Election

Saira Blair won the West Virginia Republican Party primary Tuesday, unseating the 59th District House of Delegates incumbent, despite being only 17 years old. The teen from Martinsburg describes herself as a churchgoer, "pro-life," "pro-family," and "pro-marriage," and has the chance to become the youngest legislator in the state's history.

Saira Blair won the West Virginia GOP primary by an 872-728 vote margin, beating out 66-year-old incumbent Del. Larry Krump of Falling Waters. While he painted her as inexperienced, she pointed out that she learned a lot from her father, state Sen. Craig Blair, R-Berkeley— plus, the job isn't all that hard, she added.

"I don't have as many biases because I am younger and so I'm more capable of taking the views of the people directly from the district to Charleston," the Hedgesville High School senior told The Martinsburg Herald-Mail. "I think I'm fully capable of doing the job, and I don't think its rocket science by any means— not if you just listen to the people." more >>

Iowa State Senator Kent Sorenson reportedly offered the Ron Paul 2012 presidential campaign his endorsement and access to the email lists of the state's largest homeschool network and Michele Bachmann supporters for $208,000 for himself and his staff, according to a report by The Iowa Republican. The report does not confirm whether the Paul campaign paid off Sorenson, but Paul did receive Sorenson's endorsement.

Sorenson was backing Bachmann, but made headlines shortly before the Iowa caucus when he switched his endorsement from Bachmann to Paul.

Paul finished a close third in the Iowa caucus with 21 percent of the vote, behind Rick Santorum (25 percent) and Mitt Romney (25 percent). Bachmann finished a distant sixth, with five percent of the vote, and dropped out of the race. more >>

Evangelist Franklin Graham has stated in a letter to President Barack Obama that the Christian charities he is leading were also targeted by the IRS along with conservative groups last year.

Graham sent a letter to President Obama on Tuesday outlining how Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association were the subjects of an IRS probe during the 2012 campaign season.

"In light of what the IRS admitted to on Friday, May 10, 2013, and subsequent revelations from other sources, I do not believe that the IRS audit of our two organizations last year was a coincidence – or justifiable," wrote Graham. more >>

As the U.S. Supreme Court hears two possibly landmark cases regarding same-sex marriage this week, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus says that although he believes marriage should be reserved for a man and woman, he doesn't think the GOP party should act like "Old Testament heretics" regarding the issue.

"My position is that marriage is between a man and a woman, but my other position is also that you treat people with dignity and respect and love and grace and so I think that they're all compatible with each other," Priebus, who is the former chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, said in an interview Monday with USA Today's Susan Page.

"I don't believe we need to act like, you know, Old Testament heretics either," Priebus continued. more >>

Brevard Community College in Florida revealed last week that it is seeking to fire a faculty member who apparently pressured students last year to vote for President Barack Obama in November's general elections.

The Brevard County, Florida college said that it contacted 85 students who took a mathematics class with associate professor Sharon Sweet last September, who has been granted leave following the investigation. Of those students, 43 responded to a written survey that revealed Sweet had used several tactics to try and guide the pupils into choosing Obama over Republican candidate Mitt Romney in the presidential elections.

"Professor Sweet strongly encouraged or mandated that students from several classes sign a card that stated, 'I pledge to vote for President Obama and Democrats up and down the ticket," Brevard's investigation, released on Friday, revealed. more >>

In his second inaugural speech, President Obama called for the extension of laws that would give gays more protections and benefits under federal law.

"Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well," said Obama.

The president's comments were made while outlining what seemed to be protections for minorities and undocumented immigrants. The speech, which also falls on the federal holiday that celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., appeared to take on similarities to the former civil rights leader's infamous "I Have a Dream" speech. more >>