Tag - Haitian Heritage Month

#BREAKING : Democrats are projected to win control of both the U.S. House and Senate in the 2026 midterm elections, according to CNN’s Decision Desk, delivering a sweeping rebuke to President Donald Trump and breaking the Republican hold on Washington for the final two years of his presidency.⁠ ⁠ The projections, issued late Tuesday night, mark one of the most significant midterm shifts in recent decades. Democrats capitalized on Trump’s deep unpopularity, economic concerns, and voter discontent to flip key races even in deeply red territory. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to become the next Speaker of the House, the first Black person to hold the gavel in the chamber’s history, once the new Congress convenes in January.⁠ ⁠ - In Texas, state Rep. James Talarico, a former teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. It is the first Democratic Senate win in Texas since 1988 and ends a decades-long statewide drought for the party. The race was among the most expensive in U.S. history.⁠ ⁠ - In South Carolina, pediatrician Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham. Andrews becomes the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state since 1998 in a state Trump carried by a wide margin in 2024.⁠ ⁠ - Additional flips were projected in North Carolina (former Gov. Roy Cooper), Kansas, Iowa, and other battlegrounds, giving Democrats the majority they needed.⁠ ⁠ In the House, Democrats are projected to secure a comfortable majority, some estimates put it in the range of 235–244 seats. This ends the narrow Republican majority and hands Democrats the power to control committees, issue subpoenas, and conduct investigations into the Trump administration.⁠ ⁠ Jeffries, the Brooklyn congressman who has led House Democrats since 2023, is widely expected to win the speakership vote. He has emphasized delivering for working families and conducting rigorous oversight.⁠ ⁠ The results give Democrats significant leverage to check the White House on legislation, spending, nominations, and executive actions. Trump has said he will accept the results. ⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

Late on Election Night, as Democratic gains mounted across the country, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” It was his first post in several hours.⁠ ⁠ The message is both literally true in one narrow sense and thoroughly contradicted by everything else that happened in this election, including Trump’s own words for weeks beforehand. He framed a vote for Republican candidates as a vote to protect his agenda and second-term record. The post on election night is a sharp reversal of that message once the results started coming in.⁠ ⁠ Midterms have long functioned as partial referenda on the sitting president’s party. When presidential approval is low, that party typically loses seats. Trump’s post tries to separate himself from results after he had spent the campaign tying candidates to himself.⁠ ⁠ White House officials also moved to create distance, with at least one telling reporters that “Trump was not on the ballot.” The reaction echoes 2018, when Trump similarly said “I wasn’t on the ballot” after Republican losses despite campaigning as if he were.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian

History has been made in the U.S. Virgin Islands. On November 3, Stacey Plaskett, the territory’s longtime Delegate to Congress, won election as Governor in a decisive landslide, becoming the first woman to lead the U.S. Virgin Islands and the first Black woman elected governor of any U.S. territory.⁠ ⁠ Plaskett and her running mate, Senate President Milton Potter, secured 11,865 votes, or 62.8 percent of the gubernatorial vote, according to unofficial returns from the Elections System of the Virgin Islands. The Democratic ticket defeated four independent challengers, winning more votes than all opponents combined and avoiding a runoff. She will succeed term-limited Governor Albert Bryan Jr. and is scheduled to take office on January 4, 2027.⁠ ⁠ The victory ends more than five decades of exclusively male elected leadership in the territory and marks a national milestone. While former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms also won Georgia’s governorship that night (becoming the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state), Plaskett’s win is the first for a Black woman in any U.S. territory.⁠ ⁠ Her campaign focused on accelerating disaster recovery, reforming the Water and Power Authority, improving healthcare and public safety, and converting federal resources into tangible results for Virgin Islanders. She received an endorsement from former Vice President Kamala Harris and built on a strong primary victory earlier in the year.⁠ ⁠ Governor-elect Plaskett’s win is more than a local milestone. It expands the map of Black women’s leadership in American executive offices and underscores the growing political power of communities across the U.S. territories and Caribbean diaspora. As she prepares to move from advocating for the Virgin Islands in Congress to leading them from Government House, the territory and the nation will be watching what comes next.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

Democrat David Crowley has won the Wisconsin governor’s race, defeating Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and becoming the first Black person elected governor in the state’s 178-year history, according to NBC News projections.⁠ ⁠ At 40, Crowley is also the youngest person elected to the office in nearly a century. He succeeds two-term Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is retiring after endorsing Crowley in the primary and helping revive his campaign. Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, will take office in January alongside his running mate, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, who was elected lieutenant governor.⁠ ⁠ Tiffany, a Trump-endorsed congressman from northern Wisconsin, conceded the race around 9:45 p.m. on election night. Early returns showed Crowley leading by roughly 8 to 9 points, with shares in the 54–55% range to Tiffany’s 45–46%. Strong margins in Milwaukee and Dane counties powered the victory. The Associated Press had not yet called the race at the time of Tiffany’s concession, but multiple outlets and projections confirmed Crowley’s win.⁠ ⁠ Crowley and Godlewski will be sworn in in January, extending Democratic control of the governor’s office beyond eight years. The win keeps Wisconsin, a perennial presidential battleground, under Democratic executive leadership heading into future cycles. Crowley has pledged to govern with a focus on affordability, education, and practical solutions drawn from his experience running one of the state’s largest local governments and his own life story.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

Florida voters approved a significant property tax reduction for homeowners on Tuesday, passing Amendment 3 while rejecting two other constitutional amendments on the ballot.⁠ ⁠ Amendment 3, which expands the homestead property tax exemption on primary residences for non-school taxes, received 62 percent of the vote, two points above the 60 percent supermajority required to amend the Florida Constitution. The measure increases the current roughly $50,000 exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with future adjustments for inflation. School district taxes remain unchanged. It also lowers the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties (such as commercial, rental, and second homes) from 10 percent to 5 percent and restricts how counties and municipalities may spend property tax revenue.⁠ ⁠ Gov. Ron DeSantis championed the amendment, touring the state for more than a year to argue that rising property valuations had driven up tax bills and that homeowners needed relief. Supporters, including the Florida Realtors, said the change would put money back in homeowners’ pockets. Opponents, including some public safety groups, warned that the reduction in local revenue, estimated in the billions once fully phased in could strain funding for police, fire, infrastructure, and other services. The amendment takes effect January 1, 2027, with changes appearing on later tax bills. Newer Florida residents (those who establish residency after December 31, 2026) face a five-year waiting period for the full higher exemption.⁠ ⁠ The other two measures fell short. Amendment 1, which would have raised the cap on the state’s Budget Stabilization Fund (its rainy-day reserve) from 10 percent to 25 percent of net general revenue and required larger annual transfers into the fund, received only about 40–41 percent support. Amendment 2, which sought to exempt certain farm equipment and agricultural or agritourism tangible personal property from property taxes, came closer at roughly 58 percent but still failed to clear the 60 percent threshold.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz defeated Republican Brent Andersen on Tuesday, November 3, to win Florida’s 20th Congressional District. The seat was previously held by Haitian-American Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned earlier this year.⁠ ⁠ The Associated Press and multiple South Florida outlets projected Wasserman Schultz’s victory shortly after polls closed, around 7:09 p.m. EST. With the majority of votes counted, she led by a wide margin—typically reported in the mid-to-high 70% range compared to roughly 20% for Andersen. An independent candidate, Kedner Maxime, received a small share of the vote.⁠ ⁠ Florida’s newly configured 20th District covers predominantly Black and Caribbean communities in central and western Broward County, including portions of Fort Lauderdale, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Tamarac, North Lauderdale, Plantation, Sunrise, and Pompano Beach.⁠ ⁠ Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, the first Haitian-American Democrat elected to Congress, represented the prior version of the 20th District from 2022 until she resigned on April 21. She stepped down minutes before a House Ethics Committee hearing. The committee had found she committed 25 ethics violations tied to allegations involving roughly $5 million in federal COVID/FEMA disaster relief funds connected to her family’s healthcare business and her 2022 campaign. She also faces federal criminal charges; she has pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations. Her trial was delayed until 2027. Cherfilus-McCormick ran again in the Democratic primary and finished fourth with about 9.2% of the vote.⁠ ⁠ Wasserman Schultz, who has served in Congress since 2005 previously represented a different South Florida district. Republican-led mid-decade redistricting, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May 2026, substantially altered her old district and made it more competitive.⁠ ⁠ The modern version of the 20th District had been represented by Black lawmakers for roughly 30–34 years, most notably longtime Rep. Alcee Hastings, followed by Cherfilus-McCormick. Wasserman Schultz’s win makes her the first white representative of this configuration of the seat. ⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

Democrats are projected to flip control of the House in Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to Decision Desk HQ, setting up the first real check on President Donald Trump’s power in Washington since he returned to the White House two years ago. The projection ends four years of Republican control of the chamber and ushers in divided government for the final two years of Trump’s term. With a Democratic majority, the House will gain the power to control the legislative agenda, set committee schedules, and issue subpoenas, tools that will immediately complicate the administration’s priorities on immigration enforcement, government spending, global tariffs, and the Iran war. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of NY is expected to become Speaker when the new Congress convenes on January 3, making him the first Black Speaker in U.S. history. Jeffries has said Democratic investigations will begin immediately, stating ahead of the election: “Our promise to the country in the new Congress is that, beginning on Day 1, we’re going to hold the crooks accountable.” Democrats have outlined plans to expand probes into the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, violence tied to the administration’s deportation operations, and the personal and family finances of the president. They will also move early legislation aimed at lowering costs for groceries, gas, housing, & health care, including efforts to restore expired Affordable Care Act subsidies and reverse Medicaid cuts enacted by the previous Republican majority. While Trump retains veto power, these bills are expected to force difficult votes for vulnerable Republicans and establish a public record heading into 2028. The result fits a long historical pattern in which the party holding the White House typically loses House seats in midterms. That trend was reinforced this cycle by voter concerns over the cost of living, economic volatility linked to tariffs, an unpopular war in Iran, and historically low presidential approval ratings. Republican leadership is now expected to shift into the minority. While the House projection is clear, control of the Senate remains a separate contest as results continue to come in. #lunionsuite

Republican Sen. Ashley Moody defeated Democrat Angie Nixon on Tuesday in Florida’s special U.S. Senate election, securing the remainder of the term previously held by Marco Rubio.⁠ ⁠ With nearly all votes counted, Moody received about 50.9 percent (roughly 4.18 million votes). Nixon received about 47.9 percent (roughly 3.93 million votes). Independent candidate Neil Gillespie received about 1.1 percent. Multiple outlets, including the Associated Press, projected Moody as the winner.⁠ ⁠ Moody, a former Florida attorney general and circuit judge, was appointed to the seat in January 2025 by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Rubio resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State. The special election fills the rest of the term Rubio won in 2022. That term ends in January 2029; the seat will be on the ballot again in 2028 for a full six-year term.⁠ ⁠ Nixon, a Democratic state representative from the Jacksonville area first elected in 2020, won her party’s primary in an upset over a more moderate opponent. She is aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America and campaigned on issues including housing affordability and healthcare costs. Moody campaigned as the incumbent Republican focused on public safety, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, and support for the current administration’s agenda.⁠ ⁠ Florida has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 2012. Republicans hold a significant statewide registration advantage. The margin was narrower than many pre-election forecasts, which had rated the race as likely or solidly Republican.⁠ ⁠ Moody previously won statewide elections for attorney general in 2018 and 2022. This was her first election for U.S. Senate. Her victory keeps the seat in Republican hands through early 2029.⁠ ⁠

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms has won Georgia’s gubernatorial race defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson and making history on multiple fronts.⁠ ⁠ Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor, will become the first Black governor in Georgia’s history and the first Black woman ever elected governor in the United States. She will also be the first Democrat to hold the state’s highest office in more than two decades, succeeding term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.⁠ ⁠ The Associated Press called the race Tuesday night as returns showed Bottoms with a clear lead. Jackson, a healthcare executive and billionaire, had poured more than $200 million of his personal fortune into the campaign, heavily funding television advertising and other outreach in an effort to hold the office for Republicans.⁠ ⁠ Bottoms previously served as Atlanta’s 60th mayor from 2018 to 2022 and later as a senior advisor and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement under President Joe Biden. She won the Democratic primary earlier this year without a runoff and campaigned on issues including healthcare costs, Medicaid expansion, housing affordability, and support for working families. Late in the race she received high-profile support, including a joint appearance with former President Barack Obama and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who also won re-election Tuesday.⁠ ⁠ Her victory marks the third consecutive Georgia gubernatorial election in which Democrats nominated a Black woman, following Stacey Abrams’ narrow losses to Kemp in 2018 and 2022. Bottoms has often emphasized her deep Georgia roots tracing her family back generations in the state and focused more on policy than on the historic nature of her candidacy during the campaign.⁠ ⁠ Bottoms is expected to take office in January 2027 as Georgia’s 84th governor. The win flips a key swing-state governorship at a time of intense national focus on midterm results.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

In a phone interview with Fox & Friends on Election Day, November 3, President Donald Trump claimed he enjoys a 99 percent approval rating in Israel and floated the idea of relocating there to become prime minister if American support wanes.⁠ ⁠ “I’m at 99% approval rating in Israel, can you believe it?” Trump said. “In fact, if people ever got tired of me in the U.S., I’ll move to Israel and become prime minister. Think of it. I’m at 99, I have the highest approval rating of anybody in history.” He credited the figure to U.S. actions against Iran, saying, “We stopped Iran. Iran was an unstoppable force. We knocked the hell out of them.”⁠ ⁠ Trump made the remarks while discussing U.S.-Israel relations and announcing that Washington would end roughly $4 billion in annual aid to Israel by the end of the year. He said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed months earlier that the assistance was no longer necessary because Israel is a “very successful country,” while adding that the U.S. would still help if needed. The current U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding providing about $3.8 billion annually runs through 2028, and Israeli officials reportedly expressed surprise at the sudden timeline.⁠ ⁠ Trump did not identify any specific poll supporting the 99 percent claim. Israeli public-opinion data from the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) has shown a sharp decline in personal trust in Trump during 2026. High levels of confidence fell to single digits in some surveys (as low as 7 percent expressing “a great deal of trust” in July), even as many Israelis continued to view him favorably in the context of Israel’s interests. By comparison, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll put Trump’s approval rating in the United States near 32 percent.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian

As polls closed across the country on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Democrats scored a series of significant victories in Senate and gubernatorial races. Networks including the Associated Press, NBC News, and CBS News called multiple contests for Democratic candidates in Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, New Hampshire, and North Carolina, delivering both defensive holds and a major pickup. These results arrived amid ongoing vote counting nationwide, with control of the Senate still being determined as additional races remained outstanding. The early Democratic wins in Georgia, New Hampshire, and especially the North Carolina flip provided the party with momentum on election night. #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #electionnight

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly on Tuesday to become Florida’s next governor, succeeding term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and extending the GOP’s hold on the state’s top office since 1998.⁠ ⁠ With an estimated 97% of votes counted as of 8:55 p.m. ET, Donalds held 50.0% (4,033,046 votes) to Jolly’s 48.8% (3,938,015). Libertarian Scott Jewett received 0.4%. CNN’s Decision Desk listed the race as favoring Donalds. His running mate, former state Sen. Bryan Avila of Miami-Dade County, will serve as lieutenant governor.⁠ ⁠ The victory makes Donalds the first Black governor in Florida history and the first Black Republican governor in the United States. Born in Brooklyn and of Jamaican and Panamanian descent, he was raised by a single mother, graduated from Florida State University with degrees in finance and marketing, and built a career in banking, insurance, and finance in Southwest Florida before entering politics. He served in the Florida House from 2016 to 2020, focusing on school choice and parental rights, then won election to Congress in 2020 representing Florida’s 19th District.⁠ ⁠ Donalds, endorsed by President Donald Trump and later by DeSantis, campaigned on continuing the outgoing administration’s policies while emphasizing affordability, school choice, law and order, property insurance reforms, and immigration enforcement. He won the August 18 Republican primary with about 47.8% of the vote.⁠ ⁠ Jolly, a former Republican U.S. representative from the Tampa Bay area who later became an independent and then a Democrat, conceded the race. Donalds is expected to take office in January 2027. The race was closely watched nationally as one of the most competitive gubernatorial contests of the midterms.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian