Democrat Jennifer McClellan wins special election; first Black ...

Correction & clarification: A previous version of this article misspelled the name of the late Donald McEachin, the former congressman from Virginia.

Democrat Jennifer McClellan coasted to victory in Virginia’s special election Tuesday, becoming the state’s first Black woman in Congress.

McClellan, a state senator and corporate lawyer, was declared the projected winner over Republican Leon Benjamin, a pastor, within 30 minutes of the polls closing, according to the Associated Press.

She will succeed Democrat Rep. Donald McEachin, who died last November, and represent a district anchored by Richmond that stretches south to the North Carolina border.

President Joe Biden called McClellan Tuesday night while "she was headed to her historic win" and "looks forward to working with the Congresswoman-elect," according to a White House pool report.

Historic first:Jennifer McClellan just won election to Congress. Black women say it's not enough

Once McClellan is sworn in, there will be a record 28 Black women in Congress. Her victory does not change the GOP margin in the House as Republicans still will be able to lose four GOP votes on bills and pass legislation.

Virginia voters headed to the polls on Tuesday to fill the lone vacancy in the 118th Congress.

Biden won Virginia's 4th Congressional District by roughly 35 percentage points in 2020.

That made McClellan, a corporate attorney for Verizon, the favorite against Benjamin, a pastor who lost to McEachin last year in a district anchored by Richmond that stretches south to the North Carolina border.

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Virginia's first Black woman in Congress?

Overall, 22 states have ever elected at least one Black woman to Congress, according to the Pew Research Center.

If McClellan prevails, the 50-year-old state legislator would be the first Black woman Virginia voters have ever sent to Congress.

"Just one day left until Virginia elects the first Black woman to Congress," McClellan boasted Monday on Twitter. "Who’s ready?"

Politics: Biden pulls off secret trip to war-torn Kyiv. Here's how it happened.

More: Nikki Haley on 2024 White House bid: 'Why not me?'

A Republican who called the COVID-19 pandemic a 'cover-up'

The two contenders couldn't be more different in their beliefs.

Benjamin is a staunch conservative who has emphasized his support for parents' rights and school choice. He's also the host of a conservative video program where he has often surfed into conspiracy theory waters.

Among his past statements were refusing to concede his own 2020 election loss; espousing that the COVID-19 pandemic was a "cover-up" to establish a “new world order"; and arguing the vaccine for the disease contained a "tracking system" set up to control people using 5G cellphone networks.

McClellan challenged McAuliffe in 2021 governor primary in race ultimately won by Republican Glenn Younkin

McClellan surprised many when she challenged Terry McAuliffe in the Democratic primary for governor in 2021. McAuliffe ultimately lost to Republican Glenn Youngkin.

That race raised McClellan's profile to the forefront of Virginia politics and, during this congressional campaign, she has leaned into progressive legislative ideas such as expanding voting rights, protecting access to abortion and environmental justice.

Jennifer McClellan is poised to make history in Virginia after winning ...

CNN —

Jennifer McClellan has won the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s 4th Congressional District in the special election to succeed the late Rep. Donald McEachin, the commonwealth’s Democratic Party announced early Thursday morning in a news release, putting her in prime position to become the first Black woman to represent the Old Dominion in Congress.

McEachin died in November just weeks after winning reelection.

McClellan defeated fellow state Sen. Joe Morrissey and two other candidates in Tuesday’s “firehouse primary,” which was conducted by party officials across a handful of pop-up voting locations in the Richmond-area district. She took 85% of the vote to Morrissey’s 14%, according to the Virginia Democratic Party news release. McClellan enters the February 21 special election against Republican Leon Benjamin as the favorite for a safely Democratic seat that President Joe Biden would have carried by 36 points in 2020.

“Tuesday’s party-run process saw historic turnout with 27,900 votes cast, making it the largest party-run nomination process in the history of the Democratic Party of Virginia” the release stated. “Voter turnout even exceeded the last state-run primary in VA-04, when 15,728 votes were cast.”

At a news conference Thursday with Virginia Democratic Party officials, McClellan said she was ready “to bring a new perspective to the Virginia delegation that has never had a Black woman sitting at the table.”

She paid tribute to McEachin, whom she called a friend and mentor, and recalled voting barriers her family members previously faced – including the poll tax her father and grandfather had to pay to be able to vote, the literacy test her great-grandfather had to take, and “the fact that the women in my family did not vote until after 1965. I stand on their shoulders today.”

“I stand on the shoulders of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress. I stand on the shoulders of John Mercer Langston, the first Black man sent to Congress from Virginia in the 4th Congressional District,” she added.

McClellan, who finished third in the 2021 Democratic primary for governor, had the support of party leaders and groups ranging from the political arm of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to the moderate-backing Democratic Majority for Israel PAC. Democratic members of the commonwealth’s congressional delegation had endorsed her, as did Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and other local officials.

Morrissey’s feuds with the Virginia Democratic Party establishment may have been part of his appeal among some disenchanted partisans, but he was dogged by his controversial history, including his resignation from the state House in 2014 after a misdemeanor conviction for contributing to the delinquency of a minor – a 17-year-old part-time staffer at his law office with whom he had sex and exchanged nude photos. He was in his mid-50s at the time, but has argued, according to a local report, that he believed the woman was 18. (Morrissey has since married the woman and they have several children.) Morrissey has also been stripped of his law license – twice – and remains disbarred following a 2019 state Supreme Court decision to uphold its revocation.

Benjamin, a Navy veteran and pastor, won the GOP nomination at a party canvass on Saturday. This is his third bid for the seat, after losing to McEachin last month and in 2020.

This story has been updated with additional reaction.

Gregory Krieg Ethan Cohen Melissa Holzberg Depalo

VA poised to elect first Black woman to Congress as campaigns heat ...

WASHINGTON — Nikki Haley is in Iowa touting her presidential credentials. Rep. Barbara Lee is running to fill the California Senate seat being vacated by retiring Dianne Feinstein. And Virginia is about to elect its first Black woman to Congress.

The calendar says 2023 but it feels like 2024.

Here's what else is happening in politics:

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McCllelan wins Va. special election, making history

Democrat Jennifer McClellan defeated Republican Leon Benjamin to become the first Black woman Virginia will send to Congress.

The Associated Press called the race after the polls closed at 7 p.m. EST

The seat was left vacant by the death of Rep. A. Donald McEachin in November.

– Phillip M. Bailey

Biden administration unveils new proposal that would limit asylum at border

The Biden administration announced a new policy proposal Tuesday that would limit access to asylum for migrants who cross the United States’ southern border illegally if they fail to apply for protections in another country.

The administration did not give a specific date for when the policy would go into effect. But officials said they intend to time the implementation of the new policy to coincide with the end of Title 42.

If the policy is approved, migrants will be ineligible for asylum if they had not used existing lawful processes, such as a humanitarian parole program available for Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Haitians or Cubans; scheduled a time and place of arrival at a port of entry or been denied asylum in a third country they have traveled through.

The move comes two years after the administration dismantled a similar Trump-era policy that required migrants seeking asylum in the US to first apply for protections in three Central American countries.

– Rebecca Morin

More:New Biden administration proposal seeks to limit access for asylum seekers at southern border

Section 230: Supreme Court eager to steer clear of sweeping changes to internet

The Supreme Court seemed hesitant Tuesday to hand down a sweeping ruling that could change the way search engines and other websites recommend content to users, but the justices struggled with how to address whether Big Tech can ever be held liable when those recommendations cause harm.

At issue in the case, Gonzalez v. Google, is a controversial law known as Section 230, which has been widely interpreted as shielding websites from lawsuits for user-generated content. The question for the court is whether recommendations – such as a suggestion for the next video to watch on YouTube – are covered under that law.

The family of a 23-year-old American killed in a 2015 terrorist attack in Paris sued Google, which owns YouTube, for promoting videos dealing with the Islamic State group. But several of the justices from both ends of the ideological spectrum seemed concerned about potentially holding companies liable for all such recommendations.

- John Fritze

Supreme caution:Supreme Court eager to steer clear of sweeping changes to internet in Section 230 dispute

DOD: Service members told to avoid poppy seed products

The Department of Defense wants service members to cut poppy seeds from their diets to make identifying illicit drug use among the rank and file easier, according to a memo released Tuesday.

Poppy seeds are derived from the poppy plant, which produces opium, the key source for narcotics like codeine and heroin. The DOD warned in the memo that some poppy seed varieties could have higher codeine contamination than previously thought, which might show up on drug tests.

- Ella Lee

‘Kyiv stands strong,’ Biden says, marking one year of Russia’s war in Ukraine

President Joe Biden said the world has responded to a "test for the ages,” marking the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and the Kremlin.

Biden, in a speech outside the Kubicki Arcades palace in Warsaw, said Russian President Vladimir Putin thought Ukraine would "roll over" when he invaded, but "he was wrong" because of the "iron will" of Ukrainians and nations everywhere.

"One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv," Biden said. "Well, I just came from a visit to Kyiv, and I can report, Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. It stands tall. And most importantly, it stands free."

The message of solidarity – delivered in front of U.S., Poland and Ukraine flags – came shortly after Putin said Russia will pull back from the New START nuclear treaty in response to a surprise visit Biden made Monday to Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.

– Joey Garrison

'Kyiv stands strong’:Biden declares Putin ‘was wrong,’ marking one year of Russia’s war in Ukraine

Nikki Haley tells voters considering Trump to ‘look forward’

In her first visit to Iowa since announcing she would run for president, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley made a direct pitch for her candidacy over former President Donald Trump, saying “we’ve got to look forward.”

The answer came after Haley opened a campaign event in Urbandale to audience questions. West Des Moines Republican activist Gary Leffler asked Haley why Iowans who supported Trump in the past should caucus for her instead.

“President Trump is my friend. I think he was the right president at the right time,” Haley responded, but adding that “we need to leave the status quo in the past. We’ve got work to do. We’ve got to look forward.”

– Brianne Pfannenstiel

Nikki Haley in Iowa:Nikki Haley begins Iowa courtship for 2024, tells those considering Trump to 'look forward'

First lady Jill Biden heading to Africa

First lady Jill Biden will travel to Namibia and Kenya this week, part of the Biden administration’s effort to strengthen ties in sub-Saharan Africa and regain trust amid growing influence from China and Russia in the region.

Later trips by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are also in the works.

The first lady is expected to focus on the role of young people in strengthening democracies, empowering women and the food crises in Kenya.

She will be the first top official to visit sub-Saharan Africa since the start of the Biden administration.

– Maureen Groppe

First lady Jill Biden heading to Africa:Youth, empowering women, food crises are on the agenda

Rep. Cicilline, a co-author of Trump impeachment article, to leave Congress

Rep. David Cicilline, the Rhode Island congressman who served as a manager in former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, will leave Congress before the end of his term to lead the Rhode Island Foundation, his office announced on Tuesday.

Cicilline was a lead author of the Trump impeachment article considered by the House and held a prominent role throughout the proceedings, at one point urging his GOP colleagues to think about what they will tell their children and grandchildren about that moment.

“Do you stand for the republic or for this president?” Cicilline asked of his peers in January 2021.

The Rhode Island congressman challenged Rep. James Clyburn in November for assistant Democratic leader, calling on Democrats to “fully respect the diversity of our caucus” by putting a member of the LGBTQ community in a top leadership position. Cicilline is gay. He withdrew his challenge ahead of the party’s vote.

Cicilline’s last day will be June 1, the press release said.

– Ella Lee

Rep. Barbara Lee announces Senate run

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., has officially entered the Senate race to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who won't seek reelection in 2024.

In a video released Tuesday, Lee said she was “running for U.S. Senate because Californians deserve a strong, progressive leader who has accomplished real things and delivered real change.”

Lee, however, faces a growing field of contenders for the Senate seat: Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. Adam Schiff have both announced their campaigns.

– Mabinty Quarshie

Supreme Court declines case of man who mocked police online

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear the case of an Ohio man who was arrested for creating a parody Facebook page in 2016 to mock his local police department.

Anthony Novak was arrested and indicted for violating a state law that makes it illegal to use a computer to disrupt police functions. He was acquitted by a jury.

Novak then sued the police and the city, alleging violations of the First and Fourth Amendments. A Cincinnati-based appeals court sided with the police, holding they were entitled to what's known as qualified immunity – a legal doctrine that protects police from liability for civil rights violations in many circumstances.

The case received additional attention when The Onion, the Chicago-based satirical publication, filed a legal brief poking fun at the police and the legal community’s obsession with Latin.

– John Fritze

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg calls for rail safety after Ohio derailment

Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is pushing for stronger rail regulation after the fiery train derailment in East Palestine, including safer train cars and bigger fines for companies that break the rules.

"I would say there's a window of opportunity with Congress now, after what happened to East Palestine, that I do not think existed before," Buttigieg told reporters Monday. "We need to use that window of opportunity to raise the bar."

Buttigieg called on Norfolk Southern and other railways to expedite the implementation of DOT 117 train cars, which are designed to prevent the release of the car's contents if something happens. The Biden administration also wants federal officials to increase the maximum fine for railroads that violate safety rules.

Republicans and some Democrats have been skeptical of the response by Buttigieg, who was quiet in the days after the crash. He said he's been letting the NTSB conduct its investigation but plans to visit the area "when the time is right."

– Haley BeMiller, The Columbus Dispatch

Putin announces suspension of New START arms treaty

Shortly before concluding his nearly /two-hour speech to lawmakers and various Russian elites, President Vladimir Putin announced he was suspending Moscow's participation in New START - a strategic arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and Russia.

Putin said this action was being taken because of the U.S. and NATO, without specifying more.

“In this regard, I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty,” he said.

New START is the last remaining nuclear arms deal between the U.S. and Russia. It was signed in 2010 and extended for five years in 2021. It limits each side to 1,550 long-range nuclear warheads.

– Kim Hjelmgaard

Dig deeper:In combative speech, Putin suspends nuclear arms treaty while lashing out at West over Ukraine war

Putin delivers combative speech ahead of Biden address

Hours before U.S. President Joe Biden was expected to address, from Poland, his view of Russia's war in Ukraine as the conflict approaches the one-year mark, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech in Moscow ahead of Friday's anniversary.

As he has done many times before, Putin blamed the West for provoking the war, accusing the U.S. and its European allies of wanting to acquire "limitless power." He said Ukraine's allies were "playing a dirty game," that NATO members were openly talking about supplying Ukraine with nuclear weapons - they aren't - and that the entire planet was "dotted" with U.S. military bases.

In a wide-ranging speech before Parliament, Putin claimed that western economic sanctions on Russia were not working, that Russian farmers just had a "record" grain harvest (Russia has stolen Ukraine's grain over the last year), and that he plans to bolster Russia's diplomatic and economic ties to the Middle East.

About an hour into the speech, Putin was mostly focused on domestic policies connected to infrastructure spending and financial reforms. He praised Russian soldiers and said he would "systematically" continue with the Ukraine invasion he ordered a year ago. He has not yet mentioned any new military objectives. He ruled out Russia making a first nuclear strike in Ukraine.

– Kim Hjelmgaard

Clarence Thomas may be one to watch as Supreme Court takes up Section 230 case

As the Supreme Court turns to the thorny issue Tuesday of whether Big Tech firms such as Google and Twitter should be immune from lawsuits over online content, many observers will be closely watching Associate Justice Clarence Thomas.

Among the court's most stalwart conservatives, Thomas has made his views on the controversial Section 230 law clear: In a series of statements, he has criticized lower courts for reading too much into the law and has made a case for giving the government greater power to regulate social media. Thomas' point is that the 1996 law appears to give internet firms protection from lawsuits in some cases – but not the broad immunity embraced by lower courts.

At issue in the Google case is whether targeted recommendations YouTube's algorithm makes to users – suggesting the next video to watch, for instance – are shielded by Section 230. The family of a woman killed in an Islamic State group attack in 2015 sued Google, which owns YouTube, for promoting the group's videos via its algorithms.

The other eight justices are largely a blank slate.

– John Fritze

More:As Supreme Court takes up Google case, only Thomas has made his thoughts clear

Virginia set to elect first Black congresswoman

State Sen. Jennifer McClellan will likely become Virginia's first Black congresswoman Tuesday, as the result of a special election to replace the late Rep. Donald McEachin.

McEachin represented Virginia's reliably blue 4th Congressional District before he died after battling cancer last year.

McClellan, who previously ran for governor of Virginia in 2021, faces Republican Leon Benjamin Tuesday. Benjamin ran for the House seat twice before, but lost each time to McEachin.

– Mabinty Quarshie

Battle over ideological tilt of Wisconsin Supreme Court takes shape

The Wisconsin Supreme Court's conservative tilt is on the ballot this year and it could determine abortion rights, the fate of legislative maps and other key policies in the battleground state.

Voters will decide during Tuesday's primary, to replace a retiring conservative justice, which two candidates will advance to the general election on April 4.

The winner in April will determine whether conservatives continue their control of the court, or if liberals will gain the majority.

In 2020 Wisconsin's supreme court blocked former President Donald Trump's lawsuit to overturn the state's election results. And in 2024 it could once again play a critical role in determining election results.

– Mabinty Quarshie

More:Post-Roe abortion battle draws attention to state judicial elections, new legal strategies

How President Biden pulled off a secret trip to Ukraine

While most of Washington slept, President Joe Biden arrived in Kyiv around 8 a.m. local time Monday.

The dramatic display of solidarity with Ukraine was the culmination of months of planning by a small team of administration officials. A final decision came in an Oval Office meeting Friday to move forward with a secret trip to war-torn Ukraine ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion.

– Joey Garrison, Rebecca Morin

More:How President Biden pulled off a secret trip to Ukraine

McClellan election win makes history. Black women say it's not ...

Outside spending was a big factor in major races .

Black women voters are the Dems' backbone, but many say they're not accepted as the party's face.

Advocates say Black candidates, especially women, have to create 'machines' outside the party.

When Stephanie Thomas entered Connecticut's race for secretary of state, she was a first-term lawmaker whom many people didn't know – and were hesitant to support.

"I was certainly considered a bit of a long shot, because I hadn't been politically involved for very long," Thomas told USA TODAY.

"So it was actually very surprising to many outsiders that I won the (Democratic state) convention" and gained the party's endorsement.

Thomas had to overcome a lack of name identification and hustle to raise campaign cash.

It paid off.

In last year's midterm election, she became Connecticut's first Black female secretary of state. And on Tuesday, in another first, Virginia elected a Black woman to Congress as Jennifer McClellan won a race in the fourth congressional district.

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But other Black women running for office often struggle to replicate that kind of success.

In 2022, Stacey Abrams fell in her second bid for Georgia governor; former Rep. Val Demings and Cheri Beasely were defeated in their senatorial races in Florida and North Carolina, respectively.

These high-profile losses point to a larger and reoccurring problem for Democrats, elected officials and advocates said.

Though Black female voters are the Democratic Party's backbone, activists, strategists and experts tell USA TODAY they aren't accepted as the party’s face.

From the hand-wringing about Vice President Kamala Harris' electability to the electoral losses last year, Black women are demanding Democrats step up their political support – with increased financial backing, endorsements, candidate pipeline building and mentoring – in the coming months or risk deflating the party's most loyal bloc.

Politics: More people of color are running for Congress in mostly white districts and winning, experts say

Black women are making progress

More Black women are running for Congress, governor and higher statewide offices than in the past, and overall, it has made political representation more diverse.

Of the 149 women in the current Congress, a record 27 are Black women, according to Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics. All the women serve in the House. Democrat Jennifer McClellan was elected Virginia's first Black congresswoman Tuesday. Once she is sworn in, there will be 28 Black female lawmakers in Congress.

Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher said it's important to spotlight the wins before painting individual losses as a problem with the entire group.

"When I look at Congress and I look at a House that is as Black and brown as it's ever been, women of color are leading that charge," he said.

Politics: Republican Nikki Haley calls for 'a new generation' - preferably her - in her first 2024 campaign rally

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Belcher said it is also noteworthy that Black congressional candidates are winning in predominately white areas where they hadn't before.

In Illinois, for example, Rep. Lauren Underwood, a Black woman "with natural, kinky hair," he said, has held a House seat since 2018 once represented by former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

Other historic victories last year include Democratic Rep. Summer Lee becoming the first Black women elected to Congress from Pennsylvania and former Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., elevated to mayor of Los Angeles.

Nina Smith, a former senior adviser in the Abrams campaign, said that even in the shadow of her former boss losing the Georgia gubernatorial race by 8 percentage points, there’s reason to be optimistic.

“We just got to be a bit more strategic.”

More: Despite historic campaigns, no Black women won Senate or governor races in 2022 midterms

Waking up Democratic donors

Black female candidates, advisers and consultants say systemic factors must be addressed: lack of access to donors, poor investment from political parties or outside groups, and the combined tropes of sexism and racism.

Smith said the first involves pushing the Democratic Party and their donors to invest in contenders earlier. She said that includes creating a “media ecosystem” similar to conservative-leaning outlets that will shield Black female candidates against negative attacks.

That includes heavy investments in digital and Black-owned media outlets to build a stronger narrative about a candidate's strengths, qualifications and campaign goals. During last year's midterms, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC Independent Expenditure spent $2 million mobilizing Black voters in 28 midterm races, which included digital, radio and print ads in Black newspapers.

“There has to be a real investment in making connections with voters and doing so outside of the traditional framework of the party or framework of an election season,” Smith said.

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Black women, unlike their male counterparts, are often forced to prove their credentials while running for office and even after they’ve won, said Ohio Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes.

Sykes pointed to times while she was in Ohio's Legislature when state troopers would ask why she was at the statehouse even though she wore a lapel pin designating her a lawmaker. "Or for them to tell me I didn't look like a legislator, keeping me from entering the hall," Sykes said.

Political strategists and other allies are pushing for Democratic leadership to support Black female candidates publicly and as early as possible in the campaign cycle.

"We've created these long-term pipeline maps for white men – it's the same thing we need to do for candidates of color and Black woman in particular," said Glynda Carr, president and co-founder of Higher Heights for America, which helps Black female candidates run for office.

Outside spending trounced Black women

In many major statewide 2022 contests where Black female contenders fell short, they outpaced their opponents in fundraising.

Florida's Senate race saw Demings raise about $81 million versus roughly $51 million pulled in by Republican incumbent Marco Rubio, a former presidential candidate.

In Georgia, Abrams used her Democratic star power to raise $113 million, which far exceeded Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s $78 million bankroll.

Tracy King, spokesperson for Collective PAC, which aims to elect more Black people to public office, said that in the past decade she has seen Black women close those one-to-one fundraising gaps.

But that there’s a larger problem, she said.

"What I'm seeing is a lack of support from the larger Democratic community that includes those big donors and super PACs,” she said. “In North Carolina, especially, that's what really made the difference.”

Beasley raked in roughly $39 million in that Senate contest, which was more than double compared with the $15 million haul by her GOP opponent, according to federal campaign finance records.

A look at the wider fundraising landscape, however, shows conservative political groups spent $83.3 million combined either attacking Beasley or supporting then-Rep. Ted Budd, according to OpenSecrets.

That more than eclipsed the roughly $22.2 million spent in the Tar Heel State by Democratic-aligned political organizations, according to an analysis by USA TODAY.

The same thing happened in Florida, where conservative-leaning outside groups spent about $9.7 million supporting Rubio compared with the approximately $3.2 million from liberal-aligned organizations that tried to boost Demings.

Are Dems working to help Black women?

A’shanti F. Gholar, president of Emerge, an organization that helps prepare Democratic women to run for office, said the Democratic National Committee, especially chair Jamie Harrison, has been a champion of the work her group has done.

Gholar recently presented to the DNC's women's caucus during its 2023 winter meeting on the Seated Together program, which prepares Black women to run for office.

The six-month program focuses on the unique challenges Black women face through training and coaching as they run for office. It places special focus on media training, strategic planning and network building among Black women.

"It was extremely well received," she said. "I had great conversations with Black women DNC members from various states, who really liked what we were doing and love the fact that we were highlighting the role of Black women and running for office."

Yet many Black female candidates and allies are pushing for more national investment.

"Current existing elected officials – especially leaders within a particular party – have a huge influence," said Aimee Allison, founder and president of She the People, a group that advocates for women of color in politics.

"People like (former House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi, who wield an incredible amount of influence, make calls to drive endorsements, money, attention to their particular set of candidates."

Take, for example, Colorado state Rep. Leslie Herod.

Herod, who is running for mayor of Denver, said that although the Democratic Party isn't officially supporting her yet, she has received individual support from Black Democrats. Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb endorsed Herod for mayor, and his network of Black mayors across the country is supporting Herod, she said.

"As Black women and as Black people, we have to create our own machines, and we are doing that," Herod said. "Some from within the party and some from outside the party."

Though the DNC does not endorse in primaries nordirectly contribute to candidates, officials said they were working to invest in Black women's political leadership.

“There is always more work to be done, and Chair Jaime Harrison and the DNC are redoubling that commitment as we prepare for elections in 2023 and 2024," said Brencia Berry, the DNC's director of coalitions and community engagement, in a statement to USA TODAY.

Similar to Herod, Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., built her own campaign infrastructure from scratch when she ran for office. She didn't receive traditional Democratic support until after the primary was over and the general-election season began. But she got support from the progressive PAC Justice Democrats and the Working Families Party, a minor political party.

That machine helped take on "some of the ugliest attacks that we saw throughout the cycle," Lee said. "But we also recognize that that was built off of the backs of grassroots donors, particularly grassroots progressive donors across the country, in this region and across the country."

Lee raised more than $1.8 million in her 2022 race, according to OpenSecrets. Her Republican opponent, Michael Doyle, raised $198,855.

Yet the United Democracy Project, a pro-Israel PAC, spent more than $2 million opposing Lee; in one ad it attacked Lee for her prison abolition stance. Lee is against the death penalty and campaigns for prison reform.

What are outside groups doing?

Outside the party structure, some Black candidates are taking matters into their own hands.

Former Democratic Senate candidate Mandela Barnes launched the Long Run PAC this month to support marginalized candidates – young people, people of color and LGBTQ people – running for office.

Meanwhile, other groups are huddling about ways to step up to provide the resources that Black women may not receive from party leaders, including on-the-ground voter canvassing.

Sykes and Herod helped create the Seated Together program with Emerge.

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Of the Emerge alums, two Black women were elected to Congress and three Black women were elected to statewide office in 2022. More than 40 were elected at the state level.

Elsewhere, political action committees are pouring in financial resources to educate voters on Black female lawmakers running for office.

"We tend to try and come in as early as we can because it often takes more time to just make sure that people are aware of the candidates," said Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of BlackPAC.

Such help will be crucial for candidates in 2023, such as Kentucky attorney general candidate Pamela Stevenson, who will face a well-connected Republican this fall.

Stevenson, an Air Force veteran who was recruited to run by Gov. Andy Beshear, already has faced early jabs from the state GOP as a "soft on crime" candidate in the wake of the 2020 protests over the police shooting death of Breonna Taylor.

“It's the same old tired playbook,” Stevenson, who has been endorsed by Collective PAC, told USA TODAY. "If you're Black – you're a criminal. If you're a Black woman – you're soft on criminals because your son is a criminal.

"I'm counting on Kentuckians and on the people to look at me, look at my record."

Meet the history-makers of the 2022 midterm elections

CNN —

As midterm results continue to roll in days after Election Day, Democratic and Republican candidates have already been celebrating historic victories.

Heading into Election Day, both parties were looking to diversify their ranks of elected officials, both in Congress and beyond, and they appear on track to do so.

House Republicans will add new members of color to their conference, including John James, who will be the first Black Republican congressman from Michigan, and Juan Ciscomani, who will be the first Latino Republican to represent Arizona in Congress.

Democrats will make a breakthrough for LGBTQ representation in governor’s offices. In Massachusetts and Oregon, Democrats Maura Healey and Tina Kotek will become the nation’s first out lesbian governors.

Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former Trump White House press secretary, will be the first female governor of Arkansas. And Maryland Democrat Wes Moore will be the state’s first Black governor.

There are still several races that have not yet been called. But for now, here’s a look at the candidates who CNN projects will make history in the 2022 midterms.

This list will be updated as more winners are projected.

Alabama

Katie Britt talks with the media during a watch party in Montgomery, Alabama, on May 24, 2022. Butch Dill/AP

AL-SEN: Republican Katie Britt will be the first elected female senator from Alabama, CNN projects, winning an open-seat race to succeed her onetime boss, retiring GOP Sen. Richard Shelby. Britt is a former CEO of the Business Council of Alabama and was the heavy favorite in the general election in the deep-red state. Two women have previously represented Alabama in the Senate, but both were appointed to fill vacancies.

Arizona

AZ-06: Juan Ciscomani will be the first Latino Republican elected to Congress from Arizona, CNN projects, winning election to the state’s 6th Congressional District. Ciscomani, who was born in Mexico and immigrated to the US with his family as a child, previously worked at the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and was a senior adviser to Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.

Arkansas

Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks at the America First Policy Institute Agenda Summit in Washington, DC, on July 26, 2022. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

AR-GOV: Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be the first woman elected governor of Arkansas, CNN projects, winning the office her father previously held for over a decade. Sanders, who earned a national profile in her role as press secretary in the Trump White House, is also the first daughter in US history to serve as governor of the same state her father once led.

AR-LG: Republican Leslie Rutledge will be the first woman elected lieutenant governor of Arkansas, CNN projects. Rutledge, the state attorney general, originally sought the open governor’s seat but switched to the lieutenant governor’s race after Sanders entered the GOP gubernatorial primary. Lieutenant governors are elected on separate tickets in Arkansas.

With the election of Sanders and Rutledge, Arkansas will join Massachusetts as the first states to have women serving concurrently as governor and lieutenant governor.

California

CA-SEN: Democrat Alex Padilla will be the first elected Latino senator from California, CNN projects, winning a special election for the remainder of Kamala Harris’ term as well as an election for a full six-year term. Padilla, the son of Mexican immigrant parents, was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to the seat Harris vacated when she became vice president.

CA-SOS: Democrat Shirley Weber will be California’s first elected Black secretary of state of state, CNN projects. Weber, a former state assemblywoman, has been serving in the position since last year after Newsom picked her to succeed Padilla, who was appointed to the US Senate.

CA-AG: Democrat Rob Bonta will be California’s first elected Filipino American attorney general, CNN projects. Bonta, who was born in the Philippines and immigrated with his family to the US as an infant, has been serving in the position since last year after Newsom appointed him to succeed Xavier Becerra, who left to become President Joe Biden’s Health and Human Services secretary.

CA-42: Democrat Robert Garcia will be the first out LGBTQ immigrant elected to Congress, CNN projects, winning election to California’s 42nd Congressional District. Garcia, who immigrated from Lima, Peru, in the early 1980s at the age of 5, is the current mayor of Long Beach.

Los Angeles Mayor: Democrat Karen Bass will be the first woman and the first Black woman elected mayor of Los Angeles, CNN projects. Bass, who currently represents a Los Angeles-area House seat, will defeat real estate developer Rick Caruso. Bass was on Joe Biden’s short list for a running mate in the 2020 campaign. She’s no stranger to making history: She previously served in the California State Assembly, where in 2008 she became the first Black woman to serve as speaker of a state legislature.

Bass said on November 17, the day after her race was called, that the accomplishment of becoming the first female mayor of Los Angeles and the magnitude of the job was “sinking in.”

“To me, when you do make history, when you’re in a position like this – and I was in a similar position when I was sworn in as speaker – it means that you have extra responsibility. You always have to make sure that you maintain excellence in every step of the way,” she said. “The path that you go is laying the foundation for those that come behind you.”

Colorado

CO-08: Democrat Yadira Caraveo will be the first Latina elected to Congress from Colorado, CNN projects, winning the race for the state’s new 8th Congressional District. Caraveo, a state representative and the daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, will defeat Republican state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer to win the seat located north of Denver.

Connecticut

CT-SOS: Democrat Stephanie Thomas will be the first Black woman elected secretary of state of Connecticut, CNN projects. Thomas, a member of the Connecticut House, will succeed appointed Democratic incumbent Mark Kohler.

Florida

Democrat Maxwell Frost will succeed Rep. Val Demings in Florida's 10th District. Courtesy Nathan Bullock

FL-10: Democrat Maxwell Frost will be the first member of Generation Z elected to Congress, CNN projects, winning the open seat for Florida’s 10th Congressional District. Generation Z refers to those born after 1996. Frost will succeed Democrat Val Demings, who vacated the seat to run for Senate.

The 25-year-old representative-elect told CNN’s Poppy Harlow on November 9 that when President Joe Biden called to congratulate him, the President recalled being too young to be sworn in as a senator when he was first elected at age 29.

“He asked me if it was the same situation. I said, ‘No, Mr. President, you had me beat on that. I’m already old enough to be sworn in on January 3.’ So, it was great to talk with him. You know, he was elected at a very young age, too, so he understands that experience,” Frost said on “CNN This Morning.”

Frost, who made reducing gun violence a central part of his campaign, also told CNN that he will work to pass universal background checks in Washington.

Illinois

IL-03: Democrat Delia Ramirez will be the first Latina elected to Congress from Illinois, CNN projects, winning election to the state’s redrawn 3rd Congressional District. Ramirez, a Chicago-area state representative and the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, was also the first Guatemalan American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly.

IL-17: Democrat Eric Sorensen will be the first out gay person elected to Congress from Illinois, CNN projects, winning election to the state’s 17th Congressional District. Sorensen, a former Rockford and Quad Cities meteorologist, will defeat Republican Esther Joy King in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos.

Maryland

Wes Moore speaks at a rally in Rockville, Maryland, on August 25, 2022. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

MD-GOV: Democrat Wes Moore will be the first Black governor of Maryland, CNN projects, becoming only the third Black person elected governor in US history. Moore, an Army veteran and former nonprofit executive, will succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.

MD-LG: Democrat Aruna Miller will be the first Asian American lieutenant governor of Maryland, CNN projects. Miller, who immigrated to the US with her family from India as a child, is a former member of the state House of Delegates. She was elected on the same ticket as Moore.

MD-AG: Anthony Brown will be the first Black person elected attorney general of Maryland, CNN projects. Brown, who currently represents Maryland’s 5th Congressional District, has a been a longtime fixture in state politics, having also served as state lieutenant governor and in the state House and run for governor in 2014.

Massachusetts

Maura Healey speaks during a get-out-the-vote event in Boston on November 2, 2022. Mark Stockwell/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

MA-GOV: Democrat Maura Healey will be one of the first out lesbian governors in US history, CNN projects, winning an open-seat race for the governorship of Massachusetts. Healey, the current attorney general of Massachusetts, will also be the commonwealth’s first elected female governor. Also making history with Healey as one of the nation’s first out lesbian governors is Oregon Democrat Tina Kotek.

With the election of Healey and her running mate, Kim Driscoll, Massachusetts will join Arkansas as the first states to have women serving concurrently as governor and lieutenant governor.

MA-AG: Democrat Andrea Campbell will be the first Black woman elected attorney general of Massachusetts, CNN projects. Campbell, who ran for Boston mayor last year, was previously the first Black female president of the Boston City Council.

Michigan

MI-10: John James will be the first Black Republican elected to Congress from Michigan, CNN projects, winning election to the state’s 10th Congressional District. James, who lost bids for US Senate in 2018 and 2020, will defeat Democrat Carl Marlinga in the open-seat race for the redrawn suburban Detroit district.

MI-13: Democrat Shri Thanedar will be the first Indian American elected to Congress from Michigan, CNN projects, winning election to the state’s 13th Congressional District. Thaneder, who immigrated to the US from India, was elected to the Michigan House in 2020 and unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018.

Nevada

NV-SOS: Democrat Cisco Aguilar will be the first Latino elected secretary of state of Nevada, CNN projects. Aguilar, who is Mexican American, will defeat Republican nominee Jim Marchant, a former state assemblyman who has repeatedly promoted false conspiracy theories about elections in Nevada.

New York

NY-GOV: Democrat Kathy Hochul will be the first elected female governor of New York, CNN projects, winning a full four-year term to the office she assumed last year after Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned. Hochul, who previously served as the state’s lieutenant governor and a Buffalo-area congresswoman, will defeat Republican Lee Zeldin.

NY-03: Republican George Santos will be the next congressman from New York’s 3rd Congressional District, CNN projects, winning the first House election between two out gay candidates. Santos, an investor and the son of Brazilian immigrants, will defeat Democrat Robert Zimmerman for the Long Island-based seat.

Ohio

OH-09: Democrat Marcy Kaptur will win a 21st term to the House from Ohio, CNN projects, and will become the longest-serving woman in Congress when she’s sworn in next year to represent the state’s 9th Congressional District. Kaptur, who was first elected in 1982 and is currently the longest-serving woman in House history, will break the record set by Barbara Mikulski, who represented Maryland in the House and Senate for a combined 40 years.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Rep. Markwayne Mullin speaks at a new conference outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on May 12, 2022. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

OK-SEN: Republican Markwayne Mullin will be the first Native American senator from Oklahoma in almost 100 years, CNN projects, winning the special election to succeed GOP Sen. Jim Inhofe, who is resigning in January. Mullin, a member of the Cherokee Nation, currently represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District. Democrat Robert Owen, also a member of the Cherokee Nation, represented Oklahoma in the Senate from 1907 to 1925.

Oregon

OR-GOV: Democrat Tina Kotek will be one of the first out lesbian governors in US history, CNN projects, after winning an open three-way race for the governorship of Oregon. Kotek, a former speaker of the state House, will succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Kate Brown. She will share the distinction as the nation’s first out lesbian governor with Massachusetts Gov.-elect Maura Healey.

OR-05: Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer will join Democrat Andrea Salinas as the first Latino members of Congress from Oregon, CNN projects. Chavez-DeRemer, who is Mexican American and the former mayor of Happy Valley, will defeat Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner in the race to succeed Democratic Rep. Kurt Schrader in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District.

OR-06: Democrat Andrea Salinas will join Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer as the first Latino members of Congress from Oregon, CNN projects. Salinas, a state representative whose father immigrated to the US from Mexico, will defeat Republican Mike Erickson to win the state’s new 6th Congressional District.

Pennsylvania

PA-LG: Democrat Austin Davis will be the first Black lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, CNN projects, winning election on a ticket with gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro. Davis is currently a member of the Pennsylvania House representing a Pittsburgh-area seat. He will be elected on a ticket with Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro.

PA-12: Democrat Summer Lee will be the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania, CNN projects, winning election to the state’s 12th Congressional District. Lee, a Pittsburgh-area state representative, will succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Mike Doyle.

Vermont

Democrat Becca Balint, here in an undated handout photo provided on September 28, 2022, will succeed Rep. Peter Welch in Vermont's At-Large District. Becca Balint/Handout/Reuters

VT-AL: Democrat Becca Balint will be the first woman elected to Congress from Vermont, CNN projects, winning election to the state’s at-large district. With Balint’s win, Vermont will lose its distinction as the only US state never to have sent a woman to Congress. Balint, the president pro tempore of the state Senate, will also be the first out LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Vermont.

VT-AG: Charity Clark will be the first woman elected attorney general of Vermont, CNN projects. Clark previously served as chief of staff to Democratic Attorney General T.J. Donovan, who stepped down in June for a private sector job.

Washington

WA-03: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez will be the first Latino Democrat elected to Congress from Washington state, CNN projects, winning election to the state’s 3rd Congressional District. Gluesenkamp Perez, an auto repair shop owner whose father immigrated to the US from Mexico, will defeat Republican Joe Kent to succeed GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who finished third in the August top-two primary. Herrera Beutler was herself the first Hispanic member of Congress from Washington state.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CORRECTION AND UPDATE: An earlier version of this story was updated to reflect that CNN had not projected a result in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District at that point. On November 18, 2022, CNN projected Democrat Yadira Caraveo as the winner.

Andrew Menezes Gregory Krieg
Andrew Menezes
Gregory Krieg

Women in Congress set record with McClellan victory; Tim Scott ...

President Joe Biden is set to meet with allies from the eastern flank of NATO and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Wednesday to shore up Western support for Ukraine, nearly a year since the Russian invasion.

The Supreme Court continues its turn to thorny issues Wednesday, as the court debates whether Twitter, Google and Facebook can be held liable under a 2016 law for “aiding and abetting” the Islamic State group. The justices will hear arguments in a case stemming from a 2017 terrorist attack at a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey.

Here's what else is happening in politics:

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Ahead of Trump visit to East Palestine, White House fires back

The White House is firing back at Republicans following the toxic East Palestine, Ohio train derailment, blaming the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress for undoing Obama-era rail safety measures designed to avert such disasters.

The aggressive rebuttal comes as former President Donald Trump is set to visit East Palestine on Wednesday. Republicans have attacked the Biden administration, especially Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, for its response to the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern freight train derailment that unleased toxic chemicals.

Buttigieg plans to visit East Palestine on Thursday, making his first trip there since the derailment, to meet with community members and receive an update on the ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The board's initial findings are expected Thursday. Federal agencies have maintained that the air and water following the train derailment are safe.

- Joey Garrison

Rail rift:White House blames Trump administration and Republicans over East Palestine, Ohio spill

Democrats funnel millions to New York to flip House seats in 2024

The House Majority PAC, a political action committee that focuses on electing Democrats to the House, has launched a $45 million New York Fund program in an effort to regain control of the U.S. House in 2024.

Democrats held off the predicted "red wave" in the 2022 midterms, winning more seats in key districts than anticipated. But candidates in New York didn't fare as well. Eighteen Republicans – including six in New York – currently represent districts President Joe Biden won in the 2020 presidential election. The committee plans to direct funds to Democratic campaign efforts to flip House seats in New York.

- Rachel Looker

Unexpected outcome:'Not a repudiation': Joe Biden holds off red wave, gets unexpected boost from midterm election

Supreme Court skeptical of claim Twitter aided terrorism

The Supreme Court appeared skeptical Wednesday of a lawsuit accusing Twitter, Facebook and Google of aiding terrorism by hosting and recommending content created by the Islamic State group – the second case in as many days dealing with whether Big Tech can be held liable for such content.

The lawsuit was filed by the relatives of Nawras Alassaf, a Jordanian citizen killed in an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul in 2017. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for that attack, in which 39 people were killed.

“Go back to 1997, CNN did an interview of Osama bin Laden -- a very famous interview of him…and that interview became famous, (a) tool for recruiting, notoriety. Could, under your theory, CNN have been sued for aiding and abetting the September 11 attacks?” Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked the attorney for the family at one point.

The attorney, Eric Schnapper, responded that the “First Amendment would solve that problem.”

- John Fritze

Internet provider protections:Supreme Court eager to steer clear of sweeping changes to internet in Section 230 dispute

Supreme Court sides with death row inmate in Arizona

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a death row inmate in Arizona should be granted a resentencing because he wasn’t allowed to tell the jury that a life sentence in the state meant he would never be eligible for parole.

The 5-4 opinion, written by Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, means that John Montenegro Cruz should receive a new penalty phase in which he can make clear that he would not walk free if sentenced to life in prison.

The court’s decision could affect other death row inmates in Arizona. Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote a dissent asserting that the Supreme Court should have left the issue to state courts.

Cruz was convicted in 2005 of murdering a Tucson police officer, Patrick Hardesty.

– John Fritze

More:U.S. Supreme Court hears oral argument of Arizona man on death row

A new record of women will serve in Congress

A historic number of women will serve in the 118th Congress once congresswoman-elect Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., is sworn in to office.

A total of 150 women will serve in Congress, surpassing the previous record set at the swearing-in of the 118th Congress last month, according to Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics. Additionally, 125 women, 92 Democratic women and 28 Black women will serve in the House – new records for each category.

McClellan’s special election victory Tuesday also made her Virginia’s first Black female member of Congress.

– Mabinty Quarshie

McClellan wins:First Black woman from Virginia in Congress

Biden checked in on Ohio train derailment from Poland

Facing criticism for his administration’s handling of a trail derailment in Ohio, President Joe Biden called state and federal officials from Poland Tuesday and “reaffirmed my commitment to making sure they have everything they need.”

Biden tweeted details of how the government has responded. But the mayor of East Palestine, Ohio, has criticized Biden for going to Ukraine and Poland this week instead of to Ohio.

Former President Donald Trump planned to visit East Palestine Wednesday and donate water and cleaning supplies.

– Maureen Groppe

Pence: Social Security, Medicare should ‘be on the table’ long-term

If congressional Republicans don’t want to talk about entitlement reform amid the debt ceiling talks, former Vice President Mike Pence certainly does.

"While I respect the speaker's commitment to take Social Security and Medicare off the table for the debt ceiling negotiations, we've got to put them on the table in the long term,” Pence said Wednesday morning on CNBC.

The White House has been eager to goad GOP lawmakers – namely Sen. Rick Scott – for past comments on changes to entitlements.

Pence, a potential 2024 GOP presidential contender, showcased his CNBC appearance on his Twitter page and was blunt that “fiscal discipline” is a top priority in his travels across the country.

— Phillip M. Bailey

Wisconsin Supreme Court headed for high-stakes general election

Wisconsin voters decided on two judges to advance to a high-stakes general election for the highest state court after a four-way primary on Tuesday.

Janet Protasiewicz and Daniel Kelly won out in what was a nonpartisan-in-name-only primary between two liberal and two conservative judges.

The court currently has a 4-3 conservative majority, but conservative Justice Patience Roggensack announced her retirement. With a Democratic governor and Republican-controlled state legislature, control of the state's Supreme Court could decide the future of many policies in the battleground state. The general election is set for April 4.

– Ken Tran

More:Wisconsin Supreme Court heads to April general election

Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican anti-‘woke’ activist, announces 2024 presidential bid

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican activist who made a name for himself criticizing “woke” culture in the corporate world, announced he will run for president in 2024 on Tuesday.

“We’ve celebrated our ‘diversity’ so much that we forgot all the ways we’re really the same as Americans, bound by ideals that united a divided, headstrong group of people 250 years ago,” Ramaswamy wrote in a tweet, adding he’s running for the nation’s top office to “revive” those ideals.

Ramaswamy emerged on the national stage after publishing his book "Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam," which criticizes political correctness and identity politics. He joins the GOP field that includes former President Donald Trump and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley.

– Ella Lee

Nikki Haley campaign:Nikki Haley begins Iowa courtship for 2024, tells those considering Trump to 'look forward'

House Judiciary Committee will hold hearing on fentanyl crisis

The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing next month on a surge of illicitly manufactured fentanyl being trafficked into the United States.

The hearing, which says in its title that “inaction is no longer an option,” is set for March 1 at 9 a.m. ET. The committee’s website has not yet added the hearing to its calendar.

In February, National Drug Control Policy Director Rahul Gupta called the surge the “worst drug crisis" the country's ever faced. More than 56,000 people died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids in 2020, including fentanyl — an increase of more than 56% in overdose death rates from 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

– Ella Lee, Sarah Elbeshbishi

How is fentanyl smuggled in the US?:Lawmakers are asking tough questions to stem the flow

Biden calls Putin’s suspension of nuclear arms treaty a 'big mistake’

Russia’s suspension of a nuclear arms treaty is a “big mistake,” President Joe Biden said Wednesday.

Biden made the brief comment to reporters as he entered the presidential palace in Warsaw where he is meeting with leaders from nations on the eastern edge of the NATO alliance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday he is suspending Moscow’s participation in New START, a strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms reduction deal between the U.S. and Russia. It limits each side to 1,550 long-range nuclear warheads.

– Maureen Groppe

Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester to run for reelection

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., will run for reelection in 2024 – a win for Democrats, whose hopes of keeping control of the Senate in 2024 could come down to a few key races.

“It’s official. I’m running for reelection,” Tester tweeted Wednesday. “Montanans need a fighter that will hold our government accountable and demand Washington stand up for veterans and lower costs for families."

Described to the Daily Beast as the “only Democrat who can win” in Montana, Tester’s commitment to run again next year is a boon to the party’s efforts to stay in power in the upper chamber. Democrats need to defend 23 Senate seats in 2024, compared to 11 for the GOP.

– Ella Lee

Virginia elects first Black woman to Congress in special race

Democrat Jennifer McClellan will become state’s first Black woman in Congress after she coasted to victory in Virginia’s special election Tuesday.

McClellan, a state senator and corporate lawyer, defeated Republican Leon Benjamin, a pastor,. She will succeed Democrat Rep. Donald McEachin, who died last November, and represent a district anchored by Richmond that stretches south to the North Carolina border.

Once McClellan is sworn in, there will be a record 28 Black women in Congress. Her victory does not change the GOP margin in the House as Republicans still will be able to lose four GOP votes on bills and pass legislation.

– Phillip M. Bailey

Here's what Black women say they need from Democrats to win elections

More Black women are running for Congress, governor, and higher statewide offices than in the past; and overall, it has made political representation more diverse.

Yet Black women activists, strategists and experts tell USA TODAY they aren't accepted as the party’s face.

From the continued handwringing about Vice President Kamala Harris' electability to the electoral losses last year, Black women are demanding Democrats step up their political support – with increased financial backing, endorsements, candidate pipeline building and mentoring – in the coming months or risk deflating its most loyal bloc.

– Phillip M. Bailey, Mabinty Quarshie

Biden emphasizing NATO alliance on final day of trip to Poland, Ukraine

President Joe Biden ends his three-day trip to Ukraine and Poland Wednesday with a final emphasis on the strength of the NATO alliance, which has stood up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Biden plans to meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and with allies on NATO’s eastern flank before returning to Washington.

Addressing the world in a speech at Warsaw Royal Palace Tuesday, Biden said the U.S. commitment to the alliance and its mutual defense pact is "rock solid."

“And every member of NATO knows it. And Russia knows it as well,” Biden said. "It's a sacred oath, a scared oath to defend every inch of NATO territory.”

– Maureen Groppe

Supreme Court turns next to Twitter, terrorism and student loans

The Supreme Court turns Wednesday to a lawsuit accusing Twitter, Facebook and Google of aiding terrorism by hosting and recommending content created by the Islamic State group – a follow-up to the court's arguments Tuesday dealing with Section 230.

The lawsuit was filed by the relatives of Nawras Alassaf, a Jordanian citizen killed in an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul in 2017. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for that attack, in which 39 people were killed.

Next week, the high court will hear arguments about President Joe Biden's $400 billion student loan relief program. Six conservative states and two individuals assert the Biden administration overstepped its authority with that effort.

– John Fritze

More:Fate of Biden's student loan plan tops packed Supreme Court calendar

Sen. Tim Scott heads to Iowa, amid presidential run speculation

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., heads to Iowa Wednesday as he continues his Faith in America listening tour.

Scott will deliver remarks at an event at Drake University and then at the Republican Party of Polk County Lincoln dinner.

The events come as Scott mulls launching a presidential bid in 2024 and as fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley headed to Iowa this week. Haley launched her presidential campaign last week, becoming the first major Republican to challenge former President Donald Trump.

– Mabinty Quarshie

More:In 2024 run, Nikki Haley touts role as first woman of color governor. She shares the title.

Jill Biden travels to Africa

First lady Jill Biden will travel to Namibia and Kenya Wednesday through Sunday, part of the Biden administration's effort to strengthen ties in sub-Saharan Africa and regain trust amid growing influence from China in the region.

The trip will be Biden’s sixth to Africa throughout her time in public service. She will be the first top official to visit sub-Saharan Africa since the start of the Biden administration.

– Maureen Groppe

Putin suspends nuclear arms treaty

President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Russia will pull back from a key nuclear treaty, ratcheting up tensions with the United States, as President Joe Biden visited the region with a fresh pledge of support for Ukraine. Putin's speech came on the heels of a surprise and historic visit by Biden to Kyiv.

In his nearly two-hour speech to both houses of the Russian Parliament, Putin said he was suspending Moscow's participation in New START – a strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and Russia.

– Kim Hjelmgaard

Tennessee Nov. 8 election: John Rose, candidate, Congress Dist. 6

The Tennessean Editorial Board asked candidates on the Nov. 8 state and federal general election ballot in Tennessee to answer our questionnaire. Find biographical information and their responses to 10 questions. Early voting starts on Oct. 19.

More:Learn about candidates running in the Nov. 8 Tennessee general election | Editorial

Biographical Information

Name: John Rose

John Rose Age (at time of Nov. 8 election): 57

57 Neighborhood, town and/or city: Cookeville

Cookeville Education: Vanderbilt University Law School - JD (1990-1993) Purdue University - MS, agricultural economics (1988-1990) Tennessee Technological University - BS, agribusiness economics (1983-1988) Cookeville High School - Diploma, salutatorian (1980-1983)

Vanderbilt University Law School - JD (1990-1993) Purdue University - MS, agricultural economics (1988-1990) Tennessee Technological University - BS, agribusiness economics (1983-1988) Cookeville High School - Diploma, salutatorian (1980-1983) Job history : Boson Software LLC, President (2005-present) Rose Farm, Farmer Transcender Corp., President and Co-Founder (1992-2000)

: Boson Software LLC, President (2005-present) Rose Farm, Farmer Transcender Corp., President and Co-Founder (1992-2000) Family: Wife: Chelsea of 11 years. Sons: Guy (5) and Sam (1)

Hear more Tennessee Voices:Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns.

Ten Questions about your Candidacy

What office are you seeking? (Include district):

6th Congressional District (Republican incumbent)

Why are you running for this office?

As the father of two young boys (ages 5 and 19 months), I am running for office because I want to leave a better future for our children. For the first time in our country’s history I believe this American tradition is at stake. A majority of Americans believe the country is headed down the wrong path, and I want to do everything I can to prevent that from happening so that our children have the same opportunities that we did.

What makes you qualified to hold this office and better qualified than your opponent(s)? (Please specify if you are unopposed, but feel free to answer)

As a Nashville business owner and farmer in rural Tennessee, I understand the challenges of a diverse district such as ours that includes a major metropolitan area, thriving suburban cities and some of our state’s most beautiful small towns. I have successfully built two small businesses here in Nashville, one recognized five years in a row by the Nashville Chamber of Commerce’s Music City Future 50 list for being one of the fastest growing businesses in the region. For the past 25 years, I have operated an 8th generation family farm in DeKalb and Smith Counties. I also served as Tennessee’s 33rd Commissioner of agriculture managing a statewide staff serving our state's largest industry. As a Vanderbilt trained lawyer, licensed since 1993, I possess a critical understanding of our Constitution and laws. I believe I have the education, knowledge, experience and perspective to represent our district in Congress. As your Representative in Congress, I have never stopped listening to your concerns even when we may disagree. The amount of knowledge I have gained in the last four years serving in Congress combined with my life experiences and my desire to leave a better future for our children makes me best suited to continue representing Middle Tennessee in Washington.

How can you make the biggest impact on your community through this position?

I can make the biggest impact on our community by providing world-class and effective constituent services, which help each Tennessean when they need me most. As a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, my job is to not only serve as your federal representative on all matters within the House of Representatives but to also help my constituents navigate the large and complex federal government. I have helped countless Tennesseans with trouble getting a passport, receiving their tax return, and helping secure federal grants for community projects like water infrastructure and road repaving.

If you are elected (or re-elected), what are your top 2 to 3 priorities for your new (or next) term in office?

Lowering gas prices and the cost of living, defending our country from crime, illegal immigration, and foreign adversaries, and holding our federal government accountable.

Lowering gas prices and the cost of living: Tennesseans are paying the price for President Biden’s reckless spending and anti-energy policies. I have no doubt that the trillions of additional dollars President Biden and Congressional Democrats have spent since gaining complete control of Congress and the White House have fueled the flames of record-high inflation. This unnecessary and costly deficit spending must end, and Congress needs to put our fiscal house back in order. Additionally, America is blessed with an abundance of natural resources that we should take advantage of to lower the price of gas and diesel fuel we rely on to power our economy. Defending our country: There were a record 2.37 million illegal border crossings in Fiscal Year 2022 (Customs and Border Protection use the Fiscal Year to keep records). This doesn’t even include the more than 600,000 “got-aways”. Combined, that’s more than triple the population of Davidson, Sumner, and Wilson counties combined. Every corner of our communities felt the impact of this humanitarian crisis. Whether it's the fentanyl killing our children or the billions of dollars being diverted from other issues to process such an eye-popping number of illegal immigrants. We must secure our southern border by finishing the border wall, ending catch and release, and reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy to get illegal immigration under control. Holding the government accountable: It has been more than ninety days since a Biden Administration official has testified in front of the committee on which I serve, the House Committee on Financial Services. This is unacceptable as the American people deserve to have their voices heard in regard to how the Biden Administration implements laws. For example, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed climate change rule would pose tremendous costs to local, small farms across Tennessee. The SEC commissioners should be compelled to publicly testify on the rule’s impact and answer questions as to how they expect small farms with limited resources to comply with such a burdensome and costly rulemaking.

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What are you hearing most from voters about what they want you to accomplish, if elected?

Tennesseans want their shot at the American Dream. They want a house in a safe neighborhood or community. They want a good paying job. They want to send their children to quality schools. They want good roads and high speed internet. And, the last thing they want is for Washington to get in the way. Yet, that is where we are. Student loan payoffs for the elite few, 87,000 new IRS agents hired, children being indoctrinated with the liberal agenda at school, corruption at all levels of government, our National Security at risk thanks to crises such as the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan and a wide-open border, and the list goes on. Voters tell me, unequivocally, they want less government and more freedom. I agree with them and that goal is central to every decision I make.

What else do you want voters to know about you that will help them make an informed decision on Election Day?

As a Christian I am guided by biblical morals and believe that this nation is a nation under God. Faith fuels my drive to serve Tennesseans with honesty and integrity. I pray that my earnest and faithful devotion to this great state may enable you and your family to fully and freely pursue your version of the American Dream.

Tell us about a mentor or guide who made a difference in your life and what wisdom would you impart to the community?

Millard Vaughn Oakley, a rags to riches, Tennessee success story, who I had the privilege of knowing during his life. He passed earlier this year but will live on as a Tennessee folk hero known for his extraordinary generosity much of which we may never hear about. We come from different political parties, but shared a deep love for Tennessee that transcended politics. That friendship serves as a constant reminder to me that with America’s best interests in mind, cooperation and bipartisanship is possible.

Will you commit to being civil in how you present yourself and the way you interact with opponents and others? (Our definition of civility is being a good, active, honest and respectable citizen)

Yes

A fun question: What are one or two attractions (restaurants, parks, venues, etc.) that visitors cannot miss if they come to your community?

Ralph’s Donuts in Cookeville. Tennessee State Fair, annually in the district in Wilson County.

Call Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Poll finds skepticism over confirmation process

About 68% of Americans see Supreme Court confirmations as about politics more than the law.

Nineteen percent of respondents said they watched some or all of the hearings live.

A majority of Americans who watched the hearings said they support Judge Jackson's confirmation to the Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON – The arduous process of confirming a Supreme Court nominee has turned into one of the most significant spectacles in American politics – at once a job interview, law lecture and television campaign ad that plays out over four days.

With Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's historic confirmation in the books, a new poll suggests a majority of Americans are uncertain whether it's worth all the fuss.

Nearly seven in 10 Americans see the constitutionally mandated task of confirming a Supreme Court nominee as more about politics than substance, according to an exclusive USA TODAY/Ipsos poll conducted after Jackson's confirmation. Only about 36% of people say the marathon of hearings leads to better justices on the high court.

The skepticism appears to be shared across party identification: Fewer than half of both Republicans and Democrats think the hearings lead to better outcomes.

"I think it's already decided who they're going to (vote for) before they even start talking to each other or interviewing each other," said Teresa Griesse, a 68-year-old business owner from Missouri who identifies as an independent. "I believe it's politics. I don't believe it's a fair choice."

Jackie Johnson, a 74-year-old sales representative for the Georgia lottery who identifies as a Democrat, said the outcome depends on who's in office.

"It's a two-sided thing. It's like a game of baseball: one side's gotta win," Johnson said.

Hazing:Constitutional questions, cafeteria choices await Ketanji Brown Jackson

Diversity:Judge Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation ends idea of 'Black seat'

Wait:Jackson confirmed in a hurry. Getting on the Supreme Court? That'll take time.

If Americans are turned off by confirmation hearings, they appear to share the sentiment with the justices themselves, outside experts and even senior Senate aides – some of whom described them as "kabuki theater" and "insufferable" to a commission created by President Joe Biden last year to study the politicization of the Supreme Court.

Public support for the Supreme Court has fallen in recent months as its 6-3 conservative majority takes up a series of culture war issues such as access to abortion, the availability of handguns and the constitutionality of affirmative action in college admissions. But some, including Chief Justice John Roberts, have warned that the exceedingly partisan confirmation process has played a role in harming the court's above-the-fray image.

"When you have a sharply political, divisive hearing process, it increases the danger that whoever comes out of it will be viewed in those terms," Roberts said in 2016.

Jackson, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, was confirmed 53-47 on April 7 and will be sworn in as the 116th Supreme Court justice later this year. The Harvard-educated lawyer and Miami native will become the first Black woman to serve on the court in its 233-year history, a milestone even some of her critics acknowledged.

Less than half – about four in ten Americans – said Jackson was treated fairly at her hearings last month. The number rose to 55% for those who tuned in to watch.

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee peppered Jackson with questions about critical race theory, how often she attends church and how she would define the word "woman." She faced a barrage of questions about her judicial philosophy, her work as a federal public defender and her sentencing in criminal cases.

Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in particular, slammed Jackson on sentences she handed down for people convicted of possessing or distributing child pornography, which were frequently below guidelines set by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Jackson's supporters pointed to Sentencing Commission data that shows most federal judges issue sentences below the guidelines in child porn cases.

Sentencing:A look at the child porn cases at issue in Jackson's Senate hearings

Philosophy:After hearings, experts debate how Jackson would interpret Constitution

It's not clear how much of that criticism cut through, particularly given the war raging in Ukraine, a recent jump in COVID-19 cases and the fact that Jackson's confirmation wouldn't upset the current 6-3 balance on the Supreme Court. Just under two-thirds of respondents said Jackson's "judicial philosophy" was a reason to oppose her – roughly the same as the share of people who cited her "record on the vulnerable and children."

"Judge, you gave him three months," Hawley, widely considered to be a possible GOP presidential candidate in 2024, pressed Jackson about one of the child pornography cases during the hearings. "My question is, do you regret it – or not?"

"Senator, what I regret is that in a hearing about my qualifications to be a justice on the Supreme Court, we have spent a lot of time focusing on this small subset of my sentences," Jackson responded at one point.

About two in 10 Americans said they watched some or all of the Senate confirmation hearings live, according to the poll. Roughly one-third said they learned about the hearings through news coverage. Nearly half said they didn't follow the hearings at all.

Griesse said she watched "very, very little" of the hearings, while 29-year-old Jonathan White of New Jersey, who identifies as a Republican, said he watched all of it.

"She's overly qualified and they don't want to hear about it," White said of Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

No one – aside from perhaps Jackson herself – came out of the four-day series of hearings looking significantly better than before the gavel fell, the poll suggests. About 24% – including 41% of Republicans – said they had a more favorable impression of Hawley, Cruz and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., after the hearings. Senate Democrats fared only slightly better, with 30% saying they had a more favorable impression.

Those numbers were highly dependent on the party affiliation of the respondent.

By comparison, 40% of respondents said they had a more favorable view of Jackson after the hearings.

Overall, 49% of Americans said they supported Jackson's confirmation – a number that rose to nearly two-thirds among those who said they followed the hearings. About 64% of Americans said it is significant there will soon be four women on the Supreme Court for the first time in its history: Jackson and Associate Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett.

"The significance of Jackson's confirmation, and all it represents, did not go unnoticed by the American public," said Cliff Young, president of the poll firm Ipsos. "However, in our deeply partisan landscape, a strong majority see the nomination process as nothing more than politics as usual, and the hearing did little to change deeply-rooted attitudes about politics in America."

The USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll of 1,005 Americans, taken April 12-13, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

The Constitution requires that the Senate provide its "advice and consent" on presidential nominees to the Supreme Court, but it doesn't require hearings – and for most of the nation's history, senators didn't convene them. The first Supreme Court confirmation hearing was set in 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson nominated Louis Brandeis, who would go on to be one of the court's most influential associate justices.

In modern times, both sides have alleged political shenanigans. Republicans point to President Ronald Reagan's nomination of Robert Bork in 1987, which Democrats torpedoed over his judicial philosophy. And they blame Democrats for the frenzy that surrounded the confirmation of Associate Justices Clarence Thomas in 1991 and Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. Thomas faced allegations that he sexually harassed a former co-worker. Kavanaugh faced allegations of decades-old sexual misconduct.

Both men denied the allegations during tense Senate hearings and were narrowly confirmed.

Democrats note Senate Republicans blocked President Barack Obama's 2016 nominee to the court, Merrick Garland, by arguing confirmations shouldn't take place months out from a presidential election. Four years later, after the death of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Republicans then rushed through President Donald Trump's nominee, Barrett, just weeks before the 2020 election.

Today, with a few exceptions, the Senate confirmation process has tended to be more predictable, with nominees growing increasingly adept at not directly answering questions and final votes largely locked into place before the hearings begin. Jackson picked up three Republican votes – Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah. In announcing her support for Jackson, Murkowski pointed in part to the judge's qualifications, which, she said, "no one questions."

Johnson, the Georgia saleswoman, said Jackson's performance made her proud.

"I don't know if I could've been that strong and stayed as calm as she did," she said.

Mayra Flores becomes the first Mexican-born woman sworn in to ...

Washington CNN —

Republican Rep. Mayra Flores of Texas on Tuesday became the first Mexican-born woman to be sworn in to Congress.

“My very first day in office and it’s a memorable one for sure. This is what dreams are made of; faith, family, and hardwork,” Flores tweeted Tuesday.

Flores won a special election in Texas’ 34th Congressional District earlier this month to fill the seat vacated by former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela, the first time a congressional seat has changed parties since the 2020 election. She bested a field of four candidates – two Republicans and two Democrats – in the all-party contest.

Vela left his South Texas seat in March to join a law and lobbying firm in Washington. Flores will serve the remainder of his term, until January.

“This win is for the people who were ignored for so long! This is a message that the establishment will no longer be tolerated! We have officially started the red wave!!” the Flores campaign wrote on Facebook on the night of the June 14 election. Her top Democratic opponent, Dan Sanchez, conceded the race the same night.

But Flores’ stay on Capitol Hill might be a short one – she will be up for election for a full term in November against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, who is shifting from the 15th Congressional District. The redrawn 34th District is considerably friendlier to Democrats – while now-President Joe Biden won the seat under its current lines by 4 points in 2020, he would have won the new version by about 16 points.

Flores benefited from a significant investment by national Republicans and relative indifference from Democrats, who were outspent by an estimated 20 to 1. Republicans had zeroed in on the race as part of an effort to project growing strength with moderate and conservative Hispanic voters in South Texas.

The National Republican Congressional Committee last week called Flores’ win a “blue print for success in South Texas,” according to a memo obtained by CNN.

Before last week’s election, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had said it believed that Democrats would hold the seat in the fall.

“A Democrat will represent TX-34 in January. If Republicans spend money on a seat that is out of their reach in November, great,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Monica Robinson told CNN before the special election. The committee dipped into the race late, spending $100,000 on digital ads earlier this month.

The lack of support for Sanchez frustrated Gonzalez, who had told Politico weeks ago that it would “be a tragedy” if the seat turned red for any amount of time. In a statement prior to the results of the June 14 election, he welcomed the late interest in the contest but demanded more.

“I’m pleased to see Democrats mobilizing around this race,” he told CNN, “but South Texas needs sustained investment from the party.”

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Richard Belzer, comedian and TV detective John Munch on 'Law ...

Richard Belzer, a longtime stand-up comedian known for "Saturday Night Live" and one of TV's most memorable detectives as John Munch in "Law & Order" franchise shows, has died. He was 78.

Belzer died peacefully Sunday at his home with his family in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, in southern France, his longtime friend Bill Scheft confirmed to USA TODAY. Scheft, a writer who had been working on a documentary about Belzer, told The Associated Press there was no known cause of death, but that Belzer had been dealing with circulatory and respiratory issues.

Comedian Laraine Newman first announced his death on Twitter. Newman, who worked alongside Belzer during his appearances on "SNL" from 1975 to 1980, paid tribute to her co-star on Sunday. "I'm so sad to hear of Richard Belzer's passing," Newman wrote. "I loved this guy so much."

"He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do 'SNL.' We used to go out to dinner every week at Sheepshead Bay for lobster," she recalled. "One of the funniest people ever. A master at crowd work. RIP dearest."

Belzer's "Law & Order" co-star Chris Meloni shared a photo on Twitter kissing the late star on the cheek. "Good bye mon ami. I love you," Meloni wrote alongside the tribute. He also posted a photo of Mariska Hargitay feeding Belzer an apple.

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In addition to his work as a comedian, Belzer played the role of Detective John Munch for 23 years. The character first appeared in NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street" in 1993 and made its way into several other unrelated shows including, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," "30 Rock," "The X-Files," "Arrested Development," "The Wire" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."

Belzer never auditioned for the role of Detective John Munch. After hearing him on "The Howard Stern Show," executive producer Barry Levinson brought Belzer in to read for the part.

"I would never be a detective. But if I were, that's how I'd be," Belzer once said. "They write to all my paranoia and anti-establishment dissidence and conspiracy theories. So it's been a lot of fun for me. A dream, really."

"He made me laugh a billion times," his longtime friend and fellow stand-up Richard Lewis said Sunday on Twitter.

Former "Law & Order: SVU" showrunner Warren Light said Belzer was "the first actor to welcome" him when he began on "SVU."

"Open, warm, acerbic, whip smart, surprisingly kind. I loved writing for Munch, and I loved being with Belz," Light tweeted. "We sensed this would be his parting scene. Godspeed, Belz…"

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Belzer was drawn to comedy, he said, during an abusive childhood in which his mother would beat him and his older brother, Len. He would do impressions of his childhood idol, Jerry Lewis. "My kitchen was the toughest room I ever worked," Belzer told People magazine in 1993.

Belzer is survived by his third wife, the actress Harlee McBride, whom he married in 1985.

For the past 20 years, they lived mostly in France, in homes he purchased partially from the proceeds of a lawsuit with Hulk Hogan. In 1985, Belzer had Hogan as a guest on his cable TV talk show “Hot Properties” to perform a chin-lock on him. Belzer passed out, hit his head and sued Hogan for $5 million. They settled out of court.

Contributing: Jake Coyle, The Associated Press