Incumbent Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills went head-to-head with her Republican challenger, former Gov. Paul LePage, in their fourth debate of the election, challenging one another on several topics, including the economy, the coronavirus pandemic, and education.
In opening the debate, LePage said he believes the number one issue facing the residents of Maine is inflation, while Mills, who listed a number of issues, focused on "leadership" and challenged those in attendance to look at the records of both candidates in the race to better understand which one will be able to address the needs of voters in the state.
At different points during the debate, Mills was forced to defend actions she took as governor on numerous issues, most prominently the economy and the coronavirus pandemic.
LePage, who served as Maine's governor from 2011 until 2019, said he believes the problem with inflation began in Maine and "crept down to Washington," noting that it "started long before the Ukraine war."
Defending her record as governor throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Mills insisted that she led one of the "best recoveries" and that her administration has done a "pretty damn good job, too" as they have faced "challenges."
Mills, who pledged "not to increase taxes" if she is re-elected in the state's November 8 election, said that "economists, the experts, have said very recently that Maine's budget is sustainable and robust and in good shape – that we are in good shape to pay our bills and to withstand a recession if there is one in the next few months or few years."
In response, LePage accused Mills of offering "a lot of talk, no action."
"In 2011, I became your governor," he said. "I had a $1.3 billion short fall, I had another $750 million off-balance debt sheet to the hospitals, I had an unemployment rate of 8.2%."
LePage said he left the "state in the best shape" it had been in years when he left office in 2019 after serving two consecutive terms at the helm of the state. "I have been there. I've done it once, I can do it again. I am the guy that's got a business background."
Read more: Maine gov debate: Mills, LePage trade jabs over economy and vaccines
A New Hampshire Senate debate between incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan and retired Army Gen. Don Bolduc heated up Thursday as the pair tussled over a number of subjects, including the economy, abortion and climate change.
The debate, which was hosted by New Hampshire Public Radio, was held less than two weeks away from the Nov. 8 election in the battleground state and provided the two candidates with opportunities to discuss their views on subjects they felt were most meaningful to Granite State voters.
Pointing to government spending, one moderator asked Hassan why voters should "trust" her and the Democrats to fix economic issues facing New Hampshire residents and Americans.
"Taking a step back, inflation is a global phenomenon and most experts say the labor shortage and the supply chain disruptions that are driving it are caused primarily by the pandemic and the war," Hassan responded. "It's absolutely essential we do what we can right now to lower people's costs while also dealing with the long-term drivers of inflation."
Discussing efforts to lower the costs for Americans, Hassan said she has "pushed the Biden administration to release more home heating fuel, right now, from its reserves so that we can increase supply" and has called for the suspension of the federal gas tax.
"These are all things that Don Bolduc opposes," Hassan added. The Democratic senator also charged that Bolduc "stands with big oil."
In response, Bolduc said the inflation crisis in America is both a "Republican and a Democrat problem, which my opponent refuses to recognize."
"I'm going down there to represent Granite Staters that are hurting," Bolduc said. "They're hurting because both parties are extreme. Both parties can't come together for the economy, the out-of-control spending, and the safety and security of this nation."
Bolduc said Hassan made several "accusations" and "lies" about what he does and does not support. "I've never been a politician," he said. "She's ineffective. That's why we have these problems. She has not done the right thing for spending – $5.2 trillion more dollars from March to August."
Read more: Hassan, Bolduc tussle over economy and abortion during New Hampshire Senate debate
Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist on Tuesday described himself as "a trustworthy person" despite a number of his former staffers and colleagues announcing they would be supporting his opponent, incumbent Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, for re-election.
In an interview with Fox News Digital just one day following his fiery debate with DeSantis, the former Republican governor pushed back on the notion that he was untrustworthy for changing his political party affiliation multiple times, arguing that the GOP had left him rather than the other way around.
Crist was a Republican until 2010 before unsuccessfully running for Senate that year as an independent, and then ultimately winning election to Congress in 2016 as a Democrat. He resigned his congressional seat in August after winning the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
"I am a trustworthy person. I follow my heart," Crist told Fox when asked if his shifting alliances were evidence of political opportunism.
{{#rendered}}CatholicVote is dropping $2 million in ad spending in an effort to block Catholic Democratic candidates from gaining office, the prominent Catholic political group announced Thursday.
The ad-buy will last through the final 10 days of campaigning before the November 8 midterm elections, targeting Democratic Senate candidates in Nevada, Arizona and Ohio. The candidates there, Catherine Cortez Masto for Nevada, Mark Kelly for Arizona and Tim Ryan for Ohio, are all avowed Catholics, though they reject the church's teachings on abortion and other issues. The ads are also targeting five Democrats in the House of Representatives.
The ads, coming in both English and Spanish versions, focus on parental rights, gender transitioning and abortions for minors, CV President Brian Burch told Fox News Digital.
"The Senate races are all Catholic-versus-Catholic," Burch said. "Part of this is wanting to secure parental rights over gender transitions and abortions for minors, but part of it is also about clearing out the trash of so-called Catholics who violate core, fundamental Church teachings."
Read more from Fox News' Anders Hagstrom: CatholicVote dumps $2 million into blocking Catholic Dems from office: 'Clearing out the trash'
Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, a Democratic Senate candidate, has a long history with a liberal nonprofit group that aims to defund the police, get rid of law enforcement gang databases, treat 24-year-old criminals as juveniles and make Wisconsin a sanctuary state
Barnes, who is running to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, served on the board of directors for Citizen Action of Wisconsin (CAW) from 2014 through 2018 and was its secretary in 2017 and 2018. The group endorsed Barnes’ campaign in June, and he said he was "proud" to have its support.
"We’ve worked together for a long time now, and I’m excited about the idea that we can finally get rid of Ron Johnson together," Barnes said on CAW’s podcast, Battleground Wisconsin, in June.
IRead more from Fox News' Jessica Chasmar: Mandela Barnes has long history with group that seeks to ban gang databases, make Wisconsin a sanctuary state
Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman enjoyed a narrow lead over Republican opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz prior to his "painful" debate performance on Tuesday, according to a Thursday poll from Franklin & Marshall College.
The poll, conducted from October 14-23, found that Fetterman enjoyed 49% support from likely voters, while Oz secured 45%. Oz and Fetterman met for their first and only public debate three days after the poll closed, an event many viewers called "painful" for Fetterman.
The senate candidate suffered a stroke on the campaign trail earlier this year, and he has struggled to follow conversations and express himself effectively in the months since. His campaign has refused to release his medical records despite his condition being on full display to voters Tuesday evening.
Read more from Fox News' Anders Hagstrom: John Fetterman had narrow advantage over Oz prior to 'painful' debate performance: poll
{{#rendered}}With Election Day fast approaching and some Donald Trump-endorsed Republican nominees battling in highly competitive and high-profile races, the former president is dipping into his massive war chest to make some sizable investments to back those candidates.
After facing complaints that the GOP’s most ferocious fundraiser had failed to spread his wealth to help fellow Republicans in crucial Senate and gubernatorial contests, Trump over the past three weeks has opened his wallet to back MAGA-friendly Republican nominees in six key battleground states.
And while the expenditures will have an instant impact in next month’s elections, they may also provide dividends to the former president in the 2024 White House race.
Make America Great Again Inc. (MAGA Inc.), the recently formed super PAC manned by top Trump advisers, on Thursday starts running a new ad in Michigan blasting Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who’s facing a strengthening Republican challenge from Trump-endorsed conservative commentator Tudor Dixon. The Trump super PAC is spending at least half a million dollars to run the spot, according to the national ad tracking firm AdImpact.
Read more: Trump putting his money where his mouth is in midterm elections
ATLANTA – Several voters in Atlanta told Fox News that crime is a top issue heading into the midterm elections, while others said it's a side effect stemming from other problems.
"It's really crazy here as far as crime," Jasmine, who moved to Georgia from Texas a year ago, told Fox News. "Especially with the idea of people just putting gas in your car — are you going to be robbed or your car be stolen? That's just mind-blowing."
But Christopher said: "With the crime, if you fix the economics then you fix the crime."
Read more: 'Are you going to be robbed?' Atlanta voters sound off over crime in the city
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