Florida’s progressive abortion amendment fails following DeSantis push against ‘bait and switch’ legislation
Abortion on the ballot has been seen as a sticking point for Republicans since the overturning of Roe V Wade, but a major amendment in Florida failed after voters voted “No” on the progressive legislation. The measure needed a 60 percent supermajority to pass, the highest threshold in the country. It failed after 43% voted “No” and 57% voted “Yes.” Florida’s abortion ban has been a contentious topic in the once-swing-state, with proponents of the amendment arguing that the Sunshine State’s current 6-week abortion ban is too restrictive after it was implemented in May. The amendment’s language states, “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.” DESANTIS CAMPAIGNS AGAINST HIGH-STAKES ABORTION MEASURE ON FLORIDA BALLOT: ‘BAIT AND SWITCH’ LEGISLATION DeSantis used his platform as governor to lead the charge against the high-stakes amendment on the ballot, calling the measure a “bait and switch.” “This amendment, if adopted, would be the first amendment in the history of the state of Florida to actually repeal a right,” the Republican governor said during a “Doctors Against Amendment 4” stop in October. “It will repeal the right of a parent to have to provide consent before their child undergoes an abortion,” he said. “Right now in Florida, we have parental consent, not just for abortion, but for anything involving medical treatment for a minor. They can’t give your kid an aspirin unless you consent.” Florida is one of the nine states with a measure on the Nov. 5 ballot to protect access to abortion. While Florida needed at least 60% endorsement of the initiative, all other states need a simple majority to pass. The majority of these ballot measures seek to amend efforts passed in Republican-led states, whose leaders moved to restrict abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision on Roe. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS ELECTION RESULTS In Florida, the hot-button issue has been the most expensive – with about $150 million in ads, according to the media tracking firm AdImpact. Nearly two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a record number of voters think abortion should be legal, with two-thirds favoring a nationwide law guaranteeing access, according to a Fox News national survey conducted in March 22-25, 2024. Fifty-nine percent think abortion should be legal in all or most cases, up from the previous high of 57% in September 2022 and a record low of 44% in April 2022. Overall, just 7% think abortion should never be permitted, while five times as many say it always should be (35%). Another one-third (32%) say abortion should be illegal except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Former President Trump has shifted his stance on abortion during the election cycle, with the Republican nominee hoping to attract independents and some disillusioned Democrats, but running the risk of alienating his pro-life base. Trump has countered Democratic attacks on the former president’s abortion stance by stating he would leave abortion access to the states, as determined by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Trump notably opposes a federal abortion ban, but has remained opposed to late-term abortions. In July, the Republican Party abandoned its long-standing position of advocating for abortions. Throughout Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, she has argued that Trump — who nominated three conservative justices to the Supreme Court who later voted to overturn Roe v. Wade — is responsible for worsening medical care for women and that he would seek further restrictions. Harris has cast her position on the topic as creating legislation to restore the national abortion right that was eliminated following Roe v. Wade. She has also vowed to protect access to the abortion drug mifepristone, calling the drug “essential medication.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the DeSantis team for comment. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.
Fox News projects Democrat wins governor’s seat in Biden’s home state of Delaware
The Fox News Decision Desk projects Democrat Matt Meyer has won the governor’s race in Delaware, cementing the left’s control over the small Northeastern state President Biden calls home. Meyer, the New Castle County executive, defeated Mike Ramone, the Republican minority leader of the Delaware state House of Representatives. The small state has long been known as a Democratic stronghold, with liberals serving in all three seats of its congressional delegation and as the majority members of the state legislature. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION Biden served as its U.S. senator from 1973 through 2009. Meyer had won a three-way primary race to advance to the November race, and he was the only one of his fellow Democrats to not have political experience in Dover. Before entering politics, he started “a recycled footwear company that sold environmentally friendly footwear to customers in 17 countries on five continents” while living in Kenya, according to Meyer’s campaign website. FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’ He then spent 12 months in Iraq as a diplomat embedded with the U.S. military during Operation Enduring Freedom, before returning to his home state of Delaware and working as a teacher. As governor, Meyer has pledged to invest more in the Delaware public school system and vowed to “fund English Language Learners and low-income students more equitably” in a policy book posted to his campaign site. Meyer also promised to invest in innovation to expand jobs in clean energy and to improve walkability and bikeability in Delaware communities. Popular Democratic Gov. John Carney was ineligible to run again after having reached his two-term limit. Meyer’s victory came with little surprise, however. Delaware has not had a GOP governor since January 1993, and registered Democrats significantly outnumber Republicans.
Rick Scott significantly improves his margin of victory with first re-election to Senate
Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott significantly improved his margin of victory in 2024, compared to his razor-thin victory in 2018, when he first joined the Senate. Scott defeated Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell by 12.76%, the Fox News Decision Desk projected Tuesday. Scott registered a narrow 0.2% margin of victory in 2016, when he beat Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson to join Florida’s senatorial delegation after serving as the state’s governor for several years. In addition to running for re-election, Scott has also been in the running to head the Senate after the exit of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Scott will face other GOP members vying for the job, including Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. ‘ILL-FATED EFFORT’: MCCONNELL WAS ‘FURIOUS’ AT RICK SCOTT’S 2022 LEADER BID, BOOK SAYS Prior to joining Congress, Scott was the Sunshine State’s 45th governor, an office he held from 2011-2018. Scott’s wider than expected margin of victory comes after Democrats in the state had hoped this election might be a chance for the Democratic Party to flip his seat. “[Floridians] are so ready to retire [Scott] and send someone that’s going to work for them in the U.S. Senate,” Mucarsel-Powell said during her campaign, according to The Daily Beast. “Rick Scott is the most wounded bird of all the birds,” influential Florida Democratic donor John Morgan told The Daily Beast earlier this year. National Democrats, meanwhile, insisted Scott’s Senate seat was “in play,” Politico reported. RICK SCOTT LEADS EFFORT TO UP SECRET SERVICE PROTECTIONS AFTER 2ND ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON TRUMP Mucarsel-Powell and Scott raised similar war chests, according to FEC records, but Scott did raise a few million more than his Democratic challenger. Scott, however, had a self-funding advantage, giving his campaign at least $24.5 million. Mucarsel-Powell reportedly raised more than Scott in donations alone. “Our work is not done. Next week, we have another election — Senate Republican leader,” Scott said during his victory rally Tuesday night. “We need the Republican Party to start solving the problems of this country, and we have a significant number of problems. Florida is the center of the Republican Party of this country. Washington could learn a hell of a lot from what we’ve done here in this great state.”
Fox News projects Gov. Spencer Cox to win Utah governor’s race
The Fox News Decision Desk projects incumbent Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to win re-election, defeating Democratic rival Utah state Rep. Brian King. Cox won his first bid for governor in 2020 by more than 32 percentage points in the reliably red state. King, meanwhile, has served in the Utah House of Representatives since 2009, representing a district in the Salt Lake City area of the state. SPENCER COX WINS UTAH REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR GOVERNOR Utah is considered one of the reddest states in the country at both the state and national level, with the Republican Party controlling all statewide executive offices while enjoying a supermajority in both the state House and the state Senate. The state has not elected a Democratic governor since 1976, when the late former Gov. Scott Matheson won and went on to serve two terms in office. TRUMP ENDORSES GOP UTAH SENATE CANDIDATE LOOKING TO REPLACE ROMNEY: ‘HE WILL BE A GREAT SENATOR’ Utah has had a similar outlook in presidential elections, with a Democrat last carrying the state when Lyndon B. Johnson did in 1964. In the two most recent presidential elections, former President Donald Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 18 percentage points in 2016 and President Biden by just over 20 percentage points in 2020. The Utah race is one of 11 governor’s races on the ballot in states in 2024, joining Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, West Virginia, North Carolina, Delaware, Vermont and New Hampshire. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Republicans are defending more seats than Democrats in the governor’s races, with Utah being one of eight Republican-held states at risk on election day. Democrats, meanwhile, are only defending three seats; Washington, North Carolina and Delaware. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte wins re-election in Montana
The Fox News Decision Desk projects Gov. Greg Gianforte will win re-election in the Montana gubernatorial race, securing a second term in the Big Sky State seat. Gianforte was first elected to serve as governor of Montana in 2020, flipping the seat red and ousting the Democrat who occupied the seat for several years. Before becoming the state’s 25th governor, Gianforte was a businessman and spent decades working in the private sector. While most of Montana’s statewide leadership are currently Republican, the state’s governor’s seat was occupied by a Democrat for nearly a decade before being flipped red in 2020 by Gianforte. MONTANA SENATE RACE SHATTERS SPENDING RECORDS AT $309 PER REGISTERED VOTER Gianforte defeated former senior firearms sales executive and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ryan Busse on Tuesday night. Busse, who ran with lieutenant governor Raph Graybill, worked as sales executive of a major firearms company for 25 years, saying on his campaign site that he supports gun ownership, but “also saw how unchecked extremism risks all gun owners’ rights—and how that extremism could take away American freedoms and even jeopardize our democracy.” The Governor was backed by former President Donald Trump in his 2020 race, but has not yet received an endorsement from the 2024 GOP presidential nominee at this point in the race.
Fox News Decision Desk projects Dem defeats Larry Hogan in Maryland, keeping Senate seat blue
The Democrats are expected to hold onto a highly contested Senate seat in Maryland, an overwhelmingly blue state, in a very competitive and expensive race that drew plenty of national attention. The Fox News Decision Desk projected on Tuesday that Angela Alsobrooks, the Democrat Senate nominee and Prince George’s County executive, would defeat former two-term Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. Alsobrooks is projected to succeed Democrat Sen. Ben Cardin, who is retiring this year after serving nearly two decades in the Senate and nearly six decades as a state and then federal lawmaker. A former prosecutor and ally of Vice President Kamala Harris, Alsobrooks is expected to make history as Maryland’s first Black senator, in a state where the Black population stands at around a third of the state’s total. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS 2024 ELECTION RESULTS The race was one of a handful across the country that could decide whether Republicans win back the Senate majority in the 2024 elections. With Republicans enjoying a favorable Senate electoral map and Democrats trying to protect their fragile 51-49 Senate majority, Hogan’s late entry into the race in February gave Democrats an unexpected headache in a state previously considered safe territory. Hogan left the governor’s office at the beginning of 2023 with very positive approval and favorable ratings. Hogan, a high-profile GOP critic of former President Trump – the party’s 2024 presidential nominee – made a concerted effort to highlight his ability to work across partisan lines as he aimed to court independent voters and some disgruntled Democrats in Maryland. With a competitive contest, both campaigns, the party committees and outside groups shelled out millions of dollars in the race. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Republicans hold onto the most highly contested governor’s seat this year
Republicans will hold onto the governor’s office in swing state New Hampshire in what turned into the most highly contested gubernatorial election this year, a showdown that grabbed tons of national attention and outside money. The Fox News Decision Desk projects that former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, the Republican nominee, will defeat Democratic nominee and former Mayor Joyce Craig of Manchester, New Hampshire’s largest city. Ayotte will succeed popular GOP Gov. Chris Sununu, who decided against running for re-election after winning and serving four straight two-year terms as governor. [New Hampshire and neighboring Vermont are the only states in the U.S. that elect governors every two years.] “Thank you, New Hampshire! Ready to hit the ground running to keep our wonderful state safe, prosperous and free. Let’s get to work!,” Ayotte wrote in a social media post after her race was called. Ayotte, a former state attorney general who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 before narrowly losing re-election six years later, easily defeated a crowded field of rivals in early September to win the GOP nomination, while Craig edged out Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington to capture the Democratic nomination. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS 2024 ELECTION RESULTS While New Hampshire traditionally holds the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, its state primary is one of the latest on the electoral calendar, which sets up a mad rush to the general election. National Democrats spent heavily in the race, pouring in millions to target Ayotte for her Senate votes a decade ago on abortion, and for her support this year for former President Trump, whom she had disavowed in her 2016 election defeat. Ayotte and her GOP allies also spent heavily targeting Craig over crime and homelessness during her tenure steering Manchester, which is New Hampshire’s largest city. And pointing to neighboring Massachusetts, where Democrats control the state government and dominate the congressional delegation, Ayotte made her slogan “Don’t Mass UP NH” her campaign’s rallying cry. Ayotte was a rising star in the Republican Party in 2016 with a burgeoning profile on national security. But just ahead of the 2016 election, she withdrew her support for Trump over the “Access Hollywood” controversy, in which Trump in a years-old video made extremely crude comments about grabbing women without their consent. “I cannot and will not support a candidate for president who brags about degrading and assaulting women,” Ayotte said at the time. Ayotte lost re-election by a razor-thin margin of just over 1,000 votes at the hands of then-Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan. But Ayotte slightly outperformed Trump in New Hampshire, as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton edged the White House winner by less than 3,000 votes. Before retiring full time to New Hampshire, Ayotte stuck around Washington briefly after the end of her term, shepherding then-Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch (Trump’s first high court nominee) through his successful Senate confirmation process. In her post-Senate career, Ayotte enjoyed a lucrative period as she served on corporate boards and in advisory roles at both public and private companies. Among them was News Corp., which at one time was the parent company of Fox News. Ayotte during the intervening years also kept a close eye on New Hampshire politics, and would occasionally appear at Republican Party events in the state. She also continued to write opinion pieces on major state, national and international issues. Ayotte announced her gubernatorial bid last year, after Sununu announced that he wouldn’t seek re-election in 2024. Ayotte stayed neutral in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary, but she endorsed Trump in early March, right after he clinched the GOP nomination. He’ll fix the disaster over the southern border, and we’re also seeing it on the northern border, to keep the country safe,” Ayotte told Fox News Digital in a June interview. Ayotte’s main opponent in the GOP primary, former state Senate President Chuck Morse, touted his support for Trump and spotlighted Ayotte’s past criticism of the former president. But Trump stayed neutral in the New Hampshire Senate primary, as Ayotte crushed Morse and the rest of the GOP field. The former president, far behind in the polls in the Granite State, also steered clear of the state in the general election and placed only the bare minimum of resources in New Hampshire. That meant that Ayotte, other than the strong support she received from the Republican Governors Association, was mostly on her own as she battled Craig in the general election. 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 Ted Cruz wins third term, defeating Dem Colin Allred
The Fox News Decision Desk projected that incumbent Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz will defeat his Democratic opponent Rep. Colin Allred on Tuesday, and win a third term in the U.S. Senate. Cruz won his last re-election effort in 2018, beating Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke. Cruz has represented the Lone Star State in the upper chamber of Congress since 2013. CRUZ INTERRUPTED BY ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATOR WHO YELLED, ‘F—ING JEWS’ DURING HEARING ON ‘HATE’ Allred represents Texas’ 32nd Congressional District in the House. Cruz is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. He previously clerked for Chief Justice William Rehnquist and was solicitor general of Texas. Cruz argued nine cases before the Supreme Court. TEXAS DEM’S SENATE AD FEATURES BORDER WALL HE ONCE BLASTED AS ‘RACIST’ Cruz sits on four Senate committees – Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Rules and Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Cruz won his last Senate race by about three points in 2018. Allred, 40, a former NFL player, polled slightly behind Cruz throughout the race, but experts believed it would be close. No Democrat has won a statewide office in Texas in 30 years, the longest losing streak of its kind in the U.S. Allred, though, had ousted a Republican incumbent before – Rep. Pete Sessions in 2018. During his campaign, Allred emphasized his background as the child of a single mother who earned a football scholarship at Baylor University, played in the NFL and worked for the Obama administration before being elected to Congress. Allred made headlines in January when he was among 14 House Democrats who backed a Republican resolution in Congress that criticized President Biden’s handling of the border. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Fox News projects Sen. Mike Braun wins Indiana governor’s race
Fox News Decision Desk can report that Indiana voters chose Republican Mike Braun to be their next governor Tuesday, cementing the state’s solidly red status – even as his face-off against Jennifer McCormick had put some political observers on edge. In the end, Braun, who currently serves in the U.S. Senate, beat Democratic candidate McCormick, a former Indiana superintendent of public education, and Libertarian candidate Donald Rainwater. Braun will replace outgoing two-term Gov. Eric Holcomb, also a Republican. Braun, McCormick and Rainwater each espoused a wide range of views on reproductive rights, fighting inflation, and how best to support the growers, farmers and small business owners in the state. But Braun had struggled to appeal to some moderate voters, and faced a tighter-than-expected race with McCormick, a Republican-turned-Democrat who ran heavily on issues of public education and expanding women’s reproductive rights. “The GOP is still clearly favored there but there’s been enough activity that it doesn’t seem like an average, sleepy ‘Safe’-rated contest,” analysts at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics wrote in a pre-election blog post. FLURRY OF PRE-ELECTION LEGAL CASES IS NOW ‘STANDARDIZED’ STRATEGY, EXPERTS SAY Despite their differences, all three candidates sought to appeal to voters on key issues: Among them, lowering property taxes, increasing support for small businesses, and creating new investments and economic opportunities in the state. Braun focused his policy plans on so-called “kitchen table” issues in a bid to attract moderate voters, such as lowering health care costs, increasing public safety, and helping Indiana farmers and growers. His campaign has released policy proposals designed to focus on lowering taxes for homeowners and small business owners in the Hoosier State, including a reduction on taxes for certain types of equipment used by farmers and other crop producers. SMALL TOWNS BUCKLING UNDER BURDEN OF MIGRANT SURGE On health care, Braun’s plan had included some provisions that Republicans previously attempted and failed to pass in recent legislative sessions, including reforming prior authorization and regulations on pharmacy benefit managers. McCormick, the Democrat, campaigned heavily on access to abortion and education in the final months of the race. Her support for abortion rights was a stark departure from the near-ban on abortions that state lawmakers approved in 2023 – but did win her appeal among some younger, female voters. If elected, she had pledged to appoint new Indiana Supreme Court justices that support women, immigrants, health care providers, and the LGBT+ community. All three also detailed plans for addressing Indiana’s affordable housing crisis, which is among the worst in the Midwest and the subject of a two-year task force. Their plans, however, were also strikingly different. While Braun is planning to look into any “burdensome state regulations” that could be behind the spike in property taxes, he has also stressed the role of businesses in the state in helping revive the local economy. McCormick, meanwhile, had called for a $600 million tax relief plan for property owners in the state. Rainwater introduced a proposal that seeks to cap property taxes at just 1% of the purchase price – a drastic step that would have required amending the state’s constitution. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Donald Trump wins Texas’ 40 electoral votes
The win continues the state’s streak of going red in every presidential election since it went for Jimmy Carter in 1976.