NationalWatch

Fox News Exclusive – Republican Sen. Tim Scott, a top surrogate for former President Trump, made a pitch for Republicans to embrace early voting as he cast his own ballot on Tuesday in his home state of South Carolina.

“Donald Trump is for early voting. I’m for early voting. Every Republican should be for early voting. So let’s just go do it, and that’s what I’m doing today,” the senator said in an exclusive national news outlet interview with Fox News Digital before casting his ballot.

Scott emphasized that “we’re going to continue to see more Republicans vote early, vote often, and take advantage of every option on the table to vote.”

The former president was a very vocal early voting critic, blaming it in part for what he has repeatedly claimed – without offering proof – was massive fraud that led to his 2020 election defeat at the hands of President Biden.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS 2024 ELECTION POWER RANKINGS

Republican Sen. Tim Scott prepares to cast a ballot in early voting at the library in Hanahan, South Carolina, on Oct. 21, 2024. (Great Opportunity PAC)

As he runs to win back the White House this cycle, Trump has sent mixed messages on early voting, even as the Republican National Committee and the GOP have worked hard the past year to encourage Republicans to embrace the practice of casting their ballots before Election Day. 

But in recent weeks, Trump apparently has listened to his advisers as he’s implored Republicans to vote early. And while Democrats still have the clear edge when it comes to early voting, Republicans appear to be narrowing the gap.

Asked about whether Trump has helped or hurt the GOP effort, Scott emphasized that “this cycle the president has been crystal clear. He wants every Republican voting every single way they can. We’re going to make sure we win this election, and I’m glad that President Trump and I are on the same page once again.”

States vastly expanded early voting – by absentee ballot, voting by mail or early in-person voting – during the 2020 election, due to health concerns amid the coronavirus, the worst pandemic to strike the globe in a century. And four years later, most states have similar rules.

Sen. Tim Scott takes a selfie as he arrives to cast his ballot in Hanahan, South Carolina, on Oct. 21, 2024. (Great Opportunity PAC)

Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, last year launched an unsuccessful bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

After ending his White House bid, Scott endorsed Trump in January at a campaign event in New Hampshire, ahead of the state’s first-in-the-nation Republican presidential primary. And Scott became a leading surrogate for the former president.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Scott was also considered to be among a handful of politicians in contention as Trump’s running mate, before the former president named Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his junior partner on the GOP national ticket.

Former President Trump and Sen. Tim Scott during a Fox News Channel town hall, Feb. 20, 2024, in Greenville, South Carolina. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The conservative senator, who remains a very popular figure in the GOP, is also known for his fundraising prowess, and has helped raise money for Trump as well as for Republican Senate candidates, as the GOP works to win back the chamber’s majority in the 2024 elections.

Asked about his campaign efforts in the final two weeks leading up to Election Day, Scott said he’ll be campaigning in key battleground states – including Pennsylvania and Michigan – for Trump and Republican Senate candidates.

“I’ll be talking about President Trump and four more years and why that matters and in addition to that, I’ll be talking about the importance of winning the Senate, and I’m excited about where we are,” he emphasized.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

The Democratic Party is losing its edge over the GOP in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania, with Democrats changing their party affiliation at more than twice the rate of Republicans, according to state data released after voter registration ended Monday evening.

A total of 9,088,583 registered voters were tallied across the state when the sign-up period ended at midnight on Monday. Registered Democrats maintained a lead over registered Republicans, at 3,971,607 registered Democrats to the GOP’s 3,673,783. 

More than 1.4 million voters are registered as third-party or independent voters in the Keystone State. 

Though the Democratic Party accounts for nearly 44% of registered voters compared to the GOP’s 40%, it has seen its advantage over Republicans dwindle this year. 

BIDEN’S OLD BACKYARD NOW A KEY PENNSYLVANIA BATTLEGROUND FILLED WITH ‘PURPLE’ VOTES

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump (Getty Images)

In 2020, there were 9,090,962 registered voters across the parties in Pennsylvania, only slightly more than the 9,088,583 voters registered this cycle. 

President Biden won the state in 2020 by 1.17 percentage points​. That year, Democrats had a larger margin of registered voters compared to their Republican counterparts, at 4.2 million to 3.5 million. The data show that Democrats had a registration advantage over Republicans by 685,818 voters during an election Biden won by 80,555 votes.

The GOP has whittled down that lead this year to a 297,824 margin. When comparing registered voters this election year to 2020, Democrats face a net loss of 257,281 voters, while Republicans have a net gain of 428,537 registered voters. 

‘BLUE WALL’ DEMOCRAT ALIGNS WITH TRUMP IN NEW PITCH TO VOTERS BEFORE ELECTION

More than double the number of previously registered Democrats changed their party affiliation this cycle compared to the number of registered Republicans who left the party: 54,668 registered Democrats changed their party affiliation compared to 25,634 Republicans, Pennsylvania Department of State data shows.

The data is broken down by county, with Philadelphia notably reporting 18,928 Democrats changed their party affiliation compared to just 3,401 Republicans doing the same. Bucks County, which sits outside of the City of Brotherly Love, reported 2,089 Democrats changed their party affiliation compared to 1,624 Republicans. In Allegheny County, home to the state’s second-largest city of Pittsburgh, 6,564 Democrats changed their party affiliation while 2,202 Republicans did the same. 

A voter fills out a mail-in ballot at the Board of Elections office in the Allegheny County Office Building on Nov. 3, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

The registered voter data comes after reports surfaced that concerns were mounting within the Democratic Party that the Harris campaign is failing to effectively connect with voters in Pennsylvania. 

Poor campaign management and staffers lacking relationships with Democratic political leaders in the Keystone State are allegedly rocking the campaign, Politico reported last week. The outlet reported that Democrats are worried that the campaign’s state manager lacks an understanding of Philadelphia, the state’s largest city, while campaign staffers have allegedly not invited local Democratic politicians to events in the state, and have not effectively deployed surrogates. 

KAMALA HARRIS ‘HAS BECOME TOXIC’ FOR PENNSYLVANIA, TOP KEYSTONE STATE LAWMAKER SAYS

Politico reported that it spoke with 20 Democratic politicians, allies and party leaders for the story, who reported they are restless over Harris’ campaigning efforts. 

“Our campaign is running the largest and most sophisticated operation in Pennsylvania history,” Harris’ national campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez said in comment to Fox News Digital when asked about the report last week. “While Trump’s team still refuses to tell reporters how few staff they have in the state, we have 50 coordinated offices and nearly 400 staff on the ground.”

“While the Trump campaign closed its ‘minority outreach offices,’ we invested in targeted advertising to Black and Latino voters starting in August of 2023 and have now spent more than any previous presidential campaign on outreach to these communities. The Vice President is also campaigning aggressively in Pennsylvania – spending 1 out of 3 days in the state in September.”

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Divine Faith Ministries International on Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Georgia. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)

Vulnerable incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey made national headlines last week when he distanced himself from Democratic Party leaders and launched a campaign ad detailing how he “bucked Biden” and “sided” with former President Trump. 

The ad features a married couple – Republican Marygrace and her Democrat husband Joe – praising Casey as an “independent,” citing his support for Trump’s trade policies and efforts to “protect fracking” from the Biden administration.

INEFFECTIVE PLANNING, LACK OF CONNECTIONS HAS DEMS ON EDGE IN ‘KEY’ BATTLEGROUND: REPORT

“Our marriage – pure bliss! But on politics, we just don’t agree. Except for Bob Casey. He’s independent,” Marygrace says, with her husband chiming in, “That’s right!”

“Casey’s leading the effort to stop corporate greedflation and price-gouging,” Marygrace continues. “Casey bucked Biden to protect fracking and he sided with Trump to end NAFTA and put tariffs on China to stop them from cheating. So in this house, we agree, it’s Bob Casey who’s doing right by Pennsylvania.”

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick (Mark Makela/Getty Images)

MCCORMICK SEIZES ON PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RACE GAP, LAYING BORDER BLAME ON CASEY

Casey has served in the Senate since 2007, ultimately becoming a stalwart within the Democratic Party, voting on legislation Biden supported, for example, 98.5% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight data. He is now facing his toughest re-election effort yet, as he squares up against Republican challenger Dave McCormick. 

The Fox News Power Rankings score the presidential contest in Pennsylvania as a toss-up, with the Senate race a lean Democrat designation. The Cook Political Report, this week, however, shifted the Senate contest from a leans Democrat race to a toss-up race, underscoring Casey’s difficult re-election battle. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Pennsylvania is touted as the state that will likely determine the outcome of the general election on Nov. 5. A Fox News survey of Pennsylvania voters published late last month found Harris narrowly ahead of Trump by 2 points (50-48%) among registered voters, while the race is tied at 49% each among likely voters. 

Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolofo and Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.    

More than $538 million in advertising dollars spent by former President Trump and Vice President Harris’ presidential campaigns and their allies have been poured into the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania ahead of Election Day, according to a new report. 

The figure comes from an analysis published by the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday. 

That makes Pennsylvania, which has 19 electoral votes considered critical to securing the presidency, the most expensive battleground state. According to the analysis, Democrats spent more than $294.7 million in Pennsylvania, and Republicans spent $243.6 million. 

Both campaigns and their respective allies spent about $185 million – or 52% – more collectively in Pennsylvania than the second most expensive swing state of Michigan, according to AdImpact. 

The top presidential candidates and their running mates have visited Pennsylvania 76 times since January, the Inquirer reported, though that jumps to 90 when including the stops President Biden made before he discontinued his re-election bid and endorsed Harris in July. 

JEWISH-AMERICAN GROUP URGES US CITIZENS IN ISRAEL TO VOTE AS ABSENTEE BALLOTS CAN IMPACT SWING STATES

Donald Trump participates in a Fox News Town Hall with Sean Hannity at the New Holland Arena on Sept. 4, 2024, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Most of those visits to Pennsylvania have happened since the beginning of August. 

Of Trump’s 25 campaign visits, 18 have been outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as the Republican nominee has focused on Rust Belt towns like Wilkes-Barre and Johnstown. 

In recent weeks, his strategy has shifted to the suburbs of Philadelphia in Montgomery County, as he and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, court more undecided voters in areas that can lean blue. 

Kamala Harris speaks at a watch party after the presidential debate at the Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

“The blue-collar Trump voter, the union member Trump voter, the person who is concerned about the border Trump voter, the person concerned about his job in fracking, energy or manufacturing,” Trump senior adviser Tim Murtaugh told the Inquirer. “All of those people are Pennsylvania Trump voters.”

KAMALA HARRIS ‘HAS BECOME TOXIC’ FOR PENNSYLVANIA, TOP KEYSTONE STATE LAWMAKER SAYS

Harris has prioritized population hubs, making three-quarters of her visits to the state in Philadelphia and its suburbs and Allegheny County, which combined account for 44% of registered Pennsylvania voters. She and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have also paid visits to smaller towns. 

Supporters at a campaign rally for President Trump at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport on Oct. 20, 2024, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. (Jeff Swensen for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“The strategy has always been, throw the kitchen sink at campaigning everywhere and not taking any voters for granted,” Harris senior adviser Brendan McPhillips told the Inquirer. “Our unofficial motto is go everywhere, talk to everyone.”

Biden for President and Harris for President have spent more than $123.7 million since January on Pennsylvania’s airwaves, while Democratic PACs and issue groups bought another $171 million worth of ads supporting Harris that will air until Nov. 5. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Harris and her allies have focused on Philadelphia’s media market, outspending Trump and his allies on streaming, cable, digital and radio ads. Trump dropped more on broadcast buys, the Inquirer reported. 

Trump’s campaign spent $52.5 million on advertising in Pennsylvania, and super PACs supporting the president spent another $191.2 million in the battleground state.

A deepfake video disparaging vice presidential candidate Tim Walz was created by “Russian influence actors” who are trying to undermine Kamala Harris’ campaign, U.S. intelligence community officials told Fox News. 

The video circulating on social media purports to show former Mankato West High School student Matthew Metro claiming that he was groped and kissed by Walz in 1997 when the Minnesota governor was a teacher there. Except the allegations are completely fabricated. 

“Based on newly available intelligence analysis conducted over the weekend, Russian influence actors manufactured and amplified the content,” the officials told Fox News, adding that the video fit a pattern used by Russian actors in which the subject was “staged direct to camera and trying to make them go viral.” 

These intelligence community officials also pointed out that they believe Russia is likely to be more aggressive in its efforts to sow division in the U.S. post-election if Harris wins, because Russia prefers that former President Trump win the 2024 race. 

TIM WALZ PRESSED ON ‘THE VIEW’ ABOUT PAST MISSTATEMENTS: ‘I SPEAK HONESTLY’ 

Vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz greets people at Mankato West High School in Mankato, Minnesota, on Friday, Oct. 11. Gov. Walz, who was a defensive coach for Mankato West’s 1999 state championship team, visited the Mankato East-West rivalry game.  (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP)

The real Matthew Metro – who is now living in Hawaii – told The Washington Post that he has never met Walz. 

“It’s obviously not me: The teeth are different, the hair is different, the eyes are different, the nose is different,” he said. “I don’t know where they’re getting this from.” 

TIM WALZ HITS BACK AT CRITICS OF HIS GUN-LOADING TECHNIQUE: ‘I CAN SHOOT BETTER THAN ALL OF THEM’ 

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appears with former President Bill Clinton at a campaign rally in Durham, N.C., on Oct. 17. (AP/Steve Helber)

Metro called the deepfake “an invasion of my privacy and my personal life.” 

It so far has been viewed more than 5 million times, The Washington Post reported, citing engagement data from the social media platform X. 

Metro told the newspaper that he suspects his dormant accounts on Facebook and other social media platforms might have been raided for images and information about his background to create the deepfake. 

Tim Walz speaks to players on the Mankato West football team on Friday, Oct. 11. The real Matthew Metro told The Washington Post that he has never met Walz. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Both the Harris and Trump campaigns did not immediately respond Tuesday to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. 

The Georgia Supreme Court is reviewing a judge’s decision to nullify new rules, including a hand-count ballot measure, passed by the Republican-majority State Elections Board (SEB).

The Peach State’s highest court said it will hear the Republican National Committee’s (RNC’s) appeal late last week after Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Cox, Jr. ruled the measures were “illegal, unconstitutional, and void.”

The RNC filed a subsequent request asking the court to temporarily block Cox’s ruling and allow the rules to go into effect while the decision was weighed, according to Democracy Docket. 

His decision covered a requirement for ballots at each precinct to be hand counted by three separate county officials to ensure the total matches the machine-tabulated number, as well as a provision directing county boards to certify election results only after “a reasonable inquiry” into their accuracy, among others.

GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE

Georgia is weighing new elections’ measures as early voting is underway. (Getty Images)

Plaintiffs in the case included civil rights groups like the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP and Eternal Vigilance, as well as a current and a former state official.

The state Supreme Court noted it “lacks jurisdiction over this motion” but said it would take the case due to the “issues of gravity and public importance” it presents. The RNC and its allies, including the Georgia state GOP, requested an emergency expedition of the appeals process.

It comes as Election Day approaches in exactly two weeks, though Georgia has already shattered early voting records just seven days after the process began last Tuesday.

The SEB voted to pass the rules in a 3-2 decision on Sept. 20, with three Republican-appointed members voting for the change and one against.

GEORGIA DEMS CHAIR REVEALS MESSAGE TO UNDECIDED GOP VOTERS AS HARRIS WORKS TO BUILD BROAD BASE

The Georgia Supreme Court said it would hear the appeal. (Supreme Court of Georgia)

In addition to the two aforementioned rules, the SEB measures struck down by Cox included an ID requirement and heightened documentation requirements for people delivering absentee ballots to drop boxes, and a rule requiring video surveillance of drop boxes for votes cast there to be counted.

The plaintiffs in the case argued the SEB did not have the authority to make such rules.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represented the plaintiffs in the case, said the measures were “injecting chaos into the democratic system in the immediate run-up to the November election.”

‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS

“Early voting has begun and over 1 million Georgians have already cast their ballots. Judge Cox’s ruling prevented a rule change in the middle of the game,” the ACLU said in response to the Republicans’ appeal.

Even if the court rules in the GOP’s favor, however, the hand-count ballot rule would still be blocked due to a separate Fulton County Superior Court ruling temporarily delaying its implementation. Another earlier ruling mandated that the elections must be certified by a certain date, regardless of county officials’ inquiries.

Democrats had accused the GOP officials of trying to sow doubt and chaos in the election process with the new rules.

The RNC, led by Chair Michael Whatley, filed an emergency appeal in the case. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Republican skeptics, including State Secretary Brad Raffensperger, have argued their implementation is unworkable this close to the election.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

However, party officials like Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon argued the rules are necessary guardrails to ensuring election security.

“If his decision were upheld, it would severely curtail the ability of the state elections board to regulate our elections and to do the job,” McKoon said.

The Harris campaign referred Fox News Digital to a response to an earlier ruling temporarily blocking the hand-count ballot rule when asked for comment, “From the beginning, this rule was an effort to delay election results to sow doubt in the outcome…We will continue fighting to ensure that voters can cast their ballot knowing it will count.”

Journalist Maria Shriver admitted during a town hall event for Vice President Kamala Harris in Michigan that only questions that had been “predetermined” would be allowed to be asked.

When asked by a member of the audience during the Monday event if voters would be able to ask questions to the presidential candidate directly, Shriver admitted that those in attendance would have to settle for her asking questions that “might be in your head.”

“You’re not, unfortunately. We have some predetermined questions, and hopefully, I’ll be able to ask some of the questions that might be in your head. I hope so,” Shriver told the audience.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: VOTER OUTREACH, BALLOT EFFICIENCY AND A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Divine Faith Ministries International on Oct. 20, 2024 in Jonesboro, Georgia. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

The Michigan event also featured a long-time adversary of former President Donald Trump, former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, who has hit the trail for the vice president in hopes of winning over Republican moderates who are still skeptical of the former president.

The former Republican lawmaker joined Harris for a three-state battleground tour Monday, according to The Associated Press, telling voters in Wisconsin that the vice president was the candidate people from both parties could trust.

“We might not agree on every issue,” she said at an event near Milwaukee. “But she is somebody you can trust.”

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, center, sits with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) for a town hall with Maria Shriver, left, at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on Oct. 21, 2024 in Royal Oak, Michigan. (Photo by Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

TRUMP MYSTERY MAKES ELECTION OUTCOME EVEN MURKIER

Nevertheless, some critics piled on Harris for holding a town hall, which typically features a more open question and answer session, with mostly predetermined questions.

“They’re not even hiding it anymore,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote in a social media post along with a video of the exchange.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, fields questions during a town hall style campaign event with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) on Oct. 21, 2024 in Brookfield, Wisconsin. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Harris has faced accusations of avoiding interviews and questions throughout the campaign, though the Democratic candidate has looked to put those issues to bed during a string of high-profile media appearances, including interviews with Fox News and CBS’ “60 Minutes” and appearances on popular radio shows and podcasts such as “The Breakfast Club” and “Call Her Daddy.”

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Election night is two weeks away. As Vice President Harris and former President Trump dash to the finish line, this week’s forecast looks at their outreach efforts and the latest evidence of a smaller divide between national and state polling. 

Plus, rankings changes in six competitive House districts.

Harris and Trump meet voters where they are

Last week’s Power Rankings showed that both parties’ coalitions have changed meaningfully since 2020.

Fox News Power Rankings presidential map.

For Democrats, the chief concern is that Harris still has fewer Black voters in her corner than President Biden.

To help fix that problem, the campaign dispatched its strongest surrogate, former President Obama, to Arizona and Nevada, and Harris spent an hour with Charlamagne Tha God to talk about policy, race, and religion.

Fox News Channel’s interview with Vice President Kamala Harris moderated by “Special Report” anchor Bret Baier drew a whopping 7.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched interview of the 2024 election season. (Fox News Channel)

The Vice President also went head-to-head with Fox News’ Bret Baier, part of an effort by her campaign to frame the candidate as tough and pragmatic. It was Harris’ highest-profile interview yet, but it will take another week before the effects show up in polls.

Meanwhile, Trump’s coalition has fewer women than in the last election, so the former President participated in a town hall with Fox News’ Harris Faulkner and an all-female audience.

“The Faulkner Focus” town hall featuring former President Trump drew 2.9 million viewers in the 11 a.m. ET timeslot. (Fox News Channel )

Trump also continues to search for young and working-class voters. His appearance at a local McDonald’s in Pennsylvania produced some compelling imagery and was designed to paint Trump as an energetic and likable candidate.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: HARRIS LOSES HER LEAD AND A NEW ELECTORATE EMERGES

Right-wing voters with reservations about Trump could also make the difference on election night. 

That is why Harris spent the beginning of the week with Republican former congresswoman Liz Cheney, who urged conservatives to vote for the Democratic ticket this year. It also explains why there are rumblings about Nikki Haley joining Trump on the campaign trail.

Inefficient vote could keep Harris in the game

Polls show a tight national race…

Two polls of the national popular vote released last week show a uniquely tight race. Suffolk has Harris one point ahead of Trump at 50% to 49%; the Fox News Poll has Trump up by two, with the former president at 50% and Harris at 48%.

Results like that should make this Trump’s race to lose. 

In 2020, Biden won the national vote by 4.5 points (51%-47%). That translated to very thin margins of victory in the battleground states. The president won Georgia, for example, by 0.2 points, and his largest victory in any battleground was by 2.8 points in Michigan.

Close national polls should therefore put Trump in the lead in the battlegrounds. But the statewide polls are close too.

…and a tight race in the battlegrounds too.

A new set of polls show Harris ahead by 2-4 points in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia, a tied race in Nevada, and Trump ahead by 3 in Arizona and North Carolina (Washington Post/Schar).

The Power Rankings call all those states toss-ups.

Last week, the same Fox poll that put Trump ahead by two points nationally had Harris up six points among voters who live in the battleground states (52%-46%, with a 6.5-point subgroup margin of error).

The latest Fox News national poll.

Trump’s advantage primarily came from a larger share in counties he won by more than 10 points in 2020 (64-35%) than Harris had in counties Biden won by more than 10 points (58-39%).

A TRUMP MYSTERY MAKES ELECTION OUTCOME EVEN MURKIER

The results suggest that Trump could be banking “inefficient vote.” In other words, while the former president is performing better nationally than he was four years ago, the gains are concentrated in places he is already winning, like Florida, or rural counties.

While Harris may have lost some ground in safe Democratic states like New York, she remains competitive in the battlegrounds that decide the presidential election.

Other polls have raised the same question, but the most compelling evidence comes from the midterms.

Inefficient Republican vote in the midterms.

Republicans received about 3 million more votes than Democrats in the national House vote (Cook), but eked out a balance of power win, with 222 seats to Democrats’ 213.

Put another way, the GOP banked a lot of votes in areas where it didn’t need them, and just enough in the battleground House races that would give them victory (a problem that has plagued the Democrats in the national vote for years).

The polls are all within the margin of error, and this is just one theory about the direction of the race. But on election night, a Trump blowout in Florida or a narrower spread in Virginia may not mean the race is over.

Six House races shift directions

The House is still a toss-up, with 208 seats in the Republican columns, 205 for the Democrats, and 22 districts that could go either way.

Fox News Power Rankings House chamber.

In today’s forecast, six races move to new categories:

First, New York’s 17th district, in the Hudson Valley, is home to one of the most competitive races on the map. Incumbent GOP Rep. Mike Lawler has a strong bipartisan brand in a centrist district. While Democratic challenger and former Rep. Mondaire Jones has tried to head in the same direction, he’s still dogged by his previous support for defunding the police and a spat with the Working Families Party (Jones will not appear on the ballot under that party’s name, though the party is now telling voters to support him anyway). This race moves from Toss Up to Lean R.

House district shifts in New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

New York’s 1st district, home to both the Hamptons and rural farmland on Long Island, remains a competitive race between Republican Rep. Nick LaLota and the Democrat, former CNN anchor John Avlon. But the majority of this district’s voters backed Trump in 2020 and 2016, and Avlon has faced questions over the extent of his residency in the district. The race moves from Lean R to Likely R.

In the battleground Rust Belt states, a pair of districts held by pro-Trump Republicans have become even more competitive. First, Wisconsin’s 3rd district flipped to Rep. Derrick Van Orden in the midterms by a tight margin. The incumbent’s presence at the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 riots is a theme in his opponent’s ads. This race moves from Likely R to Lean R.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s 10th district has been held by Freedom Caucus Rep. Scott Perry since 2013. Perry is the only sitting member of Congress whose cellphone was seized by the FBI in its investigation into efforts to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, and that has also become a theme in television ads. It moves from Lean R to Toss Up.

House district shifts in Maryland, Nevada, and New York.

Nevada’s 3rd district is still the best opportunity for Republicans to flip a seat in the Silver State, but a hotly competitive presidential race hasn’t so far translated into downballot success, particularly in the Senate race. This district almost touches Las Vegas, and includes Henderson. That’s favorable territory for Democratic Rep. Susie Lee in this Biden-majority district. She faces Republican Drew Johnson. It moves from Lean D to Likely D.

Finally, a sleeper race to watch in the northeast: Maryland’s 6th district, where Democrat April McClain Delaney faces Republican Neil Parrott. This should be safe territory for the left, but the party is investing here, and even made it part of one of its frontline programs. It moves from Solid D to Likely D.

Lies, damned lies, and statistics

As an anxious electorate counts down to election night, the political class is filling the void with data. Some numbers are more useful than others.

Harris dominates in fundraising and the ground game. Her campaign raised more than $1 billion this quarter and more than double what Trump raised in the last month, and Democrats have a much stronger get-out-the-vote operation. These are important advantages. In a tight race, they may get Harris over the line. On the other hand, Trump has won with deficits in both areas.

Voters are casting ballots.

Comparing early vote figures to previous cycles is generally unhelpful. We expect fewer Americans to vote early, Democrats and Republicans are less likely to be divided on how they cast ballots, and breakdowns tell us the party registration of some voters, not how they voted.

Finally, since internal polls survey the same electorate as any other poll, they’re unlikely to produce a clearly different result. When they do, people should question whether the poll is an outlier, or whether the campaign that paid for the poll has a motive to characterize the race differently. 

Two weeks until election night

Two weeks to go until election night.

Early voting is underway in every state, with more than fifteen million voters now casting a ballot.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Next week, check back for the final Power Rankings forecast.

Former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft described himself as “a conservative” while declaring his plan to vote for incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in the Buckeye State’s 2024 U.S. Senate race.

Taft, who served as governor from early 1999 through early 2007, is the great-grandson of the late President William Howard Taft, who, years after his presidency, went on to serve as chief justice of the Supreme Court, making history as the only person ever to serve in both of those prestigious positions.

“I have always run for office under the banner of the Republican Party, am a conservative and usually vote a straight Republican ticket. Although still a Republican, I will be making an exception this year in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race by supporting Sherrod Brown,” Taft wrote in a piece posted by the Dayton Daily News.

PRO-CRYPTO SUPER PAC BECOMES LARGEST SPENDER IN OHIO SENATE RACE

Governor Bob Taft of Ohio, addresses the opening session of the Republican National Convention in New York, on Aug. 30, 2004.  (Chris Kleponis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“In doing so, I will be joining most voters who make judgments about candidates based not just on party affiliation but, often more importantly, on the candidate and his or her character, experience and expertise,” he continued.

Taft noted that he does not agree with Brown on all policy issues, but believes “Ohioans very much need a highly effective, experienced advocate in the U.S. Senate – someone who is squarely focused on both Ohio’s and America’s needs. This is the kind of leader Sherrod Brown has been.”

Brown, who has served in the Senate since 2007, is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Bernie Moreno. 

VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR TIED TO ‘RADICAL GROUPS’ WORKING TO CLOSE MASSIVE POWER PLANT IN SWING STATE

Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio and chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, speaks during a nomination hearing in Washington, D.C., US, on Thursday, July 11, 2024. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Brown acknowledged the endorsement on social media, noting, “Bob Taft is the only guy to beat me in an election. Despite our political differences, I’m grateful to have his support in this race.”

Taft defeated Brown in the 1990 Ohio secretary of state contest.

OHIO GOP SENATE CHALLENGER REACTS TO POLLS SHOWING DEAD HEAT IN CRITICAL SENATE RACE: ‘RADICAL LIBERAL’

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and  his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance celebrate as he is nominated for the office of Vice President alongside Ohio Delegate Bernie Moreno on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Currently, Ohio’s other U.S. Senator, J.D. Vance, is former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate in the 2024 presidential contest.

Former President Donald Trump holds a slight lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in the key swing state of Georgia, according to a new poll.

The poll, conducted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the University of Georgia, found Trump at 47% support in the state, compared to Harris’ 43%. A sizable 8% of respondents said they remain undecided, however.

The Georgia poll surveyed 1,000 of the state’s likely voters from Oct. 7-16. The poll advertises a margin of error of 3.1%.

The poll further found that 60% of respondents say the country is on the wrong track, and their top issues were inflation/cost of living (19%), the economy/jobs (17%), preserving democracy (17%), immigration (14%) and abortion (8%).

GEORGIA SHATTERS EARLY VOTING RECORDS AS CAMPAIGNS ENTER HOME STRETCH IN BATTLEGROUND STATE

Former President Donald Trump is leading Vice President Kamala Harris slightly in Georgia. (Getty Images)

The poll comes as Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is facing pressure to release the results of a voter roll audit he announced this summer.

HARRIS INVOKES JIMMY CARTER IN BID TO GET SUPPORTERS TO VOTE EARLY

“Millions of illegal immigrants have flooded our country since 2021, and it’s well-documented that thousands of them have successfully registered to vote in multiple states. But even with early voting now underway, Georgia voters are still waiting for confirmation that non-citizens are not casting ballots in our elections,” former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who now serves as the chairwoman for the group behind the effort, Greater Georgia, said in a release obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is facing pressure to release the results of a voter roll audit.

The comments come more than three months after Raffensperger announced the state was conducting a “SAVE audit” of noncitizens who may have registered to vote, which he called a “vital step in maintaining election security and integrity in Georgia.”

“We are double-checking to make sure that if any non-citizens attempt to register to vote, they will not be able to vote unless they prove that they are U.S. citizens,” Raffensberger said in a release at the time, which also warned of prison sentences of up to 10 years and fines of up to $100,000 for noncitizens who register to vote in the state.

A voter holds up her sticker after casting her ballot for the primary election on March 12, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Raffensperger told NewsNation just a few weeks later that the audit was complete, boasting that he could promise residents of the state that “only American citizens are voting.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office said that Raffensperger will hold a press conference on Wednesday to announce the results of the audit.

Fox News’ Michael Lee contributed to this report.

U.S.-based Jewish organizations are working to get out the vote among Americans living in Israel ahead of the November election, which comes weeks after the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks. 

Nathan Diament, the executive director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, said his organization has coordinated with the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and partnered with Yeshiva University, a private Orthodox Jewish university in New York, on outreach instructing young Americans taking their gap years in Israel on how to request their absentee ballots and vote from abroad.

“First of all, it’s important, from our point of view, for every American citizen, no matter where they are, to hopefully participate in the election,” Diament told Fox News Digital. “You know, this past year has obviously been a very intense, serious and historic year in terms of what’s going on in Israel as it continues to battle against Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran itself. We have friends and family who are there, whose lives are really on the line. And so it’s really important for Americans there who have the right to vote to, again, participate, because the United States is Israel’s most important ally.”

He estimated that there are a few thousand Jewish Americans currently in Israel taking their gap year, typically done between high school and college. His own son is one of those students this year.

SMALL SWING IN JEWISH VOTERS TO GOP COULD BE ‘DECISIVE’ IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES

A sign points the way to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Sept. 27, 2023. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (or Orthodox Union), which represents more than 1,000 Orthodox Jewish synagogues around the U.S. as well as several hundred Jewish K-12 schools, also works on educational resources targeting another demographic – the few hundred thousand Jewish American immigrants who permanently relocated to Israel – so they, too, can participate in the 2024 election. 

The deadline to request absentee ballots is approaching for several battleground states. Of the about 420,000 Jewish Pennsylvanians, Diament said that some studying or living in Israel “could have an impact on the vote” in their communities around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and even Scranton.

“Joe Biden won Pennsylvania in the last election by an 80,000 vote margin,” Diament said. “So, you know, a shift in the American Jewish vote in Pennsylvania by, you know, several thousand or 10,000 or more votes could be very, very significant in this election.” 

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in January urged Americans living in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza to check their voter registration to provide for enough time to participate in the upcoming 2024 federal elections. As the U.S. does not offer in-person voting at embassies or consulates abroad, U.S. citizens are encouraged to vote by absentee ballot if they cannot meet their state’s in-person voting requirements. 

TRUMP SUGGESTS HE COULD WIN 50% OF JEWISH VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SHOWDOWN AGAINST HARRIS

Israeli army soldiers stand near a sign signifying the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

At the time, the embassy noted how “many U.S. federal elections for the House of Representatives and Senate have been decided by a margin smaller than the number of ballots cast by absentee voters.” 

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said all states are required to count every absentee ballot “that is valid and reaches local election officials by the absentee ballot receipt deadline.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told Fox News Digital that U.S. citizens living outside the United States can register to vote and vote absentee while living overseas. Students living overseas for an extended period during an election season need to vote absentee and complete a Federal Post Card Application at FVAP.gov to request an absentee ballot, the spokesperson said, adding that voting residency will continue to be the student’s last legal residence prior to leaving the U.S. to study abroad.

The State Department spokesperson said U.S. citizens voting from overseas should check FVAP.gov for their state’s deadlines and more information about how to return their ballot.

“An American living abroad can most easily request an absentee ballot either through the team that we have set up at our center in Jerusalem or, again, they could go to the U.S. embassy or consulate in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv,” Diament said. “And as long as you show your ID and you get your absentee ballot appropriately, then you just need to send it in a timely way. It’s really not that complicated.” 

Absentee ballots are prepared for mailing at the Wake County Board of Elections in Raleigh, N.C., on Sept. 17, 2024. U.S. citizens voting from abroad are encouraged to request their ballots as soon as possible. (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

Jeremy Kazzaz, executive director of the Beacon Coalition, a nonprofit focused on getting out the Jewish vote locally on the ground in Pittsburgh, said U.S. citizens, whether traveling out of state or abroad during an election season, should send their absentee ballots as soon as possible to be included in initial counts.

“The mail system gets bogged down around election time because it’s not just all the ballots that are going through the mail, but it is the 5 billion pieces of political mail that everybody is getting on a day-to-day basis,” Kazzaz told Fox News Digital. “And then you add to that the chaos and disruptions of multiple hurricanes going through the Eastern Seaboard at this time. And so the best practice is to do all of this as early as humanly possible.”

While Diament said it is confidential which candidates who members of the Orthodox Union support, he pointed to polling done by Israeli outlets and pollsters on the ground among Israelis and Americans as signaling a shift toward Republican Donald Trump, especially in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

“You know, frankly, that is not matched in the American Jewish population as a whole. The American Jewish population, by and large, is pretty liberal. And so, traditionally, the Democrat wins a majority, sometimes a very, very large majority. But we’ve done polling and others have done polling this year among American Jews here in the United States,” Diament said. “What we’ve seen, at least so far, is that while Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate is ahead among the American Jewish vote in general, she’s not ahead by as large a margin as the Democratic candidate, you know, has been traditionally.”

Diament argued that rising antisemitism in the U.S. could be one contributing factor.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“It’s a different kind of election in the wake of what’s going on over the past year for American Jews,” Diament said. “We’ve seen the terrible surge in antisemitism in the aftermath of the Oct. 7th terrorist attacks. And that’s another dimension, which American Jews have to really stand up and hold government officials accountable and make sure that they are being responsive to us, to make sure we’re guaranteed our rights of freedom of religion in this country.” 

Regarding his son and his sons’ friends taking their gap year in Israel, Diament said that “in some ways, they feel more comfortable and secure than some of their friends who are on some American university campuses.” 

“Their lives are not being threatened, obviously, the way people on the ground in Israel are by foreign militaries,” he said. “But there are a lot of campuses where young American Jews are really being … psychologically threatened and personally threatened.”

Early in-person voting kicks off in Hawaii, Utah, Missouri and Wisconsin this week as candidates have begun urging their supporters to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day.

Here is everything you need to know.

Wisconsin is one of the most competitive states this cycle

Wisconsin is one of three Rust Belt states that voted for former President Trump in 2016, then flipped back to the Democrats in 2020. President Biden won the state by just 20,682 votes, or 0.7 points.

Like the other competitive Midwestern states, it is defined by its White working class population. Fifty-eight percent of the state’s voters are White without a college degree, according to the Fox News Voter Analysis. That is 15 points higher than the national electorate.

Those voters favored Trump by 11 points in the last presidential cycle, and he will look to build on that margin to put this state back into the GOP’s column.

For Democrats, the goal is to keep turnout high in the cities and surrounding areas by activating Black and suburban voters. There are highly populated pockets of deep-blue voters in Milwaukee and Madison, and the counties that those cities call home make up nearly a quarter of the statewide vote.

FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP TAKES NATIONAL LEAD, HARRIS LEADS BATTLEGROUND STATES

In the Senate race, incumbent Democrat Tammy Baldwin faces Republican banker Eric Hovde as she seeks a third term. The race is ranked “Lean D” in the Fox News Power Rankings.

A voting booth at the Gates of Heaven Synagogue in Madison, Wisc., on Nov. 8, 2022.

Key down-ballot races in today’s early voting states

Voting begins today in several battleground House districts. For a full list of competitive races, see the latest Senate and House rankings.

• Wisconsin’s 1st District: Republican Rep. Bryan Steil has held this southeastern district, which includes Kenosha, since 2019. This time, he’s up against local Democrat Peter Barca. This race is “Likely R” in the Power Rankings.
• Wisconsin’s 3rd District: Rep. Derrick Van Orden was one of a handful of Republicans to flip a seat in the midterms. His district includes a handful of blue-leaning areas like Eau Claire and La Crosse. This time, he faces Democratic small business owner Rebecca Cooke. It’s also “Likely R” in the Power Rankings.
• Washington’s 3rd District: This southwest Washington district offers a rematch between first-term Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Blue Dog Democrat who recently suggested that Biden resign from office, and Republican challenger Joe Kent. It is a “Toss Up” in the Power Rankings.

How to vote in Hawaii

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Hawaii.

Voting by mail

Hawaii has begun absentee voting. The state began delivering ballots to eligible voters on Oct. 18, and those ballots must be delivered to election officials by Nov. 5.

Residents do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot.

TIM WALZ’S SELECTION AS HARRIS RUNNING MATE DRAWS SKEPTICISM, EVEN AMONG ANTI-TRUMP FIGURES

Early in-person voting

Some Hawaii counties offer early in-person voting beginning Tuesday, but it varies by location. Check the state’s website for more information.

Voter registration

Hawaii residents can register to vote by mail through Oct. 28. They can register in person or online at any point through Election Day.

Fox News Power Rankings presidential forecast

How to vote in Utah

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Utah.

Voting by mail

Residents do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot in Utah. State officials will send ballots to eligible voters beginning Oct. 15 through Oct. 29, and those ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 4 if sent by mail or delivered in person to state officials by Nov. 5.

Early in-person voting

Utah offers early in-person voting starting Tuesday in some locations, but the start dates vary by county. Check the state’s website for more information.

FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP AHEAD OF HARRIS BY 2 POINTS NATIONALLY

Voter registration

Utah residents can register to vote online or by mail through Oct. 25. They can also register in person during early voting, Oct. 22 through Nov. 1, and on Election Day.

How to vote in Missouri

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Missouri.

Voting by mail

Missouri began absentee voting on Tuesday. Applicants need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The state must receive a ballot application by Oct. 23 and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

Early in-person voting

Missouri began in-person early voting on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and it will continue through Nov. 4.

Voter registration

Missouri residents were required to register to vote by Oct. 9.

Fox News Power Rankings presidential map

How to vote in Wisconsin

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Wisconsin.

Voting by mail

Wisconsin applicants do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The state must receive a ballot application by Oct. 31 and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Early in-person voting

Some counties in Wisconsin began in-person early voting on Tuesday, Oct. 21, but the start date varies by location. Check the state’s website for more information.

Voter registration

Wisconsin residents can register to vote in person during early voting or on Election Day.

TOLEDO – Ohio GOP State Rep. Derek Merrin, who is running for Congress against vulnerable Democrat incumbent Marcy Kaptur, spoke to Fox News Digital about why the issues affecting Northwest Ohioans in 2024 are putting Kaptur’s 41-year tenure in Congress in jeopardy.

“Northwest Ohio has been left behind for many years because of Marcy Kaptur and Marcy Kaptur’s values do not represent northwest Ohio,” Merrin told Fox News Digital at the Lucas County GOP Headquarters about why he decided to enter the race to try to unseat the longtime Democratic congresswoman. 

“I felt there’s a real opportunity to win this race. There’s a real opportunity to change and I really believe that the future of our country is at stake and we have to stop the liberal policies of Joe Biden and Marcy Kaptur of the Democratic Party to save our country.”

Kaptur, currently serving her 21st term in Congress representing Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House. While the Cook Political Report ranks her race as “Lean Democrat,” redistricting following the 2020 census has Republicans believing the seat is a prime opportunity to ensure control of the House and that they can flip the seat.

‘MUST APOLOGIZE’: VULNERABLE HOUSE DEM FACES RENEWED BACKLASH OVER COMPARISON INVOLVING 9/11 TERRORIST

Republican Derek Merrin is running against Dem. Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District (Getty Images)

Merrin told Fox News Digital that he expects a significant number of Independents, and some Democrats, to support his candidacy pointing to the “ineffectiveness” of Congress and unpopular Democrat policies.

“The vast majority of Americans are fed up with the Democratic Party but guess what?” Merrin said. “Not everyone’s a Republican. People want policy. They want to lower the cost of living. They want secure borders, and they’re tired of the political class. I’m going to pick up votes from Democrats. I’ll pick up a lot of votes from independents because my message and policies are aligned with what they want to see happen.”

“They want to pay less money at the pump. They want their health insurance to go down. They want their housing costs to go down. They want their insurance costs to go down. They want to be able to take their family out to eat for under $100 every time they go out to eat. And I’m going to work on policies that are going to get our country moving again, that are going to bring back American jobs and to lower the cost of living and to secure our border.” 

WATCH: DEM. REP. SNATCHES PHONE IN TESTY AIRPORT EXCHANGE OVER BIDEN’S MENTAL CLARITY: ‘WHO OWNS YOU?’

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, speaks at the VFW Post 2529 Annual Corn Roast in Sandusky, Ohio (Bill Clark)

Kaptur is one of eight Democrats running in 2024 in a district that voted for Trump in 2020. Trump won the state of Ohio by 8 points in 2020 and is expected to equal or surpass that in 2024.

“This is a new district,” Merrin said. “This is a Republican-leaning district and Marcy Kaptur’s values are being exposed for what she’s actually done in Washington, D.C. She doesn’t believe anyone should be allowed to drive a gas-powered car. She believes basically everyone needs to pay more taxes. She puts illegal immigrants ahead of United States citizens. And when people realize her record and her failure, she’s been one of the most ineffective Congress people passing legislation in our country. People want change. They’re worse off than they were four years ago, and I think they’re looking for a new change and I’m going to deliver it.” 

Merrin told Fox News Digital that when he goes around his district talking to voters, it’s clear that the economy and inflation are the number one cause for concern.

“The cost of living, I mean, you look, you can’t take a family of four out in northwest Ohio at a restaurant for under $100 and people can’t afford it,” Merrin said. “You look at car insurance, you look at home insurance, you look at the cost of living overall. It’s hurting people and people are very uncertain on where we’re at and they’re looking for policies that are going to lower the cost of living, lower the cost of energy and make their lives better. People want their kids to be able to experience the American dream that they were able to experience. And I think most families believe that’s in jeopardy right now.”

Pro-Merrin ads running on television in northwest Ohio have highlighted Kaptur’s record of voting with the Biden administration 90% of the time, and Kaptur has also faced criticism from Merrin for introducing just 5 bills that have become law in 41 years, which her campaign pushed back on citing hundreds of bills that she has cosponsored.

“Yes, they do,” Merrin told Fox News Digital if voters in his district are in favor of term limits. “People want term limits for members of Congress. I support term limits. I’ve signed a pledge to support legislation that would limit members of Congress in the House to three terms and I think that’s a winning message that’s resonating with voters.”

Merrin also hit Kaptur on illegal immigration and said that Ohioans are “fed up” with the negative consequences stemming from the millions of illegal immigrants who have entered the country over the last four years.

Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin talks to reporters on Feb. 15, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. Republicans are watching two hot-button federal races in Ohio on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, that could affect their chances for potentially pivotal pickups this fall.  (AP Photo/Samantha Hendrickson)

“Crime has surged among our community and a large part of it’s due to illegal immigration,” Merrin said. “I mean, tens of thousands of people are in northwest Ohio here illegally and it’s just we’re tired and fed up with it.”

“We want to put American citizens first. They’re burdening our health care system, our education system and our criminal justice system. And it’s not too much to ask to say, hey, our federal government needs to secure our borders and put American citizens first and Marcy Kaptur, she’s put a knife in the back of the American people, in union workers, allowing illegal immigrants to come in and take their jobs. It’s an outrage. It’s outrageous. She’s not a proponent of the working man in middle class America. She’s doing everything she can to undermine the traditional values of our country in the working class of our country.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Merrin, who had over 20 supporters at the Lucas County GOP HQ making calls for him on Saturday, told Fox News Digital he is encouraged by the enthusiasm he sees from Republicans voting early in his district and said there is “more enthusiasm” on his side than Kaptur’s.

“Republicans are fired up,” Merrin said. “And people that are fed up with Marcy Kaptur and the Democratic policies are fired up. We got a lot of momentum. Listen, they are pouring millions of dollars against me right now to defeat me and to try to hold me back because they know we’re very close to winning this race.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Kaptur’s campaign called Merrin a “puppet” politician and referenced Merrin’s past support for convicted politician Larry Householder.

“Unlike Congresswoman Kaptur, who has stood up to her own party and worked across the aisle to deliver for working families, Derek Merrin is a puppet politician with no spine who sells out working Ohioans to pad his corporate masters’ pockets, including voting to hike energy rates for Ohio families after taking campaign cash from a now-imprisoned politician who Merrin voted to keep in office AFTER he was indicted,” the campaign, who has been running ads with a similar message, said. 

The Merrin campaign responded to those ads over the weekend calling them a “desperate and pathetic attempt to distract voters from Marcy Kaptur’s failed policies.”

One of the most pivotal battleground states in the 2024 election has now seen more than 1.4 million residents cast their ballots early.

Georgia has been shattering turnout records since early voting began on Tuesday.

As of Monday morning, the Georgia state elections website showed 1,347,843 ballots were cast in person so far, while just over 80,000 absentee ballots have been returned and accepted.

GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE

Georgia has been breaking early voting records for the last week. (Getty Images)

“Today there is Sunday voting in several counties. And AGAIN the voters have set another record,” Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer in the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, wrote on X yesterday.

“As of 2:30 over 25,000 Georgians had cast ballots today. The previous Sunday record was 24k back in 2022. Keep up the great work counties and voters.”

The Sunday total wound up being just over 42,400 votes cast – nearly double the 2022 tally.

On the first day of early voting alone, Georgians cast more than 313,000 in-person ballots. That was 123% higher than the previous Day 1 record, according to Sterling.

FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’

Stevie Wonder appeared alongside Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Georgia on Sunday. (Getty Images)

Total turnout so far accounts for nearly 20% of Georgia’s population of active voters. White voters made up the largest share of that total so far, followed by Black voters. Georgia women also slightly outnumbered men in the pre-Election Day tally by 55.4% to 45.4%.

Georgia has been a key focal point in the high-stakes White House battle between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Both sides have poured enormous amounts of time and resources into the state, which President Biden won by less than 1% in 2020.

GEORGIA DEMS CHAIR REVEALS MESSAGE TO UNDECIDED GOP VOTERS AS HARRIS WORKS TO BUILD BROAD BASE

Former President Donald Trump will be in Georgia on Wednesday. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Harris spent her 60th birthday in Atlanta on Sunday, when she visited two churches alongside celebrity guest Stevie Wonder.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Meanwhile, Trump will participate in a religious event himself in rural Georgia this week, according to WRBL.

The former president will be in Pike County on Wednesday in support of congressional candidate Brian Jack, who worked in the first Trump administration.

The Supreme Court dismissed ex-lawyer Michael Cohen’s appeal to revive a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump on Monday, shutting down Cohen’s accusations for the last time.

Cohen had claimed his 2020 imprisonment was retaliation by Trump’s administration for publishing a book critical of the former president. The lawsuit had sought monetary damages from Trump, former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, federal prison officials and the federal government.

“Michael Cohen has exhausted every avenue of his pathetic attempt to drag my client into court time and time again.  As expected, the Supreme Court has correctly denied Michael Cohen’s petition and he must finally abandon his frivolous and desperate claims,” Trump attorney Alina Habba told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Cohen had served three years behind bars for several federal crimes relating to his work for Trump, including lying to Congress. He was released on home confinement during the pandemic, but was sent back to prison after refusing to sign an agreement limiting his postings on social media and contacts with the press.

HOUSE JUDICIARY GOP CALLS ON APPELLATE COURTS TO ‘REVERSE THE VERDICT’ IN NY V. TRUMP IN NEW STAFF REPORT

Former President Donald Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen departs from his home to attend his second day of testimony at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024, in New York City.

“The Constitution is the bedrock of our democratic republic and is what makes America the beacon of the world,” Cohen said of his lawsuit in July. “To have a President weaponize the DOJ… is how autocracies are created.”

TRUMP MAKES FRIES AT PENNSYLVANIA MCDONALD’S: ‘I’VE NOW WORKED FOR 15 MINUTES MORE THAN KAMALA’

Cohen argued that he was sent back behind bars, shackled and placed in solitary confinement on the alleged orders of Trump and Justice Department officials in July 2020 in retaliation for his writing his first tell-all book, “Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump.”

Trump was accused of retaliating against Michael Cohen for publishing a book critical of the former president. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

“Presidents are not kings,” Cohen’s wrote in his petition to the Supreme Court. “This case represents the principle that presidents and their subordinates can lock away critics of the executive without consequence. That cannot be the law in the country the Founders thought they created when they threw off the yoke of the monarch.”

WHAT DONALD TRUMP SAID HE’S GETTING KAMALA HARRIS FOR HER BIRTHDAY

In 2020, U.S. Federal Court Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein found that the Trump administration violated Cohen’s First Amendment rights when it sent him back behind bars after he was released to home confinement.

“The purpose of transferring Mr. Cohen from furlough and home confinement to jail is retaliatory,” the judge said during a hearing on Cohen’s reimprisonment.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Cohen’s petition without comment. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“It’s retaliatory because of his desire to exercise his First Amendment rights to publish a book and to discuss anything about the book or anything else he wants on social media and with others.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Two courts ruled against Cohen’s initial claim, based on a narrow reading of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the 1971 case Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents, which provides citizens the limited legal right to sue federal officials who violate their constitutional rights.

The Supreme Court did not elaborate on its decision to reject Cohen’s appeal.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Eric Shawn contributed to this report.

Former Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade met with Biden administration staff on at least two occasions during District Attorney Fani Willis’ probe into former President Donald Trump, a newly released transcript suggests.

Wade was interviewed by House Judiciary Committee staff last week as part of Chairman Jim Jordan’s probe into the prosecutions of the former president.

A grand jury indicted Trump and allies last year on charges related to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia.

Wade did not disclose the details of his supposed meetings with White House representatives, including if they were in-person or remote, but he acknowledged the existence of invoices and other records that indicated discussions occurred.

GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE

Former Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade (Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

At one point, the transcript shows Wade was asked about an invoice line indicating “travel to Athens; conf with White House counsel, May 23rd, 2022.”

“So if it says conf with White House counsel, that would mean there was a conf with White House counsel?” investigators asked, according to the transcript.

Wade responded that the semicolon written after “travel to Athens” represented a separate thought.

The investigator asked, “So if you billed for a conf with White House counsel, would that have occurred?”

TRUMP VS HARRIS ROUND 2? VOTERS IN KEY GA COUNTY REVEAL IF THEY WANT SECOND DEBATE

Wade challenged, “If I billed for a conf with White House counsel, this document doesn’t say that that cong with White House counsel happened in Athens. That’s not what that says.”

Pressed again on whether the reference to White House counsel meant he billed for a conference with such an official, Wade said, “Yes.”

Wade later said he did not recall details of the meeting denoted by a record reading, “Interview with D.C./White House, November 18th, 2022. Eight hours at $250. Cost $2,000,” according to the transcript.

Details he did not recall included participants in the meeting, any possible travel, or who was involved in scheduling it.

But when asked, “And if you billed for it, if you billed 8 hours for interview with D.C./White House, it’s safe to assume that you would have taken part in the interview?,” Wade replied, “Yes ma’am.”

The transcript does not indicate what the meetings were about, including whether they were related to Trump. 

Andrew Evans, Wade’s attorney, pointed out to Fox News Digital that Wade said he had “no specific memory of those meetings.”

Evans also pointed to another section of the transcript in which Wade said the invoices did not signify whether the listed meetings were with the Trump White House or Biden White House, and that it did not specify whether they were about the White House or with officials from it.

“Wade also noted that if he met with current White House employees, it would have been because prosecutors wanted to interview individuals like former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows. The United States Supreme Court case of United States ex rel. Touhy v. Ragen, 340 U.S. 462 (1951), requires that prosecutors confer with government officials before interviewing current or former federal employees,” Evans said.

CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION

Wade said he did not know or recall information dozens of times throughout the course of the interview.

Wade was brought into the Fulton County investigation by Willis as a special prosecutor but stepped away after it was revealed he and Willis began a romantic relationship, which has since ended.

Jordan has been seeking a committee sit-down with Wade for months over accusations that both he and Willis profited off of the probe during their relationship – something both circles have vehemently denied.

Both Willis and Wade have maintained that their relationship had nothing to do with the case and have accused Republicans of trying to unjustly interfere in the Fulton County probe.

Trump was indicted by a grand jury in Fulton County DA Fani Willis’ probe. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

One of Trump’s co-defendants had sued to have Willis and Wade disqualified from the case, arguing their relationship presented a conflict of interest and that they financially benefited from the probe.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A Fulton County judge ruled in March that Willis could stay on the case if Wade was removed. Wade subsequently resigned from the case.

The former special prosecutor was grilled by investigators for over four hours on Capitol Hill last week.

Vice President Harris made campaign stops at Black churches in Georgia over the weekend, days after sparking controversy among Christian Americans by telling protesters praising Jesus “you’re at the wrong rally.” 

Harris celebrated her 60th birthday at two Black churches outside of Atlanta on Sunday as part of a nationwide push – known as “Souls to the Polls” – to encourage Black voters to participate in early voting.  

After the congregation at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, sang “Happy Birthday” to her, Harris made a veiled dig at her opponent, former President Trump, while speaking about her faith. 

“In this moment, across our nation, what we do see are some who try to deepen division among us, spread hate, sow fear and cause chaos,” Harris told Black churchgoers. “There are those who suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down instead of what we know, which is the true measure of the strength of a leader, is based on who you lift up.” 

TRUMP, HARRIS NECK AND NECK AS DEMS LOSE GROUND AMONG LATINO, BLACK VOTERS: POLL

Kamala Harris listens as Stevie Wonder performs “Redemption Song” at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Georgia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Harris was later serenaded by Stevie Wonder at Divine Faith Ministries International in Jonesboro, Georgia, where the Democratic nominee referenced the parable of the good Samaritan a second time. 

“There is so much at stake right now,” Harris said, attempting to contrast herself against Trump two weeks from Election Day. “We understand that for us to do good works, it means to do it in the spirit of understanding that our strength is not based on who we beat down as someone tries to suggest….”

“Our strength is based on who we lift up, and that spirit is very much at stake in these next 16 days, which is are we a country that honors through our faith and our deeds the importance of kindness – of support, of understanding the dignity in each other and the respect that we should have for each other.” 

The concept of “Souls to the Polls” dates back to the Civil Rights Movement. Black congregations hold a tradition of leading get-out-the-vote campaigns to counter voter suppression efforts of the Jim Crow era. 

Donald Trump addressed the Faith and Freedom Road to Majority Conference in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 2024. (Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

VANCE TAKES FAITH APPROACH AFTER HARRIS MOCKED PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS AT RALLY: ‘JESUS IS KING’

Harris’ appearances in the swing state of Georgia come days after she told two pro-life student protesters that they were “at the wrong rally” when they yelled, “Jesus is Lord,” and, “Christ is King,” during a campaign stop in Wisconsin last week.

By contrast, Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, repeated, “Jesus is King” when someone shouted the phrase at his rally in Wisconsin over the weekend, telling the crowd how he believes “there is something really bizarre with Harris’ anti-Christian rhetoric and anti-Christian approach to public policy.” 

Kamala Harris greets a member of the congregation at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Georgia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Harris also skipped the Al Smith dinner, a Catholic charity event in New York City and a traditional campaign stop for presidential nominees, instead sending a poorly-received video message last week.

Trump is campaigning in another battleground, North Carolina, on Monday, where he is expected to visit Hurricane Helene devastation in Asheville before convening an “11th Hour Faith Leaders Meeting” with Eric Trump and Ben Carson outside of Charlotte. The Republican nominee’s “Believers for Trump” initiative includes outreach to Black voters, a traditionally Democratic constituency where Trump has made inroads.

The engagement of faith voters in the 2024 election underscores an unprecedented blending of partisan politics with Christianity at a moment when many churches have seen attendance decline. 

 CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

On Friday, the Democratic National Committee hosted a call to launch its “Souls to the Polls” effort with civil rights activist Martin Luther King III, who endorsed Harris and called Trump “a disaster for Black America.” The campaign kicked off its own “Souls to the Polls” program and set up a faith advisory board of progressive faith leaders that includes a pastor, Amos C. Brown, of the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

FEASTERVILLE, Pennsylvania— House Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of a campaign swing with former President Trump that Vice President Kamala Harris is “toxic” for the Keystone State.

Reschenthaler, who represents Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional District, campaigned with Trump on Sunday across the state. 

“He’s fighting hard,” Trump said of Reschenthaler Sunday afternoon. “He wants us to win.” 

Trump’s comments about the congressman came during his visit to McDonald’s in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia, where he traded in his signature suit jacket for an apron to learn how to cook French fries and deliver them to customers from the drive-thru window.

TRUMP MAKES FRIES AT PENNSYLVANIA MCDONALD’S: ‘I’VE NOW WORKED FOR 15 MINUTES MORE THAN KAMALA’

Former President Trump, right, with Rep. Guy Reschenthaler at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.

The visit was intended to slam Harris for her claim that she was once a worker for the fast-food chain. 

“It is important to highlight that Harris has repeatedly lied — and so has [Gov. Tim] Walz — on this campaign trail,” Reschenthaler told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the visit. “And you have President Trump who is willing to call out his opponent on being loose with the facts.” 

He added: “It just reminds voters again that Harris has misrepresented her past, and President Trump is going and connecting with the people of Pennsylvania.” 

The Harris campaign blasted the McDonald’s visit as a “staged photo-op,” saying Trump “doesn’t understand what it’s like to work for a living,” and saying the vice president “has a record of standing up for workers and taking on bad actors who rip people off, and she’ll do the same as President.”

Former President Trump works the drive-thru line at a McDonald’s on Oct. 20, 2024, in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Reschenthaler, who is up for re-election and hoping to seek a fourth term, says he is “feeling very good” with his own race, and is now focusing on helping Trump and other Republicans win in Pennsylvania. 

The congressman pointed to new ads airing in the state from incumbent Democrat Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., in his race against Republican Dave McCormick. 

Casey’s ad highlights how he “bucked Biden” and “sided” with Trump to end NAFTA and put tariffs on China to “stop them from cheating.” The ad highlights the Democrat senator as an “independent,” and features a Republican woman and her Democrat husband. It does not mention Vice President Harris. 

“As soon as I saw that ad where he was trying to tie himself to Trump, I knew — they’ve got to be seeing what we’re seeing in terms of internal polling — that Trump is surging,” Reschenthaler said. “They know that Trump has taken the lead, and they know that Harris has become toxic.” 

“That is the only reason why you would have a seasoned Democratic senator like Casey disavowing Harris and trying to tie himself to Trump,” he continued. “He sees the numbers.” 

Reschenthaler said he also thinks the ad shows that there is a “real chance that McCormick has a shot at beating Casey.” 

“People are going to come out and vote for Trump and Republicans down ballot, which will help us — not only in the Senate, but will help us in the competitive congressional districts as well,” he said. 

Sen. Bob Casey participates in a campaign event on Oct. 17, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Getty Images)

Later Sunday, Reschenthaler joined Trump at a town hall hosted by Sage Steele in Lancaster, Pa., and then attended the Pittsburgh Steeler’s game against the New York Jets with the former president. 

Reschenthaler told Fox News Digital that Pennsylvania is “such a critical state.” 

“They don’t call us the Keystone State for nothing,” Reschenthaler said, predicting that whoever wins Pennsylvania “is likely going to win this election.” 

“That is why it is so important for President Trump and Republicans to put up big numbers here in Pennsylvania,” he said. 

The chief deputy whip told Fox News Digital that it is “critical” for Republicans to gain traction in the suburbs of Pittsburgh and of Philadelphia while also getting voter turnout in the more rural parts of the state. As for the most important issues for Pennsylvanians, Reschenthaler said voters are focused on the economy, jobs, inflation and energy, stressing the importance of the natural gas industry for the state. 

‘BLUE WALL’ DEMOCRAT ALIGNS WITH TRUMP IN NEW PITCH TO VOTERS BEFORE ELECTION

Rep. Guy Reschenthaler speaks to Fox News Digital during the NRA’s Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Fox News Digital )

“And then you also have immigration, which is usually No. 2 or 3 in voters’ concerns,” he continued. “Everybody says, ‘Yeah, but Pennsylvania is not a border state,’ but under Harris’ reckless and dangerous far-left policies of the border, every state is now a border state.”

Reschenthaler said voters in his district, specifically in Southwestern Pennsylvania, have “definitely seen a difference” since the Trump administration. 

“They are struggling to afford groceries, gasoline, heating bills — just utilities in general,” he said, while noting that “real wage growth is actually decreasing under Harris,” but recalled the increasing wage growth under the Trump administration, especially for minorities.

“That’s another reason why President Trump is doing so well with minority populations, which, historically for Republicans, we’ve had a difficulty reaching minorities,” he said. “But not President Trump — he transcends that.”

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event on Oct. 18, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

According to a new USA Today/Suffolk University Poll, Harris has fallen back in support among Latino and Black voters in the seven weeks between surveys. The new poll found Latino voters now back Trump by 49% to 38%. Black voters prefer Harris by 72% to 17%, but that 55-point edge is significantly less than the advantage Democrats traditionally enjoy. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Liz Cheney teamed up with Vice President Kamala Harris Monday in a last-minute effort to appeal to moderate Republicans who the former congresswoman believes might be uneasy about voting for Donald Trump but are afraid to say so publicly. 

Harris and Cheney visited three counties: Chester County in Pennsylvania, Oakland County in Michigan and Waukesha County in Wisconsin. Each were won by Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who ran against Trump for the Republican nomination. 

During a townhall in Michigan, Cheney framed the November election as a choice between “right and wrong.”

TRUMP CAMPAIGN SENDS LETTER TO CBS DEMANDING UNEDITED ‘60 MINUTES’ HARRIS TRANSCRIPT, TEASES POTENTIAL LAWSUIT

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris listens as Former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney speaks during a town hall at The People’s Light in Malvern, Pa., Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.  (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

“I certainly have many Republicans who will say to me, I can’t be public. They do worry about a whole range of things, including violence. But they’ll do the right thing,” Cheney said. 

The daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney then predicted that “millions” of moderate Republicans who are too afraid to go against Trump publicly will vote for Harris. 

Vice President Kamala Harris (center) and former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney (right) team up for campaign town-halls in three key battleground states, starting with Malvern, Pennsylvania on Oct. 21, 2024 (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

“And I would just remind people, if you’re at all concerned, you can vote your conscience and not ever have to say a word to anybody. And there will be millions of Republicans who do that on November 5th, vote for Vice President Harris,” Cheney said, eliciting applause from the audience. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Cheney was essentially exiled from the Republican Party for participating in a congressional investigation of Trump’s involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol. 

She lost her congressional seat in a primary battle two years ago.

A top political handicapper shifted its rating on Monday in the pivotal Pennsylvania Senate race, signaling dwindling chances for Democratic Sen. Bob Casey’s re-election. 

Unveiling two ratings changes roughly two weeks from Election Day, the Cook Political Report indicated heightened competition in both Pennsylvania and Nebraska, where an independent candidate is threatening to unseat an incumbent Republican. 

In Pennsylvania, the race between incumbent Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick is now considered a “Toss Up,” according to the handicapper. The battle was previously rated “Lean Democrat.”

SCHUMER-TIED GROUP DROPS MILLIONS AGAINST TED CRUZ AS DEMS EYE PICKUP OPPORTUNITY IN TEXAS

Bob Casey, left, and Dave McCormick (AP | Reuters)

Cook cited McCormick “shoring up the GOP base and making gains in the western part of the state,” as part of its justification. It also noted that while Casey has a several point advantage over his opponent in public polls, the race is reportedly within the margin of error in both Democratic and Republican internal surveys. 

Casey’s race is now in the same category as Senate races in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. 

GOP CHALLENGER TIES SEN BALDWIN’S REMARK ABOUT TRUMP VOTERS TO CLINTON’S INFAMOUS ‘DEPLORABLES’ MOMENT

Casey is only leading McCormick by single digits. (Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The ratings change comes as the presidential election between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is practically tied in the battleground state. With split-ticket voting becoming increasingly rare, it’s very likely that whichever party wins the White House will also win the Senate race. 

SENATE SHAKE-UP: HOW A SECRET BALLOT COULD UNDERMINE A POTENTIAL TRUMP ENDORSEMENT IN RACE TO THE TOP

McCormick is endorsed by Trump. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

Casey defeated McCormick among likely voters 48% to 44% in a recent New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll. The survey of 857 Pennsylvania voters was conducted between Oct. 7 and 10. The margin of error was +/- 3.8 percentage points. 

Republicans also took a hit in the ratings shifts, with Sen. Deb Fischer’s race in Nebraska moved again to demonstrate a quickly developing tight race. The match-up shifted from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican.” 

HOVDE SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON TAMMY BALDWIN’S WALL STREET PARTNER DURING WISCONSIN DEBATE

Osborn, left, is challenging Fischer’s  re-election bid, running as an independent. (Reuters)

Independent candidate Dan Osborn, a union leader and mechanic, has appeared to take Fischer’s re-election campaign by surprise with his popularity just weeks from the election. No Democrat candidate was nominated in the race. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Despite the notable challenge, “we still think the heavy red hue of the state wins out, GOP attacks on Democratic efforts to covertly boost Osborn break through and that Fischer makes it across the finish line,” Cook wrote. 

Fischer’s re-election bid is now in the same category as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

The father of a trans athlete at a New Hampshire high school is requesting a non-prison sentence for his child pornography distribution charges, citing his advocacy for his trans daughter’s fight to play in girls’ sports in a letter to the federal judge.

Marc Jacques, the father of New Hampshire high school trans athlete Maëlle Jacques, was sentenced on Sept. 9 to 60 months behind federal bars, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. The U.S. Probation Office allowed him to get his affairs in order before reporting to prison in December.

In his letter to U.S. District Judge Paul Barbadoro, Jacques argues his collaboration with the ACLU and GLAAD is essential to support Maëlle’s fight to be able to continue playing in girls’ sports teams. 

He noted in the letter that Maëlle does not have the support of Maëlle’s mother because of Maëlle’s transgender identity. Jacques wrote that he has had full custody for the last several years, making him the sole support system for Maëlle and Maëlle’s brother, Remi.

VIOLENT CONVICT’S TAXPAYER-FUNDED SEX CHANGE CHALLENGED BY STATE AG AFTER JUDGE’S APPROVAL

A transgender flag unfurled on a pole. Texas SB 14 would ban gender-affirming treatments and therapies for transgender youth if signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.  (Getty Images)

“As a transgendered teen, Maëlle has had a very, very tough time finding acceptance and seeking to love themselves. Since the Spring of 2023, Maëlle has faced online bullying, vicious attacks on social media and has been the subject of discrimination in pamphlets distributed publicly throughout our school district, as just some examples,” Jacques wrote.  

“Before finding joy in school sports, Maëlle suffered from anorexia, depression and anxiety and practiced self-harm (cutting). Since the NH Legislature began their attempts to take rights away from Maëlle and other trans teens this past legislative session, Maëlle has become more anxious once again and has had episodes of self-harm,” he said.

Maëlle is also seeking out medical advice on gender transition treatments, his letter notes, “and with her mother being adamantly opposed to gender-affirming medical care, I am Maelle’s sole support system.”

“The Pediatric Endocrinologist at DHMC is also exploring the option of providing a medical opinion that the gender dysphoria from which Maëlle is suffering can be declared a disability, most notably in the context of the sports ban,” Jacques wrote. 

“This potential option is another strong example of Maëlle needing my support and caretaking as her mother and stepmother will oppose this option and any other option which could lead to Maëlle’s playing high school sports.”

Maëlle also submitted a letter to the judge pleading for a non-custodial sentence for Jacques, and said that Jacques has been attending therapy and group rehab for his crime.

“If I were unable to stay with him due to a prison sentence, it would be a major strike to my own mental stability as I would lose the home I grew up in and the safety I feel inside of it, as well as the sheer support from him which I simply do not receive at my mother’s,” Maëlle wrote. “The work I have begun to do with the ACLU in regard to my existence as a trans girl in sports is also reliant upon his moral support in my testifying and meeting with Senators. A prison sentence would also harm me and my brother’s future as we would stop receiving support for college payments without his salary.”

The judge has not ruled on a non-custodial sentence for Jacques.

INDIANA JUDGE RULES PRISON MUST PROVIDE TRANSGENDER SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO KILLED BABY

Soccer ball (Getty Images)

Prosecutors allege Jacques shared child sexual abuse material online

According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Jacques pleaded guilty to one charge of distribution of child pornography.

In February 2022, authorities began investigating multiple CyberTips reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) by MediaLab/Kik, prosecutors wrote in court documents. The platform flagged that a user named “wayne9985” had uploaded 49 files that appeared to depict child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to other users through private messages between Nov. 24 and Dec. 6, 2021.

Investigators identified Jacques as the user behind the Kik account after tracing IP addresses linked to some of the uploads, including one from his home in Newbury and another from his girlfriend’s residence in Hopkinton. Further inquiries revealed that Jacques’ residential IP address had been associated with over 40 prior CyberTips reported by Reddit, Google, Tumblr, and sendvid from 2018 to 2022. A search of Jacques’ Kik account showed he had disseminated at least 26 files of CSAM via private messages on various dates in November and December 2021.

ACLU SUES INDIANA OVER DENIAL OF SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO STRANGLED 11-MONTH-OLD TO DEATH

 Protestors during a rally at Churchill Square in support of trans youth in Alberta following the ‘Sing With Love’ concert at McDougall United Church, on February 11, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Maëlle’s high-profile battle with New Hampshire law

Maëlle, a student at Kearsage High School in New Hampshire, is nearly 6-feet in height, according to multiple reports. Jacques was allowed to play for Kearsage’s Regional despite a state law in New Hampshire that restricts transgender inclusion in girls’ sports. However, a federal judge’s ruling in September put Maëlle right back onto the field and into the locker room with the other girls’ athletes.

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed House Bill 1205, also known as the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” into law in July, which prohibits trans girls and women from competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams. But then Maëlle’s family, along with the family of another transgender athlete, sued to block it. 

A federal court granted a preliminary injunction on Sept. 10, which meant that the two athletes would be allowed to play until a final ruling is made. A final ruling has not been made, so they have continued to play despite the state law. 

The judge who made the ruling, Landya McCafferty, is a liberal who was appointed to her seat by former President Obama in 2013. 

Jacques’ re-arrest

Jacques was re-arrested on Friday, according to a local report, and is accused of obtaining more illegal images after his sentencing.

A probation officer reported that pretrial internet monitoring reports showed Jacques accessed a data storage device, which appeared to contain more videos of child sexual abuse material, around Aug. 10 and Sept. 16.

Court documents reportedly show that an arrest warrant was issued for Jacques, leading to his re-arrest on Friday. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday at the U.S. District Court in Concord.

Fox News Digital’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.