Fox News projects Democrat Tammy Baldwin survives tight race to hold Wisconsin Senate seat
The Fox News Decision Desk projects that Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., managed to survive a tough re-election battle, defeating her Republican opponent in the swing state. She overcame challenger Eric Hovde, a Republican businessman who sought to unseat her. He was notably endorsed by former President Trump. Baldwin will now serve a third term in the upper chamber after first being elected in 2012. FOR WISCONSIN DEMS, A 2024 WIN IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATE IS YEARS IN THE MAKING The race in Wisconsin was considered particularly competitive given the expectation that the state would also be decisive in the presidential election. With the steep decline in split-ticket voting, a Senate candidate would have a much greater chance at winning if the presidential candidate also took the state. The Fox News Power Rankings rated Wisconsin as a toss up in the presidential election as of mid-October. In late September, the Senate race was rated “Leans Democrat.” Top political handicapper, the Cook Political Report, had similarly long held that the Wisconsin Senate race was in the “Lean Democrat” category, but last month shifted its rating to a “Toss up,” citing a closing polling gap between the candidates. SEE IT: WISCONSIN DAIRY FARMER SAYS ‘NO QUESTION’ TRUMP ADMIN WAS ‘MUCH BETTER’ THAN BIDEN-HARRIS A source familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital in October that Baldwin’s internal polling had shown the candidates within the margin of error. Baldwin ran unopposed in the Democrats’ Senate primary and Hovde avoided a competitive primary with no prominent opponents in the Republican race. During the campaign, Baldwin attacked the Republican for his business ventures, highlighting his history as a banker, with one of his financial institutions originating in California. Hovde emphasized Baldwin’s lengthy career in Washington, D.C., thus far and the little daylight between her voting record and the policies of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. He also stressed that Baldwin and her partner Maria Brisbane, a private wealth adviser, are not married, and that because of this, the senator avoids having to disclose her financial information and any potential conflicts of interest. WISCONSIN SENATE RACE SHIFTS TO ‘TOSS UP’ BY HANDICAPPER AS TAMMY BALDWIN FIGHTS FOR RE-ELECTION Baldwin earned the endorsement of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors in early October, a notable achievement in the rural state. The group also referenced its endorsements of two Republican congressmen, Reps. Derrick Van Orden and Tom Tiffany. “Senator Baldwin, Representative Van Orden and Representative Tiffany support Wisconsin agriculture through engaging directly with the farming community in their districts,” said WFBF President Brad Olson in a statement. “Wisconsin Farm Bureau looks forward to working with Senator Baldwin, Representative Van Orden and Representative Tiffany as they work on behalf of Wisconsin farmers,” he said. “Each have demonstrated strong support for policies that tackle the critical challenges faced by farmers and the agricultural industry, including securing crop insurance, expanding policies that open up markets for American agricultural products and advancing agricultural research and innovation.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
GOP challenger unseats Rep. Susan Wild in Pennsylvania
Republican Pennsylvania House candidate Ryan Mackenzie is expected to defeat incumbent Democratic Rep. Susan Wild in the state’s 7th Congressional District race. Wild announced that she conceded the race in a post on X early on Wednesday. Wild has represented Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, which encompasses counties such as Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton, since 2018, and was expected to face a tough election battle by her own party. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee identified the district as vulnerable to Republican defeat when heading into the election cycle earlier this year. The Democratic House member ran on a platform of protecting access to abortion, fighting LGBT discrimination, affordable housing, and investing in infrastructure. Wild, who was backed by President Biden this cycle, overwhelmingly votes along party lines, with FiveThirtyEight data showing she has voted for legislation supported by Biden 100% of the time. Mackenzie, on the other hand, campaigned on securing the U.S. border, energy independence, cutting taxes, and trimming government spending. Former President Donald Trump endorsed Mackenzie earlier this year, after the 45th president withheld an endorsement for the district’s 2022 race, when Wild faced Republican challenger Lisa Scheller. VULNERABLE HOUSE DEM FLIP-FLOPS ON IMMIGRATION AFTER DISMISSING BORDER WALL AS ‘SILLY’ “Ryan Mackenzie has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote on Truth Social in August. Mackenzie currently serves in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, a seat he’s held since 2012 including amid redistricting. Wild has faced tough re-election bids since the 2022 cycle, when redistricting over the 2020 Census took effect and included votes from Republican-friendly Carbon County. Ahead of her 2022 race, Wild came under the national spotlight when she said she “might have to school” rural Trump voters in order to win their support. In a Zoom call earlier this year, Wild recalled how she felt when she learned that her constituency would include a county that “drank the Trump Kool-Aid” after the electoral boundaries for her congressional district were redrawn. “After Trump came along, it went from a sort of working-class blue district to a – they drank the Trump Kool-Aid – and it really became a red county. So, I was dismayed when I got that as part of my district,” she said. VULNERABLE HOUSE DEM CAUGHT ON ZOOM CALL LAMENTING ‘TRUMP KOOL-AID’ VOTERS IN HER DISTRICT Wild later apologized “to anyone I may have offended” over the comment. VULNERABLE HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS SHE ‘MIGHT HAVE TO SCHOOL’ RURAL TRUMP VOTERS TO WIN THEIR SUPPORT Pennsylvania emerged as a key battleground state for the presidential race this cycle. Trump narrowly won the state in his successful 2016 election against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while President Biden declared victory in the Keystone State in the 2020 election. Fox News Digital’s Jessica Chasmar contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. Matt Cartwright concedes race to GOP challenger
Rob Bresnahan, the Trump–backed House candidate for Pennsylvania, is expected to defeat incumbent Democrat Rep. Matt Cartwright, based on current vote numbers as of midday Tuesday. Cartwright had congratulated his opponent and conceded the race late on Election Day. Cartwright was first sworn into Congress in 2013, where he represented Pennsylvania’s 17th District before the state redistricted in 2018 and Cartwright was elected to represent the 8th District. The 8th Congressional District is located in Pennsylvania’s northeastern region and includes cities such as Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, encompassing Wayne, Pike and Lackawanna counties as well as portions of Luzerne and Monroe counties. Cartwright’s re-election campaign was closely watched because he represents one of just nine districts across the country where Democrats worked to defend their seats after former President Trump won the districts in the 2020 presidential election. PA DEM IN DISTRICT THAT VOTED FOR TRUMP SAYS HE’S A MODERATE, BUT VOTING RECORD TELLS ANOTHER STORY Cartwright’s district voted to re-elect Trump in 2020, carrying the district by 2.9 points over Biden, while Cartwright defeated his Republican congressional challenger by just over 7,000 votes of the 286,886 cast that year, New York Times data shows. Cartwright campaigned on a platform of strengthening the economy, protecting access to abortion, fixing “the broken asylum process” at the border and strengthening Social Security benefits. Bresnahan is a fifth-generation native of Luzerne County and CEO of Kuharchik Construction who campaigned on securing the border, cutting taxes and trimming government spending, creating “family-sustaining jobs” in the Keystone State and supporting law enforcement. PENNSYLVANIA ELECTION RESULTS: REP. MATT CARTWRIGHT WINS RE-ELECTION AGAINST TRUMP-ENDORSED CHALLENGER Bresnahan earned Trump’s endorsement for the seat in April. “A successful Businessman, Rob has worked hard to Create Jobs and Grow the Economy, unlike his opponent, Matt Cartwright, who is completely beholden to Nancy Pelosi and the Radical Left. As your next Congressman, Rob will fight hard to Secure the Border, Cut Wasteful Spending, Strengthen our Military, Support our Veterans, Protect our always under siege Second Amendment, and Hold Joe Biden and his Thugs Accountable for their Unconstitutional Lawfare, Corruption, and ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Rob Bresnahan has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump posted on Truth Social. ONE OF NATION’S MOST VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS COZIES UP TO BIDEN FOR PENNSYLVANIA RALLY Cartwright has previously come under fire for portraying himself as a “moderate” Democrat, with Fox News Digital reporting this year that his voting record paints another story. Voting records show Cartwright overwhelmingly voted in line with Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., when she served as House speaker and that he continued his membership in the left-wing Congressional Progressive Caucus. DEM REP CARTWRIGHT DOWNPLAYS VIRGINIA GOVERNOR RACE’S SIGNIFICANCE: WILL BE ‘DIM MEMORY’ BY MIDTERMS “Every election year Matt Cartwright proclaims ‘I work for you’ to the working-class voters of the 8th District. How could that be true as a member of the radical Progressive Caucus? It’s not. Matt Cartwright represents the radical left, and they own his vote,” Bresnahan told Fox News Digital in March. Cartwright’s campaign has defended him as “the most bipartisan Democrat in the House, having introduced more bipartisan bills than any other Democrat since coming to Congress.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP All political eyes have been on Pennsylvania in recent months as the state emerged once again as a key battleground for the presidential race. Trump narrowly won the state in his successful 2016 election against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while President Biden declared victory in the Keystone State in the 2020 election. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
California DA Pamela Price recalled over ‘progressive leftist’ crime policies
Alameda County, California, District Attorney Pamela Price was recalled early Wednesday, less than two years after taking office, following backlash for her alleged soft-on-crime approach. The effort was backed by the recall committee Save Alameda for Everyone (SAFE), and passed with 64.8% of the vote, according to polling results from the county of Alameda. The committee includes former Alameda County prosecutors, county residents, community activists, and crime victims and victims’ families, according to the committee’s website. “It’s been a long, hard 18 months, and we’re hoping to see it turn around for all of the victims,” Brenda Grisham, principal officer for SAFE, told Fox News Digital. “And we’re not just talking about laws that are out there, but she came into office and implemented her own laws, and they were just not conducive and safe for the citizens of Alameda County.” ALAMEDA COUNTY DA PAMELA PRICE FACING RECALL AS SPECIAL ELECTION LOOMS: THE ‘PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN’ “They spoke their mind yesterday, and I’m so excited,” Grisham said. “We are thankful to the voters of Oakland for recalling Sheng Thao and to Alameda County for recalling Pamela Price,” Oakland Police Officers Association President Huy Nguyen said in a statement. “Voters recognized their progressive leftist policies directly harmed and impacted residents, neighborhoods, working and middle class families, and small businesses.” The group filed the necessary paperwork to begin fundraising for the effort in July 2023. The recall effort had acquired nearly 75,000 validated signatures by May of this year, according to the New York Post. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors set a recall election date of Nov. 5 in May. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was also ousted from office after her recall effort passed with 65% of the vote. NATHAN HOCHMAN OUSTS EMBATTLED LIBERAL PROSECUTOR GEORGE GASCÓN AS LA COUNTY DA AMID CRIME CONCERNS Several Alameda County families had spoken out against Price in the months leading up to her recall vote. Florance McCrary, whose 22-year-old son was shot and killed by a stray bullet in 2016, became a vocal advocate in calling for Price’s removal after she abruptly dropped the murder charge of her son’s alleged killer last year. “I was in total shock,” McCrary told Fox and Friends co-host Pete Hegseth. “It was unbelievable to realize that for the fight that took over six years to get to that, it was diminished to nothing. And while sitting there in court, learning even from the judge, well, this is the best we can do.” Fox News Digital reached out to Price’s office for comment. California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell also came out in support of the recall vote, holding a press conference in October where he argued Price had failed victims of violent crime, according to KTVU. PROPOSITION 36 OVERWHELMINGLY PASSES IN CALIFORNIA, REVERSING SOME SOROS-BACKED SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICIES “The cops catch, and Price releases,” Swalwell said. Swalwell also reportedly filed a defamatory claim against Price this week, claiming Price had made defamatory statements at a news conference a few weeks prior wherein she said that Swalwell wanted to recall her to “shield himself from unethical practices” that occurred while he was serving as a deputy district attorney, according to KTVU. “Pamela Price leaves me no choice but to file this claim against her for her deliberate and untrue statements,” Swalwell said in a statement to the outlet. Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell’s office for additional comment. Fox News Digital’s Bailee Hill contributed to this report.
‘Got our a–es kicked’: Dems privately fret about losing House after GOP victory in White House, Senate
Democrats are growing increasingly concerned that they will narrowly lose the House of Representatives after Republican victories in the Senate and White House. The balance of power in the House is expected to run razor-thin no matter who wins, but sources who spoke with Fox News Digital are worried that the Democrats’ path is narrowing. “We’re almost certainly going to lose the House by a narrow margin,” a senior House Democratic aide told Fox News Digital. “We got our a–es kicked.” The House aide found optimism, however, in Republicans’ comparatively decisive victories in the upper chamber and presidential race. THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS REMOVED FROM VOTER ROLLS, DOZENS OF LAWMAKERS WANT ANSWERS FROM GARLAND “If you told me [President-elect Trump] won the popular vote, dominated the electoral college, and they could end up with 56 seats in the Senate, this House map is really not too bad,” they said. A person familiar with House Democratic campaigns told Fox News Digital, “If last night is any indication of how the House will flip, I don’t feel confident. The American people are clearly not buying what we’re selling.” “I think it comes down to the economy, honestly,” the second source said. “People feel like they could have more in their bank account.” As of early Wednesday afternoon, Republicans led Democrats by nearly two dozen projected race wins, according to The Associated Press. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS ELECTION RESULTS The winning party must take 218 of 435 House races to control the chamber, and there are those on the Democratic side still holding out hope but acknowledging the margins would be thin. “I think Democrats are still hopeful…there’s a chance to get some flips to get a narrow majority,” longtime Democratic strategist Joel Rubin told Fox News Digital. Rubin pointed to toss-up seats in California and New York that still have not been called, which are currently held by Republican incumbents, as well as an open seat in Maryland that Democrats are fighting to keep. Democrats are poised to unseat two Republican incumbents – New York Reps. Marc Molinaro and Brandon Williams – so far in their quest to win the majority. Meanwhile, Republicans are projected to take control of the open Michigan seat that was vacated by Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin. Reps. Matt Cartwright and Susan Wild, vulnerable Democrats in Pennsylvania, conceded their races to their respective Republican challengers. On the presidential level, Democrats – including those in the House – have already started pointing fingers. Rep. Ritchie Torres, a pragmatic Democrat from New York, blamed the “far left” for Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss. “Donald Trump has no greater friend than the far left, which has managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Jews from the Democratic Party with absurdities like ‘Defund the Police’ or ‘From the River to the Sea’ or ‘Latinx,”’ Torres wrote on X. “The working class is not buying the ivory-towered nonsense that the far left is selling.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Fox News projects former President Trump to win Michigan
The Fox News Decision Desk projects that former President Donald Trump has won the critical swing state of Michigan over Vice President Kamala Harris. These 15 electoral votes will add to Trump’s projected victory in the 2024 race. Michigan, part of the so-called “Blue Wall” states that includes Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, was one of the most valuable targets for both candidates in this year’s race. Trump is projected to win the presidential election, and adds the pickup in Michigan to his total. Long known as a Democratic stronghold, Michigan had not gone to a Republican candidate since the late former President George H.W. Bush won the state in 1988. Trump ended that streak in 2016, narrowly defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by less than one percentage point on his way to the White House. ‘UNTAPPED VOTERS’: EXPERTS EXPLAIN HOW CAMPAIGNS TURN OUT VOTE IN MICHIGAN, OTHER BATTLEGROUNDS IN FINAL DAYS President Biden took the state back for Democrats in 2020 in another tight battle, restoring the Blue Wall along the way by also capturing similarly tight victories in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. MICHIGAN CAMPAIGN STOPS FROM PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ALREADY DOUBLE THAT OF 2020, 2016 Both candidates realized the value to the state for their prospects of winning in 2024, with Michigan receiving over double the amount of campaign events from both campaigns than it saw in 2016 and 2020 before the calendar even flipped to November. Michigan was one of seven swing states that were viewed as the most vital to winning the election, with the others being Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Combined, the seven states award 93 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidential election. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Mitch McConnell sings Trump campaign praises: ‘Sharper operation this time’
A smiling Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., congratulated both President-elect Trump for his projected win and his fellow Senate Republicans for being projected to retake the majority in the new Congress. He told reporters on Wednesday, it is “certainly a happy day for the GOP.” McConnell addressed the significance of the projected Trump win, remarking, “What he’s accomplished has not been done, as all of you know, since Grover Cleveland, which was a while back.” FOX NEWS DECISION DESK PROJECTS GOP TAKES BACK SENATE MAJORITY IN DEVASTATING BLOW TO DEMS Former President Grover Cleveland was notably the only president to serve non-consecutive terms. “I also want to commend the Trump campaign for running a sharper operation this time,” he added. The minority leader specifically touted the work of Trump campaign managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, saying they “deserve a lot of credit” and “ran a spectacular race.” The Fox News Decision Desk has projected that Republicans will re-take the Senate majority, flipping three blue seats. There are still several Senate races in battleground states that have yet to be called, meaning their majority could still grow. FOX NEWS PROJECTS TRUMP BEATS HARRIS IN WISCONSIN, FLIPPING ‘BLUE WALL’ STATE BACK TO RED McConnell, who announced in February that he would not seek the role of party leader in the new Congress, explained he “had really hoped I’d be able to hand over to my successor a majority.” “I’ve been the majority leader. I’ve been a minority leader. Majority is a lot better.” “Based on the fact that we haven’t got all the results, and we certainly already know we’re going to be in the majority, we’re hopeful that that might actually grow some,” he said. FOX NEWS DECISION DESK PROJECTS REPUBLICAN DEB FISCHER HOLDS SENATE SEAT DESPITE INDEPENDENT CHALLENGE He also credited National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines, R-Mont., for his leadership during the cycle. McConnell’s praise for the Trump campaign came just days after Trump mocked him at a North Carolina rally. “Hopefully we get rid of Mitch McConnell pretty soon ‘cause he helped them, that guy,” the former president said, suggesting he aided the Biden-Harris administration. He also made fun of the fact that McConnell had endorsed him earlier in the year, despite their well-documented issues with one another. “Can you believe he endorsed me?” Trump asked the crowd on Sunday. “Boy, that must have been a painful day in his life.” At the time, McConnell had said it should not be surprising that he would get behind the Republican nominee. However, before the election, a new book reminded voters of his true feelings for Trump. In “The Price of Power,” by Michael Tackett, deputy Washington bureau chief of The Associated Press, it was reported that McConnell referred to Trump at times as a “sleazeball,” “stupid,” “erratic,” a “despicable human being,” and a “narcissist.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Historian with streak of accurate election forecasts since 1984 falls short after 2024 Trump victory
Historian Allan Lichtman, who predicted nearly every election since 1984, was proved to have the wrong projection this cycle after President-elect Trump sailed to victory on Election Day. The Fox News Decision Desk projected Trump would win the presidency in the early hours of Wednesday, after Wisconsin’s call for the former president officially brought him above the magic number of 270 electoral votes needed to secure a win. Lichtman, an election forecaster who had previously correctly predicted nearly every presidential race since 1984, developed a formula that is used to make predictions about presidential elections. He predicted, after the Democratic National Convention, that Vice President Kamala Harris would win the White House this cycle – but election night results show his prediction was wrong. Lichtman’s “Keys to the White House” consists of 13 true or false questions that he believes establish a strong indication of who will be named the victor on election night. Each question is asked about the two dueling nominees; if “true” they are given a “key,” and if “false,” their competitor receives the point. TRUMP CLAIMS VICTORY, HARRIS SKIPS PARTY: THE BIGGEST SURPRISES OF ELECTION NIGHT The “keys” are as follows: party mandate, contest, incumbency, third party, short-term economy, long-term economy, policy change, social unrest, scandal, foreign/military failure, foreign/military success, incumbent charisma and challenger charisma. FOX NEWS VOTER ANALYSIS: HOW TRUMP REGAINED THE WHITE HOUSE According to Lichtman’s prediction, Harris held nine of the 13 keys before Election Day. These included no primary contest, no third party, short-term economy, long-term economy, policy change, no social unrest, no scandal, foreign/military success, and no challenger charisma. Trump, however, defeated Harris when he secured 277 electoral votes – and counting. “The keys show that Kamala Harris is a predicted winner,” Lichtman told Fox News Digital ahead of the election. After Trump was projected to be the 47th president, Lichtman said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he was “assessing last night’s results.” In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Lichtman said he will soon be addressing the results.
Liz Cheney acknowledges Trump’s victory: ‘We have a new President-elect’
Former Rep. Liz Cheney acknowledged former President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential election victory on Wednesday, noting in a post on X that the nation has “a new President-elect.” Cheney, a vociferous Trump critic who supported Vice President Kamala Harris in the election, asserted that Americans must accept the result. “Our nation’s democratic system functioned last night and we have a new President-elect. All Americans are bound, whether we like the outcome or not, to accept the results of our elections,” Cheney declared in her post. LIZ CHENEY BLASTS TRUMP AS ‘DEPRAVED,’ ‘UNSTABLE,’ CLAIMS PRO-LIFE AND PRO-CHOICE WOMEN RALLYING BEHIND HARRIS “We now have a special responsibility, as citizens of the greatest nation on earth, to do everything we can to support and defend our Constitution, preserve the rule of law, and ensure that our institutions hold over these coming four years. Citizens across this country, our courts, members of the press and those serving in our federal, state and local governments must now be the guardrails of democracy,” she added. Cheney was one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Later, she served on the House Select Committee that investigated the episode. Trump and Cheney had both been excoriating each other. TRUMP CRITICISM OF LIZ CHENEY AS ‘RADICAL WAR HAWK’ FRAMED AS CALL FOR VIOLENCE BY ‘IRRESPONSIBLE’ MEDIA Trump called her “a very dumb individual” and “a radical war hawk.” Cheney blasted Trump, declaring in a post on X, “We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant.” Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger also acknowledged the election outcome. TRUMP LAMBASTES LIZ CHENEY AS ‘CRAZED WARHAWK’ AS SHE CAMPAIGNS FOR KAMALA HARRIS “Last night the battle was lost, but the mission continues. We move on, regroup, and prepare for the next one,” Kinzinger tweeted. Like Cheney, Kinzinger was also one of the House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Capitol riot. He also served on the House Select Committee formed to probe the episode and he backed Harris during the 2024 White House contest.
Harris world blame game begins after crushing loss to Trump
President-elect Trump’s historic victory over Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday has surrogates of the Democratic candidate pointing fingers and laying blame for the defeat – even before Harris officially concedes. Harris-Walz surrogate Lyndi Li spoke to Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich at Howard University, Harris’ alma mater, in Washington, D.C., saying that the Harris team wasn’t “expecting a blowout at all.” “The blame game has started,” said Li, a member of the DNC National Finance Committee and Pennsylvania commissioner. Li said that Harris’ pick for vice president, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, may not have been the right choice to carry the “blue wall” states against the Trump-Vance ticket. TRUMP CLAIMS VICTORY, HARRIS SKIPS PARTY: THE BIGGEST SURPRISES OF ELECTION NIGHT “One of the things that are top of mind is the choice of Tim Walz as vice presidential candidate,” Li said. “A lot of people are saying tonight that it should have been Josh Shapiro. Frankly, people have been saying that for months.” “I know a lot of people are probably wondering tonight what would have happened had Shapiro been on the ticket,” Li continued. “And not only in terms of Pennsylvania. He’s famously a moderate. So that would have signaled to the American people that she is not the San Francisco liberal that Trump said she was.” Li added that she was “not sure how much Tim Walz contributed to the ticket” as the campaign was forced into “cleaning up” the governor’s “laundry list” of gaffes. “In the eyes of the American people, he was the governor who oversaw the protests in Minnesota and probably let it go on longer than he should have. So that has been seared in the minds of American people,” she said. “And also, ideally, you don’t say on national TV that you’re a knucklehead,” Li said, referring to a moment during the Vice Presidential Debate in which Walz was forced to correct a misstatement that he had been in Hong Kong during the deadly Tiananmen Square protests in the spring of 1989. “I just think that’s his very baseline stuff, like politics 101.” Li noted that Harris’ attempt to present herself as “a unifier” may have “undermined her goal” of getting Biden supporters “who were maybe still understandably upset that their leader was unceremoniously, basically pushed aside.” LIBERALS FUME ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS FOX NEWS PROJECTS TRUMP WINNING PRESIDENCY: ‘WHAT IS F—ING HAPPENING’ Harris appearance on ABC’s “The View” may also have been a missed opportunity to show how a Harris administration would not have just been a repeat of Biden’s four years, according to Li. “She knows a mistake was to say on ‘The View’ that she couldn’t think of a single thing that she would do differently from the Biden administration,” Li said. “That was the opener for her to show Americans that she’s going to get tough on the border, that she’s going to take drastic measures to bring down inflation. That was her chance.” Li also pointed to concerns about the leadership of Harris’ Pennsylvania team making poor staffing decisions that ultimately led to muddled campaign messaging. “[Harris] heard us. We raised serious concerns about the Pennsylvania campaign’s leadership,” Li said. “She actually installed someone on her own people in the final weeks of the campaign, but I fear it was too late. …We should have people who deeply understand, intimately understand the contours of the state rather than out-of-state operatives who move from campaign to campaign.” Harris did not speak to supporters who gathered at her alma mater overnight. She is expected to speak later Wednesday.