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GOP Sen. Josh Hawley: Grand 'Old Party Is Dead; Time to Bury It'

(Newsmax/"Saturday Report")

By Eric Mack | Sunday, 13 November 2022 04:19 PM EST

Lamenting the reality the Senate will remain in Democrats' control for the next two years, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is calling for an overhaul of the establishment Republican Party in Washington, D.C.

"The old party is dead," Hawley tweeted Saturday night. "Time to bury it. Build something new."

Hawley was reacting to the news Republican Adam Laxalt's votes have been overtaken by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., clinching the Senate majority for Democrats.

"Washington Republicanism lost big Tuesday night," Hawley tweeted earlier this week. "When your 'agenda' is cave to Big Pharma on insulin, cave to Schumer on gun control & Green New Deal ('infrastructure'), and tease changes to Social Security and Medicare, you lose.

"What are Republicans actually going to do for working people?" he had asked in a previous tweet Thursday. "How about, to start: tougher tariffs on China, reshore American jobs, open up American energy full throttle, 100K new cops on the street. Unrig the system."

The remarks, effectively supporting the agenda of former President Donald Trump, were pointed at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who pulled Senate Leadership funding from Arizona to help Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania. Both races were lost, giving the Democrats the majority again.

"You can't expect independent voters to vote Republican unless you give them an agenda they care about," Hawley further railed on Twitter this week.

Hawley does not want the Senate to hold a leadership vote until after the Dec. 6 runoff in Georgia between Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Republican Herschel Walker, echoing the remarks of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

"Exactly right," Hawley tweeted. "I don't know why Senate GOP would hold a leadership vote for the next Congress before this election is finished. We have a runoff in #GASenate — are they saying that doesn't matter? Don't disenfranchise @HerschelWalker."

Walker is endorsed by Trump and McConnell has been fairly open in not backing Trump-backed candidates, save for Oz, even if it cost him the Senate.

Original Article

Rep. Jim Banks Won't Say Yet If He'll Endorse Trump in 2024

(Newsmax/"Wake Up America")

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 13 November 2022 04:01 PM EST

Former President Donald Trump was "very effective" while in office, Rep. Jim Banks said Sunday, but he wouldn't say if he'll endorse him for president in 2024 because it's too soon to make that call and because he's still "unpacking" what happened to GOP candidates in the midterm elections.

"I believe he could be a very effective president for our country again," the Indiana Republican said on Fox News' "Fox News Sunday." "I'll save my endorsement for another time for the 2024 race," he said.

Banks is in the running for the GOP majority whip spot for Republicans in the House, where he's competing with Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., for the key role.

He said Sunday when asked if Trump's expected presidential race announcement on Tuesday will be good or bad for the Republican Party, that GOP candidates do better when he's also on the ballot, as he "remains a very popular figure" among party members.

Banks also said that while many of Trump's endorsed candidates in Senate races across the country lost, resulting in the Senate remaining under a Democrat majority, other candidates he backed won as well.

"The 2024 primary is in front of us, but we're still unpacking what happened last Tuesday," said Banks.

Meanwhile, Banks said he'll support House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as the next House Speaker, as "his experience is what we need right now."

McCarthy "has been the whip, has been the majority leader, the minority leader, and now he is going to be the speaker," Banks added. "We need someone like him who can pull the conference together."

Rank-and-file members, he continued, are trying to be heard more; and as the next few years will be"complicated and challenging," members from all over the nations must be heard.

"To get anything done, we need to listen to members from all over the country," Banks said. "The Republican Party conference is more diverse than ever before … Leader McCarthy is working through that process with the rules for changes. We will have our rules conference meeting and revote on the rules in the middle of this upcoming week."

Original Article

Maryland's Hogan: GOP Must Reassess Trump After Midterm Losses (Newsmax)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 13 November 2022 02:47 PM EST

Last week's midterm elections should have been a "huge red wave" of Republican wins, but they weren't, and that's former President Donald Trump's fault, which means it's time for the party to reassess his role in it, Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday.

"It’s basically the third election in a row that Donald Trump has cost us the race, and it’s like, three strikes, you’re out," Hogan told CNN's "State of the Union." "It should have been one of the biggest red waves we’ve ever had."

Hogan, who was term-limited this year from seeking a third gubernatorial election, hedged on a question about his presidential ambitions for the 2024 race, telling anchor Dana Bash that "I still have to do my day job until Jan. 18."

But, he told her that his party "still didn't perform" in the midterm elections, except for "commonsense conservatives who won by "talking about issues people cared about, like the economy and crime and education."

Other candidates who "tried to relitigate the 2020 election and focused on conspiracy theories and talked about things voters didn't care about, they were almost all universally rejected," said Hogan.

Hogan refused to endorse Trump-endorsed Republican Dan Cox to succeed him in Maryland. Cox won the GOP primary, but Democrats took back the governor's seat, with Democrat Wes Moore elected as the first Black governor in the state.

Republicans, meanwhile, must figure out a "more hopeful, positive vision," the outgoing governor said. "We have to get back to a party that appeals to more people, that can win in tough places like I have done in Maryland."

As for Trump, "he's still the 800-pound gorilla, and it's still a battle," said Hogan, who also thinks the former president's expected announcement this week that he will run for president in 2024 will affect the Senate runoff race in Georgia between Democrat incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker.

Hogan also on Sunday referred to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was re-elected last Tuesday, as "one of the important voices for the party."

Original Article

Midterms Not a 'Complete Disappointment' for GOP, Says Sen. Cotton (Newsmax)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 13 November 2022 02:09 PM EST

The midterm elections were not a "complete disappointment" for Republicans, as strong GOP leaders who ran on positive records of accomplishments won "very big victories," and the lessons from those wins can be used in places where votes fell short, Sen. Tom Cotton said Sunday.

"We need to focus on serious substantive accomplishments and issues like crime, like our wide-open border, like addressing runaway inflation," the Arkansas Republican said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

He pointed out that there were still big wins by GOP Govs. Ron DeSantis in Florida, Brian Kemp in Georgia, Mike DeWine in Ohio, Kim Reynolds in Iowa, and Greg Abbott in Texas, and by Sens. Marco Rubio in Florida, Tim Scott in South Carolina, and Ron Johnson in Wisconsin.

"Even in places where we came up a little bit short, like Lee Zeldin's race for governor in New York, he performed very well compared to Republicans in recent elections, and he probably helped save the House of Representatives by bringing four new Republican Congressman-elect across the finish line in New York," said Cotton.

Meanwhile, Cotton rejected the idea of former President Donald Trump being the sole leader of the Republican Party, as when a party is out of power, there is not a single leader.

"The former president is obviously very popular with many of our voters but we also have important other leaders as well, like some of those victors I just mentioned earlier, like Brian Kemp in Georgia, Ron DeSantis in Florida," he said. "Last year, you had Glenn Youngkin have a great victory in a bluish democratic state like Virginia."

Cotton has already said he is not planning to run for president in 2024, and on Sunday said he thinks it's too soon to focus on that race.

"I just want to remind everyone that we're still in the middle of the 2022 midterm because we're in overtime in Georgia," said Cotton. "The most important thing we can do is elect Herschel Walker to make sure that we can keep the pressure on Democrats in the Senate not to veer far to the left, as they have over the last two years. That's where I think everyone should remain focused for these next three weeks."

However, Cotton said he does not agree with senators who want to delay GOP leadership elections, as five or six of the posts are uncontested, and that he supports Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to remain in place.

The senator also commented on President Joe Biden's meeting with President Xi Jinping Monday and said that the United States must avoid conflict with China in the military sense, but he doesn't think it can avoid diplomatic or economic tension.

"I would urge the president to be very firm in drawing those red lines," he said. "We don't want to see a repeat of what happened last summer in Russia when Vladimir Putin walked away from their summit in Europe.

The simplest thing the United States can do for Taiwan, meanwhile, is to do what should have been done for Ukraine, and that is to provide them with the weapons they need to stop an invasion.

"It's urgent that we do so now because, unlike Ukraine, Taiwan is an island, which means China could blockade it, and we might not be able to resupply them once China might start military conflict," said Cotton.

Original Article

Sen. Bill Cassidy's Look to GOP 'Future': Keep McConnell (Newsmax)

By Eric Mack | Sunday, 13 November 2022 01:18 PM EST

One of the most anti-Donald Trump Republicans in the Senate effectively suggested Trump lost the Senate majority and said the GOP needs to look to the "future," but is backing Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to remain the Senate minority leader.

"I learned that the American people want a way forward that actually focuses on ideas, ideas that will make their lives better, not just their lives but that for future generations," Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to impeach Trump, told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

"Those who are most closely aligned with the former president under-performed. Those who are talking about the future or who had managed their states well, they overperformed. The American people want ideas. They want a future."

But GOP direction in the Senate is up for grabs as new blood presses in. With that in mind, and despite the fact that funding decisions made by McConnell may have handed the Senate to the Democrats, Cassidy's support is clear

"I'm actually going to support Mitch," Cassidy told host Chuck Todd. "I think Mitch kind of pulled the chestnuts out of the fire for candidates who, for whatever reason, were having a difficult time raising the money that, as you pointed out, was required to have a winning campaign.

"And I think going forward, Mitch will be our leader, but that is not to say that we're not going to have a necessary debate about ideas. And I think it's very – again, one more time – important for us to explain to the American voter why Republicans have a better vision for the future of our country."

Notably, McConnell and anti-Trump Republicans like Cassidy refuse to revisit the past on the 2020 election integrity issues, and ballot counting issues in Arizona and Nevada have ultimately led to the Democrats' control of the Senate. Republicans lament the issues with elections that remain.

Cassidy did acknowledge the GOP candidates in these midterms failed to capitalize on the struggles of the Biden administration, but he also supports continued work with Democrats.

"We've got big problems in our country," Cassidy said. "The degree that both parties duck these big problems is the degree that the voter says, 'Pox on both your houses.' So let's have a debate about the domestic issues, about the foreign issues, and then let's implement.

"We've got to get some things done. By the way, Chuck, I think I can say this with some credibility, since I have been involved, or at least frankly, either in the mix or leading on issues to limit surprise medical billing, to lower the cost of prescription drugs, to do the bipartisan infrastructure bill. We can get things done. We need to get them done. And that's, I think, what the American voter's looking for."

Cassidy said "we're not a cult" when talking about who leads the party.

"We're not like, 'OK, there's one person who leads our party,'" Cassidy said after supporting McConnell to continue to be the single leader of the Senate GOP that continues to lose elections.

"If we have a sitting president, she or he will be the leader of our party. But we should be a party of ideas and principles. And that's what should lead us. And I will go back – what we've been lacking perhaps is that fulsome discussion followed up with the policy initiatives that we work to pass that will define who we are. Again, we are not going to have one person anointed, unless she or he happens to be a sitting president. We should have a set of principles and ideas and legislative accomplishments that is our lodestar, if you will. That's where we need to go."

After talking about elections being about "winning," Todd asked Cassidy is he would support Trump if he won another GOP presidential primary. Cassidy demurred.

"You're giving me a theoretical, which actually I don't think will come to transpire because we have to be looking to the future – and so you can give me a theoretical after a theoretical," he concluded.

Original Article

Pelosi: McCarthy Doesn't Stand a Chance as Speaker (Newsmax)

By Brian Pfail | Sunday, 13 November 2022 01:05 PM EST

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said on Sunday House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., will not have enough votes to be elected as Speaker even if Republicans retake the lower chamber.

Republicans are favored to win by a narrow majority in the House, making McCarthy a front-runner for Speaker. Pelosi suggested to Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the Minority Leader might not get that victory from his caucus.

“Why would I make a judgment about something that may or may not ever happen?” Pelosi questioned. “No, I don’t think he has. But that’s up to his own people to make a decision as to how they want to be led or otherwise.”

House Republicans will host the vote for leadership behind closed doors, with a majority vote required to win. Both parties will ultimately have to vote on the House floor, with the winner needing 218 votes.

The Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative Republicans who largely embrace President Donald Trump, is hoping to negotiate with GOP leaders about some rule change requests for the new term.

“What we want to make sure of is that every member of Congress is treated fairly and equally,” said Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry, R-Pa., on Thursday. “Increasingly, over decades, it has been the power – that voice – has been concentrated in leadership in both the Senate and the House.”

Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., also of the Freedom Caucus, told Fox News there “absolutely” will be a challenge to McCarthy’s bid for the speakership.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and McCarthy have undergone extra scrutiny among America First Republicans conservatives who allege neither of the two candidates represents them or their party’s agenda.

Scott has been critical of the Republican leadership and agenda, making himself a prospective candidate for speaker.

“The leadership in the Republican Senate says, ‘No, you cannot have a plan. We’re just going to run against how bad the Democrats are.’ Actually, they cave in to the Democrats,” said Scott to Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo. “They want to rush through an election because they don’t want to do any assessment of what we’ve done wrong. Insanity is doing the exact same thing and thinking you’re to get a different result. We won’t.”

Other prominent Republicans are pressing for a delay in the leadership election. Those include Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

Original Article

N.H. Gov. Sununu: 'Terrible Idea' for Trump to Announce Bid Now (Newsmax)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 13 November 2022 12:54 PM EST

It would be a "terrible idea" for former President Donald Trump to announce his reelection bid this week, as it's too soon after the midterm elections and because Georgia's Senate winner has not yet been determined, Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who won his reelection bid, said Sunday.

"People want to move away from politics as you hit Thanksgiving, as you hit Christmas, as we’re spending time with families as we’re trying to figure out how we’re going to fill our oil tanks with all these high fuel prices," Sununu said on ABC News's "This Week." "Now's just a horrible time for big political statements."

Instead, he said he thinks Trump should wait until early 2023, even though the announcement will be "great for the media."

"Saturday Night Live will probably love it, but for the rest of us, we’re going to focus on spending time with our families and kind of taking a breath in the quiet of a nonpolitical world," said Sununu.

He also wouldn't commit to supporting Trump in 2024, as there will be a "wide-open race" on the Republican side. The governor also said he does not believe President Joe Biden will seek reelection.

Sununu acknowledged some people want him to throw his hat in the ring, but he pointed out he has a "state to run."

"Unlike Congress, I don't get a vacation," he said. "It's a 24/7, 365-day job. I have to balance a budget in the next couple of months, unlike Congress. I just have a lot of demands on me and I love that. It’s a hard job but, man, it is so fulfilling when you get stuff done."

Meanwhile, Democrats pulled out wins in last Tuesday's elections because voters were more worried about extremism than other issues such as inflation or energy shortages, said Sununu.

"I don't think anyone likes the policies out of D.C.," he said. "No one likes paying, you know, six bucks for a gallon of heating oil, especially with winter coming. But what I think people said was, 'Look, we can work on these policies later, but as Americans, we've got to fix extremism right now.'"

Sununu, though, said that when he talks about extremism it doesn't necessarily mean he's talking about Trump.

"There's a whole stream of things out there that can be deemed extreme, on one side and the other," he said. "I think there's an extreme left and an extreme right. In this sense, I think a lot of folks were focused and are saying, "Look, it's not about payback; it's about solving problems."

The attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul just before the election also worried voters, said Sununu, and they responded by "putting in folks that are going to come together and work across the aisle."

Republicans must also start moving away from denying the results of elections, such as the 2020 presidential race, as that is "nothing that works," said Sununu.

Some Republicans had called for Sununu to run for the Senate, in the race that GOP candidate Don Balduc eventually lost to incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan, but he said Sunday has no regrets about running for reelection.

"I love being governor," he said. "With all due respect, the Senate’s the B-team compared to being a governor. I mean, it’s just not even a question. I get to be the CEO, I get to design systems, I get to implement policy, I get to challenge myself to engage with constituents, find their problems, and fight those barriers."

Original Article

More Judges as Dems Regain Control of Senate (Newsmax)

By Brian Pfail | Sunday, 13 November 2022 12:00 PM EST

The Senate will continue a steady confirmation of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees after Democrats retained the chamber Saturday.

The control of the House remains uncertain, although Republicans are still favored with the legislative agenda for the next Congress in limbo. But as for the Senate, it provides the guarantee that Democrats will unilaterally confirm Biden’s judges and executive branch nominees.

The Republicans were favored to win the House, and judges were a top priority in a victory for the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said there would no longer be a “rubber stamp” for Biden judges. McConnell had blocked former President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland in 2016, who now serves as U.S. Attorney General.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer assured the Senate would push for Democrat judges.

“Senate Democrats have been committed to restoring balance to the federal judiciary with professionally and personally diverse judges,” he said in a statement. “With two more years of a Senate Democratic majority, we will build on our historic pace of judicial confirmations and ensure the federal bench better reflects the diversity of America.”

Biden’s pace of judicial confirmation has been on par with former President Donald Trump, with 84 confirmed, 57 nominees pending and 117 announced vacancies.

The run-off in Georgia will have no impact, as Democrats have acquired 51 seats in the Senate, although it will require all to show up in attendance. If Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., keeps his seat in Georgia, Democrats can move nominees out of committee with a majority.

“There’s a big difference between a 50-50 Senate and a 51-49 Senate for the functionality of the Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee,” said Sen. Chris Coon, D-Del. “Simply having control of the Senate means we have the ability to continue moving forward the personnel who will represent us and shape our laws.”

The Senate majority will allow Biden to move treaties. The extra seat would also pad Democrats’ majority into 2024 after they face a more challenging map. It also means fewer oversight hearings.

If Republicans take the House, the Senate can unilaterally block party-line bills.

The Democrat majority will play a role in determining how the party handles the upcoming lame-duck session, like the end-of-the-year spending package.

In a New York Times op-ed, Sen. Elizabeth Warren called for raising the debt ceiling to “block Republicans from taking our economy hostage next year.” She added, “Democrats should be aggressive in putting Republicans on the defensive, pressing hard on why they are blocking much-needed initiatives to help Americans.”

Coons predicted much of this, saying, “2024 politics are very quickly going to get in the way of getting big things done.” The Senate needs to address “basic issues like the debt ceiling and appropriating enough to sustain Ukraine in the short term.”

Original Article

Musk Has Donated More to GOP Than Dems Over 2 Decades (Newsmax)

By Eric Mack | Sunday, 13 November 2022 10:45 AM EST

Despite his claims he has only recently voted for Republican for the first time, billionaire Elon Musk has donated more to Republicans than Democrats over the past two decades.

The numbers are fairly close, though, as Musk has given $574,500 to Republicans and $542,000 to the Democrats, according to OpenSecrets.

After taking over Twitter, the tech billionaire made a call for voters to vote Republican before the midterms after cancel culture has rained down on him for seeking to make the social media giant a level playing field politically.

"While it's true that I've been under unfair & misleading attack for some time by leading Democrats, my motivation here is for centrist governance, which matches the interests of most Americans," Musk tweeted.

Musk has said he is "socially liberal and fiscally conservative," even "socially very liberal."

"Hardcore Democrats or Republicans never vote for the other side, so independent voters are the ones who actually decide who's in charge," Musk tweeted Monday.

While the donations are mostly balanced between the parties, Musk's largest donation was $50,000 to Democrat Rahm Emanuel in 2015, according to OpenSecrets. Emanuel was the Chicago mayor at the time and Musk was a California billionaire.

Musk only donated to Democrats in 2015, before starting to give to Republicans again in 2016, when former President Donald Trump was running to succeed President Barack Obama.

Original Article

Nevada Demo Win May Spell Doom for McConnell (Newsmax)

By John Gizzi Sunday, 13 November 2022 07:46 AM EST Current | Bio | Archive

​The reports that Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto had pulled ahead of Republican challenger Adam Laxalt in Nevada Saturday night spells certain Democratic retention of the Senate.

It also may be the beginning of the end of Mitch McConnell’s time as Senate Republican leader, Senate sources told Newsmax.

With near-final results coming in the Silver State’s Senate race, Cortez Masto had pulled ahead of Laxalt, grandson of the late Gov. and Sen. Paul Laxalt. The Republican had been leading in the count since Tuesday night and was up by as many as 22,000 as of Saturday morning. But late-counted votes from Clark County (Las Vegas) finally put Cortez Masto ahead by fewer than 1000 votes by 9:00 PM EST.

Should the Nevada Democrat’s lead hold up, Senate Democrats will have the 50 seats they need to maintain the current tie between the parties. That means that Vice President Kamala Harris will cast the tie-breaking vote to determine who rules, and that even if Republican Herschel Walker wins the run-off in Georgia December 6, it won’t change who’s in charge of the Senate.

It also raises the odds considerably on a possible coup against Senate Republican Leader McConnell. The longest-serving leader of either party in the Senate after sixteen years, the Kentuckian had been expected to be re-elected to his leadership position next week following a triumph that brought the GOP to a majority in the Senate once again.

But it didn’t happen that way and discussion is growing that the leadership elections scheduled next week will be postponed—possibly to have a discussion among GOP senators about why they failed to make a net gain of one Senate seat they need to become a majority.

Among those reportedly supporting a postponement of leadership elections are Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Josh Hawley (Mo.), and Mike Lee (Utah). Scott is mentioned as a potential challenger to McConnell for leader, as is Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.).

For his part, McConnell, 80, has yet to say what his plans are regarding his position as leader.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.

Original Article

Colorado's Rep. Boebert Headed to Photo-Finish Re-Election (Newsmax)

By John Gizzi Sunday, 13 November 2022 07:32 AM EST Current | Bio | Archive

​One of the most controversial — if not the most controversial — of House Republicans appeared headed toward eking out re-election Saturday night.

With more than 323,000 votes counted, freshman Rep. Lauren Boebert was leading in Colorado’s 3rd District (Western Colorado) by 1,122 votes (or about 1 percent of the total) over centrist Democrat Adam Frisch. A recount was very possible but all signs pointed to the outspoken Boebert securing re-election.

That the race was so close in what is perhaps the most Republican House district in the Centennial State was a story in itself. Boebert, famous for running a bar in which waitresses openly packed guns, made national news in 2020 by unseating five-term Republican Rep. Scott Tipton and then going on to win in the fall as an all-out Trump Republican.

In the last two years, she joined the former president in charging the 2020 election was fraudulent and at one point defied Speaker Nancy Pelosi by refusing a bag check at the House floor for concealed weapons.

Frisch ran as a moderate and distanced himself from Joe Biden and his administration. But he emphasized his pro-choice position in contrast to those of Boebert, an outspoken pro-lifer who supported the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.

In the end, Frisch ran stronger than any 3rd District Democrat in recent history. But it apparently was not enough to stop Boebert in their 26-county district.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.

Original Article

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:23 PM PT – Saturday, November 12, 2022

The Associated Press has projected that Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto has won Nevada’s Senate race.

Trump endorsed Senate nominee Adam Laxalt’s (R-Nev.) race against incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) has been marked as one of most competitive to watch nationwide, with a pivotal seat up for grabs in Nevada. The two have been locked in a dead heat as the race was likely set to determine whether or not the Republicans flip the Senate red.

Laxalt is a former Naval Officer and Iraq war Veteran. He also served as the state’s 33rd Attorney General and is the grandson of late Nevada Governor and Senator Paul Laxalt.

In addition to garnering support from President Donald J. Trump, the Republican also received endorsements from Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former Democrat Representative Tulsi Gabbard.

“He’s a great guy, great talent, he’s going places,” Trump said.

The Republican’s campaign affirmed that he plans to focus on lowering inflation, fight to have secure elections and a secure border, restore law and order and he hoped to support Nevada’s hardworking families.

Cortez Masto is a former two-term state Attorney General and made history by being the first Latina elected to the Senate in 2016. She is a well-known advocate for seniors, women and children. The Democrat has continued in Congress by working to pass legislation to strengthen women’s health care.

Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Cortez Masto in Nevada weeks before the election in the lefts desperate hope to rally up support for what they viewed as the most vulnerable Democrat seat.

Election results came in slowly. Laxalt took an early lead and maintained it until Saturday. The Associated Press called the race on Saturday night. 98% of the votes had been counted. Cortez Masto won with 48.8% or 487,829 votes compared to Laxalt’s 48.1% or 481,273 votes.

Cortez Masto winning the seat means that the Democrats retain control of the Senate.

There is no automatic recount law in Nevada. However, the losing candidate is allowed to demand a recount after all the votes are tallied.

Laxalt has yet to comment on the results.

Original Article Oann

Dems Keep Senate; Cortez Masto Wins Nevada Republican Adam Laxalt, left and Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (AP)

NICHOLAS RICCARDI and KEN RITTER Saturday, 12 November 2022 07:16 PM EST

Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto won election to a second term representing Nevada on Saturday, defeating Republican Adam Laxalt to clinch the party’s control of the chamber for the next two years of Joe Biden’s presidency.

With Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s victory in Arizona on Friday, Democrats now hold a 50-49 edge in the Senate. The party will retain control of the chamber, no matter how next month’s Georgia runoff plays out, by virtue of Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote.

Democrats’ hold on the Senate is a blow to Republicans’ high hopes of wresting away control of Congress in a midterm election that typically favors the party out of power. It was still unclear which party would control the House of Representatives as counting continued in razor-tight races in California and a smattering of other states.

Cortez Masto, the first Latina in the Senate, was considered the most vulnerable Democratic senator in the midterm elections, and the Republican Party had high hopes of flipping the seat. But despite an influx of spending on attack ads from national GOP groups, Cortez Masto managed to secure her reelection bid.

Nevada’s vote count took several days partly because of the mail voting system created by the state Legislature in 2020 that requires counties to accept ballots postmarked by Election Day if they arrive up to four days later. Laxalt had an early lead that dwindled after late-counted ballots came in from the state’s population centers in Las Vegas and Reno.

Cortez Masto, the state’s former two-term attorney general, focused her Senate campaign on the increasing threat to abortion access nationwide and worked to court the state’s Spanish-speaking residents and hourly wage earners, pointing out her support of a permanent pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers” and regularly visiting union halls and workers’ groups.

Her fundraising far outpaced Laxalt’s. She spent nearly $47 million and had more than $6 million in cash on hand through mid-October, according to OpenSecrets. Laxalt spent nearly $13 million and had about $3 million remaining during the same time.

Laxalt, a former Nevada attorney general himself who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2018, focused on rising inflation and a struggling economy for much of his campaign, attempting to tie voters’ financial woes to policies advanced by Democrats in Congress and Biden.

Former President Donald Trump, who twice lost Nevada in his White House runs, came to the state twice to rally for Laxalt and other Republican candidates.

Democrats had an uphill battle given the nation’s turbulent economy, and Nevada exemplified the party’s challenges. The state is one of the most diverse in the nation, and its largely working class population often lives paycheck to paycheck and has struggled with both inflation and the aftershocks of the shutdown of Las Vegas’ tourist-based economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roughly three-fourths of Nevada voters said the country is headed in the wrong direction, and about 5 in 10 called the economy the most important issue facing the country, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of 2,100 of the state’s voters.

Voters viewed the economy negatively, with VoteCast finding nearly 8 in 10 saying economic conditions are either not so good or poor. Only about 2 in 10 called the economy excellent or good. And about a third of voters said their families are falling behind financially.

But that didn’t necessarily translate into anger at President Joe Biden or his party. About half considered inflation the most important issue facing the U.S., but they were evenly split over whether they think higher prices are due to Biden’s policies or factors outside his control.

Nevada is also a famously live-and-let-live state, and Cortez Masto’s message on preserving abortion rights resonated. According to VoteCast, 7 in 10 wanted the procedure kept legal in all or most cases.

Original Article

YouGov Poll: DeSantis Rises Up to Virtual Tie With Trump (Newsmax/"Greg Kelly Reports")

By Eric Mack | Saturday, 12 November 2022 06:39 PM EST

There are growing calls against former President Donald Trump running for reelection after the results of the midterm elections, and the latest YouGov poll shows Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis now a slight favorite ahead among Republicans.

DeSantis is drawing 40.9% support compared to Trump's 39.4%, a 1.5-point edge that lies within the margin of error and makes this hypothetical 2024 GOP nominee choice a virtual tie.

But GOP-leaning independents choose DeSantis (42%) by 7 percentage points over Trump (35%), which is outside the margin of error.

The YouGov poll result is the reportedly the first time since 2016 that Trump's support among Republicans has shown fractures, according to the New York Post.

The numbers are more favorable to Trump among "strong Republicans," as that voting bloc wants Trump (45%) over DeSantis (43%). DeSantis is the 7-point favorite among "not very strong Republicans" (38%-31%) and a 24-point favorite among those who "lean toward the Republican Party."

YouGov polling last month had Trump (45%) as a 10-point favorite over DeSantis (35%).

The Economist/YouGov polled 1,500 Americans Nov. 9-11, including 413 self-identified Republicans and GOP leaners. The total sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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YouGov Poll: DeSantis Rises Up to Virtual Tie With Trump (Newsmax/"Greg Kelly Reports")

By Eric Mack | Saturday, 12 November 2022 06:39 PM EST

There are growing calls against former President Donald Trump running for reelection after the results of the midterm elections, and the latest YouGov poll shows Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis now a slight favorite ahead among Republicans.

DeSantis is drawing 40.9% support compared to Trump's 39.4%, a 1.5-point edge that lies within the margin of error and makes this hypothetical 2024 GOP nominee choice a virtual tie.

But GOP-leaning independents choose DeSantis (42%) by 7 percentage points over Trump (35%), which is outside the margin of error.

The YouGov poll result is the reportedly the first time since 2016 that Trump's support among Republicans has shown fractures, according to the New York Post.

The numbers are more favorable to Trump among "strong Republicans," as that voting bloc wants Trump (45%) over DeSantis (43%). DeSantis is the 7-point favorite among "not very strong Republicans" (38%-31%) and a 24-point favorite among those who "lean toward the Republican Party."

YouGov polling last month had Trump (45%) as a 10-point favorite over DeSantis (35%).

The Economist/YouGov polled 1,500 Americans Nov. 9-11, including 413 self-identified Republicans and GOP leaners. The total sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Dick Morris to Newsmax: Trump Will Have 2022 'Success Stories' at Launch Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media during an election night event at Mar-a-Lago on November 08, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump spoke as the nation awaits the results of voting in the midterm elections. (Joe Raedle/Getty)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Saturday, 12 November 2022 02:27 PM EST

Former President Donald Trump won't only officially announce his 2024 presidential race Tuesday, but he'll surround himself with his "success stories" from the 2022 midterm races, Dick Morris, author of the bestselling "The Return: Trump's Big 2024 Comeback" said on Newsmax Saturday.

"The Democrats are launching an anti-Trump disinformation campaign saying he lost everything, and he didn't," Morris said on Newsmax's "Saturday Report," adding that there are several GOP candidates who would not have won their senatorial races, including J.D. Vance in Ohio, Ted Budd in North Carolina, Markwayn Mullin in Oklahoma, Eric Schmitt in Missouri, Sen. Ron Johnson in Wisconsin.

He also said Kari Lake will likely pull out her win for governor in Arizona, once the ballots are counted, and she'll be part of his announcement celebration Tuesday to kick off a "very good, very strong campaign that, as I predicted in my book, will result in his big 2024 comeback."

There has been some calls for Trump to wait until after Georgia's Senate runoff race on Dec. 6 between Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker, but Morris said he doesn't think that date will make a difference, as he believes Nevada's Senate race, "is in the process of being stolen."

GOP candidate Adam Laxalt, said Morris, has been ahead in every poll for three months, but as votes come in in Nevada that "they didn't know existed," they "always end up being pro-Democrat."

Fewer than 1,000 votes now separate Laxalt and incumbent Democrat Sen Catherine Cortez Masto, and Morris pushed back at suggestions that the elections system in Nevada might simply be "dysfunctional.'

"It's dysfunctional in one direction, which is toward the Democrats," said Morris.

But in Arizona, there remain about 200,00 votes to be counted, which he said will probably be enough to allow Lake to pull out the win.

Trump-backed Republican Blake Masters on Friday lost his race against Arizona Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly and Republican Mark Fincham lost to Democrat Adrian Fontes for secretary of state, leaving only Lake's gubernatorial hopes up in the air.

But in any case "Trump has to march to the beat of his own calendar," said Morris. "I think he's just very anxious to launch right now."

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27 House Races Remain Too Close to Call; GOP Needs 8 for Majority (Newsmax)

By Eric Mack | Saturday, 12 November 2022 02:29 PM EST

As former President Donald Trump rails on the slow-walking of election results in key battleground states of Arizona and Nevada, there remain 27 House races still too close to call – mostly in Democrat-run state elections.

Republicans, who have record a net gain thus far of plus-7 seats, have won 210 House races, according to Newsmax's latest projections. Democrats have clinched 198. So, with 27 remaining, Republicans need to go just 8-19 in those final races to secure the 218 seats needed to clinch the majority. Democrats would have to go 20-7.

"It will absolutely come down to California," Cook Political Report's David Wasserman told the L.A. Times. "It's the single largest cluster of races that are too close to call. It could remain that way for several days."

Here are the 11 races in which Republicans are leading:

1. Colorado District 3 – Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., leading Democrat Adam Frisch by 1,122 votes.
2. California District 27 – Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., leads by nearly 12 percentage points.
3. California District 13 – Republican John Duarte leads by 84 votes.
4. California District 3 – Republican Kevin Kiley leads by almost 6 points.
5. California District 22 – Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., leads by more than 5 points.
6. California District 41 – Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., leads by 1,598 votes.
7. Oregon District 5 – Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer leads by little more than 2.3 percentage points.
8. New York District 19: Republican Marcus Molinaro leads by more than 2 percentage points.
9. New York District 22: Republican Brandon Williams leads by 3,925 votes.
10. New York District 4: Republican Anthony D'Esposito leads by nearly 4 points.
11. California District 45: Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Calif., leads by more than 8 points.

Here are 14 races where Democrats are leading:

1. Alaska's lone House seat – Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich in the ranked-choice voting format, which would need Begich or Palin voters to have the other ranked No. 2 on their ballot by a vast majority. That will not be decided until Nov. 23.
2. Maine District 2 – Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, leads Bruce Poliquin by less than 4 point.
3. Arizona District 1 – Democrat Jevin Hodge leads Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., by 4,029 votes.
4. Washington District 3 – Democrat Marie Pérez leads Republican Joe Kent by 4,959 votes.
5. Oregon District 6 – Democrat Andrea Salinas leads Republican Mike Erickson by 4,058 votes.
6. California District 49 – Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., leads Republican Brian Maryoff by 9,073 votes.
7. California District 9 – Rep. Josh Harder, D-Calif., leads Republican Tom Patti by more than 12 points.
8. California District 26 – Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., leads Republican Matt Jacobs by more than 8 points.
9. California District 21 – Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., leads Republican Michael Maher by around 9 points.
10. California District 16 – Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., leads by more than 17 points.
11. California District 6: Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., leads by more than 12 points.
12. California District 15: Democrat Kevin Mullin leads by more than 12 points.
13. California District 47: Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., leads Republican Scott Baugh by 4,555 votes.
14. California District 41: Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., leads Republican Aja Smith by more than 13 points.

The Senate still remains in the balance, and could even be won before Georgia's Dec. 6 runoff election between Republican Herschel Walker and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.

With Republicans and Democrats both holding 49 Senate seats after Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., was projected to win his reelection over Blake Masters, the race for Senate in Nevada keeps the majority in the balance. Democrats only need to get to 50 because of Vice President Kamala Harris' tiebreaking vote.

Republican Adam Laxalt leads incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, D-Nev., by just 862 votes.

27 House Races Remain Too Close to Call; GOP Needs 8 for Majority (Newsmax)

By Eric Mack | Saturday, 12 November 2022 02:29 PM EST

As former President Donald Trump rails on the slow-walking of election results in key battleground states of Arizona and Nevada, there remain 27 House races still too close to call – mostly in Democrat-run state elections.

Republicans, who have record a net gain thus far of plus-7 seats, have won 210 House races, according to Newsmax's latest projections. Democrats have clinched 198. So, with 27 remaining, Republicans need to go just 8-19 in those final races to secure the 218 seats needed to clinch the majority. Democrats would have to go 20-7.

"It will absolutely come down to California," Cook Political Report's David Wasserman told the L.A. Times. "It's the single largest cluster of races that are too close to call. It could remain that way for several days."

Here are the 11 races in which Republicans are leading:

1. Colorado District 3 – Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., leading Democrat Adam Frisch by 1,122 votes.
2. California District 27 – Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., leads by nearly 12 percentage points.
3. California District 13 – Republican John Duarte leads by 84 votes.
4. California District 3 – Republican Kevin Kiley leads by almost 6 points.
5. California District 22 – Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., leads by more than 5 points.
6. California District 41 – Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., leads by 1,598 votes.
7. Oregon District 5 – Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer leads by little more than 2.3 percentage points.
8. New York District 19: Republican Marcus Molinaro leads by more than 2 percentage points.
9. New York District 22: Republican Brandon Williams leads by 3,925 votes.
10. New York District 4: Republican Anthony D'Esposito leads by nearly 4 points.
11. California District 45: Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Calif., leads by more than 8 points.

Here are 14 races where Democrats are leading:

1. Alaska's lone House seat – Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich in the ranked-choice voting format, which would need Begich or Palin voters to have the other ranked No. 2 on their ballot by a vast majority. That will not be decided until Nov. 23.
2. Maine District 2 – Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, leads Bruce Poliquin by less than 4 point.
3. Arizona District 1 – Democrat Jevin Hodge leads Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., by 4,029 votes.
4. Washington District 3 – Democrat Marie Pérez leads Republican Joe Kent by 4,959 votes.
5. Oregon District 6 – Democrat Andrea Salinas leads Republican Mike Erickson by 4,058 votes.
6. California District 49 – Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., leads Republican Brian Maryoff by 9,073 votes.
7. California District 9 – Rep. Josh Harder, D-Calif., leads Republican Tom Patti by more than 12 points.
8. California District 26 – Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., leads Republican Matt Jacobs by more than 8 points.
9. California District 21 – Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., leads Republican Michael Maher by around 9 points.
10. California District 16 – Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., leads by more than 17 points.
11. California District 6: Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., leads by more than 12 points.
12. California District 15: Democrat Kevin Mullin leads by more than 12 points.
13. California District 47: Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., leads Republican Scott Baugh by 4,555 votes.
14. California District 41: Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., leads Republican Aja Smith by more than 13 points.

The Senate still remains in the balance, and could even be won before Georgia's Dec. 6 runoff election between Republican Herschel Walker and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.

With Republicans and Democrats both holding 49 Senate seats after Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., was projected to win his reelection over Blake Masters, the race for Senate in Nevada keeps the majority in the balance. Democrats only need to get to 50 because of Vice President Kamala Harris' tiebreaking vote.

Republican Adam Laxalt leads incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, D-Nev., by just 862 votes.

Original Article

Rep.-Elect Mills to Newsmax: Florida Chose Me as 'Outsider'

Cory Mills, U.S. Republican Representative candidate for Florida, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 24, 2022. (Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Saturday, 12 November 2022 01:14 PM EST

Rep.-elect Cory Mills attributed his decisive win in Florida's 7th Congressional District against incumbent Rep. Stephanie Murphy to being a political outsider.

"We outperformed with almost 17 points above our opponent who's the vice chair of the Democratic Party of Florida, and I think that what really swung the vote with our non-party affiliations and also with even Democrats was that they didn't see me as a politician," the Florida Republican said on Newsmax's "Saturday Report."

"I'm a political outsider, businessman, and a United States Army combat veteran. They saw me as a person of action."

He noted that he paused his campaign to go to Afghanistan to help rescue Americans who were left behind in the "botched withdrawal."

"They saw me roll up my sleeves in hurricane Ian, delivering food and going out and doing rescues and evacuations in the flooded areas of Seminole and Volusia counties," Mills added.

"So what they looked at was that I was the person that wouldn't stop it for cheap political rhetoric and that I was actually going to get the job done," said Mills.

He said he fights hard for state and individual rights, and talks all the time about constitutionality and what it is to be a fiscal conservative.

"I explained to people, don't focus just on federal races," said Mills. "Look at our school boards. Look at our commissioners. Look at our city councils. Look at our mayoral races. These are the people who make real changes and this is where we need to have the most impact."

Mills also hit back at CNN's Ana Navarro, who made claims against Gov. Ron DeSantis and his win to get into office, and commented that the bottom line is that people see "real leadership" in Florida.

However, Mills said he does not yet know whether DeSantis is running for president, but he does think people are trying to pit him and former President Donald Trump against each other.

"I would personally love to see President Donald Trump have four years and Gov. DeSantis eight years," said Mills. "Twelve years of stewardship and leadership will be good for the nation."

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Rep.-Elect Lawler to Newsmax: Maloney Should Look at His Own Failures

Rep.-elect Mike Lawler at a press conference with his wife and daughter (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Saturday, 12 November 2022 12:18 PM EST

Rep.-elect Mike Lawler, the Republican first-time candidate who defeated New York Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney last week, said Saturday that the outgoing lawmaker should look at his own failures rather than placing blame for his loss.

"He's failing to recognize that he was part of the problem," Lawler said on Newsmax's "Saturday Report." "Their message did not resonate in the suburbs. They wanted to talk about Donald Trump and they wanted to talk about abortion, and they want to talk about guns, but they did not address the issues that were impacting people on a day-to-day basis, which were inflation and crime."

And, Lawler added, "by the time they got around to talking about it, it was too late."

Maloney, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had harsh words for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and others in an interview with The New York Times two days after his loss.

But Lawler said Saturday that rather than staying in New York to campaign, Maloney was "gallivanting across the globe, going to Paris and London and Geneva to raise money for [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi."

"I was talking to the voters in the district and addressing their concerns. And I think, ultimately, we prevailed in the suburbs of New York in large part because of the one-party rule that has been going on in New York for a long time," said Lawler. "Coupled together with what was going on in Washington, voters wanted change, and they delivered it."

Lawler Saturday also attributed his win, in part, to having a "fair set of maps" after courts ruled that Democrat maps were "gerrymandered and unconstitutional."

"Secondly, Democrats control everything in Washington, Albany and New York City for the first time in our nation's history. And I think voters were upset with what was going on with respect to the cost of living and crime, and they wanted to restore some balance and common sense," said Lawler.

Further, Maloney represents the 18th Congressional District now, but he chose to run in the 17th, which includes only about 25% of his current district, leaving 75% of the district "new to him."

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