Skip to content
RollCall logo

Staff

Kate Ackley

The Latest From Kate Ackley
Democratic Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin will not seek another term in Maryland next year.

Cardin decides not to run again, ending Hill career begun in 1987

By Kate Ackley
Posted May 1, 2023 at 11:49am, Updated at 12:50pm

At the Races: Cheese stakes

By Kate Ackley, Mary Ellen McIntire, Daniela Altimari and Niels Lesniewski
Posted April 6, 2023 at 2:30pm

At the Races: TikTok takeover

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Kate Ackley and Daniela Altimari
Posted March 23, 2023 at 2:30pm
Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, D-Fla., appeared before the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday as it considered whether candidates can draw salaries from campaigns.

FEC eyes new rules for candidates to draw pay, perks from campaigns

By Kate Ackley
Posted March 22, 2023 at 5:42pm

At the Races: Bank shots

By Daniela Altimari, Mary Ellen McIntire and Kate Ackley
Posted March 16, 2023 at 2:30pm
Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger is one of 18 Democrats endorsed by EMILY's List, a group that raises money to elect women candidates who support abortion rights.

EMILY’s List: These 18 Democrats are crucial to taking House control

By Kate Ackley
Posted March 15, 2023 at 8:00am
Indiana Democratic Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, who won reelection last year by 6 percentage points in a district that backed Joe Biden over Donald Trump by 8 points in 2020, is one of the members getting "Frontline" designation providing extra party help in next year's race.

DCCC picks 29 ‘Frontline’ members for extra help next year

By Kate Ackley
Posted March 10, 2023 at 7:00am

At the Races: Crime vote & punishment

By Kate Ackley, Daniela Altimari, Niels Lesniewski and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted March 9, 2023 at 2:30pm
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., won a tough reelection fight last year but had about $14,000 in his campaign account on Dec. 31 and nearly $140,000 in unpaid bills, including more than $20,000 in outstanding payroll.

As 2023 started, 18 House and Senate campaigns were in debt

By Kate Ackley
Posted March 9, 2023 at 5:00am
The maker of Pirelli tires is joining a group of companies adopting new corporate responsibility principles.

IBM, Pirelli Tire among companies signing political money principles

By Kate Ackley
Posted March 7, 2023 at 9:00am

At the Races: Back to the future

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Kate Ackley, Daniela Altimari and Niels Lesniewski
Posted March 2, 2023 at 2:30pm

At the Races: Train wreck — it’s not just a metaphor

By Daniela Altimari, Mary Ellen McIntire and Kate Ackley
Posted February 23, 2023 at 2:30pm
Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., pats Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on the shoulder in congratulations after McCarthy won election to be speaker of the House on Jan. 7.

PAC money to electoral count objectors fell 10 percent

By Kate Ackley
Posted February 23, 2023 at 8:00am

At the Races: Price hike pols like

By Kate Ackley, Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted February 16, 2023 at 2:30pm
Sen. Joe Manchin, right, talks with Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday.

Manchin war chest could help, and hurt, if he runs in 2024

By Kate Ackley
Posted February 16, 2023 at 5:00am

At the Races: Sunshine State sunset debate

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Kate Ackley, Daniela Altimari and Niels Lesniewski
Posted February 9, 2023 at 2:30pm
A new report by a campaign finance advocacy group criticizes the “dues” lawmakers running top committees must pay to their parties, but former Rep. Rodney Davis says the payments are not a requirement.

Gavels for top House committees don’t always come cheap

By Kate Ackley
Posted February 9, 2023 at 9:00am
Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., accepts the gavel from Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., after McCarthy won the speakership on the 15th ballot on Jan. 7.

Despite fears agency could be crippled, House fills ethics posts

By Kate Ackley
Posted February 7, 2023 at 5:00am
Former Sen. Richard C. Shelby, R-Ala., right, had $6.1 million left in campaign accounts he controls on Dec. 31, while former Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., had $1.3 million.

Not couch cushion money: Former members sitting on $54 million

By Kate Ackley and Herb Jackson
Posted February 6, 2023 at 5:00am

At the Races: Cash course

By Daniela Altimari, Mary Ellen McIntire and Kate Ackley
Posted February 2, 2023 at 2:30pm
Chairman Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., conducts a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “After the Highland Park Attack: Protecting Our Communities from Mass Shootings,” in July 2022.

Gun groups spent less on lobbying last year, when a new law passed

By Kate Ackley
Posted January 31, 2023 at 3:48pm
Rep. Andrew Garbarino has stayed largely mum about the Santos situation in recent weeks, citing his expected work on the Ethics panel.

McCarthy names GOP members to House Ethics Committee

By Kate Ackley
Posted January 31, 2023 at 2:37pm

At the Races: Citizens, disunited

By Kate Ackley, Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted January 26, 2023 at 2:30pm
Google's rainbow-colored logo is displayed outside the company's new Bay View campus on Jan. 20 in San Jose, California.

Antitrust one of many issues that kept Google lobbyists busy

By Kate Ackley
Posted January 25, 2023 at 4:24pm
Lobbying firms on K Street and organizations that fund them disclosed heavy spending in 2022.

US Chamber of Commerce dips to second place in K Street spending

By Kate Ackley
Posted January 23, 2023 at 12:08pm

At the Races: Contours of post-Roe battleground

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Kate Ackley, Niels Lesniewski and Daniela Altimari
Posted January 19, 2023 at 2:30pm
Amid friction between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and some House Republican leaders, the K Street group’s executives have urged the divided Congress and the Biden administration to work across the political aisle.

US Chamber pushes immigration overhaul, trade deals

By Kate Ackley
Posted January 12, 2023 at 4:16pm

At the Races: Cooking with gas

By Daniela Altimari, Mary Ellen McIntire, Kate Ackley and Niels Lesniewski
Posted January 12, 2023 at 2:30pm
Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., walks outside a House Republican Conference meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday.

Democrats ask ethics panel to probe Santos’ financial disclosures

By Kate Ackley
Posted January 10, 2023 at 1:09pm
Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., said Tuesday she's running for Senate in 2024.

Porter announces 2024 run for Feinstein seat in Senate

By Niels Lesniewski and Kate Ackley
Posted January 10, 2023 at 11:33am, Updated at 4:32pm
Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., walks through the House chamber before the start of debate over electing a House speaker on Jan. 5.

Ethics group seeks investigation of Santos campaign finances

By Kate Ackley
Posted January 9, 2023 at 12:50pm
Michigan Republican John James nominates Republican leader Kevin McCarthy before a seventh attempt to elect a speaker Thursday. Speeches by James and others have fueled speculation about future leadership ambitions and runs for Senate.

Speaker turmoil offers incoming members rare spotlight

By Kate Ackley
Posted January 6, 2023 at 6:34pm

At the Races: Under new management?

By Kate Ackley and Daniela Altimari
Posted January 5, 2023 at 2:30pm
New York Republican Rep.-elect George Santos, center, votes in a quorum call on the House floor Tuesday prior to members being sworn in.

Advocacy groups denounce GOP proposals to ‘gut’ ethics office

By Kate Ackley
Posted January 3, 2023 at 1:09pm

At the Races: Disarray OK?

By Daniela Altimari, Niels Lesniewski, Kate Ackley and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted December 22, 2022 at 2:30pm
House GOP sources say the relationship between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Republican leaders like Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise remains strained over issues such as the chamber’s endorsement of a slate of Democrats in the 2020 elections.

As GOP takes House control, where does Chamber of Commerce stand?

By Kate Ackley
Posted December 22, 2022 at 5:31am

At the Races: Virginia is for voters

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Daniela Altimari, Niels Lesniewski and Kate Ackley
Posted December 15, 2022 at 2:30pm
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz put $26.8 million of his own money into his losing campaign in Pennsylvania.

Closing the books on the 2022 midterm campaign

By Kate Ackley and Herb Jackson
Posted December 9, 2022 at 5:01pm

At the Races: What pushing for voting rights accomplished

By Kate Ackley, Mary Ellen McIntire, Daniela Altimari and Niels Lesniewski
Posted December 8, 2022 at 2:30pm
House Ethics found no evidence that Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., engaged in an improper relationship with a member of his staff.

House Ethics: Cawthorn ‘improperly promoted’ cryptocurrency

By Kate Ackley
Posted December 6, 2022 at 3:49pm
Members of the next Congress who pledged not to accept corporate PAC contributions include Democratic Sens.-elect Peter Welch of Vermont, left, and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, right, here posing with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer on Nov. 15.

Vows to reject corporate PAC money on the rise for incoming Congress

By Kate Ackley
Posted December 5, 2022 at 5:01am

At the Races: Hoosier next guv?

By Daniela Altimari, Kate Ackley, Mary Ellen McIntire and Niels Lesniewski
Posted December 1, 2022 at 2:30pm
Rep. Kai Kahele walks up the House steps for a vote in the Capitol on May 12.

Ethics report: Rep. Kai Kahele may have ‘misused official resources’

By Kate Ackley
Posted November 28, 2022 at 4:31pm
Murkowski, who faced fellow Republican Kelly Tshibaka, won a fourth full term in the Senate.

Murkowski, Peltola win reelection bids

By Kate Ackley
Posted November 23, 2022 at 8:39pm

At the Races: As 2022’s dust settles, 2024 revs up

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Kate Ackley, Niels Lesniewski and Daniela Altimari
Posted November 17, 2022 at 2:35pm
Retiring Texas Republican Rep. Kevin Brady is in demand as a former chairman and ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

These are the soon-to-be former members K Street wants to woo

By Kate Ackley
Posted November 17, 2022 at 5:00am

At the Races: 726 days till Election Day 2024

By Kate Ackley, Niels Lesniewski, Mary Ellen McIntire and Daniela Altimari
Posted November 10, 2022 at 2:30pm
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., arrives for a news conference Wednesday after losing his reelection race. At right is his husband, Randy Florke.

Midterm takeaways: Unusual elections end on unexpected turf

By Kate Ackley, Mary Ellen McIntire, Daniela Altimari and Niels Lesniewski
Posted November 9, 2022 at 6:59pm
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., arrives in the Capitol via the Senate subway for a vote on Sept. 8.

Here’s who won 2022’s most competitive Senate races

By Niels Lesniewski, Mary Ellen McIntire, Kate Ackley, Jim Saksa, Aidan Quigley, Paul V. Fontelo, Daniela Altimari and Laura Weiss
Posted November 8, 2022 at 11:21pm, Updated November 23, 2022 at 8:34pm
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, right, and Sen. Mark Warner, both D-Va., meet with reporters following a Prince William County early voting rally for Spanberger in Woodbridge, Va., on Sept. 24. Spanberger won a competitive reelection race Tuesday.

How vulnerable House incumbents fared in the 2022 midterms

By Laura Weiss, Jessica Wehrman, Jim Saksa, Aidan Quigley, Mary Ellen McIntire, Paul V. Fontelo, Ariel Cohen, Daniela Altimari and Kate Ackley
Posted November 8, 2022 at 11:18pm, Updated November 23, 2022 at 8:20pm
A sign directs voters to polling booths on Election Day at Eastern Market in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

Here’s who won open House seats in the 2022 midterms

By Kate Ackley, Daniela Altimari, Paul V. Fontelo, Mary Ellen McIntire, Lindsey McPherson, Aidan Quigley, Jim Saksa and Laura Weiss
Posted November 8, 2022 at 8:45pm, Updated December 5, 2022 at 8:39am
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, left, Minority Whip Steve Scalise and Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik are among the 147 lawmakers who opposed certifying electoral votes after the attack on the Capitol.

Amazon, other PACs resume donations to electoral objectors

By Kate Ackley
Posted November 3, 2022 at 5:36pm

At the Races: Are we there yet?

By Daniela Altimari, Kate Ackley, Niels Lesniewski and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted November 3, 2022 at 2:30pm
A redrawn district made Ohio Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur's reelection competitive, but a far-right Republican nominee has helped buoy her chances.

Midterms’ final stretch marked by fights in unexpected places

By Kate Ackley
Posted November 2, 2022 at 3:01pm
Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., remains the most vulnerable senator running this year.

A week out, here are 2022’s most vulnerable House and Senate members

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Kate Ackley, Daniela Altimari and Niels Lesniewski
Posted November 1, 2022 at 5:00am

At the Races: Keys to the Senate

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Kate Ackley, Niels Lesniewski and Daniela Altimari
Posted October 27, 2022 at 2:30pm
The final defense authorization bill pending before he retires is named after Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee.

Big K Street players spend more as election uncertainty brews

By Kate Ackley
Posted October 21, 2022 at 12:55pm

At the Races: Closing time

By Kate Ackley, Daniela Altimari, Mary Ellen McIntire and Niels Lesniewski
Posted October 20, 2022 at 2:30pm
Senate candidate Cheri Beasley speaks during a campaign rally on Saturday. Beasley, a Democrat, raised $13.4 million during the third quarter, nearly $8.6 million more than her Republican opponent.

Congressional fundraising climate favors Democrats

By Herb Jackson, Kate Ackley and Ryan Kelly
Posted October 17, 2022 at 5:50am

At the Races: Spoiler alert

By Niels Lesniewski, Kate Ackley and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted October 13, 2022 at 2:30pm
Vying for the top Republican spot on the Ways and Means Committee are, from left, Reps. Jason Smith of Missouri, Vern Buchanan of Florida and Adrian Smith of Nebraska.

Lobbyists pony up in race for Ways and Means GOP leader

By Kate Ackley and Ryan Kelly
Posted October 11, 2022 at 12:37pm

At the Races: Crime and crude

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Niels Lesniewski and Kate Ackley
Posted October 6, 2022 at 2:30pm

At the Races: It’s November somewhere

By Niels Lesniewski, Mary Ellen McIntire and Kate Ackley
Posted September 29, 2022 at 2:30pm
Senate candidate Tim Ryan wants you to know he’s “freaking out,” and he’s not the only one trying to drum up some last-minute dollars this quarter.

Lawmakers, challengers plan fundraising blitz ahead of Friday deadline

By Kate Ackley
Posted September 28, 2022 at 5:30am

At the Races: Cop votes and crime ads

By Kate Ackley, Mary Ellen McIntire and Niels Lesniewski
Posted September 22, 2022 at 2:30pm
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell concludes a news conference after the Senate luncheons in the Capitol on Tuesday.

Senators to seek action on Democratic political disclosure bill

By Kate Ackley
Posted September 21, 2022 at 5:16pm
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., participates in a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on Sept. 21. Johnson has been on Roll Call's list of 10 most vulnerable senators for the 2022 midterm cycle.

We love it when you’re vulnerable: Swing districts, members vs. members and more

By Jason Dick, Herb Jackson, Kate Ackley and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted September 21, 2022 at 3:24pm
Kelly Cooper, left, The challenger to Arizona Rep. Greg Stanton, right, disclosed loaning his campaign $1.3 million, but his personal financial disclosure did not show accounts from which that large a sum could have come.

Source of Stanton opponent’s campaign loan unclear

By Kate Ackley
Posted September 20, 2022 at 6:00am

At the Races: Last in the nation

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Stephanie Akin and Kate Ackley
Posted September 15, 2022 at 2:30pm
Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, shown at the Capitol last week, had a 6-point lead over Republican Herschel Walker in a poll released Wednesday, but other recent polls showed Walker with a narrow lead.

With control on the line, these 10 senators are most vulnerable

By Kate Ackley, Stephanie Akin and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted September 15, 2022 at 5:00am
Democratic Rep. Tom O’Halleran marches in the chamber of commerce parade in Flagstaff, Ariz., on July 4.

After primaries, these 10 House members are most vulnerable

By Stephanie Akin, Kate Ackley and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted September 13, 2022 at 5:00am

At the Races: Ads nauseum

By Kate Ackley, Mary Ellen McIntire and Stephanie Akin
Posted September 8, 2022 at 2:30pm
Republican House candidate Joe Kent speaks at a Sept. 18, 2021 "Justice for J6" rally in support of defendants charged with committing nonviolent crimes at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

GOP outsider offers Beltway donors 30-minute sitdowns

By Kate Ackley
Posted September 7, 2022 at 4:34pm

At the Races: Summer’s last surprise

By Stephanie Akin, Kate Ackley and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted September 1, 2022 at 2:30pm
Mary Peltola

Peltola wins Alaska special election to fill Young’s House seat

By Jackie Wang and Kate Ackley
Posted August 31, 2022 at 8:24pm, Updated September 1, 2022 at 10:53am
President Joe Biden speaks Thursday during a rally hosted by the Democratic National Committee at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Md.

Biden rally blasts GOP, but real midterm effect will come on the road

By Niels Lesniewski, Mary Ellen McIntire and Kate Ackley
Posted August 26, 2022 at 3:23pm

At the Races: If Democrats can make it there

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Stephanie Akin and Kate Ackley
Posted August 25, 2022 at 2:30pm
New York Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney easily won his primary for another term in New York's 17th District.

Who won the key races in Florida, New York and Oklahoma

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Niels Lesniewski, Kate Ackley, Stephanie Akin and Herb Jackson
Posted August 23, 2022 at 7:39pm, Updated August 24, 2022 at 5:43am

At the Races: A first in the Last Frontier

By Kate Ackley, Mary Ellen McIntire and Stephanie Akin
Posted August 18, 2022 at 2:30pm
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, advanced from the state's new primary system, which puts candidates of all parties on one ballot and sends the top four vote-getters on to the November election.

Murkowski, Palin advance to November in Alaska races

By Kate Ackley
Posted August 17, 2022 at 5:47am
A new primary process in Alaska that sends the four top vote-getters on to the general election could benefit Sen. Lisa Murkowski as she faces Republican backlash for voting to convict former President Donald Trump at his 2021 impeachment trial.

With new Alaska ballot, Murkowski may survive Trump’s wrath in primary

By Kate Ackley
Posted August 15, 2022 at 5:30am

At the Races: Surf’s down?

By Stephanie Akin, Kate Ackley, Mary Ellen McIntire and Niels Lesniewski
Posted August 11, 2022 at 2:30pm
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., became a target for defeat by former President Donald Trump and his supporters after she voted for impeachment in 2021.

Herrera Beutler, who voted to impeach Trump, concedes loss in primary

By Kate Ackley
Posted August 9, 2022 at 9:02pm
Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler's lead over a challenger backed by former President Donald Trump has narrowed as votes continue to be counted in Washington's 3rd District.

Newhouse declared winner while Herrera Beutler’s lead narrows

By Herb Jackson, Kate Ackley and Niels Lesniewski
Posted August 6, 2022 at 8:40am
Along with food and gas and travel, costs for campaign materials like these signs from the 2021 governor's race in Virginia have been going up.

Voters aren’t the only ones feeling the effects of inflation

By Kate Ackley
Posted August 5, 2022 at 2:10pm
Tennessee's primary included a Republican race for the open seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper.

Mayor wins Tennessee GOP primary in redrawn 5th District

By Kate Ackley
Posted August 5, 2022 at 6:01am

At the Races: Sunflower shocker

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Stephanie Akin and Kate Ackley
Posted August 4, 2022 at 2:30pm
Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., decided to retire after the 5th District he represents was redrawn, and nine Republicans are running for the nomination to replace him.

Primaries continue with Tennessee voting on Thursday

By Kate Ackley
Posted August 3, 2022 at 6:30am
A voter casts her ballot in Tuesday's primary in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

What happened in House and Senate primaries in five states

By Kate Ackley, Stephanie Akin, Niels Lesniewski and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted August 2, 2022 at 11:08pm, Updated August 3, 2022 at 2:00pm
“I’m a conservative, but I watched, I watched last time people pursuing ‘No,’” said Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill.

GOP Main Street group unveils agenda for candidates

By Kate Ackley
Posted August 2, 2022 at 5:30am
Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters is in a competitive primary in Arizona.

Three states’ Senate primaries will fill gaps in fall landscape

By Stephanie Akin, Niels Lesniewski and Kate Ackley
Posted August 1, 2022 at 5:01am
Rep. Andy Levin of Michigan faces a fellow Democratic incumbent in Tuesday's primary.

Five questions about House primaries in five states

By Mary Ellen McIntire, Stephanie Akin, Kate Ackley and Niels Lesniewski
Posted August 1, 2022 at 5:00am
From left: GOP Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler, Dan Newhouse and Peter Meijer face voters in Tuesday's primaries after voting in 2021 to impeach Donald Trump.

Three Republicans who backed impeachment face the voters

By Mary Ellen McIntire and Kate Ackley
Posted August 1, 2022 at 5:00am

At the Races: Pick your ‘R’ word

By Kate Ackley, Mary Ellen McIntire and Stephanie Akin
Posted July 28, 2022 at 2:30pm
Amazon disclosed spending nearly $10 million on lobbying Congress during the first six months of this year.

Top K Street spenders dug deeper in 2022

By Kate Ackley
Posted July 21, 2022 at 3:28pm

At the Races: Marriage 47, pill 8

By Stephanie Akin, Kate Ackley and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted July 21, 2022 at 2:30pm
Wesley Hunt

What’s it take to become ‘energy congressman of the world’? A video series, perhaps

By Kate Ackley
Posted July 21, 2022 at 5:30am
Prince George's County prosecutor and former Captiol Hill aide Glenn Ivey won the Democratic nomination for an open seat in Maryland's 4th District.

Edwards comeback denied, Parrott to face Trone in Maryland

By Kate Ackley
Posted July 20, 2022 at 5:21am
One of the fundraising committees for J.D. Vance, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio, earmarks money to retire debts from his primary victory, and he's one of the biggest creditors.

Ohio Senate candidate Vance asking donors to help pay debts

By Kate Ackley
Posted July 19, 2022 at 12:33pm
Democratic Rep. David Trone is the only member of the Maryland delegation whose race in November doesn't have a Solid rating from Inside Elections.

What to watch in Tuesday’s Maryland contests

By Kate Ackley
Posted July 18, 2022 at 5:00am