Loretta Sanchez

The Congressional Management Foundation has launched new awards for Congress, the Democracy Awards, to recognize nonlegislative achievements.

Five awards will be given out next summer. A Republican and a Democrat will be awarded in each of four categories:  innovation, transparency and accountability, constituent service, and a “Life in Congress” award for workplace environment, the foundation announced. A fifth award will be given to one member and one congressional staffer for lifetime achievement. 

The House Democrats who will decide this week whether it’s time for younger, less-tenured leadership have served in the chamber an average of close to six full terms, and nearly six in 10 are over the age of 60. 

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has drawn criticism for not fostering leadership opportunities for younger caucus members. The 76-year-old Californian, who has been the chamber’s top Democrat since 2003, is facing a challenge from 43-year-old Tim Ryan, a seven-term congressman from Ohio, who says that after four straight disappointing elections for House Democrats, it’s time for a change at the top. 

Two white men and four women walk into a room. That’s it — no joke, that’s just what the Senate freshman class looks like, so far.

The Louisiana Senate race to replace retiring Sen. David Vitter, to be decided in a Dec. 10 runoff, will determine the seventh freshman. 

Democrat Lou Correa will defeat Democrat Bao Nguyen in California’s 46th District, The Associated Press projects.

The seat opened after incumbent Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez opted to run for the Senate. 

Democrat Kamala Harris will defeat Rep. Loretta Sanchez in California’s open-seat Senate race, The Associated Press projects.

Harris led Sanchez 65 percent to 35 percent with 5 percent of precincts reporting.

Thirteen House members — and one non-voting delegate from Puerto Rico — gave up their posts to run for statewide office this year, with varying success.

Three of those races, the Maryland, Indiana and Louisiana Senate campaigns, pitted colleagues in the House against each other. While the majority were vying for Senate seats, Democrats John Carney, of Delaware and Pedro Pierluisi, or Puerto Rico, made bids for governor. Here is a round-up of their positions as polls opened on Tuesday.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris’ Senate campaign is hitting Rep. Loretta Sanchez for failing to disclose her husband’s tax information.

Sanchez released her tax returns, showing she earned $156,674 in 2015 and paid $36,606 in state and federal income taxes, but declined to release the information of her husband, lawyer John Einwechter.

With a comfortable lead in her Senate campaign, California Attorney General General Kamala Harris is turning her attention to helping some down-ballot Democrats in their races.

Most polls show Harris beating 10-term Rep. Loretta Sanchez, by double digits. The two Democrats finished 1-2 in the state’s open primary to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer.

California Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez is appealing to Republicans as she tries to overcome opponent Kamala Harris’ huge lead in their race for the Senate.

Sanchez has released a new ad that highlights her record on small business and national security, and talks about living and working her whole life in Southern California. However, the ad also says that she voted against the Iraq War and the Wall Street bailout during the 2008 financial crisis.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris has widened her lead over Rep. Loretta Sanchez in their race for the California Senate seat, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by theJames Irvine Foundation and the Public Policy Institute of California, found Harris leading the two-way, all-Democratic contest by 22 points, 42 percent to 20 percent, among likely voters. Twenty percent were undecided and 18 percent said they would not be voting. Harris led Sanchez by 7 points in the September edition of the poll.