Cnn Projection: Murkowski Tshibaka And Chesbro Will Advance In Alaskas Senate Race
From CNNs Rachel Janfaza, Eric Bradner and Alex Rogers
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski will advance to the November general election, CNN projects, along with the Trump-backed former Alaska Department of Administration commissioner Kelly Tshibaka, following the states nonpartisan primary.
Under Alaskas nonpartisan primary system, the top four finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general election.
Retired educator Patricia Chesbro, who is endorsed by Alaskas Democratic Party, will also advance to the November contest, CNN projects.
CNN has not yet projected a fourth winner.
Given the new voting procedure, which Alaskans voted on in 2020, Murkowski avoided a partisan primary contest with Tshibaka and was able to survive a first-round showdown.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Tshibaka last year, pledging to campaign against Murkowski, the only one of the seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial who is up for reelection this year. The former President traveled to Alaska to hold a rally for Tshibaka in July.
Murkowskis family has held her Senate seat for more than four decades. Her father, Frank Murkowski, was elected to the Senate in 1980 and appointed his daughter to fill his seat in 2002 when he was elected governor.
Tshibaka launched her campaign last year, pitching the election as an outsider versus a powerful, longtime insider.
The November election will be held using ranked choice voting.
More: Julin Castro: Everything You Need To Know About The 2020 Presidential Candidate
Im running for president because its time for new leadership, because its time for new energy, and its time for a new commitment to make sure that the opportunities Ive had are available for every American, he said.
In 2016, Castro was vetted by Hillary Clinton to be her running mate, but the spot ultimately went to Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., This year, he said he is eager to restore the style of leadership the nation had under Obama.
Castro dropped out of the race on Jan. 2 after falling short in polling, fundraising, and eventually failing to make the November and December debate stages.
Read Also: Is Melania Going To Divorce Trump
What About The Democrats
Democratic President Joe Biden has said he plans to seek a second term in 2024, so there’s unlikely to be a competitive primary process among the Democrats. But even if there were, it’s unclear whether Iowa Democrats will continue to hold their traditional first-in-the-nation caucuses in 2024 and beyond.
The Democratic National Committee has spent months weighing the presidential nominating calendar, indicating it plans to impose changes. Iowa is a primarily white, agricultural state that has trended farther to the right in recent years. National Democrats say they want to launch the presidential nominating process in a state that is more broadly representative of the party’s base. The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee has said it will make a decision after the midterms.
Also Check: Will Trump Win President In 2020
Trump’s Refusal To Concede
Early in the morning on November 4, with vote counts still going on in many states, Trump claimed he had won. For weeks after the networks had called the election for Biden, Trump refused to acknowledge that Biden had won. Biden described Trump’s refusal as “an embarrassment”. In the wake of the election, the General Services Administration refused to formally acknowledge Biden’s victory, and the White House ordered government agencies not to cooperate with the Biden transition team in any way. Starting in 1896, when William Jennings Bryan established a precedent of formal concession by sending a congratulatory telegram to President-elect William McKinley, every losing major party presidential candidate has formally conceded.
Trump acknowledged Biden’s victory in a tweet on November 15, although he refused to concede and blamed his loss on fraud, stating: “He won because the Election was Rigged.” Trump then tweeted: “I concede NOTHING! We have a long way to go.”
In a June 2021 interview with Sean Hannity, Trump stated that “we didn’t win” and said that he wished President Biden success in international diplomacy, which Forbes declared as Trump ” as close as he’s ever been to conceding his 2020 election loss.”
Mike Pence Went To Lengths To Distance Himself From His Former Boss
Just hours earlier, former US vice-president Mike Pence delivered his own address nearby, and used his time to distance himself from Mr Trump.
While Mr Trump remained consumed by the election he falsely claims was stolen from him, Mr Pence urged conservatives to stop looking backwards and focus on the future.
Some people may choose to focus on the past, but elections are about the future, Mr Pence said to a conservative student group, the Young Americas Foundation.
I believe conservatives must focus on the future to win back America. We cant afford to take our eyes off the road in front of us because whats at stake is the very survival of our way of life.
In order to win, conservatives need to do more than criticise and complain. We must unite our movement behind a bold, optimistic agenda, he said.
In his speech, he repeatedly touted the Trump-Pence administration.
But the first question he received during a brief question-and-answer session was about his growing split with Mr Trump, which is particularly stark given the years he spent as the former presidents most loyal sidekick.
Mr Pence denied the two differ on issues, but acknowledged, we may differ on focus.
ABC/wires
You May Like: What Is Trump Doing Wrong
Recommended Reading: How To Write To Donald Trump
Donald Trump ‘obviously Thinking’ Of Running For President Again: Son
Trump ‘hates seeing what’s happening’ in US, says Jared Kushner
LONDON
Donald Trump is obviously thinking of running for president again in 2024, according to his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Basically, I know that hes obviously thinking about it, Kushner said in an interview aired by British broadcaster Sky News on Friday.
He hates seeing whats happening in the country. He had the economy running so well. He filled the hole economically that was caused by COVID. He got us out of it with the vaccine we had peace in Europe, peace in the world. China was on their back foot.
Kushner asserted that the war in Ukraine would not have happened if Trump was still president.
However, he was unwilling to be definitive with regards to Trumps intentions.
Like I said, with Trump, its hard to rule anything out. Hes a very flexible thinker, said Kushner, who served as a senior adviser to Trump and was part of his close circle of aides.
Hes asked me about it. I said, You know, its tricky.
Kushners comments come as US President Joe Biden issued a strong warning on Thursday about his predecessors influence on US politics and possible return to the White House.
Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic, Biden said in a speech in Philadelphia, referring to Make America Great Again, a slogan Trump used in his 2016 presidential bid.
Poll: Trump Backed By Majority Of Veterans But Not Younger Ones
Older veterans are overwhelmingly backing President Donald Trump in the upcoming election while younger veterans significantly prefer former Vice President Joe Biden as the next commander in chief, according to the results of a recent Military Times poll of veterans.
Altogether, about 52 percent of veterans surveyed said they plan to back Trump in his reelection campaign this year. About 42 percent said they have voted or plan to vote for Biden instead, with the remainder split between third-party candidates and sitting out the election.
The findings which overall echo other public polls of veteransâ voting preferences show a stark divide among different age, race and gender groups within the veterans community, even as most share broader views on national security and dissatisfaction with the countrys political environment.
The poll was conducted in partnership with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University between Oct. 1 and Oct. 13. More than 1,700 veterans, whose prior military service was verified through past interaction with Military Times, took part in the survey.
Like past polls of active-duty personnel, the results of the veterans poll represent a segment of the community that spent more time in the military than the average service member and generally was more focused on the military as a career than other peers.
RELATED
Also Check: What Is Current Approval Rating For Trump
More: Beto O’rourke: Everything You Need To Know About The 2020 Presidential Candidate
He rose national prominence during his unsuccessful run against Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018 and officially announced his presidential campaign in mid-March, calling it “a defining moment of truth for this country and for every single one of us.”
Within days, O’Rourke’s campaign announced it raised over $6.1 million in the first 24 hours following his announcement, topping Sen. Bernie Sanders’ previous high-water mark of $5.9 million.
Democrats Get A Reminder: Their Base Is Not Very Liberal
The other big political story of this week happened about as far away from Washington, DC, as you can get in the contiguous United States. Progressive San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin got recalled on Tuesday night. At the same time, in the nonpartisan primary for Los Angeles mayor, progressive US Rep. Karen Bass was forced into a November runoff by businessman Rick Caruso.
Both results showed the potency of a tough-on-crime message, even in Democratic strongholds, as I discussed earlier this week.
But they also demonstrate that Democrats overall arent anywhere near as liberal as many progressives wish they were.
Take a look at a CNN/SSRS poll from earlier this year. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, 64% identified as moderate or conservative. Just 17% said they were very liberal, with the remainder indicating they were somewhat liberal.
Other polling isnt nearly as dramatic, though it makes the same point. Summer 2021 data from the Pew Research Center poll for instance showed that 15% of Democrats were very liberal, while 52% were either moderate , conservative or very conservative . The 2020 general election exit poll showed that just 42% of Biden voters were liberal, while 58% were moderate or conservative.
Its no wonder then that even in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, which Biden won by over 50 points, progressives are far from shoo-ins.
Also Check: How To Contact Donald Trump Jr
More: Marianne Williamson: Everything You Need To Know About The Presidential Candidate
On Jan. 10, 2020 — on the eve of early state caucuses — Williamson suspended her campaign, saying that she didn’t want her presence to hurt progressive candidates and recognizing that she would not garner enough votes to move forward.
“These are not times to despair they are simply times to rise up,” she said in a farewell to her supporters. “Things are changing swiftly and dramatically in this country, and I have faith that something is awakening among us. A politics of conscience is still yet possible. And yes … love will prevail.”
Emboldened Unchanged Trump Looks To Re
The set of advisers around Trump now is a familiar mix of his top 2020 campaign aides and others who have moved in and out of his orbit over time. They include Miller, Susie Wiles, Bill Stepien, Justin Clark, Corey Lewandowski and Brad Parscale.
While his schedule isnt set yet, according to Trumps camp, his coming stops are likely to include efforts to help Ohio congressional candidate Max Miller, a former White House aide looking to win a primary against Rep. Anthony Gonzales, who voted to impeach Trump this year Jody Hice, who is trying to unseat fellow Republican Brad Raffensperger as Georgia secretary of state after Raffensperger defied Trump and validated the states electoral votes and Alabama Senate candidate Mo Brooks, according to Trumps camp.
Trumps ongoing influence with Republican voters helps explain why most GOP officeholders stick so closely to him. Republicans spared him a conviction in the Senate after the House impeached him for stoking the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, House GOP leaders have made it clear that they view his engagement as essential to their hopes of retaking the chamber, and Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., was deposed as Republican Conference Chair this year over her repeated rebukes of Trump.
Those numbers suggest that Trump could be in a strong position to win a Republican primary but lose the general election in 3½ years. A former Trump campaign operative made that case while discussing Trumps ambitions.
Recommended Reading: How To Volunteer For The Trump Campaign
Cancellation Of State Caucuses Or Primaries
The Washington Examiner reported on December 19, 2018, that the South Carolina Republican Party had not ruled out forgoing a primary contest to protect Trump from any primary challengers. Party chairman Drew McKissick stated, Considering the fact that the entire party supports the president, well end up doing whats in the presidents best interest. On January 24, another Washington Examiner report indicated that the Kansas Republican Party was likely to scrap its presidential caucus to save resources.
In August 2019, the Associated Press reported that the Nevada Republican Party was also contemplating canceling their caucuses, with the state party spokesman, Keith Schipper, saying it isnt about any kind of conspiracy theory about protecting the president Hes going to be the nominee This is about protecting resources to make sure that the president wins in Nevada and that Republicans up and down the ballot win in 2020.
Kansas, Nevada and South Carolinas state committees officially voted on September 7, 2019, to cancel their caucus and primary. The Arizona state Republican Party indicated two days later that it will not hold a primary. These four were joined by the Alaska state Republican party on September 21, when its central committee announced they would not hold a presidential primary.
Virginia Republicans decided to allocate delegates at the state convention.
Fort Lee Lane Closure Scandal
On January 9, two days after nominating Stepien for the chairmanship of the New Jersey Republican Party, Christie announced that he had âlost my confidence in Billâs judgment,â and he asked Stepien to withdraw his name from consideration. The turnaround was a result of Stepienâs work on Christieâs re-election campaign, where he became embroiled in the to the . This was enacted by Christieâs staff as political retribution toward the Mayor of Fort Lee, NJ for his failure to support Christies campaign. The closure of the Fort Lee bridge entrance caused massive delays and gridlock in New Jersey traffic including that from Fort Lee. Deputy Chief of Staff for Christie and romantically involved with Stepien, Appointee to the , and Appointee to the were all found guilty. Stepien was fired.
In the trial in September 2016 about the lanes closures, federal prosecution witness said that Stepien was aware of the lane closures as they were happening.
Stepien then received a subpoena to submit documents to the panel investigating the lane closures. In a 19-page letter sent to Reid Schar, Special Counsel to the joint Senate and Assembly committee, Stepienâs lawyer cited Stepiens privilege against compelled self-incrimination, noting that in addition to the legislative probe, a federal criminal inquiry into the lane closures was also underway.
You May Like: How To Stream The Patriot
You May Like: What Has Trump Done For The Country
Who Ran For President The Full List Of 2020 Candidates
The final Democratic candidate has been chosen and will face Donald Trump in the 2020 race for the White House
In 2020, Democratic voters faced a crucial choice: who should be the candidate to take on Trump in the November election? From consensus-minded-pragmatists in the partys moderate lane, to a Democratic socialist, the contenders put forward a wide range of visions for the future of their party, and country.
At its peak, more than 24 Democratic presidential candidates were competing. Stretched over four decades in age, the field also featured an historic number of women and included multiple African Americans, at least one Latino, a gay navy veteran, a Hindu and a vegan. But as the field has narrowed, it has become less and less diverse. By contrast, only a handful of Republicans jumped in the race to challenge Trump for the nomination. The odds and history were against these candidates from the start, as they tried to unseat a president their party holds in high regard.
Trump, all but assured to win the nomination, has already begun taunting former vice president Joe Biden, setting the stage for a wild, unpredictable, rough-and-tumble election season.
He Is Running For Reelection In Florida In 2020
Ben Sasse is a conservative senator from Nebraska who has become a leading critic of President Trump. His votes against the confirmation of Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson have sparked controversy. Trump even considered endorsing a GOP primary challenger to Sasse in 2020, but backed out at the last minute at the urging of other Republican senators. Sasse is running for reelection in a state where Republicans do not dominate the Senate.
Sasse was raised in Nebraska and attended Harvard University for his undergraduate studies. He then went on to earn his doctorate from Yale University, where he studied the intersection of faith and politics.
Don’t Miss: Is Trump A White Supremacist
Heres Why Alaska Voters Are Casting Ballots In Two Separate Elections For The Same Seat
From CNNs Rachel Janfaza, Ethan Cohen and Eric Bradner
Voters in Alaska on Tuesday voted in two separate elections for the same US House seat the states at-large congressional district seat.
Thats because theres both a special general election to fill the remainder of the late Rep. Don Youngs term and a primary election to decide who will compete in November for the seats next full term starting in January.
Its a complicated process. Beyond voting for the same seat twice in one day, different rules apply to the special general and primary elections.
What will happen in the special general election? The special general election will be the first time that Alaska will use ranked choice voting which will see voters rank their preferred candidates, with the votes for the lowest-finishing candidates coming into play if no one tops 50% to determine who will fill the remainder of Youngs term. If no one reaches that threshold, itll be a while until we know the winner, with the ranked choice voting tabulation scheduled to begin on Aug. 31.
What will happen in the primary? The primary will use a top-four system, which means that candidates of all parties, and those with no party affiliation, run on the same primary ballot just as candidates did for the special elections primary earlier this year. The top four performing candidates will then advance to the November general election for the full term.
Read Also: Where Are Trumps Golf Courses
