While the political world’s eyes are focused on Republicans winning trifecta control of the federal government for the first time since 2017, the GOP had many other major victories last week that deserve attention as well.

Throughout the country, Republicans scored significant wins in state legislative races imperative to implementing a conservative agenda moving forward.

In Arizona, Republicans are on track to maintain their majorities in the state House and Senate, preliminary election results from the New York Times suggest. Republicans could potentially expand their majorities in both chambers as well. The outcome marks a huge defeat for leftists, who spent millions of dollars to flip or “reach ties” in state legislatures including in Arizona, as The Federalist previously reported, where a slim GOP legislative majority separates the state from a Democrat trifecta takeover.

In South Carolina, unofficial results indicate Republicans won a veto-proof supermajority in the state Senate and held onto their supermajority in the state House of Representatives. Similar trends are also reflected in Iowa’s preliminary results, which show the state GOP is already projected to expand its majority in the state House.

In New Hampshire, Republicans are on track to maintain trifecta control of state government, according to early results. The GOP is projected to win the governor’s mansion and a supermajority in the Senate and could also expand its majority in the House compared to 2022 results.

Despite efforts by Kansas Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly and Democrats to take down Republican legislative candidates this cycle,

News broke Tuesday that President-elect Donald Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, a key cabinet post for the incoming administration.

Conservatives are unhappy about the possibility — and rightly so. Noem is a terrible choice for any post in the Trump administration.

Trump won in part because he stood against the transgender agenda and pushed back against gender-confused boys competing in girls’ sports. Noem backed down from protecting girls in her state when the trans lobby came calling, then lied about it, then whined about conservative “cancel culture” when she was called out. She’s a coward and liar, and should be the last in line for a big cabinet post.

Noem was also one of the first governors in 2020 to accept Somali and other refugees without proper vetting, hardly a choice that recommends her to head up DHS. And, for what it’s worth, she awkwardly lied about having met North Korean dictator King Jong Un and about canceling a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

All that said, the debate over whether Noem or someone else should run DHS is missing the forest for the trees. No one should run DHS because the entire department should be abolished. Trump rightly pledged to abolish the Department of Education in part because it’s been a failure. Well, not only has the Department of Homeland Security been a failure, it’s been worse than a failure. DHS was created after 9/11 for the explicit purpose of

A little over a week after a red wave election rolled Republicans back in control of the Senate, an internal election awaits Wednesday morning to determine who will lead the newly minted majority. 

The rapid-fire leadership election, churning up infighting just days after big electoral victories, is the work of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the center of power in the Senate Republican Conference for nearly 20 years. 

‘Outrageous Violation’

McConnell announced in February he would step down as Republican leader at the end of the year, closing out his time as the long-serving party leader in the history of the Senate. The 82-year-old Kentucky Republican, who served as majority leader from 2015 to 2021, exits the leadership post with one more power grab, one of his sharpest critics says. 

“He may be giving up the leadership position but I think he wants to maintain control,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said Tuesday afternoon on the “Vicki McKenna Show” in Milwaukee and Madison. 

McConnell’s departure and the shift in Senate control has sparked a three-way battle for Senate majority leader. In the running are Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and McConnell acolytes, Sens. John Thune of South Dakota and John Cornyn of Texas — the latter two establishment Republicans and consummate yes men to their mentor McConnell. Thune, Senate Republican whip, appears to hold the edge in the election, but he’s had a rocky relationship with Trump over the years — just like boss McConnell whose loathing of the president-elect is well