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Rep. Tony Cárdenas is running for chair of House Democrats' campaign arm

09 November 2020
Dan Ackermann

Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.) is running for chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), as Democrats look for new leadership after failing to expand their House majority in last week's election, according to a source familiar.

Why it matters: Cardenas' consideration for this leadership post reflects a recognition among Democrats that they need to shore up their support with Hispanic voters and better understand the nuances of the Latino community to improve their electoral prospects.

Driving the news: Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) announced Monday she will not seek re-election for DCCC chair, after narrowly eking out a win in her own re-election race, Politico first reported.

  • Cardenas is the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' BOLD PAC, which supports Hispanic Democratic candidates down-ballot.
  • Trump won 28% of the Latino vote in 2016, and increased his standing to roughly 32% in 2020.
  • He increased his support with Latino voters in Texas, south Florida, and areas across California, Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Nevada, per The Atlantic.

What to watch: Other Democrats are expected to announce their intention to run for the position as well, including Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), according to a source familiar.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.