Archive for the ‘Republicans’ Category

How Democrats and Republicans plan to cast their ballots in November – YouGov US

As was the case during the 2020 presidential election, there are partisan differences in how Americans intend to cast their ballots in Novembers elections. The bulk of people who say they will vote on Election Day (November 8) will vote Republican, while most people who plan to cast their ballots before Election Day will vote Democratic.

A majority of likely voters (57%) who say they will vote in-person on Election Day say they will vote for the Republican candidate in the district where they live. Meanwhile, 61% of likely voters who plan to vote by absentee ballot either by mail or by dropping off their ballot at a vote center or drop box say they will support the Democrats. Likely voters who plan to vote in-person prior to Election Day through early voting slightly favor Democrats: 50% of this group would pick the Democratic candidate, while 45% would choose the Republican. (Likely voters are defined as registered voters who say they will "definitely" or "probably" vote in the upcoming election, or who say they already have voted.)

Changes in voting rules and regulations may have an impact, as 27% of Americans who voted in 2020 plan to vote this year using a different voting method than they did in 2020, including 19% of 2020 in-person Election Day voters, 39% of 2020 in-person early voters, and 24% of 2020 voters who cast their ballot by mail.

Carl Bialik and Taylor Orth contributed to this article

Polling by the Economist/YouGov was conducted on October 8 - 11, 2022 among 1,500 U.S. adult citizens. Explore more on the methodology and data for this Economist/YouGov poll.

Image: Adobe Stock (Alcorn Imagery)

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How Democrats and Republicans plan to cast their ballots in November - YouGov US

Abdul-Hakim Shabazz: Republicans might not have it in the bag Indianapolis Business Journal – Indianapolis Business Journal

I recently gave a speech to the Indiana Manufacturers Association regarding the 2022 midterm elections. When I was asked what the results would be, I jokingly said if I knew that Id be doing this speech from the island I bought in the South Pacific because I would have won the Powerball, Mega Millions and the Hoosier Lottery.

With that said, recent polling by my company Indy Politics and Illinois-based ARW Strategies can provide some insight.

First, lets start with the polling that shows a close race for U.S. Senate and secretary of state. Please note, I have always maintained that polls are not predictions of what will happen on Election Day but merely snapshots in time, which, when looked at in context, can highlight trends that demonstrate how things might turn out. With that caveat, we polled 600 likely statewide voters on Sept. 25-26. We used phones and text messages. And the polls margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Republican incumbent Todd Young had a 2-percentage-point lead over his challenger, Democrat Tom McDermott. Young led 39% to 37%, which is within the margin of error. Libertarian James Sceniak was at 6%, while 17% of voters are still undecided. What was interesting in the undecided category was that 24% of Republicans said they were undecided. My theory is that these are MAGA Republicans who havent been crazy about Youngs first term in office, but they arent ready to vote for McDermott orSceniak.

Ironically, Republican Diego Morales faces somewhat of a similar situation in the secretary of state race. Democrat Destiny Wells has a 4-percentage-point lead over Morales, 36% to 32%, albeit her lead is within the margin of error. Libertarian Jeff Maurer was at 7%, and 25% of voters remained undecided. Once again, if we look at Republican voters, 27% were undecided. My theory here is, unlike Todd Young, who has issues with the MAGA crowd, Morales has issues with the establishment wing of the party.

Please note that we polled before we broke the story about two women who say Morales engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct. [Morales has denied those allegations.] However, Morales already had problems going into the poll: getting fired from the Secretary of States Office; quitting before he was fired a second time; spending $43,000 in campaign funds on a new car, which he could have had donated; unanswered questions about his military service; and backtrackingm on his positions on early voting and whether Joe Biden won the presidency fair and square.

And then there is abortion.

Indiana lawmakers met this summer and restricted abortion rights. It was legislation that neither the pro-life nor pro-choice side wanted. It got a lot of women worked up around the state. And the legislation is on hold while it makes its way through the court system. So, we asked in our poll: Would you vote for a candidate who supports abortion rights or a candidate who opposes abortion? Fifty-one percent of respodents said they would vote for a candidate who supports abortion rights, while only 35% said they would vote for a candidate who opposes abortion rights; 14% said it wouldntmatter.

At the start of this year, I would have argued that Republicans had things pretty much sewn up. Now? Not so much. Granted, a day in politics is a lifetime, and anything can happen. However, my Republican friends cant have too many more days like the ones theyve had lately.

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Shabazz is an attorney, radio talk show host and political commentator, college professor and stand-up comedian. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.

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Abdul-Hakim Shabazz: Republicans might not have it in the bag Indianapolis Business Journal - Indianapolis Business Journal

Meet the Black Republican whos aiming to flip a Democratic held House seat in heavily blue Connecticut – Fox News

Its been 16 years since a Republican has won in Connecticuts 5th Congressional District, but George Logan has a good shot at breaking the losing streak.

"I believe that Connecticut Republicans have a better message," the former two-term state senator, small business owner and frontman in a Jimi Hendrix tribute band said in an interview with Fox News.

Logan, whos challenging two-term Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes in next month's midterm elections in a House district that covers parts of the western half of Connecticut, argued that "people are tired of the status quo" as he pointed to record inflation fueled by what he called "out-of-control spending from Washington."

MEET THE REPUBLICAN WHO MAY MAKE HSITORY BY FLIPPING A DEEP BLUE SEAT RED

Republican Congressional nominee George Logan marches in a parade in Newtown, Connecticut, on Sept. 5, 2022 (Fox News)

Hayes, who made history as the first Black woman and Black Democrat to represent Connecticut in Congress, won both her 2018 election and her 2020 re-election by double digits. But the top nonpartisan political handicappers view the 2022 race as very competitive, rating it "Lean Democrat." And the National Republican Congressional Committee views the seat as a top pick-up opportunity.

National Republicans are spending big bucks to try and flip the seat. The Congressional Leadership Fund, the leading super PAC aligned with House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, has dished out $3 million in the district to boost Logan, whos also Black.

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Logan took aim at Democrats for what he called their "war on American energy independence." He noted that "gas prices are creeping up again" and that "here in New England, its starting to get cold, and people are looking at their home heating costs, filling up those fuel oil tanks, and people are very concerned."

He charged that Hayes "is out of touch. Shes not out in the community" and argued that "her backing of the Biden-Harris-Pelosi administration down in Washington has only made things worse."

Rep. Jahana Hayes introduces Vice President Kamala Harris and CEO of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson, to discuss women's reproductive rights at Central Connecticut State University on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in New Britain, Conn. (Douglas Hook /Hartford Courant via AP) ((Douglas Hook /Hartford Courant via AP))

"I just stick to those major topics that people are most concerned about, and were just gaining supporters, gaining momentum every single day," he said.

One of those issues is crime.

Logan takes issue with state statistics that indicate crime is low in Connecticut and that its one of the safest states in the country.

"I completely disagree with the data. The data is flawed," Logan claimed. "Crimes are happening. I believe they are being under-reported."

And pointing to the states all-Democratic congressional delegation and a state government controlled by Democrats, Logan argued that "everyone knows here in Connecticut that the current leadership is weak on crime."

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE: THESE DEEP BLUE SEATS COULD FLIP RED IN NOVEMBER

When it comes to the volatile issue of abortion, Logan said he supported the opinion by the Supreme Courts conservative majority to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling and send the fight over legalized abortion back to the states.

"I support a womans right to choose. I think it should be safe, legal and rare," he insisted.

"I am adamantly against late-term abortion," he added, before charging that "my opponent is in favor of abortion with no restrictions."

Asked whether he would support a 15-week abortion ban proposed by Congressional Republicans, Logan answered, "I am opposed to a national ban on abortion. I think it should be left up to the states. I would do what I can to make sure that Connecticuts current laws are not infringed in any way when it comes to womens reproductive rights and a womans right to choose."

Democrats arent buying what Logan is selling.

"Republicans are wasting their time and money on lobbyist George Logan, whose decision to align with MAGA Republicans who want to ban abortion and cut Social Security is toxic in blue-state Connecticut," Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson James Singer charged in a statement to Fox News.

Singer vowed that "Democrats are going to defend this seat, because voters know Rep. Jahana Hayes has been fighting for them in Washington."

As part of that mission, last week Hayes landed a high-profile surrogate, as Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Connecticut to team up with the congresswoman to discuss abortion rights.

Logan, for his part, pushes back against criticism from Democrats that hell follow GOP leadership if he wins in November.

FIGHT FOR THE MAJORITY: HOUSE DEMOCRATS AIMING TO FLIP THESE GOP SEATS BLUE

"I have told folks repeatedly that I am not going to Washington to represent the leadership in any political party, as my opponent has done," he said. "I was known in the legislature for being one who works across the aisle. I will work with Democrats and Republicans to pass bills that will improve the lives of everybody in my district."

Asked whether hell support impeaching President Biden if hes part of a House Republican majority on Capitol Hill come January, Logan said, "Given what I know now and the situation that we have now and what were dealing with, the answer is no. However, if things change, and theres some other type of information that would warrant that, I would consider it. But right now, I have no intentions of supporting any efforts to impeach the President of United States."

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"Im not happy with his policies. Im not happy with the direction hes taking our county. My goal is to go down to Washington to provide some checks and balances to the Biden-Harris administration. But my goal is not to go to Washington to impeach the President of the United States," Logan said.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

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Meet the Black Republican whos aiming to flip a Democratic held House seat in heavily blue Connecticut - Fox News

City Council Republicans turn hearing on NYC job vacancies into anti …

A quartet of conservative City Council members turned a hearing on the municipal governments soaring vacancy rates into an anti-vaccine mandate spectacle Friday amid buzz that Mayor Adams could be on the brink of peeling back some of New Yorks remaining coronavirus restrictions.

The hearing in the Councils Civil Service and Labor Committee featured testimony from members of Adams administration on what theyre doing to improve the city governments job vacancy rate, which stands at 8.3% more than five times higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Once their time came to grill the Adams officials, the three Republicans on the panel, joined by likeminded moderate Democratic Councilmember Bob Holden, focused exclusively on the citys municipal workforce coronavirus vaccine mandate.

Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R-Queens) claimed the government would not have a job shortage if it wasnt for the mandate, which was implemented in November 2021 and requires city workers to be vaccinated against the virus that has killed more than 41,000 New Yorkers.

Enough with all this malarkey, Paladino said before calling on the city to rehire any workers who got laid off for flouting the vaccine requirement, drawing cheers from a group of rowdy anti-mandate protesters in the Council gallery.

A group of New York City workers marched from Metro Tech in Downtown Brooklyn, over the Brooklyn Bridge, and then made their way over to City Hall to protest ahead of their possible termination earlier this year due to their vaccination status. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/)

Paladinos fellow GOP members, Inna Vernikov of Brooklyn and Joann Ariolla of Queens, followed up by demanding that Deputy Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Barbara Dannenberg tell them how many city workers have been fired as a result of the mandate.

DCAS would not have this information, but we could certainly circle back, Dannenberg said to boos from the hecklers in the gallery.

Holden, meantime, spent his allotted time laying out why he believes the city does not need a municipal vaccine mandate anymore.

Were not in 2020, were not in 2021, the city should get back to normal, he said. The city should lift everything.

Despite their focus on the mandate, only 1,761 city employees had gotten fired for refusing to get vaccinated as of Aug. 30 a fraction of the more than 330,000 posts across all municipal agencies, according to data from the mayors office. Another 583 unvaccinated workers remain on unpaid leave while waiting on the city to review their applications for exemptions to the mandate, the data shows.

Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (Barry Williams/)

Fridays hearing came one day after the Councils five Republicans issued a statement with Holden and conservative Democratic Councilmember Kalman Yeger saying they left a recent meeting with Adams optimistic that some positive changes are forthcoming as it relates to the municipal and private workforce vaccine mandates.

Staten Island Councilmember Joe Borelli, the GOP minority leader, declined to explain what exactly Adams said in the sit-down. But he told the Daily News that the mayors willingness to meet is a good sign.

Just the fact that hes willing to meet on the issue shows that hes willing to consider changes, Borelli said.

Adams spokesman Fabien Levy also declined to say what Adams talked to the Republicans about, but stressed hes always willing to sit down with elected officials and members of the community and hear their concerns.

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Zito: Republicans make their case to Middle America – Daily Herald

Courtesy photo

MONONGAHELA, Pennsylvania Whether by design or necessity, the decision by House Republican leaders to kick off their Commitment to America in this river town on the edge of Allegheny County was quite apt.

There is no easy way to get here from Pittsburgh, or from the airport, or from our nations capital. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana laughed, saying the very point of the Commitment to America is to reach the people and places Congress neglects to the point that it needs a GPS to find them and a dictionary to spell them. The Republicans goal, he said, is to show up and hear the concerns of people in places just like this one and to commit as a party to finding solutions.

Scalise told The Washington Examiner that Republicans wanted to go into the middle of America, to a community that really does have to live with the consequences of President Joe Bidens policies, as well as the legislation moved through Congress by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They wanted to do more than just act as critics of the Democrats, he said they wanted to put forward their own solutions.

You could hear it from the families that asked questions today, theyre struggling under the weight of Bidens inflation, he said. Families are having a hard time putting food on the table. He pointed also to the local sheriff, who asked lawmakers what they would do about the escalating crime and fentanyl overdoses, in addition to families asking about their solution to soaring energy prices.

During a tour of Ductmate Industries, Scalise and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy received a few lessons in welding and high-technology manufacturing. After that, the House Republicans held a town hall event, rolling out their agenda for the country. Twenty-eight House members were in attendance as the Republican House leadership rolled out their plan to control inflation, secure the southern border and fight the escalating crime surge in this country.

McCarthy said the plan includes curbing out-of-control spending, moving supply chains away from China and increasing domestic energy production.

DMI CEO Ray Yeager, who lives in nearby Washington County, said the western Pennsylvania family-owned company has been in the Mon Valley for nearly 50 years. We have factories across the U.S., but our headquarters are in Charleroi, he said of the facility down the road in Washington County.

Yeager said it made sense for the Republicans to come here, despite the curving back roads and deep hollows you have to navigate no matter what direction you are coming from. There is a very deep sense of place here, and the people who work here and live here embody all that is good about the country in terms of work ethic and giving back to the community, he said. I will add, it is the people who live in towns like the Monongahela all across who are getting hurt the most by the effects of inflation, rising energy costs and the fentanyl crisis.

DMI makes accessories primarily for commercial duct systems for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry. There were over 400 people working in the facility last Friday. Many of them told me they have been here more than 10 years several said over two decades. Almost all said they live within 20 minutes of their jobs or just down the street. Most of the workers said they learned their skills for the job at a trade school, in shop class or as an apprentice.

Scalise said DMI is emblematic of so many other small businesses in America: They have to live with the consequences of Pelosis far-left agenda, he said. So, when they push the Green New Deal, it crushes manufacturers in America who actually have the best environmental standards in the world, and it emboldens countries like China. Because when Pelosi shuts down manufacturing in America, those jobs dont just go away they go to countries like China and India.

Scalise said the Left is really good at beating up America for doing the work and releasing the emissions, but they dont acknowledge that Americans do it better and with less environmental damage than anyone else in the world. Frankly, we should be making more things in America, he said. We should be making more energy in America, not less. It shows they live in this parallel universe that is detached from reality of the small businesses and hard work and families who make America great.

Monongahela sits in the center of Appalachia. It is the second-smallest city in Pennsylvania a critical meeting place during the Whiskey Rebellion and the birthplace of former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. It is also the place where NFL great Joe Montana learned to toss a football with his father.

In the decades of the decline of coal and manufacturing, the city has lost half of its population; the median income hovers at $30,000, with nearly 14% of the population living below the poverty line.

Scalise says inflation hits people hardest in cities and towns like this one. Thats why it is one of the top priorities for House Republicans to address if they take control of the House in November. Its incredibly important for us to listen to families that we represent, who are struggling, and then go bring those concerns back to Washington and pass bills that fix their problems, he said.

The immediate reaction from the House Democrats was swift, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and every other Democrat immediately calling it an extreme MAGA agenda.

It shows how out of touch she is with average Americans, said Scalise, because those are the big complaints I hear when I go to communities all across the country. So, Im not sure what group of people shes hanging out with, but if she thinks its extremist to lower inflation and to lower energy prices and to have parents being more involved in their kids education, then maybe shes so out of touch that its time for her to be fired as speaker of the House. I think the countrys going to have a big say in November.

In the most recent ABC News poll, Republicans are favored by voters heading into the midterm elections on handling inflation, the economy overall and crime; 76% of those surveyed say inflation is a major issue, 84% say the economy and 69% say crime.

Scalise said that, as Republicans, they just cant release a document and not stand by it if they win; in fact, he says he expects voters to hold their feet to the fire on all of these issues.

Every one of the items in the Commitment to America represents issues that will be brought before committees and Congress in open view on CSPAN; bills that will ultimately come to the House floor to carry out the items and the commitment, he explained. We will pass those bills through the House, and thats where getting the public more engaged is really important. Because they go nowhere after that if everybody just walks away. We need people to then call their senators and demand that their senators pass the bills that we will get out of the House to lower inflation, and to lower gas prices, and to secure the border.

This commitment only works if the public stays engaged and holds everybody accountable, said Scalise. Including Joe Biden, who will have a choice of whether he would sign or veto these bills, he added.

As for getting any Democrats to sign on, the eternal optimist says hes ready to help make that happen.

I welcome everybody who believes in the great principles of America to vote for these bills and to express support for the Commitment to America, he said. This is going to be a referendum during the election, but also after the election, on the view that people have for America. Do you want an America that goes into decline? Where inflation is just a new norm and a border doesnt exist? Or do you want to get back to the principles that made this country the greatest nation in the history of the world? Its in jeopardy right now. We can restore it.

Salena Zito is a CNN political analyst and a staff reporter and columnist for the Washington Examiner. She reaches the Everyman and Everywoman through shoe-leather journalism, traveling from Main Street to the beltway and all places in between.

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Zito: Republicans make their case to Middle America - Daily Herald