NationalWatch

Colorado's Lauren Boebert Locked in Tough Reelection Bid (Getty Images)

JESSE BEDAYN and JAMES ANDERSON Wednesday, 09 November 2022 09:11 PM EST

Republican Lauren Boebert was locked in a tight race Wednesday in her bid for reelection to a U.S. House seat in Colorado against Democratic challenger Adam Frisch, a businessman and former city councilman from the posh, mostly liberal ski town of Aspen.

Boebert's contest in Colorado's sprawling 3rd Congressional District was being watched nationally as Republicans try to flip control of the U.S. House in the midterm elections. The Donald Trump loyalist established herself as a partisan flashpoint in Washington, D.C., in her first term, and had been favored to win reelection after redistricting made the conservative and mostly rural district more Republican.

Frisch contends Boebert sacrificed her constituents' interests for frequent "angertainment" in accusing President Joe Biden and Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of seeking to destroy the soul of the nation. He vowed to join the bipartisan "Problem Solvers Caucus" in Congress, a sharp turn from Boebert's repudiation of across-the-aisle consensus-building.

Frisch said in an interview early Wednesday that the close contest wasn't a surprise.

"I spent 10 months trying to convince donors and journalists and political strategists everywhere that there was a path forward," Frisch said. "I have this calm belief that 40% of the Republican Party wants their party back."

"We will have this victory," Boebert declared at a campaign event late Tuesday in Grand Junction.

Republican state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and Democrat state Rep. Yadira Caraveo were in another tight race in Colorado's new 8th Congressional District, which stretches north from Denver's suburbs to Greeley. Wednesday night, Kirkmeyer tweeted that she called Caraveo to concede. The Associated Press has not yet called the race.

"While this is not the outcome we hoped for," Kirkmeyer wrote on Twitter, "I am proud of our team and our campaign."

Caraveo subsequently claimed victory, writing in a statement: "It's the honor of my lifetime to receive this vote of confidence to serve working families from Greeley to Commerce City in Washington, D.C."

Caraveo is a pediatrician and defender of abortion rights who voted for police accountability after protests that followed the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. Caraveo hoped her cultural lineage as the child of Mexican immigrants would attract support in a swing district where Latinos comprise nearly 40% of voters.

Kirkmeyer, a former Weld County commissioner, pledged to get tough on crime and unleash the oil and gas industry, which has a significant presence in the district. She once supported a blanket ban on abortion but now says she would respect exceptions if the mother's life is in danger.

In suburban Denver's 7th District, Democrat state Sen. Brittany Pettersen defeated Republican Erik Aadland, a first-time candidate, to succeed eight-term Democrat Rep. Ed Perlmutter.

Democrat Reps. Diana Degette, Jason Crow, and Joe Neguse won reelection, as did Republicans Ken Buck and Doug Lamborn.

Both Biden and former President Trump were high on voters' minds in the midterm elections, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 2,700 voters in the state. More than 6 in 10 say Biden was a factor in their vote, and a similar proportion say so of Trump.

About 7 in 10 voters in Colorado say things in the country are heading in the wrong direction. The poll also shows voters overwhelmingly disapprove of economic conditions in the U.S. About three-quarters say the state of the economy is either not so good or poor, compared with about a quarter who call it excellent or good. About a third say their family is falling behind financially.

The Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that said abortion was a constitutional right, also played a role in most voters' decisions, with about 8 in 10 calling it a factor in how they cast their ballot. About a quarter call it the single most important factor in their vote.

Original Article

Biden Says He Plans to Run Again, to Make It Final in Early 2023 (AP)

Steve Holland and Jeff Mason Wednesday, 09 November 2022 07:24 PM EST

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he intends to run for re-election and would likely make a final decision by early next year, after declaring the results of Tuesday's midterm elections good for democracy.

White House officials expressed a sense of vindication that Biden's fellow Democrats did better than expected.

Biden, who turns 80 this month, has faced questions on whether he will seek a second term. A Biden adviser said preparatory discussions for a 2024 campaign were under way.

"Our intention is to run again, that's been our intention," Biden told reporters at the White House, his wife Jill sitting nearby. "This is ultimately a family decision."

Biden said his family wanted him to run and he did not feel rushed to make a final decision. He said he would do so unrelated to any announcement from his 2020 rival, Republican former President Donald Trump, who is expected to run as well.

Biden has spent his first two years in office warning against threats to democracy after Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and did not accept Biden's legitimate victory.

He underscored those arguments in the final days of the midterm elections.

When asked how other world leaders should view this moment for America, with Trump potentially running again, Biden said the answer was to make sure Trump never returned to power.

“We just have to demonstrate that he will not take power if he does run, making sure he – under legitimate efforts of our Constitution – does not become the next president again,” Biden said.

Trump has criticized Biden's policies sharply and has said he will make an announcement about his plans next week.

About a potential competition between Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination, Biden said it would be "fun watching them take on each other."

Biden, in a jovial mood, parlayed with reporters for nearly an hour in the White House State Dining Room and talked about an array of issues including billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk's ties with other countries.

He gently chided reporters for predicting, based on opinion polls, bigger losses for his Democrats.

Republicans made modest gains in Tuesday's elections and are likely to take control of the House of Representatives, but control of the Senate hinges on three races that remained too close to call late on Wednesday. A so-called "red wave" or large Republican takeover did not occur.

"It was a good day, I think, for democracy," Biden said.

He acknowledged that the results showed Americans were frustrated, however. Inflation was a big topic for voters.

Biden focused his campaign pitch largely on preventing threats to U.S. democracy, securing abortion rights and extolling his economic policies.

Republicans are expected to try to undo some of those policies and prevent him from achieving further goals.

Biden said he was prepared to work with Republicans.

"The American people have made clear, I think, that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well,” he said.

Biden said he would veto efforts to pass a national ban on abortion and opposed tax cuts for the wealthy, two policy proposals Republicans may pursue.

He said he was going to speak to House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy later on Wednesday and, when Biden returns from a trip to Asia, would invite Democratic and Republican leaders to the White House to discuss priorities going forward.

The White House has prepared for a host of investigations that may come from a Republican-controlled House, including over his son Hunter's business dealings. Biden said the American people would look at such probes for what he said they were – "almost comedy" – but said he could not control what they did.

Original Article

Biden Says He Plans to Run Again, to Make It Final in Early 2023 (AP)

Steve Holland and Jeff Mason Wednesday, 09 November 2022 07:24 PM EST

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he intends to run for reelection and would likely make a final decision by early next year, after declaring the results of Tuesday's midterm elections good for democracy.

White House officials expressed a sense of vindication that Biden's fellow Democrats did better than expected.

Biden, who turns 80 this month, has faced questions on whether he will seek a second term. A Biden adviser said preparatory discussions for a 2024 campaign were under way.

"Our intention is to run again, that's been our intention," Biden told reporters at the White House, his wife Jill sitting nearby. "This is ultimately a family decision."

Biden said his family wanted him to run and he did not feel rushed to make a final decision. He said he would do so unrelated to any announcement from his 2020 rival, Republican former President Donald Trump, who is expected to run as well.

Biden has spent his first two years in office warning against threats to democracy after Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and did not accept Biden's legitimate victory.

He underscored those arguments in the final days of the midterm elections.

When asked how other world leaders should view this moment for America, with Trump potentially running again, Biden said the answer was to make sure Trump never returned to power.

"We just have to demonstrate that he will not take power if he does run, making sure he – under legitimate efforts of our Constitution – does not become the next president again," Biden said.

Trump has criticized Biden's policies sharply and has said he will make an announcement about his plans next week.

About a potential competition between Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination, Biden said it would be "fun watching them take on each other."

Biden, in a jovial mood, parlayed with reporters for nearly an hour in the White House State Dining Room and talked about an array of issues including billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk's ties with other countries.

He gently chided reporters for predicting, based on opinion polls, bigger losses for his Democrats.

Republicans made modest gains in Tuesday's elections and are likely to take control of the House of Representatives, but control of the Senate hinges on three races that remained too close to call late on Wednesday. A so-called "red wave," or large Republican takeover, did not occur.

"It was a good day, I think, for democracy," Biden said.

He acknowledged that the results showed Americans were frustrated, however. Inflation was a big topic for voters.

Biden focused his campaign pitch largely on preventing threats to U.S. democracy, securing abortion rights and extolling his economic policies.

Republicans are expected to try to undo some of those policies and prevent him from achieving further goals.

Biden said he was prepared to work with Republicans.

"The American people have made clear, I think, that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well," he said.

Biden said he would veto efforts to pass a national ban on abortion and opposed tax cuts for the wealthy, two policy proposals Republicans may pursue.

He said he was going to speak to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy later on Wednesday and, when Biden returns from a trip to Asia, would invite Democrat and Republican leaders to the White House to discuss priorities going forward.

The White House has prepared for a host of investigations that may come from a Republican-controlled House, including over his son Hunter's business dealings. Biden said the American people would look at such probes for what he said they were – "almost comedy" – but said he could not control what they did.

Original Article

Republican Nunn Outperforms Axne, Flipping Iowa District A voter marks his ballot at a polling place in Dennis Wilkening's shed in Richland, Iowa. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

By Brian Pfail | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 06:39 PM EST

Republican Zach Nunn is projected to defeat Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, flipping a seat that GOP leaders have viewed as one of their best pickups this election cycle.

The Associated Press called the race at 3:25 p.m. Wednesday.

Iowa's 3rd Congressional District includes the heavily blue Des Moines, but that was not enough for Axne to avoid voters' economic anxieties, particularly inflation.

Nunn made inflation his central issue, accusing President Biden and Democrats of exacerbating inflationary trends through massive federal spending, including the pandemic response from the administration.

Nunn said he would fight inflation, cut spending, and slash taxes.

Axne was first elected in 2018 as part of the blue wave that gave Democrats the House majority. She attempted to counter Nunn's attacks by listing proposals to bolster the country's infrastructure, elevate domestic manufacturing, expand access to health care, and assist businesses through the pandemic.

Axne played up the Supreme Court's decision to eliminate federal protections for abortion, noting Nunn supported an abortion ban without exceptions.

Typically, the party that controls the White House suffers losses in the president's first midterm cycle. Add to that Biden's poor approval rating and the redrawing of the congressional map tossed the 3rd District several rural counties in the southern part of Iowa.

Nunn also raised $6.6 million to his opponent’s $2.3 million, according to OpenSecrets, with outside spending pouring into the district and pushing Nunn to victory.

Related Stories:

• Trump Endorses Zach Nunn For Iowa’s 3rd District

• Republicans Could Sweep All Iowa House Districts

Original Article

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:27 AM PT – Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Ron Johnson comes out on top in Wisconsin’s Senate race.

On the campaign trail, Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said he is committed to ending the dysfunction of the Washington establishment.

The Trump-endorsed Republican said he set his sights on a third term in the upper chamber after watching the federal government take a tyrannical approach to governing during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Johnson affirmed that he’s motivated to undo the damage done by Democrats and reunite the country.

The Senators focus moved toward growing the economy as well as economic opportunity and creating good jobs. The Senator believes that the people of Wisconsin deserve to keep more money rather than sending it to Washington bureaucrats.

One of the largest differences between Johnson and his opponent Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (D-Wis.) is Johnson’s commitment to fight against the Democrat agenda in Washington.

“He’s (Barnes) trying to pretend he’s a moderate or he’s a radical leftist that thinks the founding of America was awful, he thinks our national parks are racist” Johnson said during a September interview with Fox News. “It’s unbelievable the kind of grievance and resentment he holds for America yet he wants to be a U.S. Senator.”

Barnes is a Milwaukee native who decided to run for office in 2013 after becoming frustrated with the lack of action against issues that affected working people and the middle class. He served as a State Representative for the 11th district from 2013 to 2017 and went on to become Wisconsin’s first Black Lt. Governor in 2018.

Former President Barack Obama joined the campaign trail to stump for Barns at a rally in October. Barnes said Obama’s 2004 speech at the Democrat National Convention was one of the reasons that inspired him to get into politics.

Original Article Oann

Trump Calls Out 'Fake News' on Dr. Oz, Celebrates 200-Plus Election Wins (Newsmax)

By Jay Clemons | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 06:30 PM EST

Former President Donald Trump spoke in optimistic terms on Wednesday when asked his reaction to the Republicans possibly collecting only small-majority gains for the House and Senate chambers.

In his interview with Fox News, Trump touted the 200-plus "great" Republican candidates who emerged victorious during the midterms. He also characterized the overall Election Night experience as a "tremendous success."

Also, the former commander-in-chief refused to divulge details of Monday's "major" announcement, where Trump is expected to formally announce his candidacy for the White House in 2024.

"There is a fake news narrative that I was furious — it is just the opposite," said Trump, likely alluding to a New York Times reporter claiming the former president was "furious" over the endorsement of Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz (who lost to Senator-Elect John Fetterman), and allegedly blaming the former First Lady, Melania Trump, on that selection.

"The people I endorsed did very well. I was batting 98.6% in the primaries, and 216-19 in the general election — that is amazing," said Trump.

That record could rise to 219 endorsement wins, if Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, Nevada Senate candidate Adam Laxalt, and Alaska Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka keep trending toward victories in their respective races.

"All these guys that are winning are my people," quipped Trump to Fox.

The Trump-backed Senate success stories include: Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Missouri Senator-Elect Eric Schmitt, and Ohio Senator-Elect JD Vance.

"I really think we had great candidates that performed very well," said Trump. "Marco performed very well — I held a rally for him on Sunday.

"J.D. Vance performed very well. Johnson won," added Trump.

As for the Election Day setbacks, most notably the Pennsylvania Senate battle, Trump lamented, "Oz worked very hard, but there were forces against him. Oz is a great guy. He had a lot of immovable forces against him."

Trump might have one more endorsement on his plate in 2022, if the Georgia Senate race — as expected — becomes a runoff election between Republican challenger Herschel Walker and incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.

In that event, Trump might headline a star-studded group of Republicans campaigning on Walker's behalf.

"Herschel is a great guy," said Trump, while teasing a possible cash infusion coming into the Georgia race.

"We have a lot of money. … I will always help Herschel," said Trump.

Original Article

China Predicts Republicans Will Impeach Biden After Midterms (Newsmax)

By Michael Katz | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 06:04 PM EST

China's state-run Global Times news agency predicted Wednesday that Republican control of the House was "highly likely to trigger an impeachment" against President Joe Biden.

The Global Times' analysis of Tuesday's midterm elections predicted "further chaos and division" no matter which party ends up winning the remaining undecided races. Republicans are likely to gain control of the House and have an outside chance of winning control of the Senate.

Diao Daming, an associate professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday that Republicans, should they take over the House, would seek revenge for the two times Democrats impeached former President Donald Trump.

Impeachment is a "nuclear option" for Congress against the president, Diao said, "But since 2016, such power has been recklessly abused by both parties, as a result of their bitter rat race."

"The GOP wants Biden to live with an 'impeached' label," he added.

The Global Times report listed potential impeachable acts as "the chaotic Afghanistan pullout, (the coronavirus) pandemic eviction moratorium, failing to enforce immigration laws and prevent border crossings, as well as Biden's son Hunter Biden's actions in Ukraine."

The Global Times also warned the results of the midterm elections could lead to a more aggressive stance by the Biden Administration against China. The report said Biden's China policy might be a bit more Republican, with more ideological bias and Cold War mentality.

"Divergences between China and the U.S. may be further amplified, while cooperation may weaken," Diao said in the story, noting the U.S. might also further strengthen military cooperation with Taiwan, making the Taiwan question a more prominent obstacle in bilateral ties.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and threatens to annex it by force. It also seeks to isolate it diplomatically, requiring governments that it has formal relations with to respect its "one-China" principle.

Related stories

• Biden: Republicans Will Impeach Me If They Win
• Poll: Voters Say Probe of Hunter Biden 'Warranted' If GOP Wins House

Original Article

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 9:50 AM PT – Wednesday, November 9, 2022

John Fetterman wins Pennsylvania’s Senate seat.

Joe Calvello, the director of communications for Fetterman announced that Dr. Oz called the Lieutenant Governor to concede on Wednesday morning.

Pennsylvania’s Senate candidates have been under intense scrutiny leading up to the elections.

Dr. Mehmet Oz (R-Pa.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) both fought to take Pennsylvania’s Senate seat, debating on a variety of issues.

Endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump, Dr. Oz is a retired cardiothoracic surgeon and a previous television presenter. According to his campaign website, he campaigned to “put America first and empower the American people.”

Additionally, he said he was working to stop illegal immigration, fix health care, improve education and support Veterans. Oz is also against abortion.

Fetterman, who has been serving as lieutenant governor since 2019, has had to continuously address his mental health. Many have questioned his cognitive ability after suffering a stroke earlier this year.

During his campaign for Senate, the Democrat touted his support for legalizing marijuana, supporting same-sex marriage and is pro-abortion.

Original Article Oann

DHS: Cyberattack on Mississippi Election Websites Not 'Widespread Coordinated Campaign' Election workers sort ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (John Moore/Getty Images)

By Brian Pfail | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 05:34 PM EST

Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson announced on Wednesday that his office could not confirm the identity of perpetrators behind a cyberattack that disrupted Mississippi's election websites on Tuesday.

Watson said the cyberattack caused the state's site to be "periodically inaccessible,"although he remains optimistic that the "election system was not compromised."

Reportedly, a Russian hacking group claimed responsibility for the attack. According to USA TODAY, the group said on Telegram that it targeted the state's election websites to "hit the section that is directly related to the elections."

The hackers said they would "attack American Democrats as a gift to the Republicans for the elections," and its first target would be the Democratic National Committee.

The DNC website was down at some point on Tuesday, but it's unclear what might have caused the outage.

A senior official at DHS's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) told reporters that they are "certainly aware of the [Russian] claims… but that's not enough for the federal government to provide attribution."

Another state that suffered from a cyberattack on Election Day was Illinois. The state's Champaign County Clerk's Office posted on Facebook acknowledging network and server issues believed to be caused by cyberattacks.

The attacks came one day after Yevgeny Prigozhin, a wealthy Russian business and close confidant to Vladimir Putin, allegedly claimed on Telegram that the Kremlin interfered in the U.S. elections to subvert American democracy.

"We interfered, we interfere, and we will interfere," said Prigozhin.

CISA said on Tuesday that they were aware of a "handful" of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks that impacted several state election websites.

CISA said that Election Day was successful overall, and those targeted quickly recovered. It also said there was no evidence to suggest a "widespread coordinated campaign," chalking much of it up to normal glitches.

Related Stories:

• Mich. Secretary of State Rips Trump for Voicing Election Integrity Concerns

• Kari Lake Seeks Reforms as Ariz. Voting Machines Break

Original Article

Gov. Murphy: Biden 'Should' Run Again in '24

(Newsmax/"Wake Up America")

By Jay Clemons | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 05:58 PM EST

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signaled his support for President Joe Biden vying for reelection on Wednesday — just one day after the Democratic Party avoided catastrophic losses with the nationwide House and Senate races.

"I think he should, and I think he will," the New Jersey Democrat told New York's WCBS Newsradio 880.

During his interview, Murphy also stated that former President Donald Trump's likely run for commander in chief would motivate Biden to pursue a presidential rematch.

Biden "thinks he's the one guy who can beat him," added Murphy.

As Newsmax chronicled in November 2021, or shortly after the president's job approval ratings started to slide following the Afghanistan withdrawal, Biden staffers and political supporters began teasing another run at the Oval Office.

Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One that President Biden had every intention of running again in 2024.

Around that same time, former Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, a Democrat and one of Biden's closest allies, told The Washington Post, "The only thing I've heard him say is he's planning on running again. … And I'm glad he is."

At the time of this writing, it appears the Republicans will claim the House majority by a small margin.

Also, the Senate could remain deadlocked at 50-all — if the Senate Republicans don't capture three too-close-to-call battles in Arizona (candidate Blake Masters), Nevada (candidate Adam Laxalt) and Georgia, where GOP challenger Herschel Walker and incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., are likely headed for a runoff election on Dec. 6.

However the next few days shake out, the Republicans would only maintain razor-thin majorities with the House and Senate.

And from a national perspective, Democratic Party strategists might interpret that as a sign of Biden, who turns 80 this month, being more viable than previously expected.

Original Article

DeSantis' Blowout Win Leads to 2024 Front-Runner Speculation

(Newsmax/"National Report")

By Luca Cacciatore | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 05:27 PM EST

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' massive win over Democrat Charlie Crist has led to questions over whether he is now the favorite heading into the 2024 Republican presidential primaries.

Some believe the Florida Republican's 1.5 million vote victory against Crist, an outgoing congressman and former governor, has propelled him to the top of the primary if he decides to run against former President Donald Trump.

In one highly unofficial measure of prospective candidacies on the betting market PredictIt, DeSantis is leading with 31% to Trump's 29% on the topic of "who will win the 2024 U.S. presidential election?" and President Joe Biden is in third place at 25%.

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat wrote that DeSantis could have taken the 2024 lead Tuesday night after his near 20-point victory flipped several heavily Hispanic counties.

"A red wave swept Florida, but elsewhere, it barely lapped the shore," Douthat wrote. "In a normal political world, a normal political party, you would say that DeSantis effectively became the 2024 Republican front-runner last night."

However, he said the Republican Party hasn't "been normal since Trump descended that escalator in 2015" and thus he will not make a definite prediction.

DeSantis' reelection win truly was historic, all things considered. The governor won historically blue Miami-Dade County by 11 percentage points, Palm Beach by three, Osceola by seven and Pinellas by 11.

In a victory speech delivered Tuesday evening, DeSantis declared that his reign has "rewritten the political map" after pulling out a narrow win against former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum just four years ago.

"I just want to let you know I am honored to have earned your trust and your support," he emphasized. "We have embraced freedom. We have maintained law and order. We have protected the rights of parents. We have respected our taxpayers, and we reject woke ideology."

DeSantis officially leads Crist by 19.4 percentage points, 59.4% to 40%, with all precincts reporting.

Original Article

Jason Miller to Newsmax: Trump Should 'Pause' '24 Announcement, Fund Walker in Georgia Runoff (Newsmax/"American Agenda")

By Charles Kim | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 04:27 PM EST

Former President Donald Trump advisor Jason Miller told Newsmax Wednesday that the former president should "pause" his planned Nov. 15 announcement to run again in 2024 and use some of his massive political war chest to help Georgia GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker in his Dec. 6 runoff against Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock.

"Everything comes down to Herschel Walker and Georgia. And if we can pull that off, we might get Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer packing from the majority leader's office," Miller said during "American Agenda" Wednesday. "So, everything over this next month is about Herschel Walker and making sure we get the win there. I'm advising the president to hold off until after the Georgia race, after Herschel Walker. Priorities A, B, and C need to be about Herschel right now, this is bigger than anything else in the country."

Neither Walker nor Sen. Warnock received the required 50% of Tuesday's vote to win the office outright, and will now go to a runoff election Dec. 6, according to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said during a televised address Wednesday.

"There is one race in our state that will be moving to the Dec. 6 runoff," he said. "That is the race for the United States Senate."

According to the latest numbers from the state, Warnock is leading Walker with 49.41% of the vote with 1,941,275 to Walker's 48.52% of the vote with 1,906,192, both shy of the 50% victory threshold.

That runoff election could decide which party controls the Senate where 51 seats are needed for a majority.

In addition to campaigning for Walker and giving the race the entire Republican Party's attention, Miller also said Trump should use some of the large amount he has raised in political donations to aid Walker in the race.

"I think, especially since President Trump has a war chest and can commit some resources to helping Herschel, [Walker] is going to need that right out of the gate as he's getting his fundraising up and going, and kind of trying to re-sort out his team and his strategy for how he does this."

Miller also called on GOP Gov. Brian Kemp to get behind Walker, something he didn't do during the regular campaign.

"The point here is that Brian Kemp holds many of the cards for what's going to happen with Herschel Walker," Miller said. "There were a lot of the Kemp-Warnock ticket splitters. Kemp didn't do anything for Herschel Walker in the general election. If Kemp wants to show that he's a leader with a brighter future ahead of him, then he needs to get out there and really hustle for Herschel Walker."

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• Newsmax Projects Ga. Senate Race Will Go to Run-Off
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Original Article

Dick Morris to Newsmax: Media Hiding Republicans' Red Wave

(Newsmax/"John Bachman Now")

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 03:47 PM EST

The mainstream media is performing "ultimate acts of obfuscation" concerning Tuesday's midterm elections, but as the week moves on, it will be clear that there was a red wave, Dick Morris, the author of "The Return: Trump's Big 2024 Comeback" said on Newsmax Wednesday.

Note: Get Dick Morris' new book "The Return" on Trump's secret plan for 2024. See It Here!

"This morning, they'll all tell you there was no red wave," Morris said on Newsmax's "John Bachman Now." "Wake them up tomorrow morning or the morning after, and they'll have to say maybe there was one because Republicans took the House and the Senate and came very close in a number of states and advanced their vote totals."

"I think this is like 'The Hunt for Red October,'" Morris added. "This is a red wave rising."

His comments come after Ric Grenell told Newsmax that same-day ballots will deliver wins in vital Arizona GOP races, including the one for the U.S. Senate pitting GOP contender Blake Masters against incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly, who as of Tuesday afternoon was holding a five-point lead in the race.

Morris also discussed the results in Florida and New York, explaining that former President Donald Trump "lost the state by 22 points" with GOP candidate Lee Zeldin down by 5 points, for a "significant advantage of 17 points for Trump."

Meanwhile, Florida's government, under Gov. Ron DeSantis, was "raised by 20 points, and Trump carried Florida by 3 points, so that's also a 17-point win, the same gains for New York and Florida," said Morris. "Trump carried Florida by 3 points, so that's also a 17-point gain, the same gain in New York and Florida."

There are those attributing the gains to DeSantis, but while "he's done a great job as governor, I think you have to look at the overall Republican wave started by Trump and see that as fundamental," said Morris.

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Original Article

Trump Boasts on Truth Social: '219 Wins' (Newsmax)

By Brian Pfail | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 03:19 PM EST

Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to air his grievances over the midterm election results for Republicans who were expecting a “red wave.”

He wrote, “While in certain way yesterday’s election was somewhat disappointing, from my personal standpoint it was a very big victory — 219 WINS and 16 Losses in the General — Who has ever done better than that?”

Republicans seemed a sure bet to take the House and oversight of the executive branch of government.

But Republicans woke up Wednesday to some hard facts as well.

Dr. Mehmet Oz lost to Sen.-elect John Fetterman, D-Pa.; and Herschel Walker, R-Ga., will face Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., in a Dec. 6 runoff.

Related Stories:

• Georgia Early Voting Breaks Records at Nearly 2.3 Million

• GOP Now Favored to Take Senate

Original Article

Judge Orders Newt Gingrich to Testify in Georgia Election Probe Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (AP)

MATTHEW BARAKAT Wednesday, 09 November 2022 02:39 PM EST

A judge Wednesday ordered former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to testify before a special grand jury in Atlanta that's investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in Georgia.

Gingrich, who lives in northern Virginia, had argued that the federal law that normally requires states to honor out-of-state grand jury summonses should not apply in this case because the special grand jury lacks the power to indict. He also argued that the subpoena would be unnecessarily duplicative and burdensome because he has already agreed to testify in front of a congressional select committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and that his testimony in both matters would essentially be the same.

But Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Robert Smith sided with prosecutors who said the subpoena should be enforced. The judge said the law doesn't parse out a difference between regular grand juries and special grand juries, as Gingrich's lawyer argued.

"I think I have to read the statute as written," the judge said.

Gingrich's lawyer, John Burlingame, said he expects to appeal the ruling. If the appeal fails, Gingrich will be required to testify to the special grand jury Nov. 29.

Gingrich, a Republican, is one of several high-profile Trump allies who have unsuccessfully tried to avoid testifying.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation early last year, shortly after a recording of a call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was made public. In that call, Trump urged Raffersperger, the state's top elections official and a fellow Republican, to "find" the votes needed to overturn his narrow loss in the state to Democrat Joe Biden.

The scope of the investigation has broadened considerably since then, and Willis, a Democrat, has sought the testimony of dozens of witnesses, including numerous Trump attorneys, advisers and associates since the special grand jury was seated in May. It is among several cases that have the former president in potential legal jeopardy as he prepares to launch a 2024 presidential campaign.

Because Gingrich lives outside Georgia, Willis had to use a process that involves asking a judge where he lives to order him to appear.

Willis filed that paperwork in court in Atlanta last month, and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who's overseeing the special grand jury, certified that Gingrich is a "necessary and material witness for the investigation." In her petition seeking Gingrich's testimony as a witness, Willis said she relied on information made public by the House committee that is investigating Jan. 6.

The petition says Gingrich was involved along with others associated with the Trump campaign in a plan to run television ads that "repeated and relied upon false claims about fraud in the 2020 election" and encouraged members of the public to contact state officials to push them to challenge and overturn the election results based on those false claims.

Gingrich was also involved in a plan to have Republican fake electors sign certificates falsely stating that Trump had won the state and that they were the state's official electors even though Biden had won, the petition says.

Special grand juries in Georgia are generally used to investigate complex cases with many witnesses. They can compel evidence and subpoena testimony from witnesses, but they cannot issue indictments. Once its investigation is complete, a special grand jury can recommend action, but it remains up to the district attorney to decide whether to then seek an indictment from a regular grand jury.

Original Article

Judge Orders Newt Gingrich to Testify in Georgia Election Probe Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (AP)

MATTHEW BARAKAT Wednesday, 09 November 2022 02:39 PM EST

A judge Wednesday ordered former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to testify before a special grand jury in Atlanta that's investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in Georgia.

Gingrich, who lives in northern Virginia, had argued that the federal law that normally requires states to honor out-of-state grand jury summonses should not apply in this case because the special grand jury lacks the power to indict. He also argued that the subpoena would be unnecessarily duplicative and burdensome because he has already agreed to testify in front of a congressional select committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and that his testimony in both matters would essentially be the same.

But Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Robert Smith sided with prosecutors who said the subpoena should be enforced. The judge said the law doesn't parse out a difference between regular grand juries and special grand juries, as Gingrich's lawyer argued.

"I think I have to read the statute as written," the judge said.

Gingrich's lawyer, John Burlingame, said he expects to appeal the ruling. If the appeal fails, Gingrich will be required to testify to the special grand jury Nov. 29.

Gingrich, a Republican, is one of several high-profile Trump allies who have unsuccessfully tried to avoid testifying.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation early last year, shortly after a recording of a call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was made public. In that call, Trump urged Raffersperger, the state's top elections official and a fellow Republican, to "find" the votes needed to overturn his narrow loss in the state to Democrat Joe Biden.

The scope of the investigation has broadened considerably since then, and Willis, a Democrat, has sought the testimony of dozens of witnesses, including numerous Trump attorneys, advisers and associates since the special grand jury was seated in May. It is among several cases that have the former president in potential legal jeopardy as he prepares to launch a 2024 presidential campaign.

Because Gingrich lives outside Georgia, Willis had to use a process that involves asking a judge where he lives to order him to appear.

Willis filed that paperwork in court in Atlanta last month, and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who's overseeing the special grand jury, certified that Gingrich is a "necessary and material witness for the investigation." In her petition seeking Gingrich's testimony as a witness, Willis said she relied on information made public by the House committee that is investigating Jan. 6.

The petition says Gingrich was involved along with others associated with the Trump campaign in a plan to run television ads that "repeated and relied upon false claims about fraud in the 2020 election" and encouraged members of the public to contact state officials to push them to challenge and overturn the election results based on those false claims.

Gingrich was also involved in a plan to have Republican fake electors sign certificates falsely stating that Trump had won the state and that they were the state's official electors even though Biden had won, the petition says.

Special grand juries in Georgia are generally used to investigate complex cases with many witnesses. They can compel evidence and subpoena testimony from witnesses, but they cannot issue indictments. Once its investigation is complete, a special grand jury can recommend action, but it remains up to the district attorney to decide whether to then seek an indictment from a regular grand jury.

Tropical Storm Nicole Forces Evacuations in Bahamas, Florida Tropical Storm Nicole swirls off the coast of Florida. (NOAA/AP)

FREIDA FRISARO and DANICA COTO Wednesday, 09 November 2022 02:06 PM EST

Tropical Storm Nicole forced people from their homes in the Bahamas and threatened to grow into a rare November hurricane in Florida on Wednesday, shutting down airports and Disney World as well as prompting evacuation orders that included former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club.

Hundreds of people sought shelter in the northwestern Bahamas before the approaching storm, which had already sent seawater washing across roads on Hutchinson Island in Martin County, Florida.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the center of the sprawling storm make landfall on Great Abaco with estimated maximum sustained winds of 70 mph.

"We are forecasting it to become a hurricane as it nears the northwestern Bahamas, and remain a hurricane as it approaches the east coast of Florida," Daniel Brown, a senior hurricane specialist at the Miami-based National Hurricane Center, said Wednesday.

Nicole is the first storm to hit the Bahamas since Hurricane Dorian, a Category 5 storm that devastated the archipelago in 2019, before hitting storm-weary Florida.

In the Bahamas, officials said that more than 520 people were in more than two dozen shelters. Flooding and power outages were reported in Abaco island.

"We are asking people to please take it (seriously)," said Andrea Newbold with the Disaster Management Unit for Social Services. "Don’t wait until the last minute."

Residents in several Florida counties — Flagler, Palm Beach, Martin and Volusia — were ordered to evacuate from barrier islands, low-lying areas and mobile homes.

Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s club and home, is in one of those evacuation zones, built about a quarter-mile inland from the ocean. The main buildings sit on a small rise that is about 15 feet (4.6 meters) above sea level and the property has survived numerous stronger hurricanes since it was built nearly a century ago. The resort’s security office hung up Wednesday when an Associated Press reporter asked whether the club was being evacuated.

There is no penalty for ignoring an evacuation order, but rescue crews will not respond if it puts their members at risk.

Disney World and related theme parks announced they were closing early on Wednesday evening and likely would not reopen as scheduled on Thursday.

Palm Beach International Airport closed Wednesday morning, and Daytona Beach International Airport said it would cease operations at 12:30 p.m. Orlando International Airport, the seventh busiest in the U.S., was set to close at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Further south, officials said Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport were experiencing some flight delays and cancellations but both planned to remain open.

At a news conference in Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis said winds were the biggest concern and and significant power outages could occur, but that 16,000 linemen were on standby to restore power, as well as 600 guardsmen and seven search and rescue teams.

"It will affect huge parts of the state of Florida all day," DeSantis said of the storm’s expected landing.

Almost two dozen school districts were closing schools for the storm and 15 shelters had opened along Florida’s east coast, the governor said.

Florida Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie said Floridians should expect possible tornadoes, rip currents and flash flooding.

Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, who is at the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, said he has mobilized all government resources.

"There have always been storms, but as the planet warms from carbon emissions, storms are growing in intensity and frequency," he said. "For those in Grand Bahama and Abaco, I know it is especially difficult for you to face another storm," Davis said, referring to the islands hardest hit by Dorian.

At 11:55 a.m. the storm was about 185 miles (300 kilometers) east of West Palm Beach, Florida, and moving west at 12 mph (19 kph).

Tropical storm force winds extended as far as 460 miles (740 kilometers) from the center in some directions.

It could intensify into a rare November hurricane before hitting Florida, where only two have made landfall since recordkeeping began in 1853 — the 1935 Yankee Hurricane and Hurricane Kate in 1985.

New warnings and watches were issued for many parts of Florida, including the southwestern Gulf coastline which was devastated by Hurricane Ian, which struck as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 28. The storm destroyed homes and damaged crops, including orange groves, across the state.

Ian lashed much of the central region of Florida with heavy rainfall, causing flooding that many residents are still dealing with as Nicole approaches.

In Florida, the "combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," the hurricane center's advisory said.

Hurricane specialist Brown said the storm will affect a large part of the state.

"Because the system is so large, really almost the entire east coast of Florida except the extreme southeastern part and the Keys is going to receive tropical storm force winds," he said.

The storm is then expected to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia on Thursday, forecasters said. It was then forecast to move across the Carolinas on Friday.

"We are going to be concerned with rainfall as we get later into the week across portions of the southeastern United States and southern Appalachians, where there could be some flooding, flash flooding with that rainfall," Brown said.

Early Wednesday, President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Florida and ordered federal assistance to supplement state, tribal and local response efforts to the approaching storm. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is still responding to those in need from Hurricane Ian.

Democrat Gov. Kelly Wins 2nd Term in GOP-Leaning Kansas Incumbent Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly speaks in Topeka, Kansas, Wednesday night. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)

Newsmax Wires Wednesday, 09 November 2022 01:48 PM EST

Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, won reelection in GOP-leaning Kansas, overcoming Republican efforts to tie her to President Joe Biden and high inflation.

Kelly defeated Republican Derek Schmidt, the state’s three-term attorney general, after highlighting Kansas’ improved finances and greater spending on public schools on her watch, as well as successes in luring businesses. Kelly’s support for abortion rights also likely played an important role, though she didn’t emphasize that issue in her fall campaign.

With at least 90% of vote counted by Wednesday afternoon, Kelly had 49.1% to Schmidt's 47.6%, according to tallies by Newsmax's election partner.

“The people of Kansas sent a very clear message at the polls yesterday. Kansans said we will keep moving forward as a state, full steam ahead – there will be no turning backward,” Kelly said Wednesday in a statement declaring victory. “Perhaps above all, I believe Kansans voted today for civility, for cooperation, for listening to one another, and for a spirit of bi-partisan problem-solving, that’s become all too rare in our politics today.”

Republicans had high hopes of ousting the only Democrat governor seeking reelection this year in a state that ex-President Donald Trump won easily in 2020.

David Toland, the state’s commerce secretary, was elected lieutenant governor on Kelly’s ticket. He is likely to remain commerce secretary as lieutenant governor.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.Original Article

Oz Calls Fetterman to Concede Pennsylvania's Senate Race (Newsmax)

By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 01:27 PM EST

Dr. Mehmet Oz early Wednesday phoned John Fetterman to concede Pennsylvania's senate race, according to Fetterman's campaign.

"This morning I called John Fetterman and congratulated him. I wish him and his family all the best, both personally and as our next United States senator," Oz said in a statement. "Campaigning throughout our great Commonwealth was the honor of a lifetime, and I will cherish the memories and the people I met. Pennsylvanians showed up with passion and a vision for a bright future that I found inspiring every day. I want to thank my supporters, so many of whom worked tirelessly to spread our message and support me and my family.

"We are facing big problems as a country and we need everyone to put down their partisan swords and focus on getting the job done," he added. "With bold leadership that brings people together, we can create real change. As a doctor, I always do my best to help others heal. That's why I ran for Senate. I hope we begin the healing process as a nation soon."

Pennsylvania Democrat Lt. Gov. Fetterman, who had a stroke days before winning the Democrat nomination in May, won a closely watched race against Oz, a Republican and celebrity television physician endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

The pair ran one of the most expensive and hotly contested Senate contests in the country.

Original Article

Oz Calls Fetterman to Concede Pennsylvania's Senate Race (Newsmax)

By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 01:27 PM EST

Dr. Mehmet Oz early Wednesday phoned John Fetterman to concede Pennsylvania's senate race, according to Fetterman's campaign.

"This morning I called John Fetterman and congratulated him. I wish him and his family all the best, both personally and as our next United States senator," Oz said in a statement. "Campaigning throughout our great Commonwealth was the honor of a lifetime, and I will cherish the memories and the people I met. Pennsylvanians showed up with passion and a vision for a bright future that I found inspiring every day. I want to thank my supporters, so many of whom worked tirelessly to spread our message and support me and my family.

"We are facing big problems as a country and we need everyone to put down their partisan swords and focus on getting the job done," he added. "With bold leadership that brings people together, we can create real change. As a doctor, I always do my best to help others heal. That's why I ran for Senate. I hope we begin the healing process as a nation soon."

Pennsylvania Democrat Lt. Gov. Fetterman, who had a stroke days before winning the Democrat nomination in May, won a closely watched race against Oz, a Republican and celebrity television physician endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

The pair ran one of the most expensive and hotly contested Senate contests in the country.