Politics
Highlights From the 2019 Election
Published
3 years agoon

- Democrats took control of both Virginia’s state house and senate on Tuesday. With the party already holding the governor’s seat, this puts issues like minimum wage and gun control in the spotlight.
- Democrats also saw a major win in Kentucky, taking the governor’s seat in a tight race with Andy Beshear beating incumbent Matt Bevin by less than a percent.
- But Republicans did still snag a big win in Mississippi, with Republican Tate Reeves taking the governor seat. Experts say his win now makes the expansion of Medicaid unlikely in the state.
Virginia Goes Blue
Tuesday’s election led to a series of sweeping victories and flips for Democrats, as well as races where Republicans were able to hold onto their ground.
In Virginia, Democrats took majority control of both the state’s house and senate which were formerly controlled by Republicans. The party how as 55-45 majority in the house, and a 21-19 majority in the senate. With their Governor Ralph Northam also a member of the Democratic party, for the first time in over two decades, the party is in control of this trifecta of their government.
This could lead to major policy changes throughout the state that the GOP has long been rejecting. Over the summer, Northam announced plans for new gun control policies after a shooting in Virginia Beach left 12 dead. Republican lawmakers had no interest in the legislation, but now with Democrats in charge, it could see new life.
State Democrats have also been fighting for a $15 minimum wage. Currently, Virginia follows the federally mandated wage of $7.25, so this would more than double the pay rate. In January, the state’s Senate voted against this increase, but a new door could open for it in the future.
Other topics that could also now be visited include the Equal Rights Act, healthcare, and redistricting.
Another notable blue moment for Virginia was Juli Briskman’s win. Briskman was a former government contractor who went viral in 2017 over a photo where she can be seen flipping off Trump’s motorcade while biking.
She ended up losing her job over the matter, but Tuesday won a seat on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. According to the Associated Press, she beat the Republican incumbent with a lead of 52%.
Kentucky’s Governor Race
Another race getting national attention was the gubernatorial race in Kentucky. The state’s Democratic Attorney General, Andy Beshear challenged and defeated the incumbent Republican Governor Matt Bevin in a tight race. With 100% of precincts in, Beshear led with 49.2% while Bevin took home 48.8%. Just over 5,000 votes split the difference. Beshear claimed the victory, while Bevin has refused to concede.
The race between the two was always tight. One mid-October poll showed the two neck and neck, each with 46% of the vote. Just around a week after that poll, a new one gave Beshear the advantage of leading at 52-55%. Just days before the election, a separate poll gave Bevin a five-point lead. So, with tight fluctuating numbers, the results of this race were highly anticipated.
In a Wednesday morning press conference, Beshear said it was time to go ahead with the transition.
“Last night, the election ended,” he said. “It ended and it’s time to move forward with a smooth transition that we are here to do so that we can do the people’s business.”
President Donald Trump was very vocal about supporting Bevin and held a rally in Kentucky on Monday night. He implied that this election would be interpreted as a reflection of himself.
“And if you lose, they’re going to say, ‘Trump suffered the greatest defeat in the history of the world. This was the greatest.’ You can’t let that happen to me,” he told the crowd.
When the results rolled in, Trump largely downplayed the loss to focus on other Republican victories in the state. He references a poll that indicated a 15 point lead, however, polling experts like FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver have since indicated it was unreliable.
#ElectionNight Won 5 out of 6 elections in Kentucky, including 5 great candidates that I spoke for and introduced last night. @MattBevin picked up at least 15 points in last days, but perhaps not enough (Fake News will blame Trump!). Winning in Mississippi Governor race!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2019
There *was* a poll showing Besehar with a double-digit lead among likely voters. Other polls didn't show that, and the poll wasn't from a particularly reputable firm, but that's where the WH claim is presumably coming from.https://t.co/4NDtDBkhKE https://t.co/VjZ3rs7csF
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 6, 2019
Trump also said that his rally helped the Republican party in the state and said this election boded well for Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Our big Kentucky Rally on Monday night had a massive impact on all of the races. The increase in Governors race was at least 15 points, and maybe 20! Will be in Louisiana for @EddieRispone on Wednesday night. Big Rally!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2019
Based on the Kentucky results, Mitch McConnell @senatemajldr will win BIG in Kentucky next year!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2019
Republican Win in Mississippi
Over in Missippi, the closely watched gubernatorial race went to Republicans. Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves, who had also been backed by Trump, beat the state’s Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood.
While Mississippi is usually a reliably red state, Hood was considered a more moderate candidate and has been the Attorney General since 2004, winning four elections to do so.
Trump congratulated Reeves on Twitter, also noting a recent rally.
Congratulations to @tatereeves on winning Governor of the Great State of Mississippi. Our big Rally on Friday night moved the numbers from a tie to a big WIN. Great reaction under pressure Tate!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2019
As for what this means for the state of Mississippi, one of the most notable topics on the campaign was Medicaid, which Reeves is a vocal opponent of. So, this means the program is now unlikely to expand in Mississippi.
See what others are saying: (FiveThirtyEight) (Fox News) (Associated Press)
Politics
Campaign Season Gets Rolling This Month With Primaries in 13 States
Published
4 weeks agoon
May 2, 2022By
Lili Stenn
Several of the contests taking place this month will serve as important tests for Trump-backed candidates and how much power the former president still has over the GOP.
May Primaries Start With Key Race in Ohio
The 2022 midterm season is officially heating up this month with 13 states heading to the polls.
Voters in Indiana and Ohio will kick off the busy month on Tuesday with several highly anticipated races, including one closely watched contest for the seat being vacated by long-time Senator Rob Portman (R-Oh.)
The fight for Portman’s seat has been a heated one: candidates have spent tens of millions of dollars, held numerous debates and forums, and at one point, two of them even got into a physical confrontation.
The main reason there are so many eyes on this race is because it will prove to be a key test for former President Donald Trump and the influence he has over the party. While Portman has generally been moderate and, at times, more readily critical of Trump than many others in his party, the Republican primary campaign has basically been a fight to see who is the most in line with Trump.
According to FiveThirtyEight, all but one of the seven Republican senate candidates embraced the former president’s election fraud lies as they fought for his coveted endorsement in a state he won by eight points in both 2016 and 2020.
Trump, for his part, ultimately ended up endorsing Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance in a move that surprised many, because Vance had previously been vocally opposed to the former leader and his competitors had spent months running ads noting that fact.
However, the fight for Trump’s backing appears to have been worth it. Last week, a Fox News poll found that support for Vance has surged by double-digits since Trump’s endorsement, making him the front-runner.
Still, as FiveThirtyEight reports, “other factions of the party haven’t given up the fight either — which means the primary will be a direct test of how much clout Trump has when other Republican elites dare to defy him.”
Meanwhile, there are also concerns regarding the ongoing legal battle over Ohio’s congressional map and the confusion that has caused for the state’s election calendar. For weeks, it was widely believed the state’s primaries would be pushed back after the Ohio Supreme Court ordered GOP lawmakers to redraw their map.
The map had been gerrymandered to give Republicans 12 out of the 15 congressional seats in the state even though they had only won around 55% of the popular vote. Ohio voters also previously passed a constitutional amendment in 2018 that effectively banned partisan gerrymandering.
The election, however, is still going forward anyway, even as early voting was down a whopping 40% from the last election, and the legislative races will not be on the ballot Tuesday, meaning there will have to be a second primary, which will likely drive down turnout even more.
Other Major Races This Month
There are also other notable contests scheduled for later this month. On May 17, there will be two additional races for seats vacated by Republican senators in North Carolina and Pennsylvania that will serve as important indicators of the former president’s sway over the party.
Meanwhile, in Georgia, the main Trump test focuses on two statewide races for the positions currently held by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R). The two infamously angered Trump after they refused to help him overturn the election, and as a result, many are watching to see if the former president’s full-fledged pressure campaign against them will work.
In Georgia and other battlegrounds voting this month, Democrats are also hoping they can make inroads — particularly in Pennsylvania. But recent polls have not painted a good picture for the party. Last week, an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found that 47% of voters said they were more likely to vote for the Republican in their district, while just 44% said they would back Democrats.
The poll marked the first time in eight years that a Marist survey found the GOP with an advantage for congressional ballot tests.
See what others are saying: (NPR) (FiveThirtyEight) (PennLive)
Politics
New York’s Highest Court Strikes Down Democrat-Gerrymandered Map
Published
4 weeks agoon
April 28, 2022By
Lili Stenn
The move represents a major blow to Democrats, who stood to gain as many as three seats in Congress if their map had been accepted.
Appeals Court Ruling
The New York State Court of Appeals struck down a congressional map drawn by the state’s Democrats Wednesday, dealing the party a major blow.
In the decision, the state’s highest court agreed with Republicans who had argued that the map was unconstitutionally gerrymandered to benefit Democrats. The justices called the map “substantively unconstitutional as drawn with impermissible partisan purpose.”
The court also condemned the Democrats for ignoring a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2014 that aimed to limit political influence in redistricting, which included the creation of an independent entity to draw maps that the legislature would then vote on. However, the commission created to prevent partisan gerrymandering was unable to decide on a map because of its own partisan stalemate. As a result, Democrats in the legislature took it upon themselves to draw a final map.
But the version that the legislature passed and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed into law re-drew lines so that Democrats could have gained as many as three new seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Such gains would be highly significant in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections, where Republicans are expected to make substantial gains and may very well take back the House. Unsurprisingly, Republicans sued, and a lower court struck down the map.
In their order, the Appeals Court justices took away the legislature’s ability to make the map and instead delegated that power to a court-appointed “neutral expert.”
While the judges did say there was enough time to finish the map before the primary elections in June, they also added that the Congressional contests would likely need to be moved to August. Races for governor and other statewide officials, however, would stay the same.
Broader Trends
The Appeals Court ruling is unique in that it targets Democrats, but it also comes as part of the broader trend of state courts cracking down on gerrymandering — though most other instances have stemmed from GOP-drawn maps.
In just the first four months of 2022, state courts in Ohio, North Carolina, Kansas, and Maryland have all struck down redistricting plans crafted by lawmakers.
Unlike the New York ruling, some of those other courts have implied that they will still allow those maps to be used in the 2022 elections. Such a decision would very likely disadvantage Democrats even more.
See what others are saying: (The New York Times) (NPR) (The Washington Post)
Politics
McCarthy Warned Far-Right Lawmakers Could Incite Violence After Jan. 6 in New Audio of Leaked Call
Published
4 weeks agoon
April 27, 2022By
Lili Stenn
The conversations represent a marked difference from the public efforts of McCarthy and other Republican leaders to downplay their members‘ actions.
Leaked Audio
Four days after the Jan. 6 insurrection, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.) expressed concern about far-right Republicans inciting violence and openly voiced support for censoring them on Twitter, according to audio published by The New York Times on Tuesday.
The recordings, which come from a call among party leaders and aides on Jan. 10, are by far the clearest evidence top Republicans acknowledged that their members played a role in stoking violence before the insurrection and threatened to do so after.
They also emphasize the vast difference between what top Republicans, especially McCarthy, said behind closed doors, and how they downplayed and ignored the actions of their members in public.
One of the most notable elements of these recordings is that McCarthy and the others explicitly identified several individuals by name. They focused mainly on Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fl.) and Mo Brooks (R-Al.) as the primary offenders.
In the audio, McCarthy can be heard flagging Gaetz right off the bat.
“Tension is too high. The country is too crazy,” he added. “I do not want to look back and think we caused something or we missed something and someone got hurt. I don’t want to play politics with any of that.”
Specifically, McCarthy and the others talked about how Gaetz had gone on TV to attack multiple Republicans for being unsupportive of former President Donald Trump after Jan. 6. They particularly expressed concern over his targeting of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.), who was a member of the leadership team and had already been facing threats.
Others on the call also noted that Brooks had spoken at the rally before the insurrection, where he made incendiary remarks that many have viewed as direct calls to violence. McCarthy said the public comments from his members “have to stop,” adding he would call Gaetz and have others do the same to tell him that this “is serious shit” and “to cut this out.”
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the second-ranking House Republican, asserted at one point that Gaetz’s actions were “potentially illegal.”
“Well, he’s putting people in jeopardy, and he doesn’t need to be doing this,” McCarthy responded. “We saw what people would do in the Capitol, you know, and these people came prepared with rope, with everything else.”
Republicans on the call also mentioned incendiary remarks from other members, including Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-Tx.), Barry Moore (R-Al.), and Lauren Boebert (R-Co.). Cheney pointed to Boebert as a security risk, noting she had tweeted out incredibly sensitive information about the movements of top leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) during the attack on the Capitol.
“Our members have got to start paying attention to what they say, too, and you can’t put up with that shit,” McCarthy added later. “Can’t they take their Twitter accounts away, too?”
McCarthy in Hot Water
The newly published recordings also come just days after The Times reported that McCarthy had told members on a call after the insurrection that he would urge Trump to resign.
McCarthy initially called the reporting “totally false and wrong,” but shortly after his denial, The Times received permission from their source to publish audio where he can be heard saying precisely that.
McCarthy, for his part, has tried to spin the situation, claiming that his remarks were still true because he never actually followed through on the plan to call Trump.
Still, the situation prompted widespread backlash from the far-right faction of the Republican party.
Multiple people expressed hesitancy about their support for McCarthy as Speaker of the House if Republicans take control of the chamber in the midterm elections. Some said they could not trust him.
Speaking on his show Tuesday, Foxs News host Tucker Carlson called McCarthy “a puppet of the Democratic Party.”
Gaetz also responded with ire, tweeting out a statement in which he referred to the call as “sniveling” and said of McCarthy and Scalise: “This is the behavior of weak men, not leaders.”
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) April 26, 2022
Other members mentioned in the call, however, appeared to brush it off. In a statement to Axios, Moore claimed that the story was engineered by “RINOS” (Republicans in Name Only), and that “Republicans will be more united than ever after taking back the House this November.”
It currently remains unclear whether these revelations with pose any long-term threat to McCarthy, but if Trump is any indication of the far-right party line, the House leader may be in the clear.
After The Times published the audio of McCarthy saying Trump should resign, the former president told The Wall Street Journal that the relationship between the two men was untroubled.
“I think it’s all a big compliment, frankly,” he added. “They realized they were wrong and supported me.”
See what others are saying: (The New York Times) (Axios) (The Washington Post)

Apple Raises Worker Pay as Unions Gain Ground

Quinta Brunson Says This Country is “Not Okay” Following Requests For School Shooting Episode of “Abbott Elementary”

After Uvalde, Politicians, Public Figures, Gun Violence Survivors, and More Call For Change

Leaked Documents and Photos Give Unprecedented Glimpse Inside Xinjiang’s Detention Camps

Ricky Gervais Criticized For Jokes About Trans People in New Netflix Special

Employees at Activision Blizzard’s Raven Software Form First Union at a Major Gaming Company

Halsey Says Her Label Won’t Release Her New Song Unless They Can “Fake” A Viral TikTok Moment. Artists Say This Points to a Larger Issue in the Industry

Biden Vows to Defend Taiwan if Attacked by China

Lawmakers Call For Action as Oil Companies Post Record Profits Amid Rising Gas Prices

N.Y. State Senate Passes Bill Championed by Jay-Z That Would Restrict Use of Rap Lyrics in Court

YouTube Touts MrBeast and Mainstream Appeal in First Upfront Presentation

Mia Khalifa Shuts Down Death Rumors, Sparks Conversations About Plastic Surgery and Adult Film Industry

Ace Family’s Austin McBroom and Team Accused of Rape

YouTuber MrBeast Responds to Criticism of Massive Tree Planting Project

Netflix Apologizes and Changes Marketing Materials for “Cuties” After Backlash

Joe Rogan Denies Spotify Censorship Rumors, According to Alex Jones

Trisha Paytas Accused of Exploiting Transgender Community

Conservatives Slam Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion Over “WAP” Lyrics

Dixie D’Amelio Responds to Rumors That She Faked Seizures to Get Out of Class

The Onision Controversy Explained

Influencer Coconut Kitty Accused of Editing Nude and Suggestive Photos To Make Herself Look Underage

Ariana Grande Look-Alike Responds After Singer Suggests Her TikTok Impersonations Are “Degrading”

THE VIDEO LEAKED! Joe Rogan v Mia Khalifa Exposes A Lot, TikTok v Youtube, Cawthorn, & More

WOW! Dave Chappelle Attacked Onstage! What Really Happened, Hero Uber Driver, & More

UNPRECEDENTED LEAK EXPOSES A LOT, IMPACTS EVERYONE, & IT’S GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER

“HE CHEATED!” Why People Are FURIOUS About MrBEAST, Ludwig, & Alexandra Botez’s MILLION DOLLAR GAME

I’m Sorry

THEY HATE US! Pokimane, Hasan Piker, & More Denounce Twitch As Youtube Struggles

Belle Delphine Bhad Bhabie Exposed A Lot & This is Just the Beginning…

ELON MUSK BOUGHT TWITTER, NOW WHAT? I got COVID, Joe Rogan, France, Supreme Court, & More

The Truth About Mike Tyson’s “Airplane Beatdown”, Why CNN+ Failed, Casey Neistat, & Today’s News

IT GOT WORSE?! Ethan Klein H3 Podcast Scandal, Melissa Lucio, Why Netflix Really Collapsed, & More

The Libs of Tiktok Washington Post Scandal Went Bad Fast… Taylor Lorenz, Hasan Piker, Joe Rogan

We Want to Hear From You! Tell Us About Your Personal Pandemic Experience

“Saturday Night Live” Faces Backlash for Sketch Mocking the Johnny Depp Amber Heard Trial

CinemaCon Reviewing Security After Olivia Wilde Was Handed Envelope With Custody Documents While On Stage

Fans Defend Britney Spears’ Nude Instagram Photos As a Form of Empowerment

Lawmakers Call For Action as Oil Companies Post Record Profits Amid Rising Gas Prices

Three Million Sign Petition Calling For Amber Heard to Be Removed From “Aquaman” Sequel

Ricky Gervais Criticized For Jokes About Trans People in New Netflix Special

Canada Accused of Killing Poor People with Assisted Death Law

After Being Freed From 32 Years in Prison, Crosley Green May Have to Go Back Behind Bars

Actors Equity Association Slams Nude Video Leak of “Take Me Out”

Lincoln College to Close for Good After COVID and Ransomware Attack Ruin Finances

Apple Raises Worker Pay as Unions Gain Ground

Quinta Brunson Says This Country is “Not Okay” Following Requests For School Shooting Episode of “Abbott Elementary”

After Uvalde, Politicians, Public Figures, Gun Violence Survivors, and More Call For Change

Leaked Documents and Photos Give Unprecedented Glimpse Inside Xinjiang’s Detention Camps

Ricky Gervais Criticized For Jokes About Trans People in New Netflix Special

Employees at Activision Blizzard’s Raven Software Form First Union at a Major Gaming Company

Halsey Says Her Label Won’t Release Her New Song Unless They Can “Fake” A Viral TikTok Moment. Artists Say This Points to a Larger Issue in the Industry

Biden Vows to Defend Taiwan if Attacked by China

Lawmakers Call For Action as Oil Companies Post Record Profits Amid Rising Gas Prices

N.Y. State Senate Passes Bill Championed by Jay-Z That Would Restrict Use of Rap Lyrics in Court

YouTube Touts MrBeast and Mainstream Appeal in First Upfront Presentation

THE VIDEO LEAKED! Joe Rogan v Mia Khalifa Exposes A Lot, TikTok v Youtube, Cawthorn, & More

WOW! Dave Chappelle Attacked Onstage! What Really Happened, Hero Uber Driver, & More

UNPRECEDENTED LEAK EXPOSES A LOT, IMPACTS EVERYONE, & IT’S GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER

“HE CHEATED!” Why People Are FURIOUS About MrBEAST, Ludwig, & Alexandra Botez’s MILLION DOLLAR GAME

I’m Sorry

THEY HATE US! Pokimane, Hasan Piker, & More Denounce Twitch As Youtube Struggles

Belle Delphine Bhad Bhabie Exposed A Lot & This is Just the Beginning…

ELON MUSK BOUGHT TWITTER, NOW WHAT? I got COVID, Joe Rogan, France, Supreme Court, & More

The Truth About Mike Tyson’s “Airplane Beatdown”, Why CNN+ Failed, Casey Neistat, & Today’s News

IT GOT WORSE?! Ethan Klein H3 Podcast Scandal, Melissa Lucio, Why Netflix Really Collapsed, & More
