thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Republican Bob Good Defeats Democratic Opponent Cameron Webb in Virginia’s 5th Congressional Distric

Republican Bob Good Defeats Democratic Opponent Cameron Webb in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District

Republican candidate Bob Good beat Democratic opponent Cameron Webb by a margin of 5.5 percentage points on election night , securing Virginia ’ s 5th Congressional District seat and ushering in conservative representation for another two years .
Good received 52.6 percent ( 209,711 ) of the votes compared to Webb ’ s 47.1 percent ( 187,954 ) , according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project .
Chris Shores , general consultant for the Good campaign , said despite prognosticators and talking heads thinking the race would be closer to a 50-50 split , the internal numbers showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 53 percent of the votes .
“ It was certainly a great victory and a hard-fought campaign , Shores said in an interview with The Virginia Star .
We were the underdog in almost every measurable way throughout the nomination process , throughout the general election and were well out-spent , out-gunned in terms of political allies and investments from the other side , so it was a hard-fought victory.
” Shores continued : “ We were a mean , lean team if you will .
We probably had about a third of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a congressional campaign of this magnitude .
Each person on our campaign gave it 110 percent and everybody was dedicated to the cause.
” The Star reached out to the Webb campaign over the phone and through email for comment on the election outcome , but did not get a response before press time .
Following the confirmation of Good ’ s win , Webb posted a short statement to his Twitter account Wednesday morning .
Webb wrote : “ Life is about perspective .
You get to choose how you see the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thanks to everyone who supported and encouraged us in this race .
I ’ m so proud of the road we traveled together .
As for the road ahead , I woke up feeling good .
There ’ s always a plan !
” Overall , Good came out on top in 16 out of the district ’ s 23 fully or partially encompassing counties .
The margin of victory for those counties varied , with the largest occurring in Appomattox County where Good received 70 percent of the votes , while Webb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The narrowest victory for Good came in Rappahannock County as only 621 votes separated the candidates .
Webb had a particularly good showing in the City of Charlottesville and the surrounding Albemarle County .
In Charlottesville , Webb had nearly a 17,500-vote advantage over Good and received 86.9 percent of the total votes .
The difference in Albemarle was not as drastic , but still heavily favored Webb , VPAP data showed .
Webb also won neighboring Fluvanna and Nelson counties by slim margins .
Shores , who described himself as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew the campaign was going to lose in those jurisdictions , but in general did not see any anomalies among the counties .
The breakdown of 5th District counties that Good won almost perfectly matches with the counties won by President Donald Trump this election .
This race , as well as other congressional races in different states , also exemplifies that the candidate who raises the most money does not always end up as the winner on Election night .
During the campaign , Webb raised more than three times more money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to $ 1,175,468 , according to the Federal Election Commission .
The race for the 5th District also caught the interest of political action committees and other outside organizations , which ended up pouring in millions of dollars .
Of the $ 8.5 million spent in independent expenditures , 90 percent went to anti-Good or anti-Webb efforts , according to VPAP .
Even though Shores was fresh off a victory , he praised Webb calling him a “ formidable candidate ” and mentioned that Webb had called Good late Tuesday night , civilly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The 5th is still a very red district , it ’ s still a very conservative and traditional district , and Bob will be a strong voice for residents , ” Shores said .
“ He will be an absolute committed constitutional conservative and I expect that he will be invited to join the House Freedom Caucus.
” Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Bob Good ” by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by the University of Virginia .

Republican candidate Bob Good beat Democratic opponent Cameron Webb by a margin of 5.5 percentage points on election night, securing Virginia’s 5th Congressional District seat and ushering in conservative representation for another two years.
Good received 52.6 percent (209,711) of the votes compared to Webb’s 47.1 percent (187,954), according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project.
Chris Shores, general consultant for the Good campaign, said despite prognosticators and talking heads thinking the race would be closer to a 50-50 split, the internal numbers showed otherwise and he expected to get around 53 percent of the votes.
“It was certainly a great victory and a hard-fought campaign, Shores said in an interview with The Virginia Star. We were the underdog in almost every measurable way throughout the nomination process, throughout the general election and were well out-spent, out-gunned in terms of political allies and investments from the other side, so it was a hard-fought victory.”
Shores continued: “We were a mean, lean team if you will. We probably had about a third of the staff that we needed to run a congressional campaign of this magnitude. Each person on our campaign gave it 110 percent and everybody was dedicated to the cause.”
The Star reached out to the Webb campaign over the phone and through email for comment on the election outcome, but did not get a response before press time.
Following the confirmation of Good’s win, Webb posted a short statement to his Twitter account Wednesday morning.
Webb wrote: “Life is about perspective. You get to choose how you see the road traveled and the road ahead. Thanks to everyone who supported and encouraged us in this race. I’m so proud of the road we traveled together. As for the road ahead, I woke up feeling good. There’s always a plan!”
Life is about perspective. You get to choose how you see the road traveled & the road ahead. Thanks to everyone who supported & encouraged us in this race. I’m so proud of the road we traveled together. 🙏🏾 As for the road ahead, I woke up feeling good. There’s always a Plan! pic.twitter.com/KO7yHuu8dt — Dr. Cameron Webb (@DrCameronWebb) November 4, 2020
Overall, Good came out on top in 16 out of the district’s 23 fully or partially encompassing counties. The margin of victory for those counties varied, with the largest occurring in Appomattox County where Good received 70 percent of the votes, while Webb got 23 percent, according to VPAP.
The narrowest victory for Good came in Rappahannock County as only 621 votes separated the candidates.
Webb had a particularly good showing in the City of Charlottesville and the surrounding Albemarle County. In Charlottesville, Webb had nearly a 17,500-vote advantage over Good and received 86.9 percent of the total votes. The difference in Albemarle was not as drastic, but still heavily favored Webb, VPAP data showed.
Webb also won neighboring Fluvanna and Nelson counties by slim margins.
Shores, who described himself as a number’s nerd, said he knew the campaign was going to lose in those jurisdictions, but in general did not see any anomalies among the counties.
The breakdown of 5th District counties that Good won almost perfectly matches with the counties won by President Donald Trump this election.
This race, as well as other congressional races in different states, also exemplifies that the candidate who raises the most money does not always end up as the winner on Election night.
During the campaign, Webb raised more than three times more money than Good, totaling $4,661,020 compared to $1,175,468, according to the Federal Election Commission.
The race for the 5th District also caught the interest of political action committees and other outside organizations, which ended up pouring in millions of dollars. Of the $8.5 million spent in independent expenditures, 90 percent went to anti-Good or anti-Webb efforts, according to VPAP.
Even though Shores was fresh off a victory, he praised Webb calling him a “formidable candidate” and mentioned that Webb had called Good late Tuesday night, civilly conceding the race and offering congratulations.
“The 5th is still a very red district, it’s still a very conservative and traditional district, and Bob will be a strong voice for residents,” Shores said. “He will be an absolute committed constitutional conservative and I expect that he will be invited to join the House Freedom Caucus.”
– – –
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Bob Good” by Bob Good. Photo “Cameron Webb” by the University of Virginia.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Six Virginia Counties Vote to Keep Confederate Monuments

Residents of six rural Virginia counties voted to keep local Confederate monuments in place on Tuesday .
The referenda are non-binding , but demonstrate voter preference to the local boards of supervisors .
In four of the counties , over 70 percent of voters chose to keep the monuments , according to the Virginia Public Access Project ( VPAP ) .
Two counties were closer ; Charles City County voted against removing its monument by 55.11 percent , while Halifax County voted against relocating its monument by 59.69 percent .
“ The county vote was an advisory referendum .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supervisors to determine whether to remove the monument , ” Halifax County Supervisor William Clairborne wrote in an email to The Virginia Star .
The referenda are part of new authority to remove monuments that the General Assembly granted to localities in 2020 .
House Bill 1537 amended Virginia law removing language that made it illegal for local authorities “ to disturb or interfere with any monuments or memorials.
” The amendment also changed wording from “ War Between the States ” to “ Civil War.
” The new legislation requires authorities to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing before authorities vote on removing the monuments , and then requires authorities to offer the monuments to local organizations for 30 days before removing the monument .
It also allows authorities to choose to hold advisory referenda like the ones held in Charles City County , Franklin County , Halifax County , Lunenburg County , Tazewell County , and Warren County .
The referenda results contrast with decisions in more urban parts of the state , including in Richmond , where according to NBC12 , Mayor Levar Stoney controversially used emergency powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the new law .
Other Virginia cities have opted not to hold a referendum before removing the monuments .
“ Whatever citizens say is where I am going , ” Tazewell Supervisor Mike Hymes told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph ( BDT . )
“ We as a board want to hear the citizens , ” Tazewell Supervisor Travis Hackworth told the BDT .
“ We can hear and see what the will of the constituents is.
” In Halifax , Clairborne said that despite the referendum results , he will fight against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his email , he wrote , “ MY POSITION STILL REMAINS THAT IT SHOULD BE REMOVED .
I WILL CONTINUE TO ARGUE FOR ITS RELOCATION.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

Residents of six rural Virginia counties voted to keep local Confederate monuments in place on Tuesday. The referenda are non-binding, but demonstrate voter preference to the local boards of supervisors. In four of the counties, over 70 percent of voters chose to keep the monuments, according to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP). Two counties were closer; Charles City County voted against removing its monument by 55.11 percent, while Halifax County voted against relocating its monument by 59.69 percent.
“The county vote was an advisory referendum. It is still up to the Board of Supervisors to determine whether to remove the monument,” Halifax County Supervisor William Clairborne wrote in an email to The Virginia Star.
The referenda are part of new authority to remove monuments that the General Assembly granted to localities in 2020. House Bill 1537 amended Virginia law removing language that made it illegal for local authorities “to disturb or interfere with any monuments or memorials.” The amendment also changed wording from “War Between the States” to “Civil War.”
The new legislation requires authorities to give 30 days notice and a public hearing before authorities vote on removing the monuments, and then requires authorities to offer the monuments to local organizations for 30 days before removing the monument. It also allows authorities to choose to hold advisory referenda like the ones held in Charles City County, Franklin County, Halifax County, Lunenburg County, Tazewell County, and Warren County.
The referenda results contrast with decisions in more urban parts of the state, including in Richmond, where according to NBC12, Mayor Levar Stoney controversially used emergency powers to remove monuments without fulfilling the requirements of the new law. Other Virginia cities have opted not to hold a referendum before removing the monuments.
“Whatever citizens say is where I am going,” Tazewell Supervisor Mike Hymes told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph (BDT.)
“We as a board want to hear the citizens,” Tazewell Supervisor Travis Hackworth told the BDT. “We can hear and see what the will of the constituents is.”
In Halifax, Clairborne said that despite the referendum results, he will fight against keeping his community’s monument. In his email, he wrote, “MY POSITION STILL REMAINS THAT IT SHOULD BE REMOVED. I WILL CONTINUE TO ARGUE FOR ITS RELOCATION.”
– – –
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Jordan Easily Wins Reelection as Ohio Becomes Interesting Player in Race for the White House

An Ohio native , J.D .
Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers @ @ @ @ @ Alabama and Texas .
He has served as a reporter , editor , managing editor @ @ @ @ @ a regional editor for The Center Square .

by J.D. Davidson
– – –
An Ohio native, J.D. Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He has served as a reporter, editor, managing editor and publisher. Davidson is a regional editor for The Center Square.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Democrat Marquita Bradshaw Refuses to Concede to Bill Hagerty, Says She’s Not Going Away

Democrat Marquita Bradshaw officially lost the U.S. Senate race to U.S. Sen.-Elect Bill Hagerty Tuesday by a landslide margin , but she said Tuesday that she refuses to accept the results .
Bradshaw also said she won ’ t address Hagerty as her new U.S. senator .
Bradshaw said this while addressing her supporters Tuesday night .
This , after Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett posted election results on that department ’ s website .
“ In true South Memphis style we fight for everything that we have to get .
This is not a concession speech .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will fight until every last vote is counted , ” Bradshaw told her followers Tuesday .
“ I have already made history , and that was not my intention .
But what I will do is make sure that you know that your vote will be counted in this United States Senate race .
Because I know the antics that they ’ ve done in the past , and it goes no farther than here .
So , in true South Memphis style , we will fight and we will go find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basement.
” Bradshaw offered no evidence to support her accusations .
Bradshaw , according to election results , got 35 percent of the vote to Hagerty ’ s 62 percent .
As The Tennessee Star reported in August , Bradshaw is an environmental activist and former AFL-CIO organizer .
Bradshaw ’ s campaign website describes her as “ a lifelong environmentalist and activist for social & economic justice who has proudly fought alongside the people of Tennessee.
” The website also lists her as a community organizer who volunteers for , among other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sierra Club Executive Committee , and the Tennessee African American Environmental Justice Network .
Bradshaw said Tuesday that she is not going away .
“ Bill Hagerty is not my U.S. senator and we will count the last vote , ” Bradshaw said .
“ My name is Marquita Bradshaw , and I will be your next United States senator.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Marquita Bradshaw ” by Marquita Bradshaw .

Democrat Marquita Bradshaw officially lost the U.S. Senate race to U.S. Sen.-Elect Bill Hagerty Tuesday by a landslide margin, but she said Tuesday that she refuses to accept the results.
Bradshaw also said she won’t address Hagerty as her new U.S. senator.
Bradshaw said this while addressing her supporters Tuesday night. This, after Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett posted election results on that department’s website.
“In true South Memphis style we fight for everything that we have to get. This is not a concession speech. It is on the principle of democracy that we will fight until every last vote is counted,” Bradshaw told her followers Tuesday.
“I have already made history, and that was not my intention. But what I will do is make sure that you know that your vote will be counted in this United States Senate race. Because I know the antics that they’ve done in the past, and it goes no farther than here. So, in true South Memphis style, we will fight and we will go find my votes at the bottom of the basement.”
Bradshaw offered no evidence to support her accusations.
Bradshaw, according to election results, got 35 percent of the vote to Hagerty’s 62 percent.
As The Tennessee Star reported in August, Bradshaw is an environmental activist and former AFL-CIO organizer. Bradshaw’s campaign website describes her as “a lifelong environmentalist and activist for social & economic justice who has proudly fought alongside the people of Tennessee.”
The website also lists her as a community organizer who volunteers for, among other groups, the AFL-CIO, the left-leaning Sierra Club Executive Committee, and the Tennessee African American Environmental Justice Network.
Bradshaw said Tuesday that she is not going away.
“Bill Hagerty is not my U.S. senator and we will count the last vote,” Bradshaw said.
“My name is Marquita Bradshaw, and I will be your next United States senator.”
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Marquita Bradshaw” by Marquita Bradshaw.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-04--Trump Sues in Pennsylvania, Michigan; Asks for Wisconsin Recount

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — The Trump campaign said it filed lawsuits Wednesday in Pennsylvania and Michigan , laying the groundwork for contesting the outcome in undecided battleground states that could determine whether President Donald Trump gets another four years in the White House .
Suits in both states are demanding better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted , the campaign said .
The campaign also is seeking to intervene in a Pennsylvania case at the Supreme Court that deals with whether ballots received up to three days after the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justin Clark said .
The campaign said it is calling for a temporary halt in the counting in both states until it is given “ meaningful ” access in numerous locations and allowed to review ballots that already have been opened and processed .
Trump is running slightly behind Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Michigan .
The president is ahead in Pennsylvania but his margin is shrinking as more mailed ballots are counted .
There have been no reports of fraud or any type of ballot concerns out of Pennsylvania .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to count and an order allows them to be counted up until Friday if they are postmarked by Nov. 3 .
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a CNN interview the lawsuit was “ more a political document than a legal document.
” “ There is transparency in this process .
The counting has been going on .
There are observers observing this counting , and the counting will continue , ” he said .
The campaign also said it would ask for a recount in Wisconsin , a state The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon .
Campaign manager Bill Stepien cited “ irregularities in several Wisconsin counties.
” The Biden campaign didn ’ t immediately comment on the new lawsuits in Michigan or Pennsylvania over access for campaign observers .
But the campaign has been seeking donations for what it is calling the “ Biden Fight Fund.
” “ Our legal team is standing by , and they will prevail , ” campaign manager Jen O ’ Malley Dillon wrote in a fundraising email sent to supporters earlier Wednesday .
The actions came as elections officials counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crucial to the outcome of the presidential election .
The former vice president ’ s campaign meanwhile welcomed the ongoing vote count and a Biden campaign attorney said they are ready for any legal fight .
And Michigan Democrats said the suit was a longshot .
Lonnie Scott , executive director of Progress Michigan , a liberal advocacy group , said Trump only filed the suit to stop The Associated Press and other media outlets from calling the race for Biden .
“ This is a Hail Mary , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ public a copy of the lawsuits and it wasn ’ t clear what in areas they argue they were denied access .
Poll watchers from both sides were plentiful Wednesday at one major polling place in question — Detroit ’ s TCF Center , The Associated Press observed .
They checked in at a table near the entrance to the convention center ’ s Hall E and strolled among the tables where ballot processing was taking place .
In some cases , they arrived en masse and huddled together for a group discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uniformed Detroit police officers were on hand to make sure everyone was behaving .
Mark Brewer , a former state Democratic chairman who said he was observing the Detroit vote counting as a volunteer lawyer , said he had been at the TCF arena all day and had talked with others who had been there the past couple of days .
He said Republicans had not been denied access .
“ This is the best absentee ballot counting operation that Detroit has ever had .
They are counting ballots very efficiently , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans already are mounting other legal challenges involving absentee votes in Pennsylvania and Nevada , contesting local decisions that could take on national significance in the close election .
Earlier Wednesday , Trump said he ’ ll take the presidential election to the Supreme Court , but it ’ s unclear what he meant in a country in which vote tabulations routinely continue beyond Election Day , and states largely set the rules for when the count has to end .
“ We ’ ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump told supporters at the White House .
But the voting is over .
It ’ s only counting that is taking place across the nation .
No state will count absentee votes that are postmarked after Election Day .
“ If the president makes good on his threat to go to court to try to prevent the proper tabulation of votes , we have legal teams standing by ready to deploy to resist that effort , ” O ’ Malley Dillon said in a statement .
“ And they will prevail.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Slate on Sunday that “ there has never been any basis to claim that a ballot arriving on time can not be counted if officials can not finish their count on election night.
” Ohio State University election law professor Edward Foley wrote on Twitter Wednesday : “ The valid votes will be counted .
SCOTUS would be involved only if there were votes of questionable validity that would make a difference , which might not be the case .
The rule of law will determine the official winner of the popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule of law work.
” In any event , there ’ s no way to go directly to the high court with a claim of fraud .
Trump and his campaign could allege problems with the way votes are counted in individual states , but they would have to start their legal fight in a state or lower federal court .
There is a pending Republican appeal at the Supreme Court over whether Pennsylvania can count votes that arrive in the mail from Wednesday to Friday , an extension ordered by the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Republicans .
That case does not involve ballots already cast and in the possession of election officials , even if they are yet to be counted .
The high court refused before the election to rule out those ballots , but conservative justices indicated they could revisit the issue after the election .
The Supreme Court also refused to block an extension for the receipt and counting of absentee ballots in North Carolina beyond the three days set by state law .
Even a small number of contested votes could matter if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election and the gap between Trump and Biden is so small that a few thousand votes , or even a few hundred , could make the difference .
Mark Sherman is a reporter for The Associated Press .
AP writers John Flesher in Traverse City , Mich. , Mike Householder and Ed White in Detroit , Nomaan Merchant in Houston , Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento , Calif. , and David Eggert in Lansing , Mich. , contributed to this report .
Photo “ Donald Trump ” by Fox Business .

by Mark Sherman
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — The Trump campaign said it filed lawsuits Wednesday in Pennsylvania and Michigan, laying the groundwork for contesting the outcome in undecided battleground states that could determine whether President Donald Trump gets another four years in the White House.
Suits in both states are demanding better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted, the campaign said. The campaign also is seeking to intervene in a Pennsylvania case at the Supreme Court that deals with whether ballots received up to three days after the election can be counted, deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said.
The campaign said it is calling for a temporary halt in the counting in both states until it is given “meaningful” access in numerous locations and allowed to review ballots that already have been opened and processed. Trump is running slightly behind Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Michigan. The president is ahead in Pennsylvania but his margin is shrinking as more mailed ballots are counted.
There have been no reports of fraud or any type of ballot concerns out of Pennsylvania. The state had 3.1 million mail-in ballots that take time to count and an order allows them to be counted up until Friday if they are postmarked by Nov. 3.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a CNN interview the lawsuit was “more a political document than a legal document.”
“There is transparency in this process. The counting has been going on. There are observers observing this counting, and the counting will continue,” he said.
The campaign also said it would ask for a recount in Wisconsin, a state The Associated Press called for Biden on Wednesday afternoon. Campaign manager Bill Stepien cited “irregularities in several Wisconsin counties.”
The Biden campaign didn’t immediately comment on the new lawsuits in Michigan or Pennsylvania over access for campaign observers.
But the campaign has been seeking donations for what it is calling the “Biden Fight Fund.”
“Our legal team is standing by, and they will prevail,” campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote in a fundraising email sent to supporters earlier Wednesday.
The actions came as elections officials counted votes in several undecided states that are crucial to the outcome of the presidential election.
The former vice president’s campaign meanwhile welcomed the ongoing vote count and a Biden campaign attorney said they are ready for any legal fight. And Michigan Democrats said the suit was a longshot.
Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan, a liberal advocacy group, said Trump only filed the suit to stop The Associated Press and other media outlets from calling the race for Biden.
“This is a Hail Mary,” he said.
The campaign didn’t immediately make public a copy of the lawsuits and it wasn’t clear what in areas they argue they were denied access.
Poll watchers from both sides were plentiful Wednesday at one major polling place in question — Detroit’s TCF Center, The Associated Press observed. They checked in at a table near the entrance to the convention center’s Hall E and strolled among the tables where ballot processing was taking place. In some cases, they arrived en masse and huddled together for a group discussion before fanning out to the floor. Uniformed Detroit police officers were on hand to make sure everyone was behaving.
Mark Brewer, a former state Democratic chairman who said he was observing the Detroit vote counting as a volunteer lawyer, said he had been at the TCF arena all day and had talked with others who had been there the past couple of days. He said Republicans had not been denied access.
“This is the best absentee ballot counting operation that Detroit has ever had. They are counting ballots very efficiently, despite the obstructing tactics of the Republicans.”
Republicans already are mounting other legal challenges involving absentee votes in Pennsylvania and Nevada, contesting local decisions that could take on national significance in the close election.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump said he’ll take the presidential election to the Supreme Court, but it’s unclear what he meant in a country in which vote tabulations routinely continue beyond Election Day, and states largely set the rules for when the count has to end.
“We’ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court — we want all voting to stop,” Trump told supporters at the White House.
But the voting is over. It’s only counting that is taking place across the nation. No state will count absentee votes that are postmarked after Election Day.
Biden’s campaign called Trump’s statement “outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect.”
“If the president makes good on his threat to go to court to try to prevent the proper tabulation of votes, we have legal teams standing by ready to deploy to resist that effort,” O’Malley Dillon said in a statement. “And they will prevail.”
Election law expert Richard Hasen wrote in Slate on Sunday that “there has never been any basis to claim that a ballot arriving on time cannot be counted if officials cannot finish their count on election night.”
Ohio State University election law professor Edward Foley wrote on Twitter Wednesday: “The valid votes will be counted. SCOTUS would be involved only if there were votes of questionable validity that would make a difference, which might not be the case. The rule of law will determine the official winner of the popular vote in each state. Let the rule of law work.”
In any event, there’s no way to go directly to the high court with a claim of fraud. Trump and his campaign could allege problems with the way votes are counted in individual states, but they would have to start their legal fight in a state or lower federal court.
There is a pending Republican appeal at the Supreme Court over whether Pennsylvania can count votes that arrive in the mail from Wednesday to Friday, an extension ordered by the state’s top court over the objection of Republicans. That case does not involve ballots already cast and in the possession of election officials, even if they are yet to be counted.
The high court refused before the election to rule out those ballots, but conservative justices indicated they could revisit the issue after the election. The Supreme Court also refused to block an extension for the receipt and counting of absentee ballots in North Carolina beyond the three days set by state law.
Even a small number of contested votes could matter if either state determines the winner of the election and the gap between Trump and Biden is so small that a few thousand votes, or even a few hundred, could make the difference.
– – –
Mark Sherman is a reporter for The Associated Press. AP writers John Flesher in Traverse City, Mich., Mike Householder and Ed White in Detroit, Nomaan Merchant in Houston, Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento, Calif., and David Eggert in Lansing, Mich., contributed to this report.
Photo “Donald Trump” by Fox Business.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-04--Trump Campaign Says President Will Be Reelected with 285 Electoral College Votes

WASHINGTON , D.C. – Despite the greatest efforts of the fake news media and their phony pollster compatriots , Trump is now back on a steely pathway to win re-election .
President Trump currently has 214 Electoral College votes awarded .
The final count will be Trump 285 .
Here is the breakdown of the additional Electoral College votes from states currently “ uncalled ” that the president will win : North Carolina-15 , Georgia-16 , Pennsylvania-20 , Arizona-11 , Nevada-6 , Alaska-3 .
Democrats are pushing to count late ballots because they are worried about Trump ’ s margins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting to ensure that all legal ballots – and only legal ballots – are counted .
Here is the campaign ’ s analysis to get to 285 : • None • There are more than a million ballots left to be counted , including roughly 300,000 in Philadelphia .
• Using extremely conservative estimates , even if President Trump receives just 5 % of ballots in Philadelphia and 30 % of other remaining ballots , the President still wins Pennsylvania by 40,000 votes .
• We are confident in winning because many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : • There are 54,000 ballots left to be counted in Cumberland County .
• There are 40,000 ballots left to be counted in Westmoreland County – a county where President Trump won 69 percent of the vote yesterday .
• There are 20,000 ballots left to be counted in Franklin County – a county where President Trump won more than 82 percent of the vote yesterday .
• There are 20,000 ballots left to be counted in Beaver County .
• The campaign also believes that we will win more than 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the President ’ s inroads with Black and Hispanic voters .
• The campaign expects to overperform historical GOP margins among minority voters by 2-5 percent .
• A final batch of mail-in ballots is still being counted , with the latest arriving ballots counted last .
• The campaign believes that over a half million votes remain to be counted .
• The campaign expect to win between 66 percent and 70 percent of these ballots .
• The campaign expect to win Arizona by 30,000 votes .
• Arizona will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day ’ s end .
• Last night alone , Trump won 62 percent of the 80,000 Election Day votes that came into Maricopa County – the president ’ s campaign expects this margin to be higher in the rest of the state .
• The campaign believes that once all legal ballots are counted , Trump will win Nevada by 5,500 votes • President Trump has built an insurmountable lead that the Democrats can not beat .
• Trump leads by over 100,000 votes .
Georgia should have been called last night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News .
• President Trump has built an insurmountable lead that the Democrats can not beat .
• Trump leads by over 76,000 votes .
North Carolina should have been called last night .
John Fredericks is the publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Virginia Star .
He is also a Trump 2020 delegate and the chairman of the Trump Virginia Delegation .
Photos “ Joe Biden ” and “ Donald Trump ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite the greatest efforts of the fake news media and their phony pollster compatriots, Trump is now back on a steely pathway to win re-election.
President Trump currently has 214 Electoral College votes awarded. The final count will be Trump 285. Here is the breakdown of the additional Electoral College votes from states currently “uncalled” that the president will win: North Carolina-15, Georgia-16, Pennsylvania-20, Arizona-11, Nevada-6, Alaska-3.
Democrats are pushing to count late ballots because they are worried about Trump’s margins. The Trump campaign legal team is fighting to ensure that all legal ballots – and only legal ballots – are counted.
Here is the campaign’s analysis to get to 285:
Pathway to victory in Pennsylvania:
There are more than a million ballots left to be counted, including roughly 300,000 in Philadelphia. Using extremely conservative estimates, even if President Trump receives just 5% of ballots in Philadelphia and 30% of other remaining ballots, the President still wins Pennsylvania by 40,000 votes. We are confident in winning because many of these absentee ballots are from conservative counties: There are 54,000 ballots left to be counted in Cumberland County. There are 40,000 ballots left to be counted in Westmoreland County – a county where President Trump won 69 percent of the vote yesterday. There are 20,000 ballots left to be counted in Franklin County – a county where President Trump won more than 82 percent of the vote yesterday. There are 20,000 ballots left to be counted in Beaver County. The campaign also believes that we will win more than 5 percent of ballots in Philadelphia County because of the President’s inroads with Black and Hispanic voters. The campaign expects to overperform historical GOP margins among minority voters by 2-5 percent.
Pathway to victory in Arizona:
A final batch of mail-in ballots is still being counted, with the latest arriving ballots counted last.
The campaign believes that over a half million votes remain to be counted.
The campaign expect to win between 66 percent and 70 percent of these ballots.
The campaign expect to win Arizona by 30,000 votes.
Arizona will join the President’s column at day’s end.
Last night alone, Trump won 62 percent of the 80,000 Election Day votes that came into Maricopa County – the president’s campaign expects this margin to be higher in the rest of the state.
Pathway to victory in Nevada:
Late-breaking mail-in-votes will help Trump.
The campaign believes that once all legal ballots are counted, Trump will win Nevada by 5,500 votes
Pathway to victory in Georgia:
President Trump has built an insurmountable lead that the Democrats cannot beat.
Trump leads by over 100,000 votes. Georgia should have been called last night. The campaign believes this is Fake News.
Pathway to victory in North Carolina:
President Trump has built an insurmountable lead that the Democrats cannot beat.
Trump leads by over 76,000 votes. North Carolina should have been called last night.
– – –
John Fredericks is the publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Virginia Star. He is also a Trump 2020 delegate and the chairman of the Trump Virginia Delegation.
Photos “Joe Biden” and “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-04--UPDATE: Freitas Clings to a 1,000 Vote Lead over Spanberger; 69,000 Potential Mail Ballots Outstandi

UPDATE: Freitas Clings to a 1,000 Vote Lead over Spanberger; 69,000 Potential Mail Ballots Outstanding

State Delegate Nick Freitas ( R-Culpeper ) currently leads incumbent Representative Abigail Spanberger ( D-VA-07 ) by 1,353 votes in what has been a highly competitive race for the 7th Congressional District , with 69,001 potential mail ballots outstanding , according to the Virginia Public Access Project ( VPAP ) .
Of the 69,001 outstanding ballots , 56,505 have been received but are uncounted , 11,927 have been sent out to voters but not yet returned and 569 are provisional ballots , according to VPAP .
Specifically , VPAP says the 56,505 ballots received consist of 34,000 absentee ballots that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night and roughly 21,000 mail ballots received in Henrico County , but not included in the central absentee precinct results on Election night .
After Election Day counts were completed , as of 2 a.m. Wednesday , Freitas held a 50,000 vote advantage , but Spanberger significantly shrunk the gap thanks to early votes in pivotal counties being reported throughout Wednesday .
As of 3:54 p.m. Wednesday , Spanberger had 49.75 percent ( 199,599 ) of the already counted votes while Freitas had 50.09 percent ( 200,952 ) , VPAP data showed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spanberger campaigns for comment on the updated numbers , but did not immediately get a response .
Spanberger posted a video to her Twitter at 3:30 on Wednesday , saying : “ With the changes in early voting this year , it means changes in the return process .
There are currently tens of thousands of ballots that we are waiting to have counted across our district.
” Absentee ballots counted on Election Day showed 61 percent of early voters , either in-person or mail , were supporters of Spanberger .
Conversely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Freitas , according to VPAP .
Virginia ’ s 7th Congressional District Election : No Victor Declared on Election Night , Hundreds of Thousands of Absentee Ballots Still Uncounted in Pivotal Counties GLENN ALLEN , Virginia – Despite State Delegate Nick Freitas ( R-Culpeper ) holding a steady lead on Election night over incumbent Representative Abigail Spanberger ( D-VA-05 ) , a winner has not been declared for Virginia ’ s 7th Congressional District as over 220,00 early votes still need to be counted in several key counties .
Freitas held a 20-point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning , accumulating 60.6 percent of votes so far ( 143,899 ) compared to Spanberger ’ s 39.4 percent ( 93,573 ) , according to data from the Associated Press .
According to the Virginia Public Access Project ( VPAP ) , Freitas is currently leading Spanberger in every county by varying margins .
Specifically , Freitas is maintaining a small lead in Henrico by more than 2,000 votes and a larger lead in Chesterfield by roughly 9,000 votes .
With only 49.66 percent of expected votes reported , there are 225,784 estimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , 76,993 in Henrico County , 34,354 in Spotsylvania County and 10,035 in Powhatan County , according to VPAP .
“ We feel great , ” Freitas told The Virginia Star and other media outlets .
“ We know there are a lot more numbers to come from early voting from Henrico , Chesterfield and Spotsylvania [ counties ] , however , we ’ ve shown really good trends all across the 7th District , we ’ re ahead by 20 points right now , we think those trends are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be successful once all the ballots are counted.
” “ We ’ re very confident in where we ’ re at , ” Freitas continued .
“ I wouldn ’ t trade places in a heartbeat right now , but it ’ s important to me to make sure that every ballot is counted and every vote is taken into account before we declare victory.
” Freitas ’ overall support within the district corresponds to the success President Donald Trump had in all those counties on Election night , even though pundits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes for Biden .
Both candidates will be keeping a close watch on the outstanding ballot counts from Henrico and Chesterfield counties , the districts most populous , as those jurisdictions will play a major role in deciding the final outcome of the election because they primarily voted Democrat and carried Spanberger to her upset victory over former Representative Dave Brat ( R ) in 2018 .
In fact , Henrico and Chesterfield were the only two counties Spanberger won during the election two years ago .
In a short statement posted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ As we continue to monitor the results and wait for every vote to be counted , I want to take a moment to thank all of you for your tremendous support !
” After polls closed in Virginia at 7 o ’ clock , Freitas jumped out to an early lead in eight of the district ’ s ten encompassing counties .
Within the hour , at 7:51 p.m. , Freitas had already secured 67,651 votes while Spanberger had 37,769 , according to the AP .
A little after 9:30 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 86,055 had gone to Spanberger , AP election results showed .
One factor for the fast start is that many Republican voters in Virginia waited until Election day to cast their ballots in-person at polling places , just as Freitas suggested would happen at an election rally for congressional candidates on Monday night .
About halfway through the night , Rich Anderson , Republican Party of Virginia Chairman , told The Star Freitas had been feeling cautiously optimistic about the numbers being reported at the time .
Nevertheless , supporters showed abundant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bryan Duchesne , Powhatan county resident , said he was confident that Freitas would win , citing his track record in the Virginia House of Delegates , while a group of attendees said they hoped and expected Freitas to beat Spanberger .
One woman in the group also described a potential Freitas loss as a major blow to the entire Commonwealth .
For Freitas , his campaign and attendees at the election watch party , most of the night was spent waiting as ballot counts continued to update hour by hour , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve fought alongside us thus far , and I can ’ t thank you enough for that , ” Freitas said during a brief speech toward the end of the event .
“ Fight alongside us a little farther , fight alongside us a little more because I am confident with where we ’ re at right now.
” Besides local supporters , several Delegates and Senators show up including : Sen. Amanda Chase ( R-Chesterfield ) and Delegates Kirk Cox ( R-Colonial Heights ) and Mark Cole ( R-Spotsylvania ) .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cole told The Star he thought the outstanding votes would not be enough for Spanberger to close the gap and that he felt good about Freitas ’ early voting numbers in Spotsylvania .
When an official outcome can be determined all comes down to those remaining early votes as well as the number of provisional and other absentee ballots , which can be counted under newly-implemented state election laws if the ballot is submitted before noon on Friday and postmarked on or before Tuesday .
Freitas said they will have a much better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple days and the winner should be determined by no later than Friday .
Republicans hope Freitas can reclaim a district they held from 1971 until Brat ’ s defeat , while Democrats want to keep the historically red district blue with another Spanberger Victory .
So , for now , the candidates and voters of the 7th District must wait for general registrars and other election workers to finish counting .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @

UPDATE:
State Delegate Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper) currently leads incumbent Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) by 1,353 votes in what has been a highly competitive race for the 7th Congressional District, with 69,001 potential mail ballots outstanding, according to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).
Of the 69,001 outstanding ballots, 56,505 have been received but are uncounted, 11,927 have been sent out to voters but not yet returned and 569 are provisional ballots, according to VPAP.
Specifically, VPAP says the 56,505 ballots received consist of 34,000 absentee ballots that Spotsylvania County did not report on Tuesday night and roughly 21,000 mail ballots received in Henrico County, but not included in the central absentee precinct results on Election night.
After Election Day counts were completed, as of 2 a.m. Wednesday, Freitas held a 50,000 vote advantage, but Spanberger significantly shrunk the gap thanks to early votes in pivotal counties being reported throughout Wednesday.
As of 3:54 p.m. Wednesday, Spanberger had 49.75 percent (199,599) of the already counted votes while Freitas had 50.09 percent (200,952), VPAP data showed.
The Virginia Star contacted the Freitas and Spanberger campaigns for comment on the updated numbers, but did not immediately get a response.
Spanberger posted a video to her Twitter at 3:30 on Wednesday, saying: “With the changes in early voting this year, it means changes in the return process. There are currently tens of thousands of ballots that we are waiting to have counted across our district.”
Absentee ballots counted on Election Day showed 61 percent of early voters, either in-person or mail, were supporters of Spanberger. Conversely, only 39 percent of early voters supported Freitas, according to VPAP.
Developing…
Virginia’s 7th Congressional District Election: No Victor Declared on Election Night, Hundreds of Thousands of Absentee Ballots Still Uncounted in Pivotal Counties
GLENN ALLEN, Virginia – Despite State Delegate Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper) holding a steady lead on Election night over incumbent Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-05), a winner has not been declared for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District as over 220,00 early votes still need to be counted in several key counties.
Freitas held a 20-point advantage as of 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning, accumulating 60.6 percent of votes so far (143,899) compared to Spanberger’s 39.4 percent (93,573), according to data from the Associated Press.
According to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), Freitas is currently leading Spanberger in every county by varying margins. Specifically, Freitas is maintaining a small lead in Henrico by more than 2,000 votes and a larger lead in Chesterfield by roughly 9,000 votes.
With only 49.66 percent of expected votes reported, there are 225,784 estimated early votes outstanding – 104,402 in Chesterfield County, 76,993 in Henrico County, 34,354 in Spotsylvania County and 10,035 in Powhatan County, according to VPAP.
“We feel great,” Freitas told The Virginia Star and other media outlets. “We know there are a lot more numbers to come from early voting from Henrico, Chesterfield and Spotsylvania [counties], however, we’ve shown really good trends all across the 7th District, we’re ahead by 20 points right now, we think those trends are going to hold and we think we are going to be successful once all the ballots are counted.”
“We’re very confident in where we’re at,” Freitas continued. “I wouldn’t trade places in a heartbeat right now, but it’s important to me to make sure that every ballot is counted and every vote is taken into account before we declare victory.”
Freitas’ overall support within the district corresponds to the success President Donald Trump had in all those counties on Election night, even though pundits called Virginia and its 13 electoral college votes for Biden.
Both candidates will be keeping a close watch on the outstanding ballot counts from Henrico and Chesterfield counties, the districts most populous, as those jurisdictions will play a major role in deciding the final outcome of the election because they primarily voted Democrat and carried Spanberger to her upset victory over former Representative Dave Brat (R) in 2018.
In fact, Henrico and Chesterfield were the only two counties Spanberger won during the election two years ago.
In a short statement posted to Twitter shortly after midnight, Spanberger said: “As we continue to monitor the results and wait for every vote to be counted, I want to take a moment to thank all of you for your tremendous support!”
As we continue to monitor the results and wait for every vote to be counted, I want to take a moment to thank all of you for your tremendous support! (2/2) — Abigail Spanberger (@SpanbergerVA07) November 4, 2020
After polls closed in Virginia at 7 o’clock, Freitas jumped out to an early lead in eight of the district’s ten encompassing counties. Within the hour, at 7:51 p.m., Freitas had already secured 67,651 votes while Spanberger had 37,769, according to the AP.
A little after 9:30 p.m., 133,540 votes had gone to Freitas and 86,055 had gone to Spanberger, AP election results showed.
One factor for the fast start is that many Republican voters in Virginia waited until Election day to cast their ballots in-person at polling places, just as Freitas suggested would happen at an election rally for congressional candidates on Monday night.
About halfway through the night, Rich Anderson, Republican Party of Virginia Chairman, told The Star Freitas had been feeling cautiously optimistic about the numbers being reported at the time.
Nevertheless, supporters showed abundant enthusiasm and hopefulness throughout the event.
Bryan Duchesne, Powhatan county resident, said he was confident that Freitas would win, citing his track record in the Virginia House of Delegates, while a group of attendees said they hoped and expected Freitas to beat Spanberger.
One woman in the group also described a potential Freitas loss as a major blow to the entire Commonwealth.
For Freitas, his campaign and attendees at the election watch party, most of the night was spent waiting as ballot counts continued to update hour by hour, however.
“Bottom line: You’ve fought alongside us thus far, and I can’t thank you enough for that,” Freitas said during a brief speech toward the end of the event. “Fight alongside us a little farther, fight alongside us a little more because I am confident with where we’re at right now.”
Besides local supporters, several Delegates and Senators show up including: Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) and Delegates Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) and Mark Cole (R-Spotsylvania).
After the watch party had wrapped up, Cole told The Star he thought the outstanding votes would not be enough for Spanberger to close the gap and that he felt good about Freitas’ early voting numbers in Spotsylvania.
When an official outcome can be determined all comes down to those remaining early votes as well as the number of provisional and other absentee ballots, which can be counted under newly-implemented state election laws if the ballot is submitted before noon on Friday and postmarked on or before Tuesday.
Freitas said they will have a much better indication of a victor over the next couple days and the winner should be determined by no later than Friday.
Republicans hope Freitas can reclaim a district they held from 1971 until Brat’s defeat, while Democrats want to keep the historically red district blue with another Spanberger Victory.
So, for now, the candidates and voters of the 7th District must wait for general registrars and other election workers to finish counting.
– – –
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-11-04--Incumbent Democrat Rep. Elaine Luria Defends Seat Against Republican Scott Taylor

Incumbent Elaine Luria ( D-VA-02 ) retained her seat in a battle against Republican candidate Scott Taylor that was similar to 2018 .
In the first hour after polls closed , Taylor started out with a 23 point lead in the 17 percent of votes reported .
From there on out , Taylor ’ s lead dwindled .
Two hours after polls closed , Taylor was up by 18 points with 36 percent of the votes reported .
An hour later , Taylor dropped to lead Luria by 10 points with 48 percent of votes .
By 1 in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of Taylor , leading by 3 points with 85 percent of the vote .
Taylor appeared during the latter half of the Virginia Beach Republican Party ’ s election night watch party at the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center hotel .
He stood in front of a crowd of hundreds of supporters , speaking to them about his support for President Donald Trump and respecting the time it may take for all the votes to come through .
Taylor warned that the race would get tight , but expressed confidence in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After his speech , Taylor told The Virginia Star that the voters gave him confidence in the results .
“ I feel great .
It ’ s in God ’ s hands , it ’ s in the peoples hands .
It ’ s going to tighten up – it ’ s a closer district [ coming up ] , ” stated Taylor .
“ We crushed it at the polls today .
And I ’ ve been at the polls for weeks , and it ’ s been looking very good.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ waterfront cities and counties .
Nearly the entire district boasts deep military roots , representing both the U.S. Navy and Air Force .
Virginia Beach , the most heavily-populated area in the district , has its largest employer in the Naval Air Station ( NAS ) Oceana ; its economy is also composed of international commerce , tourism , and agriculture .
Virginia Beach ’ s population rendered it the key contender in both 2018 and this year .
The second-most populated area is York County , which had about 140,000 less voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last election , Luria carried Virginia Beach , Norfolk , Hampton , James City County , Williamsburg , and Northampton County .
Taylor carried York County , Accomack County , and Poquoson .
This year , Luria carried six points over Taylor in Virginia Beach .
Leading up to November 3 , pollsters ranked the Second Congressional District as one of Virginia ’ s most competitive congressional districts .
In 2018 , Taylor lost to Luria by less than three points – just over 6,000 votes .
It is worth noting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans from 2000 onward with one exception .
In the 2008 election year that marked President Barack Obama ’ s win , Democratic candidate Glenn Nye captured the seat from Republican incumbent Thelma D. Darke with just under a five point difference .
However , in the following elections throughout Obama ’ s tenure , voters elected Republicans consistently with margins ranging from over 7 points to over 22 points .
This year , it appears that the same majority that Luria enjoyed in 2018 showed up again with a few more votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luria at 51 points to Taylor ’ s 46.5 .
Taylor issued a public statement midday after the election conceding to Luria , and wishing the incumbent success .
He thanked his team for their work ; he also remarked on the differences in spending and campaign ad approaches between the two .
“ There is currently a division in our nation that seems unbearable to many , but throughout our short American history , we have struggled through turmoil before , ” he said .
“ Over time , I believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our great , flexible republic strengthens the fabric of our society and keeps us heading in the direction of that ever elusive , more perfect union .
Thank you all for your love and support .
God Bless our great nation.
” Luria issued her own remarks on the results about an hour after Taylor .
She thanked voters , her campaign team , and the volunteers who bolstered her candidacy .
Aside from mentioning her recent work in Congress , Luria discussed the state ’ s future work in handling COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do to get the virus under control , to help with testing , tracing , tracking , and to help with the development and distribution of a vaccine , ” she said .
“ That ’ s a big task , and I ’ m looking forward to working with the House to make that happen.
” At the time of this publication , the presidential election results haven ’ t been announced .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Scott Taylor Election Night ” by Corinne Murdock and “ Elaine Luria ” by Elaine Luria .

Incumbent Elaine Luria (D-VA-02) retained her seat in a battle against Republican candidate Scott Taylor that was similar to 2018.
In the first hour after polls closed, Taylor started out with a 23 point lead in the 17 percent of votes reported. From there on out, Taylor’s lead dwindled. Two hours after polls closed, Taylor was up by 18 points with 36 percent of the votes reported. An hour later, Taylor dropped to lead Luria by 10 points with 48 percent of votes. By 1 in the morning, Luria made her first gain ahead of Taylor, leading by 3 points with 85 percent of the vote.
Taylor appeared during the latter half of the Virginia Beach Republican Party’s election night watch party at the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center hotel. He stood in front of a crowd of hundreds of supporters, speaking to them about his support for President Donald Trump and respecting the time it may take for all the votes to come through. Taylor warned that the race would get tight, but expressed confidence in a win from his experience on the ground.
After his speech, Taylor told The Virginia Star that the voters gave him confidence in the results.
“I feel great. It’s in God’s hands, it’s in the peoples hands. It’s going to tighten up – it’s a closer district [coming up],” stated Taylor. “We crushed it at the polls today. And I’ve been at the polls for weeks, and it’s been looking very good.”
The Second Congressional District encompasses historical waterfront cities and counties. Nearly the entire district boasts deep military roots, representing both the U.S. Navy and Air Force. Virginia Beach, the most heavily-populated area in the district, has its largest employer in the Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana; its economy is also composed of international commerce, tourism, and agriculture.
Virginia Beach’s population rendered it the key contender in both 2018 and this year. The second-most populated area is York County, which had about 140,000 less voters than Virginia Beach in 2018.
In the last election, Luria carried Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Hampton, James City County, Williamsburg, and Northampton County. Taylor carried York County, Accomack County, and Poquoson.
This year, Luria carried six points over Taylor in Virginia Beach.
Leading up to November 3, pollsters ranked the Second Congressional District as one of Virginia’s most competitive congressional districts. In 2018, Taylor lost to Luria by less than three points – just over 6,000 votes.
It is worth noting that prior to Luria, most voters chose Republicans from 2000 onward with one exception. In the 2008 election year that marked President Barack Obama’s win, Democratic candidate Glenn Nye captured the seat from Republican incumbent Thelma D. Darke with just under a five point difference. However, in the following elections throughout Obama’s tenure, voters elected Republicans consistently with margins ranging from over 7 points to over 22 points.
This year, it appears that the same majority that Luria enjoyed in 2018 showed up again with a few more votes. The final count on Wednesday showed Luria at 51 points to Taylor’s 46.5.
Taylor issued a public statement midday after the election conceding to Luria, and wishing the incumbent success. He thanked his team for their work; he also remarked on the differences in spending and campaign ad approaches between the two.
“There is currently a division in our nation that seems unbearable to many, but throughout our short American history, we have struggled through turmoil before,” he said. “Over time, I believe that the push and pull of democracy within our great, flexible republic strengthens the fabric of our society and keeps us heading in the direction of that ever elusive, more perfect union. Thank you all for your love and support. God Bless our great nation.”
Luria issued her own remarks on the results about an hour after Taylor. She thanked voters, her campaign team, and the volunteers who bolstered her candidacy. Aside from mentioning her recent work in Congress, Luria discussed the state’s future work in handling COVID-19.
“We have a lot of work to do to get the virus under control, to help with testing, tracing, tracking, and to help with the development and distribution of a vaccine,” she said. “That’s a big task, and I’m looking forward to working with the House to make that happen.”
At the time of this publication, the presidential election results haven’t been announced.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Scott Taylor Election Night” by Corinne Murdock and “Elaine Luria” by Elaine Luria.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-04--Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer Wins Re-Election

By the early morning hours of November 4 , Virginia Beach mayor Bobby Dyer had secured his re-election by defeating both Jody Wagner and Richard Kowalewitch .
Dyer won by about eight points against the runner-up , Wagner – an even larger margin than his 2018 victory .
The incumbent cruised ahead comfortably within the first hour , holding a 30 point lead at 27 percent of votes .
Dyer gained two points from his lead at around 9 p.m. EST , which reflected 74 percent of voters .
In two hours , Dyer retained his lead despite a 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two in the morning , the incumbent had winnowed down to an eight point lead representing 97 percent of voters .
Dyer attended the Virginia Beach Republican Party ’ s election night watch party at The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center on Tuesday .
The incumbent gave a speech during the first half of the event , addressing the successes of Virginia Beach first responders and emphasizing the need for America to preserve its values .
In an interview with The Virginia Star , Dyer shared his simple key to success was putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being a physical therapist for four and a half decades , I ’ ve loved working with people .
And , you know , government is sometimes too big : it comes after the individual , their families , and you show them that you care .
I ’ ve done over a thousand-plus people exchanges since I ’ ve been mayor – and if it wasn ’ t for COVID , I would ’ ve done more .
But , once again , it ’ s about people and it will always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach demographics reflect rich colonial and military roots .
The city has many veterans , as well as the Naval Air Station ( NAS ) Oceana and Norfolk Navy Base Atlantic Fleet .
Other heavy influencers within the region ’ s economy include commercial real estate , agriculture , and tourism .
Prior to becoming mayor , Dyer served as a city council member for 14 years .
His platform this year focused on expanding economic development .
Dyer ’ s leading competition , Wagner , presented a similar goal to bring new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diverged on the coronavirus ’ s impact on the city and racial justice .
In September , Wagner far out-raised Dyer by nearly $ 250,000 .
Most of those funds came from the Democratic Party of Virginia ( DPVA ) .
Dyer ’ s campaign told The Star in previous coverage that DPVA donations made a non-partisan race into a partisan election .
Dyer has also been an outspoken defender of police , as evidenced by Tuesday ’ s election watch party speech .
In the immediate wake of last year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families impacted by the Virginia Beach shooting rather than calling for any policy action .
Virginia law dictates that election results must be certified one week from Election Day .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Bobby Dyer ’ by Bobby Dyer .

By the early morning hours of November 4, Virginia Beach mayor Bobby Dyer had secured his re-election by defeating both Jody Wagner and Richard Kowalewitch. Dyer won by about eight points against the runner-up, Wagner – an even larger margin than his 2018 victory.
The incumbent cruised ahead comfortably within the first hour, holding a 30 point lead at 27 percent of votes. Dyer gained two points from his lead at around 9 p.m. EST, which reflected 74 percent of voters. In two hours, Dyer retained his lead despite a 14 percent increase in voters factored. By two in the morning, the incumbent had winnowed down to an eight point lead representing 97 percent of voters.
Dyer attended the Virginia Beach Republican Party’s election night watch party at The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center on Tuesday. The incumbent gave a speech during the first half of the event, addressing the successes of Virginia Beach first responders and emphasizing the need for America to preserve its values.
In an interview with The Virginia Star, Dyer shared his simple key to success was putting the individual first.
“You know being a physical therapist for four and a half decades, I’ve loved working with people. And, you know, government is sometimes too big: it comes after the individual, their families, and you show them that you care. I’ve done over a thousand-plus people exchanges since I’ve been mayor – and if it wasn’t for COVID, I would’ve done more. But, once again, it’s about people and it will always be that way with me.”
Virginia Beach demographics reflect rich colonial and military roots. The city has many veterans, as well as the Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana and Norfolk Navy Base Atlantic Fleet. Other heavy influencers within the region’s economy include commercial real estate, agriculture, and tourism.
Prior to becoming mayor, Dyer served as a city council member for 14 years. His platform this year focused on expanding economic development. Dyer’s leading competition, Wagner, presented a similar goal to bring new businesses into the city. The two diverged on the coronavirus’s impact on the city and racial justice.
In September, Wagner far out-raised Dyer by nearly $250,000. Most of those funds came from the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA). Dyer’s campaign told The Star in previous coverage that DPVA donations made a non-partisan race into a partisan election.
Dyer has also been an outspoken defender of police, as evidenced by Tuesday’s election watch party speech. In the immediate wake of last year’s tragedy, Dyer focused on assisting the families impacted by the Virginia Beach shooting rather than calling for any policy action.
Virginia law dictates that election results must be certified one week from Election Day.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Bobby Dyer’ by Bobby Dyer.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-04--No Winner Yet: Fight for White House Could Drag on for Days or Weeks

For the first time in years , Americans will wake up Wednesday morning after the presidential election uncertain of who their president will be on Jan. 20 .
President Donald Trump , a Republican , overperformed expectations in winning Florida .
His Democratic opponent , former Vice President Joe Biden , flipped longtime Republican stronghold Arizona .
But the key battleground states of Georgia , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin still had not been called by 6 a.m. Wednesday .
Neither the Republican ticket of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence nor the Democratic ticket of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a senator from California , had reached the necessary 270 electoral votes .
The results in Pennsylvania may not be known for days or longer .
That ’ s at least in part due to the prevalence of mail-in and absentee voting this year in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Before 1 a.m. , Biden addressed horn-honking supporters in a parking lot in Wilmington , Delaware , speaking for just over three minutes .
“ I ’ m here to tell you tonight we believe we are on a track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We knew because of the unprecedented early voting—the mail-in vote— [ and ] it ’ s going to take a while .
We ’ re going to have to be patient until the hard work of tallying votes is finished .
It ain ’ t over until every vote is counted , every ballot is counted.
” At about the same time , Trump tweeted a warning of an attempt to steal the election .
Trump spoke to supporters in the East Room of the White House for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
“ I want to thank the American people for their tremendous support .
Millions and millions of people voted for us tonight , and a very sad group of people is trying to disenfranchise that group of people , and we won ’ t stand for it , ” Trump told his extended family and supporters .
Trump referred to his leads in Georgia , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin , and added , “ They can ’ t catch us.
” “ We had such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all of these states that we ’ ve won tonight .
Then you take a look at the kind of margins we ’ ve won them by , ” Trump said .
The president predicted that Democrats now will go to court , saying : This is a fraud on the American public .
This is an embarrassment to our country .
We were getting ready to win this election .
Frankly , we did win this election .
… We ’ ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want them to find ballots at 4 a.m. in the morning and add them to the list .
In 2000 , the election dispute between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore over Florida ’ s 25 Electoral College votes was litigated all the way to the Supreme Court .
Litigation could be more complicated this time , with multiple states at stake and more electoral votes in question .
If mail-in voting delays the outcome , some of those issues should have been predictable , said Hans von @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Election Law Reform Initiative .
“ In a New York primary [ in June ] , there was a large number—an unacceptably large number , in my view—of absentee ballots that were rejected , ” von Spakovsky told The Daily Signal .
“ In key states , if the number of rejected ballots is larger than the margin of victory , you will see litigation over every one of those ballots.
” In that New York congressional primary , about 84,000 absentee ballots were rejected for various reasons .
The contest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declare victory after about six weeks in her primary contest in New York ’ s 12th Congressional District against progressive insurgent challenger Suraj Patel .
Different states have different standards for accepting or disqualifying absentee ballots , and as such , the high court will likely have to hear the cases for most states individually , von Spakovsky said .
That ’ s unlike the postelection dispute in 2000 that saw just one state , Florida , in dispute .
Bush eventually won the state by just 537 votes .
Another potential scenario @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certify competing electoral returns , as happened in the 1876 election , in which the states of Louisiana , South Carolina , Florida , and one electoral vote in Oregon were in dispute .
Congress appointed a bipartisan commission of eight Republicans and seven Democrats made up of members of the House , Senate , and the Supreme Court .
After the commission issued predictable 8-7 votes awarding the disputed votes to Republican Rutherford B. Hayes over Democrat Samuel Tilden , the Democrat-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate fought over whether to accept the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ending Reconstruction in the South .
In the elections of 1800 and 1824 , no candidate had a majority of electoral votes , which threw the election to the House of Representatives to decide .
Fred Lucas is chief national affairs correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “ The Right Side of History ” podcast .
Lucas is also the author of “ Abuse of Power : Inside The Three-Year Campaign to Impeach Donald Trump.
” Photos “ Joe Biden ” and “ Donald Trump ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC @ @ @

by Fred Lucas
For the first time in years, Americans will wake up Wednesday morning after the presidential election uncertain of who their president will be on Jan. 20.
President Donald Trump, a Republican, overperformed expectations in winning Florida. His Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, flipped longtime Republican stronghold Arizona.
But the key battleground states of Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin still had not been called by 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Neither the Republican ticket of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence nor the Democratic ticket of Biden and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, a senator from California, had reached the necessary 270 electoral votes.
The results in Pennsylvania may not be known for days or longer. That’s at least in part due to the prevalence of mail-in and absentee voting this year in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before 1 a.m., Biden addressed horn-honking supporters in a parking lot in Wilmington, Delaware, speaking for just over three minutes.
“I’m here to tell you tonight we believe we are on a track to win this election,” Biden said. “We knew because of the unprecedented early voting—the mail-in vote—[and] it’s going to take a while. We’re going to have to be patient until the hard work of tallying votes is finished. It ain’t over until every vote is counted, every ballot is counted.”
At about the same time, Trump tweeted a warning of an attempt to steal the election.
Trump spoke to supporters in the East Room of the White House for more than 10 minutes, starting at 2:21 a.m. Wednesday. “I want to thank the American people for their tremendous support. Millions and millions of people voted for us tonight, and a very sad group of people is trying to disenfranchise that group of people, and we won’t stand for it,” Trump told his extended family and supporters. Trump referred to his leads in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and added, “They can’t catch us.” “We had such a big night. Just take a look at all of these states that we’ve won tonight. Then you take a look at the kind of margins we’ve won them by,” Trump said. The president predicted that Democrats now will go to court, saying: This is a fraud on the American public. This is an embarrassment to our country. We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election. … We’ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court. We want all voting to stop. We don’t want them to find ballots at 4 a.m. in the morning and add them to the list. In 2000, the election dispute between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore over Florida’s 25 Electoral College votes was litigated all the way to the Supreme Court. Litigation could be more complicated this time, with multiple states at stake and more electoral votes in question. If mail-in voting delays the outcome, some of those issues should have been predictable, said Hans von Spakovsky, manager of The Heritage Foundation’s Election Law Reform Initiative. “In a New York primary [in June], there was a large number—an unacceptably large number, in my view—of absentee ballots that were rejected,” von Spakovsky told The Daily Signal. “In key states, if the number of rejected ballots is larger than the margin of victory, you will see litigation over every one of those ballots.” In that New York congressional primary, about 84,000 absentee ballots were rejected for various reasons. The contest saw Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., declare victory after about six weeks in her primary contest in New York’s 12th Congressional District against progressive insurgent challenger Suraj Patel. Different states have different standards for accepting or disqualifying absentee ballots, and as such, the high court will likely have to hear the cases for most states individually, von Spakovsky said. That’s unlike the postelection dispute in 2000 that saw just one state, Florida, in dispute. Bush eventually won the state by just 537 votes. Another potential scenario would be the states in question could certify competing electoral returns, as happened in the 1876 election, in which the states of Louisiana, South Carolina, Florida, and one electoral vote in Oregon were in dispute. Congress appointed a bipartisan commission of eight Republicans and seven Democrats made up of members of the House, Senate, and the Supreme Court. After the commission issued predictable 8-7 votes awarding the disputed votes to Republican Rutherford B. Hayes over Democrat Samuel Tilden, the Democrat-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate fought over whether to accept the recommendations before reaching a deal that involved ending Reconstruction in the South. In the elections of 1800 and 1824, no candidate had a majority of electoral votes, which threw the election to the House of Representatives to decide.
– – –
Fred Lucas is chief national affairs correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “The Right Side of History” podcast. Lucas is also the author of “Abuse of Power: Inside The Three-Year Campaign to Impeach Donald Trump.”
Photos “Joe Biden” and “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-04--Michigan, Wisconsin Elections Officials Refuse to Explain Sudden Biden Vote Influx

Elections officials in Michigan and Wisconsin refused to explain Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s sudden and dramatic vote tally increase that occurred in both states Wednesday morning .
Michigan and Wisconsin state officials warned against misinformation being shared online , but wouldn ’ t comment on specific vote tranches that appeared to show former Vice President Joe Biden suddenly receiving more votes than President Donald Trump .
The two battleground states remained tightly contested as of Wednesday afternoon , according to The New York Times .
Voter tallies from both states spiked at around 6 a.m. in favor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live tallies posted by FiveThirtyEight .
Trump tweeted multiple times Wednesday morning claiming that officials are finding votes for Biden “ all over the place.
” “ I would ask everyone to not repeat misinformation , ” Michigan Sec .
of State Jocelyn Benson told reporters at a Wednesday press conference when asked about the tallies that appeared to overwhelmingly favor Biden .
“ We ’ ve seen in a number of elections already this year , the use of false graphics to try to indicate that there is some sort of problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Benson said she was unfamiliar with the specifics of the vote count released Wednesday morning .
Benson ’ s office also would not comment on the specifics of the tally in question .
“ We can not speculate as to why the results lean one way or another , ” Michigan Department of State spokesperson Aneta Kiersnowski told The Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement .
“ Pairs of election workers , one from each major political party , work together to tabulate ballots to ensure fairness.
” “ We remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the results out of Michigan accurately reflect the will of the people , ” Kiersnowski continued.
” Wisconsin Elections Commission ( WEC ) public information officer Reid Magney forwarded a pre-election media advisory to the DCNF when asked for more information on Wednesday morning ’ s vote tally .
Magney failed to explain the sudden influx of Biden votes .
“ One of our big concerns is misinformation and disinformation on Election Day , ” the Nov. 1 media advisory said .
“ We will be monitoring social media and putting out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The WEC tweeted a statement Wednesday saying that the state ’ s election counting “ has gone according to law.
” Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ People Voting ” by Wyofile Wyofile .
CC BY 2.0 .

by Thomas Catenacci
Elections officials in Michigan and Wisconsin refused to explain Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s sudden and dramatic vote tally increase that occurred in both states Wednesday morning.
Michigan and Wisconsin state officials warned against misinformation being shared online, but wouldn’t comment on specific vote tranches that appeared to show former Vice President Joe Biden suddenly receiving more votes than President Donald Trump. The two battleground states remained tightly contested as of Wednesday afternoon, according to The New York Times.
Voter tallies from both states spiked at around 6 a.m. in favor of Biden, according to graphs of live tallies posted by FiveThirtyEight. Trump tweeted multiple times Wednesday morning claiming that officials are finding votes for Biden “all over the place.”
“I would ask everyone to not repeat misinformation,” Michigan Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson told reporters at a Wednesday press conference when asked about the tallies that appeared to overwhelmingly favor Biden.
“We’ve seen in a number of elections already this year, the use of false graphics to try to indicate that there is some sort of problem happening,” Benson continued.
However, Benson said she was unfamiliar with the specifics of the vote count released Wednesday morning. Benson’s office also would not comment on the specifics of the tally in question.
“We cannot speculate as to why the results lean one way or another,” Michigan Department of State spokesperson Aneta Kiersnowski told The Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “Pairs of election workers, one from each major political party, work together to tabulate ballots to ensure fairness.”
“We remain committed to counting every valid vote so that the results out of Michigan accurately reflect the will of the people,” Kiersnowski continued.”
Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) public information officer Reid Magney forwarded a pre-election media advisory to the DCNF when asked for more information on Wednesday morning’s vote tally. Magney failed to explain the sudden influx of Biden votes.
“One of our big concerns is misinformation and disinformation on Election Day,” the Nov. 1 media advisory said. “We will be monitoring social media and putting out correct information when we see problems.”
The WEC tweeted a statement Wednesday saying that the state’s election counting “has gone according to law.”
– – –
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “People Voting” by Wyofile Wyofile. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-04--Smith Wins U.S. Senate Seat Over Jason Lewis

The Associated Press called the race for Smith just before 12:30 a.m. Smith garnered 49.5 % , or 1.4 million votes , over Lewis ’ 42.8 % , or 1.2 million votes , with 90 % of precincts reporting .
Lewis spent 25 years as a conservative talk show host in the Twin Cities before winning Minnesota ’ s 2nd Congressional District seat in 2016 , which he held for one term until he was beaten by now U.S. Rep. Angie Craig .
Smith previously served as chief of staff for Minnesota Gov .
Mark Dayton in 2011 .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and won .
Afterward , Dayton appointed her to fill former Sen. Al Franken ’ s Senate seat in 2017 after he resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations .
Lewis has campaigned on supporting police , cutting taxes , and cutting spending .
Meanwhile , Smith campaigned to reform police , ending no-knock warrants ; ending police chokeholds ; ending qualified immunity for police officers ; and ending the 1033 program that allows local police to receive military weapons .
In July 2020 , Smith introduced the Substance Regulation and Safety Act to legalize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t won a Minnesota U.S. Senate seat since Richard Nixon won the 1972 presidential race against Sen. George McGovern by a landslide .
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College , his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Previously , he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi .

by Scott McClallen
Incumbent Democrat Tina Smith defeated Republican Jason Lewis for a U.S. Senate seat.
The Associated Press called the race for Smith just before 12:30 a.m.
Smith garnered 49.5%, or 1.4 million votes, over Lewis’ 42.8%, or 1.2 million votes, with 90% of precincts reporting.
Lewis spent 25 years as a conservative talk show host in the Twin Cities before winning Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District seat in 2016, which he held for one term until he was beaten by now U.S. Rep. Angie Craig.
Smith previously served as chief of staff for Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton in 2011. In 2014, she ran for lieutenant governor and won.
Afterward, Dayton appointed her to fill former Sen. Al Franken’s Senate seat in 2017 after he resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Lewis has campaigned on supporting police, cutting taxes, and cutting spending.
Meanwhile, Smith campaigned to reform police, ending no-knock warrants; ending police chokeholds; ending qualified immunity for police officers; and ending the 1033 program that allows local police to receive military weapons.
In July 2020, Smith introduced the Substance Regulation and Safety Act to legalize cannabis and regulate cannabis federally.
Republicans haven’t won a Minnesota U.S. Senate seat since Richard Nixon won the 1972 presidential race against Sen. George McGovern by a landslide.
– – –
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-04--Michelle Fischbach Beats Longtime Rep. Collin Peterson

For the first time since the 1990s , Minnesota ’ s Seventh Congressional District will have a new representative .
The Associated Press called the race just after 12:40 a.m. Fischbach garnered 53.6 % , or 172,690 votes over Peterson ’ s 40 % , or nearly 129,000 votes , with 92 % of precincts reporting .
Peterson campaigned on his ability to work across the aisle , having represented the mostly rural and Republican-leaning Seventh Congressional District for three decades .
President Donald Trump won the district in 2016 with more than 61 % of the vote .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blue Dog Democrats , Peterson is pro-life , pro-gun , and backs the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline .
He voted against Obamacare and against impeaching Trump last December .
Fischbach was the first woman in Minnesota history to serve as president of the Minnesota Senate .
She was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1996 and served until 2018 .
Fischbach aligns closely with Trump , who endorsed her this year , and has accused Peterson of being a “ Pelosi-voting Democrat ” who has spent 30 years pretending to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-gun and supports more robust border security measures .
Peterson won the Democratic primary in August with 75.6 % , or 26,925 votes , while Fischbach won the Republican ticket with 58.8 % or 26,359 votes .
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College , his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Previously , he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi .
Photo “ Michelle Fischbach ” by David Oakes , Minnesota Senate photographer .
CC BY-SA @ @

by Scott McClallen
For the first time since the 1990s, Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District will have a new representative.
Republican Michelle Fischbach defeated Democratic incumbent Rep. Collin Peterson.
The Associated Press called the race just after 12:40 a.m.
Fischbach garnered 53.6%, or 172,690 votes over Peterson’s 40%, or nearly 129,000 votes, with 92% of precincts reporting.
Peterson campaigned on his ability to work across the aisle, having represented the mostly rural and Republican-leaning Seventh Congressional District for three decades.
President Donald Trump won the district in 2016 with more than 61% of the vote.
One of the founding members of the centrist Blue Dog Democrats, Peterson is pro-life, pro-gun, and backs the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline.
He voted against Obamacare and against impeaching Trump last December.
Fischbach was the first woman in Minnesota history to serve as president of the Minnesota Senate.
She was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1996 and served until 2018.
Fischbach aligns closely with Trump, who endorsed her this year, and has accused Peterson of being a “Pelosi-voting Democrat” who has spent 30 years pretending to be a conservative.
She’s pro-life and pro-gun and supports more robust border security measures.
Peterson won the Democratic primary in August with 75.6%, or 26,925 votes, while Fischbach won the Republican ticket with 58.8% or 26,359 votes.
– – –
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.
Photo “Michelle Fischbach” by David Oakes, Minnesota Senate photographer. CC BY-SA 4.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--The Leftist Media, Tech, and Political Elite Collude to Silence Vote Count Disputes

It seems 2020 is simply not done screwing us all over just yet .
silencing vote disputes “ Get Smart ’ s ” cone of silence seems to have overtaken the vote counting .
Twitter is censoring President Trump ’ s tweets about vote counting , and many of the states that are still counting are not being transparent about the count .
Heck , in Pennsylvania , they are demanding that GOP poll watchers stay at least twenty-five feet away from the counting where they can ’ t see what ’ s being done , and the DA of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Twitter seems to be leading the block transparency charge .
At the Twitter page for President Donald Trump over the last two days since the 2020 presidential election , you ’ ll see something that you never , ever thought you ’ d see in a million years here in the home of the brave and the land of the free : the President of the United States being censored by one of the world ’ s biggest social media platforms while votes for the election are still being counted .
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are thrilled with Twitter for doing anything they can to silence President Trump ’ s voice and others along with him .
How far we ’ ve fallen from our First Amendment principles .
After the polls closed on Tuesday , all of the President ’ s tweets related to the election were , in some form , censored .
Here are some examples : It really does feel like the leftist mainstream media is partnering with social media platforms to silence Trump and conservative voices everywhere to help pull off what might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the history of American politics .
Some have awarded Arizona , some haven ’ t .
Some are reporting those irregularities .
Others are just derisively reporting it–just saying team Trump is suing without explaining what seems funky .
We are dealing with many of the political elites and their sycophants in the mainstream media who have been trying to oust Trump since November 2016 .
We don ’ t know what ’ s going on , because there are too many complaints of irregularities that are not being covered .
Making matters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of those states increase public suspicion .
And International democracy-haters has even chimed in derisively .
No matter who ends up winning this election , the American public must have confidence in the results , and the way the process is being handled and reported erodes that confidence .
As Marcellus says in act one of Hamlet , “ Something is rotten in the state of Denmark .
”

It seems 2020 is simply not done screwing us all over just yet. silencing vote disputes
“Get Smart’s” cone of silence seems to have overtaken the vote counting. Twitter is censoring President Trump’s tweets about vote counting, and many of the states that are still counting are not being transparent about the count. Heck, in Pennsylvania, they are demanding that GOP poll watchers stay at least twenty-five feet away from the counting where they can’t see what’s being done, and the DA of Philadelphia is threatening to jail pro-Trump protesters.
Twitter seems to be leading the block transparency charge. At the Twitter page for President Donald Trump over the last two days since the 2020 presidential election, you’ll see something that you never, ever thought you’d see in a million years here in the home of the brave and the land of the free: the President of the United States being censored by one of the world’s biggest social media platforms while votes for the election are still being counted.
Of course, many individuals on the left are thrilled with Twitter for doing anything they can to silence President Trump’s voice and others along with him. How far we’ve fallen from our First Amendment principles. After the polls closed on Tuesday, all of the President’s tweets related to the election were, in some form, censored. Here are some examples:
We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 4, 2020
Last night I was leading, often solidly, in many key States, in almost all instances Democrat run & controlled. Then, one by one, they started to magically disappear as surprise ballot dumps were counted. VERY STRANGE, and the “pollsters” got it completely & historically wrong! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 4, 2020
WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT? https://t.co/6487pYLZnL — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 4, 2020
They are working hard to make up 500,000 vote advantage in Pennsylvania disappear — ASAP. Likewise, Michigan and others! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 4, 2020
…..there was a large number of secretly dumped ballots as has been widely reported! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 4, 2020
ANY VOTE THAT CAME IN AFTER ELECTION DAY WILL NOT BE COUNTED! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2020
All of the recent Biden claimed States will be legally challenged by us for Voter Fraud and State Election Fraud. Plenty of proof – just check out the Media. WE WILL WIN! America First! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2020
It really does feel like the leftist mainstream media is partnering with social media platforms to silence Trump and conservative voices everywhere to help pull off what might be the greatest voter fraud scheme in the history of American politics. Some have awarded Arizona, some haven’t. Some are reporting those irregularities. Others are just derisively reporting it–just saying team Trump is suing without explaining what seems funky.
We are dealing with many of the political elites and their sycophants in the mainstream media who have been trying to oust Trump since November 2016. We don’t know what’s going on, because there are too many complaints of irregularities that are not being covered. Making matters worse, the lack of transparency in some of those states increase public suspicion. And International democracy-haters has even chimed in derisively.
Here's a lesson in Democracy, In a real democracy they don't murder Homosexuals or dissidents. And one is allowed to contest election results without fear of prison…In other words you don't know a democracy from your very ugly ass — Jeff Dunetz (@yidwithlid) November 4, 2020
No matter who ends up winning this election, the American public must have confidence in the results, and the way the process is being handled and reported erodes that confidence. As Marcellus says in act one of Hamlet, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”
silencing vote disputes
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silencing vote disputes