Martin O’Malley fails to qualify for Ohio’s presidential primary ballot
Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley has failed to qualify for Ohio’s primary ballot, falling short of the signatures needed to appear before the state’s voters. A spokesman for Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted (HYOO’-sted) tells The Associated Press that O’Malley failed to get the 1,000 valid signatures needed to appear on March 15 primary ballots. The former Maryland governor’s campaign submitted 1,175 signatures, but only 772 were found to be valid. O’Malley spokeswoman Haley Morris says the campaign is exploring its options. She says O’Malley will campaign vigorously in Ohio. O’Malley is running an underdog bid for his party’s nomination against Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Clinton already has the support of some key Democratic insiders in Ohio, where she won the 2008 primary over Barack Obama. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Ted Cruz raises $20 million in last 3 months, cementing status as contender
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz‘s campaign said Wednesday it has raised nearly $20 million over the past three months, a large haul that further cements the Texas senator’s status as a serious contender for the nomination heading into the Iowa caucuses. Cruz’s campaign said in a memo to supporters that he will finish the year having raised over $45 million. That means his haul over the final quarter will be significantly larger than the $12 million he raised during the previous three months of the year. He had raised more than $26 million through the end of September. “Just over a month away from the start of the caucuses and primaries we have a network in place with the resources required to win that is the envy of every other campaign,” read the memo, sent Wednesday by Cruz Campaign Manager Jeff Roe. The campaign, he said, has received over 670,000 donations from over 300,000 donors, spanning 66 percent of U.S. ZIP codes. The memo did not disclose how much the campaign has spent or how much cash it has on hand heading into the new year. But the campaign had more than $13 million in the bank at the end of September – more than any of Cruz’s rivals. Candidates aren’t required to report their end-of-year fundraising numbers until Jan. 31, the eve of the Iowa causes. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Joe Biden to meet with leaders in Turkey mid-January
Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Turkey next month amid the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group. Biden is adding a stop in Turkey to his previously announced trip to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum the week of Jan. 17. The White House says Biden will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (REH’-jehp TY’-ihp UR’-doh-wahn) and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (AH’-meht dah-voot-OH’-loo). The U.S. is pressing Turkey to do more to fight IS and tighten its border with Syria. Turkey has been a target of IS attacks, and on Wednesday detained two suspected IS militants believed to be planning suicide attacks. Biden is also working to tamp down a spat between Turkey and Iraq over Turkish troops staged at a training camp in northern Iraq. The White House says Biden will also visit Guatemala on Jan. 14 to lead the U.S. delegation to incoming President Jimmy Morales‘ inauguration. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
