CBS News: “In this midterm cycle, 18 of 35 Senate races and 12 of the 36 gubernatorial races did not feature a debate between the major party candidates, and in those that did occur, many were defined by mudslinging and character assaults that wound up viral online.”
Most Voters Believe the Midterm Elections Will Be Accurate
New York Times: “With less than two weeks until the midterms, a wide majority of voters say that they largely trust that the results of the upcoming election will be accurate, according to a new New York Times/Siena poll.”
”But the poll finds that many harbor concerns that Republicans could try to overturn the results of the election.”
Democrats Pour Millions Into Ad Buys in Iowa and Ohio
“The top Senate Democratic super political action committee is shifting millions in ad money from North Carolina to Ohio and Iowa, a sign of the shifting battlefield for control of Congress just three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections,” Bloomberg reports.
Super PAC for Senate Dems Raises Record $151 Million
“The top super PAC for Senate Democrats raised $151 million in the third quarter, entering October with nearly $112 million in the bank. Both are records for the group, even as Democrats are being outspent in top Senate races,” the New York Times reports.
“The Senate Majority PAC, which is led by close allies of Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, is one of the biggest spenders in the midterm elections. Along with an affiliated nonprofit arm, the group brought in a total of $202 million in the third quarter.”
House GOP Maps Out Final Midterm Push
“House GOP leaders are quietly laying their battle plans for the final month ahead of the November midterm elections,” Fox News reports.
“A new memo being sent to Republicans across the country reveals four key topics that the House GOP is focusing on in the final four weeks before the election: the border, fraudulent use of taxpayer dollars, the economy, and public safety.”
Ad Spending in Midterm Races Crosses $1.5 Billion
“$1.5 billion has been spent on advertising for Senate and House races overall, an increase of $317 million from last week,” the Washington Post reports.
“Ohio’s U.S. Senate race continues to lead midterm advertising, with total ad spending increasing 22 percent over the past week, from $197 million to $240 million.”
CNN: The Texas money pit: Republicans are spending big trying to save Ken Paxton’s Senate bid.
Trump’s Diesel Export Limits Would Face Huge Problems
“The diesel export ban that President Donald Trump is mulling in a bid to bring down record-high prices would backfire in two ways — further dividing Hill Republicans while risking even pricier gasoline,” Semafor reports.
“It’s not clear that the Trump administration will impose diesel export limits, which the president said this week that he’d explore as average national prices push past $6.50 per gallon. If Trump does push ahead, his main cheerleaders will be GOP candidates in tight races this fall who are eager to market more ideas to lower costs before the midterms.”
“But most congressional Republicans want nothing to do with the idea, no matter how close they are with the administration.”
New York Times: Why a U.S. diesel export ban may not lower prices.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I really want to go out after the midterms are over, and depending upon what the results turn out to be, engage in a conversation with American voters about where we go from here. And for my own party: are we tired of losing yet?”
— Former Gov. Chris Christie (R), quoted by Politico, hinting he might run for president again in 2028.
GOP Money vs. $5 Gas
Jonathan Martin: “Republican polling has so deteriorated this month that the only uncertainty remaining ahead of the midterms is the depth of the party’s losses. With early or mail ballot voting beginning in nearly half the country this week, that question will mainly be determined by which money matters more: the massive cash infusion from GOP groups into every competitive race or the price of gasoline soaring toward $5 a gallon.”
”The spending advantage could mitigate Republican losses, especially in suddenly vulnerable precincts of red-state America. Yet those advertising dollars may be effectively nullified if the price of unleaded and diesel continues rising and grips the public’s attention more than any commercial.”
Gas Is High, but Diesel Is Higher
“Rising diesel prices are proving to be a particular problem for Republicans as surging energy costs sour the economic mood just 45 days out from the midterms,” NewsNation reports.
“The national average for diesel jumped 42 cents over the last week, largely as a result of the ongoing U.S. war in Iran, though President Trump has sought to cast blame on energy facilities hit as part of the Russia-Ukraine war.”
“The $6.27 average price for a gallon of diesel on Tuesday was the highest ever, with no sign of relief as the winter heating season nears.”
Rising Oil Prices Hit Voters in Key States
Bloomberg: “The costs of diesel and home heating oil have surged faster than gasoline in recent months, particularly hammering states that are critical battlegrounds in November’s midterm congressional elections — just as mail-in ballots arrive.”
Inside the RNC’s Legal Fight Over ‘Election Integrity’
“Less than two months before the midterms, Republicans are fighting roughly 200 legal battles to try to impact elections, including several cases in which the GOP isn’t officially participating but is paying legal fees or advising on strategy,” Axios reports.
“The Republican National Committee’s vast roster of cases includes efforts to tighten voter ID rules in Montana, decrease ballot drop-off locations in Georgia, increase scrutiny of voter lists in New Jersey and Delaware, and boost access for election observers and challengers elsewhere.”
Supreme Court Asked to Block Missouri Map
“A group seeking to block Missouri from using a new congressional map that favors Republicans in November’s midterm elections has asked the Supreme Court to intervene,” the Washington Post reports.
”The appeal is the latest twist in an extraordinary legal fight that has plunged the state into electoral confusion just as it was supposed to finalize ballots and shortly before it begins distributing mail-in versions to voters.”
Reuters: Fight over Republican-drawn congressional map in Missouri returns to U.S. Supreme Court.
Senate Fight Reaches ‘Pure Toss-Up’ Status
NewsNation: “The fight for control of the Senate hangs in the balance with just eight weeks to go until the midterm elections, according to Decision Desk HQ.”
“The nonpartisan election analyst on Monday shifted its November forecast to ‘a pure toss-up’ for the upper chamber of Congress for the first time since the beginning of June.”
Supreme Court Sides with Republicans Over Ad Rates
“The Supreme Court on Friday granted Republicans’ request to halt a lower court decision that prevented political party committees from receiving more favorable broadcast advertising rates, giving the GOP a win weeks before the November elections,” CBS News reports.
“The order from the high court restores guidance from the Federal Communications Commission that allows political parties and committees access to cheaper rates for political ads in the run-up to the midterms. The decision could be a boon for national Republican groups, which have amassed bigger war chests than their Democratic counterparts and can flood the airwaves with more ads in support of GOP candidates.”
House Democrats Fume About GOP’s Anti-Socialism Bill
“House Democrats are grumbling that Republicans are setting one last political trap for them before November by attaching language touting their marquee voter ID legislation to a resolution denouncing socialism,” Axios reports.
“This is a classic election-year tactic by the majority party in Congress, but centrist Democrats say it is also a missed opportunity for a genuinely bipartisan vote to denounce socialism.”
More Mail Ballots Are Arriving Late This Year
“The rate at which mail votes have been rejected for arriving late has ticked up in primaries this year and general elections last year in roughly a dozen states, prompting election officials to worry that the U.S. Postal Service is ill-equipped to deliver ballots in the fall midterms,” the New York Times reports.
Mike Lindell Refuses to Concede
“Mike Lindell, the CEO and founder of MyPillow, is refusing to concede Minnesota’s Republican gubernatorial primary,” Mediaite reports.
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Taegan Goddard
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.
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