South
'Record' fundraising haul by GOP Senate candidate in blue-leaning Southwest state
EXCLUSIVE — As she aims to become the first Republican in New Mexico to win a Senate election in more than two decades, Nella Domenici is shattering records.
Domenici’s campaign reports that the candidate hauled in $2.9 million during the April-June second quarter of 2024 fundraising, which they said was “the largest fundraising quarter of any U.S. Senate candidate in New Mexico political history.”
The money was raised by both Domenici’s Senate campaign and its associated joint fundraising committees. The figures were shared first with Fox News on Friday.
It has been 22 years since a Republican has won in the one-time swing state that now leans blue. The last GOP politician to win was Sen. Pete Domenici, Nella’s father, who in 2002 was re-elected to a sixth six-year term.
DAUGHTER OF NEW MEXICO’S LAST REPUBLICAN SENATOR RUNNING FOR FATHER’S OLD SEAT
Republican Senate candidate Nella Domenici campaigns in Carlsbad, New Mexico, on May 14. (Domenici campaign)
Fast-forward to the present day, and his daughter aims to end the losing streak.
The momentum is growing, the movement is building, and our state is ready for new leadership,” the candidate said in a statement. “New Mexico is at a tipping point and I’m grateful to all of those who are rallying behind our campaign to demand more for our state and our nation.”
The candidate’s haul is more than double the $1.25 million she brought in during the first quarter of 2024 fundraising. Domenici’s campaign said they entered July with more than $2 million in cash on hand.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Domenici is using her powerful political brand and ample name recognition in New Mexico as she challenges Democrat Sen. Martin Heinrich, who is running in November for a third six-year term.
Heinrich hauled in $1.5 million during the first three months of the year but has yet to announce his second-quarter fundraising.
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/File)
In her race against Heinrich, Domenici is also showcasing her résumé. She has decades of experience in the finance industry at Bridgewater Associates, where she served as chief financial officer, Credit Suisse and Citadel Investment group.
In recent cycles, New Mexico, which was once a general election battleground, has shifted to the left and is no longer considered a crucial swing state.
Heinrich won re-election in 2018, which was a blue-wave cycle, by more than 30 points. President Biden carried the state by 10 points in 2020.
But with the turmoil surrounding Biden in the wake of his disastrous performance in his debate last month with former President Trump, which has fueled calls from within his own party for the president to end his re-election bid, the GOP sees an opportunity to expand the map in New Mexico and a couple of other states.
Internal Democratic polling conducted post-debate suggests a tightening political climate in New Mexico.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News.
BIG STONE GAP, Va. (WCYB) — About 100 seniors from across Southwest Virginia spent the day enjoying food, games and fellowship at the Mountain Empire Older Citizens Organization’s annual summer picnic.
The event was held at Bullitt Park in Big Stone Gap and brought together seniors from seven congregate senior sites across several Southwest Virginia counties.
Attendees enjoyed a cookout, played yard games, tried their luck at bingo and caught up with friends.
Organizers said events like the annual picnic give seniors a chance to enjoy activities they may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience.
“It’s exactly what the program is designed for,” MEOC Nutrition Director Kristen Rutherford said. “To add nutrition and education but also promote socialization and prevent loneliness for seniors. A big part of seniors’ lives is that they’re isolated a lot of times. I love it, especially the games that they’re playing. I love that because they’re getting exercise.”
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Organizers said the summer picnic is one of two major events they host each year, along with a Christmas celebration.
Trump says soaring college football costs are hitting sports
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (March 6) said the soaring cost of paying for football at colleges was harming school sports in general and the problem would need to be addressed by legislation, adding he might sign an executive order about it.
FRISCO, TX − West Virginia football coach Rich Rodriguez made a public plea for some reason and logic to return to major college football after decades of conference expansion, contraction and realignment from coast to coast.
He made his pitch at his news conference at the annual Big 12 Conference media days here Wednesday, July 8. Rodriguez proposes about 60 teams to come together, share their money and divide themselves into regional sections, sort of like how college football used to be with the former Big East, Pac-12, Big 12, Southeastern and Atlantic Coast Conferences.
“Can’t we all come together and shake hands and give each other a group hug and then have an Eastern regional and a South regional and a North regional, and then everybody share the money?” Rodriguez said. “And, you know, with this money for everybody, we all can get along, like 60 of us or so. I think that would be great. I don’t know. Did anybody else say that? Probably not. They might be afraid. Hell, I don’t care.”
PRESEASON COACHES RANKINGS: Big Ten | SEC | ACC
Rodriguez, 63, made his comments in the context of his team not playing rival Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl again until 2029. They used to play regularly as independents and then members of the Big East before Pitt left to join the ACC in 2013. Since then, realignment has ripped apart regional leagues such as the Pac-12, which saw four marquee West Coast teams depart in 2024 to pursue more money in the Big Ten while others left for the Big 12 and ACC.
Meanwhile, Congress is considering a bill, the Protect College Sports Act, that would allow the pooling of television rights between more than 100 schools. It aims to spread the wealth more beyond just two dominant leagues.
“I’m not speaking for anybody other than Coach Rod, that he would love for all the Power Four teams to come together, shake hands, and then, hey, let’s pick the biggest TV package in the history of TV packages,” Rodriguez said. “And then we could have Pitt, Virginia Tech and Penn State and Maryland and Cincinnati and maybe Virginia or North Carolina, one of those, all right there. And our fans could drive to it. You know, we have a rivalry every year, and everybody makes money. Nobody gets fired. Players did good.”
Rodriguez noted his pitch might not fly in today’s world but wanted to throw it out there before it’s too late. He previously served as head coach at Michigan and Arizona.
“Wouldn’t that be fun?” he asked. “Can we put that together? I got all the (athletic directors) out there shaking their head like I’m nuts. I’m just, I mean, this is, you know, I got more time, a lot more time behind me than ahead of me. I want to just get this thing right before I leave.”
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
(Editor’s Note: As part of the preparation for training camp, this series will introduce 25 players who are new to the Cowboys’ roster, rookies and veterans alike. We’ll continue with outside linebacker Tyrus Wheat.)
The 2026 season will mark a homecoming for Wheat, who is now back in Dallas for his second stint with the Cowboys. As an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, Wheat signed with the Cowboys in 2023 on the practice squad before quickly being signed to the active roster a few months afterwards.
In his rookie season, Wheat saw a majority of his snaps come on special teams with 197, and only 31 snaps on defense. That would flip in his second season, with 165 snaps on defense and 46 on special teams. Through two years, Wheat played in 20 games and tallied 18 tackles and half a sack before spending a year with the Lions in 2025.
As is true across all levels of football, you can never have enough pass rushers. Wheat gives the Cowboys another pass rusher, who has the added ability to be able to help out on special teams as well as a blocker on kickoffs.
As for how much he’ll be in the defensive rotation, that’ll have to be something he earns in training camp. The Cowboys have some younger pass rushers ahead of him now like Donovan Ezeiruaku and first-round pick Malachi Lawrence, so there’ll need to be some proving done. That said, Wheat is also coming off his best year yet with the Lions. Will it be enough to find a role in the pass rush rotation? Oxnard will give us a good idea of that.
- Wheat played a vital special teams role for the Lions last season, tallying 11 special teams tackles which was the third-most for Detroit in 2025. He played a career-high 215 special teams snaps in order to get to that point.
- Wheat’s one and only season away from the Cowboys thus far in his career saw him play in 15 games for the Lions, where he also tallied a career-high 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks despite only playing 66 defensive snaps.
- After wearing 91 in his first stint with Dallas, Wheat returns to the Cowboys wearing 90 now, which was last worn by defensive tackle Solomon Thomas.
-
Utah5 minutes agoTurn your miles into meals
-
Vermont8 minutes agoPoll: Most young Vermonters say they’re likely to leave state amid affordability concerns – VTDigger
-
Virginia13 minutes agoMEOC Organization hosts annual summer picnic for Southwest Virginia seniors
-
Washington20 minutes agoFuture uncertain for site of former Mount Washington church destroyed in massive fire
-
Wisconsin23 minutes agoSouth Milwaukee, Wisconsin, officials in standoff with homeowner over year-round skeleton display
-
West Virginia28 minutes agoWest Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez wants to save college football. Here’s his pitch:
-
Wyoming35 minutes agoCathy Holman named 2026 Mick & Susie McMurry Cowboy Code Try Award recipient
-
Crypto38 minutes agoLAB Token Crashes 80% to $1.25 as $5B Market Cap Vanishes in 48 Hours
