Congress

The likely next Congressional Black Caucus chair has big plans for the shrinking powerhouse

Published

3 months ago

July 7, 2026

The Congressional Black Caucus is, for now, at the pinnacle of its power, with record-high membership, deep influence on the House Democratic agenda and one of its own members in line to claim the speaker’s gavel.

But major threats have shaken the nearly 60-year-old group in recent months. A recent Supreme Court decision threatens to decimate its membership and an influx of hard-left Democrats could undermine its brand of pragmatic, civil-rights-focused liberalism.

It will likely be Rep. Troy Carter’s job to plot a path forward. The three-term Louisiana Democrat is positioned to take over as chair from Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) next year, and in an extensive interview said he was determined to defend the CBC’s privileged place in House Democratic politics.

“If those who are out there banking on us being quieted, going away, not fighting for the rights of individuals, and providing resources to those that have been historically left behind, they are sadly mistaken,” he said.

Carter, 62, is now serving as caucus vice chair and a self-proclaimed “close ally” of Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader and likely speaker if Democrats can win a majority in November. He would not commit to seeking the chair but spoke about his “passion for the caucus,” and five other CBC members, including Clarke, said in recent interviews that he is a strong — and perhaps the only — contender.

“I don’t know if there’s anyone who would even think about running against him,” Rep. Cleo Fields (D-La.) said. “He’s set in a perfect position to be the chairman of our caucus, and he has my unyielding support.”

Fields, however, probably won’t be eligible to vote for Carter — underscoring the larger challenges the caucus faces.

The Supreme Court’s April ruling in Louisiana v. Callais allowed the Republican-controlled state legislature to redraw congressional lines — effectively drawing out Fields and leaving Carter as the delegation’s sole Democrat. The ruling’s effects went far beyond the Louisiana state lines, however, allowing GOP-dominated states to eliminate majority-minority districts and threaten the reelections of as many as 19 CBC members.

Carter cast the moment as an opportunity for evolution rather than reinvention for the CBC as he fielded questions about how aggressively Democrats should respond to Republican gerrymandering, the caucus’s longstanding commitment to preserving seniority rights and how it will respond to a new crop of ultraprogressives intent on tugging the party leftward.

“It’s always been revered as the conscience of the Congress, and we will still be the conscience of the Congress if we lose one, two, three or 10 members,” he said.

But some CBC consensus positions that have served to amplify its influence inside the larger Democratic Caucus are already coming into conflict with some members’ demands that their party get more serious about fighting President Donald Trump and Republicans.

For instance, some Democrats believe the most effective way to combat the GOP redistricting spree is to carve up majority-minority districts in blue states as well as red ones. That could create more Democratic seats at the price of diluting Black power in Congress.

Though some prominent CBC members, such as New York Rep. Greg Meeks, are open to the idea, Carter said he was not inclined to join them.

“We want a party that is reflective of all the voices of all the people,” he said. “And if we just start painting a picture, all we want is Democrats, then we lose the value and the flavor and the diversity of what our party represents, and that is a seat at the table for everyone.”

Carter struck a softer note on seniority rights, which has long been seen as the foundation of minority power in the House and a red-line issue for the CBC. The system, he acknowledged, helps minority members “ascend to roles of leadership in a system that even within the party hasn’t always been fair.”

But, he added, “I have never believed that a person that comes in with superior expertise in a subject matter, should be told to wait.”

That attitude has served Carter himself well, putting him in position to assume the CBC chair in only his fourth congressional term after a long career in New Orleans politics. His words, however, are a far cry from suggesting that longtime committee leaders such as Meeks on Foreign Relations, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson on Homeland Security or California Rep. Maxine Waters on Financial Services ought to step aside.

The real threat could come from a slew of young progressives who have signaled they aren’t interested in waiting their turn next term or otherwise playing nice with the traditional Democratic powers-that-be. Some of those future lawmakers, such as Darializa Avila Chevalier of New York and Chris Rabb of Philadelphia, could be joining the CBC.

Carter brushed off the potential for conflict. He said that while the CBC “still plays a role” in moderating House Democrats, he would not endorse the suggestion from centrist lawmakers such as Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) that self-avowed democratic socialists like Avila Chevalier and Rabb don’t belong in the Democratic Party.

“We’re not going to let people pit us against each other,” Carter said. “A Democrat’s a Democrat’s a Democrat. We have different ideas, we have different philosophies, we have different views, different approaches on how to get there, but our missions aren’t different.”

But members of the caucus have shown a taste for intraparty warfare recently, and several of the new progressive members have so far refused to commit to backing as speaker should Democrats prevail in November.

Just weeks ago, Clarke and two former CBC chairs, Reps. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) and Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), publicly lambasted Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) for merely suggesting there should be “new leadership” in the Democratic Party, without naming Jeffries directly.

Carter said he was not involved in drafting the statement but did not distance himself from its sentiment — especially as a friend and fraternity brother of Jeffries.

“For Senator Slotkin to suggest there needs to be new leadership, I’m not sure what barometer she’s using to measure that,” he said. “If anyone cared to be honest and fair, and they evaluated the task at hand and the ultimate challenges … Hakeem Jeffries has demonstrated exquisite leadership.”

Carter and Jeffries aren’t out of step on much, but the likely new chair said he had a different view on what the signature bill of a new Democratic majority ought to be. Jeffries has said he wants a focus on “affordability.” Carter is instead advocating for a voting rights bill that could help restore Black political power.

But the two have been in lockstep on using the bully pulpit to pressure corporate America and other institutions outside government to preserve American democracy from the threats they see.

When the caucus announced unanimous opposition in May to a bipartisan college athletics reform bill, Jeffries spoke at a news conference announcing a boycott of the Southeastern Conference over its limp opposition to Republican redistricting in the South.

Expect more of that, Carter said.

“If you call yourselves our friends, if you recognize and appreciate our economy, our entertainment, our sports, then you have to also recognize and stand with us at this great time of peril, when our rights are being taken away,” Carter said. “Stand with us if you want us to stand with you.”

Congress

Mike Collins memo identifies 1 in 10 Georgia voters who should be voting for him — but are ‘up for grabs’

Published

3 minutes ago

September 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

One in 10 Georgia voters aren’t sold on Mike Collins for Senate — even though those same voters backed President Donald Trump in 2024, according to a new memo from Collins’ campaign.

The finding comes as public polling continues to show Collins trailing Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in the premier battleground state. A YouGov poll released Wednesday found Ossoff up by 10 percentage points over Collins.

The memo identifies the “up for grabs” voters as Republicans and conservative-leaning independents who also plan to vote for the state’s GOP gubernatorial candidate, Rick Jackson, and could decide the election.

“They should be voting for Mike Collins, and they are not yet, mainly because they do not have a firm opinion of him,” the memo reads. “Most of them cannot tell you anything about him, and a third have never seen an ad about him.”

Collins’ campaign has been working to convince GOP leaders and outside groups that he can narrow Ossoff’s polling advantage, as the party weighs how best to allocate its resources in the closing stretch of the election.

For now, top Republicans have appeared to deprioritize the Georgia Senate race as a top pickup opportunity — as other battleground states come more into view — but Senate Majority Leader John Thune is planning to attend a fundraiser for Collins alongside Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday to shore up support.

The campaign memo makes the case that Collins does not need to build a new GOP coalition to close the gap but instead focus on the existing Republican coalition in the state that it identifies as still up for grabs for him.

Two-thirds of those voters live in the Atlanta media market, according to the memo, followed by Macon and Augusta.

“Streaming is how a plurality get live television,” the memo reads. “They are seeing fewer political ads than everyone else, so they need to see these messages more often, and they need to keep seeing them all the way through November 3.”

The overriding issue for these voters, according to the memo, is the cost of living. “Nothing else is close,” it says. The memo argues that the campaign’s closing message should introduce Collins by emphasizing his Georgia roots and business background while attacking Ossoff over taxes and other elements of his record.

“Every Georgian needs to understand how Jon Ossoff failed them by making their lives less safe and less affordable while aligning himself with far-left socialists who proclaim that ‘America deserved 9/11,’” Collins spokesperson Meyer Siegfried said in a statement.

Congress

Sanders, Casar introduce ‘superintelligence’ ban

Published

3 hours ago

September 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Two top congressional progressives unveiled their bill Wednesday to ban artificial “superintelligence” and establish a Cabinet-level agency to regulate AI, fleshing out their plans for a crackdown on the industry.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) have advocated for heavy regulation of the rapidly evolving technology, particularly following a string of high-profile cyberattacks and doomsday warnings from industry insiders. Sanders and Casar teased the proposal earlier this month but only officially rolled out their “Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act” on Wednesday.

Casar said the bill would ban “recursive self-improvement,” meaning AI’s ability to build improved and more capable versions of itself. The bill also bars AI models from designing nuclear or biological weapons and would ban models that try to “escape human oversight or deceive humans,” Casar told reporters.

Sanders and Casar had previously outlined their plans to draft legislation banning “superintelligence” and to pause advanced AI development until a “Department of Artificial Intelligence” with a Senate-confirmed secretary is capable of monitoring model capabilities and identifying risks.

The legislation would set penalties for any entity that attempts to circumvent federal oversight, including the “corporate death penalty” for companies and up to 20 years in prison for individuals — on par with the punishment for illegally developing nuclear weapons.

The duo is bullish about both chambers swiftly taking up their legislation, even as Democratic leaders entertain much smaller-bore regulatory actions and some Republican leaders reject the need to advance AI safety legislation entirely. Casar said he believed the bill “will be considered the commonsense proposal in the coming weeks” as public pressure on Congress to enact AI guardrails mounts.

“In my view, we cannot simply sit by idly and wait for advanced AI to cause the next 9/11 or Chernobyl or a global pandemic or a financial crisis before we take action to protect the American people and, of course, the people of the world,” Sanders told reporters.

Congress

Troy Carter launches bid to run Congressional Black Caucus

Published

3 hours ago

September 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) launched a run to head the Congressional Black Caucus, making official his long-anticipated and heavily favored bid to take over the powerful group.

Carter announced his plans in a letter to colleagues sent Tuesday and obtained by Blue Light News, saying, “I will listen carefully. I will work hard. I will act when action is needed.”

Carter has support from much of the CBC and has positioned himself as a fierce ally of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Next term, the CBC is anticipating an influx of prospective ultraprogressive members. In his letter, Carter signaled he welcomes ideological diversity in the caucus.

“As Chair, I will respect the tremendous diversity of talent, experience, geography, ideology, and perspective within our Caucus,” Carter said in the letter. “Every Member should know that their voice matters, that they have a seat at the table, and that when they need their Caucus, their Caucus will be there.”

In a July interview with POLITICO, Carter previewed how he would lead the caucus, whose membership has been threatened by Republican-led redistricting in the South in the wake of an April Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais that limited the Voting Rights Act .

On other matters that the CBC will have to consider next term, he said he’s not keen on carving up majority-minority districts in blue states to create new Democratic seats, but he struck a softer note on seniority rights for committee assignments, saying: “I have never believed that a person that comes in with superior expertise in a subject matter should be told to wait.”