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Iowa's Mariannette Miller-Meeks has a primary challenger, Davenport's David Pautsch
Des Moines Register
November 16, 2023
A Republican businessman and minister from Davenport says he's running for Iowa's 1st Congressional District, launching a primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in southeast Iowa.
David Pautsch, the longtime organizer of the annual Quad Cities Prayer Breakfast, told the Des Moines Register he was running for the seat out of a desire to expand the role of faith in government and to ost Miller-Meeks, whom he criticized as "out of step" with the Republican Party. His candidacy was first reported by the Quad-City Times.
"She just doesn't act like a team player," Pautsch said in an interview. "She's off doing her own thing. We'll, I don't know if she's a Democrat or Republican. I'd like to find out." Read more
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WG Economy: The Trust Gap In University
Handling Of Campus Protests
WG Economy | David Winston
November 15, 2023
In our latest survey for Winning the Issues following the October 7 attacks (October 18-19), we asked voters how they viewed college and university handling of demonstrations related to the attacks in Israel. At the time of fielding, campus controversies had started but have escalated since then. The survey shows bipartisan dissatisfaction with how colleges and universities have handled the controversy so far. Only 18% said they approved of how campuses were handling these situations, with 40% disapproving and 42% unsure. WG Economy, November 15, 2023.pdf
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A secret weapon in the fight for abortion rights?
Fed-up Republican women
USA Today | Savannah Kuchar & Karissa Waddick
November 15, 2023
Abortion rights proponents may have had a secret weapon - fed-up Republican women - when they notched a big win in Ohio last week. Analysts say that could spell trouble for the GOP in 2024.
Ohio's Issue 1, a hard-fought referendum that enshrined abortion rights in the ruby-red state's constitution despite the opposition of the state's powerful Republican party and leading churches, passed Nov. 7 with more than 56% of the vote.
While it's too soon to have any concrete data, Republican strategist Susan Del Percio said the Ohio ballot measure is a strong indication that some GOP women are breaking from the party on key issues. Read more
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The Utah House has a new speaker. Here's how it shuffles GOP leadership in the Legislature
Rep. Mike Schultz was elected by Republican lawmakers
to lead the Utah House
The Salt Lake Tribune | Bryan Schott
November 14, 2023
Rep. Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, took another step in his meteoric political rise on Tuesday evening, winning the election to succeed Brad Wilson as speaker of the Utah House of Representatives.
House Republicans met behind closed doors to pick a replacement for outgoing Wilson, who is resigning to focus on his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Mitt Romney. Romney revealed in September he would not seek another term in Congress next year. Schultz defeated Rep. Melissa Garff-Ballard, R-North Salt Lake, to become speaker. Read more
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House votes to prevent a government shutdown as GOP Speaker Johnson relies on Democrats for help
Associated Press | Lisa Mascaro & Stephen Groves
November 14, 2023
The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to prevent a government shutdown after new Republican Speaker Mike Johnson was forced to reach across the aisle to Democrats when hard-right conservatives revolted against his plan.
Johnson's proposal to temporarily fund the government into the new year passed on a bipartisan 336-95 tally, but 93 Republicans voted against it. It was the first time the new speaker had to force vital legislation through the House, and he showed a willingness to leave his right-flank Republicans behind - the same political move that cost the last House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, his job just weeks ago.
For now, Johnson of Louisiana appeared on track for a better outcome. His approach, which the Senate is expected to approve by week's end, effectively pushes a final showdown over government funding to the new year. Read more
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Democrats Plan to Spend Millions to
Weaken Republican Supermajorites
The party is targeting states with Democratic governors but overwhelming Republican legislative control, effectively battling to win back veto power.
The New York Times | Nick Corasaniti
November 14, 2023
Democrats are planning to spend millions of dollars next year on just a few state legislative elections in Kansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Wisconsin - states where they have little to no chance of winning control of the chamber.
Yet what might appear to be an aimless move is decidedly strategic: Democrats are pushing to break up Republican supermajorities in states with Democratic governors, effectively battling to win back the veto pen district by district. Such supermajorities result when a single political party has enough votes in both chambers of a legislature to override a governor's veto, often, though not always, by controlling two-thirds of the chamber. Read more
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Perfect predictions: Virginia Tech senior
from Newport News correctly forecasts
every race result of Virginia elections
Chaz Nuttycombe hopes the website he created, CNalysis can grow into a more powerful political forecasting tool
13News Now | Alex Littlehales
November 14, 2023
As the county watched Democratic candidates take control of both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly in the high-profile state elections, Virginia Tech senior Chaz Nuttycombe knew he had beaten everyone else to the punch. Nuttycombe, a political science major, correctly forecasted the results of every one of the 140 General Assembly races on the ballot this November.
Nuttycombe has ties to Hampton Roads. He was originally born in Newport News before his family moved outside of Richmond. Much of his extended family resides in, or has resided in Newport News for years. Read more
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Michigan Dems to lose majority for months;
quick special elections unlikely
Bridge Michigan | Jonathan Oosting
November 14, 2023
A push to fill vacant Michigan House seats by late February is not realistic, Speaker Joe Tate said Tuesday, indicating Democrats are bracing to lose their majority voting power for longer than originally anticipated.
Democrats are expected to eventually win back both seats made vacant when state Reps. Kevin Coleman and Lori Stone last week won mayoral elections in Westland and Warren, respectively.
Party leaders had hoped to hold a special election primary in early January to set up a general election coinciding with the Feb. 27 presidential primary. But "I don't see that as feasible," Tate told Bridge Michigan on Tuesday, indicating that it's "highly probable" that the 54-54 tie in the state House will last beyond February. Read more
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Kari Lake offers solution to Republican election losses, predicts GOP voters will 'show up' for one major name
Lake called on Republicans to invest in families,
women as a strategy to combat abortion
FOX News | Brandon Gillespie
November 13, 2023
Conservative firebrand and Republican Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake is offering a solution to her own party following its multiple election losses last week, telling Fox News Digital that success at the polls would come to the GOP in 2024 because its voters would "show up" to vote for one major name on the ballot.
"When we get President Trump on the ticket, we get some great people who are going to put the citizens of their states and the country first," Lake said, just days removed from an election night that saw Republicans lose a gubernatorial race in deep-red Kentucky and Democrats winning total control of the Virginia state legislature. Read more
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Tim Scott suspends 2024 GOP primary bid
The Hill | Caroline Vakil
November 12, 2023
Republican presidential contender Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) has dropped out of the 2024 GOP primary, the latest high-profile exit from the race.
Scott made the announcement on Fox News' "Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy," the host himself a former Republican South Carolina congressman who wrote a book with Scott.
"I love America more today than I did on May 22nd, but when I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my campaign," Scott told Gowdy. "I think the voters who are the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear that they're telling me not me, not now, Tim.". Read more
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House Republicans elect Gilbert as minority leader
The current speaker managed to fend off a challenge by
Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott County, for the House GOP's
top job after last week's Democratic victory
Cardinal News | Markus Schmidt
November 12, 2023
House Republicans on Sunday elected Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, as their next minority leader when the new General Assembly reconvenes under a Democratic majority in January.
Gilbert managed to fend off an intra-party challenge from Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott County, the current House majority leader who sought the House GOP's top job after Republicans lost their control of the chamber after last week's election.
"I'm honored that my colleagues have once again put their trust in me to lead our Republican team for the coming term," Gilbert said in a statement. "I look forward to working with our caucus to advance our shared Republican values and serve as a check on the worst far-left policies put forward by the incoming Democratic majority."
Del. Amanda Batten, R-James City County, was reelected caucus chair, and Del. Michael Webert, R-Fauquier, was reelected Republican whip. Read more
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NewsNation to host fourth 2024 GOP
presidential primary debate
KRON4| Devan Markham
November 10, 2023
NewsNation announced Thursday it will host the fourth 2024 Republican presidential primary debate at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The live debate will air on NewsNation, at 8 p.m. ET on December 6. It will be broadcast simultaneously in the eastern and central time zones on the company's broadcast television network, The CW.
"NewsNation's mission is to provide fair and unbiased news coverage, and that's the way we will approach this important debate. We take this responsibility very seriously and are proud to help inform and educate voters and to contribute to the democratic process," Michael Corn, president of news at NewsNation, said.
The debate will also be live-streamed on NewsNation's website.
Elizabeth Vargas, the Peabody award-winning anchor of NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas Reports; Megyn Kelly, host of The Megyn Kelly Show on SiriusXM; and Elaina Johnson, editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon, will moderate the December debate. Read more
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GOPAC in the News
PAC to pump $4.5M into House elections for
'pragmatic governing conservatives'
Washington Examiner | Reese Gorman
November 8, 2023
A super PAC focused on electing pragmatic conservatives with proven successes at the state level laid out a multimillion-dollar investment in key congressional races.
GOPAC plans to raise $4.5 million to support GOP congressional candidates this cycle, according to a new memo obtained by the Washington Examiner.
The money would go "directly in our endorsed candidates through a mix of contributions and independent expenditures, including polling, research and mixed media campaigns of television, digital, mail, etc., to key primary voter universes."
"We have a long history of helping to elect Republicans to not only state office but also helping them go on to federal office," said David Avella, the chairman of GOPAC. "Our independent expenditure efforts are more focused on expanding the number of pragmatic governing conservatives who serve in Congress." Read more
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WG Discussion Points: Were Tuesday's Elections An Outlier Or Harbinger For Republicans
WG Discussion Points | David Winston
November 10, 2023
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This week's elections were disappointing for Republicans, most notably Virginia and Kentucky. Despite voter dissatisfaction with Biden policies and worries about inflation, Republicans weren't able to translate those issue opportunities into winning elections. One year ago this week, there was another election with Republicans being disappointed over an absence of a Red Wave. Given the timing, many Republicans are feeling a bit of deja vu.
This week began with Democrats panicking over the New York Times/Siena poll, with some suggesting Biden should drop out. Democrats are right to panic with what the survey showed: a generic Republican candidate winning all six battleground states by double-digit margins, and Trump winning the cumulative six states by four points. After Tuesday's election, Democrats are bullish again and think abortion can overcome Biden's challenges. We don't agree with Democrats' assumptions about Tuesday's elections and believe Democrats don't do enough to evaluate their strategies and current messaging. However, Republicans should ask themselves - if the same disappointing outcomes continue to happen, what needs to be done differently on the Republican side? This week's result should give Republicans pause and an opportunity for any course corrections needed. WG Discussion Points, November 10, 2023.pdf
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