New Mexico Democratic Rep. Gabriel Vasquez projected to beat Trump-backed GOP challenger
New Mexico Democratic Rep. Gabriel Vasquez is projected to defeat Republican challenger Yvette Herrell, holding on to his seat for a second term. Vasquez and Herrell previously squared off in the 2022 election cycle, when Vasquez won by less than 1%. Vasquez has represented New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses Las Cruces and a southern portion of Albuquerque, since 2023. The race was considered a toss-up, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) identifying the district as vulnerable for defeat against Republican challengers this election cycle. Vasquez touted expanding the economy, protecting abortion access, combating climate change and passing “comprehensive” immigration laws as his campaign platforms. PRO-DEFUND POLICE DEM IN KEY RACE ONCE THREATENED TO ‘KILL’ AND ‘BURY’ MAN OVER THE PHONE: POLICE RECORDS The congressman came under fire from conservatives in the lead-up to the election, including for his previous comments supporting defunding the police. Vasquez appeared on a local news station seemingly dressed in disguise during the 2020 George Floyd unrest and said, “It’s not just about defunding police, it’s about defunding a system that privileges White people over everyone else.” Vasquez previously vowed he would “fully support” cutting in half the police budget of Las Cruces, where he served on the city council, Fox News Digital previously reported. BALANCE OF POWER: FIVE RACES THAT COULD DECIDE CONTROL OF THE HOUSE IN NOVEMBER “I wholeheartedly and absolutely support police reform and the #blacklivesmatter movement, and will not be stopping short of transformational reform that brings justice to our city and to people of color in our community. You can count on my support,” Vasquez wrote to a constituent demanding “at least” a 50% reduction of the Las Cruces police department budget. He has since said he opposes defunding the police. VULNERABLE DEMS WON’T SAY WHETHER BIDEN SHOULD BE NOMINEE: ‘PRESIDENT CAN MAKE HIS OWN DECISIONS’ Vasquez served on the Las Cruces City Council from 2017 to 2021 before launching his career in the U.S. House. Herrell campaigned on a platform of securing the border, bucking the “political class in Washington” that has “forgotten about the hardworking, middle-class of America,” building the economy and “putting New Mexico first.” Former President Trump endorsed Herrell earlier this year, when she won the Republican primary. “A successful entrepreneur, Yvette knows how to Expand our Economy, Fight Inflation, and Create High-Paying Jobs,” Trump wrote. “She will work hard to Lower Gas Prices, Support our Vets, Strengthen our Military, Secure our Border, and Defend the Second Amendment.” Herrell served in New Mexico House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019, and in Congress from 2021 to 2023. Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Progressive prosecutor in county where Laken Riley was found dead at hands of illegal migrant loses reelection
A progressive prosecutor in the Georgia county where Laken Riley was found murdered by an illegal immigrant lost her reelection bid. District Attorney of Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties, Deborah Gonzalez, lost by a landslide on Tuesday. The incumbent lost to Republican Kalki Yalamanchili by 75% of the vote. Gonzalez was elected in 2020 in an election bid funded by progressive donors pushing for criminal justice reform in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests and the defund the police movement. Riley was a nursing student at Augusta University who was found dead near a lake on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22. An illegal immigrant has been charged with her murder. LAKEN RILEY MURDER: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT IN GEORGIA COLLEGE STUDENT SLAYING ASKS TO HIDE CERTAIN EVIDENCE At the time of her election to the top criminal justice spot, Gonzalez championed that she was “unapologetically” progressive. “I think part of it is because I’m outspoken, and I am unapologetically a Democrat, and I consider myself a progressive prosecutor,” Gonzalez said of the criticism. SUSPECT IN LAKEN RILEY’S MURDER IS INDICTED “There are many prosecutors who don’t like that word — progressive — but to me, what it means is that we need to look at this differently. … We need to always ask ourselves, ‘Is this in the interest of justice?’” she said. After Jose Ibarra, an illegal migrant from Venezuela, was charged with her murder, residents turned to elected officials for answers. The Georgia legislature proposed HB 1105 following her death, with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signing it into law in May 2024. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS ELECTION RESULTS “Georgians have witnessed the disastrous impact lawlessness is having on communities across the country,” Kemp said during the signing. “Thanks to the work of our legislative partners in the General Assembly, we are able to once again send the message that such lawlessness will find no safe haven in Georgia,” he said. “I am proud to sign legislation that boosts our recruitment of law enforcement officers, makes our communities safer, and provides our judicial system with even tougher tools to bring violent offenders to justice.” Former President Donald Trump blamed the Biden-Harris administration and their border policies for the Augusta University student’s homicide. In turn, Harris has criticized Republicans for turning against the bipartisan border security deal after Trump decried it. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Fox News projects Trump beats Harris in Wisconsin, flipping ‘blue wall’ state back to red
The Fox News Decision Desk projects former President Donald Trump has won the state of Wisconsin in the 2024 election against Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump officially beat Harris in the once “blue wall” state, which was considered a toss-up by political handicappers across the board. As a result, Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes will be allocated to Trump in his bid for the White House. CHECK OUT OUR FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB HERE The Midwestern state has been thought to be crucial to Democrat wins for executive office. Notably, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s failure to campaign in the state was credited by many for her loss to Trump in 2016. President Biden’s 2020 defeat of Trump included flipping Wisconsin and a number of other states for Democrats. HARRIS BREAKS SILENCE AFTER GOP LEADERS SAY ANTI-TRUMP RHETORIC ‘RISKS INVITING’ ANOTHER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Both Trump and Harris made Wisconsin a focal point of their presidential campaigns, visiting the state frequently through the last weeks of the election. The two candidates each emphasized their support for workers in the state, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., even lent his help to Harris’ effort to court working-class voters. SEN TAMMY BALDWIN HITS BACK AT GOP OPPONENT’S CLINTON COMPARISON: ‘ACTUALLY CALLED YOU DEPLORABLE’ Trump deployed his own star power in the state, featuring former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre at a Wisconsin rally roughly a week before the election. Fox News Power Rankings held that the state was a “Toss Up” going into the contest. SAM BROWN BEGINS TO CLOSE GAP WITH INCUMBENT SEN. JACKY ROSEN IN BATTLEGROUND NEVADA One of the factors that defined the race in Wisconsin was the significant gap between men and women in polls, with men more often supporting Trump and women more often supporting Harris. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Fox News projects Donald Trump defeats Kamala Harris to become 47th president of the United States
The Fox News Decision Desk projects former President Trump has defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in a stunning victory, delivering him a second term in the White House after a historic election cycle filled with unprecedented twists and turns and two attempts on his life. Trump defeated Vice President Harris, who entered this race just over 100 days ago. Trump will be the first president to serve two nonconsecutive terms since Grover Cleveland in 1892 — and only the second in history. Trump was first elected president in 2016, defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and vowing to “Make America Great Again.” He lost re-election to President Biden in 2020 during the global coronavirus pandemic but re-claimed the White House in 2024 after a nearly two-year campaign, vowing to “Make America Great Once Again.” CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION The President-elect was pushed over the 270 electoral vote threshold after a stunning win in the battleground states of North Carolina, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Trump’s comeback win was official after Fox News called Wisconsin in his favor, a state he narrowly lost in 2020. Pennsylvania was one of the most important states Trump to won, with Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign having identified it as one of three Rust Belt states on its “clearest path to 270 electoral votes.” The once and future president also took Georgia, no doubt a sweet victory for him after a bitter, narrow loss there in 2020. Trump formally announced his presidential campaign on Nov. 15, 2022 – just days after the midterm elections. Trump campaigned for a second term on the record of his first and focused on the failures of the Biden-Harris administration. The former president was able to point to the reversal of some of his key policies as reasons why inflation rose and the U.S. border crisis worsened. Trump faced a crowded GOP primary field, but emerged as the frontrunner yet again, easily defeating his opponents – all of whom eventually endorsed him to be the 47th President of the United States – and winning each primary contest. Until July, Trump was running against Biden, who was seeking re-election for a second term. But the two debated for the first time in June, and weeks later, after a disastrous debate performance, Biden was pressured by Democrat insiders to suspend his presidential bid. BIDEN ENDS BID FOR SECOND TERM IN WHITE HOUSE AS HE DROPS OUT OF HIS 2024 REMATCH WITH TRUMP Biden made the announcement in a social media post and endorsed Harris to be the Democratic presidential nominee in his place, moving his vice president to the top of the ticket. The decision for Biden to drop out of the race came just days after the Republican National Convention (RNC) finished, and after Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, formally accepted the GOP nomination. But Trump, just days before accepting the Republican nomination, survived an assassination attempt at a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. During the event, Trump was showing off a chart highlighting how illegal immigration skyrocketed under the Biden-Harris administration. As he turned toward the chart, he was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear by the now-deceased would-be-assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks. Trump credits the chart for saving his life. TRUMP SAYS HE WAS ‘SHOT WITH A BULLET’ IN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY But weeks later, in September, another would-be-assassin hid himself in the bushes at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida. The gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, had an AK-47-style rifle pointing through the fence toward Trump as he was golfing. Trump was rushed off the golf course by U.S. Secret Service agents unharmed. TRUMP BLAMES BIDEN-HARRIS ‘RHETORIC’ FOR LATEST ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, SAYS HE WILL ‘SAVE THE COUNTRY’ Just a day later, Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the “rhetoric” of Biden, Harris and the Democrats was to blame. “He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it,” Trump said of the gunman. “Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country – both from the inside and out.” The general election showcased two very different visions for the future of the United States of America. The Trump campaign touted pro-growth, America first economic policies, securing the border, ending inflation, and restoring “peace through strength” as part of the president’s plan. The Trump campaign’s closing message was: “Harris broke it. Trump will fix it.” TRUMP MAKES FRIES AT PENNSYLVANIA MCDONALD’S: ‘I’VE NOW WORKED FOR 15 MINUTES MORE THAN KAMALA’ In the final weeks of the campaign, Trump traveled to Pennsylvania to work at a McDonald’s drive-thru window as a fry cook in a jab at Harris, who previously claimed that she worked at the fast-food chain. Meanwhile, Harris campaigned that Trump was a threat to democracy and warned supporters that he would sign a national abortion ban – something Trump repeatedly denied. As for the rhetoric, it never quite fizzled. Trump held a massive, sold-out campaign rally just a week before Election Day at Madison Square Garden in traditionally blue New York City. Democrats, including Harris, later likened Trump to “Hitler.” TRUMP, POWERHOUSE GUESTS ROCK PACKED MSG WITH HISTORIC RALLY And less than a week before Election Day, Biden described Trump supporters as “garbage.” Trump landed key endorsements from top Republicans during his bid for the White House but also created unlikely allies, like former Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. Trump also drew support from top business leaders like Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick. Lutnick told Fox News Digital that many Wall Street leaders had privately committed their support to Trump. Trump’s victory comes after years of what his
‘Tireless campaign’: Reactions pour in after GOP challenger flips crucial Senate seat held by longtime Dem
Reactions are pouring in on social media after Republican Bernie Moreno ended Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown’s nearly 20-year tenure in the United States Senate and Republicans moved toward a majority in the Senate. “This is an important flip for the Republicans,” Fox News anchor Bret Baier posted on X after the Fox News Decision Desk projected Moreno as the winner against Brown Tuesday night. “The party is edging closer to an outright Senate majority.” Shortly after Moreno was projected as the winner, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Republicans will flip the Senate and control the chamber in the next term. OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS BIDEN ADMIN, LEFTIST GROUPS ARE PUSHING BACK ON VOTER ROLL AUDITS “That’s 51!” South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott posted on X. “Congrats Bernie Moreno!” “Congrats to Bernie Moreno on a tough, tireless campaign to unseat a near 50-year political incumbent and one of the most radically out of touch politicians in Ohio’s history,” Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who ran against Moreno in the state’s primary, posted on X. “I know better than most how hard Bernie worked on this campaign, and he’ll be a relentless fighter for Ohio in the Senate.” CRITICS WARN RED STATE BALLOT MEASURE IS PROGRESSIVE ‘POWER GRAB’ THAT WILL ‘DECIMATE’ VOICE OF VOTERS “Congratulations to my friend Bernie Moreno!” Ohio Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted posted on X. “Ohio is sending a true America First champion to fight for us in the Senate. Your victory is a win for Ohio and America.” “Bravo Bernie Moreno!” Political commentator Hugh Hewit posted on X. “Buckeye State with two R senators.” “*Senator* Bernie Moreno,” former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy posted on X. “Congratulations my man!” “BIG win tonight for Bernie Moreno and the people of Ohio!” Missouri GOP Sen. Eric Schmitt posted on X. “Bernie is the embodiment of the American Dream. He loves this country and the state he represents. I look forward to working with Bernie in the Senate.” Brown was facing an uphill battle running as a Democrat in a state that Trump won by eight points in 2020, and Trump was leading in Ohio on Tuesday night around midnight ET by 11 points.
Moderate GOP Rep Marc Molinaro projected to lose re-election after $35M battle in heavy blow to House GOP
Democrat Josh Riley is projected to unseat first-term Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., in a blow to House Republicans’ hopes of keeping control over half of Congress next year. The battle for New York’s 19th Congressional District – spanning parts of upstate New York, the Hudson Valley and distant suburbs outside New York City and Albany – was among the most expensive in the country. The Associated Press called Molinaro’s race in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Both sides and their allies spent more than $35 million on digital and TV ads, Politico reported in September. TOP 5 CLASHES BETWEEN VANCE, WALZ DURING DEBATE SHOWDOWN: ‘YOUR MICS ARE CUT’ It was also viewed as a proxy for the national conversations around border security and abortion, two issues that have become political lightening rods in recent elections. Molinaro was elected in 2022, defeating Riley by less than 2% amid a wave of suburban backlash to New York City’s progressive crime policies. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION He was one of several Republicans elected to a district President Biden won in 2020. Riley’s campaign website touts him as a fifth-generation upstate New Yorker who came from modest means. SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ His previous Capitol Hill experience involved working as general counsel to former Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Molinaro’s loss in the district also signals peril for House Republicans across the board: While his race was viewed as competitive, he was not thought to be as vulnerable as other New York Republicans with districts closer to its cities. As of AP’s projection of the race, Republicans were projected to have won 184 seats compared to 156 for House Democrats.
Vicente Gonzalez declares victory to hold onto South Texas congressional district
Both major parties poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into winning the seat, a rematch between Mayra Flores and Vicente Gonzalez.
Fox News projects Trump victory over Harris in Pennsylvania
Fox News Decision Desk projects former President Donald Trump has won the critical swing state of Pennsylvania over Vice President Kamala Harris. Polls showed a close race throughout the campaign for Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes. Pennsylvania was once characterized by then-Bill Clinton campaign strategist James Carville as “Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between.” PENNSYLVANIA’S AMISH ARE A KEY, YET HESITANT VOTING BLOC The two cities again were strongholds for Harris and Democrats down the ticket, while Republicans are projected to fare well in the midstate, particularly in Reps. Glenn Thompson’s, R-Pa., and John Joyce’s, R-Pa., districts. Both candidates also visited the Commonwealth multiple times. Trump notably held a rally in Allentown, the third-largest city, in a key congressional district analyzed as “EVEN” by the Cook Political Report. Harris, meanwhile, appeared to focus her campaigning in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area – where President Biden hails from – as well as Pittsburgh. Biden also visited the Scranton area during the campaign, and spoke to union labor in Northeast Philadelphia, the reddest part of the deep-blue city. CRISS-CROSSING PA TO REGISTER VOTERS, PRESLER SEES COUNTIES FLIP RED Trump notably broke the proverbial blue wall in 2016 by winning Pennsylvania, while Biden won it back for the Democrats in 2020. During the campaign, Republican activist Scott Presler was a ubiquitous sight around the state, registering voters at flea markets, community fairs and Penn State football games. A “Team Trump” bus tour featuring surrogates from Pennsylvania and across the nation wound its way through the Keystone State, notably making stops in Duncansville, Chambersburg and Newport. The traditionally ‘purple’ Rust Belt commonwealth has returned to “political battleground” conversations in recent years, after Trump upset Hillary Clinton there in 2016. While the governor’s office has flipped every few terms and the legislature is typically Republican majority – though not entirely as of late – Democrats fare much better than the GOP on the presidential level. Trump narrowly defeated Clinton by close to the same margin Biden defeated the then-incumbent in 2020. Democrats have made gains on the House and Senate level there in the time since, with Pat Toomey’s formerly red seat going to then-Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in 2022. Democrats also flipped a key swing district upon the 2018 retirement of anti-Trump Republican Charles W. Dent in Allentown, and Rep. Scott Perry’s, R-Pa., Cumberland Valley seat is primed for a close contest. One top state official who was optimistic about Trump’s chances was State Sen. Cris Dush, R-Brookville, whose district covers more than 10% of the state in its forested northwestern expanse. Dush’s district covers all-or-parts-of Jefferson, Elk, Cameron, Centre, Clinton, McKean and Potter counties. Centre – home to Penn State University – was a rare blue county in the midstate targeted by Republicans like activist Scott Presler during his statewide GOP voter registration push. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Dush noted neighboring Clinton County, home to Lock Haven, was solidly Democratic until the Trump era. “They just went over 3-to-1 Republican.” “This is a massive shift that’s coming in rural Pennsylvania… and part of it is that my working class, middle-age and senior constituents are seeing what’s happening to their jobs and with inflation and this craziness,” he said. “With a man now being able to be called a woman: that kind of stuff too. They’ve just finally had enough.” Pennsylvania 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, Michigan and Wisconsin. There are also several key congressional races this cycle in Pennsylvania, as Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., tries to fend off a challenge from GOP State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Macungie, Rep. Matthew Cartwright faces off with businessman Rob Bresnahan Jr., and Rep. Chris Deluzio is in a key match-up with State Rep. Rob Mercuri, R-Pine. 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.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the meaning of a Republican Senate – and What’s Ahead for the House
With the Senate flipping to the GOP column, it’s unclear how many Republicans they’ll have. But they could have well over 50 votes. But they won’t have 60 yeas to crack a filibuster. That could mean a pressure campaign to eliminate the filibuster. Here’s the other dynamic: Democrats are holding the seats they need to potentially win the House. Democrats have already flipped one key NY seat in their favor. POLICE ARREST MAN AT US CAPITOL SMELLING OF FUEL WHO HAD MANIFESTO, FLARE GUN AND BLOW TORCH With a GOP Senate and the possibility of a Democratic House, we would be on the precipice of history. A ‘VERY DIFFERENT SCENARIO’ FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTIONS IN 2024 There has NEVER been a double flip in U.S. history where one body flips in one direction and the other flips in the other. With a Republican Senate, there will be a race now for Majority Leader between Thune, Cornyn, and Rick Scott. That leadership vote is scheduled for next Wednesday. THE SPEAKER’S LOBBY: GHOSTS OF THE REPUBLIC And it’s possible that Trump could influence who he wants to lead the GOP in the Senate. Also, if Democrats are able to flip the House, the roots of this can be traced back to swapping out Biden for Harris.
Democrat Adam Schiff wins Dianne Feinstein’s former Senate seat
Rep. Adam Schiff has won the late Dianne Feinstein’s U.S. Senate seat, beating out GOP challenger and former MLB star Steve Garvey, The Associated Press projected Tuesday night. Garvey, who refused to ask for an endorsement from former President Trump and embraced being a “conservative moderate,” congratulated Schiff during an election night appearance with his supporters. “I want you to know that, despite the outcome, that when the counting is over, we will have gotten the fourth most number of votes in the country,” Garvey said. “This means that everyone in California does have a voice, and it will only grow louder and louder. FOX NEWS PROJECTS JUSTICE VICTORY IN WEST VIRGINIA AS GOP FLIPS SENATE SEAT “I want to sincerely thank you for your support and vote. It was an honor to be your nominee and represent you around this great state of ours, to discuss the issues and ideas that we care about most — the cost of living, fixing our homeless crisis, making our communities safe, improving our public schools and securing our border,” Garvey said. The Los Angeles-area congressman, who rose to national prominence as the lead prosecutor in President Trump’s first impeachment trial, defeated a Republican former baseball star who had tried to parlay his sports celebrity into a political career. Schiff, who was favored to win in deeply blue California, did not immediately release a statement. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS ELECTION RESULTS Garvey, a former MLB first baseman, spent a week in Israel as part of his campaign efforts earlier this year to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in California and set himself apart from his Democratic opponent during the college campus riots. Schiff shaped his campaign around national issues, including abortion rights, while continuing to play a foil to Trump, calling the former president a threat to democracy. He also contrasted his years of experience in Congress — Schiff was first elected to the House in 2000 — against Garvey, a first-time candidate who positioned himself as an outsider with a fresh perspective to deal with California’s long-running homeless crisis, inflation and housing costs. Feinstein, a Democrat elected to the Senate in 1992, died at 90 in September 2023. Laphonza Butler, a Democratic insider and former labor leader, was appointed to the seat after Feinstein’s death and decided not to seek a full term this year. Republicans in California have struggled in recent years to gain momentum in their campaigns, often overshadowed by a Democratic trifecta. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. The Associated Press contributed to this report.