Biden-district Republican Nick LaLota projected to win re-election in New York
First-term Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., is projected to win the battle for a second term in Congress, a critical victory for House GOP leaders as they fight to keep their majority. He defeated Democrat John Avlon, a former CNN anchor, the Associated Press projects, in a race that was expected to slightly favor Republicans but run tight overall. The 2022 election cycle saw residents of suburban New York and California rebel against local cities’ progressive crime policies, leading to Republicans sweeping key seats outside the Big Apple, Los Angeles and the Bay Area. LaLota’s district, which leans more to the right than several of his neighboring House constituencies, is one of 16 seats represented by a Republican that President Biden won in 2020. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION New York’s 1st Congressional District is located on Long Island, a suburban stretch of land just outside New York City. It includes a wide range of voters, from ultra-wealthy residents of the Hamptons to farm-centered communities like Jamesport. SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ LaLota is a Navy veteran who touts himself as a lifelong Long Island resident. Avlon, who is an author in addition to being a journalist, left his job as a political commentator to run for office. Both House Democrats’ and Republicans’ campaign arms dedicated time and resources to the race, part of their wider fight for control of Congress. FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’ LaLota has carved out a more moderate path than most of his Republican colleagues in Congress, as has much of the GOP New York delegation. However, he was the first Biden-district Republican to endorse former President Donald Trump for re-election in 2024. He also participated in a tele-rally held by Trump and House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., the Saturday before the White House hopeful’s massive rally at Madison Square Garden. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
‘Fascist’: Liberal critics melt down after Florida voters reject abortion rights amendment
Liberal social media commenters and left-wing members of the media slammed Florida voters and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis for rejecting an amendment that would have created a constitutional right to abortion, describing its failure as “openly fascist.” “He’s put everything on it, including, as you said, threats, whatever it takes to try to make sure that that amendment fails using the power of government in a way that is, I would say, openly fascist and very determined,” MSNBC’s Joy Reid said Tuesday evening on air about Florida’s Amendment 4 failing. DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act into law last year, which banned most abortions after six weeks of gestation. This year, Florida residents voted on Amendment 4, the Right to Abortion Initiative, which worked to overturn the ban. In Florida, constitutional amendments must get 60% of the vote, not a simple majority, to pass. Amendment 4 received majority support among voters but failed to meet the 60% threshold, which sparked an onslaught of criticism from Democrats, left-wing media outlets and pro-choice advocates. DESANTIS CLAIMS VICTORY OVER FLORIDA ABORTION, MARIJUANA AMENDMENTS AS SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE: ‘PRAISE GOD’ “Desantis’ Dirty Tricks Pay Off as Florida Abortion Measure Fails,” a Rolling Stone headline published Tuesday evening declared. And social media users chimed in with expletives aimed at voters who rejected the ballot measure. JD VANCE VOWS TRUMP WOULD NOT IMPOSE FEDERAL ABORTION BAN, VETO IT IF COMES ACROSS DESK Other commenters launched expletives aimed at DeSantis and voters who rejected the amendment. “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion,” the amendment states. HARRIS CLAIMS TRUMP ABORTION PLATFORM MAKES ‘NO EXCEPTION,’ MOMENTS AFTER TRUMP SAYS THE OPPOSITE Republicans and religious leaders in the state have railed against the pro-choice amendment in the months leading up to Election Day, including DeSantis, who said the amendment potentially passing would represent “the end of the pro-life movement.” “If you care about building a culture of life in this state or this country, them winning in Florida I think really represents the end of the pro-life movement,” DeSantis said in September during an event at Jesuit High School in Tampa, the Tampa Bay Times reported. “If you look at the state of Florida, we do not have a pro-life majority,” DeSantis warned. “We’ve got a big chunk, but we don’t have a majority. If only people that are pro-life oppose it, it very well might pass.” ABORTION ‘ON THE BALLOT’ IN 10 STATES THIS ELECTION, BUT IT MIGHT NOT MATTER Catholic leaders in the state had also slammed the amendment as “extremely grave” and urged all “Floridians of goodwill” to vote against it. “We urge all Floridians of goodwill to stand against the legalization of late-term abortion and oppose the abortion amendment. In doing so, we will not only protect the weakest, most innocent, and defenseless of human life among us but also countless women throughout the state from the harms of abortion,” the Catholic bishops of Florida said in a statement on Amendment 4. After its failure to pass, pro-life and religious groups celebrated the news as a massive win for the pro-life movement. “The defeat of Amendment 4 in Florida is a huge victory for the whole state, especially its most vulnerable. Proponents of Amendment 4 used the same playbook they have in other states which relied on fearmongering and disinformation backed by a funding advantage of tens of millions of out-of-state dollars,” Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, said in a statement. “But Floridians rejected the proposal when they learned it would open the floodgates for abortion, at any time, for any reason, funded by taxpayers. We are grateful to Governor Ron DeSantis, who, from the outset, led the effort to cut through the pro-abortion campaign of lies and exposed the ugly truth about Amendment 4.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Fox News Decision Desk projects GOP takes back Senate majority in devastating blow to Dems
The Fox News Decision Desk projected that Republicans will take back control of the Senate in 2025 once the 119th Congress is sworn in. The GOP officially won enough Senate seats in the 2024 elections to take the majority back from the Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has led the upper chamber since 2021. Republicans had a significantly more favorable map in terms of which Senate seats were up for election this cycle than the Democrats. CHECK OUT OUR FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB HERE The Republicans up for re-election were all in relatively safe states, and the party was all but guaranteed a win in West Virginia to replace outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va. With a West Virginia win and retaining all incumbents who were up for re-election, the GOP would be at 50 members already. Democrats were in a much more difficult position, expected to lose Manchin’s seat and having to fight a tight battle for outgoing Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s Arizona Senate seat. HOW GOP, DEM SENATORS ARE USING 2024 CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO LOBBY FOR CONFERENCE INFLUENCE At the same time, several incredibly vulnerable Senate Democrats just so happened to be up for re-election this cycle, including Montana’s Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, in red-voting states, and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, in presidential battleground states. If that weren’t enough, the seat of outgoing Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., was also at severe risk of going red. TOP REPUBLICANS PROBE BIDEN ADMIN ON AFGHAN NATIONALS’ ALLEGED ELECTION DAY TERRORIST PLOT Democrats only had a 51-member majority over their Republican counterparts, who had a 49-person conference. The party could not afford to lose practically any races in the 2024 elections, given their many vulnerabilities. What made the 2024 elections even more difficult for Democrats to hang onto the majority was the sharp decrease in split-ticket voting. In several states, the races were very likely to be decided by the winner of the presidential race, as voters were expected to pick one party and vote for candidates in that column down the ballot. ‘ILL-FATED EFFORT’: MCCONNELL WAS ‘FURIOUS’ AT RICK SCOTT’S 2022 LEADER BID, BOOK SAYS When Republicans vote for their new leader this month, they’ll also be selecting the next person to control the Senate floor after Schumer. The new GOP leader will succeed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the longest-serving party leader in Senate history. The newly elected Republican senators will participate in a secret ballot. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Fox News Decision Desk projects Republican Deb Fischer holds Senate seat despite independent challenge
The Fox News Decision Desk projected that incumbent Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., will win re-election and successfully fend off a challenge from an independent candidate. Independent candidate Dan Osborn, a union leader and mechanic, sought to unseat the senator, accusing her of representing lobbyist interests rather than those of Nebraskans. No Democrat candidate was nominated to run in the Senate race. SOROS-LINKED DARK MONEY GROUP PROPS UP NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE IN KEY SENATE RACE Fischer was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and re-elected in 2018. With her latest win, she will serve a third term in the upper chamber. Some of the issues listed on Osborn’s campaign website revolved around supporting veterans and workers and legalizing marijuana. He does not support any federal limit on abortion, per his website, and he backs what he called “reasonable gun safety measures,” but reinforced his support for the Second Amendment. His candidacy had presented late warnings for Republicans, as top handicappers acknowledged some movement and loosening of the GOP’s grasp on the election. NEBRASKA SUPREME COURT SETS UP ABORTION SHOWDOWN ON ELECTION DAY WITH COMPETING BALLOT MEASURES Both the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics opted to shift their ratings of the race from “Solid” or “Safe” Republican to “Likely Republican.” While Fischer and Republicans still enjoyed an advantage, the race was placed alongside that of Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., in each rating system, which was understood to be fairly competitive. HOW A LONE NEBRASKA DISTRICT COULD DECIDE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Sabato’s Crystal Ball also ranked the Nebraska Senate race in the same category as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, but Cook had moved the Texas match-up to a more competitive placement. However, some of Osborn’s financial backers led to controversy late in the race. The candidate was supported heavily by two outside super PACs, which both received significant contributions from a controversial dark money group called the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which is operated by left-wing Washington, D.C., political consulting firm, Arabella Advisers. The fund doesn’t reveal its donors, but according to the website for billionaire George Soros’ group, the Open Society Foundations, it has granted more than $75 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund between 2016 and 2022. One of the PACs that supported Osborn had also received monetary support from Democratic megadonor and Vice President Kamala Harris supporter Reid Hoffman, who co-founded LinkedIn. Osborn reportedly pledged to create an Independent caucus if elected, rather than caucusing with Democrats or Republicans in the Senate. All the independents currently serving in the upper chamber caucus with the Democrats. Fischer’s win prevented any potential threats to the Republicans re-taking the Senate majority in 2025. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Fox News projects Trump to win key state of North Carolina
Fox News Decision Desk projects former President Trump will win North Carolina. Trump will be awarded the battleground state’s 16 electoral votes, which are key in the path to the presidency. The former president won North Carolina in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. North Carolina faced potential challenges to early voting after Hurricane Helene made a deadly sweep across the southeast, having the most severe impact on western red counties that historically vote Republican. HERE’S HOW EACH SWING STATE CONDUCTS A RECOUNT OF BALLOTS Despite the storm, there were successful efforts to ensure voting access for those in the impacted western counties across the state. APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST GOP IN CASE CHALLENGING 225K VOTER REGISTRATIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA The North Carolina Elections Board passed a bipartisan emergency resolution that reformed the state’s early voting process in 13 counties, including changing or adding voting sites and maintaining their availability, extending the hours and adding or reducing when any site is open within the early voting period, according to the election board. North Carolina saw record turnout on the first day of early voting in the state, Oct. 17, when 353,000 registered voters cast their ballots. North Carolina is one of several swing states key to winning the White House. The others are Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Most vulnerable House Republican projected to lose NY swing seat
First-term Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., is projected to lose his re-election bid in a blow to Republicans’ effort to keep the House majority. Williams was widely seen as the most vulnerable House Republican incumbent this cycle. While his loss was not unexpected, it could signal the tide is turning against the Congressional GOP. He was defeated by New York state Sen. John Mannion, a moderate Democrat, according to Associated Press projections. As of late Tuesday evening, when AP called the race, House Democrats were projected to win a total 108 seats so far, compared to 164 projected victories for Republicans. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION House Democrats’ campaign arm and its allies poured an enormous amount of resources into flipping the seat from red to blue. Williams, who was already expected to face a competitive race for re-election, was handed worse odds after New York’s congressional map was redrawn earlier this year. New York’s 22nd Congressional District lies in the central part of the Empire State and includes the cities of Syracuse and Utica. It was also one of 16 districts won by House Republicans in 2022 after President Biden won the White House race in 2020. Williams won the seat in 2022 after former Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., who voted to impeach Trump, retired. SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ The Navy officer-turned-truffle farmer ran his campaign as a traditional conservative and endorsed Trump in January. Mannion is a former teacher who had the endorsement of New York state’s teachers union. Both candidates have been accused of acting aggressively toward aides, however. An open anonymous letter signed only by “Concerned Mannion Staff” said his New York state Senate office was a toxic work environment “including mistreatment, harassment, and retaliation.” Mannion told local outlet CNY that the accusations were a “false political attack.” DEMOCRAT POL CHASED AWAY IN AOC’S ‘RED LIGHT’ DISTRICT AFTER BACKING POLICE CRACKDOWN ON OPEN-AIR PROSTITUTION A subsequent investigation commissioned by the state Senate cleared Mannion. Meanwhile, a video captured of Williams at a holiday event in late 2023 showed him telling his former chief of staff, “You f— with my family, I’ll end every relationship that you have.” Williams told Politico at the time the confrontation occurred because the ex-staffer allegedly tried to blackmail Williams using his daughter’s OnlyFans account. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Delhi-NCR AQI: No relief from pollution, Delhi air quality remains ‘very poor’
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded at 358 as of 8 am today.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz declares victory over Democrat Colin Allred
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker and civil rights lawyer from Dallas, repeatedly broke fundraising records in his campaign, raising more than $80 million by mid-October.
Following a year of partisan fights, Election Day runs smoothly across Texas
A mostly quiet Election Day in Texas came after a series of pitched partisan battles over how elections should be conducted.
Republican Christi Craddick declares victory for Railroad Commission, the state’s oil regulatory agency
The three-member board oversees Texas’ oil and gas industry. The agency has faced criticism over safety concerns linked to fracking, well blowouts and groundwater protection.