2022 midterm election news and updates from the campaign trail
Live updates on the 2022 midterm campaigns from Fox News. Stay up-to-date about all events and latest news surrounding the 2022 midterm races for the House and Senate, primary elections, and more!
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Democratic Ohio Senate nominee Tim Ryan once called for a ban on gas-powered cars and said he believed that Americans are "doing something terribly wrong" by waiting to eliminate the use of gas vehicles.
Ryan, who ran unsuccessfully for president and currently represents the Buckeye State's 13th Congressional District, offered the remarks in a 2019 interview after a Democratic primary presidential debate when he discussed a 2040 deadline to eliminate gas vehicles set by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
"I hope we don't have to wait until 2050. The way things are moving — Senator Sanders and I got into this in the debate a little bit. He was like, banning gas cars in 2040, and in my mind, in all honesty, it's like okay, great, whatever, but if we're waiting for 2040 to get rid of gas vehicles, we're doing something terribly wrong."
Jordan Fuja, a spokesperson for Ryan's Senate campaign, claimed Ryan's 2019 comments were a push to bring jobs back to America and invest in the manufacturing of "affordable electric vehicles" in the state of Ohio.
Read more: Ohio Senate Democrat nominee Tim Ryan called for a ban of 'gas vehicles' in 2019
Oregon Republican gubernatorial nominee Christine Drazan announced a new six-figure ad buy Wednesday amid what analysts expect to be a tight race in the traditionally blue state.
The ad, titled "Your Vote," slammed outgoing Democrat Gov. Kate Brown, as well as Drazan's opponents, Democrat Tina Kotek and independent Betsy Johnson, by tying them to the state's homelessness and drug crisis.
"This is a crisis, and Oregon's leaders have only made it worse," the ad began, showing images of homeless camps along the state's city streets, as well as images of Brown, Kotek and Johnson.
"The solution is new leadership. Christine Drazan is a bold new leader whose endorsed by law enforcement. Drazan's roadmap for Oregon declares a statewide homeless emergency, expands treatment and services, works to make meth and heroin a crime again, and fully funds police," the ad said.
"The Squad got us here. Your vote can fix it," it added, referencing Brown, Kotek and Johnson as the "Squad."
Fox News' Power Rankings rate Oregon's gubernatorial race as "Leans Democratic."
UVA's Center for Politics' Crystal Ball ratings have shifted in the Democrats favor, with only two months remaining until the heated midterm elections.
Maine's gubernatorial race switched from likely Democrat to safe Democrat, giving incumbent Janet Mills, D-Ma., who is seeking re-election, the upper hand in her contest against GOP nominee Paul LePage this fall.
Democrat Rep.-elect Mary Peltola recently won a special election in Alaska's only congressional district, altering the midterm ratings in the race from safe Republican to toss-up, where she will once again be on the ballot and seeks to hold her newly won seat.
The race in Michigan's Third Congressional District was adjusted from toss-up to lean Democrat. Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Ma., currently represents the district, but lost the GOP primary race to Trump-endorsed John Gibbs. Hilary Scholten won the Democratic primary in Michigan and is expected by the Center for Politics to be the victor in the race this November.
Washington's Eighth Congressional District, a seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier, was moved from toss-up to lean Democrat. Matt Larkin won the Republican primary in August, and is set to battle Schrier for the seat in the upcoming midterm elections.
A Twitter account associated with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posted a video Tuesday making fun of Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Florida Charlie Crist, President Joe Biden, and First Lady Jill Biden in some of their latest attempts to appeal to Hispanic voters.
In one clip, Crist is seen searching for common ground with Latinos around eating spicy food.
“Well you should know this, I’m the grandson of immigrants and my grandfather immigrated from Greece, my grandmother immigrated from Lebanon. So the spicy, Hispanic type food is not unnatural to me at all. I enjoy Greek food, Lebanese food, very similar sort of genre if you will. A lot of good taste, it’s fantastic," Crist said in the ad. While he speaks, the video pans to a Google search that defines Greek food as in more savory than spicy.
Crist is then shown driving in a car, claiming he only knows about one phrase in Spanish.
The video also shows Jill Biden mispronouncing a Spanish phrase, "si se puede," meaning "Yes, you can," followed by a clip of her speaking to a large crowd of Latino voters, saying they are as “unique” as “breakfast tacos.” The First Lady's taco comments sparked immediate backlash, and prompted jokes from prominent media and political figures, with t-shirts even being made from her remarks.
Joe Biden makes an appearance in the video, playing Spanish music from a cell phone into a microphone while speaking at an event.
Crist recently won the Democratic gubernatorial primary race in Florida, where he advanced to the midterms and will face off against GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Hispanic voters have shifted over the past few election cycles, particularly in Florida, from being a reliably Democratic voting bloc to showing signs of significant GOP support. In the 2020 election, there were nearly 2.5 million registered Latino voters in the state, making up about 17% of the overall votes.
EXCLUSIVE: The Republican National Committee (RNC) has made more than 50 million voter contacts cycle-to-date ahead of the November midterm elections.
The news of the party's achievement, shared first with Fox News Digital, comes earlier in the 2022 cycle than it did in the previous midterm cycle. The party did not reach 50 million voter contacts in the 2018 cycle until October of that year.
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel championed the news, saying in a statement that the party is "united" and has "never been better positioned to retake majorities" just eight weeks away from the midterm elections.
"The Republican Party is united and firing on all cylinders heading into November," McDaniel told Fox News Digital. "Through a combination of our state-of-the-art, data-driven ground game, strong candidates across the country, and historic investments in minority communities, Republicans have never been better positioned to retake majorities in the House and Senate. Republicans have the tools, the message, and the candidates to beat the Biden Democrats and win in November."
Read more: RNC hits 50 million voter contacts two months ahead of midterm elections
Three Hispanic Republican women running for Congress in South Texas are entering the final weeks leading up to the November midterm elections swinging hard at the Democratic Party, claiming the left has taken advantage of the Latino community.
During a recent trip to the U.S. Southern border just outside McAllen, Texas, Rep. Mayra Flores, who is running for re-election in the state's 34th Congressional District, as well as Republican nominees Cassy Garcia, from the 28th Congressional District, and Monica De La Cruz, from the 15th Congressional District, spoke with Fox News Digital about just how far they feel Democrats have left Hispanics behind.
"Democrats try to push their message onto Hispanics at no avail. They're not looking at what our values are, they're not talking about our values, they continue to force down our throat this woke consciousness, and messages that simply just don't resonate with Hispanics," De La Cruz said following a meeting with Border Patrol agents and their families.
"I believe that Hispanics, finally, are having an awakening where they see that the Democrat Party has just moved so far to the left and no longer represents their values of faith, of family, and the American dream," she added.
Former Massachusetts state representative Geoff Diehl has won the Republican primary in Massachusetts for the open gubernatorial seat, held by Gov. Charlie Baker who is not seeking re-election this fall.
Diehl was endorsed by former President Donald Trump earlier this year, after supporting claims that the 2020 election was "stolen" from Trump.
He will face off against Democratic nominee and two-term Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey in the midterms this fall.
Pennsylvania Republican senatorial nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz criticized Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's continued reticence to agree to debates, telling Fox News the Democratic nominee is distracting the electorate with continued quips about vegetable trays and Oz's prior New Jersey residency.
Oz responded to remarks Fetterman made in his home county of Allegheny alongside President Biden, where he questioned Oz's standing as the owner of multiple homes and posh surroundings, comparing it to his own in the industrial Pittsburgh suburb of Braddock, where he lives in a converted Chevrolet dealership and was formerly mayor.
Earlier Tuesday, outgoing Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., appeared with Oz at a press conference, and echoed the candidate in saying that politicians "cannot do the job of U.S. senator sitting at home firing off snarky tweets."
Read more from Fox News' Charles Creitz here.
Maura Healey has won the Democratic nomination in Massachusetts' gubernatorial primary election.
Healey, two-term Massachusetts Attorney General, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, and has advanced to November's general election where she will face off against the GOP nominee in the race.
Polls have closed in Massachusetts primaries, where former President Trump is supporting former state Rep. Geoff Diehl — a firm backer of the former president’s unproven claims the 2020 election was "rigged" and "stolen" — against Chris Doughty, a Harvard Business School graduate and first-time candidate who is largely self-funding his own campaign.
Daughty has the backing of prominent New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who views him as having a better chance in November against two-term Attorney General Maura Healey, who is running uncontested in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Follow the latest results for the Massachusetts primary election at Fox News.
The University of Virginia Center for Politics has moved the Senate races in Arizona and Pennsylvania from "tossup" to "Leans Democratic."
The only Senate races to remain in the "tossup" category are the ones in Georgia and Nevada, dampening Republican hopes of winning control of the Senate in November's midterm elections.
According to the same group of ratings, the Senate race in New Hampshire is also rated "Leans Democratic," while the race in Colorado is rated "Likely Democratic."
Republicans are still favored in the Senate races in Ohio, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Florida.
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who is seeking to hold his seat in Senate against Republican challenger Joe O'Dea, has agreed to five candidate forums in the months before the November midterm elections.
“Michael enjoyed talking to voters in packed rooms across Colorado this August, from the Front Range to Southern Colorado, the Western Slope and everywhere in between," said Georgina Bevens, Bennet's campaign press secretary.
“He looks forward to five candidate forums in October where Coloradans will see and hear more about his record of fighting to lower costs and create good paying jobs for working people, protecting Colorado’s public lands and our way of life, rejecting corporate special interests and working to fix Washington.”
The first forum is scheduled for Oct. 12 at the University of Denver, hosted by the Denver Business journal, and the final of the five events is set for Oct. 28, a week and a half before the Nov. 8 election. Colorado's first day of absentee voting is Oct. 17.
Get the latest Massachusetts primary election results at the Fox News election center
Republicans hoping to hold on to the governor’s office this November in the blue state of Massachusetts are choosing between a former state lawmaker backed by former President Trump and a more centrist businessman in Tuesday’s GOP gubernatorial primary.
In the battle to succeed highly popular two-term Republican Gov. Charlie Baker — who opted against running for re-election — Trump is supporting former state Rep. Geoff Diehl, who is a firm backer of the former president’s unproven claims the 2020 election was "rigged" and "stolen."
"Geoff is a proven fighter who successfully pushes back on the ultraliberal extremists," Trump said as he praised Diehl on a primary eve tele-rally.
"He’ll rule your state with an iron fist, and he’ll do what has to be done," the former president added.
Diehl, who lost to Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren by nearly 25 points in the state’s 2018 Senate election, is facing off against Chris Doughty, a Harvard Business School graduate and first-time candidate who is largely self-funding his own campaign.
"I'm a job creator, and that's a big part of what a governor does…to help the economy grow and to make sure everybody has not just jobs, but good jobs," Doughty told reporters on Tuesday as he voted.
Read more: Trump's political clout on the line again in Massachusetts GOP gubernatorial showdown
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Trump-backed Republican nominee running in the Pennsylvania Senate race, revealed that if he had been in the Senate following the 2020 presidential election, he would have certified electoral results leading to President Joe Biden's win.
“By the time the delegates and those reports were sent to the U.S. Senate, our job was to approve it, which is what I would have done," Oz said during a press conference Tuesday.
Several Republican candidates running for office, as well as Trump himself, have asserted that the 2020 election was stolen and denied that Biden actually won the presidency.
Oz also mentioned that he would have not voted in favor of impeaching Trump after the January 6 Capitol riot.
Prominent Pennsylvania newspaper the Pittsburg Post-Gazette is raising concerns over Senate candidate John Fetterman's health following repeated criticisms from his Republican opponent, celebrity doctor-turned-politician Mehmet Oz.
"If Mr. Fetterman is not well enough to debate his opponent, that raises serious concerns about his ability to serve as a United States senator," the Post-Gazette editorial board wrote.
Fetterman, the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, suffered a stroke in May and consequently cut down on public appearances and engagements in the months following. Since coming back into the spotlight, Fetterman has consistently refused to debate Oz ahead of the November election, despite several attempts by the Oz campaign to schedule an event where they can appear side-by-side on a debate stage.
Read more from Fox News' Haley Chi-Sing here.
The Pennsylvania Senate race between Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz appears to be narrowing in the final months before the midterm elections, according to a new poll that also found abortion was nearly as important to voters as the economy and inflation.
A new Susquehanna Polling and Research (SP&R) poll suggests Fetterman holds a slight lead of five percentage points in one of the most closely watched Senate races of the year, receiving 49% support over Trump-backed Oz's 44%.
Among registered Independents, who make up one in 10 of Pennsylvania voters, 50% selected Oz as their midterm pick, while only 40% went with his Democrat opponent.
In the midst of a technical economic recession, inflation and the economy were the most important issues to 57% of registered Pennsylvanian voters.
Of those who see the economy as the most important issue, 52% support Oz and 40% would support Fetterman. The economy entered into a recession in August, defined as gross domestic product (GDP) dropping for two consecutive quarters, though some economists and the White House have denied that the economy is truly in recession.
Read more from Fox News' Aubrie Spady here.
New York's GOP gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin is once again challenging his Democratic opponent, Gov. Kathy Hochul, to a televised debate, an offer she has not yet accepted.
Zeldin called on his midterm opponent to participate in at least 5 live debates before November's election, which will take place in just nine weeks.
According to a press release from the Zeldin campaign, the congressman is "calling for at least 2 debates in the New York City media market, at least 1 debate in the Buffalo or Rochester media markets, at least 1 in the Capital Region, and at least 1 in the Syracuse, Elmira, Binghamton, Ithaca, or Watertown media markets.”
Hochul in August agreed to one debate against Zeldin, but the date and location has not been set. She has not yet accepted any other invitation to debate Zeldin before the midterms.
Rep.-elect Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, has launched her first ad in her race to secure a full House term, and made it about abortion protections in Alaska.
Calling abortion "one of Alaska's most fundamental freedoms," Peltola opens her ad criticizing the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs Wade this summer.
Peltola, who is running against Republicans Nick Begich and Sarah Palin after beating both of them in Alaska's ranked-choice special election, calls herself a "mom of seven, grandmother of two and a committed advocate for personal privacy rights."
"The federal government has no business taking away our freedoms," she said in the ad.
Abortion has become a key talking point for Democrats facing tough races this fall, as polling and some special election results have indicated that the overturn of Roe is a motivating issue for many left-wing voters.
Peltola won Alaska's special election last week to fill the remaining months of the late Rep. Don Young's term. The general election to determine who will fill the seat in the next Congress will be held Nov. 8.
A Wall Street Journal poll indicates that Americans' support for abortion increased in the months since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade precedent that recognized a nationwide right to terminate pregnancies.
The rise in support for abortion could affect the November midterm elections with voters viewing abortion as a more important issue than it has been in previous elections.
The WSJ poll found that support for abortion increased five percentage points, from 55% in March to 60% in August among all likely voters. But a vast majority of Democrats (83%) said the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization this summer would make them more likely to vote in the November midterm elections, and 53% of independent voters said the same.
The poll echoed other recent polling indicating that abortion is not the most important issue for voters when compared to economic concerns like inflation, but abortion did come out as the top reason that would make voters turn out in November, according to the WSJ survey.
"Abortion is not an issue that most people, prior to Dobbs, spent a lot of time thinking about," said Molly Murphy, a Democratic pollster who helped conduct the WSJ poll with Republican Tony Fabrizio.
"What Dobbs has done is, one, we’ve had a national conversation about it. Two, it has gone from hypothetical to real."
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is heading to New Hampshire next week on a 2022 mission that will also spark more speculation about his national ambitions in 2024.
Cruz will travel to the crucial general election battleground state to campaign with Republican candidate Karoline Leavitt, in an announcement that was shared first with Fox News on Saturday. The get-out-the-vote rally will be held Thursday evening at American Legion Post 27 in Londonderry, New Hampshire.
Leavitt, a 25-year-old veteran of former President Donald Trump’s White House press shop, is currently one of the co-front-runners in the Sept. 13 Republican primary in New Hampshire’s First Congressional District, which has long been a highly contested swing House district.
The seat is currently held by two-term Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, whom Republicans view as vulnerable amid a political climate that for the past year had favored the GOP. Republicans need a net gain of just five seats in November’s midterms to back the House majority they lost in the 2018 elections.
Read more from Fox News' Paul Steinhauser: Ted Cruz returning to New Hampshire to support Leavitt in GOP primary in crucial House race
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has sought to make inroads with Asian Pacific American (APA) voters and other minority communities ahead of the upcoming midterm elections this fall, investing millions to open centers around the country to engage, hear the concerns, and win votes from the APA community.
Earlier this week, the RNC opened its latest APA community center in Issaquah, a city in King County, Washington, that according to recent U.S. census bureau records has a nearly 25% Asian population.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Nainoa Johsens, an RNC spokesperson and director of Asian Pacific American Media, said the RNC has "invested millions" in reaching out and engaging with Asian Pacific Americans ahead of the November elections.
"Under the leadership of Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, the RNC has invested millions in authentically engaging with Asian Pacific Americans," Johsens said. "The GOP’s message is resonating because Republicans are focused on the issues that matter to Asian American families like out-of-control inflation and violent crime that have particularly affected AAPI communities."
"Our Asian Pacific American community centers in Issaquah and across the country will bring our commonsense message to more AAPI voters and because of these investments, the GOP will take back the House and Senate in November," he added.
Carl Marlinga, the Democratic nominee to represent Michigan's 10th Congressional District in the House, made a recent appearance on a Facebook Live program hosted by MD Rabbi Alam, claiming he was "honored" to appear alongside the host who has a history with antisemitic statements related to 9/11.
Following Marlinga's appearance on the show, Alam offered praise for Marlinga, insisting voters in the district are "so much excited to send [Marlinga] as the next congressman" as he thanked the congressional candidate for joining the program.
"So deeply honored. Thank you," Marlinga said Aug. 28 following the more than 30-minute interview with Alam on Millennium TV.
Alam, a Democratic activist based in Missouri who was born in Bangladesh, has speculated that Jews were behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and insisted there were no Jews killed that day, according to a July 2012 report and interview from The Washington Free Beacon.
Alam, a Democratic activist based in Missouri who was born in Bangladesh, has speculated that Jews were behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and insisted there were no Jews killed that day, according to a July 2012 report and interview from The Washington Free Beacon.
President Biden's divisive Thursday speech slamming "MAGA Republicans" was a sharp turn from the strategy being used by multiple arms of the Democratic Party to boost those very same Republicans by meddling in GOP primaries across the country.
Despite Biden's recent rhetoric, multiple Democratic campaign groups have spent more than $46 million to boost candidates who support former President Donald Trump in several primary races, apparently aiming to force out more moderate Republicans and potentially make general election matchups more favorable for Democrats.
"MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards," Biden said during the speech, referencing Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. "Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love."
But just last month, Democrats were celebrating the primary victories of Trump-supported candidates, including Republican nominee to represent Michigan's 3rd Congressional District, John Gibbs, who narrowly defeated moderate incumbent Congressman Peter Meijer.
A debate between Arizona Democratic senate nominee Mark Kelly and Arizona Republican Senate nominee Blake Masters is slated to be held on October 6, as reported by Yuma's KYMA.
The debate, which is being sponsored by the Arizona Clean Elections Commission, was agreed to by Kelly on Friday evening, according to Brahm Resnik, a politics reporter for Phoenix's KPNX.
The debate will be moderated by Ted Simons of Arizona PBS and candidates will be given one minute for opening and closing remarks, according to a debate invitation obtained by Resnik.
Kelly's agreement to the October debate between the two nominees comes after criticism he faced from Masters on Friday, the last day to agree to the debate.
"Today is the *last day* for Senator Mark Kelly to agree to our October 6 debate," Masters wrote in a tweet. "He’s had 14 days now and already blew through one deadline. PBS is gonna throw you softballs, Mark! What are you waiting for?"
"Remember: I’ve proposed 4 debates," Masters added. "I’d do more even more if Kelly would agree to it. 1-2 hours live on stage and it’ll be clear which of us will better represent AZ. And they know it: that’s why they’re scared of debates, and prefer to hide behind expensive scripted TV ads."
The Senate Republicans re-election arm is launching new ads Friday in the crucial general swing states of Arizona and Wisconsin, which are home to key Senate races that may determine if the GOP wins back the majority in the chamber.
The launch of the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s (NRSCs) ads, shared first with Fox News on Friday, comes a couple of weeks after the committee made political headlines by canceling reservations for TV commercial airtime in both states, and Pennsylvania, another crucial battleground in November’s midterms.
The spot in Arizona takes aim at former astronaut and Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, who narrowly won the seat in a 2020 special election and whom the GOP views as one of the most vulnerable Democratic Senate incumbents on the ballot this year. Kelly is criticized in the commercial for his stances on border security and immigration -- a top concern to voters in the state sits along the U.S.-Mexico border -- as well as the combustible issue of legalized abortion.
"Kelly’s voted to keep our borders open to illegal criminals and to let them stay here illegally. Kelly voted to fund teaching our children woke racism and extremism. He even supports extreme last-minute abortions, right before baby’s birth," the narrator in the NRSC spot charges. "This is Mark Kelly’s radical, extreme, America. But you don’t have to live in it."
Read more: Senate GOP re-election arm goes up with new ads in Arizona and Wisconsin midterm battlegrounds
JD Vance, the Trump-endorsed Republican nominee running in the Ohio Senate race against Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, responded to President Biden's ominous Thursday speech blasting "MAGA Republicans."
"America is not doing well. One might expect Joe Biden to look around, take stock of his own failure, and accept responsibility," Vance said in a Friday press release.
"But no -- Joe Biden has instead decided that what truly ails America is not him, his failed leadership, or his failed administration, but what he calls 'MAGA Republicans,'" Vance said.
During his Thursday speech, Biden claimed that "MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution," and that they "spread fear and lies."
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., claimed that Republicans will reject election results they do not like, following President Biden's speech about the "threat" he says the GOP poses to Democracy ahead of the midterm elections.
"If MAGA Republicans take control, they will overturn every election with a result they don't like," Titus tweeted Thursday night following Biden's Philadelphia speech, referring to former President Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again."
Titus, who faces a difficult re-election race in her Las Vegas-area district, also repeated other phrases and sentiments from Biden's speech, stating that "MAGA Republicans want us to go backwards."
Biden spent his speech Thursday standing in front of a darkly lit Independence Hall in Philadelphia and flanked by U.S. Marines to frame the midterm election this November as a battle between "democracy and equality" and a GOP that would allegedly assault those principles.
"I will not stand by and let elections be stolen by people who simply refuse to believe that they lost," Biden said.
Planned Parenthood has spent almost $4 million in advertisements against Trump-endorsed Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz during the 2022 election cycle, so far, in their "all in" attempt to defeat pro-life midterm candidates this fall.
According to Open Secrets, Planned Parenthood spent $3,780,878 against Oz in his race against Lt. Gov. John Fetterman for the open Pennsylvania Senate in 2022, in hopes of highlighting Oz's pro-life position will hurt his campaign.
Olivia Cappello, of Planned Parenthood Votes, told Fox News Digital they invested the large amount of funds in an effort to take down Oz because they see him as against the majority of voters' opinion on abortion.
"Mehmet Oz doesn't represent Pennsylvanians — in fact, he's at odds with the nearly 9 in 10 Keystone state voters who believe abortion should be legal," Cappello said. "Planned Parenthood Votes is all in to defeat candidates across the country who, like Oz, are ready to take away people's right to decide what is best for their own bodies, lives, and futures. That includes significant investments in races up and down the ballot, from Arizona to Pennsylvania to Georgia."
Planned Parenthood said they are targeting candidates in three other key midterm states: Arizona, Pennsylvania and Georgia. The group gave $112,913 in support of Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., $52,108 to support Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and $2,508 for Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.
GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters is putting the heat on Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., to agree to an October 6 debate, as today is the final day that Kelly can accept the challenge.
“Remember: I’ve proposed 4 debates. I’d do more even more if Kelly would agree to it," Masters tweeted Friday. "1-2 hours live on stage and it’ll be clear which of us will better represent AZ. And they know it: that’s why they’re scared of debates, and prefer to hide behind expensive scripted TV ads.”
Kelly has not yet agreed to any political debates ahead of the midterm elections, where he will fight to keep his seat against Masters this fall.
Secretary of State of Arizona Katie Hobbs has also not accepted an invitation to debate in the Arizona governor's race against Republican nominee Kari Lake, who is willing to participate in the debate.
Read more from Thursday's midterm election live blog here: 2022 midterm election news and updates as Biden hits the campaign trail
President Biden delivered a scathing speech at the historic Independence Hall in Philadelphia Thursday night, framing the 2022 midterms as a "battle" for the heart and soul of democracy.
"MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards," Biden said, referring to Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. "Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love," he added.
The campaign-style speech came with a call to action from Biden when he said the way to fight "MAGA Republicans" was to "vote, vote, vote."
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called the setting for the speech "wildly inappropriate" on America's Newsroom with Dana Perino Friday morning, and said one aspect of Biden's address was particularly concerning.
"Most worrisome, having Marines standing behind him in which he's engaging in political attacks on the 74 million Americans who voted for Republicans in the last election," Cotton said.
But the strategy, Cotton added, was all Biden had left to campaign on going into the midterm elections, where Republicans are considered to have a strong shot at taking back control of Congress.
"What would you expect Joe Biden to talk about? He can't run on his own record. Congressmen and senators can't defend the Democratic record. Think about what he didn't say last night. He didn't say anything about his student loan bailout from last week," Cotton said.
Read more from Thursday's midterm election live blog: 2022 midterm election news and updates as Biden hits the campaign trail
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