Indiana House GOP candidate arrested on eve of election
A Republican candidate for Indiana’s House of Representatives was arrested on the eve of his election for allegedly violating a protection order, according to the Lafayette Journal & Courier. Jim Schenke, the GOP candidate for the 26th House District, was arrested Monday morning and booked into the Tippecanoe County Jail following a complaint on Sunday at around 8:35 p.m. that he had allegedly contacted the victim, who has a protection order against him, the outlet reports, citing Tippecanoe County Chief Deputy Terry Ruley. He was placed in the jail at around 6:30 a.m., the outlet reports. He is no longer listed on the jail’s inmate roster. HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS UPDATES ON THE 2024 ELECTION Schenke has two protection orders against him from a local attorney and their staff. Schenke also has a protection order against a man who lives in his West Lafayette neighborhood, the Lafayette Journal & Courier reports, citing the state registry. The Exponent reports Schenke allegedly contacted someone with an order against him via a Facebook post, which led to his arrest. Ruley said officers investigating the complaint determined there was probable cause to make an arrest on the accusation of violating one of the protection orders. 4 GOVERNOR’S RACES TO WATCH ON ELECTION NIGHT “Part of the order is to not have any direct or indirect contact and that does include social media,” Tippecanoe County Sheriff Robert Goldsmith said, per The Exponent. “The (victim)… made a post on Facebook and Mr. Schenke commented on it, so he was arrested for invasion of privacy.” Schenke took to Facebook to refute the allegations. “For anyone who cares about honesty, I have been accused of violating a protective order,” Schenke says. “In truth, I have a protective order against the sociopath that has been stalking and menacing me for months.” At around 9:40 p.m. Sunday, Schenke also posted a video to Facebook about blue light emergency phone boxes around Purdue University campuses, one of which is in the background. Describing himself as a former journalist and publicist, he says the prevalence of the phone boxes underscores that women are prone to sexual attack and that such attacks are being covered up. He vowed to tackle the issue. Schenke faces incumbent Chris Campbell, a Democrat, for Indiana’s 26th House District seat. Last month, Schenke allegedly drove his campaign motor home into a light post while the vehicle was uninsured. He was charged with operating a motor vehicle without insurance, but the charge was dropped, according to the Exponent. The Tippecanoe County Election Board has also accused him of inadequately putting political disclaimers in campaign advertisements, while the GOP politician has two recent civil charges against the government, both of which are related to his campaign, the outlet reports.
GOP Pennsylvania poll watchers admitted after initially being turned away, RNC says
Republican National Committee co-Chair Lara Trump tells “Fox & Friends” that GOP poll watchers are now being admitted into various facilities in Pennsylvania after initially being turned away. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley first wrote on X that “Early this morning we learned that Republican poll watchers in Philadelphia, York, Westmoreland, Allegheny, Lehigh, Cambria, Wyoming and Lackawanna counties were being turned away. Trump later said “all of our poll watchers I’m happy to report are in.” “We already this morning from the RNC had to do a little work with our attorneys because our poll watchers – if you can believe this, and I’m sure people can – were being prevented from entering in the buildings in eight different counties, some of them around Philadelphia, some of them outside of Pittsburgh, where they prevented our poll watchers, our Republican poll watchers from going in,” she told “Fox & Friends.” ELECTION DAY 2024: LIVE UPDATES “So we had to act in a moment’s notice and that is why we designed this election integrity operation the way we did to identify problems and strike at a moment’s notice,” she continued. REPUBLICANS SUE MILWAUKEE OVER LATE-GAME LIMITS ON POLL WATCHERS “And all of our poll watchers I’m happy to report are in, but look it’s a tight state and it’s a must-win state and I think, you know, we have seen so much emphasis put in that state,” Trump said. “We were there twice yesterday, we did two rallies with Donald Trump. Obviously Kamala Harris was there yesterday, but I got to tell you we felt a lot of love from people in Pennsylvania yesterday so we are very optimistic.” Whatley also wrote on X that “We deployed our roving attorneys, engaged with local officials, and can now report that all Republican poll watchers have been let into the building.”
Harris greets Pennsylvania family on porch, suggests staging ‘door knock’
Vice President Kamala Harris had a clear idea of where she wanted a family to stand as she talked to them during a door-knocking photo op in Pennsylvania. Harris joined canvassers in Reading, Pennsylvania, as cameras captured the Democratic presidential nominee walking up to the porch where one family was standing outside, saying “Hi guys… sorry for the intrusion.” A man exclaims, “Oh my gosh,” as Harris embraces him, a woman and presumably their son. The man is heard saying “I wasn’t expecting that… thought it was Shapiro,” referring to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has been campaigning with Harris in recent days. “Well, I want to door knock,” Harris tells the family. LIBERTY BELLWETHERS: FIVE PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES TO WATCH ON ELECTION NIGHT “Oh, you want to do a door knock?” the man asks, before Harris says “yes,” and they all turn to walk back to the door as photographers reposition themselves for the shot. The couple stands in the door frame as cameras capture Harris speaking to them. Video of the encounter was amplified by former President Trump’s 2024 campaign on X. “Kamala’s ‘door knocking’ in Pittsburgh involved her meeting supporters outside their home, then demanding they move to the doorway so the press could capture a fake door knock,” Trump War Room wrote. “Humiliating!” Both Trump and Harris visited Pennsylvania on Monday to make a final pitch to voters in the key battleground state. KAMALA HARRIS TREATING PENNSYLVANIA AS A ‘MUST WIN’ WITH SEVERAL STOPS IN LATINO AREAS Harris ended her night in Philadelphia at the Art Museum steps made famous in the movie “Rocky,” where she said “the momentum is on our side.” She also rallied with supporters in Allentown, Scranton and Pittsburgh, and she swung through Reading to visit a Puerto Rican restaurant and do a little canvassing herself, knocking on doors alongside campaign volunteers. Trump started the day in North Carolina and finished it in Michigan, but he spoke in Reading and Pittsburgh in between. In Pittsburgh, Trump delivered what his campaign aides described as his closing argument, telling supporters, “Over the past four years, Americans have suffered one catastrophic failure, betrayal and humiliation after another.” “We do not have to settle for weakness, incompetence, decline and decay,” he added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Pennsylvania has the most Electoral College votes of any battleground state, making it the top prize of the campaign. A victory there would clear a path to the White House for either candidate. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Voting on Election Day: Here’s when polls close for all 50 states
Tens of millions of Americans are headed to the polls across the country Tuesday, but polling locations won’t remain open forever. Here are the poll closing times for every state in the country. Kentucky: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Indiana: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS UPDATES ON THE 2024 ELECTION Alabama: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Florida: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Georgia: Polls will fully close. Kentucky: Polls will fully close. Indiana: Polls will fully close. New Hampshire: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. South Carolina: Polls will fully close. Vermont: Polls will fully close. Virginia: Polls will fully close. HARRIS, TRUMP, HOLD ELECTION EVE DUELING RALLIES IN THE BIGGEST OF THE BATTLEGROUNDS New Hampshire: More partial closures. North Carolina: Polls will fully close. Ohio: Polls will fully close. West Virginia: Polls will fully close. Alabama: Polls will fully close. Connecticut: Polls will fully close. Delaware: Polls will fully close. Maine: Polls will fully close. Florida: Polls will fully close. Illinois: Polls will fully close. Kansas: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Maryland: Polls will fully close. Massachusetts: Polls will fully close. Michigan: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Mississippi: Polls will fully close. Missouri: Polls will fully close. New Hampshire: Polls will fully close. New Jersey: Polls will fully close. North Dakota: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Oklahoma: Polls will fully close. Pennsylvania: Polls will fully close. Rhode Island: Polls will fully close. South Dakota: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Tennessee: Polls will fully close. Texas: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Washington, DC: Polls will fully close. CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Arkansas: Polls will fully close. Arizona: Polls will fully close. Colorado: Polls will fully close. Iowa: Polls will fully close. Kansas: Polls will fully close. Louisiana: Polls will fully close. Michigan: Polls will fully close. Minnesota: Polls will fully close. Nebraska: Polls will fully close. New Mexico: Polls will fully close. New York: Polls will fully close. North Dakota: Polls will fully close. South Dakota: Polls will fully close. Texas: Polls will fully close. Wisconsin: Polls will fully close. Wyoming: Polls will fully close. Idaho: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Montana: Polls will fully close. Nevada: Polls will fully close. Oregon: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Utah: Polls will fully close. NOVEMBER SURPRISE: DISMAL JOBS REPORT HANDS TRUMP INSTANT AMMUNITION TO FIRE AT HARRIS California: Polls will fully close. Idaho: Polls will fully close. Oregon: Polls will fully close. Washington: Polls will fully close. Alaska: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Hawaii: Polls will fully close. Alaska: Polls will fully close.
Voting on Election Day: Here’s when polls close for all 50 states
Tens of millions of Americans are headed to the polls across the country Tuesday, but polling locations will not remain open forever. Here are the poll closing times for every state in the country. Kentucky: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Indiana: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS UPDATES ON THE 2024 ELECTION Alabama: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Florida: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Georgia: Polls will fully close. Kentucky: Polls will fully close. Indiana: Polls will fully close. New Hampshire: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. South Carolina: Polls will fully close. Vermont: Polls will fully close. Virginia: Polls will fully close. HARRIS, TRUMP, HOLD ELECTION EVE DUELING RALLIES IN THE BIGGEST OF THE BATTLEGROUNDS New Hampshire: More partial closures. North Carolina: Polls will fully close. Ohio: Polls will fully close. West Virginia: Polls will fully close. Alabama: Polls will fully close. Connecticut: Polls will fully close. Delaware: Polls will fully close. Maine: Polls will fully close. Florida: Polls will fully close. Illinois: Polls will fully close. Kansas: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Maryland: Polls will fully close. Massachusetts: Polls will fully close. Michigan: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Mississippi: Polls will fully close. Missouri: Polls will fully close. New Hampshire: Polls will fully close. New Jersey: Polls will fully close. North Dakota: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Oklahoma: Polls will fully close. Pennsylvania: Polls will fully close. Rhode Island: Polls will fully close. South Dakota: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Tennessee: Polls will fully close. Texas: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Washington, DC: Polls will fully close. CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Arkansas: Polls will fully close. Arizona: Polls will fully close. Colorado: Polls will fully close. Iowa: Polls will fully close. Kansas: Polls will fully close. Louisiana: Polls will fully close. Michigan: Polls will fully close. Minnesota: Polls will fully close. Nebraska: Polls will fully close. New Mexico: Polls will fully close. New York: Polls will fully close. North Dakota: Polls will fully close. South Dakota: Polls will fully close. Texas: Polls will fully close. Wisconsin: Polls will fully close. Wyoming: Polls will fully close. Idaho: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Montana: Polls will fully close. Nevada: Polls will fully close. Oregon: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Utah: Polls will fully close. NOVEMBER SURPRISE: DISMAL JOBS REPORT HANDS TRUMP INSTANT AMMUNITION TO FIRE AT HARRIS California: Polls will fully close. Idaho: Polls will fully close. Oregon: Polls will fully close. Washington: Polls will fully close. Alaska: Partial poll closure. Some polling locations will remain open. Hawaii: Polls will fully close. Alaska: Polls will fully close.
AOC chimes in after JD Vance refers to Kamala Harris as ‘trash’
Sen. J.D. Vance, former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate, referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “trash” during a speech on the eve of Election Day. “The citizens of this country are not garbage for wanting to be able to afford groceries and a nice place to live. But in two days we are gonna take out the trash in Washington D.C., and the trash’s name is Kamala Harris,” Vance declared. In a post on X, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., opined, “Not too sure that Republicans going from calling Puerto Ricans garbage to calling a woman garbage is the whiz-bang political chess move they think it is.” PRO-TRUMP COMEDIAN WHO TOLD PUERTO RICO JOKE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN DRAWS CRITICISM FROM AOC, OTHERS Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe faced criticism after cracking a joke in which he referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage.” He made the joke while speaking at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden. President Joe Biden later sparked controversy when he said, “The only garbage I see floatin’ out there is his supporters.” Biden has suggested that he was characterizing Hinchcliffe’s comments as garbage. BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporters at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it,” Biden said in a post on X. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.” Harris said that Biden had “clarified his comments,” and that she opposes “any criticism of people based on who they vote for.” TRUMP SLAMS PELOSI AS ‘EVIL, SICK, CRAZY,’ BUT STOPS SHORT OF PROFANITY: ‘IT STARTS WITH A B’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Vance has served in the Senate since 2023.
GOP senator sends warning to Biden admin about obligations for potential Trump transition
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., is firing a warning shot to agencies and departments within the federal government about a potential transition to a future Trump administration – telling the Democratic administration that it needs to follow federal requirements. Hagerty has written to all federal agencies, in letters obtained by Fox News Digital, warning of applicable provisions in laws regarding appropriations that limit departments’ ability to transfer funds or change programs during the transition period. “As we move into a presidential transition period, I write today to remind you of your statutory transfer-of-funds authority and change-of-program requirements under the Further Consolidated Appropriations and Extensions Act 2024…which will continue to apply with the same force during the transition,” he wrote. RFK JR SAYS TRUMP MOVE IS SOMETHING NO OTHER PRESIDENT’S DONE BEFORE “Compliance with these requirements must be a priority for the outgoing administration, given the criminal and administrative consequences of failing to do so,” he said. He argues that the law limits moving funds, altering programs and prohibits employees from obligating federal dollars – with potential criminal sanctions or firing. ON ELECTION EVE, HARRIS AND TRUMP HOLD DUELING RALLIES IN THE BIGGEST OF THE BATTLEGROUNDS READ THE LETTER – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: “As the Biden administration works to transfer the power and authorities of the President of the United States and the Executive Branch in a timely, transparent, and lawful manner, adherence to these legal obligations is imperative,” he wrote. The letter comes ahead of what could become a fraught transition period should former President Donald Trump be elected to the White House for a second time. The Trump transition team clashed with the Obama administration in 2016 over assessments that Russia meddled in the election. In 2020, Trump refused to accept the results of the election and was indicted last year on felony charges for working to overturn the results of the election. President Biden made headlines in August when he said he was not confident about a peaceful transfer of power if Vice President Kamala Harris wins. “If Trump loses, I’m not confident at all,” he said in an interview. CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS UPDATES ON THE 2024 ELECTION “He means what he says. We don’t take him seriously. He means it,” he said. The administration began offering resources to both Trump and Harris in August ahead of a potential transition, which involves the vetting and selection of more than 4,000 appointees and depends of infrastructure built during the period before the election. The Associated Press reported that a federal transition coordination council has been holding regular meetings to prepare to hand over the reins in January 2025. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
9 competitive Senate races to watch on election night
Nine competitive Senate races will likely determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress. Democrats are fighting to retain their narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate. Democrats are defending 23 seats, including three held by independents who caucus with them. That’s compared with just 11 seats that Republicans hope to keep in their column, according to the Associated Press. The Senate races in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are considered Toss-Ups, according to the latest Fox News Power Rankings. The Montana and Nebraska races for Senate are considered leaning Republican, while the Senate contests in Arizona, Maryland and Nevada lean Democrat on Election Day. In Michigan, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, and Republican candidate Mike Rogers are facing off for a chance to replace Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat who is concluding her 24-year Senate career. It could be the best chance Republicans have had in decades of winning a Senate seat in Michigan. The last time a Republican secured election to the upper chamber was in 1994, when Spencer Abraham defeated Democrat Bob Carr by 10 points. Abraham later lost to Stabenow in 2000. STEFANIK SLAMS DEMOCRATS’ ‘SCARE TACTICS’ ON TRUMP’S RECORD WITH WOMEN ON IVF, ABORTION Rogers was elected to Congress in 2000 and represented Michigan’s 8th District until 2014. The once chair of the House Intelligence Committee, the Republican served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and later worked as a special agent in the FBI. Slotkin, who currently represents Michigan’s 7th District, has worked for the CIA and the U.S. Department of Defense and served three tours in Iraq. Both campaigns have focused on concerns over Chinese influence and highlighted their security experience in the Middle East and domestically. In Ohio, Democratic incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown faces a challenge from Republican Bernie Moreno in what’s projected to be the most expensive race outside the presidential contest, according to the Marion Star, given the outcome could determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress. Former President Trump endorsed Moreno earlier this year in the Senate Republican primary. Moreno briefly ran for Senate in 2022 to replace retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman, but JD Vance, now Trump’s vice presidential running mate, won the nomination and later the general election. Trump carried Ohio by eight points in both the 2016 and 2020 elections. In Pennsylvania, considered a pivotal battleground in the presidential race, incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey is up against Republican challenger Dave McCormick. McCormick, a West Point graduate who served in Iraq in the 82nd Airborne Division and later as the CEO of the world’s largest hedge fund, took the stage ahead of Trump at the Republican presidential nominee’s last rally in the state Monday night. McCormick told a Pittsburgh crowd that his opponent, Casey, was a “career politician” with more than 30 years in office, before also attacking Vice President Harris. McCormick previously ran an unsuccessful primary bid for Senate in 2022, losing the nomination to Dr. Mehmet Oz. Oz was defeated by Democrat John Fetterman. Casey, whose father served as governor for two terms, is one of the most recognized politicians in the state. He is seeking a fourth term in the Senate and has been successful in six statewide elections since 1996. Wisconsin’s hotly contested Senate race pits two-term Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin against Republican Eric Hovde, a millionaire businessman backed by Trump who poured millions of his own money into the contest. While Baldwin’s voting record is liberal, she emphasized bipartisanship throughout the campaign. Baldwin became the first statewide Democratic candidate to win an endorsement from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization, in more than 20 years. Her first television ad noted that her buy-American bill was signed into law by Trump. In July, she touted Senate committee approval of a bill she co-authored with Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, that seeks to ensure that taxpayer-funded inventions are manufactured in the United States. JD VANCE TELLS NC CROWD HARRIS CAN’T DEAL WITH CHINA, RUSSIA IF SHE ‘RUNS’ FROM ‘FRIENDLY AMERICAN MEDIA’ Hovde has portrayed Baldwin as an out-of-touch liberal career politician who didn’t do enough to combat inflation, illegal immigration and crime. He has stressed that Baldwin has been in elected office since 1987, including the past 12 years in the Senate and 14 in the House before that. Hovde’s wealth, primarily his management of Utah-based Sunwest Bank and ownership of a $7 million Laguna Beach, California, estate, has been a key line of attack from Baldwin, who has tried to cast him as an outsider who doesn’t represent Wisconsin values. Three-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana faces perhaps his toughest election challenge yet on Tuesday, with control of the Senate on the line in a state that’s veered sharply rightward since the 68-year-old grain farmer’s first election. Republicans have pinned their hopes on Tim Sheehy, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and founder of an aerial firefighting company. Sheehy, 38, had early backing from party leaders, including Trump, clearing the political newcomer’s path to win the June primary. This is the first time Tester’s name appears on the same ballot as Trump, who won Montana by wide margins in 2016 and 2020. A Sheehy victory would seal Republican Party dominance across the five-state Northern Plains region: Tester entered office as one of six Democratic senators in the largely rural swath of American heartland that also includes Wyoming, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. He’s now the only one. The lawmaker also is the sole remaining Democrat to hold statewide office in Montana. Two-term Republican Sen. Deb Fischer faces her strongest re-election challenge yet Tuesday as she takes Dan Osborn, a former labor union boss who eschewed both major political parties to run as an independent while painting himself as a working class champion. The state GOP, whose leadership is loyal to Trump, endorsed primary challengers to all five of the Republicans who represent Nebraska in Congress,
Nigel Farage says Harris should pardon Trump if he loses
Trump ally and British parliament member Nigel Farage says Vice President Kamala Harris should pardon the former president if he loses in order to “dampen down potential tensions” following Election Day. Farage, the leader of the Reform UK party, made the remark this week in an interview with The Telegraph, during which he declared that “I still think he is going to win.” “If she gets in on Tuesday I hope she pardons him. She could look magnanimous and it would dampen down potential tensions,” Farage said. In September, Judge Juan Merchan decided to postpone Trump’s sentencing in New York v. Trump until after the presidential election. Trump had been found guilty in an unprecedented criminal trial on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. ELECTION DAY 2024: LIVE UPDATES Farage also told The Telegraph that he has “never gone along with the stolen election narrative” surrounding the 2020 presidential race. “The whole point of voting is we don’t need to fight,” he said. “It is what we fought two world wars for. We settle our differences with the ballot box.” GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE BUSINESSES ERECT BARRICADES IN PREPARATION FOR ELECTION DAY Farage added that if Trump loses to Harris and “If it was clear and decisive then maybe it’s time [for Trump] to go and play golf at Turnberry,” referencing Trump’s course in Scotland. At a rally in Reading, Pa., on the eve of Election Day, Trump described Farage – who was in attendance – as “the big winner of the last election in the U.K.” “He’s a little bit of a rebel, but that’s good, you know? That’s good. Don’t change. Nigel,” Trump added. Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
4 governor’s races to watch on election night
There are 11 gubernatorial races down for decision on Election Day, with four being competitive, according to the Fox News Power Rankings. This year, up to 150 million Americans are expected to cast ballots in the U.S. presidential election, while levers will also be pulled for gubernatorial races and other down-ballot races. New Hampshire is the most difficult governor’s race to call and is considered a toss-up, as former Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte takes on Democrat Joyce Craig, who served three two-year terms as mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire’s largest city. HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS UPDATES ON THE 2024 ELECTION They are bidding to replace GOP Gov. Chris Sununu, a popular governor with a large national profile, who decided not to seek re-election after winning four straight two-year terms as the Granite State governor. Ayotte received Sununu’s endorsement this summer. Despite having a Republican governor, New Hampshire has voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 2004. Ayotte is also a former state attorney general who narrowly lost her Senate re-election in 2016 after breaking with former President Donald Trump following the release of the infamous “Access Hollywood” video. As she ran for her party’s nomination for governor, Ayotte endorsed Trump this year. Morse, facing an uphill challenge against the higher polling and better funded Ayotte, repeatedly questioned her conservative record as a senator and her support for Trump. The pair have clashed on local issues including taxes, the opioid crisis and housing homelessness, as well as abortion. New Hampshire law allows abortions up to the 24th week of a pregnancy. Craig has accused Ayotte of voting against abortion rights and then changing her position to run for governor, according to WBUR. Ayotte voted to de-fund Planned Parenthood as a senator and says she will support the state’s right to decide the issue following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. “I will fight with everything I have to defend New Hampshire’s right to decide this issue and protect our law,” Ayotte said. In Indiana, Republican gubernatorial candidate Sen. Mike Braun should have been able to cruise to victory against any Democratic opponent. However, Braun’s hardline position on abortion has given Democrat Jennifer McCormick an opening. The state enacted a near total ban on abortion two years ago, which McCormick argues is too extreme. Braun maintains that Indiana should be a “right-to-life state. He was endorsed by former President Trump before May’s GOP primary, who took the Hoosier state by large margins in 2016 and 2020. Braun is aiming to extend the GOP’s 20-year hold on Indiana’s governor’s office by defeating McCormick, a former Republican who split with the party after serving as the state’s schools superintendent. The GOP has controlled Indiana’s governor’s office since Mitch Daniels defeated the late Gov. Joe Kernan in 2004. Additionally, Democrats have not won a statewide office in Indiana since 2012. There are also unusual partisan dynamics at play. The GOP’s candidate for lieutenant governor could impact support for the Republican ticket among moderates, and there is a Libertarian on the ballot. Indiana’s governor race has moved from Solid R to Likely R. In the key swing state of North Carolina, current Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson faces an uphill battle to defeat Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein in the battle to replace Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is term-limited and not allowed to run for re-election. The key talking point in the race involves allegations that Robinson made controversial comments on a porn website more than a decade ago. Robinson has denied saying those words, and Republicans began to distance themselves from the candidate afterward, while at least four top staffers resigned in the wake of the report. Former President Trump endorsed Robinson before the March primary but also began distancing himself. 4 MARK ROBINSON CAMPAIGN STAFFERS RESIGN IN WAKE OF REPORT ON PORN WEBSITE POSTS Stein has attacked Robinson for his stance on abortion. Since Reconstruction ended in the 1890s, North Carolina has only elected three Republican governors. If elected, Robinson would be North Carolina’s first Black governor. The race is Likely D. Longtime Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is hoping to keep the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands, while former Rep. Dave Reichert is trying to become the state’s first GOP governor in 40 years. The Evergreen State has voted Democrat in every presidential election since 1988. Reichert, who served as King County Sheriff for 33 years, is best known for his role in capturing the Green River Killer, a notorious serial killer. His tenure as sheriff and his subsequent service in Congress have been central to his campaign messaging, positioning him as a tough on crime public safety candidate. For his part, Ferguson’s campaign has been marked by his sharp criticism of Reichert on hot button issues such as abortion, as Ferguson has attacked the former Republican congressman for his previous support for a nationwide abortion ban as out of touch with Washington’s values. Ferguson, has been the state’s attorney general since 2013. He came to national prominence by repeatedly suing the Trump administration, including bringing the lawsuit that blocked Trump’s initial travel ban on citizens of several majority Muslim nations. Ferguson’s endorsements include prominent state leaders like U.S. Senate Pro Tempore Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee. Reichert faced an uphill battle in a state considered a Democratic stronghold. Of the remaining gubernatorial races, Delaware is considered Solid D, while Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia are Solid R. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser, Matthew Richter and Jamie Joseph, as well as The Associated Press, contributed to this report.