National
The White House has a new Press Secretary in Katie Zacharia (R-CA).
Zacharia took the post on October 9 after Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (R-NH) resigned in late August to spend time with her family. Earlier this month, Leavitt joined Fox News as a contributor to provide commentary across their programs. She starts November 1.
Leavitt, now 29, was the youngest person ever to hold the position.
Zacharia is now the second Press Secretary of the second Trump Administration and his sixth overall. She is a Pepperdine University graduate who worked in the George W. Bush (R-TX) Administration. Zacharia worked in Beijing, China, as an associate at an international law practice. She’s also worked as a Newsmax commentator. She first joined the Trump Administration in February in the Department of Homeland Security, and later an advisor to the Trump Media and Technology Group.
Commentators have observed that Zacharia’s performance has differed from Leavitt’s, saying it’s apparent that Zacharia is ostensibly not from Trump’s inner circle as her predecessor was.
President Trump continued on the campaign trail this week. In Wasilla, Alaska, a state playing host to a contentious Senate race, Trump pardoned two auto workers on stage during the rally. They had pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act. It’s a highly unusual public use of the president’s pardon powers. Trump said the two men were “wrongly charged” and exemplify how the Biden Administration “viciously targeted the Alaskan way of life.”
Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox commentator and former partner of Donald Trump, Jr., has resigned from her position as Ambassador to Greece. The resignation comes after reporting that she had asked businessman and Trump-allied donor, Eric Deters, to send a wire transfer of $100,000 to pay down her American Express account. She specified for him to do so in a “way that wouldn’t leave a paper trail.”
Deters called it a “quid pro quo,” that Guilfoyle was “desperate” for the money, and that she promised to be his “ride or die in the Trump world.” She further took issue with Deter “papering” their conversations and “not helpful” to either of them. Guilfoyle also took criticism for her hard-handed tactics in pushing American interests in Europe. She said at a a dinner in Athens, Greece, in march that the U.S. had been involved in regime change in Romania and that the U.S. could do the same to any other country.
Guilfoyle resigned on October 13 at Trump’s request.
Eight Republican Senators have expressed concern with Trump’s pitch to import Russian diesel to cool prices and supplies. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), John Cornyn (R-TX), Alan Armstrong (R-OK), Susan Collins (R-ME), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said the deal would have a “negligible” impact on domestic fuel prices while also sponsoring Russia’s continued invasion into Ukraine.
Six Democrats signed onto the bipartisan letter.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D, MN-05) had her Washington, D.C., home raided by DHS in the execution of a search warrant. They reportedly carried out boxes of documents and are subpoenaing her family members as part of a broader immigration investigation. Federal officials are scrutinizing her family’s immigration history. They allege Omar’s mother lied or omitted information in immigration forms before becoming a U.S. citizen.
State
With just less than a month left to go until Election Day, Governor Kathy Hochul (D-Hamburg) remains in the lead for a second term, but the latest poll finds her just 7 points ahead of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach).
A poll by the firm co/efficient captures the broader trend of the race tightening into the mid-to-high single digits within the home stretch of the campaign.
The poll shows Hochul up 48%-41% over Blakeman, with 11% undecided. The survey was conducted among 1,046 likely voters and was sponsored by the Coalition to Protect Nassau Taxpayers, a group that backed Blakeman’s inaugural Nassau County Executive bid in 2021.
The lead for Hochul, as found by this pollster, grew just 1 point from their July survey when she led 47%-41%. Co/efficient found Hochul leading by just 6 points in September 2022, accurately predicting her eventual margin of victory over then-Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley).
The poll found that just 36% of likely voters had a favorable view of Hochul, while 46% had an unfavorable view of her, and 18% were undecided. For Blakeman, 33% viewed him favorably, 35% unfavorably, and 33% unsure or had not heard of him.
Co/efficient found that 52% of respondents said the state is on the wrong track, compared to 27% saying it’s on the right track.
On the question of socialism’s rise, co/efficient found that 58% of Independent voters said they were worried, while 44% were “very concerned.” The remaining 42% were not concerned. 85% of Republicans said they were concerned, while 62% of Democrats were not concerned. However, 38% of Democrats expressed their concern on that issue.
The co/efficient poll was conducted from September 23-25 and has a margin of error of +/- 3%.
An Emerson College poll found Hochul leading Blakeman 52%-40% (+12), but found Independents breaking for Blakeman by a notable margin of 55%-34% (+21). Emerson College wrote it’s a “notable contrast” with their other polls this cycle, in which Independent voters are “generally” breaking towards the Democratic candidate.
Emerson tracked Hochul’s job performance at 40%-46% (-6). The poll was conducted October 3-5 of 900 likely voters and has a margin of error of +/- 3.3%.
Finally, the latest Marist poll found Hochul leading Blakeman 53%-42% (+11). They also found Independents breaking for Blakeman, 49%-42% (+7).
While Democrats have a 13-point lead over Republicans on the generic congressional ballot in New York, Independents are only breaking narrowly for Democratic candidates.
44% of the electorate says their vote for Congress is one “mainly” against Trump. The Marist poll was conducted between October 1-4 of 1,361 likely voters. The margin of error is +/- 3.6%.
Local
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) this week announced that the Suffolk County Office of Women’s Services and the Alliance Against Domestic Violence Task Force is bringing together local officials, law enforcement agencies, the County’s Office of Women’s Services, and Office of the Aging and community providers. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“Family Violence and abuse rips families apart and erodes the fabric of our communities,” said Romaine. “It’s important to educate first responders, medical professionals and community members to be aware of the signs as well as support those going through family violence and elder abuse situations. The safety and well-being of victims is my priority.”
The program comes one year after County Executive Romaine signed an executive order in October 2025 establishing the Suffolk County Alliance Against Domestic Violence Task Force, which established new countywide programs and services aimed at reducing and preventing domestic violence and created more public awareness and educational campaigns.
Suffolk County Legislator Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters) said, “Suffolk County can help guide you and connect you to the right organization or not-for-profit service provider that the county works with. You’re not alone. So many of our residents have these same experiences; let’s connect people to the information they need to be safe.”
