Election Brief: Three weeks from election day, GOP looks west to take House Majority

Election Brief: Three weeks from election day, GOP looks west to take House Majority

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TOP STORIES

RED WEST: Two House races on the west coast have trended toward Republicans, making the GOP’s path to retaking the majority in Congress’ lower chamber more likely.Read more from Fox News’ Power Rankings: Fox News Power Rankings: GOP looks west for decisive House majority

‘BEAR’-Y BAD NEWS: With four weeks to go until Election Day and Herschel Walker facing the biggest controversy of his Senate campaign, the Republican nominee in Georgia argued that Democrats have “woken a grizzly bear.” Walker, in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital aboard his campaign bus ahead of a campaign event in this northwestern Georgia city, pointed to his appearance with Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and emphasized that “this party is behind me.” Read more from Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser here: Herschel Walker, pushing back against abortion allegations, says ‘they’ve woken a grizzly bear’

HEALTH IS WEALTH: Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman says he believes the challenges he faces after suffering a stroke in May are not “going to have an impact” on his ability to serve in the Senate if he is elected next month. Despite the optimism in his ability to serve in the Senate, Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, acknowledged that the stroke has altered his day-to-day life and told the reporter that “everything about it is changed.” Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris: Fetterman says stroke not ‘going to have an impact’ on duties if elected, insists campaign ‘very transparent’

PHOTOSHOP FAIL: A recent ad focusing on school safety and gun control from Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez’s re-election campaign features an edited, unappealing photo of Rep. Mayra Flores, his Republican challenger in the race to represent Texas’ 34th Congressional District. The ad, which was amplified on social media from Gonzalez’s campaign, targeted Flores for her vote against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and featured an edited photo of Flores holding a firearm. Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris: Dem candidate in key House race uses doctored photo to make female opponent look aggressive in campaign ad

A new ad from Rep. Vicente Gonzalez’s campaign features an edited photo of GOP Rep. Mayra Flores’ eyebrows.
(Vicente Gonzalez campaign, Mayra Flores, Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

PARTY OVER PEOPLE: Moderate Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas declared his first order of business at the start of Congress’ new session would be voting for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to remain in her leadership position, and then he would focus on his district. Read more from Fox News’ Aubrie Spady: Dem running in tight race vows to vote for Nancy Pelosi, ‘but then after that, it’s my district’

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: President Biden went to a big-ticket fundraiser for House Democrats Thursday evening alongside Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in Los Angeles. Tickets for the high-profile Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee event start at $5,000 per person, with the top-spending attendees shelling out a whopping $50,000, according to a Deadline report. Read more from Fox News’ Sophia Slacik: Biden heads to Los Angeles for big-ticket Democratic fundraiser with Nancy Pelosi as inflation runs hot

CAMPAIGN TRAIL UPDATES

I CAN EXPLAIN: Democratic Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams is pushing back on the recent criticism she’s faced on the campaign trail regarding her stance on abortion, as well as previous comments surrounding the results of the 2018 gubernatorial election that she lost to incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Read more from Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie: Stacey Abrams says election comments taken ‘out of context,’ suggests potential limitations on abortion

WARNOCK’S WINNING MESSAGE? Democratic Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock is arguing that his party should continue its focus on abortion as an election issue despite polls consistently showing voters with significantly more concern for the economy and inflation just weeks ahead of the November midterms. “Listen, we can, and we must focus on the economy and a woman’s right to choose at the same time. Those things are not mutually exclusive,” Warnock said. Read more from Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie: WATCH: Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock dodges question on abortion limitations

GIRL TALK: Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, who’s seeking re-election to the House in the elections less than four weeks away, lashed out at Rep. Mayra Flores, his Republican challenger, in the race to represent Texas’ 34th Congressional District, during a speech earlier this week, claiming that she “can’t think for herself, can’t speak for herself, can’t act for herself, can’t vote for herself.” Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris: Dem candidate running in contentious House race says his female opponent can’t ‘think’ or ‘speak’ for herself

SISOLAK GETS SCHOOLED: Gov. Steve Sisolak, D-Nev., lost an endorsement from a top teachers union in his race for re-election for not sufficiently addressing educational issues, and the announcement comes after several recent polls show him falling behind Republican challenger Joe Lombardo in the Nevada governor’s race. The union said that their reasoning behind withholding an endorsement was due to Sisolak’s “record” and lack of plans for the issues currently facing the education system. Read more from Fox News’ Aubrie Spady: Democratic candidate for governor falling behind in polls, loses endorsement from top teachers union

CHANGING TIDES? It’s been 16 years since a Republican has won in Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District, but GOP nominee George Logan has a shot at breaking the losing streak. Read more from Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser: Meet the Black Republican who’s aiming to flip a Democratic held House seat in heavily blue Connecticut

POLLS & PREDICTIONS

INFLATION NATION: With less than a month until the midterm elections, Republicans and Democrats are at odds with what issues they believe are more meaningful and will drive voters to the polls. Several political insiders suggest economic burdens felt by Americans will be the major driving force for voters in November, but others have their doubts. Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris: Political insiders say ‘pocketbook issues’ surpass abortion as key midterm priority, but not everyone agrees

THREE WEEKS TO GO…

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