Happy Wednesday. Congrats, you made it to the middle of the week and another Midterm Exam.
In this week’s first exam, we’ll go over some tidbits out of Michigan, Colorado, Oregon, and Wisconsin.
On Thursday, we will go over smaller stories out of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.
If there is a major story we don’t have covered in this exam, it likely can be found here.
Tudor Dixon Focuses On Education Issues; Whitmer Stays Locked In On Abortion
Michigan’s GOP gubernatorial candidate is not shy when it comes to education issues in the state. In the past week, Tudor Dixon has said she would support a ban on pornographic books in schools and called for the resignation of the state’s superintendent over his defense of a gender-affirming training video from the Michigan Department of Education.
Meanwhile, Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) seems satisfied to keep hammering down that she really, really, really likes abortion rights, and she’s going to do everything she can to ensure that women continue to have access to abortion in Michigan.
DeSantis Gets Praise From Colorado’s O’Dea
In an appearance on “Meet the Press,” Colorado GOP Senate candidate Joe O’Dea was asked about the recent drama over Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis sending migrants to other parts of the country.
“I think Ron DeSantis and [Texas] Governor Abbott were right to bring some visibility to this issue,” O’Dea said. “We’ve got fentanyl killing our kids. People call what he did ‘cruel.’ You know what’s cruel is ignoring this issue. Democrats are ignoring it, doing nothing while our kids are dying.”
O’Dea also said he doesn’t want Trump or Biden to run for president another time.
“I’m the only Senate candidate for the Republican Party that hasn’t been endorsed by Donald Trump. Probably not going to send me a Christmas card. I don’t want to see him run again. I don’t want to see Joe Biden run again. I think that tears our country apart, and I think I’m where most Americans are,” he said, per Axios.
FiveThirtyEight polling has incumbent Democratic Colorado Senator Michael Bennet up 8.6 points.
Multiple Polls Showing Toss-Up In Oregon
Fox News has shifted the Oregon gubernatorial race from “Lean D[emocrat]” to a “Toss Up.”
The Cook Political Report moved its rating of the Oregon race from “Likely to Lean Democrat” in July, but has now moved it to “Toss Up.”
Democratic candidate Tina Kotek recently received $1.25 million from the Democratic Governors Association, while Republican candidate Christine Drazan has garnered $2.54 million from the Republican Governors Association, with the national party reportedly giving her $1 million twice.
FiveThirtyEight polling says Kotek is “slightly favored” to win the seat, with Drazan at 43.6% and Kotek at 46.4%.
Wisconsin’s GOP Senator Takes Polling Lead; Republican Michels And Democratic Evers In Tight Gubernatorial Race
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) has a four-point lead over challenger Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (D-WI), according to a new poll from Emerson College. In the polling, Johnson had the support of 48% of likely voters, with Barnes trailing with only 44% of likely voters. Six percent of the likely voters polled were undecided. In terms of favorability, Johnson had 49% of people who viewed him favorably while 48% viewed him unfavorably. Barnes had 45% favorability and 46% unfavorability.
The same poll found a tight race between Governor Tony Evers (D-WI) and construction executive Tim Michels. Evers led with support from 45% of voters while Michels took 43%. Seven percent of Badger State voters are undecided, while 4% said that they would back Independent Joan Ellis Beglinger. By far the most important issue for Wisconsin voters was the economy.
Barnes Takes Down Endorsements From Police Officers
Democratic Senate candidate Mandela Barnes, who has been scrutinized for his links to groups and individuals who support defunding the police, took down two endorsements from police officers from his official campaign website in the past week. One name was removed because the officer had not actually endorsed Barnes and the other because of “caution” in relation to federal endorsement laws, according to Barnes’ campaign. However, that officer also said he had never consented to being added to Barnes’ endorsement list.
Michels Asks Evers To Suspend Parole Commission
Michels asked gubernatorial rival Evers to suspend the work of parole boards on Monday in a letter to the governor saying that parole was allowing dangerous convicts back into Wisconsin cities.
“The work of the Wisconsin Parole Commission is putting hundreds of the very worst back into neighborhoods all across the state. It is endangering Wisconsinites. The least you could do to improve public safety in Wisconsin is to suspend the acts of your Parole Commission, and your Pardon Advisory Board, immediately,” Michels said in the letter.
Alongside the economy, crime has been cited as one of the key issues for Wisconsin voters this cycle, and Michels has tried to make law and order a key part of his campaign.
Thanks for reading!