democrats but could also rally the more moderate GOP base against the sitting president, said Eric Boehm of Reason.com.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
The Congressman who represents Silicon Valley told Cheddar that the new legislation he's co-authored with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is intended to force massive, profitable companies like Amazon to help lift workers at the bottom of the economic ladder. Otherwise, he said, Uncle Sam ends up footing the bill.
Randal Hill, a former NFL wide receiver, is optimistic even in the face of the protest controversy that has divided America. He told Cheddar Big News that one of the best things about sports leagues is how they can heal national wounds.
Friday's strong employment report, showing an addition of 201,000 jobs in August and a 2.9 percent rise in wages, is a "tribute to Republican leadership," Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the highest-ranking Republican woman in the House, said in an interview on Cheddar.
Margaret Sullivan, media columnist at the Washington Post and former New York Times public editor, said that the anonymous op-ed that has roiled the Trump administration was not the most honorable way for a staff member to air grievances with the president.
