We&#8217;re finally here: At long last, we&#8217;re about to be done with the 2022 midterm elections.
The U.S. Senate was mostly settled within a few days of the November 8 election, with Democrats retaining control of the chamber. But neither candidate in the Georgia race won a majority of the vote, forcing a runoff between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker.
While it doesn&#8217;t seem like it matters much &#8212; Democrats could control the chamber 51-49 instead of 50-50 if Warnock wins &#8212; there&#8217;s still a lot at stake in the single remaining race. And it&#8217;s all about power.
COMMITTEE POWER
Much will change with the control of this last Senate seat.
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For the first two years of President Joe Biden&#8217;s term, Republicans and Democrats have been split 50-50 (which makes Vice President Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote).
That makeup, though, means that all the committees are required to have an equal number of members from each party. In a straight party-line vote, any measure will tie &#8212; and therefore die.
All that changes at 51-49.
If Warnock wins his runoff, Democrats would then be entitled to more committee seats, plus a larger share of the budget. Democratic committee chairmen won&#8217;t have to bother with that pesky bipartisan stuff, they can just jam everything down Republicans&#8217; throats.
The larger share of power brings several advantages. A Democratic majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee would make it far easier for them to confirm judicial nominees selected by Biden. Democratic committee chairmen would also be able to issue subpoenas compelling witnesses to testify and produce documents without a single Republican vote.
Both candidates have been pushing control of committees as a key in the runoff, with Walker recently telling <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/herschel-walker-raphael-warnock-republicans/2022/12/02/id/1098861/">Newsmax</a>, “Right now, we’ve got a chance to make all the committees even.”
MANCHIN/SINEMA POWER
Things have been weird with Democrats having just 50 votes in the Senate. A dynamic quickly emerged after the new Congress opened, with Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona &#8212; both moderates &#8212; having outsized power.
Both happily exploited their positions, much to the distress of Biden. Manchin was instrumental in forcing Biden to dramatically reduce his proposed $3.5 trillion social spending bill, which eventually became the more modest Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Back in July, Manchin said it was &#8220;not prudent&#8221; for Democrats to approve a major spending package while Americans faced soaring costs for food, fuel, and rent. &#8220;Inflation is wreaking havoc on everybody’s life,” Manchin said in a radio <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPR8mXfcoSM">interview</a>.
Sinema also obstructed Biden&#8217;s massive spending plan, eventually winning concessions on taxation, including some exemptions to a corporate minimum tax. Liberals were so miffed that Vanity Fair penned a piece <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/09/kyrsten-sinema-holding-bidens-agenda">headlined</a> (in all caps), &#8220;KYRSTEN SINEMA IS WINNING FANS ON THE RIGHT BY HOLDING UP BIDEN’S AGENDA.&#8221;
Biden has been frustrated with the pair. In campaign speeches and at fundraisers, Biden would often tell fellow Democrats, &#8220;we need two more senators” to move forward on his agenda. While a 51-49 Senate won&#8217;t altogether neuter Manchin and Sinema, they will most definitely lose some of their leverage.
TRUMP POWER
Former President Donald Trump did not fare well in the 2022 midterm elections. A slew of the candidates he endorsed lost, including Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, who got beat by a guy who can barely utter a coherent sentence.
Republicans openly derided Trump after the dismal showing of GOP candidates who failed to take back the Senate and barely grabbed control of the House. A <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/3743701-trump-may-not-make-it-to-the-primaries/">YouGov</a> poll after the election showed Republicans who want him to run collapsed from 60% to just 47% (if you&#8217;re keeping score at home, that number doesn&#8217;t make you president).
Exit polls also found that a hefty chunk of voters came out just to vote against Trump&#8217;s candidates, and his presence was enough to throw some close races to the Democrats.
A Walker win could ease a bit of that embarrassment &#8212; or inflame it. Trump last year encouraged Walker to jump into the race, but as the candidate has stumbled, Trump has kept his distance.
In one last desperate effort, Trump made one final pitch &#8212; but not in person.
&#8220;Donald Trump plans to hold a rally via telephone for Herschel Walker ahead of Georgia’s US Senate run-off on Tuesday, opting not to campaign in-person and potentially draw more blame for hurting the GOP’s midterm election efforts,&#8221; <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-holding-tele-rally-for-herschel-walker-ahead-of-georgia-runoff/ar-AA14Ve9A">Bloomberg</a> wrote.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Walker

3 Reasons The Senate Runoff In Georgia Is Crucial

3 Reasons The Senate Runoff In Georgia Between Herschel Walker And Raphael Warnock Is Crucial

2022 Election

2022 Midterms

Elections

Georgia

Herschel Walker

Politics

Raphael Warnock

U.S. Senate

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/josh-hawley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Hawley</a> (R-MO) let all sides have it Thursday after the Senate voted to impose a new union contract on railroad workers.
In several tweets and a statement posted to Twitter, Hawley unleashed on the Biden administration, Democrats in the Senate, and establishment Republicans for voting to impose the new union contract on railroad employees. The Senate passed the bill 80-15 to put the contract into effect, avoiding a potentially catastrophic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-legislation-to-avoid-a-nationwide-rail-strike-bernie-sanders-intends-to-block-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rail strike</a>. But the Senate blocked a provision that would have given workers seven days of paid sick leave.
“Today the Senate had the chance to stand up for railroad workers who frequently risk their lives and health on the job, just trying to support their families,&#8221; Hawley said in a statement Thursday evening. &#8220;Instead, the Senate sided with Joe Biden. Workers were asking for a handful of sick days per year. Biden and the Senate said no. I’d like to know how many of the White House staff, and how many members of Congress and their staff, are still &#8216;working remotely,&#8217; all while they deny railroad workers more than one day of sick leave a year. The House of Representatives, for heaven’s sake, is still proxy voting—with many members not showing up to work at all—because of the Covid &#8216;health risk.&#8217; But railroad workers can’t have more than one day of sick leave. And it wasn’t as if workers were asking Congress to intervene on their behalf. No, this was the White House and management and union bosses teaming up to use federal law to force workers to accept contracts they rejected in negotiations. And then people in DC wonder why working Americans think the system is rigged.”
“Today was also a chance for Republicans to stand up for working people and against the DC establishment,&#8221; he added. &#8220;They missed it. But make no mistake, the people who put on overalls or pick up a shovel or stand on the assembly line every day are worth fighting for. And the Republican Party will have no future without them.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today’s rail vote was a significant one. A few thoughts &#8211; <a href="https://t.co/IYfPBxL14E" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/IYfPBxL14E</a>
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1598430838693183489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
Hawley also lamented the impact on railroad workers before and during the vote. &#8220;GOP wants to be a working class party, or should want to,&#8221; Hawley tweeted <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1598392316305477633?s=20&amp;t=evTH_fXYZrRGiEL1hoRYbA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">before the vote</a>. &#8220;We’re about to have our first test vote &#8211; with the workers or with Biden.&#8221;
&#8220;Joe Biden and the suits on one side, railroad workers on the other side,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1598393068977532928?s=20&amp;t=evTH_fXYZrRGiEL1hoRYbA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>. &#8220;Easy call.&#8221;
&#8220;Sad day for workers,&#8221; he tweeted <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1598415845755359232?s=20&amp;t=evTH_fXYZrRGiEL1hoRYbA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after the bill passed</a>. &#8220;At the behest of Joe Biden, US Senate now using federal law to force railroad workers to accept contracts they voted to reject,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1598416211435745284?s=20&amp;t=evTH_fXYZrRGiEL1hoRYbA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> again.
The vote <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3758563-senate-votes-to-avert-costly-rail-strike/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> in the Senate 80-15. Ten Republicans voted against the bill, along with five Democrats. The Republicans were:
<ul>
<li>Tom Cotton of Arkansas</li>
<li>Ted Cruz of Texas</li>
<li>Hawley</li>
<li>Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida</li>
<li>Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania</li>
<li>Susan Collins of Maine</li>
<li>Tim Scott of South Carolina</li>
<li>Bill Hagerty of Tennesee</li>
<li>Dan Sullivan of Alaska</li>
</ul>
The five Democrats were:
<ul>
<li>Kirsten Gillibrand of New York</li>
<li>Jeff Merkley of Oregon</li>
<li>Bernie Sanders of Vermont</li>
<li>John Hickenlooper of Colorado</li>
<li>Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts</li>
</ul>
But the <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3758436-senate-rejects-proposal-to-give-rail-workers-seven-days-of-paid-sick-leave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">amendment</a> to give railroad workers seven days of paid sick leave, sponsored by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-legislation-to-avoid-a-nationwide-rail-strike-bernie-sanders-intends-to-block-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bernie Sanders</a>, failed 52-43. Six Republicans supported the amendment, including Hawley, Cruz, Rubio, Mike Braun of Indiana, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and John Kennedy of Louisiana.

Josh Hawley

Hawley Tears Into Biden Admin, Democrats, Establishment GOP After Senate Imposes Labor Deal On Railroad Workers

Hawley Tears Into Biden Admin, Democrats, Establishment GOP After Senate Passes Bill To Impose Labor Deal On Railroad Workers, Avoids Rail Strike

Congress

Executive

Labor Unions

Railroads

Republicans

Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/indiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indiana</a> Senator Mike Braun announced he is running for governor of Indiana in 2024.
Braun, who was elected to the Senate in 2018, filed campaign finance paperwork to run for the governorship on Tuesday, and made his candidacy public on Wednesday morning. Braun&#8217;s gubernatorial run leaves his Senate seat open, and names are already being floated for the seat, including Republican Congressman Jim Banks.
“Mike Braun has filed his paperwork to run for governor and will be making an official announcement of his candidacy very soon,&#8221; Braun&#8217;s senior political adviser and chief of staff told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/30/braun-to-run-for-indiana-governor-opening-senate-seat-in-2024-00071339" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> Wednesday. Braun himself also confirmed the news to the outlet. “That filing did occur yesterday,” he told Politico. “We’ll talk to you down the road.” Braun&#8217;s <a href="https://campaignfinance.in.gov/PublicSite/SearchPages/CommitteeDetail.aspx?OrgId=7771" target="_blank" rel="noopener">candidate committee filing</a> is publicly available on the Indiana Secretary of State&#8217;s website.
Braun is seeking to replace incumbent governor Eric Holcomb, who is prevented from running for a third term. There are no term limits per se under Indiana state law, but the <a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/laws/const/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state constitution</a> prohibits him from holding office for more than eight years out of any 12-year period. Holcomb could run for another term, but he would have to wait at least four years.
Braun will likely face a hotly-contested primary. <a href="https://www.wane.com/news/local-news/eric-doden-kicks-off-campaign-to-be-indianas-next-governor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Doden</a>, a businessman who served as president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation under former Governor Mike Pence, announced he was running for the governor&#8217;s mansion in June of this year, and current Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch is expected to mount a run as well, Politico reported.
Braun was elected to the Senate in 2018; he fought in a tough primary against Reps. Todd Rokita and Luke Messer, then upset incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly in a race that helped Republicans hold the Senate. He previously served in the Indiana House of Representatives. Before that, he was CEO of an auto parts distribution business.
Names already being floated to replace Braun in the Senate in 2024, include Republican Reps. Jim Banks and Victoria Spartz. A spokesman for Banks told the <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2022/11/30/mike-braun-run-governor-senate-indiana-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Caller</a> Wednesday that he is mulling a run for Senate. “Rep. Banks’ conservative record and relationships put him in an excellent position to win a statewide race in Indiana,&#8221; the spokesman said. &#8220;Hoosiers deserve principled representatives like Senator Braun who will fight for their values in Washington.&#8221;
“Rep. Banks is strongly considering running if Senator Braun doesn’t seek a second term and over the upcoming holiday will talk to his family and friends around the state about how he can best serve Indiana,” he added.
Banks has served in Congress since 2017, and was just elected to a third term in Congress in the 2022 midterm elections. He currently serves as chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, and mounted an unsuccessful bid to become House GOP whip in the next Congress.
Spartz, meanwhile, was elected in 2020, and was also re-elected to Congress earlier this month. An immigrant from Ukraine who came to the U.S. in 2000, Spartz&#8217;s profile has been raised in recent months due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Mike Braun

Indiana GOP Senator Mike Braun Announces He’s Running For Governor

Indiana GOP Senator Mike Braun Announces He's Running For Governor; Banks, Spartz Among Top Names To Replace Him

2024 Election

governor

Indiana

Jim Banks

After the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House of Representatives</a> advanced a bill on Wednesday meant to avert a looming nationwide <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/railroads" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rail</a> strike, Sen. <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/bernie-sanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bernie Sanders</a> (I-VT) vowed to block the measure in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a>.
Unions and rail companies previously agreed to a tentative deal providing workers a 24% pay raise and more robust healthcare benefits, although a handful of labor organizations rejected the agreement due to a lack of paid sick days. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said in a <a href="https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/112922-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to lawmakers on Tuesday evening that the lower chamber would “take action to protect the economic security of America’s working families and avert a devastating nationwide rail strike,” echoing a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-calls-for-congressional-intervention-to-avoid-potentially-crippling-rail-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">call</a> from President Joe Biden.
Legislation enforcing the tentative agreement passed on Wednesday by a margin of 290 to 137, with eight Democrats and 129 Republicans voting against the bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) affirmed that the upper chamber would move as quickly as possible to advance the bill to the White House.
Sanders, however, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/1597709690699489280?s=20&amp;t=iD67NiKf3PIGloPjEW0Ypg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarked</a> on social media that workers should receive at least seven paid sick days as rail companies earn “record profits.” He intends to “block consideration of the rail legislation” until a roll call vote guarantees workers the benefit.
Biden meanwhile thanked members of both parties in the House for advancing the legislation and stressed the urgency of deliberations in the Senate.
“Without the certainty of a final vote to avoid a shutdown this week, railroads will begin to halt the movement of critical materials like chemicals to clean our drinking water as soon as this weekend,” he said in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/11/30/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-house-action-to-avert-rail-shutdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “Without action this week, disruptions to our auto supply chains, our ability to move food to tables, and our ability to remove hazardous waste from gasoline refineries will begin.”
The daily economic cost of a nationwide rail shutdown could amount to $2 billion, according to a <a href="https://www.aar.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AAR-Rail-Shutdown-Report-September-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Association of American Railroads, while a <a href="https://rilastagemedia.blob.core.windows.net/rila-web/rila.web/media/media/pdfs/supply%20chain/rila-rail-labor-dispute.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> from the Retail Industry Leaders Association addressed to Biden noted that freight rail accounts for 40% of long-distance shipping volume in the United States. Members of Congress can exercise authority over interstate commerce to intervene in rail labor negotiations under the Railway Labor Act of 1926.
Hundreds of business groups have encouraged Congress to compel acceptance of the tentative agreement. A <a href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/retailers-encouraged-house-approval-tentative-agreement-averting-rail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from the National Retail Federation lauded the House for approving the legislation.
“America’s railroads serve nearly every sector of our economy and provide access to global markets. The freight rail system is a lifeline for many industries, ensuring the transport of not only retail goods, but also essential food and energy supplies,” the group said. “It is imperative that the Senate now acts immediately to approve the measure and send it to President Biden’s desk.”
Biden and Pelosi have expressed reluctance to disrupt union negotiations since the commander-in-chief <a href="https://joebiden.com/empowerworkers/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">campaigned</a> for the Oval Office in favor of collective bargaining. One of the unions which rejected the tentative agreement <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/union-allies-turn-on-pro-labor-biden-for-trying-to-prevent-looming-rail-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the organization “is deeply disappointed by and disagrees with” actions from the Biden administration to prevent the strike.

Sen. Bernie Sanders

House Passes Legislation To Avoid A Nationwide Rail Strike. Bernie Sanders Intends To Block It.

Bernie Sanders Intends To Block Legislation Passed By House To Avert Rail Strike

Bernie Sanders

Economy

railway strike

strike

U.S. House of Representatives

Unions

U.S. Senators advanced landmark <a href="https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/RMA%20and%20Amendment%20One-Pager_FINAL_3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> Tuesday, 61-36, that would codify same-sex marriage protections into law, despite opposition from most GOP lawmakers who argue the bill&#8217;s language infringes on religious freedoms.
Senate Democrats unanimously supported — with the help of some Republicans — the Respect for Marriage Act, which repeals the Defense of Marriage Act that legally defined marriage as between one man and one woman and permitted states not to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.
The bill would not force states to allow same-sex couples to marry under the Supreme Court&#8217;s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision. It would, however, make it so that any &#8220;person acting under color of State law&#8221; fully recognizes marriage between two people in another state and that the federal government must recognize marriages if they were valid in the state where the marriage occurred.
&#8220;I hope we can get it done with all due speed because millions of Americans deserve equal justice under the law and the peace of mind knowing their right to marry the person they love is protected,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Monday.
Schumer and congressional Democrats moved the bill quickly allegedly out of fear that the Supreme Court would take up the landmark 2015 ruling that legalized marriage nationwide after overturning Roe v. Wade last summer.
Since the bill first worked through the halls of Congress, Senate Democrats worked to garner ten GOP votes — enough to clear the 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Oklahoma Republican Senator James Lankford, who proposed an amendment addressing religious liberty concerns, warned that the language fails to place any restrictions which would cause entities such as nonprofits or faith-based organizations to choose not to provide those services or to &#8220;abandon their faith.&#8221;
&#8220;I encourage everyone in this body to ask a very simple question to themselves: is today about respecting the rights of all?&#8221; Lankford said on the Senate floor. &#8220;Or is it about silencing some?&#8221;
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) called on his Republican colleagues in favor of the legislation to include protections for anyone with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage belongs to one man and one woman.
Lee introduced an amendment prohibiting federal bureaucrats from discriminating against individuals, organizations, and other religious entities by stripping away tax-exempt status, licenses, contracts, or other benefits.
&#8220;Instead of subjecting churches, religious nonprofits, and persons of conscience to undue scrutiny or punishment by the federal government because of their views on marriage, we should make explicitly clear that this legislation does not constitute a national policy endorsing a particular view of marriage that threatens the tax-exempt status of faith-based nonprofits,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;As we move forward, let us be sure to keep churches, religious charities, and religious universities out of litigation in the first instance.&#8221;
Neither Lankford, Lee, or Sen. Marco Rubio&#8217;s (R-FL) amendments to the bill passed.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) echoed that the religious groups lacked protection under the bill and said that same-sex marriage should be left to the states.
“I think the constitution is silent on this issue,” Hawley said, according to an <a href="https://www.wfla.com/news/washington-dc/senate-prepares-to-vote-on-lgbtq-marriage-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC</a> affiliate. “Churches and religious organizations and religious persons I think will have their liberties infringed.”
Roger Severino, vice president of domestic policy at the Heritage Foundation, wrote in a recent blog <a href="https://www.heritage.org/marriage-and-family/commentary/fact-checking-7-claims-defenders-democrats-same-sex-marriage-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> arguing against the bill that &#8220;marriage is the exclusive, lifelong, conjugal union between one man and one woman— and any departure from that design hurts the indispensable goal of having every child raised in a stable home by the mom and dad who conceived him.&#8221;
Republican senators that voted in favor of the bill included Roy Blunt (MO), Richard Burr (NC), Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Susan Collins (ME), Todd Young (IN), Joni Ernst (IA), Cynthia Lummis (WY), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Rob Portman (OH), Mitt Romney (UT), Dan Sullivan (AK), and Thom Tillis (NC).
Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock missed the vote as he was campaigning in Georgia for next week’s Senate runoff against Republican Herschel Walker.
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who voted in favor, said the bill would not affect the rights of private individuals or businesses already protected by the law.
“This legislation provides important protections for religious liberty — measures which are particularly important to protect the religious freedoms of our faith-based institutions,” Romney said in a <a href="https://www.romney.senate.gov/romney-statement-on-the-respect-for-marriage-act/">statement</a>. &#8220;While I believe in traditional marriage, Obergefell is and has been the law of the land upon which LGBTQ individuals have relied. This legislation provides certainty to many LGBTQ Americans, and it signals that Congress — and I — esteem and love all of our fellow Americans equally.”
The bill will move back to the House of Representatives for a final vote. The previous version of the bill passed  the lower chamber 267-157.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said Representatives hope to pass the bill as early as December 6, which would then go to the desk of President Joe Biden, who has pledged to sign it into law.

Chuck Schumer

Dem-Controlled Senate Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill; 12 Republicans Support

Democrats

Same-Sex Marriage

Social Issues

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/republican-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GOP</a> groups have requested that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/georgia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Georgia</a>’s Supreme Court prohibit early voting this Saturday in the state’s runoff <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> election, arguing that state law dictates that early voting can&#8217;t take place on that day because it follows the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Georgia Republican Party, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the Republican National Committee filed an appeal with the state’s Supreme Court after an appeals court rejected a similar request from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-herschel-walker-georgia-atlanta-83f554285f2740a6fb8b97a862632150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>. The Georgia Court of Appeals dismissed Raffensperger’s request on Monday.
Raffensperger argued, and the GOP groups maintain, that state law prohibits early voting on Saturday if a holiday falls on either of the two days before. Thursday, Thanksgiving, and Friday are both recognized holidays. This coming Saturday will be the only opportunity to cast any early vote on a Saturday before the runoff election on December 6.
“The court of appeals’ denial of the Intervenor’s motion for emergency stay allows the superior court’s interpretation of [state law] to gut the statute, sow utter chaos, and unevenly impact Georgia voters’ access to advance voting,” the Tuesday GOP <a href="https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/RNC-NRSC-GAGOP-Supreme-Court-Filing-Package.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a> says.
The GOP intervention in the case comes after Raffensperger decided against pursuing the issue. Raffensperger’s office said Monday that he would not file any additional appeals.
“The court has worked its will. We believe this is something the General Assembly should consider clarifying to avoid confusion in the future. I hope that election workers are able to enjoy a somewhat restful holiday despite this decision,” Raffensperger spokesman Mike Hassinger said, according to <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-appeals-court-allows-saturday-early-voting-in-us-senate-runoff/NNQ4B7DY25ARVGXK7AQPNBDSMM/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a>.
At least 10 counties are expected to offer early voting on Saturday. The legal battle began after Raffensperger prohibited early voting on Saturday, citing state law. His decision sparked a lawsuit from the campaign of incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and the Georgia Democratic Party.
Warnock will face GOP challenger Herschel Walker in the runoff election. The November 8 general election ended with neither candidate reaching the required 50% threshold to avoid a runoff. Warnock ended slightly <a href="https://www.politico.com/2022-election/results/georgia/senate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ahead</a> with 49.4% of the vote to Walker’s 48.5%. Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver, who will not appear on the ballot in the runoff, finished with 2.1%.
The runoff election will decide whether the Republican Party will maintain its 50-50 split in the Senate or lose a seat and give the Democrats a 51-49 advantage. The additional Democratic seat would allow Democrats to pass legislation on party-line votes without the tiebreaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris. The legislation would have to be approved by a GOP-controlled House, however.

Herschel Walker, Raphael Warnock

GOP Asks Georgia’s Highest Court To Limit Early Voting In Senate Runoff

After conservatives noted her penchant for self-aggrandizement, seemingly pushing her senator-elect husband aside so she could be featured in photos, Pennsylvania Sen.-elect John Fetterman’s wife Gisele declared that the “right-wing hates women.”
Gisele Fetterman reacted in an <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/169034/gisele-fetterman-interview-washington-senate">interview</a> with the leftist The New Republic after photos she released on social media showed her next to her husband with him cropped out of the photos in various ways.
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The actual Senator-elect is halfway cut out of the photo!!! She wanted this so badly for herself lol. I hope subjecting her husband and her marriage to this was worth her 15 minutes. <a href="https://t.co/PWbgqsgGDe">pic.twitter.com/PWbgqsgGDe</a>
&mdash; Tiana Lowe (@TianaTheFirst) <a href="https://twitter.com/TianaTheFirst/status/1592584435379343361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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I’ve never seen passive aggressive/contemptuous photo crops like this before. It’s wild. <a href="https://t.co/VdT9nvVkVW">pic.twitter.com/VdT9nvVkVW</a>
&mdash; David Reaboi, Late Republic Nonsense (@davereaboi) <a href="https://twitter.com/davereaboi/status/1592567597274628096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“The right-wing hates women. They especially hate strong women, and I think that’s what you’re seeing,” Fetterman, who arrived in the United States as an illegal immigrant, complained. “The fact that a spouse of a senator-elect has been attacked nonstop for the past 24 hours and everyone’s OK with it and everyone thinks it’s normal.… It’s not normal.”
“Gisele often spoke on his behalf, whether it was to introduce him at an event or answer questions during interviews and other public speaking engagements where she appeared to relish <a href="https://redstate.com/joesquire/2022/10/17/john-fettermans-wife-is-taking-over-the-campaign-and-its-not-good-n644496">taking</a> the lead,” RedState <a href="https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2022/11/15/eye-opening-gisele-fetterman-first-day-senate-photo-sparks-questions-mockery-galore-n659361">noted</a> of Gisele Fetterman’s behavior during the election season.
Gisele Fetterman expressed concern for her own safety in the New Republic interview, saying, “Since entering the Capitol for training, my inbox has been completely filled with threats and horrible things. And that’s because I’ve been a non-top [sic] loop on Fox News. Hopefully it’s not like this forever … and hopefully it’s not like this for the next young Latina or person of color or spouse who enters this space.”
She brought up the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) husband Paul: “I do feel safe, but then something will happen, and it shakes you … can this happen to me as well? The fact that there’s such a focus on the spouse is scary, and it’s creepy.”
Gisele Fetterman <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3693481-fettermans-wife-calls-for-nbc-to-apologize-after-interview/">demanded an apology</a> from NBC News after NBC News’s Dasha Burns, having conducted an interview with John Fetterman, pointed out, “During some of those conversations before the closed captioning was rolling, it wasn’t clear he could understand what we were saying.”
In July, Fetterman praised a group of furries for supporting <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/abortion">abortion</a>.
<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/feed-scotus-to-the-wolves-activist-wife-of-pa-dem-senate-candidate-praises-pack-of-furries-supporting-abortion/">Carrying signs</a> with slogans “Feed SCOTUS To The Wolves,” “Cancel The 4th,” and “We Won’t Go Back,” the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2014/12/10/7362321/9-questions-about-furries-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask">furries</a> appeared to protest outside of a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/planned-parenthood">Planned Parenthood</a> facility in Pittsburgh, according to Fetterman, who tweeted a picture of the individuals.
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Furries in Pittsburgh today. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AbortionRightsAreHumanRights?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AbortionRightsAreHumanRights</a> <a href="https://t.co/vWRpnmh4ii">pic.twitter.com/vWRpnmh4ii</a>
&mdash; Gisele Barreto Fetterman (@giselefetterman) <a href="https://twitter.com/giselefetterman/status/1543322324983848960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“Nightmare,” she tweeted after the Supreme Court’s decision to repeal Roe v. Wade.
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Nightmare
&mdash; Gisele Barreto Fetterman (@giselefetterman) <a href="https://twitter.com/giselefetterman/status/1540338462779445250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Fetterman, inspired by the Women’s March in 2017, <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/womens-march-inspires-hijabs-barbies-hank-berrien/">joined</a> with a female Muslim friend to create “<a href="https://www.forgoodpgh.org/about/">Hello Hijab</a>,&#8221; a small colorful piece of cloth that could be folded into hijabs for Barbie-sized dolls.
Ben Zeisloft contributed to this article.

Democratic Senate Candidate John Fetterman Holds Campaign Rally In Erie, PA

‘The Right-Wing Hates Women’: Gisele Fetterman Lashes Out At Conservatives

Gisele Fetterman Lashes Out At Conservatives

Conservatives

Gisele Fetterman

John Fetterman

U.S.

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> Director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christopher-wray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christopher Wray</a> admitted Thursday that he left early a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> oversight hearing in August to go on vacation.
Wray appeared in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee on Thursday alongside Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid. The trio was brought before the committee to testify over national security threats to the U.S.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) grilled Wray over his reason for leaving an August hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee after only one round of questioning. Wray said he did not cut the hearing short; his early departure was agreed upon ahead of time with the committee chair, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).
“The hearing was not cut short. From my experience, we had agreed upon the time and length of it, and I was very surprised to find that anyone on the committee was surprised,” Wray said when asked about his use of a private FBI jet to fly to the Adirondacks. The FBI director is required by law because of the sensitive nature of his job to use a private FBI jet anytime he flies.
Wray at first avoided a question about his reason for flying to the Adirondacks. When pressed by Hawley why Wray left a “statutorily required oversight hearing” before a second round of questioning, the FBI director admitted he left for a family vacation.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="LIVE: DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Wray testify on threats to U.S." width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zPPXNMoWhM8?start=2668&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Wray testified that he was “very surprised” that Republicans on the Judiciary Committee were unaware of his early departure from the hill. At the time, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IO) <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/08/07/fbi-director-christopher-wray-is-guiding-the-agency-the-wrong-way-fast/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complained</a> about Wray’s early departure after hearing about the FBI director’s plans only after the hearing was underway.
“We just heard a half hour ago about you having to leave at 1:30,” Grassley said at the time. “We were going to have seven minutes [each] for first round [questions and] three-minute second rounds. I’ve got seven people on my side of the aisle want their additional three minutes. Is there any reason we couldn’t accommodate them for 21 minutes?”
Wray responded: “Senator, I had a flight that I’m supposed to be high-tailing it to outta here, and I had understood that we were going to be done at 1:30, so that’s how we ended up where we are.”
Grassley pointed out that Wray, as FBI director, has access to his own private jet that can depart at any time the director likes. “If it’s your business trip, you’ve got your own plane. Can’t it wait a while?” Grassley asked.
Wray demurred without offering to push his flight back. At the end of the hearing, Wray confirmed to Grassley that the director was leaving for “other business.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Christopher Wray Faces GOP Grilling In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xAoDKsp9NsA?start=8689&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Under questioning from Hawley, Wray said that “the reference to ‘other business’ was not a reference to that day. It was a reference to the following week when Senator Grassley and I were going to see each other in Iowa.”
Hawley shot back: “You left an oversight hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee required by statute so you could vacation with your family. I find that absolutely unbelievable and, frankly, indefensible.”

Christopher Wray

‘Indefensible’: FBI Director Wray Grilled For Leaving Oversight Hearing Early For Vacation

Chuck Grassley

Washington D.C.

Senate Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mitch-mcconnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitch McConnell</a> won re-election to lead the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/republican-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GOP</a> in the Senate on Wednesday, fending off a challenge from Florida Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rick-scott" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rick Scott</a>.
A group of GOP senators <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/11/gop-senators-call-for-postponing-leadership-elections-00066532">called</a> to push off the leadership vote until after the Georgia runoff race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican candidate Herschel Walker, according to a Friday report from Politico.
McConnell responded to the senators on Tuesday, dismissing their arguments and pushing forward with the leadership vote.
“I think the outcome is pretty clear,” McConnell <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/15/politics/rick-scott-challenges-mitch-mcconnell/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “I want to repeat again. I have the votes; I will be elected. The only issue is whether we do it sooner or later.”
McConnell, 80, is on track to <a href="https://www.senate.gov/senators/longest-serving-party-leaders.htm">becoming</a> the longest serving party leader in the Senate. First elected in 1985, McConnell has led Republicans in the Senate for 15 years since 2007. Former Democratic Sen. Michael Mansfield holds the record for longest serving party leader at 16 years from 1961-1977.
Scott, who headed the National Republican Senatorial Committee during midterms, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rick-scott-announces-bid-to-oust-mcconnell-as-senate-gop-leader">launched</a> his bid to unseat McConnell earlier this week. Scott ran the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm that is chiefly responsible for helping Republicans get elected to the Senate. The Florida senator oversaw an underwhelming performance in the 2022 midterm elections where the GOP lost a slate of close contests and failed to pick up any more seats.
“I’m writing to you today because I believe it’s time for the Senate Republican Conference to be far more bold and resolute than we have been in the past. We must start saying what we are for, not just what we are against,” Scott <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/mcconnell-re-elected-senate-gop-leader-defeating-challenge-rick-scott-rcna57487" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> fellow Republicans in a letter Tuesday. “I do not believe we can simply continue to say the Democrats are radical, which they are. Republican voters expect and deserve to know our plan to promote and advance conservative values.”
McConnell and Scott and their allies traded barbs in the wake of the 2022 midterm elections, pointing fingers and casting blame for the GOP falling short of expectations. Montana Sen. Steve Daines was elected Wednesday to take over the reins at the NRSC heading into 2024.
Scott and the NRSC face questions over their allocation of resources. During a three-hour GOP conference on Tuesday, Sens. Marsha Blackburn (TN) and Thom Tillis (NC) suggested auditing the NRSC’s expenditures during the campaign season in an effort to understand where Republicans may have gone wrong, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/16/rick-scott-nrsc-00067439">Politico</a>.
Scott appeared to respond to the push for an investigation in his Wednesday letter, emphasizing his push to reform the Senate GOP’s campaign arm. He took over the NRSC in November 2020 for the 2022 midterm cycle.
“When that’s your starting point, you work really hard to make sure there are transparent processes,” Scott said, “[W]e are more than happy to sit down with any member of the caucus to walk them through our spending.”

Mitch McConnell

Mitch McConnell Keeps Hold On Senate GOP, Knocks Back Challenge From Rick Scott

Republican Party

Rick Scott

Republicans on Tuesday gained control of the House of Representatives, with <a href="https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/national/2022-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DecisionDeskHQ</a> ticking them up to the 218 mark that makes up a bare majority. The Senate will remain controlled by Democrats. But even without the Senate, House control means that conservatives can stop many of the excesses of Joe Biden’s administration — if they are willing to use their power, according to Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX).
Congress controls the “power of the purse” — the ability to allocate how much money the executive branch gets — and Democrats cannot enact their agenda without funding. “The border crisis, vaccine mandates, the 87,000 new IRS agents, the war on reliable energy, inflation — Republicans can frankly stop all of that if they’re willing to use the power of the purse,” Roy told The Daily Wire.
Each chamber produces its own budget, and if the House&#8217;s and Senate’s proposals are different, they are reconciled in a budget conference. But the Senate’s version is vulnerable to a filibuster if it doesn’t have 60 votes. On top of that, the president can veto bills, including budget bills, and those vetoes can only be overridden with a two-thirds majority of both the House and Senate.
All of that means that with a divided Congress, the outcome will come down to either negotiations or a game of chicken. If no compromise is reached, the agencies get no funding at all, triggering a government shutdown on October 1.
In the past, Republicans have compromised with Democrats to avoid such an outcome, afraid of the media blaming them for causing a government shutdown. But if Republicans want to win in 2024, a Republican-controlled House must insist on a conservative way of governing so that Americans can see the difference, Roy said. They should say, “we’ve proposed a full government funding &#8230; if you don’t want to sign that, Mr. President, then you are shutting down the government, not me,&#8221; he said.
In addition to controlling top-line budgets, appropriations can give money to agencies only on the condition that it be used for certain purposes. For example, when funding the Department of Homeland Security, Republicans could say the agency can only use its money for an approach that includes turning away or detaining every person it catches breaking the law, Roy added.
As a first order of business, Republicans will need to choose who will occupy key leadership slots. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who previously challenged Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the right for minority leader, said shortly before election night that this time, he was behind McCarthy. &#8220;The coach who gets you to the Super Bowl gets to coach the game,&#8221; he told The Daily Wire.
On Tuesday, McCarthy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kevin-mccarthy-wins-gop-nomination-for-house-speaker-over-conservative-protests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received</a> the votes, 188-31, from the House Republican conference to be nominated for speaker. Roy nominated Andy Biggs (R-Arizona) as an alternative.
The second order of business will be rolling back changes to the operations of the House of Representatives itself. Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi locked down the House buildings after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/different-from-any-other-jail-in-america-a-january-6-prisoner-speaks-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6</a>, 2021 riot — blocking visitors unless they were escorted by staff, requiring congressmen to go through metal detectors, and replacing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/capitol-police-seek-to-hire-their-own-prosecutor-overseeing-allegations-against-congressmen-and-trespassers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Capitol Police</a> leadership with officials accused of overseeing the politicization of the agency. &#8220;Leader McCarthy has already indicated that the metal detectors are coming down, proxy voting is gone. It’s the people’s house,&#8221; Jordan said.
Republicans controlling the House also means they chair its committees, providing the ability to conduct oversight investigations complete with subpoena power. While in the minority, &#8220;We’ve written hundreds of letters &#8230; they give us the finger most of the time,&#8221; Jordan, a member of the House Oversight Committee who is expected to chair the House Judiciary Committee, told The Daily Wire.
Now, &#8220;we’re going to do our oversight in a way that’s consistent with the Constitution, but we’re going to be as aggressive as we possibly can because that’s what’s warranted in light of what we’ve discovered,&#8221; he said. He pointed to the politicization of law enforcement, including the FBI <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-issues-subpoenas-or-paid-visits-to-multiple-republican-lawmakers-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seizing the cell phone</a> of Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA). Rep. James Comer (R-KY) is expected to lead the House Oversight Committee, which could pursue investigations into Hunter Biden, among others. 
Before all that, Republicans need to ensure that House Democrats don’t slip through any surprises on their way out the door, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/border-airports-among-fastest-growing-in-u-s-could-suggest-scale-of-migrant-flights-in-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Dan Bishop</a> (R-NC) said. “We also need to ensure that the outgoing Democrat Congress won’t be able to pass one final spending bill in this lame-duck session jammed with billions for their liberal priorities. Voters elected us to put a stop to the madness, and I’ll be fighting tooth and nail to stop this spending spree,” he told The Daily Wire.

House Minority Leader McCarthy Holds Weekly Press Conference

With Divided Congress, Game Of Chicken For How Aggressively Republicans Wield Power Of The Purse

With Divided Congress, Game Of Chicken Begins For How Aggressively Republicans Wield Power Of The Purse

Kevin McCarthy

Nancy Pelosi

County officials in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nevada">Nevada</a> over the weekend confirmed that cameras live-streaming vote-counting areas on Wednesday night and Thursday morning went dark for a total of eight hours.
&#8220;We know that our election livestream cameras went dark overnight. We investigated what happened and how to prevent it happening again,&#8221; Washoe County&#8217;s Twitter account posted Thursday afternoon.
Unsurprisingly, the tweet went viral, racking up thousands of reactions, which included questions concerning election integrity.
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We know that our election livestream cameras went dark overnight. We investigated what happened and how to prevent it happening again. Learn more here: <a href="https://t.co/LT8OJkxX3L">https://t.co/LT8OJkxX3L</a>
&mdash; Washoe County (@washoecounty) <a href="https://twitter.com/washoecounty/status/1590781388902785024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The livestream computer application lost connection with the courtesy cameras at 11:24 p.m. the evening of November 9,&#8221; the county <a href="https://washoelife.washoecounty.gov/washoe-county/registrar-of-voters-livestream-cameras/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on its website. &#8220;All staff had left for the night about 60 minutes earlier and did not arrive back at the office until 7 a.m. Connection was restored at 7:53 a.m. the morning of November 10.&#8221; 
&#8220;The courtesy cameras are connected to a computer application designed for livestream events,&#8221; the county site continued. &#8220;They intermittently lose connection with the application. When this has happened before, such as on Election Night when one camera went dark, staff was able to see the disruption and restore it.&#8221;
Security footage was also reviewed, the county said. &#8220;According to the Washoe County security administrator, that footage shows the parking garage, the hallway between the garage, and the entry doors to the Registrar’s Office. He has affirmed that no one entered the ballot room or Registrar’s Office during the time that the courtesy livestream was down.&#8221;
Notably, a U.S. Senate race in Nevada was called for the Democrats on Saturday, which meant the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-republicans-fail-to-take-back-the-senate-from-democrats-projection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans had failed to gain enough seats to take back the majority</a>, since ties are broken by the vice president.
The GOP was hopeful former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt, a Republican, would flip the blue seat by ousting incumbent Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto. Despite Laxalt leading in prior polling, the Republican failed to best the Democrat.
The GOP thought the race was locked up. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC), during a National Republican Senatorial Committee <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/11/republicans-redirect-hopes-for-senate-majority-on-georgia-runoff-00066517" target="_blank" rel="noopener">phone call</a> Friday, went as far as to say, “There is no mathematical way Laxalt loses. If he does, then it’s a lie.”
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Lindsey Graham suggested on NRSC call yesterday that fraud in NV would be the only way GOP loses.
“There is no mathematical way Laxalt loses,” Graham said. “If he does, then it’s a lie.” <a href="https://t.co/g4u15f6n7l">https://t.co/g4u15f6n7l</a>
&mdash; Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) <a href="https://twitter.com/natalie_allison/status/1591121110959022080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Questions over election integrity from both sides of the political aisle have dominated news cycles in recent years. One main issue is certainly the influx of vote-by-mail initiatives that lead to vote-counts lingering for days or even weeks after Election Day.
Politico in October <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2022/10/28/how-election-day-became-election-month-00064088" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> the shift, declaring, &#8220;Election Day is dead. Long live election month.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-republicans-fail-to-take-back-the-senate-from-democrats-projection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans Fail To Take Back The Senate From Democrats</a>

Blank ballot envelopes used to test equipment

Nevada County Confirms Livestream Video Of Vote-Count Areas Went Dark For 8 Hours, Responds To Criticism

Nevada County Confirms Livestream Video Of Vote-Count Went Dark For 8 Hours, Responds To Criticism 

Nevada

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) urged Senate Republicans to proceed with their leadership elections despite reported unrest within the party.
Appearing on CBS&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/cotton-says-he-backs-mcconnell-for-gop-senate-leader/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Face the Nation</a>&#8221; on Sunday, Cotton pointed out that no senator has stepped up to challenge Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for leadership, so the caucus should move forward with the elections and focus on the upcoming runoff in the Georgia Senate race. Cotton&#8217;s comments come as multiple Republican senators upset with McConnell&#8217;s performance are calling for new leadership and a delayed vote.
&#8220;Well, I don&#8217;t see why we would delay the election, since all five or six of our leadership elections are uncontested,&#8221; said Cotton. &#8220;You know, the great wrestling champion Ric Flair used to say, &#8216;To be the man, you got to beat the man.&#8217; And so far, no one&#8217;s had the nerve to step forward and challenge Senator McConnell. So, I support Senator McConnell. I support the other slate of candidates for our leadership elections. I think it&#8217;s better that we move forward with these elections, so we can focus again on the Georgia runoff.&#8221;
A number of Republicans are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-lawmakers-push-for-change-in-congressional-leadership-after-lackluster-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushing to delay</a> the leadership elections. Some senators also expressed concern over the conference&#8217;s agenda and whether the party is working in the best interests of Americans.
“We need to have serious discussions within our conference as to why and what we can do to improve our chances in 2024,” Senators Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, and Rick Scott wrote in a letter to the Senate GOP. “Holding leadership elections without hearing from the candidates as to how they will perform their leadership duties and before we know whether we will be in the majority or even who all our members are violates the most basic principles of a democratic process. It is certainly not the way leadership elections should be conducted in the world’s greatest deliberative body.”
&#8220;The Senate GOP leadership vote next week should be postponed,&#8221; Florida Senator Marco Rubio <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1591112183945269251">tweeted</a> Friday. &#8220;First we need to make sure that those who want to lead us are genuinely committed to fighting for the priorities &amp; values of the working Americans (of every background) who gave us big wins in states like #Florida.&#8221; 
&#8220;Exactly right,&#8221; Missouri GOP Senator <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1591113869925441536" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Hawley</a> replied to Rubio. &#8220;I don’t know why Senate GOP would hold a leadership vote for the next Congress before this election is finished. We have a runoff in #GASenate &#8211; are they saying that doesn’t matter? Don’t disenfranchise @HerschelWalker.&#8221;

Tom Cotton

Tom Cotton Urges GOP To Push Ahead With Leadership Elections, Despite Party Unrest

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