Four More Years II- the Third Obama Administration

[America Needs R'hllor]

March 30th, 2018

Baldwin begins work with lawmakers on gun control bill; Senators Collins, Graham and Nelson to co-sponsor



WASHINGTON, D.C. - Following a series of meetings and discussions from Democratic and Republican lawmakers, Vice President Tammy Baldwin begun work on the comprehensive gun control reform promised by the Obama administration. Baldwin aides said that the work will be "more flexible" than Gore's Inconvenient Gang, which had very particular Senators taking part- this time Baldwin and her allies will invite all lawmakers who wish to contribute to give their ideas. However, the co-sponsors of the bill were already decided- in the Senate, where the legislation is expected to be introduced first, it'll be Senators Gwen Graham (D-FL), Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The Florida Senators have become strong champions for gun control following the shooting in their state, and Collins will bring bipartisanship and crucial Republican support to the efforts. This is a particular risk for Nelson, who's running for reelection in a potentially tough race this year. Meanwhile, in the House, U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch (D-FL), Charlie Crist (D-FL), Charlie Dent (R-PA) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) will be the co-sponsors of the bill, promising a bipartisan effort with probably support from most of the moderate Republican Tuesday Group. Gun control activist Cameron Kasky said that the work is "a good step forward", and fellow Parkland survivor Emma Gonzales agreed, and added that "we'll be waiting to see how well it actually goes, and will not remain silent".

April 4th, 2018

West Virginia Republican Senate primary in uncertain state; Republican leaders worry about Blankenship



CHARLESTON - One of the most exciting and confusing primaries of the midterm session is probably the one in West Virginia, where four Republicans are vying for their party's nomination to face former Senator Carte Goodwin (D) in what is considered a very likely Republican pickup. However, that may be in danger of being sabotaged, as former business executive and convicted felon Don Blankenship appears to be gaining steam. As U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins and State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey fight for establishment support and the Rand Paul-endorsed libertarian-Republican State Delegate Pat McGeehan chips away at them and gains strength too. If Blankenship, who was convicted of willfully violating mine safety standards following the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in which 29 miners were killed, somehow squeaks by his stronger opponents and win the Republican nomination, this could endaner Republicans' chances in this race. Thus, Republican leaders started pushing against him, and a PAC affilliated with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell already released ads attacking the far-right businessman for his felonies. Blankenship is pushing against them, dubbing McConnell "Cocaine Mitch" and trying to claim the mantle of a local West Virginian fighting against the establishment. Whether he's successful remains to be seen.

West Virginia Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
State Att. Gen. Patrick Morrisey- 25%
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins- 22%
Businessman Don Blankenship- 22%
State Delegate Pat McGeehan- 20%
Undecided/Other- 11%

West Virginia Senate Election (General)- Polling
Republican Candidate- 51%
Fmr. Senator Carte Goodwin- 39%
Undecided/Other- 10%

April 14th, 2018

U.S., Britain and France conduct joint attack on Syrian military bases; Stavridis says Russia, Iran must dramatically reduce forces "soon"



DAMASCUS - Following another chemical attack of the Assad regime on Syrian citizens, killing more than a hundred with Sarin gas, the Obama administration is ramping up its involvement in Syria. Last night, the American airforce, joined by those of France and Britain, conducted extensive airstrikes in Syria, destroying several military and airforce bases and reportedly destroying some chemical weapons sites. The strikes lead to confusion, since Israel had been conducting similar strikes just a day before against Iranian targets, but Defence Secretary Ash Carter confirmed that the U.S. and its allies conducted the strikes, as did French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May. However, it looks like the West is losing patience with Assad and his allies- National Security Advisor James Stavridis said in a recent interview that Russia and Iran defending Assad is "complicit with his monstrous actions", and added an explicit threat, claiming that the U.S. will "not be afraid" to directly engage in Syria if Russia and Iran do not withdraw substantial forces "very soon". Asked whether that could involve boots on the ground, Stavridis said that it will "definitely not be a full-scale involvement", but confirmed that there are "many military options on the table". Stavridis further added that Russian-Iranian withdrawal from southern Syria, where Iranian involvement threatens American ally Israel, which causes "instability in the region" due to Israeli strikes in response, would be "a good start".

April 21st, 2018

Republicans land two key recruitments as fmr. Sen. Coleman, fmr. Gov. Pawlenty declare bids to return to their previous offices in Minnesota



MINNEAPOLIS - The 2018 midterms appear to be getting more and more difficult for President Obama's party. In Minnesota, where former Senator Al Franken's resignation due to sexual harrassment allegations triggered a 2018 special election, Democrats now have to defend both the Governor's Mansion and a Senate seat. Now, the Republicans have landed two strong recruits for the seats- former Governor Tim Pawlenty, a major figure of the Minnesota GOP who still has popularity in the state, declared a bid to return to his old job, claiming that it's time to change the "stagnation and taxation of the Democratic policies". However, he's facing a potentially strong opponent in the Republican primary- former U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann who, like him, ran for President in 2012, is running as a firebrand conservative, and is supported by the more radical parts of the base, which makes her a strong candidate in the primary despite very controversial comments in the past. Additionally, former Senator Norm Coleman, a moderate defeated by Al Franken back in 2008, surprised everyone by announcing that he, too, will run for his old seat against appointed incumbent Tina Smith. Coleman, 68, touted his bipartisan record, claiming that Smith is a "puppet of the Democratic establishment that does not contribute Minnesota's unique, independent voice" and pledging to represent "Minnesota values" in the Senate. Asked about previous socially conservative positions, Coleman said that he "obviously evolved" on issues such as same-sex marriage, a clear attempt to keep himself at pace with the changing times. Polls are showing tight races in the general election, with Pawlenty favoured in the Republican gubernatorial primary and Coleman virtually unopposed in the Senate primary.

Minnesota Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Tina Smith*- 43%
Fmr. Senator Norm Coleman- 41%
Undecided/Other- 16%

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
Fmr. Governor Tim Pawlenty- 35%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann- 31%
Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens- 11%
County Commissioner Jeff Johnson- 9%
Undecided/Other- 14%

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Polling
Fmr. Mayor Chris Coleman- 22%
State Rep. Erin Murphy- 19%
State Auditor Rebecca Otto- 15%
Fmr. Mayor R. T. Rybak-  12%
State Rep. Paul Thissen- 6%
Undecided/Other- 26%

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election (General)- Pawlenty vs Democrat Polling
Democratic Candidate- 45%
Fmr. Governor Tim Pawlenty- 42%
Undecided/Other- 13%

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election (General)- Bachmann vs Democrat Polling
Democratic Candidate- 49%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann- 34%
Undecided/Other- 17%

April 27th, 2018

Following continuous pressure form U.S. and allies, Kim Jong Un crosses DMZ for historic meeting with Southern counterpart



SEOUL - History was made today in the Korean Peninsula. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un crossed the demilitarized zone, becoming the first leader of his country to do so, and met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The meeting of the two enemies is a surprising turnaround for Kim, consdiering the recent increase in ballistic missile tests by the North, and even more surprising is his reported willingness in the meeting to negotiate a de-nuclearization. Most pundits speculate that the heavy economic sanctions passed through the UN by U.S. Ambassador Olympia Snow, as well as the military threats should the North Koreans continue their tests, have pressured Kim into his newfound wish to compromise. However, U.S. officials didn't show much excitement- Secretary of State Joe Biden applauded the meeting as a "good step for peace", but added that "we will need more from the Kim Regime to show that they're actually willing to cease being a threat to U.S. allies and to change their horrible domestic behaviour and human rights abuses", and NSA James Stavridis said that America will "continue standing vigil".

May 2nd, 2018

Democrats reportedly worried about open elections in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and the Ohio race, where Brown prepares to face Gov. Kasich



COLUMBUS - In 2018, Democrats are bracing for a tough battle to defend several Senate seats in deeply Republican territory, such as West Virginia, North Dakota, Indiana, Missouri and Montana. However, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, headed by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), is worried that the party's losses could be expanded to other places such as swing states or even Democratic-leaning states. Their biggest worry, according to sources inside the DSCC, appears to be the Ohio Senate race, where incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown (D) was considered favoured for reelection until the state's popular governor, John Kasich, announced his own Senate run. A popular two-term Governor and former 2016 Republican Presidential candidate, Kasich is a powerful challenger to the popular Senator Brown, especially in an unfavourable environment for Democrats, and the DSCC sees it as one of the closest races in the country. Additionally, two unexpectedly open seats are causing stress amongst Democratic leaders. In Minnesota, incumbent Tina Smith, appointed after the resignation of scandal-ridden Seantor Al Franken, is little-known and facing a well-known, popular former Senator. Demcorats are hoping that painting Coleman as a conservative flip-flopper trying to appear moderate and a lobbyist, but they're still afraid that with a fairly weak incumbent, they could lose this crucial seat. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the tragic death of Senator Bob Casey Jr. lead to widespread sympathy for state Democrats, and Governor Tom Wolf is a strong candidate for the seat, but the DSCC is afraid that, without the powerful incumbency of Casey Jr., this race could also get competitive. Democrats are especially afraid of Tom Ridge, a former moderate and popular Governor, beating the controversial, almost unelectable Rick Santorum for the nomination and becoming a real challenge to Wolf in November. they're also afraid that Wolf's depature to the Senate race could lead to a loss of the state's Governor's Mansion. Losing these three seats could prove very problematic for Democratic chances to keep the Senate, even with a currently strong 56-44 majority.

Ohio Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
Governor John Kasich- 48%
State Treasurer Josh Mandel- 27%
Businesswoman Melissa Ackison- 5%
Undecided/Other- 20%

Ohio Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Sherrod Brown*- 46%
Governor John Kasich- 43%
Undecided/Other- 11%

Pennsylvania Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
Fmr. Senator Rick Santorum- 36%
Fmr. Governor Tom Ridge- 35%
U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta- 14%
State Rep. Rick Saccone- 2%
Undecided/Other- 13%

Pennsylvania Senate Election (General)- Wolf vs Santorum Polling
Governor Tom Wolf- 49%
Fmr. Senator Rick Santorum- 37%
Undecided/Other- 14%

Pennsylvania Senate Election (General)- Wolf vs Ridge Polling
Governor Tom Wolf- 46%
Fmr. Governor Tom Ridge- 41%
Undecided/Other- 13%

[America Needs R'hllor]

May 3rd, 2018

Former Senator Rubio declares last-minute Senate bid, upending the race and challenging Governor Scott; Huckabee, Jolly to run for Governor



MIAMI - Florida's political scene is in turmoil after a last-minute Senate bid announced by Marco Rubio, a former Senator and Presidential candidate who lost reelection to Senator Gwen Graham (D) in 2016. Rubio, who was pondering whether to run for Governor instead, reportedly decided in favour of an attempt to return to the Senate because he wanted to "have a voice in the national stage" which a governor's mansion did not provide. He was also fueled by an increasingly frosty, and even hostile relationship with Governor Scott- when Rubio attended CNN's gun control townhall, Scott reportedly privately lashed out at him for "playing into the hands of the liberals and hurting us all", and the two seem to be sparring for political power in the state, so Rubio did not wish to give his rival a Senate seat. In his announcement, Rubio said that he wants to continue fighting for "conservative and Florida values in Washington" and warned that "the other candidates" will not be able to defeat popular incumbent Bill Nelson (D). The former Senator will be challenging Governor Rick Scott (R) in what is likely to be a close and high-spending primary race, in which the rich Governor will try to counter Rubio's name recognition and popularity in the state. This also puts Republican leaders, who hoped Rubio would run for Governor, in a tough spot. Scott did not give Rubio a warm welcome, instead saying that "Floridans will choose a proven reformer over a failed candidate". The move opened up the Governor's race for a new flock of Republican candidates to challenge Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, who are already running. And indeed, two new candidates quickly entered the race- moderate former U.S. Rep. David Jolly dropped down from the Senate race to run for Governor, and he was joined by the conservative former Arkansas Governor and Presidential candidate in 2008 and 2016, Mike Huckabee, who moved to northern Florida years ago and is popular in the area. The race is expected to get even more crowded in the coming month. The gubernatorial race is expected to lean towards the Republican nominee, especially with renowned lawyer and marijuanna legalization advocate John Morgan running as an independent.

Florida Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
Governor Rick Scott- 36%
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio- 36%
State Att. Gen. Pam Bondy- 19%
Undecided/Other- 9%

Florida Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Bill Nelson*- 45%
Republican Candidate- 44%
Undecided/Other- 11%

Florida Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
AG Commissioner Adam Putnam- 27%
Fmr. AR Governor Mike Huckabee- 24%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. David Jolly- 18%
U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis- 16%
Undecided/Other- 15%

Florida Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Polling
Mayor Philip Levine- 35%
Businessman Jeff Greene- 18%
Mayor Andrew Gillum- 16%
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle- 8%
Entrepreneur Chris King- 5%
Undecided/Other- 17%

Florida Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Republican Candidate- 34%
Democratic Candidate- 31%
Lawyer John Morgan- 22%
Undecided/Other- 13%

May 8th, 2018

Don Blankenship scores shocking upset for West Virginia Republican Senate nomination, will face Goodwin in general election as first multi-state midterm primaries are held; Kasich, Young win Senate nominations in Ohio, Indiana



CHARLESTON - The first set of multi-state midterm primaries for this year's midterm election was held tonight in Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia, deciding the nominees of the major parties for key Governor, Senate and House races. The biggest shock and most important story of the night was the West Virignia Republican primary for retiring Joe Manchin's Senate seat, considered a key pickup opportunity for Republicans- there, in a blow to Mitch McConnell and Republican leaders, far-right controversial businessman Don Blankenship scored a shocking upset, using the split in the "establishment" vote in order to win a narrow plurality. Meanwhile, young State Delegate Pat McGeehan, endorsed by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) came a surprising strong third, beating establishment favourite U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins and showing an increasing strength of the Republican Libertarian wing. Blankenship is very unpopular in West Virginia due to his death-causing felonies, and thus, his victory in the primary is considered a potential good news for Democrats. Their candidate, the young former Senator Carte Goodwin who was reportedly recruited by President Obama, is a failed gubernatorial candidate from 2016 whose family is popular in the state, and could put the seat back in play for them. Polls are showing a tight race for Goodwin against Blankenship, while the other Republican candidates would've easily won.

West Virginia Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
Businessman Don Blankenship- 26.1% ✓
State Att. Gen. Patrick Morrisey- 23.6%
State Delegate Pat McGeehan- 22.7%
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins- 21.2%
Others- 6.4%

West Virginia Senate Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Fmr. Senator Carte Goodwin- 86.5% ✓
Activist Paula Jean Swearengin- 13.5%

West Virginia Senate Election (General)- Polling
Businessman Don Blankenship- 39%
Fmr. Senator Carte Goodwin- 36%
Undecided/Other- 25%

Meanwhile, in the other key races of the night, fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Young, who lost the 2016 Senate race to Senator Evan Bayh (D), managed to get the support of Republican voters again, defeating a wide field to face incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly in November. Young, a fairly moderate and popular figure who gave an admirable challenge to a popular Indiana politician less than two years ago, is favoured in the race against Donnelly, who's facing a tough national environment and criticism for his votes for Al Gore's Environmental Protection and Clean Energy Act. Right now, with Senators Bayh and Donnelly, as well as Governor Buttigieg, the conservative Indiana has a Democratic trifecta. In Ohio, following a surprising late entry to the race, Governor John Kasich (R), a wildly popular figure in the state, handily won the Republican Senate nomination to face another Ohio political titan, Senator Sherrod Brown (D). This race is likely to be one of the most closely-watched and tight Senate elections in the country. For the gubernatorial race, Ohio Attorney General and former Senator Mike Dewine won the Republican nomination and will be facing State Senator Joe Schiavoni, who won the Democratic nomination after CFPB Director Richard Cordray declined to run.

Indiana Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Young- 33.8% ✓
Fmr. State Rep. Mike Braun- 27.5%
U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita- 21.3%
U.S. Rep. Luke Messer- 17.4%

Indiana Senate Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Young- 48%
Senator Joe Donnelly*- 40%
Undecided/Other- 12%

Ohio Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Governor John Kasich- 55.2% ✓
State Treasurer Josh Mandel- 31.8%
Businesswoman Melissa Ackison- 7.5%
Others- 5.5%

Ohio Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Sherrod Brown*- 46%
Governor John Kasich- 45%
Undecided/Other- 9%

Ohio Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
State Attorney General Mike DeWine- 38.4% ✓
Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor- 35.7%
U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci- 25.9%

Ohio Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
State Sen. Joe Schiavoni- 30.3% ✓
Mayor Nan Whaley- 23.8%
Fmr. State Rep. Connie Pillich- 22.6%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich- 19.8%
State Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill- 1.9%
Others- 1.6%

Ohio Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
State Attorney General Mike DeWine- 47%
State Sen. Joe Schiavoni- 42%
Undecided/Other- 11%

May 11th, 2018

Following homophobic remark, Vice President Baldwin joins Gov. Buttigieg, Rep. Polis in harsh condemnation of Santorum



PHILADELPHIA - The Pennsylvania Senate race for the open seat of late Senatoe Bob Casey Jr. and the retiring appointed incumbent, Ed Rendell (D), continues gaining national attention as Republican candidate Rick Santorum sparked controversy yesterday with homophobic comments. Santorum, a renowned social conservative, is a former Senator unseated by Casey Jr. in 2006 and was the runner-up of the Republican presidential primary in 2012, is running to reclaim his old seat and is currently the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. Asked whether he changed his views from his staunch opposition to same-sex marriage, Santorum said that he "definitely" did not change his opinion and that "these people shouldn't be allowed to marry because it goes against god and marriage". He also called for a "national standard of marriage" which defines marriage as "a normal, natural union between a man and a woman". The comments sparked outrage across the political spectrum- Vice President Tammy Baldwin, a lesbian woman, said that they were "a frightening show of bigotry and homophobia" and urged the people of Pennsylvania to "reject these disgusting views". She was joined by the popular Indiana Governor Pete Buttigieg (D), who said that Santorum's comments were "repugnant and hateful", and called the former Senator "a sad man from a long-gone era who will not be able to stop people like me from marrying our beloved partners". U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), a candidate for Colorado Governor, who said that Santorum should "be ashamed of himself and withdraw from the race" and that "he should have no place on Capitol Hill". Santorum's main opponent in the Republican primary, former Governor Tom Ridge (R), condemned the comments too, saying that they were "very unfortunate, disrespectful and disqualifying".

May 15th, 2018

Ridge narrowly defeats Santorum in Pennsylvania Senate primary, will face Wolf in November; Rep. Denton wins plurality in Gubernatorial GOP primary to face Democrat McGinty



HARRISBURG - A major shakeup occured tonight in the Pennsylvania Senate race. Former Governor Tom Ridge, a moderate Republican, scored an upset in the Republican primary tonight, defeating the ultra-conservative former Senator Rick Santorum by a close but safe margin. Santorum conceded the race and reluctantly endorsed Ridge, but said that he only lost because "the conservative vote was split". He could be right, as Ridge won a plurality and U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta appeared to gain some of Santorum's support following his homophobic comments. Ridge, who promised to bring "the independent, common-sense voice of Pennsylvania to Washington," will face the moderately popular Governor Tom Wolf in the general election, in a closely-watched race currently leaning towards Wolf. Meanwhile, in the state's gubernatorial primaries, moderate Republicans scored another victory as U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, a political centrist, won a narrow plurality over his more conservative opponents. Dent will face Kathy McGinty, a Wolf ally who served as his Chief of Staff and, before that, the Pennsylvania Environment Secretary, in what is considered a very close race. Primaries were also held tonight in Oregon and Nebraska, where there were little surprises, and in Idaho, where Lieutenant Governor Brad Little defeated the more hardline U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

Pennsylvania Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Fmr. Governor Tom Ridge- 38.2% ✓
Fmr. Senator Rick Santorum- 34.8%
U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta- 24.5%
State Rep. Rick Saccone- 1.7%
Others- 0.8%

Pennsylvania Senate Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Governor Tom Wolf- 58.1% ✓
Fmr. State Treasurer Barbara Hafer- 27.9%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel- 9.3%
Senator Ed Rendell (Write-in)- 3.7%
Others- 1.0%

Pennsylvania Senate Election (General)- Polling
Governor Tom Wolf*- 47%
Fmr. Governor Tom Ridge- 43%
Undecided/Other- 10%

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent- 26.5% ✓
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly- 25.7%
Businessman Paul Mango- 18.7%
State Sen. Scott Wagner- 17.3%
State House Speaker Mike Turzai- 11.2%
Others- 0.6%

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Fmr. Chief of Staff Kathleen McGinty- 52.9% ✓
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz- 23.3%
Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack- 22.5%
Others- 1.3%

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. Chief of Staff Kathleen McGinty- 45%
U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent- 43%
Undecided/Other- 12%

May 22nd, 2018

Abrams Democratic nominee in Georgia Gubernatorial race, Cagle, Cain go to a runoff for Republican nomination



ATLANTA - The 2018 midterm race is gaining steam, as another bunch of state held primaries for Senate, Governor, House and local races. In Georgia, former State House Minority leader Stacey Abrams easily won the Democratic nomination for Governor, and is considered a strong candidate but very unlikely to win the general election, despite President Obama's victory in Georgia in 2016 and the state's continuing Democratic trend. On the Republican side it was much more messy as a crowded race, the winner of which is likely to be the next Governor, will go to a runoff between after two candidates narrowly prevailed over the crowded field filled with high-profile names- Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and controversial businessman Herman Cain, who ran a high-profile Presidential campaign in 2012 before he sunk due to sexual harrassment allegations. Now, despite the #Metoo movement, Cain is claiming innocence and trying to return to politics, and he already managed to upset high-profile U.S. Rep. Tom Price, who came third. Primary elections were also held in Arkanasas and Kentucky, as well as runoffs in Texas, without many surprises.

Georgia Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle- 23.1% ✓
Businessman Herman Cain- 21.3% ✓
U.S. Rep. Tom Price- 20.8%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland- 17.6%
Fmr. State Sen. Hunter Hill- 13.5%
State Sen. Michael Williams- 2.9%
Others- 0.8%

Georgia Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Abrams- 68.4% ✓
Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Evans- 31.6%

Georgia Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary Runoff)- Polling
Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle- 46%
Businessman Herman Cain- 43%
Undecided- 11%

Georgia Gubernatorial Election (General)- Abrams vs Cagle Polling
Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle- 52%
Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Abrams- 39%
Undecided/Other- 9%

Georgia Gubernatorial Election (General)- Abrams vs Cain Polling
Businessman Herman Cain- 45%
Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Abrams- 41%
Undecided/Other- 14%

May 23rd, 2018

McCain gives announces resignation on Senate floor, to concentrate on combating cancer and writing memoir; seat to be filled with wife Cindy McCain until November election



PHOENIX - The political world was shook this week, when one of its giants, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), gave an emotional speech on the Senate floor, announcing his immediate resignation from his Senate seat to concentrate on fighting his cancer and writing his memoirs. In the speech, McCain called for "bipartisan work in this august chamber" and asked lawmakers to "stop this bitterness and hyper-partisanship plaguing our nation". McCain, the Republican Presidential nominee in 2008 and a war hero respected accross the political world for his maverick stands, received bipartisan applause from the entire Senate chamber, from progressive Senators like Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to far-right Senators like Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Ted Cruz (R-TX). Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona announced that McCain's replacement will be his wife, Cindy McCain, who's considered a moderate Republican, even more-so than her husband. Ms. McCain already said that she will not run for reelection in this November, when a special election will be held for the seat, prompting the announcement of several Republican candidates- U.S. Rep. Martha McSally will be running for McCain's seat, as will former U.S. Rep. Ben Quayle, son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, former U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon, former Arizona GOP Chairman Robert Graham and former Maricopa County Sherriff Joe Arpaio, a conservative immigration hawk and a convicted felon. On the Democratic side, the field seems to be clearing for U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, a young veteran who could definitely make the seat competitive, after another rumoured candidate, astronaut Mark Kelly who's known for his gun control activism, declined to run.

Arizona Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
Fmr. State Sen. Kelli Ward- 46%
Senator Jeff Flake*- 40%
Undecided/Other- 14%

Arizona Senate Election (General)- Sinema vs Flake Polling
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema- 45%
Senator Jeff Flake*- 43%
Undecided/Other- 12%

Arizona Senate Election (General)- Sinema vs Ward Polling
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema- 48%
Fmr. State Sen. Kelly Ward- 39%
Undecided/Other- 13%

Arizona Senate Special Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
Fmr. Sheriff Joe Arpaio- 26%
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally- 19%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Ben Quayle- 16%
Fmr. Chairman Robert Graham- 11%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Matt Solomon- 7%
Undecided/Other- 21%

[America Needs R'hllor]

May 25th, 2018

Baldwin, lawmakers holds high-profile meeting with Parkland survivors, report progress; conservatives condemn 'submission' and 'weakness' to teenagers



WASHINGTON, D.C. - A group of Parkland survivors, who lead the "Never Again" gun control movement, have arrived at Capitol Hill today for meetings with lawmakers, trying to lobby them to move towards a comprehensive, tough gun control law. The survivors met with Vice President Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), who's leading the Obama administration's efforts to draft and advance the gun control bill, and received some updates from her, along with a formal invintation to visit the White House and meet President Obama himself. They also met with lawmakers who take part of the gun control efforts including Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Joe Heck (R-NV) and Jason Kander (D-MO), Representatives Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), John Lewis (D-GA), Charlie Dent (R-PA), Elsie Stefanik (R-NY) and others as well as most of the Florida congressial delegation. According to Emma Gonzales, one of the student leaders, the meetings were "productive and encouraging" and there is "substantial progress", Cameron Kasky called Vice President Baldwin "very kind and helpful" and said that he was "deeply thankful for her and the President's invitation to the White House", and David Hogg said that it was "exciting and heart-warming" to meet "so many of my state's congressmen and women". But not everyone was happy- some conservatives criticized the Obama administration and lawmakers for the meetings. Senator Jim Inhofe called out Vice President Baldwin and President Obama for "weakness" before "an interest group of teenagers", and Senate candidate Rick Scott (R-FL) said the President was "submitting to children rather than governing", earning criticism in his own state. But making the most waves was Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who lambasted the administration for "bowing and kowtowing before a bunch of teenagers who haven't experienced much", prompting outrage. The Vice President attacked Cruz in an interview, calling his remarks "disgusting and soulless", and saying that the Parkland survivors "experienced more than Senator Cruz ever will".

June 1st, 2018

Obama to hold talks with Kim Jong Un, Moon and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Singapore



SEOUL - Following Kim Jong Un's historic meeting with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in, another major diplomatic breakthrough was announced yesterday by Secretary of State Joe Biden. According to Biden, the U.S. has reached an agreement with North Korean and Chinese officials on a summit in Singapore where President Obama and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and, historically, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Originally planned as a summit only between the President and the North Korean leader, Obama and Biden decided to change course and make it a multi-day summit between the four major leaders in the conflict, because, as Biden said today, "only with all the sides having a seat around the table actual progress can be achieved". According to sources, Obama plans to not only present de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula as a demand, but also a betterment of the human rights situation in North Korea, and hopes to achieve cooperation with the Chinese. Accompanying Obama to the meetings will be Secretary Biden and National Security Advisor James Stavridis.

June 6th, 2018

Eight states hold high profile primaries, Democrats face high-profile battle for retiring Feinstein's seat; DNC Chair Perez says party "cautiously optimistic" about results



SACRAMENTO - In what many are calling the "Super Tuesday" of the 2018 midterm primaries, contests for the nominations of the major parties were held in eight states. In California, the most watched state last night, Democrats can breath a sigh of relief- they avoided a lockout in most major congressial races, and their endangered incumbents who unseated Republican Representatives in 2016 received robust primary numbers. Several races to watch, where Democratic freshment will try to hold their seats, will be between U.S. Rep. Michael Eggman (CD-10) and fmr. U.S. Rep. Jeff Dunham whom he unseated in 2016, U.S. Rep. Bryan Caforio (CD-25) and fmr. State Sen. Tony Strickland, U.S. Rep. Doug Applegate (CD-49) and fmr. Assemblywoman Diane Harkey, U.S. Rep. Hans Keirstead (CD-48) and the controversial ousted fmr. U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, and others. In the state's gubernatorial race, Republicans managed to avoid a dangerous lockout as Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom will face Republican businessman John Cox in the runoff, in a race where Democrats are heavily favoured. However, the race receiving the most attention was the Senate race, where 84 years old incumbent Senator Dianne Feinstein announced her retirement following a meeting with President Obama where he asked her to retire so that new faces could emerge. Instead, Feinstein will likely be appointed Ambassador to Canada to replace the retiring Bruce Heyman. Feinstein's retirement invigourated the California political scene, and a slew of candidates entered the race to replace her, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D), former U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D), State Senate President Kevin de León (D), hedge fund manager and environmental activist Tom Steyer (D), TYT Host and progressive activist Cenk Uygur (D), former State Controller Steve Westly, former Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin (R), former U.S. Rep. Doug Ose (R) and conservative radio host Michael Savage (R). The end result was a disappointment to Republicans, and pitted two Democrats in the runoff- Garcetti and Steyer. It's considered a big relief for Democrats, who feared a doomsday scenario where the controversial Uygur advances to the runoff against one of the Republicans.

California Senate Election (Jungle Primary)- Results
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 19.3% ✓
Hedge Fund Manager Tom Steyer- 17.1% ✓
Fmr. Mayor Ashley Swearengin- 16.4%
State Sen. Kevin de León- 11.7%
Mr. Cenk Uygur- 10.5%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Doug Ose- 8.4%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez- 5.2%
Mr. Michael Savage- 4.8%
Fmr. State Controller Steve Westly- 2.6%
Others- 4.0%

California Senate Election (General)- Polling
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 37%
Hedge Fund Manager Tom Steyer- 35%
Undecided/Other- 28%

California Gubernatorial Election (Jungle Primary)- Results
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom- 26.0% ✓
Businessman John Cox- 21.4% ✓
State Treasurer John Chiang- 20.9%
Fmr. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa- 15.5%
State Assemblyman Travis Allen- 8.3%
Fmr. Superintendant Delaine Eastin- 3.2%
Transhumanist Zoltan Istvan- 1.1%
Others- 3.6%

California Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom- 62%
Businessman John Cox- 25%
Undecided/Other- 13%

But California wasn't the only state to hold its primaries last night. Seven other states with high profile races also held their contests, and in each of them there is at least one Senate or Governor's race at stake, making it an especially high-profile day. In Mississippi there was no surprise, as Democrats Howard Sherman and David Baria will go to a runoff to face Republican incumbent Senator Roger Wicker, in a race where he's heavily favoured. In Montana, endangered Democratic Senator Jon Tester will face Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, who defeated a slew of more-conservative opponents such as Rob O'Neill, a former navy SEAL who claimed to have killed Bin Laden, Christian fundamentalist Chuck Baldwin and State Auditor Matt Rosendale. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) won his party's nomination for Senate in New Jersey despite corruption allegations, but will face a tough challenge from moderate Republican State Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean Jr., son of the former Governor of the same name, who defeated the socially conservative U.S. Rep. Chris Smith for the Republican nomination. This is considered a closely-watched race where the incumbent Democrat could lose a crucial seat for his party. And in New Mexico, another high-profile Senate race will pit Governor Susana Martinez (R) against incumbent Senator Martin Heinrich (D) and Public Lands Commissioner Aubrey Dunn, Jr. (L), forcing Democrats to spend money in a favourable state.

Montana Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke- 28.8% ✓
Former Navy SEAL Robert J. O'Neill- 23.5%
State Auditor Matt Rosendale- 19.5%
Baptist Pastor Chuck Baldwin- 17.1%
Fmr. District Judge Russell Fagg- 7.3%
State Senator Albert Olszewski- 3.8%

Montana Senate Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke- 46%
Senator Jon Tester*- 44%
Undecided/Other- 10%

New Jersey Senate Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Senator Bob Menendez*- 47.9% ✓
Fmr. State Assemblyman John Wisniewski- 38.7%
Activist Lisa McCormick- 13.4%

New Jersey Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
State Sen. Thomas Kean Jr.- 44.8% ✓
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith- 37.9%
Fmr. State Sen. Joe Kyrillos- 11.2%
Businessman Bob Hugin- 5.6%
Others- 0.5%

New Jersey Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Bob Menendez*- 47%
State Sen. Thomas Kean Jr.- 41%
Undecided/Other- 13%

New Mexico Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Governor Susana Martinez- 63.6% ✓
Businessman Mick Rich- 36.4%

New Mexico Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Martin Heinrich*- 45%
Governor Susana Martinez- 36%
Public Lands Commissioner Aubrey Dunn, Jr.- 10%
Undecided/Other- 9%

There were also some interesting gubernatorial primaries. In Alabama, incumbent Governor Kay Ivey (R) will face former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, a conservative Democrat. Meanwhile, in Iowa's gubernatorial race, following sexual harrassment allegations against Democratic frontrunner and State Senator Nate Boulton, Union Leader and nurse Cathy Glasson, supported by progressives, narrowly won the party's nomination to face Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds in the general election. New Mexico is also holding a gubernatorial race, where U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), who ran unopposed for her party's nomination, will face U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (R) and former Governor Gary Johnson (L) in a high-profile three-way battle in which Johnson, a two-time Presidential candidate, will try to make a political comeback and has the potential to win a governorship for the Libertarian Party. Finally, in South Dakota, U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R) defeated favourite Attorney General Marty Jackley (R) by a large margin following allegations that he treated sexual misconduct in his office lightly, and will face Democrat Billie Sutton in the gubernatorial race. This is a showing of strength for the #Metoo movement in the Republican party.

Iowa Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Union Leader Cathy Glasson- 29.0% ✓
Fmr. Chief of Staff John Norris- 28.3%
Fmr. Party Chairwoman Andy McGuire- 24.5%
State Rep. Todd Prichard- 6.9%
State Sen. Nate Boulton- 6.7%
Fmr. Mayor Ross Wilburn- 4.6%

Iowa Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds- 49.8% ✓
Activist Bob Vander Plaats- 36.3%
Mayor Ron Corbett- 13.9%

Iowa Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds- 51%
Union Leader Cathy Glasson- 36%
Undecided/Other- 13%

New Mexico Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce- 51.9% ✓
Lt. Gov. John Sanchez- 45.1%
Fmr. State Sen. Ted Barela- 3.0%

New Mexico Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham- 39%
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce- 32%
Fmr. Governor Gary Johnson- 21%
Undecided/Other- 8%

South Dakota Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem- 61.3% ✓
Attorney General Marty Jackley- 38.7%

South Dakota Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem- 58%
State Sen. Billie Sutton- 29%
Undecided/Other- 13%

June 13th, 2018

Senate, Governor primaries held in five states; Sandoval Republican nominee in Nevada, Maine's gubernatorial race remains uncertain



PORTLAND - Following the contests held last week, the midterm primaries continue in full steam. Last night, primaries were held for the nominations of the major parties in various crucial, closely-watched races for Senate and Governor. Maine's Senator, Angus King (I), who caucuses with the Democrats, will be facing Democratic teacher Zak Ringlestein, a token candidate, and Republican controversial Governor Paul LePage, who coasted to his party's nomination and makes this a high-profile race despite racist past comments. Another Republican Governor is running for the Senate, with the centrist Brian Sandoval of Nevada defeating right-wing challenges for his party's nomination for the Senate seat vacated by Commerce Secretary Dean Heller and his own appointed incumbent, Senator Joe Heck. Now, Sandoval will face Democrat Rory Reid in a key race for both parties. In North Dakota, Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp is facing a hard reelection battle in a very Republican state and an unfavourable national environment, and will be running against U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer who emerged out of a crowded field of Republican candidates. Meanwhile, in Virginia, Senator Tim Kaine is considered a strong and popular incumbent and, especially after Governor Perriello's victory last year, the state seems favourable to Democrats. The Republican primary to face him was close, and resulted in a narrow victory for Carly Fiorina, former HP CEO and 2016 Presidential candidate. She defeated former Governor and Presidential candidate Jim Gilmore, County Supervisor Corey Stewart, conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham and Rand Paul-endorsed "Liberty Republican" State Delegate Nick Freitas, who had a better-than-expected showing, in the primary.

Maine Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Angus King*- 41%
Governor Paul LePage- 34%
Mr. Zak Ringelstein- 11%
Undecided/Other- 14%

Nevada Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Governor Brian Sandoval- 54.5% ✓
Businessman Danny Tarkanian- 38.1%
Others- 7.4%

Nevada Senate Election (General)- Polling
Governor Brian Sandoval- 49%
Fmr. County Commissioner Rory Reid- 41%
Undecided/Other- 10%

North Dakota Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer- 31.8% ✓
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Rick Berg- 27.3%
State Sen. Tom Campbell- 25.4%
Businessman Gary Emineth- 12.9%
Fmr. Mayor Thomas O'Neill- 2.6%

North Dakota Senate Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer- 45%
Senator Heidi Heitkamp*- 43%
Undecided/Other- 12%

Virginia Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Fmr. CEO Carly Fiorina- 22.6% ✓
State Del. Nick Freitas- 20.8%
Ms. Laura Ingraham- 19.1%
Fmr. Governor Jim Gilmore- 16.4%
County Supervisor Corey Stewart- 16.2%
State Del. James Massie- 4.2%
Others- 0.7%

Virginia Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Tim Kaine*- 50%
Fmr. CEO Carly Fiorina- 40%
Undecided/Other- 10%

Maine also held a high-profile Gubernatorial primary last night, with a first use of the Ranked Choice Voting system and results still inconclusive for the Democratic nomination. Attorney General Janet Mills came first but did not win a majority, and the second-place finisher, former Maine Women's Lobby director Betsy Sweet, appears strong enough to possibly bypass her. Former State House Speaker, Mark Eves, finished third and is considered a Sweet ally, making it likely that she earns most of his second-choice preferences, and a fellow progressive, State Rep. Diane Russell, came fourth. On the Republican side, Businessman Shawn Moody narrowly came first, upsetting U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, but the results could still change because of RCV. Coming third and fourth, Senate President Mike Thibodeau and former Health Commissioner Mary Mayhew have a substantial chunk of the vote, and pundits are speculating that the former's voters would lean to Poliquin, while the latter's voters would lean towards Moody. There was also a guberantorial primary in Nevada, where Democratic County Commissioner Steve Sisolak will be facing Senator Joe Heck, a moderate Sandoval ally who narrowly defeated the more conservative State Attorney General Adam Laxalt. Lastly, in South Carolina, Democratic businessman Phil Noble won his party's nomination for Governor, but the Republican primary will go to a runoff between Lieutenant Governor Henry McMaster and U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, who came ahead of a large field of candidates and will face each other in the runoff. Gowdy, who has more name recognition, is considered favoured.

Maine Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
State Att. Gen. Janet Mills- 35.3%
Activist Betsy Sweet- 24.5%
Fmr. State House Speaker Mark Eves- 20.4%
Fmr. State Rep. Diane Russell- 7.3%
State Sen. Mark Dion- 5.5%
Fmr. Mayor Sean Faircloth- 3.8%
Fmr. Mayor Donna Dion- 3.2%%

Maine Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Businessman Shawn Moody- 32.3%
U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin- 29.1%
State Senate Pres. Mike Thibodeau- 18.6%
Fmr. Commissioner Mary Mayhew- 16.3%
State House Minority Leader Ken Fredette- 3.7%

Maine Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Democratic Candidate- 38%
Republican Candidate- 34%
State Treasurer Terry Hayes- 16%
Fmr. Mayor John Jenkins- 5%
Undecided/Other- 7%

Nevada Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Senator Joe Heck- 44.5% ✓
State Attorney General Adam Laxalt- 41.6%
State Treasurer Dan Schwartz- 6.5%
Others- 7.4%

Nevada Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
County Commissioner Steve Sisolak- 49.6% ✓
County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani- 43.6%
Others- 6.8%

Nevada Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Senator Joe Heck- 48%
County Commissioner Steve Sisolak- 42%
Undecided/Other- 10%

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster- 37.8% ✓
U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy- 36.4% ✓
State Rep. Tom Davis- 14.4%
Businessman John Warren- 9.1%
Fmr. Lt. Gov. Yancey McGill- 2.3%

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Republican Candidate- 55%
Businessman Phil Noble- 31%
Undecided/Other- 14%

[America Needs R'hllor]

Whoops, I once again forgot a major event concerning John McCain So for those of you (aka everyone) who hasn't seen the late edit:

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[America Needs R'hllor]

June 14th, 2018

Singapore summit begins with Obama-Kim Biden; Moon, Jinping to join for extensive talks on Korean peninsula, cooperation and trade



SINGAPORE - History was made today in the city-state of Singapore, the neutral ground decided for the major east Asian summit between U.S. President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. It begun with a major meeting between Obama and Un, where the two leaders posed before American and North Korean flag in what is the first summit between the leaders of the two hostile countries. According to spokespeople, the two leaders discussed the de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula, the human rights situation in North Korea and the American sanctions on the Kim regime, and had civil and productive discussions. Inside sources indicate that Obama was willing to loosen some of the sanctions in exchange for a real process of nuclear disarmament by the Kim regime, but that he was adamant about keeping many of the sanctions due to the harsh human rights condition on the country. President Obama reportedly agreed to allow American companies to open businesses in North Korea, an idea Kim found appealing, in exchange for guarantees that American business executives will not be harmed. Some experts lauded the decision, saying that projecting American soft power into North Korea could have powerful long term effects. In the coming week, Obama and Kim will hold more meetings, along with the two other leaders, in an attempt to reach real agreements.

June 20th, 2018

As RCV results come in, Sweet wins shocking upset in Maine Democratic primary; Poliquin edges out Moody for Republican nomination



PORTLAND - Maine's Ranked Choice Voting process presented a first surprising result in the Democratic and Republican primaries for the gubernatorial nomination tonight. For the Democrats, progressive activist and former Maine Women's Lobby director Betsy Sweet won a narrow victory, bypassing the frontrunner, State Attorney General Janet Mills, by less than 1% when all the votes were counted. The victory is attributed to the late alliance forged between Sweet and third-place finisher Mark Eves, as well as Dianne Russell, who came fourth and ran a progressive campaign aking to Sweet's. Following her victory, Sweet was endorsed by all Democratic candidates, including Mills, and held a joint rally with them. She will face U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, who narrowly beat out insurgent businessman Shawn Moody in the GOP primary's RCV count after coming second in the first round. Poliquin is considered more conservative than Moody, which makes it a close race between two ideologues, with many feeling State Treasurer Terry Hayes, an independent running for Governor, could have a strong showing.

Maine Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results, ROUND 1 (D. Dion, Faircloth eliminated)
State Att. Gen. Janet Mills- 35.3%
Activist Betsy Sweet- 24.5%
Fmr. State House Speaker Mark Eves- 20.4%
Fmr. State Rep. Diane Russell- 7.3%
State Sen. Mark Dion- 5.5%
Fmr. Mayor Sean Faircloth- 3.8%
Fmr. Mayor Donna Dion- 3.2%%

Maine Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results, ROUND 2 (M. Dion eliminated)
State Att. Gen. Janet Mills- 37.2% (+1.9%)
Activist Betsy Sweet- 26.0% (+1.5%)
Fmr. State House Speaker Mark Eves- 23.5% (+3.1%)
Fmr. State Rep. Diane Russell- 7.4% (+0.1%)
State Sen. Mark Dion- 5.9% (+0.4%)

Maine Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results, ROUND 3 (Russell eliminated)
State Att. Gen. Janet Mills- 39.0% (+1.8%)
Activist Betsy Sweet- 27.1% (+1.1%)
Fmr. State House Speaker Mark Eves- 26.2% (+2.7%)
Fmr. State Rep. Diane Russell- 7.7% (+0.3%)

Maine Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results, ROUND 4 (Eves eliminated)
State Att. Gen. Janet Mills- 39.6% (+0.6%)
Activist Betsy Sweet- 31.9% (+4.8%)
Fmr. State House Speaker Mark Eves- 28.5% (+2.3%)

Maine Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results, ROUND 5 (Sweet victorious)
Activist Betsy Sweet- 50.2% (+18.3%) ✓
State Att. Gen. Janet Mills- 49.8% (+10.2%)

Maine Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results ROUND 1 (Fredette eliminated)
Businessman Shawn Moody- 32.3%
U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin- 29.1%
State Senate Pres. Mike Thibodeau- 18.6%
Fmr. Commissioner Mary Mayhew- 16.3%
State House Minority Leader Ken Fredette- 3.7%

Maine Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results ROUND 2 (Thibodeau eliminated)
Businessman Shawn Moody- 32.6% (+0.3%)
U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin- 29.9% (+0.8%)
Fmr. Commissioner Mary Mayhew- 18.8% (+2.5%)
State Senate Pres. Mike Thibodeau- 18.7% (+0.1%)

Maine Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results ROUND 3 (Mayhew eliminated)
Businessman Shawn Moody- 36.7% (+4.1%)
U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin- 35.1% (+5.2%)
Fmr. Commissioner Mary Mayhew- 28.2% (+9.4%)

Maine Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results ROUND 4 (Poliquin victorious)
U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin- 51.9% (+16.8%) ✓
Businessman Shawn Moody- 48.1% (+11.4%)

Maine Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Activist Betsy Sweet- 35%
U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin- 32%
State Treasurer Terry Hayes- 19%
Fmr. Mayor John Jenkins- 6%
Undecided/Other- 8%

June 22nd, 2018

Singapore summit concludes with signing of major unofficial agreements between the nations; McDonald’s to open North Korea branch in coming months



SINGAPORE - The grand East Asian Summit in Singapore closed yesterday, following days of meetings and discussions between American, South Korean, Chinese and North Korean officials. The summit appears to have been extremely constructive, with the four leaders reaching some agreements to advance peace, cooperation and lessening of tensions between them. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have reportedly agreed on substantial scaling back of military forces around the Demilitarized Zone, as well as the signing of an official peace agreement to end the Korean War. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping reached agreements with President Obama and President Moon to bolster trade and economic ties between the three nations, as well as continued cooperation on climate change and Chinese pressure on North Korea to keep to the agreements. The most important part, however, was the agreement reached with Kim Jong Un after meetings with President Obama and Secretary Biden, who also attended the summit. North Korea agreed to completely disarm of nuclear weapons in exchange for reduction in sanctions and a pledge to not try regime change in the country, with international inspectors sent to make sure it was being followed. According to sources, an unofficial agreement was also reached, with President Obama promising the U.S. will reduce sanctions if inspectors report an improvement of the human rights situation in the country. The two leaders also officially agreed on the opening of commercial relations, with American businesses finally allowed in the isolated country and North Korean businessmen allowed to open businesses in the United States, with a guarantee that American business executives are not harmed, and that such a harming by North Korean officials would be grounds for an American attack. McDonald's already announced on the opening of a North Korean branch, signaling a historic change. President Obama and Secretary Biden received bipartisan praise for the efforts, with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-MD) calling the agreements "a massive, historic success", Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) saying that she was "enthusiastic about the prospect of peace and improvement of human rights", Senate candidate Tom Ridge (R-PA) stating that "seeing a McDonald's opening in North Korea will be a potentially pivotal moment in Korean history", and even Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), a frequent Obama critic, calling the agreement "a positive development that will hopefully prevent future American involvement in east Asia". Following the summit, the President's approval ratings saw a substantial rise.

President Obama Job Approval
Approve- 53%
Disapprove- 41%
Not Sure- 6%

June 26th, 2018

More primaries held before midterms; Polis to face Stapelton in Colorado, Huntsman Republican nominee for Utah Senate



SALT LAKE CITY - The last batch of midterm primaries was held tonight, with a key Senate primary in Utah, as well as important gubernatorial primaries in Colorado, Maryland, Oklahoma and South Carolina. In a continue of a trend favouring moderate Republicans this cycle, former Governor and 2016 independent Presidential candiate Jon Huntsman soundly defeated conservative U.S. Rep. in Utah's Senate Republican primary, and is almost assured an easy victory in the general election against Democrat Jenny Wilson. There is also a Senate election in New York, where private equity executive Chele Farly was chosen by Republicans to face U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in a race Republicans hold no hopes of winning.

Utah Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Fmr. Governor Jon Huntsman Jr.- 69.3%% ✓
U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz- 30.7%

Utah Senate Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. Governor Jon Huntsman Jr.- 66%
County Councillor Jenny Wilson- 26%
Undecided/Other- 8%

Meanwhile, in the Colorado Gubernatorial race, U.S. Rep. Jared Polis managed to defeat an impressive field of Democrats by a solid margin. This race was initially expected to be a battle between him and former State Treasurer Cary Kennedy, but she was since appointed as Secretary of the Interior by President Obama, giving Polis an easier race. On the Republican side, State Treasurer Walker Stapleton averted disaster for his party by narrowly winning over a tradical conservative and immigration hawk, former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, despite a split field. While Polis is considered favoured, Stapelton still has a chance to finally win the Colorado governorship for Republicans. In Maryland, Democrats chose former NAACP President Ben Jealous to face the Governor Larry Hogan (R) in November. Hogan, who's considered a popular moderate, is currently favoured to win reelection. In Oklahoma, meanwhile, the Republican primary for Governor will be going to a runoff between State Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who managed to use his conservative credentials and popularity from anti-environmentalist activities, noteably suing and opposing the Obama administration's acts and especially Al Gore's EPA, and the more moderate Mayor Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City. If elected Governor, Pruitt is likely to become a high-profile opponent of the Obama administration, already promising to do everything not to implement the "destructive, delusional green agenda" and the "disastrous law passed recently". Al Gore already spoke out against Pruitt, calling him "a man who'd see our planet die to grab a bit more donor money into his pockets". Finally, in South Carolina, the gubernatorial runoff resulted in U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy winning over Lieutenant Governor Henry McMaster, earning himself the exit from congress he reportedly craved.

Colorado Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
State Tres. Walker Stapleton- 39.4% ✓
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo- 38.6%
State Att. Gen. Cynthia Coffman- 14.0%
Fmr. Mayor Greg Lopez- 4.7%
Fmr. State Rep. Victor Mitchell- 3.3%

Colorado Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis- 42.7% ✓
Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne- 35.5%
Fmr. State Rep. Mike Johnston- 18.6%
Businessman Noel Ginsburg- 3.2%

Colorado Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis- 48%
State Tres. Walker Stapelton- 43%
Undecided/Other- 9%

Maryland Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Fmr. NAACP President Ben Jealous- 43.1% ✓
State Sen. Richard Madaleno- 41.9%
Author Alec Ross- 11.4%
Others- 3.6%

Maryland Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Governor Larry Hogan*- 54%
Fmr. NAACP President Ben Jealous- 35%
Undecided/Other- 11%

Oklahoma Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
State Att. Gen. Scott Pruitt- 33.5% ✓
Fmr. Mayor Mick Cornett- 30.9% ✓
Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb- 22.3%
Fmr. Attorney Gary Richardson- 6.8%
Fmr. State Rep. Dan Fisher- 3.4%
State Auditor Gary Jones- 2.2%
Others- 0.9%

Oklahoma Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Republican Candidate- 51%
Fmr. State Sen. Connie Johnson- 34%
Undecided/Other- 15%

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary Runoff)- Results
U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy- 53.2% ✓
Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster- 46.8%

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy- 58%
Businessman Phil Noble- 30%
Undecided/Other- 12%

July 3rd, 2018

Baldwin, lawmakers present first draft of gun control law; Save Our Children Act will be sent to committee



WASHINGTON, D.C. - The gun control debate continues to dominate the political scene, with the Parkland survivors continuing a public push and a recent school shooting in Texas souring the national mood even further on the NRA and pro-gun activists. Today, Vice President Tammy Baldwin joined Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL), Gwen Graham (D-FL) and Susan Collins (R-ME), as well as U.S. Reps. Ted Deutsch (D-FL), Charlie Crist (D-FL), Elsie Stefanik (R-NY) and Charlie Dent (R-PA), in a press conference announcing the main points of the bill. The Save Our Children Act, as it was named by its co-sponsors, will include many extensive measures of gun control, including a band on bump-stocks, some semi-automatic weapons classified as military-level, a raise of the age requirement to buy a gun to 21 (the same age to buy an alcoholic beverage) save for soldiers, a restriction on magazines any gun can carry, restrictions on gun trafficking and of course, universal and extensive background checks. However, the bill states that the new restrictions will only apply on new purchases and manufactures, and will include no confiscation of guns from any owners, includuing those below 21 years old. The SOCA was praised by gun control activists, including Parkland survivors like Emma Gonzales, who called it "an amazing change that I hope will pass". With the national environment favouring gun controls, many moderate Republicans hoping to win reelection have already announced support for the bipartisan bill, and the Obama administration is likely to aggressively push for it to pass. If all 56 Democrats vote for the bill- what is considered unlikely- the Obama administration would need at least four Republican votes. Co-sponsor Susan Collins and Senator Joe Heck (R-NV) are considered likely to support the bill, but others, like Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Cindy McCain (R-AZ), are still on the fence and say they have "reservations" about the bill's restrictions.

July 11th, 2018

Conservative Republicans attack Save Our Children Act, plan to use gun control issue extensively in midterm campaign



AUSTIN - As expected, the SOCA gun control bill came under heavy fire by conservatives and pro-gun activists. NRA Spokeswoman Dana Loesch called it "a monstrous attack on our freedom, reeking of fascism", drawing criticism to her use of "hyperboles and lack of any decency", as worded by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR). Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) came on many morning and late night shows to attack the bill as "a historic infringement on personal freedoms in America", and confirmed that he will "absolutely do everything I can to oppose it". He was joined by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT), who, in a joint press conference, said that the Obama administrator was using "worrying authoritative measures that show a decline in our democracy". Hitting back, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) said that "Australia passed gun control measures and is perfectly democratic", mocking Cruz's and Lee's statement as "a ridiculous misunderstanding of the meaning of democracy". Not all conservatives opposed the bill, however. Senate candidates Brian Sandoval (R-NV) and Jon Huntsman (R-UT) all said that the SOCA was "better than the statuse quo, when we have children being murdered every other week". Surprisingly, Senator Cindy McCain (R-AZ) echoed similar statements, explaining that "the shootings don't happen in the rest of the western world" and "we need to think about these kids with empathy- they're far more important than gun interests". This even lead to a joke by U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-NY), a supporter of the bill who claimed that "Obama should wait until after the midterms so that he can get Sandoval, Huntsman and Ridge instead of Manchin, Heitkamp and Donnelly". According to polls, the support for gun control is historically high after the recent shootings, making the national environment ripe for reform, so it's unsurprising that many moderate Republicans would turn to support it to help their electoral chances.

President Obama Job Approval
Approve- 52%
Disapprove- 41%
Not Sure- 7%

Do you think there should be more gun control?
Yes- 70%
No- 22%
Not Sure- 8%

Do you support the SOCA?
Yes- 53%
No- 32%
Not Sure- 15%

[America Needs R'hllor]

When's the next update?

Very soon. I had the inspiration to write a chapter in a potential book I'm working on, but soon enough I'll make the last finishes of the next TL update.
A small hint- Haslam vs Blackburn

[America Needs R'hllor]

July 19th, 2018

Moderates flooded with constituent letters demanding they vote for SOCA



BISMARCK - As the Save Our Children Act, a bipartisan but extensive bill prompted by the national mood after the Parkland shooting, makes its way through committee, many Senators are facing a tough dilemma about it. For red state Democrats up for reelection this year, the gun control bill is  a double-edged sword, as they need the votes of pro-gun conservatives and moderates in their states, while at the same time the support of their Democratic base, if they want to be reelected. Recently, Democrats like Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN) have received large amounts of constituent mail, most of it overwhelmingly favouring the SOCA. According to various sources, many constituents, mainly Democrats and independents, demand their Senators "protect [their] children" and vote for the bill. Still, the SOCA is facing an uphill battle. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, considered the most pro-gun Democrat in the caucus, has already announced opposition for it, while Senators Manchin and Donnelly, as well as others like Evan Bayh (D-IN), Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Jon Tester (D-MT) are reluctant. On the Republican side, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) is co-sponsoring the bill, while Joe Heck (R-NV) and Cindy McCain (R-AZ) are considered likely to support it. But others are not so sure- Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), hailing from a usually pro-gun state, stated that the bill needs to see "some change" if she were to support it, especially targeting the ban on semi-automatic weapons, which she called "unnecessary and restrictive". However, Murkowski did endorse raising the age on buying guns, universal background checks and a bump stock ban, a move to the left from her previous positions reportedly aided by an internal poll in Alaska showing a change on the issue. The New York Times has complied a comprehensive list, showing the tough road of the SOCA to victory in the Senate.

Safe AYE: 49 Senators
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Tom Carper (D-DE)
Chris Coons (D-DE)
Ben Nelson (D-FL)
Gwen Graham (D-FL)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Tom Vilsack (D-IA)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Angus King (I-ME)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Ed Markey (D-MA)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Gary Peters (D-MI)
Amy Klobucher (D-MN)
Tina Smith (D-MN)
Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Betty Sutton (D-OH)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Ed Rendell (D-PA)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Russ Feingold (D-WI)

Likely AYE: 2 Senators
Jason Carter (D-GA)
Jason Kander (D-MO)

Lean AYE: 5 Senators
Cindy McCain (R-AZ)
Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
Joe Heck (R-NV)

TOSSUP: 3 Senators
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Joe Donnelly (D-IN)
Joe Manchin (D-WV)

Lean NAY: 2 Senators
Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Cory Gardner (R-CO)
Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)

Likely NAY: 7 Senators
Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
Bob Corker (R-TN)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

Safe NAY: 33 Senators
Richard Shelby (R-AL)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
John Boozman (R-AR)
Tom Cotton (R-AR)
David Perdue (R-GA)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Jim Risch (R-ID)
Joni Ernst (R-IA)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Rand Paul (R-KY)
Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
John Neely Kennedy (R-LA)
Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Stever Daines (R-MT)
Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Ben Sasse (R-NE)
Thom Tillis (R-NC)
John Hoeven (R-ND)
Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
James Lankford (R-OK)
Tim Scott (R-SC)
John Thune (R-SD)
Mike Rounds (R-SD)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Mike Lee (R-UT)
Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV)
Sean Duffy (R-WI)
Mike Enzi (R-WY)
John Barrasso (R-WY)

July 24th, 2018

Controversial Herman Cain wins Georgia Republican gubernatorial runoff, will face Abrams (D) in the general election



ATLANTA - This year's gubernatorial election in Georgia was considered a straightforward affair- Republicans would nominate a mainstream conservative candidate like Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle or State Attorney General Brian Kemp, and easily defeat the Democratic nominee, former State House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, in the general election to earn another term in the state's executive office. But today, the race received a shocking twist- following several corruption scandals, and after the Lieutenant Governor admitted on audio that he pushed a bill for political reasons, he was defeated in the runoff by controversial tea-party businessman Herman Cain. A former 2012 Presidential candidate who dropped out after sexual misconduct allegations, Cain has his own share of scandals and some of his extreme plans, like the famous "999 tax plan" replacing the current tax code with simple 9% percentages, are derided by many. Still, Cain is currently leading the polls against Abrams, prompted by an anti-Obama environment in Georgia as the gun control bill causes waves and by his support among conservatives. Cain's victory did make history- it'll be the first time both major party's nominate an African-American gubernatorial candidate in Georgia.

Georgia Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary Runoff)- Polling
Businessman Herman Cain- 53.2% ✓
Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle- 45.8%

Georgia Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Businessman Herman Cain- 46%
Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Abrams- 43%
Undecided/Other- 11%

August 2nd, 2018

Governor Haslam narrowly beats Blackburn for Tennessee Senate nomination; Sen. Corker Republican nominee for Governor



NASHVILLE - A changing of the guards occured tonight in Tennessee's Republican party- with many of the same faces remaining in the scene. Tennessee's junior Senator, Bob Corker, has announced that he will retire back in 2017, reasoning that he did not want to serve more than two consecutive terms. The Republican primary to replace him, likely to decide the conservative state's next Senator, was fairly crowded, with the hardline U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn running against the more moderate retiring Governor Bill Haslam, former Tea Party favourite and Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey and U.S. Rep. Dianne Black. Though Blackburn was considered the favourite initially, she eventually lost steam due to a campaign without much energy and various gaffes, and the conservative vote was split with Ramsey and Black, leading to the victory of Haslam, who was considered the moderate in the race, with past support for moderate social and healthcare positions, despite being a generally staunch conservative. Governor Haslam will face Democrat Karl Dean, the former Mayor of Nashville, in the general election and is considered very unlikely to lose. The gubernatorial race was upended when the retiring Senator Bob Corker stepped in, saying that he wishes to continue "serving the people of Tennessee". Corker's entrance resulted in Rep. Black, who was the frontrunner, switching to the Senate race, and he ran against a weaker field consisting of former U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher, State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, former State Sen. Jamie Woodson and State House Speaker Beth Harwell, from which he emerged victorious by a comfortable margin. He will face Democratic Mayor of Chattanooga, Andy Berke.

Tennessee Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Governor Bill Haslam- 34.2% ✓
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn- 32.9%
U.S. Rep. Dianne Black- 19.2%
Fmr. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey- 11.7%
Others- 2.0%

Tennessee Senate Election (General)- Polling
Governor Bill Haslam- 51%
Fmr. Mayor Karl Dean- 36%
Undecided/Other- 13%

Tennessee Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Senator Bob Corker- 43.8% ✓
State Sen. Mark Norris- 17.3%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher- 15.7%
Speaker Beth Harwell- 11.5%
Fmr. State Sen. Jamie Woodson- 8.9%
Others- 2.8%

Tennessee Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Senator Bob Corker- 50%
Mayor Andy Berke- 35%
Undecided/Other- 15%

August 7th, 2018

Hawley wins Republican nomination to challenge McCaskill in Missouri, runner-up Petersen to run as libertarian; Kobach to face independent Orman in Kansas, with Democrat Svaty joining the ticket; Whitmer to face off against Schutte in Michigan



JEFFERSON CITY - In a bunch of high-profile primary races for the Senate and Governor races of several states, there were some expected results and some surprising upsets. In Missouri's key Senate race, State Attorney General Josh Hawley narrowly won against a crowded field, a result which was an expected result ever since U.S. Rep. and former Ambassador to Luxembourg Ann Wagner dropped out of the race due to declining support. But what was surprising is the second-place finisher, businessman, activist and former Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee, who was strongly supported by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and the Republican Liberty Caucus, and came very close to winning the nomination, yet another midterm show of strength for Paul. But instead of conceding, Petersen announced that he will be running on the Libertarian Party ticket, which could dangerously split the vote for Republicans. Former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens, who was a frontrunner in the guberntorial primary of 2016, but was bogged down by scandals, including an affair and domestic violence, came third. In Michigan, popular Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) will be facing Republican former Governor John Engler, a strong challenge that will face Democrats to invest in the race. And in Washington, Senator Maria Cantwell (D) will be challenged by former State Attorney General and Gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna.

Missouri Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
State Att. Gen. Josh Hawley- 36.2% ✓
Businessman Austin Petersen- 34.9%
Fmr. Navy SEAL Eric Greitens- 14.7%
Businessman John Brunner- 8.6%
Fmr. Speaker Catherine Hanaway- 3.5%
Others- 2.1%

Missouri Senate Election (General)- Polling
State Att. Gen. Josh Hawley- 36%
Senator Claire McCaskill- 34%
Businessman Austin Petersen- 16%
Undecided/Other- 14%

Michigan Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Debbie Stabenow*- 48%
Fmr. Gov. John Engler- 44%
Undecided/Other- 8%

Washington Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Maria Cantwell*- 49%
Fmr. State Att. Gen. Rob McKenna- 41%
Undecided/Other- 10%

Two important gubernatorial primaries were also held tonight. In Kansas, Republicans nominated former Secretary of State and controversial anti-immigrant advocate Kris Kobach, who defeated Lieutenant Governor Jeff Coyler in the primary. Democrats nominated former State Secretary of Agriculture Josh Svaty, a young rising star, who promised before the primary to drop out and join the ticket with independent businessman Greg Orman, in a model similar to independent Governor Bill Walker and Democratic Lieutenant Governor Brian Mallott in Alaska. After winning the nomination he dropped out as promised, effectively uniting the opposition to Kobach, who will now face the Orman\Svaty independent ticket. Democrats are on-board with the decision, endorsing Orman, who's considered a political centrist who can win in Kansas due to his lack of connection to the President's party and the deep unpopularity of Governor Sam Brownback (R). Meanwhile, in Michigan, Democratic former State Senator Gretchen Whitmer won her party's nomination and will face Republican State Attorney General Bill Schutte in what will be a closely-watched race- the national environment favours Republicans and Donald Trump performed surprisingly strongly in this state in 2016, despite President Obama easily winning it, but Governor Rick Snyder is deeply unpopular after failing in the handling of the Flint Water Crisis.

Kansas Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Sec. of State Kris Kobach- 46.6% ✓
Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer- 33.2%
Fmr. State Sen. Jim Barnett- 7.4%
KLC Pres. Ed O'Malley- 6.8%
Insurance Comis. Ken Selzer- 4.2%
Fmr. State Rep. Mark Hutton- 1.8%
Others- 0.5%

Kansas Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Businessman Greg Orman\Fmr. Sec. of Agriculture Josh Svaty- 42%
Sec. of State Kris Kobach- 40%
Undecided/Other- 18%

Michigan Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
State Att. Gen. Bill Schutte- 56.4% ✓
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley- 29.6%
State Sen. Patrick Colbeck- 13.4%
Others- 0.6%

Michigan Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Fmr. State Sen. Gretchen Whitmer- 35.4% ✓
Businessman Shri Thanedar- 27.9%
Attorney Geoffrey Fieger- 26.7%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak- 11.0%

Michigan Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. State Sen. Gretchen Whitmer- 47%
State Att. Gen. Bill Schutte- 44%
Undecided/Other- 9%

[America Needs R'hllor]

August 9th, 2018

Polls show SOCA with high support in key states, putting pressure on reluctant lawmakers



DENVER - As part of an aggressive public push to convince Republican lawmakers to support the Save Our Children Act, pro-gun control and Democratic groups, as well as neutral organizations, have been investing in polls to gauge the support of voters in key states for the signature gun control bill. Some of the particular states polled were Colorado, where Democrats are hoping to scare Senator Cory Gardener (R-CO) to support the bill in order to increase his chances for reelection in 2020, Florida, represented by two Democrats but holding high-profile Senate and Governor races this year, Maine, where Senator Susans Collins (R-ME) is co-sponsoring the bill, and Arizona, where two Republican Senators, Cindy McCain and Jeff Flake, are mulling their support for the bill. Results were encouraging for Democrats in most polls- Colorado voters showed overwhelming support for gun control, putting strong pressure on Gardener, while Maine and Florida voters showed clear support for the efforts of their Senators and Arizona voters surprisingly shifted in favour of gun control. Governor and Senate races in these states were also polled. Meanwhile, Republicans in conservative states such as West Virginia, Indiana and Montana, where Democratic Senators are contemplating or leaning towards support for the bill, are aggressively using the issue in the midterm campaigns.

President Obama Job Approval
Approve- 49%
Disapprove- 43%
Not Sure- 8%

Do you support the SOCA? (Arizona)
Yes- 49%
No- 39%
Not Sure- 12%

Arizona Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
Fmr. State Sen. Kelli Ward- 48%
Senator Jeff Flake*- 41%
Undecided/Other- 11%

Arizona Senate Election (General)- Sinema vs Flake Polling
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema- 47%
Senator Jeff Flake*- 43%
Undecided/Other- 10%

Arizona Senate Election (General)- Sinema vs Ward Polling
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema- 51%
Fmr. State Sen. Kelly Ward- 40%
Undecided/Other- 9%

Arizona Senate Special Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
Fmr. Sheriff Joe Arpaio- 27%
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally- 23%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Ben Quayle- 18%
Fmr. Chairman Robert Graham- 12%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Matt Solomon- 6%
Undecided/Other- 14%

Arizona Senate Special Election (General)- Gallego vs Arpaio Polling
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego- 55%
Fmr. Sheriff Joe Arpaio- 32%
Undecided/Other- 13%

Arizona Senate Special Election (General)- Gallego vs McSally Polling
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego- 45%
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally- 43%
Undecided/Other- 12%

Arizona Senate Special Election (General)- Gallego vs Quayle Polling
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego- 45%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Ben Quayle- 45%
Undecided/Other- 10%

Do you support the SOCA? (Colorado)
Yes- 61%
No- 30%
Not Sure- 9%

Colorado Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis- 48%
State Tres. Walker Stapelton- 45%
Undecided/Other- 7%

Do you support the SOCA? (Florida)
Yes- 57%
No- 32%
Not Sure- 11%

Florida Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
Governor Rick Scott- 38%
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio- 36%
State Att. Gen. Pam Bondy- 20%
Undecided/Other- 6%

Florida Senate Election (General)- Nelson vs Scott Polling
Governor Rick Scott- 47%
Senator Bill Nelson*- 45%
Undecided/Other- 8%

Florida Senate Election (General)- Nelson vs Rubio Polling
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio- 47%
Senator Bill Nelson*- 44%
Undecided/Other- 9%

Florida Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
AG Commissioner Adam Putnam- 28%
Fmr. AR Governor Mike Huckabee- 26%
U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis- 18%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. David Jolly- 17%
Undecided/Other- 11%

Florida Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Polling
Businessman Jeff Greene- 32%
Mayor Andrew Gillum- 31%
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle- 14%
Entrepreneur Chris King- 9%
Undecided/Other- 14%

Florida Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Republican Candidate- 35%
Democratic Candidate- 30%
Lawyer John Morgan- 24%
Undecided/Other- 11%

Do you support the SOCA? (Maine)
Yes- 64%
No- 26%
Not Sure- 10%

Maine Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Activist Betsy Sweet- 34%
U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin- 33%
State Treasurer Terry Hayes- 20%
Fmr. Mayor John Jenkins- 4%
Undecided/Other- 9%

August 11th, 2018

Powered by Obama endorsement, David Ige narrowly defeats primary challenge in Hawaii



HONOLULU - Midterm primaries were held in Hawaii today, putting President Obama's influence in his original home state in the spotlight. In the state's Democratic gubernatorial primaries, very likely to decide the next Governor of Hawaii, incumbent David Ige was challenged by U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa. Initially, Hanabusa was heavily favoured, leading some polls by over 20 points, but then President Obama stepped in, shocking the state's political scene with an endorsement of the Governor. He even campaigned for Ige, calling him "an excellent executive for Hawaii who doesn't budge from his duty in favour of other positions". This is a subtle criticism of Hanabusa, which was aggressively used by the Ige campaign- the Governor painted his challenger as an opportunist, who just won a House seat in 2016 and already jumped to the next race, and all of this after challenging Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) in the 2014 Special Election for his Senate seat. The attacks and the President's support seemed to work, and Ige defeated Hanabusa by a small margin. He'll face perenniel candidate John Carroll in the general, and is widely expected to win easily.

Hawaii Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Governor David Ige*- 48.7% ✓
U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa- 47.1%
Fmr. State Sen. Clayton Hee- 3.4%
Others- 0.8%

Hawaii Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Governor David Ige*- 62%
Fmr. State Sen. John Carroll- 28%
Undecided/Other- 10%

August 14th, 2018

Pawlenty beats Bachmann to win Republican nod for Governor in Minnesota, Coleman to face Smith for old Senate seat; Republican Stewart will run against Democrat Kennedy in Connecticut, Walker challenged by Kind in Wisconsin reelection bid, Sen. Duffy faces Democrat Mitchell for Vice President's seat



SAINT PAUL - Key primaries for several Senate and Gubernatorial races were held tonight in several states in the northeast and the midwest. In Connecticut, Senator Chris Murphy (D) will be challenged by Republican businesswoman and 2012 Senate nominee Linda McMahon, in a race Democrats are expected to have no problems winning. Minnesota will hold two Senate races this year- the Special Election for the seat of former Senator Al Franken (D), where appointed incumbent Senator Tina Smith (D) will be challenged by moderate former Senator Norm Coleman (R), who's running in a bid to return to his old seat and is expected to make it a very close race, especially with Smith having little name recognition. Senator Amy Klobucher (D) is much safer, and is expected to easily triumph over her challenger, State Senator Karin Housley. In Vermont, businessman and perenniel candidate Rocky De La Fuente won the GOP nomination to face Senator Bernie Sanders (I) due to a lack of candidates running, and in Wisconsin, Senator Sean Duffy (R), elected in 2017 to Vice President Tammy Baldwin's seat is running for a full term and facing a considerably weaker challenger than he did in the Special Election- progressive activist Mahlon Mitchell, who defeated several candidates to win the Democratic nomination.

Minnesota Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Amy Klobucher*- 49%
State Sen. Karin Housley- 38%
Undecided/Other- 13%

Minnesota Senate Special Election (General)- Polling
Senator Tina Smith*- 43%
Fmr. Sen. Norm Coleman- 43%
Undecided/Other- 14%

Vermont Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Bernie Sanders*- 68%
Businessman Rocky De La Fuente- 17%
Undecided/Other- 15%

Wisconsin Senate Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Activist Mahon Mitchell- 37.8% ✓
State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout- 34.6%
County Exec. Chris Abele- 21.3%
Others- 6.3%

Wisconsin Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Sean Duffy*- 48%
Activist Mahon Mitchell- 39%
Undecided/Other- 13%

All of the aforementioned states will also hold gubernatorial races in 2018. In Connecticut, incumbent Democrat Dan Malloy announced that he will not be running for a third term. However, his deep unpopularity is bogging State Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr. (D) down, making his race against the Republican nominee, Erin Stewart, much harder. Stewart is a young, popular Mayor and a socially moderate to progressive candidate, one who could win in a northeastern liberal state, and many Democrats feel there is a real threat of her defeating Kennedy. In Minnesota, the race is expected the be tight and high profile as former Governor Tim Pawlenty defeated ultra conservative, controversial former U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in the Republican primary, and will go on to face progressive State Rep. Erin Murphy in the general election. Vermont will pit incumbent Governor Phil Scott, a popular centrist, against Democratic CEO Christine Hallquist, in a race Republicans are expected to win easily. Finally, Wisconsin will have a high-profile Gubernatorial race as Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, the nominee for Senate in 2017 who's still very popular in the state, was reportedly recruited by heavy efforts of the Obama administration to face the polarizing, union-busting Governor Scott Walker (R).

Connecticut Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Mayor Erin Stewart- 28.4% ✓
Mayor Mark Boughton- 23.9%
Businessman Stephen Obsitnik- 12.7%
State Rep. Prasad Srinivasan- 11.4%
Fmr. U.S. Comptroller General David Walker- 9.0%
Fmr. First Selectman Tim Herbst- 8.1%
Businessman Bob Stefanowski- 5.3%
Hedge Fun Manager David Stemerman- 1.2%

Connecticut Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
State Sen. Edward M. Kennedy Jr.- 41.2% ✓
Mayor Dan Drew- 32.8%
Mayor Joe Ganim- 16.4%
Fmr. Sec. of State Susan Bysiewicz- 9.6%

Connecticut Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
State Sen. Edward M. Kennedy Jr.- 44%
Mayor Erin Stewart- 40%
Undecided/Other- 16%

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Fmr. Governor Tim Pawlenty- 43.9% ✓
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann- 38.4%
County Commis. Jeff Johnson- 11.7%
Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens- 4.7%
Others- 1.3%

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
State Rep. Erin Murphy- 43.1% ✓
Fmr. Mayor Chris Coleman- 32.6%
State Auditor Rebecca Otto- 12.8%
Fmr. Mayor R. T. Rybak-  7.4%
State Rep. Paul Thissen- 3.3%
Others- 0.8%

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. Governor Tim Pawlenty- 46%
State Rep. Erin Murphy- 45%
Undecided/Other- 9%

Vermont Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Governor Phil Scott*- 52%
CEO Christine Hallquist- 31%
Undecided/Other- 17%

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind- 52.6% ✓
State Superintendant Tony Evers- 32.1%
Fmr. State Rep. Kelda Roys- 7.6%
Activist Mike McCabe- 3.5%
Fmr. Chairman Matt Flynn- 2.9%
Others- 1.3%

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Governor Scott Walker*- 48%
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind- 47%
Undecided/Other- 5%

August 18th, 2018

Lawmakers, Vice President Baldwin present final draft of SOCA; changes include softer magazine limit and no blanket semi-automatic ban



WASHINGTON, D.C. - After long work in the House Oversight Committee, lead by U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and the Senate Judiciary Committee, lead by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), as well as negotiations with Vice President Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), representing the White House, and various lawmakers, a final version of the Save Our Children Act was presented before congress and the press. Supported by a bipartisan coalition of liberals and moderate Republicans, the bill rides on the wave of anti-gun sentiments in the U.S. following two deadly shootings this year, but is expected to have a tough road towards the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate without a filibuster. However, with the moderate Republican Tuesday Group endorsing it in the House, it's expected to pass there quite easily. The changes to the initial bill include a reduction and softening in restrictions, including magazine and bullet limits, as well as a removal of the blanket ban of semi-automatic rifles in favour of selective banning of several rifles deemed "military-rank". The changes are touted by several moderates as making the bill "much more reasonable", as Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said, and, according to a statement by Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), make him "likelier to support it". Following the changes, the NYT complied a list of the previously swinging Senators according to their new classification after new media statements.

Safe AYE: 52 Senators
46 Previous Democrats confirming support
Jason Carter (D-GA) (Likely to Safe, announced that he's "enthusiastically endorsing" the bill after the changes)
Evan Bayh (D-IN) (Lean to Safe, praised the bill as a "great bipartisan effort" and announced his support)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Angus King (I-ME)
Jason Kander (D-MO) (Likely to Safe, announced two weeks ago that the bill is "good and fair for Missouri")
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

Likely AYE: 3 Senators
Cindy McCain (R-AZ) (Lean Aye to Likely Aye, both she and husband spoke favourably of the bill)
Claire McCaskill (D-MO) (Lean Aye to Likely Aye, speaks increasingly favourably of the bill)
Joe Heck (R-NV) (Lean Aye to Likely Aye, both he and Gov. Sandoval announced that the changes make the bill "a positive reform")

Lean AYE: 4 Senators
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) (Tossup to Lean Aye, spoke favourably of the bill)
Joe Donnelly (D-IN) (Tossup to Lean Aye, spoke favourably of the bill)
Jon Tester (D-MT) (no change of position, pressured from voters at home)
Joe Manchin (D-WV) (Tossup to Lean Aye, spoke favourably of the bill)

TOSSUP: 2 Senators
Jeff Flake (R-AZ) (said he respects the work on the bill)
Cory Gardner (R-CO) (is under heavy pressure from home state voters)

Lean NAY: 2 Senators
Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) (no change in position, remains staunchly against gun control)
Lamar Alexander (R-TN) (no change)

Likely NAY: 3 Senators
Dan Sullivan (R-AK) (no change)
Bob Corker (R-TN)(no change)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)(no change)

Safe NAY: 33 Senators
33 Previous Republicans confirming opposition

[America Needs R'hllor]

How does de la Fuente manage to get literally everywhere

He's the saviour we need, but not the one we deserve.

[America Needs R'hllor]

August 21st, 2018

Dunleavy to face Walker in Alaska as Democrats get behind independent Governor again



ANCHORAGE - Alaska's gubernatorial race will see a battle between Republican conservative former State Senator Mike Dunleavy, who won the Republican nomination, and the state's independent incumbent Governor, Bill Walker, who's running again with his Democratic Lieutenant Governor, Byron Mallot. This comes after former Senator Mark Begich, a Democrat, was rumourd to be interested in entering the race as a Democrat, but then reportedly dissuaded by Democratic leaders and the White House, as President Obama thought Walker would have the best chance to prevent the state from falling into Republican hands. Walker ran for the Democratic nomination too, hoping to prevent a candidate from the party splitting the vote, but was still challenged by State Senator Bill Wielechowski and State Representative Les Gara. Walker edged them out for the Democratic nomination, and so he will be facing Republican nominee Mike Dunleavy and Libertarian nominee    Cean Stevens. It's expected to be a close race, with Walker having declining approvals.

Alaska Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Fmr. State Sen. Mike Dunleavy- 41.0% ✓
Fmr. Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell- 36.8%
State Rep. Mike Chenault- 14.9%
Others- 7.3%

Alaska Gubernatorial Election (Democratic-Libertarian-Independence Primary)- Results
Governor Bill Walker*- 37.6% ✓
State Rep. Les Gara- 25.5%
State Sen. Bill Wielechowski- 20.6%
Ms. Cean Stevens- 16.3% ✓

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. State Sen. Mike Dunleavy- 42%
Governor Bill Walker\Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott- 41%
Ms. Cean Stevens- 5%
Undecided/Other- 12%

August 25th, 2018

Democrats, moderate Republicans ready to put gun control bill before Senate in "beginning of September", Nelson says



WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) confirmed today that the work on the Save Our Children Act is fully complete, and that it will be presented before the Senate chamber in the "beginning of September, likely the 5th" by its co-sponsors, Nelson, Senator Gwen Graham (D-FL) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME). The vote on the bill is expected to be close, with several Senators still on the fence, and White House sources confirmed that Vice President Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) will arrive on Capitol Hill early in the morning to support the bill and, possibly, cast a tie-breaking vote in its favour if it comes to that. Several legislators opposed to the bill, including Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT) and, notably, Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) already promised to filibuster SOCA if it fails to reach the 60 votes required to bypass a filibuster, with the addition of Baldwin's vote. Pundits are closely watching Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Cory Gardener (R-CO) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) as important swing votes.

August 28th, 2018

Arizona, Florida select candidates for Senate and Governor in last multi-state primary of 2018 midterms



TALLAHASSEE - Several primaries for very high-profile Senate and Governor elections were held today in Florida and Arizona, two competitive states with high hispanic populations won by President Obama in 2016. Arizona had two closely-watched primaries for Senate- one for the regularly-held election to the seat held by Senator Jeff Flake (R), and the other for a special election to the seat vacated by ill Senator John McCain (R) and his appointed replacement and wife, Cindy McCain (R). Senator Flake, who infamously criticised 2016 Republican nominee Donald Trump and has very low approval ratings in the state, lost the primary to a far-right challenger, former Senator Kelly Ward who's a hard-line pro-Trump conservative accused of supporting the chemtrails conspiracy theory. It's considered a blow to Republican chances of keeping the seat and a rare opportunity for U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, an atheis bisexual woman with a moderate record, to give Democrats a midterm pickup. The other primary race resulted in a narrow victory for U.S. Rep. Martha McSally over the convicted felon and immigration hardliner former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was running a campaign accusing the Obama administration of conspiring against him. It's considered a sigh of relief for Republican leaders, who were afraid of losing this seat too because of Arpaio's deep unpopularity, but the far-right challenge forced McSally to move to the right as well, so that she praised Trump and controversially called for the "dismantling of DACA" in the campaign trail. The rightward move caused many to see her as a "flip-flopping opportunist", as Arpaio called her on the trail, and the polls between her and Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, a young hispanic veteran who won his party's nomination unopposed, show him with a narrow lead. Lastly, in Florida, a tight race between former Senator Marco Rubio, Governor Rick Scott and state Attorney General Pam Bondy for the right to face vulnerable Senator Bill Nelson (D) in November added with a shocker, as Rubio, who was considered the underdog against the rich, moderately popular Governor, won a narrow victory, attributed to him managing to present himself as the more conservative candidate. Rubio, who was reluctantly endorsed by Scott, who became his political enemy, will be bruised heading to a tough battle against a popular incumbent, despite a favourable national climate. Whether his remarkable comeback bid succeeds remains to be seen.

Arizona Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Fmr. State Sen. Kelli Ward- 53.5% ✓
Senator Jeff Flake*- 46.5%

Arizona Senate Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema- 48%
Fmr. State Sen. Kelly Ward- 42%
Undecided/Other- 10%

Arizona Senate Special Election (Republican Primary)- Results
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally- 29.4% ✓
Fmr. Sheriff Joe Arpaio- 28.0%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Ben Quayle- 22.9%
Fmr. Chairman Robert Graham- 15.1%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Matt Solomon- 4.6%

Arizona Senate Special Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego- 46%
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally- 45%
Undecided/Other- 9%

Florida Senate Election (Republican Primary)- Polling
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio- 39.4% ✓
Governor Rick Scott- 38.9%
State Att. Gen. Pam Bondy- 21.4%
Divine God Rocky De La Fuente- 0.3%

Florida Senate Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio- 45%
Senator Bill Nelson*- 44%
Undecided/Other- 11%

In addition to Senate races, Arizona and Florida also have gubernatorial elections this November. In Arizona, incumbent Governor Doug Ducey (R) is considered popular and fairly safe, as he will face a fairly weak Democratic recruit in November, Professor David Garcia who was the only serious Democrat to file. Meanwhile, Florida's race is considered much more competitive as Republican voters nominated a familiar face for Governor- former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, the runnerup for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2008 and a candidate in 2016, who moved to northern Florida and enjoys strong popularity with evangelicals and conservatives there. The staunchly socially conservative former pastor defeated the more establishment-minded state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who was bogged down by a controversy regarding his enforcement of gun laws and his lack of support for Trump in 2016. Moderate former U.S. Rep. David Jolly came a surprisingly strong third, continuing to show the increasing strength of the centrist wing of the GOP. Meanwhile, Andrew Gillum, the progressive Mayor of Tallahassee, was nominated by Democrats, but is facing rumours of a corruption investigation which could bog him down. The gubernatorial race was upended a few months ago when renowned lawyer and marijuanna legalization advocate John Morgan announced his bid for Governor as an independent. Now, with controversial nominees for the major parties, the famous lawyer could have an opening, but some call him a "spoiler" for Democrats. The state of Oklahoma also held a gubernatorial runoff today, with controversial Attorney General Scott Pruitt easily dispatching the more moderate Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and advancing to a likely win in the general election.

Arizona Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Governor Doug Ducey*- 47%
Professor David Garcia- 41%
Undecided/Other- 12%

Florida Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Fmr. AR Governor Mike Huckabee- 30.3% ✓
AG Commissioner Adam Putnam- 25.9%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. David Jolly- 24.0%
U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis- 18.6%
Others- 1.2%

Florida Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Mayor Andrew Gillum- 32.4% ✓
Businessman Jeff Greene- 31.6%
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle- 21.2%
Entrepreneur Chris King- 12.3%
Others- 2.5%

Florida Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. AR Governor Mike Huckabee- 33%
Mayor Andrew Gillum- 29%
Lawyer John Morgan- 25%
Undecided/Other- 13%

Oklahoma Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
State Att. Gen. Scott Pruitt- 61.3% ✓
Fmr. Mayor Mick Cornett- 38.7%

Oklahoma Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
State Att. Gen. Scott Pruitt- 49%
Fmr. State Sen. Connie Johnson- 35%
Undecided/Other- 16%

September 5th, 2018

BREAKING: Save Our Children Act as vote reaches 60-40 count, breaking the filibuster and passing the historic bill as Vice President Baldwin presides over the session



WASHINGTON, D.C. - It was a historic morning today on Capitol Hill. After long efforts to pass a substantial gun control bill, the Obama Administration finally succeeded, with the Save Our Children Act winning 60 votes for and 40 votes against, breaking the filibuster threatened by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND). Vice President Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), who lead the efforts to craft and move the bill through congress, appeared teary-eyed and happy as she presided over the Senate session that passed it. SOCA's co-sponsors in the House, U.S. Reps. Ted Deutsch (D-FL), Charlie Crist (D-FL), Elsie Stefanik (R-NY) and Charlie Dent (R-PA) are expected to present the bill before the House of Representatives in the coming days, where it's expected to easily pass, especially with strong support from the Republican moderate Tuesday Group, whose floor leader is co-sponsoring it. The SOCA was carried by the wings of a strong wave in favour of gun control after the Parkland shooting this February, and the public support is attributed by many to a group of young activists who fiercely fought and marched for gun control in the months following the trauma they went through. President Obama celebrated the passage of the measure, calling it "an amazing, historic day" and saying that "America finally managed to break the corporate interests of the gun lobby and care for its children and teenagers".

AYE: 60 Senators ✓
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Cindy McCain (R-AZ)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Cory Gardner (R-CO)
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Tom Carper (D-DE)
Chris Coons (D-DE)
Ben Nelson (D-FL)
Gwen Graham (D-FL)
Jason Carter (D-GA)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Joe Donnelly (D-IN)
Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Tom Vilsack (D-IA)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Angus King (I-ME)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Ed Markey (D-MA)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Gary Peters (D-MI)
Amy Klobucher (D-MN)
Tina Smith (D-MN)
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Jason Kander (D-MO)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Joe Heck (R-NV)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Betty Sutton (D-OH)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Ed Rendell (D-PA)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Russ Feingold (D-WI)

NAY: 40 Senators
Richard Shelby (R-AL)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
John Boozman (R-AR)
Tom Cotton (R-AR)
David Perdue (R-GA)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Jim Risch (R-ID)
Joni Ernst (R-IA)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Rand Paul (R-KY)
Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
John Neely Kennedy (R-LA)
Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Stever Daines (R-MT)
Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Ben Sasse (R-NE)
Thom Tillis (R-NC)
Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
John Hoeven (R-ND)
Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
James Lankford (R-OK)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Tim Scott (R-SC)
John Thune (R-SD)
Mike Rounds (R-SD)
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Bob Corker (R-TN)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Mike Lee (R-UT)
Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV)
Sean Duffy (R-WI)
Mike Enzi (R-WY)
John Barrasso (R-WY)

[America Needs R'hllor]

VP only is able to vote to break ties in 50/50 votes

Got it, and it seems 60 votes is enough to break a filibuster. Fixed, thanks!

Ok, forgive my ignorance, but why exactly would Baldwin have to cast a tie breaker?

You're not the ignorant one

[America Needs R'hllor]

September 8th, 2018

Surrounded by Parkland survivors and gun control advocates, President Obama officially signs Save Our Children Act



WASHINGTON, D.C. - Hours after it passed through the House of Representatives with a strong majority- some Blue Dog Democrats voted against while the moderate Republican Tuesday Group voter for it- President Barack Obama officially signed the Save Our Children Act into law, marking the passage of the most comprehensive and strict gun control law in American history. Conservatives are protesting the bill, and although a Second Amendment March held in various cities across the country received an embarrassingly poor attendance, the issue is considered a strong weapon for them against Democrats who supported the bill such as Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO). Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) said that the GOP will "hammer the people who voted for this horrible attack on our freedom and make sure none of them wins reelection". Nevertheless, liberals celebrated the signing of the SOCA into law, and none more than the group of Parkland shooting survivors who formed a strong national youth movement for gun control. Emma Gonzales, teary-eyed and smiling, appeared in a press conference with her partners and praised the Obama administration for "finally taking a step to protect us" and "helping us prevent the next disaster like we had to experience. David Hogg said in the same conference that it was "the first time I can feel happy after that horrible disaster", and Cameron Kasky thanked "brave lawmakers from left and right who came together to defeat the cold interests of the NRA and protect children and teenagers".

President Obama Job Approval
Approve- 51%
Disapprove- 44%
Not Sure- 5%

September 12th, 2018

In New Hampshire, Republican Brown nominated to face Governor Van Ostern; Raimondo to run against Fung in Rhode Island



PROVIDENCE - With the GOP seeing openings in gubernatorial races across the left-leaning states of New England, primaries were held in two key races- New Hampshire yesterday and Rhode Island tonight. In the Granite State, Republicans saw a close, high-profile primary between two former Senators- Scott Brown, who won an upset in a 2010 special election in Massachusetts and served as its Senator until 2013, and Kelly Ayotte, the former New Hampshire Senator who was defeated in 2016 by Senator Maggie Hassan (D). Initially, Ayotte was considered heavily favoured, but it seemed like her popularity in the state had slipped, and an endorsement from Donald Trump to the usually moderate Brown helped to shore up his support and grant him an upset victory. Now, he will face Democratic Governor Colin Van Ostern in a closely-watched race. Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, the popular Mayor Allan Fung of Cranston won the Republican primary to face the deeply unpopular Governor Ginna Raimondo (D), in a race where the GOP is hopeful they can use a moderate, competent candidate to win a governorship in yet another liberal northeastern state. Further complicating Democratic chances is former Governor and Senator Lincoln Chafee, a Republican-turned-Democrat, who decided to run as the nominee of the Rhode Island Moderate Party after it became clear that Raimondo would not be defeated by her strong primary challenge, former State Secretary of State Matt Brown.

New Hampshire Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Former MA Senator Scott Brown- 40.1% ✓
Former Senator Kelly Ayotte- 38.2%
State Rep. Frank Edelblut- 11.0%
Mayor Ted Gatsas- 8.3%
Others- 2.4%

New Gampshire Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Governor Colin Van Ostern*- 47%
Former MA Senator Scott Brown- 46%
Undecided/Other- 7%

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election (Republican Primary)- Results
Mayor Allan Fung- 43.5% ✓
Fmr. State Rep. Joe Trillo- 26.5%
Businessman Giovanni Feroce- 15.3%
Minority Leader Patricia Morgan- 14.7%

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Governor Gina Raimondo*- 51.7% ✓
Fmr. SoS Matt Brown- 48.3%

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Governor Gina Raimondo*- 32%
Mayor Allan Fung- 30%
Fmr. Governor Lincoln Chafee- 24%
Undecided/Other- 14%

September 13th, 2018

Cuomo nominated by Democrats for New York Governor, Nixon to run as Working Families nominee



ALBANY - In the Empire State, New York Democrats voted in their gubernatorial primary to nominate Andrew Cuomo, the controversial incumbent, for a third term in office. He defeated a primary challenger from the left, actress and activist Cynthia Nixon. However, the election is still not completely decided- Nixon was nominated by the Working Families Party, which has ballot access across the state, and her strong performance in the primary will make her a tough candidate in the general election. She was already endorsed by several New York politicians, including U.S. Rep. Zephyr Teachout. There are other candidates running- the Republican Party nominated former U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, a relative moderate who could have a strong showing, while the Libertarian Party has an exceptionally strong candidate in business consultant Larry Sharpe, who has strong fundraising numbers and is taking a lot of conservative support from Gibson, despite the Republican ticket being endorsed by the New York Conservative Party. There's also a strong independent running- former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner is running as the canddiate of the Serve America Movement, a centrist party aiming to attack the corrupt machine politics of Governor Cuomo, and was endorsed by the New York Reform Party and the New York Liberal Party. Interestingly, Miner was also endorsed by former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was defeated by the Obama and Cuomo endorsed new Mayor Shaun Donovan in the Democratic primary last year. This creates an interesting race between four candidates, and likely the most serious challenge to Cuomo in a long while.

New York Gubernatorial Election (Democratic Primary)- Results
Governor Andrew Cuomo*- 56.1% ✓
Activist Cynthia Nixon- 43.9%

New York Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Governor Andrew Cuomo*- 31%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson- 19%
Fmr. Mayor Stephanie Miner- 16%
Activist Cynthia Nixon- 12%
Businessman Larry Sharpe- 7%
Undecided/Other- 15%

September 25th, 2018

As Republicans ready to make gains in the midterms, Democrats hope problematic candidates and party splits help them stem the tide



KANSAS CITY - With the last primary elections before the 2018 midterms over, the race is shaping to have some interesting dynamics. Republicans, who are targeting a vast number of Democratic seats in conservative areas, as well as open seats, are almost certain to make some gainst and hope that they will be able to reclaim the Senate, resurging after a shaking defeat in 2016, when they lost most competitive races. Democrats are struggling to stem the tide, hoping to prevent another midterm disaster like 2014 and 2010. However, a string of unlikely events altered the map from a straightforward battle between Democrats from conservaitve and swing states and their Republican challengers, into a much wider and more interesting map. Democratic chances to hold the Senate were hurt when popular Senator Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) died in a plane crush, opening his seat and making it a competitive race between Governor Tom Wolf (D) and former Governor Tom Ridge (R). They were also harmed when Senator Al Franken (D-MN) was forced to resign due to sexual harrassment allegations, opening a dangerous special election in his seat between the little-known appointed incumbent Tina Smith (D) and former Senator Norm Coleman (R), and the corruption charges against Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) make him vulnerable to a challenge from moderate State Senator Tom Kean Jr. (R) in an otherwise Democratic state.

Minnesota Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Amy Klobucher*- 49%
State Sen. Karin Housley- 40%
Undecided/Other- 11%

Minnesota Senate Special Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. Sen. Norm Coleman- 44%
Senator Tina Smith*- 43%
Undecided/Other- 13%

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. Governor Tim Pawlenty- 46%
State Rep. Erin Murphy- 44%
Undecided/Other- 10%

New Jersey Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Bob Menendez*- 46%
State Sen. Thomas Kean Jr.- 43%
Undecided/Other- 11%

Pennsylvania Senate Election (General)- Polling
Governor Tom Wolf- 45%
Fmr. Governor Tom Ridge- 44%
Undecided/Other- 11%

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent- 46%
Fmr. Chief of Staff Kathleen McGinty- 42%
Undecided/Other- 12%

However, Republicans have problems of their own- convicted felon and controversial hardliner businessman Don Blankenship (R-WV) won his party's nomination to the open seat vacated by Senator Joe Manchin (D), and is in a real danger of losing to former Senator Carte Goodwin (D), a young liberal, in this deep conservative state due to his unpopularity and a write-in campaign from the more moderate U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins. In Arizona, Senator John McCain's resignation forced Republicans to defend yet another seat in a state rapidly moving left, and polls are showing a hard battle for U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R), who had to move right to defeat ultra-conservative Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the primary, struggling to beat the young U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D). Lastly, in Missouri, businessman Austin Petersen was nominated by the Libertarian Party after coming a shockingly close second in the Republican Senate primary, possibly giving Senator Claire McCaskill (D) an opening in her race against State Attorney General Josh Hawley (R). Overall, the 2018 midterms are likely to produce a very curious map.

Arizona Senate Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema- 51%
Fmr. State Sen. Kelly Ward- 41%
Undecided/Other- 8%

Arizona Senate Special Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally- 46%
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego- 45%
Undecided/Other- 9%

Arizona Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Governor Doug Ducey*- 50%
Professor David Garcia- 40%
Undecided/Other- 10%

Missouri Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Claire McCaskill- 37%
State Att. Gen. Josh Hawley- 35%
Businessman Austin Petersen- 17%
Undecided/Other- 11%

West Virginia Senate Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. Senator Carte Goodwin- 42%
Businessman Don Blankenship- 40%
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins (Write-in)- 4%
Undecided/Other- 14%

October 3rd, 2018

President Obama set to campaign for Democrats across the country, hopes to fix mistakes from previous midterms



MIAMI - The Obama White House claims that it learned from the traumas of 2010 and 2014, when Democrats had suffered large losses to Republicans in the President's midterms. Press Secretary Josh Earnest and Chief of Staff Eric Holder have both claimed that this time, the President will be doing what he can to help Democratic candidates and incumbents, especially in states where he's popular. Thus, while he didn't yet make an appearance in the conservative states were Democrats are trying to hold seats, the President already traveled to make appearances in states like Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Arizona and Maine, campaigning for Democratic Senate and gubernatorial nominees. In Florida, he joined Senator Gwen Graham (D), former Senator Bob Graham (D) and Vice President Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to campaign for Senator Bill Nelson (D), who has a strong challenger in the form of former Senator Marco Rubio (R), and for Mayor Andrew Gillum (D), running for Governor against Republican Mike Huckabee and independent John Morgan. In Ohio, where Governor John Kasich (R), running against Senator Sherrod Brown (D), is endangering a seat Democrats thought would otherwise be easy to defend, Obama made several campaign stops in an effort to boost Democratic enthusiasm to turn out for Brown. Overall, Democrats are satisfied with Obama's midterm performance- DSCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said that the President is "doing a great job, campaigning where we need him and avoiding where we don't", and retiring Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) said that Obama "isn't tone deaf this time, he's definitely listening to local voters and acting by their preferences". The White House confirmed that the President, as well as other members of the administration, will continue campaigning for Democrats through the fall, but whether this will be enough to stem the Red Wave predicted by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) remains to be seen.

Florida Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Bill Nelson*- 48%
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio- 46%
Undecided/Other- 6%

Florida Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. AR Governor Mike Huckabee- 33%
Mayor Andrew Gillum- 30%
Lawyer John Morgan- 27%
Undecided/Other- 10%

Ohio Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Sherrod Brown*- 46%
Governor John Kasich- 46%
Undecided/Other- 8%

Ohio Gubernatorial Election (General)- Polling
State Attorney General Mike DeWine- 50%
State Sen. Joe Schiavoni- 43%
Undecided/Other- 7%

[America Needs R'hllor]

Now that we're done with the pre-midterm primaries and the Obama pre-midterm agenda is completed with the passage of the SOCA, the TL will speed up and we're going to reach the midterms in very few updates. So it's time for the inevitable question- how do you all prefer I present the midterm results, through a CNN coverage format (similar to the way I did the 2016 general election in the previous part), or as a few long posts like this part's news article format?

[America Needs R'hllor]

This is easily one of the site's best websites, and your carefulness and detail with the elections and polling is awesome. I really like how you're portraying a split in the GOP by having Trump-aligned candidates succeed in primaries (Blankenship, etc.) along with more establishment or moderate candidates (Dent, etc.).  

As for the coverage of the midterms, assuming it would not be too much work, I would like an instant view of all of the Senate and governorship results with long articles about the races--at least the key ones (Arizona, West Virginia, etc.) or the more interesting ones (New York, etc.).

Side note: I hope the real-life gubernatorial election in New York is as chaotic as this one

Thanks a lot! And this could be a good idea- you'd prefer thos over, say, a gradual CNN reporting and discussion about the races as the prescints report?

MSNBC Format

As an Israeli, I don't really know pundits other than the well-known CNN ones, so I can't really do that

[America Needs R'hllor]

October 14th, 2018

Democratic incumbents in conservative states face shadows of Obamacare 2.0, EPCEA, SOCA as they try to win reelection against tough odds



HELENA - The Guaranteed Healthcare Act, also known as Obamacare 2.0, the Environmental Protection and Clean Energy Act and the Save Our Children Act are the three signature achievements of the Obama administration, passed after hard work and many struggles. They are the three achievements touted by progressives and liberals who increasingly approve of President Obama's three terms. But in states where Republicans have lopsided advantages in federal elections, deeply conservative states, these three achievements are now hounding Democratic incumbents trying to survive and win reelection. Conservatives are pushing the issues hard, accusing the Democrats of supporting the President's agenda to "ruin our healthcare system, hurt businesses and take our guns", as it was phrased by U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R), running against Seantor Jon Tester (D). The Democrats are not only accused of supporting Obama- their pictures with other key figures in these bills, such as Health and Human Services Secretary Howard Dean, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Al Gore and Vice President Tammy Baldwin are also adorning GOP ads attacking these incumbents. On their parts, the Democrats are trying to signal to their record of opposing the President's efforts- Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) voted against the GHA but supported the EPCEA and the SOCa, two lines of attack often used by his challenger, former U.S. Rep. Todd Young (R). Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), meanwhile, opposed every single one of the signature bills, giving her a strong line of argument against her opponent, U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), but she's still struggling to hold onto her seat in the face of the President's deep unpopularity in her state. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), on the other hand, supported all three, marking him as the most liberal of the conservative-state Senators. Zinke, his opponent, is using this to hammer Tester and try to turn out enough conservative voters in the traditionally Republican state to unseat the incumbent. If Republicans are unable to claim these seats, their hopes of reclaiming the Senate would be very slim, and so, the RNC and McConnell's Senate Leadership PAC are heavily investing in these races. Whether it'll be enough remains to be seen.

Indiana Senate Election (General)- Polling
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Young- 50%
Senator Joe Donnelly*- 43%
Undecided/Other- 7%

Montana Senate Election (General)- Polling
Senator Jon Tester*- 46%
U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke- 45%
Undecided/Other- 9%

North Dakota Senate Election (General)- Polling
U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer- 46%
Senator Heidi Heitkamp*- 44%
Undecided/Other- 10%

October 21st, 2018

In symbolic foreign policy victory for Obama, first McDonald's opens in North Korea



SEOUL - As efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula continue, with the Kim Regime reluctantly but slowly working to dismantle its nuclear program as agreed in the Singapore Summit, a symbolic but important event in the opening of North Korea to the west occured today- McDonald's, the famous American food corporation, officially opened its North Korean branch with a first store in Pyongyang. The line to the McDonald's branch, like in many other developing countries where a McDonald's was first opened in the past, was huge, going through several streets. Secretary of Commerce Dean Heller said that it was "a historic event" and that "through trade, we will be able to make gradual change in North Korea", while National Security Advisor James Stavridis seemed more reluctant to celebrate, claiming that "we will have to wait and see if the Kim Regime continues to comply by the agreement's terms when it comes to denuclearization and human rights". Secretary of State Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Pyongyang in late November for a historic meeting with Kim Jong Un.

October 29th, 2018

With midterms a week away, Republicans hold high hopes of taking back the House despite strong Obama approvals



WASHINGTON, D.C. - The 2018 midterms are just a week away, with pressure reaching a high point in both parties with a large number of Senate races in an uncertain state. President Obama is holding fairly high approvals after passing some major achievements in the first half of his third term- three key bills, the Trans Pacific Pact, international environmental agreements and beginning a normalization with North Korea. However, Republicans are still hopeful, especially about their chances of taking the House- House Minority Leader Paul Ryan (R-WI) said that "we're going to take back the House" and that "Americans know that the Democrats have failed them again and again". Meanwhile, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise reasoned that "in every Obama term, we had great gains in the House, so it's going to be the same now". However, House Majority Leader Steve Israel (D-NY) countered that it's "different", explaining that "the President's approvals are much stronger and the economy is in a fantastic shape". Israel, who was expected to retire in 2016 but decided to remain due to the high chances to advance in leadership, is considered a frontrunner for the position of Democratic leader when Speaker Nancy Pelosi retires.

President Obama Job Approval
Approve- 50%
Disapprove- 43%
Not Sure- 7%

November 6th, 2018

Midterm election day arrives: reports indicate high turnout, both sides extremely energized



CHICAGO - Yesterday, the major party nominees in major races across the country held their final rallies to try and shore up as much support as possible for the midterm elections. And now, the day finally came- voters in all of America came out to vote and choose their Senators, Governor, House Representatives, State Legislators, Mayors and many more local offices. President Obama voted this morning in Chicago, presumably supporting Democratic gubernatorial nominee J.B. Pritzker despite his lukewarm support for the rich businessman, and urged all voters across the country to "come out and participate in our great democracy", regardless of their party affiliation. The midterms are a consequential moment for Obama's third term- if his party manages to hold the House and the Senate, he'll be able to keep getting his agenda through. The elections also hold critical importance for the careers of many major politicians such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Paul Ryan and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Right now, most pundits give Republicans a narrow edge for gaining the House and the Senate, though the latter is considered a nearly pure tossup with many close, uncertain races.

[America Needs R'hllor]

MIDTERM NIGHT, Part I

Anderson Cooper: Hello, and welcome to CNN's official coverage of the 2018 midterm election night. We'll be reporting to you immediately when results from each of the many interesting Senate and Governor races today start arriving, and analyzing the data as it arrives.

Wolf Blitzer: Right. And we're already at 6 PM, so we have first results from the first states closing many of their polls- Indiana and Kentucky. CNN will right now classify the Senate race in Indiana, between Republican former U.S. Representative and 2016 Senate nominee Todd Young and incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly as too close to call. In the same time, the race in Kentucky's 6th congreessional district between Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, a Democrat, and Representative Andy Barr, a Republican, is too close to call. In a district where Lexington, as well as other cities, are dominant, this is one of the only pickup opportunities for Democrats in a year favourable for Republicans.

John King: And we can already say that the race in Indiana seems to be favouring Rep. Young- the polls were showing that Donnelly doesn't have much of a chance to hold on, and the data seems to be confirming it. Young is especially overperforming in suburbs and urban areas, though Senator Donnelly is holding on relatively well in rural areas.

Dana Bash: It could be understood politically, actually. Donnelly was very consistent on issues important to these rural voters- he opposed gun control legislation, he opposed environmental intervention, he opposed free trade. He did what he needed to do. But, it seems, in the end it's not really going to matter against the national environment. Let's not eulogize him yet, though, and wait for the results.

2018 U.S. Senate Election Map

Indiana Senate Race (4% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Young (R)- 51.9%
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 46.7%

[America Needs R'hllor]

MIDTERM NIGHT, Part II

Blitzer: Thank you for tuning in to our coverage of the 2018 midterm elections again. We're now at the 7 PM hour, with a bunch of more states closing their polls, including some very important races. We'll now be able to get first results from the Senate and Governor races in Georgia, Florida, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia, as well as more results from the rest of the polling places in Indiana and Kentucky.

Jake Tapper: Right, and we're now already able to call the Senate race in Vermont, where Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent caucusing with the Democrats who was the runner-up to President Obama in the 2016 Democratic Presidential primary, easily won reelection over his Republican opponent, businessman Rocky De La Fuente. And in South Carolina, we're ready to make an early call in favour of Republican U.S. Representative Trey Gowdy, who easily dispatched his opponent, Democratic businessman Phil Noble.

Cooper: But right now, these are the only races we feel ready to call. The Senate race in Virginia, between Republican businesswoman Carly Fiorina and incumbent Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, is too early to call rather than too close, with a strong advantage for Kaime. Same for the gubernatorial race in Vermont, where Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, is leading his Democratic opponent, CEO Christine Hallquist, but it's too early to call right now.

Bash: And there are several interesting races we're unable to call right now- the Georgia gubernatorial race, between controversial Republican businessman Herman Cain and Demcoratic former State House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, is too close to call. Same for the New Hampshire gubernatorial race, where incumbent Democrat Colin Van Ostern is up against former Republican Massachussetts Senator Scott Brown Also too close to call are the two Florida races- the Senate race, where Democratic Senator Bill Nelson is facing off against Republican former Senator and 2016 Presidential candidate Marco Rubio in his comeback bid, and the gubernatorial race, where Republcian former Arkansas Governor and 2008 and 2016 Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, and independent famous lawyer John Morgan are locked in a tight three-way race.

King: And we also can't call the Indiana Senate race right now, although Senator Donnelly has narrowed Rep. Young's lead for now. Let's take a look at the results so far.

2018 U.S. Senate Election Map

Florida Senate Race (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio (R)- 49.8%
Senator Bill Nelson (D)*- 49.6%

Indiana Senate Race (16% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Young (R)- 50.7%
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 47.8%

Vermont Senate Race (2% Reporting)- INDEPENDENT HOLD
Senator Bernie Sanders (D)*- 83.9% ✓
Son of God Rocky De La Fuente (R)- 12.1%

Virginia Senate Race (2% Reporting)- TOO EARLY TO CALL
Senator Tim Kaine (D)*- 51.2%
Businesswoman Carly Fiorina (R)- 47.5%

2018 U.S. Gubernatorial Elections Map

Georgia Gubernatorial Race (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Businessman Herman Cain (R)- 50.4%
Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Abrams (D)- 49.4%

Florida Gubernatorial Race (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. AR Governor Mike Huckabee (R)- 39.9%
Lawyer John Morgan- 36.3%
Mayor Andrew Gillum (D)- 23.0%

New Hampshire Gubernatorial Race (<1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Colin Van Ostern (D)*- 55.5%
Fmr. MA Senator Scott Brown (R)- 43.5%

South Carolina Gubernatorial Race (3% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R)- 58.7% ✓
Businessman Phil Noble (D)- 40.1%

Vermont Gubernatorial Race (2% Reporting)- TOO EARLY TO CALL
Governor Phil Scott (R)*- 54.8%
CEO Christine Hallquist (D)- 41.5%

[America Needs R'hllor]

MIDTERM NIGHT, Part III

Cooper: ...And we can now finally call the gubernatorial race in Vermont. Phil Scott, the incumbent Republican Governor, will be reelected by a wide margin.

Bash: Not unexpected, considering Scott has been a moderate and popular Governor, and his challenger is a fairly unknown CEO, not exactly enthusing the progressive Democrats in the state.

Tapper: But now, we've reached 7:30 PM, another crucial hour tonight, and as we close the polls in three more states we cannot yet call any of the races there- in Ohio, we cannot call the Senate race between Governor John Kasich and Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, and in West Virginia, the race for Joe Manchin's open seat between Republican Don Blankenship and Democrat Carte Goodwin is also too close to call. As for Ohio's gubernatorial race, we also cannot call it, though trends show that Republican State Attorney General Mike DeWine is holding a healthy advantage against Democratic State Senator Joe Schiavoni. So, John, how's it looking for the two parties right now?

King: Well, it's really quite early to tell. It appears as if Democrats do not have much to worry about in the Virginia Senate race, but that one of their vulnerable incumbents, Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly, is heading towards a painful defeat if the trends hold. However, Demcorats were expecting to suffer some losses tonight and three Senate seats they were really hoping to hold tonight, in Florida, Ohio and West Virginia, will be close. This will likely be a long night.

Blitzer: Yes, and in the latter race, especially, it looks like Democrats got an unexpected gift- after Senator Manchin's retirement, they were expecting to lose the seat handily, but when Republicans nominated businessman Don Blankenship, a felon convicted for misdemeanor in an incident where 29 miners were killed and is very unpopular statewide, and when U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, who lost the Republican primary, launched a write-in campaign to oppose Blankenship, it looked like the liberal but young former interim Senator and 2016 gubernatorial nominee Carte Goodwin will have a chance. We shall have to see if that materializes or if the U.S. Senate will be home to a convicted felon. Finally, in the Georgia gubernatorial race, the far-right businessman Herman Cain appears to be having trouble against his Democratic challenger, Stacey Abrams, giving Democrats a rare opportunity in what's shaping up to be a tough and long night.

2018 U.S. Senate Election Map

Florida Senate Race (8% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio (R)- 50.2%
Senator Bill Nelson (D)*- 49.1%

Indiana Senate Race (23% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Young (R)- 51.9%
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 47.1%

Ohio Senate Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Sherrod Brown*- 51.4%
Governor John Kasich- 48.2%

Virginia Senate Race (9% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Tim Kaine (D)*- 52.5%
Businesswoman Carly Fiorina (R)- 46.7%

West Virginia Senate Election (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Businessman Don Blankenship- 47.2%
Fmr. Senator Carte Goodwin- 46.0%
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins (Write-in)- 5.6%

2018 U.S. Gubernatorial Elections Map

Georgia Gubernatorial Race (9% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Businessman Herman Cain (R)- 49.9%
Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Abrams (D)- 49.6%

Florida Gubernatorial Race (8% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. AR Governor Mike Huckabee (R)- 41.3%
Lawyer John Morgan- 36.1%
Mayor Andrew Gillum (D)- 21.9%

New Hampshire Gubernatorial Race (5% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Colin Van Ostern (D)*- 51.0%
Fmr. MA Senator Scott Brown (R)- 47.8%

Ohio Gubernatorial Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
State Att. Gen. Mike DeWeine- 51.9%
State Sen. Joe Schiavoni- 47.5%

Vermont Gubernatorial Race (10% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Phil Scott (R)*- 58.3% ✓
CEO Christine Hallquist (D)- 38.5%

[America Needs R'hllor]

Is this dead? I love this timeline and am pumped to see how the midterms shape up!

This is not dead, but I nearly am after failing two exams I'll get back to it soon enough!

[America Needs R'hllor]

MIDTERM NIGHT, Part IV

Blitzer: Thank you for tuning in to CNN's election night coverage again. It's 8 PM and we're now at a very important moment tonight as the polls have closed in a myriad of states.

Tapper: Indeed. There are Senate and gubernatorial races in many of these states right now, and we can already make some calls. We can call a few Senate races for the Democratic incumbents- Chris Murphy in Connecticut will be reelected safely, as will Tom Carper in Delaware, Ben Cardin in Maryland, Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts and Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island. We can also already say that several Republicans have won reelection tonight- the Senator from Misssissippi, Roger Wicker, and Ted Cruz in Texas. We can also make a surprisingly early call in favour of Republican Governor Bill Haslam, who now won Senator Bob Corker's open seat in the state after his retirement, and kept it in Republican hands.

Bash: Indeed, this is fairly surprising, considering the seat in Tennessee was open and the Democratic candidate, former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, was considered strong. But Haslam, who has support from both moderates and conservatives and the national winds behind him, proved too popular for the Democrats to endanger. The other Senate races where polls are closed cannot be projected- the elections in Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are all too close to call. The last two are especially intersting, pitting moderate Republicans against endangered Democrats in seats the President's party thought were safe. However, the race in Maine is just too early to call, with incumbent Democratic-leaning Independent Angus King leading quite strongly.

Cooper: Indeed, and the race in Michigan, where former Governor John Engler is facing popular Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow, is one to watch- if Republicans can win here, it means they're having a very good night. We also have some calls in the gubernatorial races- in Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott will win reelection while another Republican incumbent, Kay Ivey of Aalbama, will win her race tonight. And surprisingly early calls in Massachusetts too, where we can project Republican Governor Charlie Baker will win reelection. Also, we can already say that in Tennessee, retiring Senator Bob Corker will win the governorship against Democratic Mayor Andy Berke.

Blitzer: Of course, there are plenty of races we cannot, at this time, call- the gubernatorial races in Maryland and Oklahoma are too early to call but Republicans Larry Hogan and Scott Pruitt hold strong leads, while we can say that the races in Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island are too close to call. In many of these states, Democrats are under assault by a crop of centrist Republicans. But at the same time, we have very conservative candidates like Pruitt in Oklahoma and, likely, Herman Cain in Georgia achieving success, so it remains to be seen what will happen. All we can say for sure is that this is going to be a very long night.

2018 U.S. Senate Election Map

Connecticut Senate Race (2% Reporting)- DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Chris Murphy (D)*- 60.4% ✓
Businesswoman Linda McMahon (R)- 37.9%

Delaware Senate Race (2% Reporting)- DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Tom Carper (D)*- 58.2% ✓
Activist Christine O'Donnell (R)- 39.7%

Florida Senate Race (14% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio (R)- 49.8%
Senator Bill Nelson (D)*- 49.4%

Indiana Senate Race (29% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Young (R)- 52.1%
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 46.9%

Maine Senate Race (1% Reporting)- TOO EARLY TO CALL
Senator Angus King*- 47.3%
Governor Paul LePage- 35.3%
Mr. Zak Ringelstein- 13.9%

Maryland Senate Race (1% Reporting)- DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Ben Cardin (D)*- 62.8% ✓
Mr. Tony Campbell (R)- 35.3%

Massachusetts Senate Race (1% Reporting)- DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D)*- 56.1% ✓
Mr. Curt Schilling (R)- 41.2%

Michigan Senate Election (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)*- 49.8%
Fmr. Governor John Engler (R)- 49.1%

Mississippi Senate Race (2% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Senator Roger Wicker (R)*- 61.6% ✓
Fmr. State Rep. David Baria (D)- 35.9%

Missouri Senate Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Claire McCaskill (D)*- 43.7%
State Att. Gen. Josh Hawley (R)- 43.1%
Businessman Austin Petersen (L)- 12.8%

New Jersey Senate Election (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
State Sen. Thomas Kean Jr. (R)- 49.2%
Senator Bob Menendez (D)*- 48.7%

Ohio Senate Election (9% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Sherrod Brown (D)*- 50.8%
Governor John Kasich (R)- 48.7%

Pennsylvania Senate Election (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Tom Wolf (D)- 50.5%
Fmr. Governor Tom Ridge (R)- 48.1%

Rhode Island Senate Race (2% Reporting)- DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D)*- 61.7% ✓
State Rep. Robert Nardolillo (R)- 37.4%

Tennessee Senate Race (2% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Bill Haslam (R)- 54.8% ✓
Fmr. Mayor Karl Dean (D)- 44.5%

Texas Senate Race (1% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Senator Ted Cruz (R)*- 53.6% ✓
Fmr. Sherriff Lupe Valdez (D)- 45.4%

Virginia Senate Race (15% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Tim Kaine (D)*- 53.0%
Businesswoman Carly Fiorina (R)- 46.1%

West Virginia Senate Election (8% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Businessman Don Blankenship (R)- 46.8%
Fmr. Senator Carte Goodwin (D)- 45.7%
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins (Write-in)- 6.3%

2018 U.S. Gubernatorial Elections Map

Alabama Gubernatorial Race (1% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Kay Ivey (R)*- 56.5% ✓
Fmr. Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb (D)- 42.2%

Connecticut Gubernatorial Race (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Mayor Erin Stewart (R)- 50.6%
State Sen. Edward M. Kennedy Jr. (D)- 48.5%

Georgia Gubernatorial Race (15% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Businessman Herman Cain (R)- 49.8%
Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Abrams (D)- 49.6%

Florida Gubernatorial Race (14% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. AR Governor Mike Huckabee (R)- 40.8%
Lawyer John Morgan- 34.7%
Mayor Andrew Gillum (D)- 23.9%

Illinois Gubernatorial Race (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Bruce Rauner (R)*- 45.5%
Businessman J.B. Pritzker (D)- 43.9%
Attorney Rich Whitney (G)- 10.3%

Kansas Gubernatorial Race (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Sec. of State Kris Kobach (R)- 48.5%
Businessman Greg Orman\Fmr. Sec. of Agriculture Josh Svaty (I\D)- 47.9%

Maine Gubernatorial Race (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Activist Betsy Sweet (D)- 40.6%
U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R)- 39.9%
State Treasurer Terry Hayes (I)- 15.3%
Fmr. Mayor John Jenkins (I)- 4.2%

Maryland Gubernatorial Race (1% Reporting)- TOO EARLY TO CALL
Governor Larry Hogan (R)*- 53.8%
Fmr. NAACP President Ben Jealous (D)- 45.4%

Massachusetts Gubernatorial Race (1% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Charlie Baker (R)*- 67.8% ✓
Executive Jay Gonzalez (D)- 31.3%

Michigan Gubernatorial Race (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. State Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D)- 51.0%
State Att. Gen. Bill Schutte (R)- 48.7%

New Hampshire Gubernatorial Race (10% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Colin Van Ostern (D)*- 50.2%
Fmr. MA Senator Scott Brown (R)- 48.5%

Ohio Gubernatorial Election (9% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
State Att. Gen. Mike DeWeine- 52.4%
State Sen. Joe Schiavoni- 46.8%

Oklahoma Gubernatorial Race (2% Reporting)- TOO EARLY TO CALL
State Att. Gen. Scott Pruitt (R)*- 54.0%
Fmr. State Sen. Connie Johnson (D)- 45.0%

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent- 53.6%
Fmr. Chief of Staff Kathleen McGinty- 45.6%

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Mayor Allan Fung (R)- 40.1%
Governor Gina Raimondo (D)*- 37.0%
Fmr. Governor Lincoln Chafee (M)- 22.9%

Tennessee Gubernatorial Race (2% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Senator Bob Corker (R)- 55.1% ✓
Mayor Andy Berke (D)- 43.8%

Texas Gubernatorial Race (1% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Greg Abbott (R)*- 64.2% ✓
Entrepreneur Andrew White (D)- 35.4%

[America Needs R'hllor]

MIDTERM NIGHT, Part V

Tapper: Now, as more time passes, we're starting to get more results. And we can already make some calls, right?

Blitzer: Yes, another round of poll-closings approach, this time just in the state of Arkansas, but before that, we can report that in the past minutes, we've been able to make several important calls. In Virginia, we can confirm that the Senate race will be won by Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine. Initially thought vulnerable, Kaine was challenged by businesswoman and 2016 Presidential candidate Carly Fiorina. But she quickly enough proved herself an insufficient candidate- she was forced to tack hard to the right to fend off far-right conservatives Laura Ingraham and Corey Stewart in the primary, and her hard line against abortion, after advancing conspiracy theories against Planned Parenthood in a Presidential primary debate, proved unpopular with the Virginia voters she needed to win. So this is why we're already making such an early call in favour of Senator Kaine, whose Senatorial campaign was calm and disciplined. It's certainly a disappointment for Republicans, who hoped to used the national environment to finally achieve a statewide victory in Virginia, an old stronghold of theirs.

Bash: But this is not all- as of now, we've managed to make several new calls in the gubernatorial races, as well. In Oklahoma, despite the hopes that the far-right, anti-environmentalist Attorney General Scott Pruitt would make the race competitive, Demcorat Connie Johnson fell far short and we can already call the race for him. Governor Pruitt will certainly be one of the most conservative in the nation. Also, we can make a surprising and early call in Maryland- Governor Larry Hogan, a relative moderate, was reelected, defeating progressive Ben Jealous, who many fault for running a dismal campaign in a red state Democrats could've won.

King: At the same time, we're unable to call many of our key races tonight. Several of the Senate races, like in Florida, Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvnia look very close, and we'll likely still be watching those deep into the night. These races have strong Republican candidates running against vulnerable Democrats, but at the same time, in conservative states like Missouri and West Virgina, we're seeing Democrats heading towards potential upsets against Republicans who ran less-than-good campaigns. But while we've been able to call many Senate races so far, the gubernatorial map remains even murkeier- we're seeing an array of very close races, not just in swing states but also traditionally liberal one such as Connecticut and Rhode Island, or traditionally conservative ones like Georgia and Kansas, and it looks like we might be watching many of those for long hours.

Tapper: Right. And now, as we've reached the 8:30 P.M. mark, the polls in the state of Arkansas have closed. There was no Senate race here, but we can already call the gubernatorial one, with popular Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson easily winning reelection over Democratic nominee Jared Henderson. This was not a surprise, since...

Cooper: Hold on, Jake, we can right now make another key call. In Maine's Senate race, Democratic-caucusing Independent Angus King will win reelection over a challenge from current Governor Paul LePage, a very controversial and conservative Republican who, despite past racist statemenets and low approvals, was thought as a potentially strong candidate due to his role as Governor. Now, despite progressive Democrat Zak Ringlestein running an insurgent campaign, King will defeat LePage. This is a disappointment to Republicans, but not a surprise- while King ran a clean campaign capitalizing on Maine's fondness for independents, LePage ran an unhinged campaign with numerous gaffes and attacks on King that did not resonate well in the state.

2018 U.S. Senate Election Map

Florida Senate Race (20% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Bill Nelson (D)*- 49.6%
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio (R)- 49.5%

Indiana Senate Race (29% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Young (R)- 51.9%
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 47.0%

Maine Senate Race (8% Reporting)- INDEPENDENT HOLD
Senator Angus King*- 51.2% ✓
Governor Paul LePage- 37.8%
Mr. Zak Ringelstein- 7.1%

Michigan Senate Election (9% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)*- 50.7%
Fmr. Governor John Engler (R)- 48.0%

Missouri Senate Election (10% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Claire McCaskill (D)*- 44.9%
State Att. Gen. Josh Hawley (R)- 42.2%
Businessman Austin Petersen (L)- 12.6%

New Jersey Senate Election (9% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Bob Menendez (D)*- 49.0%
State Sen. Thomas Kean Jr. (R)- 48.8%

Ohio Senate Election (16% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Sherrod Brown (D)*- 50.7%
Governor John Kasich (R)- 48.9%

Pennsylvania Senate Election (9% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Tom Wolf (D)- 50.9%
Fmr. Governor Tom Ridge (R)- 47.6%

Virginia Senate Race (22% Reporting)- DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Tim Kaine (D)*- 55.3% ✓
Businesswoman Carly Fiorina (R)- 43.9%

West Virginia Senate Election (14% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Senator Carte Goodwin (D)- 46.6%
Businessman Don Blankenship (R)- 45.9%
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins (Write-in)- 6.0%

2018 U.S. Gubernatorial Elections Map

Arkansas Gubernatorial Race (1% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Asa Hutchinson (R)*- 65.8% ✓
Executive Jared Henderson (D)- 33.1%

Connecticut Gubernatorial Race (10% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Mayor Erin Stewart (R)- 50.0%
State Sen. Edward M. Kennedy Jr. (D)- 49.7%

Georgia Gubernatorial Race (21% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Businessman Herman Cain (R)- 50.0%
Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Abrams (D)- 49.3%

Florida Gubernatorial Race (20% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. AR Governor Mike Huckabee (R)- 41.6%
Lawyer John Morgan- 32.7%
Mayor Andrew Gillum (D)- 24.8%

Illinois Gubernatorial Race (9% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Bruce Rauner (R)*- 45.6%
Businessman J.B. Pritzker (D)- 43.0%
Attorney Rich Whitney (G)- 11.1%

Kansas Gubernatorial Race (10% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Businessman Greg Orman\Fmr. Sec. of Agriculture Josh Svaty (I\D)- 49.1%
Sec. of State Kris Kobach (R)- 47.2%

Maine Gubernatorial Race (8% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Activist Betsy Sweet (D)- 41.2%
U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R)- 39.8%
State Treasurer Terry Hayes (I)- 14.9%
Fmr. Mayor John Jenkins (I)- 4.0%

Maryland Gubernatorial Race (9% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Larry Hogan (R)*- 54.2% ✓
Fmr. NAACP President Ben Jealous (D)- 44.9%

Michigan Gubernatorial Race (9% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. State Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D)- 51.3%
State Att. Gen. Bill Schutte (R)- 48.3%

New Hampshire Gubernatorial Race (18% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Colin Van Ostern (D)*- 49.5%
Fmr. MA Senator Scott Brown (R)- 49.5%

Ohio Gubernatorial Election (16% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
State Att. Gen. Mike DeWeine- 53.1%
State Sen. Joe Schiavoni- 46.2%

Oklahoma Gubernatorial Race (10% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
State Att. Gen. Scott Pruitt (R)- 53.8% ✓
Fmr. State Sen. Connie Johnson (D)- 45.3%

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election (9% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent- 51.7%
Fmr. Chief of Staff Kathleen McGinty- 47.6%

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election (10% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Mayor Allan Fung (R)- 41.3%
Governor Gina Raimondo (D)*- 36.4%
Fmr. Governor Lincoln Chafee (M)- 21.8%

[America Needs R'hllor]

MIDTERM NIGHT, Part VI

Cooper: Hold everything, folks, we have a very major projection to make right now. In their first Senatorial pickup, we can now be sure that Republicans will win the Senate seat in Indiana, with former U.S. Rep. Todd Young unseating incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly. The moderate Donnelly put up a strong fight and tried to make his votes on major issues fit with the views of Hoosier voters but it won't be enough as Young, who ran a strong campaign, will defeat him and finally win a Senate seat after being unable to win one just two years ago, when he ran against Senator Evan Bayh.

Bash: Now, starting from January, the conservative Indiana will no longer have only Democrats as its Governor and both Senators. Republicans have the wind at their back now, after just a few minutes ago, we've been able to make a key, and surprisingly early projection in Ohio's gubernatorial race. State Attorney General and former Senator Mike DeWine was elected Governor, succeeding the term-limited John Kasich, who's running for Senate, and defeating Democratic State Senator Joe Schiavoni, who ran a strong campaign but was defeated by DeWine's slick machine and the national winds.

Blitzer: And now, the polls are closing in a myriad of new states, marking another key milestone of the night. In the race for the Senate, we can call a few races. Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand won reelection in New York, while two Republican incumbents won their own reelection battles- Deb Fischer in Nebraska and John Barrasso in Wyoming, two incumbents in conservative seats that were never expected to be competitive.

King: But, there are quite a few races we cannot, at this hour, call. Both of Arizona's Senate races are too close to call, with one pitting controversial State Senator Kelly Ward against the favoured Democratic U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, and another a special election for ill Senator John McCain's seat, where Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego is locked in a tight battle against his Republican colleague, U.S. Rep. Martha McSally. Additionally, Minnesota's Senate races- the first one pitting incumbent Democrat Amy Klobucher, widely expected to win reelection, against Republican State Senator Karin Housley, and the second being aspecial election, where vulnerable Democratic appointed incumbent Tina Smith is running against former Senator Norm Coleman- are too close to call. Lastly, the race in New Mexico, between Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich and Governor Susana Martinez, is too close to call, as is the battle between vulnerable Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp and Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer. Meanwhile, the race between Republican Senator Sean Duffy and progressive activist Mahlon Mitchell in Wisconsin is actually too early to call, with Duffy holding a strong lead.

Bash: We have a similarly murky picture in the gubernatorial races- we can only call the races in South Dakota, where U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem, the Republican, will easily fend off a chellenge from Democratic State Senate Minority Leader Billie Sutton, and in Wyoming, where Republican State Treasurer Mark Gordon will easily defeat former State House Minority Leader Mary Throne. The gubernatorial races in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Minnesota and Wisconsin are too close to call, while the races in Nebraska and New York are actually too early to call, with some interesting numbers. Let's take a look at the map now, and...

Tapper: Hold on a moment there. We have another major gubernatorial projection to make in this hour, in another traditional swing state. Republican Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas Governor, and Presidential candidate in 2008 and 2016, will win the Governor's mansion with a plurality, defeating a splintered challenge from independent, renowned lawyer John Morgan, who will come second, and Democratic Mayor Andrew Gillum of Tallahassee, who was plagued by a federal investigation. While usually Huckabee would find trouble to be elected, he capitalized on a strong base of support, especially in the panhandle, and defeated Morgan and Gillum, who split the vote. While Democrats accused Morgan of spoiling the race, he struck back in his concession speech minutes ago, claiming that his second place showing in polls should've lead Democrat Gillum to drop out, especially with the investigations facing him. Now, Huckabee, an evangelical former Governor of another state, will govern Florida, to the chagrin of many liberals and moderates.

2018 U.S. Senate Election Map

Arizona Senate Election (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D)- 52.4%
Fmr. State Sen. Kelly Ward (R)- 47.2%

Arizona Senate Special Election (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R)- 49.9%
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D)- 49.8%

Florida Senate Election (28% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Bill Nelson (D)*- 49.7%
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio (R)- 49.3%

Indiana Senate Election (39% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN GAIN
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Young (R)- 53.2% ✓
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 45.9%

Michigan Senate Election (18% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)*- 50.2%
Fmr. Governor John Engler (R)- 48.5%

Minnesota Senate Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Amy Klobucher (D)*- 54.9%
State Sen. Karin Housley (R)- 44.3%

Minnesota Senate Special Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Senator Norm Coleman (R)- 51.9%
Senator Tina Smith (D)*- 47.5%

Missouri Senate Election (19% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Claire McCaskill (D)*- 45.1%
State Att. Gen. Josh Hawley (R)- 42.3%
Businessman Austin Petersen (L)- 12.3%

Nebraska Senate Election (1% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Senator Deb Fischer (R)*- 58.2% ✓
Councilwoman Jane Raybould (D)- 41.1%

New Jersey Senate Election (16% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Bob Menendez (D)*- 49.4%
State Sen. Thomas Kean Jr. (R)- 48.5%

New Mexico Senate Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Martin Heinrich (D)*- 45.4%
Governor Susana Martinez (R)- 42.7%
Public Lands Commissioner Aubrey Dunn, Jr. (L)- 11.4%

New York Senate Election (2% Reporting)- DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D)*- 59.7% ✓
Executive Chele Chiavacci Farly (R)- 38.2%

North Dakota Senate Election (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R)- 53.0%
Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D)*- 46.7%

Ohio Senate Election (24% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Sherrod Brown (D)*- 50.4%
Governor John Kasich (R)- 49.1%

Pennsylvania Senate Election (17% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Tom Wolf (D)- 49.9%
Fmr. Governor Tom Ridge (R)- 48.5%

West Virginia Senate Election (21% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Senator Carte Goodwin (D)- 47.0%
Businessman Don Blankenship (R)- 45.7%
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins (Write-in)- 5.9%

Wisconsin Senate Election (2% Reporting)- TOO EARLY TO CALL
Senator Sean Duffy (R)*- 55.1%
Activist Mahlon Mitchell (D)- 43.8%

Wyoming Senate Election (1% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Senator John Barrasso (R)*- 66.8% ✓
Businessman Gary Trauner (D)- 33.0%

2018 U.S. Gubernatorial Elections Map

Arizona Gubernatorial Election (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Doug Ducey (R)*- 57.4%
Professor David Garcia (D)- 41.9%

Colorado Gubernatorial Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D)- 50.9%
State Treasurer Walker Stapelton (R)- 48.1%

Connecticut Gubernatorial Election (20% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Mayor Erin Stewart (R)- 50.7%
State Sen. Edward M. Kennedy Jr. (D)- 49.1%

Georgia Gubernatorial Election (29% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Businessman Herman Cain (R)- 49.9%
Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Abrams (D)- 49.5%

Florida Gubernatorial Election (28% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Fmr. AR Governor Mike Huckabee (R)- 41.5% ✓
Lawyer John Morgan (I)- 32.0%
Mayor Andrew Gillum (D)- 25.5%

Illinois Gubernatorial Election (18% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Bruce Rauner (R)*- 45.7%
Businessman J.B. Pritzker (D)- 42.9%
Attorney Rich Whitney (G)- 11.2%

Kansas Gubernatorial Election (19% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Businessman Greg Orman\Fmr. Sec. of Agriculture Josh Svaty (I\D)- 49.3%
Sec. of State Kris Kobach (R)- 47.0%

Maine Gubernatorial Election (18% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Activist Betsy Sweet (D)- 42.3%
U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R)- 40.3%
State Treasurer Terry Hayes (I)- 13.9%
Fmr. Mayor John Jenkins (I)- 3.5%

Michigan Gubernatorial Election (18% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. State Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D)- 51.5%
State Att. Gen. Bill Schutte (R)- 48.2%

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Governor Tim Pawlenty (R)- 52.8%
State Rep. Erin Murphy (D)- 45.9%

Nebraska Gubernatorial Election (1% Reporting)- TOO EARLY TO CALL
Governor Pete Ricketts (R)*- 43.6%
State Sen. Bob Krist (I)- 32.9%
State Sen. Lynne Walz (D)- 22.3%

New Hampshire Gubernatorial Election (25% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. MA Senator Scott Brown (R)- 49.7%
Governor Colin Van Ostern (D)*- 49.4%

New Mexico Gubernatorial Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D)- 43.1%
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (R)- 34.5%
Fmr. Governor Gary Johnson- 22.2%

New York Gubernatorial Election (2% Reporting)- TOO EARLY TO CALL
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D)*- 38.6%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson (R)- 22.4%
Activist Cynthia Nixon (WF)- 16.1%
Fmr. Mayor Stephanie Miner (I)- 15.4%
Businessman Larry Sharpe (L)- 7.0%

Ohio Gubernatorial Election (24% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
State Att. Gen. Mike DeWeine (R)- 54.0% ✓
State Sen. Joe Schiavoni (D)- 45.4%

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election (17% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R)- 52.3%
Fmr. Chief of Staff Kathleen McGinty (D)- 47.0%

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election (20% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Mayor Allan Fung (R)- 41.5%
Governor Gina Raimondo (D)*- 36.1%
Fmr. Governor Lincoln Chafee (M)- 21.9%

South Dakota Gubernatorial Election (1% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R)- 57.8% ✓
State Sen. Billie Sutton (D)- 40.8%

Wicsonsin Gubernatorial Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Scott Walker (R)*- 49.8%
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D)- 48.7%

Wyoming Gubernatorial Election (1% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
State Treasurer Mark Gordon (R)- 62.9% ✓
State Rep. Mary Throne (D)- 36.9%

[America Needs R'hllor]

>Still no red on the gubernatorial map...

The night is young

[America Needs R'hllor]

MIDTERM NIGHT, Part VI

Blitzer: And right now, there's a major projection we can make in the battle for the Senate- Debbie Stabenow, the Democratic incumbent in Michigan, will win reelection, turning away a tough challenge from former Governor John Engler, a popular GOP politician in the state. This is a good sign for Democrats, especially after we could project, about half a hour ago, that Senator Amy Klobucher from Minnesota, a Democrat, defeated her challenger, State Senator Karin Housley.

Cooper: Indeed, but the gubernatorial map continues to look bleak for the President's party. We've recently been able to call the gubernatorial race in Arizona for Republican incumbent Doug Ducey and the one in Nebraska for Governor Pete Ricketts, who defeated Republican-turned-Independent State Senator Bob Krist and Democratic State Senator Lynne Walz. At the same time, we cannot yet call the gubernatorial race in New York, where incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo is surprisingly struggling, with much of his support leaking to third-party challengers.

Bash: Yes, the map so far is depressing for Democratic eyes, and... hold on a moment, we have a very big call to make in the gubernatorial races right now. In Pennsylvania, we can project that Republican U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, a moderate, will beat former Tom Wolf Chief of Staff Katy McGinty, the Democrat, after McGinty's lackluster and her lack of appeal to many progressives, as well as moderates, who flocked to Dent, lead to her defeat by a large margin. This is the first gubernatorial gain for Republicans tonight. The Republican Governors Association Chairman Bill Haslam, who also won a Senate seat tonight, must be smiling. He clearly did a good job recruiting and supporting the right candidates. It's quite unlike the Senate side, where candidates like Don Blankenship are endangering seats the GOP should've easily won.

Tapper: This is turning out to be a very exciting night, but now we're reaching another key moment, as polls close in a few more states out west. And in the Senate department, we can make just one call- Utah's former Governor Jon Huntsman, who ran in 2016 as a moderate independent Republican and had a historic performance that partially lead to a landslide reelection victory for President Obama, won a Senate seat in the state. He joins a crop of centrist Republicans who seem poised to enter congress this year, which could make the dynamics of the second half of Obama's third term interesting. But there are two races we cannot call as of now- in Montana, the battle between endangered Democratic Senator Jon Tester and his Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, is too close to call, as is the Senate race in Nevada between Governor Brian Sandoval, another centrist Republican, and Democrat Rory Reid.

King: And there are also two gubernatorial races that closed their polls now. In Idaho, we can already call the race for Republican Lieutenant Governor Brad Little, who will easily win the Governor's Mansion, but the race between appointed Senator Joe Heck and Democratic County Commissioner Steve Sisolak in Nevada is too close to call. Additionally, the race in Iowa between Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, and her Democratic challenger, nurse and local union leader Cathy Glasson, is too close to call. Now, it's time to take a look at the map, but before that, we have another call to make- Republican Senator Sean Duffy will win a full term against progressive activist Mahlon Mitchell in Wisconsin. This was an expected call after Duffy lead both polls and results by a strong margin, and now that many Democratic areas in Milwaukee reported we can be confident in our projection in his favour. Democrats triaged this race a month ago, to the fury of progressives who were enthusiastic about Mitchell, but data clearly showed that his candidacy was doomed to fail. Now, Vice President Baldwin's seat will officially be held by a Republican for the next six years.

2018 U.S. Senate Election Map

Arizona Senate Election (21% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D)- 53.0%
Fmr. State Sen. Kelly Ward (R)- 46.7%

Arizona Senate Special Election (21% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D)- 50.4%
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R)- 49.4%

Florida Senate Election (51% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Bill Nelson (D)*- 50.1%
Fmr. Senator Marco Rubio (R)- 48.9%

Michigan Senate Election (42% Reporting)- DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)*- 52.5% ✓
Fmr. Governor John Engler (R)- 46.3%

Minnesota Senate Election (25% Reporting)- DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Amy Klobucher (D)*- 56.1% ✓
State Sen. Karin Housley (R)- 43.5%

Minnesota Senate Special Election (25% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Senator Norm Coleman (R)- 51.6%
Senator Tina Smith (D)*- 47.9%

Missouri Senate Election (44% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Claire McCaskill (D)*- 45.1%
State Att. Gen. Josh Hawley (R)- 42.3%
Businessman Austin Petersen (L)- 12.3%

Montana Senate Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R)- 49.1%
Senator Jon Tester (D)*- 49.1%

Nevada Senate Election (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Brian Sandoval (R)- 50.5%
Fmr. County Commissioner Rory Reid (D)- 47.1%

New Jersey Senate Election (40% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Bob Menendez (D)*- 49.4%
State Sen. Thomas Kean Jr. (R)- 48.5%

New Mexico Senate Election (24% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Martin Heinrich (D)*- 46.8%
Governor Susana Martinez (R)- 41.7%
Public Lands Commissioner Aubrey Dunn, Jr. (L)- 11.2%

North Dakota Senate Election (22% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R)- 51.7%
Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D)*- 48.1%

Ohio Senate Election (48% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Sherrod Brown (D)*- 49.9%
Governor John Kasich (R)- 49.5%

Pennsylvania Senate Election (42% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Governor Tom Ridge (R)- 49.4%
Governor Tom Wolf (D)- 48.9%

Utah Senate Election (1% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Fmr. Governor Jon Huntsman (R)- 73.9% ✓
County Councillor Jenny Wilson (D)- 24.9%

West Virginia Senate Election (45% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Senator Carte Goodwin (D)- 47.2%
Businessman Don Blankenship (R)- 45.3%
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins (Write-in)- 6.0%

Wisconsin Senate Election (24% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Senator Sean Duffy (R)*- 57.8% ✓
Activist Mahlon Mitchell (D)- 41.2%

2018 U.S. Gubernatorial Elections Map

Arizona Gubernatorial Election (21% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Doug Ducey (R)*- 54.9% ✓
Professor David Garcia (D)- 44.5%

Colorado Gubernatorial Election (26% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D)- 52.3%
State Treasurer Walker Stapelton (R)- 46.5%

Connecticut Gubernatorial Election (46% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Mayor Erin Stewart (R)- 50.9%
State Sen. Edward M. Kennedy Jr. (D)- 49.0%

Georgia Gubernatorial Election (52% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Abrams (D)- 49.7%
Businessman Herman Cain (R)- 49.6%

Idaho Gubernatorial Election (1% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Lt. Gov. Brad Little (R)- 62.9% ✓
Fmr. State Rep. Paulette Jordan (D)- 35.8%

Illinois Gubernatorial Election (41% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Governor Bruce Rauner (R)*- 44.7%
Businessman J.B. Pritzker (D)- 43.1%
Attorney Rich Whitney (G)- 11.8%

Iowa Gubernatorial Election (2% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R)- 49.2%
Union Leader Cathy Glasson (D)- 48.0%

Kansas Gubernatorial Election (42% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Businessman Greg Orman\Fmr. Sec. of Agriculture Josh Svaty (I\D)- 49.1%
Sec. of State Kris Kobach (R)- 47.1%

Maine Gubernatorial Election (41% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Activist Betsy Sweet (D)- 41.7%
U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R)- 40.1%
State Treasurer Terry Hayes (I)- 14.5%
Fmr. Mayor John Jenkins (I)- 3.7%

Michigan Gubernatorial Election (42% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. State Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D)- 51.2%
State Att. Gen. Bill Schutte (R)- 48.4%

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election (25% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Governor Tim Pawlenty (R)- 51.1%
State Rep. Erin Murphy (D)- 46.6%

Nebraska Gubernatorial Election (22% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Pete Ricketts (R)*- 42.9% ✓
State Sen. Bob Krist (I)- 33.3%
State Sen. Lynne Walz (D)- 22.6%

Nevada Gubernatorial Election (1% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Joe Heck (R)- 49.8%
County Commissioner Steve Sisolak (D)*- 47.7%

New Hampshire Gubernatorial Election (46% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. MA Senator Scott Brown (R)- 50.2%
Governor Colin Van Ostern (D)*- 49.0%

New Mexico Gubernatorial Election (24% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D)- 42.2%
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (R)- 34.1%
Fmr. Governor Gary Johnson- 23.6%

New York Gubernatorial Election (27% Reporting)- TOO EARLY TO CALL
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D)*- 32.8%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson (R)- 25.9%
Activist Cynthia Nixon (WF)- 17.3%
Fmr. Mayor Stephanie Miner (I)- 15.1%
Businessman Larry Sharpe (L)- 6.7%

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election (44% Reporting)- REPUBLICAN GAIN
U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R)- 54.2% ✓
Fmr. Chief of Staff Kathleen McGinty (D)- 45.3%

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election (46% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Mayor Allan Fung (R)- 42.6%
Governor Gina Raimondo (D)*- 35.9%
Fmr. Governor Lincoln Chafee (M)- 21.1%

Wicsonsin Gubernatorial Election (24% Reporting)- TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D)- 49.6%
Governor Scott Walker (R)*- 49.0%

[America Needs R'hllor]

Minnesota isn't filled in on the Senate map.

Because there are two races there- the regular race was called for Klobucher, but the special election is still too close to call.