Midterm elections 2022 – Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock to square off at Georgia debate

After months of back-and-forth, Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock will finally have the chance to debate his opponent, Republican Herschel Walker, on TV tonight.

Mr Walker, who enjoys Donald Trump’s backing, has slumped in the polls after reports he paid for an abortion for one of the mothers of his children. His ex-partner claims that she had to pursue him for the money.

Mr Walker has lied several times about the number of children he has, keeping campaign staff in the dark, and has repeated numerous false claims about his past, while facing allegations of domestic violence.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Democratic candidate John Fetterman has raised more than $1m dollars after an NBC News interview in which he described the after-effects of the stroke he suffered earlier this year.

The interview has led to a major controversy thanks to subsequent remarks from the interviewer and other journalists about Mr Fetterman’s cognitive abilities during the discussion.

Follow the latest news on the 2022 midterms below

Key points

• Fetterman pulls in fundraising haul after NBC controversy

• Kari Lake attacks Democratic rival for skipping debate

• Herschel Walker struggles in polls

• Democrats target GOP-held districts Biden carried in 2020

Oz appears to admit he’s being inappropriate about Fetterman’s stroke

16:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Mehmet Oz, who made his name as a TV doctor, has taken his Senate campaign against Democrat John Fetterman in a remarkably personal direction in recent months, including by mocking Mr Fetterman for having a stroke with all the after-effects it’s entailed.

And now, Dr Oz appears strangely blase about talking about Mr Fetterman the way he does while also touting his standing as a physician.

Read more on the latest row over Mr Fetterman’s stroke below from John Bowden.

John Fetterman’s post-stroke interview sparked fury against NBC. What prompted it?

Dr Oz faces opprobrium over misleading gun violence event

15:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Mehmet Oz, the Republican candidate for the senate seat in Pennsylvania, has been accused of misleading the public for not pointing out that the gun violence survivor he comforted at a “community discussion” in September was his campaign coordinator.

Dr Oz spoke with Sheila Armstrong inside a Black church as she broke down recounting how her brother and nephew were killed in Philadelphia at his campaign event on 19 September. Ms Armstrong held a handmade sign which read “gone but not forgotten” for her dead relatives.

But after the Associated Press published a piece on the event, Brendan McPhillips, the campaign manager for Dr Oz’s opponent John Fetterman, complained on Twitter that the news agency failed to note that Ms Armstrong was a paid member of the Republican candidate’s campaign.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has the story.

Dr Oz accused of misleading public over encounter with gun violence survivor

Nevada GOP Senate candidate sees 14 members of family endorse Democrat opponent

14:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Less than a month before Election Day, 14 members of Nevada Republican Senate candidate Adam Laxalt’s family sent a letter endorsing his opponent, Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.

“We staunchly believe that Catherine is well equipped with her own ‘Nevada grit’ — a quality that she will take forward in representation of our home state for six more years across the halls of Congress,” the letter states.

The letter, first obtained by The Nevada Independent, does not mention Laxalt by name.

Members of Nevada senate candidate's family endorse opponent

Abortion and economy take centre stage in Minnesota

13:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Democratic US Rep Angie Craig on Thursday portrayed her GOP challenger as a pawn of Big Oil and Big Pharma who conceals his opposition to abortion rights. Republican congressional candidate Tyler Kistner meanwhile said Craig bears responsibility for inflation and other economic woes because she supports President Joe Biden‘s policies.

Craig and Kistner met for their only full debate of the campaign at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, sponsored by the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce. Their race in the swing suburban 2nd District is considered the GOP’s best chance to flip a congressional seat in Minnesota.

It’s also one of the most expensive House races in the country.

Abortion, economy take center stage in Craig-Kistner debate

Can Biden give Democrats a west coast election boost?

12:15 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden‘s visit to California and Oregon close to Election Day shows how Democrats are summoning crunch-time political reinforcements in states that are usually afterthoughts for the party.

As unlikely as it seems, a key component of the Republican drive to retake control of the House on Nov. 8 may lie with holding districts it already controls in California — the country’s largest Democratic state — and potentially gaining ground in typically Democratic Oregon.

It won’t be easy.

Democrats hoping Biden can provide West Coast election boost

Milwaukee Latinos fed up with crime mull GOP vote

10:15 , Oliver O'Connell

In two decades of street outreach on Milwaukee’s south side, evangelical pastor Marty Calderon has offered Bible study, gang prevention, a safe place to stay for those battling addiction, and help getting jobs for those newly released from prison.

But as he’s watched rising crime threaten those efforts to “clean up” his impoverished neighborhood, Calderon started bringing Republican politicians to his ministry, God Touch.

He hopes the largely Hispanic, working-class community will hear what they can do for it – and the conservative candidates will learn these voters’ reality, especially their immigration journeys.

In Milwaukee, Latinos fed up with crime weigh GOP appeal

Trying to get politics out of election certifying

08:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Before the 2020 presidential election, certifying election results in the states was routine and generated little public attention. That has changed.

Read more:

EXPLAINER: Trying to get politics out of election certifying

Battleground Nevada: Two House seats in spotlight in November

06:15 , Oliver O'Connell

As they have been for most elections the past decade, two of Nevada’s four U.S. House races are in the swing-seat spotlight as Democratic incumbents Reps. Susie Lee and Steven Horsford seek reelection in the western battleground state.

But for the first time in more than 20 years, Republicans also think they have a chance to turn a traditional blue seat red in a Las Vegas district as Nevadans struggle with some of the highest gas prices and unemployment rates in the nation.

Read more:

Two swing House seats in spotlight in battleground of Nevada

ICYMI: Tulsi Gabbard campaigning for pro-Trump candidate

04:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A day after she announced her departure from the Democratic Party, Tulsi Gabbard was due to join a pro-Trump candidate’s campaign in New Hampshire.

Gino Spocchia reports.

Tulsi Gabbard campaigning for pro-Trump candidate after leaving Democratic Party

Split verdict for armed Trump supporters arrested at 2020 Philadelphia election site

02:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Two supporters of President Donald Trump arrested after driving a Hummer with guns and ammunition to a Philadelphia site where votes were being counted in November 2020 were convicted of weapons charges Wednesday but acquitted of election interference.

Read more:

Trump supporters get split verdict in weapons, election case

Treasury Department investigating DeSantis migrant flights stunt

01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The US Treasury Department is probing whether Florida governor Ron DeSantis improperly used money designated for Covid-19 relief to fund flights that carried unknowing migrants to Martha’s Vineyard last month.

Politico reported on Tuesday that, according to a letter provided by Sen Ed Markey of Massachusetts, the department’s inspector general’s office is planning to probe how Mr DeSantis and Florida paid for the flights as part of a broader audit of how states used their Covid relief funds.

Abe Asher reports.

Treasury Department investigating DeSantis political stunt involving migrant flights

Here’s why people were angry after the John Fetterman interview

Friday 14 October 2022 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell

NBC News found itself facing accusations of both partisanship and insensitivity this week after reporter Dasha Burns interviewed John Fetterman for his first extended sit-down interview since suffering a stroke earlier this year.

A discussion about a candidate’s symptoms turned into a larger one about whether journalists are equipped to cover people with disabilities fairly, John Bowden writes.

John Fetterman’s post-stroke interview sparked fury against NBC. What prompted it?

Michigan governor debate: Dixon looks to gain on Whitmer

Thursday 13 October 2022 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The candidates for governor of Michigan are having their first debate on Thursday, as Republican challenger Tudor Dixon looks to use the primetime appearance to narrow her gap with Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Dixon is a former commentator for a conservative online program who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. She has never held public office and is still working to introduce herself and her ideas to voters — some of whom may be seeing her in action for the first time at Thursday’s debate.

Read more:

Dixon looks to gain on Whitmer at Michigan governor debate

What candidate fashion can tell us about the 2022 election

Thursday 13 October 2022 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Carhartt hoodies, MAGA hats and cowboy boots — Josh Marcus looks at what they might tell us.

Hoodies, MAGA hats and cowboy boots: What style can tell us about the 2022 midterms

Voices: As the January 6 committee holds its last pre-midterm hearing, the US’s next coup is on the ballot

Thursday 13 October 2022 21:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Even as hardcore Trumpists campaign to take over the country’s electoral machinery, other issues are at the front of voters’ minds.

The US’s next coup is on the ballot this November

Accusations of eyebrow-doctoring in heated Texas race

Thursday 13 October 2022 19:00 , Andrew Naughtie

A Texas Democrat has been accused of editing a photo of his Republican rival to make her eyebrows look scarier.

Vicente Gonzalez and Mayra Flores are both incumbents but following redistricting, they are now fighting it out for Texas’s 34th District congressional seat.

An ad released by the Gonzalez campaign on Monday focusing on school safety and gun control features an image of Ms Flores which appears to have been edited.

Gustaf Kilander has more.

Texas Democrat accused of using doctored photo of rival to make eyebrows look scary

'Jesus, guns and babies’: Watch the best and worst midterm campaign ads

Thursday 13 October 2022 18:00 , Andrew Naughtie

The 2022 US midterm election takes place on Tuesday 8 November and across America, candidates have been ramping up their campaigns to secure the all important votes.

Many Republican lawmakers have focused their campaigns on attacking Joe Biden, sharing some rather bizarre videos on their social media channels.

Ahead of the midterms, take a look at some of the best and worst clips, from politicians including Kandiss Taylor, Blake Masters and Jerone Davison.

The best and worst midterm campaign videos: ‘I believe in Jesus, guns and babies’

Biden weighs in on Herschel Walker abortion scandal

Thursday 13 October 2022 17:00 , Andrew Naughtie

Joe Biden offered a brief reaction to Herschel Walker’s deepening scandal surrounding the mother of one of his children, who says she had an abortion paid for by the candidate in 2009.

The president was asked by reporters outside of the White House for his thoughts on the floundering Republican Senate candidate, and responded that his assessment of Mr Walker was “negative”.

John Bowden has the story.

Biden weighs in on Herschel Walker abortion scandal with brutal one-word assessment

Polls shows Democrats slipping behind Republicans in tough races

Thursday 13 October 2022 16:00 , Andrew Naughtie

While the polls have shown Democrats performing fairly well in the so-called “generic ballot”, which measures the electorate’s overall preferences across the country, more relevant is their performance in the specific districts and seats that will determine control of both chambers of Congress – and a new poll has shown the GOP opening up a five-point lead:

Data shows Trump legal fees eat up money that could be spent on other GOP candidates

Thursday 13 October 2022 15:00 , Andrew Naughtie

The nearly 20 major lawsuits and investigations facing Donald Trump are draining millions of dollars away from supporting other GOP candidates, according to campaign filings.

So far, according to election filings tracking spending through the end of August, Donald Trump’s Save America leadership political action committee has spent about as much paying Mr Trump’s legal bills as it has backing Republicans in the midterms.

Josh Marcus reports.

Trump legal fees eat up money that could be spent on other GOP candidates, data shows

With midterms less than four weeks away, Biden approval rises

Thursday 13 October 2022 14:00 , Oliver O'Connell

With fewer than four weeks left until Americans choose who will control both chambers of Congress and most governor’s mansions and state legislatures, a new poll shows President Joe Biden’s approval rating jumping six points from the low point it hit over the summer.

The survey of 1982 adults — commissioned by CNN and conducted from 3 September to 5 October by SSRS — found 44 per cent of respondents approving of Mr Biden’s job performance. That’s a six-point rebound from the 38 per cent who approved of the president in July and August.

But as Andrew Feinberg reports, it’s not all good news.

Biden approval rises to 44 per cent with midterms less than four weeks away

Fetterman announces fundraising bonanza

Thursday 13 October 2022 13:02 , Andrew Naughtie

As the controversy over NBC’s handling of an interview with John Fetterman continues to play out, the Pennsylvania Senate candidate has announced a major fundraising haul since he discussed the impact of his stroke on the network earlier this week, with more than $1m pouring into his campaign.

Much of the controversy focuses on Mr Fetterman’s reported use of closed captioning to better interact with interviewers, a common access requirement shared by many other Americans.

Addressing the matter in an interview, Mr Fetterman remarked: “I always have been very honest about saying, ‘I need captioning.’ I know that you are speaking and sometimes I will hear it, but if I am being asked a very specific kind of question, I need to know exactly what that is. If someone wants to hold that against me, they might regret that, but the truth is that half of Americans that watch TV use captions, too.”

Read more on the controversy below from John Bowden.

John Fetterman’s post-stroke interview sparked fury against NBC. What prompted it?

Even after Uvalde, why is Greg Abbott still ‘playing politics’ with gun reform?

Thursday 13 October 2022 12:00 , Andrew Naughtie

To date, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has refused the requests of grieving families, the Uvalde community and state lawmakers to call a legislative session to even discuss the possibility of changing the state’s weak gun laws.

As a Republican governor of a historically red state, who is both notoriously cosy with the NRA and in the midst of an election cycle, his inaction may come as little surprise.

Except that it has been done before.

Uvalde was the sixth mass shooting under Greg Abbott. Why won’t he touch gun reform?

New poll: Biden hit on economy as more say finances poor

Thursday 13 October 2022 11:00 , Oliver O'Connell

More US adults are now feeling financially vulnerable amid high inflation — a political risk for President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats one month before the midterm elections.

Some 46 per cent of people now call their personal financial situation poor, up from 37 per cent in March, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s a notable downturn at a particularly inopportune moment for Biden, given that the share of Americans who felt positive about their finances had stayed rock steady over the last few years — even during the economic turmoil of the Covid-19 pandemic.

And while a majority of Americans see high prices as beyond Biden’s control, they continue to disapprove of his handling of the economy overall.

Read on:

Biden hit on economy as more say finances poor: AP-NORC poll

Connecticut GOP gubernatorial candidate acknowledges work in Saudi Arabia

Thursday 13 October 2022 09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

For months, Bob Stefanowski, the Republican candidate for governor in Connecticut, declined to reveal the clients of his lucrative business consulting firm, saying he had a duty to customers to keep certain things confidential.

Democrats wielded the lack of transparency like a cudgel, saying Stefanowski must be hiding something.

Now, at least one aspect of his work has been revealed. Stefanowski has acknowledged for the first time that he has done consulting work related to a proposed futuristic city in Saudi Arabia, backed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Read more:

Connecticut GOP candidate acknowledges work in Saudi Arabia

Thursday 13 October 2022 07:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican efforts to pick up seats in Arizona‘s nine-member US House delegation run right through the northeast Phoenix suburbs, where six-term Republican Rep David Schweikert is trying to persuade voters that multiple campaign finance violations don’t disqualify him from office.

Early voting began Wednesday across Arizona, with less than a month to go until Election Day on 8 November.

In his last two reelection races, Schweikert managed to fend off challengers despite campaign finance allegations that eventually led to fines for him and his election committee.

Now, Democrat Jevin Hodge insists Schweikert’s lapses aren’t behind him.

Read on:

Schweikert faces Democratic challenger as he seeks 7th term

Democrats eye GOP-held districts won by Biden in efforts to hold House

Thursday 13 October 2022 05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

While preparing to march in a Saturday morning parade through this fast-growing city’s westside, Democratic congressional candidate Hillary Scholten warned her staff that the area was traditionally very conservative and they should brace for possible booing.

But the crowd lining Fulton Street to mark the region’s Polish pride was friendly. Only one man bellowed what sounded to the candidate like “Go to hell, Hillary!” as she passed. But he also grinned and flashed a thumbs-up later.

He’d actually cried, “Give ‘em hell, Hillary!”

It’s been 32 years since a Democrat won the House seat where Scholten is competing against Republican John Gibbs. But, its largest city, Grand Rapids, has turned steadily bluer lately, and redrawn congressional maps have converted it from a district that backed Donald Trump for president in 2020 to one that Joe Biden would have carried instead.

Read more:

To hold House, Democrats eye GOP-held districts won by Biden

Mother of Herschel Walker’s child claims she had to pursue him for abortion money

Thursday 13 October 2022 03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The woman who says Herschel Walker paid for her abortion in 2009 has detailed the experience in an interview with The Washington Post in which she accuses the Republican of resisting or slow-walking her efforts to get him to pay for the procedure.

Her story was published on Tuesday in The Washington Post; the unnamed woman described how Mr Walker told her that it was an inconvenient time for him to father a child when the pregnancy occurred in 2009.

John Bowden has the story.

Woman details struggle with Herschel Walker over abortion payment

Kari Lake attacks Democrat as ‘cowardice candidate’

Thursday 13 October 2022 02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Kari Lake – the Trump-backed election denier – has attacked her Democratic opponent as a “cowardice canidate” for deciding not to take part in a debate.

The 53-year-old Republican who is involved in a race to become Arizona governor that is currently too close to call, again called on Democrat Katie Hobbs to take part in the debate.

Ms Hobbs, 52, has to this point declined to do so, arguing that Ms Lake spent much of the Republican primary debate spouting conspirarcy theories, and repeated the false claim that the 2020 election was rigged.

Kari Lake attacks Democrat as ‘cowardice candidate’ for skipping Arizona debate

Kinzinger endorses Dems against GOP election deniers

Thursday 13 October 2022 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Adam Kinzinger may not be running for reelection this year, but that isn’t stopping him from doing what he still can to challenge election deniers on every possible front.

The retiring GOP congressman announced late last year that he wouldn’t stand for reelection, as the likelihood of him winning a GOP primary grew thinner thanks to his work on the January 6 committee.

But even though he personally won’t be taking on a supporter of Donald Trump’s conspiracies about the 2020 election, he’s pushing his way into races where some of those same people are seeking office.

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.

Adam Kinzinger endorses Dems against GOP election deniers

Kara Swisher shuts down ‘nonsense’ claims Fetterman struggled with interview

Wednesday 12 October 2022 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Journalist Kara Swisher has shut down what she called “nonsense” claims that Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman couldn’t follow conversations following his stroke earlier this year.

Dasha Burns of NBC News spoke to Mr Fetterman and said that “because of his stroke” the Democrat’s “campaign required closed captioning technology for this interview to essentially read our questions as we asked them. And ... in small talk before the interview without captioning, it wasn’t clear he was understanding our conversation”.

Ms Swisher rejected this notion.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Kara Swisher shuts down ‘nonsense’ claims that Fetterman couldn’t follow conversation

What candidate fashion can tell us about the 2022 midterm election

Wednesday 12 October 2022 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Josh Marcus takes a look at what the 2022 midterm candidates’ fashion choices can tell us about race, gender, and the future of their parties.

Hoodies, MAGA hats and cowboy boots: What style can tell us about the 2022 midterms

Joe Biden’s approval rating rises

Wednesday 12 October 2022 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

In news that will bouy Democrats’ hopes for the November elections, a new poll shows President Joe Biden’s approval rating jumping six points from the low point it hit over the summer.

The survey of 1982 adults — commissioned by CNN and conducted from 3 September to 5 October by SSRS — found 44 per cent of respondents approving of Mr Biden’s job performance. That’s a six-point rebound from the 38 per cent who approved of the president in July and August.

Despite the rising approval for the 46th president, the survey also found more than half of voters — 56 per cent — disapproved of how he’s doing his job.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Biden approval rises to 44 per cent with midterms less than four weeks away

Fetterman reacts after NBC interview sparks health debate

Wednesday 12 October 2022 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman promised that he would be “much better” in January after an NBC reporter disclosed the support the Democrat needed during a sit-down interview that aired this week.

Mr Fetterman took to Twitter to say by next year he will have improved but his opponent Dr Oz will still be a fraud.

Johanna Chisholm reports.

John Fetterman reacts after NBC interview sparks debate about his health

Alaska: Sarah Palin on Ukraine

Wednesday 12 October 2022 20:00 , Andrew Naughtie

Sarah Palin, who is running to try and bag the Alaska House seat she lost in the summer’s ranked-choice special election, appeared on Fox News this morning to answer questions about the election, Tulsi Gabbard, and broader policy matters – including the war in Ukraine.

While she acknowledged the “suffering” of the “innocent people” bearing the brunt of the conflict, she stopped short of nailing down a position of her own, simply pointing to “debate” about whether the US has much of an interest in helping Ukraine fend off Russia.

Vague though it was, her answer was rather more lucid than some of those she gave in foreign policy-related interviews during her car-crash vice presidential campaign in 2008.

Analysis: Why Nevada’s Senate race matters

Wednesday 12 October 2022 19:00 , Andrew Naughtie

In today’s Inside Washington dispatch, Eric Garcia makes the case for why Nevada’s Senate race is the diciest one on this year’s ballot.

Exhibit one: polling, which shows incumbent Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in the fight of her life to hang on in a state the Democrats have got used to winning, if only narrowly.

Read Eric’s piece below.

Nevada is still the midterms’ swingiest Senate race – here’s why

Gabbard to hit trail in New Hampshire

Wednesday 12 October 2022 18:00 , Andrew Naughtie

Having announced that she is no longer a member of the Democratic party, ex-congresswoman and former presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard is making the media rounds – including a Joe Rogan interview – and also planning to campaign for a Republican Senate candidate in New Hampshire.

Ms Gabbard, a periodic guest on Tucker Carlson’s show who has drawn praise from Russian state TV commentators by taking an anti-intervention line on the Ukraine conflict, announced her departure from the Democrats in a video this week, describing her former party “elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness”.

Reporter steps into trouble over Fetterman stroke interview

Wednesday 12 October 2022 17:00 , Andrew Naughtie

An row has been sparked by NBC News after a reporter provided details about the support John Fetterman needed for a sit-down interview, as well as a comment suggesting the Democratic Senate candidate had trouble following their conversation without closed captioning.

Mr Fetterman, the Democrat candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania, has spent most of the summer recovering from a stroke and has only recently returned to in-person campaigning.

While his campaign has made no secret of his ongoing trouble with communicating, NBC reporter Dasha Burns told viewers about the support Mr Fetterman needed for a new sit-down interview with Meet The Press, which was broadcast on Tuesday.

“Because of that auditory processing, he still has a hard time understanding what people are saying,” Ms Burns said, while explaining the use of closed caption technology for her interview.

Gino Spocchia reports:

NBC reporter sparks disability row over Fetterman support needs after stroke

Biden on Herschel Walker abortion scandal

Wednesday 12 October 2022 16:00 , Andrew Naughtie

Joe Biden offered a brief reaction to Herschel Walker’s deepening scandal surrounding the mother of one of his children, who says she had an abortion paid for by the candidate in 2009.

The president was asked by reporters outside of the White House for his feelings about the floundering Republican Senate candidate, and responded that his assessment of Mr Walker was “negative”.

He also predicted that Democrats would hold on to the seat currently held by Senator Raphael Warnock, Mr Walker’s opponent, in November.

“What has your reaction been to the Herschel Walker controversy in Georgia, and do you think Democrats can hold that seat?” asked CNN’s MJ Lee.

“Negative,” Mr Biden responded. “And yes.”

John Bowden has the story.

Biden weighs in on Herschel Walker abortion scandal with brutal one-word assessment

Utah: Tempers fray as Mike Lee begs for support

Wednesday 12 October 2022 15:05 , Andrew Naughtie

Right-wing Utah Senator Mike Lee, who infamously said Donald Trump was entitled to “a mulligan” after the 6 January Capitol attack, is facing an unexpectedly strong challenge from independent candidate Evan McMullin, with polls showing the two men within the margin of error.

In a mark of how serious Mr Lee’s position is, he appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show to beg fellow Senator and Trump critic Mitt Romney for help.

Mr McMullin, meanwhile, has been in a Twitter spat with Ted Cruz:

The Democrats are not standing a candidate in the seat in hopes of giving Mr McMullin a clear path to defeating Mr Lee.

Fetterman opens up on effects of stroke

Wednesday 12 October 2022 14:24 , Andrew Naughtie

Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, who is running for the US Senate, has given his first in-person interview describing how his life is different since he suffered a stroke before the May primary.

Mr Fetterman spoke with NBC News’ Dasha Burns while using closed captioning. He is currently running against former television physician Mehmet Oz for a crucial Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

The Democrat said that it affected every aspect of his life.

“It changes everything,” he said. “Basically having a conversation with your wife, to having a conversation with your children, just things, especially early after the stroke, the ability to really understand what I’m being heard.”

Eric Garcia reports.

Fetterman details how his life is different after stroke: ‘It changes everything’

New Georgia Senate poll shows support for Herschel Walker dips as Democrat Raphael Warnock gains

Wednesday 12 October 2022 13:00 , John Bowden

Democratic incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock has taken the lead in Georgia in his race against Republican Herschel Walker, a new Emerson College poll shows.

The poll showed that 48 per cent of likely supporters would cast their vote for Mr Warnock, compared to 46 per cent who said they would vote for Mr Walker, a former running back for the University of Georgia. The survey showed that Mr Warnock’s support increased by four points while Mr Walker’s support declined by about two points.

Read more:

Georgia poll shows support for Herschel Walker dips as Democrat Raphael Warnock gains

Mother of Herschel Walker’s child claims she had to press him to pay for abortion he had promised to fund

Wednesday 12 October 2022 12:00 , John Bowden

The woman who says Herschel Walker paid for her abortion in 2009 has detailed the experience in an interview with The Washington Post in which she accuses the Republican of resisting or slow-walking her efforts to get him to pay for the procedure.

Her story was published on Tuesday; the unnamed woman described how Mr Walker told her that it was an inconvenient time for him to father a child when the pregnancy occurred in 2009.

Read more:

Woman details struggle with Herschel Walker over abortion payment

Kari Lake attacks Democrat as ‘cowardice candidate’ for skipping Arizona debate

Wednesday 12 October 2022 11:00 , John Bowden

Kari Lake – the Trump-backed election denier – has attacked her Democratic opponent as a “cowardice canidate” for deciding not to take part in a debate.

Katie Hobbs, 52, has to this point declined to do so, arguing that Ms Lake spent much of the Republican primary debate spouting conspirarcy theories, and repeated the false claim that the 2020 election was rigged.

The state’s gubernatorial race is deadlocked; polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight indicates that Ms Hobbs has a razor-thin lead.

Kari Lake attacks Democrat as ‘cowardice candidate’ for skipping Arizona debate

Inside the nastiest and potentially most important Senate race in the country

Wednesday 12 October 2022 10:00 , John Bowden

The race that could determine control of the Senate, and the direction of the country for at least the next four years, was always going to be fiercely fought. But even in the cut-and-thrust of Trump-era politics, few could have predicted just how bitter the campaign for Pennsylvania’s seat would become.

With one month to go until election day, the race between Democrat John Fetterman and his Republican opponent Mehmet Oz has the dubious honour of becoming the nastiest in the country, and there is little sign that either side is slowing down.

In the last week alone, one candidate has been accused of killing puppies, and the other of lying about his place on a heart transplant list. How did we get here?

Read more:

Killing puppies, crudite and cocaine: Welcome to the midterms’ nastiest race

The most important midterm elections a month out from Election Day

Wednesday 12 October 2022 09:00 , Eric Garcia

Election Day is less than a month away and the 2022 midterm races are entering their final sprint.

Republicans are still hope that Americans’ frustration with inflation and the economy, as well as rising crime, will obfuscate their concerns about the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v Wade.

Conversely, Democrats hope to make abortion a centrepiece of the election, but also hope to point “MAGA Republicans” as threats to democracy and highlight the January 6 insurrection.

Find out about the most important races below:

Most important midterm election a month out from Election Day 2022

John Fetterman details how his life is different after stroke: ‘It changes everything’

Wednesday 12 October 2022 08:00 , John Bowden

Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman has given his first in-person interview describing how his life is different since he suffered a stroke before the May primary.

Mr Fetterman spoke with NBC News’ Dasha Burns while using closed captioning. He is currently running against former television physician Mehmet Oz for a crucial Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

The Democrat said that it affected every aspect of his life.

Read more:

Fetterman details how his life is different after stroke: ‘It changes everything’

NBC pilloried for Fetterman interview

Wednesday 12 October 2022 07:00 , John Bowden

NBC News is taking fire from other journalists in Washington after the outlet aired an interview with John Fetterman that critics said was played up on social media to dishonestly exaggerate the candidate’s stroke recovery symptoms.

One of the harshest critics of NBC came from Kara Swisher, editor of ReCode, who denounced a claim from one of NBC’s reporters that Mr Fetterman appeared to be having trouble understanding words as “nonsense”.

“Sorry to say but I talked to @JohnFetterman for over an hour without stop or any aides and this is just nonsense. Maybe this reporter is just bad at small talk,” Ms Swisher wrote.

How Arizona’s ‘Big Lie’ champion came to be Maga’s emerging star

Wednesday 12 October 2022 05:30 , John Bowden

Kari Lake, the Republican hopeful responding to the questions, has emerged as one of the loudest and most effective voices in maintaining Donald Trump’s false claim that the 2020 election was rigged, and but for various alleged shenanigans – discounted by election experts and every court asked to consider them – Joe Biden would not be sitting in the White House.

Andy Buncombe dives into the far-right’s newest rising star for The Independent:

How Arizona’s ‘Big Lie’ champion came to be Maga’s emerging star

AP under fire over Pennsylvania story

Wednesday 12 October 2022 04:30 , John Bowden

The Associated Press found its coverage of the Pennsylvania Senate race coming into question on social media on Tuesday after the outlet’s correspondent Marc Levy published a tweet about Black voters and John Fetterman’s campaign — without mentioning that the quote in the tweet actually came from a GOP-aligned operative.

An earlier version of the story itself even failed to identify an Oz campaign staffer as such, and portrayed her as an unaligned Black voter. The article was later stealth-edited to explain that she is a paid GOP staffer.

Wisconsin gov bids to make abortion a central issue in race

Wednesday 12 October 2022 02:00 , John Bowden

Wisconsin’s Democratic governor is bringing the issue of abortion to center stage as he faces a Republican challenger who says he would keep the state’s total abortion ban largely in place.

Tony Evers hopes to capitalise on voter anger resulting from the overturn of Roe vs Wade earlier this year.

Read more about the gubernatorial race in The Independent:

Wisconsin gov bids to make abortion a central issue in race

Adam Kinzinger endorses Dems against GOP election deniers

Wednesday 12 October 2022 00:45 , John Bowden

Adam Kinzinger may not be running for reelection this year, but that isn’t stopping him from doing what he still can to challenge election deniers on every possible front.

But even though he personally won’t be taking on a supporter of Donald Trump’s conspiracies about the 2020 election, he’s pushing his way into races where some of those same people are seeking office.

Read more from John Bowden about how his Country First PAC is taking a stance on key races around the US:

Adam Kinzinger endorses Dems against GOP election deniers

Trump legal fees eat up money that could be spent on other GOP candidates, data shows

Tuesday 11 October 2022 23:30 , John Bowden

The nearly 20 major lawsuits and investigations facing Donald Trump are draining millions of dollars away from supporting other GOP candidates, according to campaign filings.

So far, according to election filings tracking spending through the end of August, Donald Trump’s Save America leadership political action committee has spent about as much paying Mr Trump’s legal bills as it has backing Republicans in the midterms.

Read more from Josh Marcus about how the president’s legal woes are adding up in terms of their total cost:

Trump legal fees eat up money that could be spent on other GOP candidates, data shows

John Fetterman details how his life is different after stroke: ‘It changes everything’

Tuesday 11 October 2022 22:30 , Eric Garcia

Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman has given his first in-person interview describing how his life is different since he suffered a stroke before the May primary.

Mr Fetterman spoke with NBC News’ Dasha Burns while using closed captioning. He is currently running against former television physician Mehmet Oz for a crucial Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

The Democrat said that it affected every aspect of his life.

Read more:

Fetterman details how his life is different after stroke: ‘It changes everything’

New Georgia Senate poll shows support for Herschel Walker dips as Democrat Raphael Warnock gains

Tuesday 11 October 2022 21:45 , Eric Garcia

Democratic incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock took the lead in Georgia in his race against Republican Herschel Walker, a new Emerson College poll showed.

The poll showed that 48 per cent of likely supporters would cast their vote for Mr Warnock, compared to 46 per cent who said they would vote for Mr Walker, a former running back for the University of Georgia. The surveye showed that Mr Warnock’s support increased by four points while Mr Walker’s support declined by about two points.

Read more:

Georgia poll shows support for Herschel Walker dips as Democrat Raphael Warnock gains

Madison Cawthorn goes AWOL. Where is the GOP rep as his term in Congress ends?

Tuesday 11 October 2022 21:45 , John Bowden

Madison Cawthorn appears to be done with Congress, both in the electoral and literal senses.

The first-term House member from North Carolina lost his primary to Chuck Edwards, a member of the state’s Senate, after a series of embarrassing videos leaked and Mr Cawthorn lost the support of his party’s leaders in the House and Senate thanks to comments he made about his colleagues supposedly using drugs and having sex parties.

Now, The Washington Post reports that Mr Cawthorn has virtually ceased operations in his district office, which is described as no longer being regularly staffed, including vital constituent work which includes the more mundane but still important duties like helping residents of his district obtain federal services or report problems in the area.

Read more:

Madison Cawthorn goes AWOL. Where is the GOP rep as his term in Congress ends?

John Fetterman doubles down on Dr Oz ‘puppy killer’ attacks

Tuesday 11 October 2022 20:11 , John Bowden

Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman doubled down on his attacks against Republican Senate nominee Mehmet Oz regarding alleged animal research in an interview on the No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen podcast.

The Democratic lieutenant governor cited an article by feminist website Jezebel that reviewed 75 studies published by the retired celebrity physician between 1989 and 2010 when he was a principal investigator at Columbia University’s Institute for Comparative Medicine labs.

Read more from Eric Garcia:

John Fetterman doubles down on Dr Oz ‘puppy killer’ attacks

Fetterman needles Dr Oz over Dallas Cowboys fandom ahead of Eagles NFL matchup

Tuesday 11 October 2022 19:01 , John Bowden

Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman is not backing down from his meme offensive.

The latest salvo from Mr Fetterman comes in the form of a billboard placed outside of Lincoln Financial Field in south Philadelphia. The message, viewable from I-95, declares that his opponent Dr Mehmet Oz is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys (rivals of Philadelphia’s Eagles) and urges voters to “elect a real Pennsylvanian”.

Read more:

Trump’s comment that JD Vance is an ‘ass-kisser’ thrown at his face during bad-tempered Ohio debate

Tuesday 11 October 2022 17:09 , John Bowden

Representative Tim Ryan threw back former president Donald Trump’s words at his Republican opponent JD Vance in their debate for Ohio’s open Senate seat on Monday evening.

Toward the end of the debate, Mr Ryan hit out at Mr Vance for seeking Mr Trump’s endorsement in a withering diatribe about recent comments made by Donald Trump at a rally in Youngstown.

“[H]ere's the thing that's most troubling about this lack of courage, is that after Trump took JD Vance’s dignity from him, onstage in Youngstown, JD Vance got back up on stage and said, start shaking his hand, take a picture saying, ‘Hey, are we having a great time here, tonight’,” Mr Ryan said.

Read more from Eric Garcia:

Tim Ryan calls JD Vance an ‘ass-kisser’ after Trump remarks in Ohio Senate debate

New Colorado poll shows Michael Bennet on course for easy win

Tuesday 11 October 2022 16:09 , John Bowden

Senator Michael Bennet is on track to be reelected easily despite the GOP’s insistence that he is “vulnerable” in November.

A new poll from Marist College shows the senator up seven points over his Republican opponent.

But that survey isn’t stopping Republican operatives in Washington from taking a shot anyway. The Senate Leadership Fund, a PAC aligned with Mitch McConnell, announced plans to spend $1.25m on the race on Monday.

ICYMI: Trump-backed Joe Kent accused of spreading conspiracy theories

Tuesday 11 October 2022 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump-backed congressional candidate Joe Kent has been accused of spreading conspiracy theories after he called the Covid vaccine an “experimental gene therapy” during a testy, sold-out debate in Washington state.

Little more than 40 days before voters across the country go to the polls in the midterm elections, Mr Kent clashed with Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, in their first debate in the showdown for Washington’s third congressional district.

Andrew Buncombe reports from Seattle.

Trump-backed Joe Kent accused of spreading conspiracy theories in testy debate

Kristi Noem: Balancing big ambitions and reelection in South Dakota

Tuesday 11 October 2022 13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

If Kristi Noem has ambitions beyond her state, she must first take care of political business back home: winning a second term in November.

Noem's balancing act: Big ambitions, South Dakota reelection

Maxwell Frost: The first Gen Z member of Congress

Tuesday 11 October 2022 12:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Maxwell Frost wants to tell Democrats to not write off Florida simply as the state of Ron DeSantis and other Republicans.

The 25-year-old activist famously confronted the governor a few months ago about gun violence, to which Mr DeSantis – who has become the Republican Party’s golden boy for keeping Florida open during the Covid-19 pandemic – responded by saying “nobody wants to hear from you”.

But Mr DeSantis’s remarks notwithstanding, it turned out that some Floridians did want to hear from him. Mr Frost won the Democratic primary for Florida’s 10th District to replace Representative Val Demings, who is running to challenge Senator Marco Rubio. The district is overwhelmingly Democratic, meaning that a primary victory all but guarantees Mr Frost will be heading to Congress.

Eric Garcia reports on the candidate who will be the first of his generation in Congress.

Meet Maxwell Frost, the Uber driver who is about to be first Gen Z member of Congress

Coming up: Jan 6 committee’s next public hearing

Tuesday 11 October 2022 10:30 , Oliver O'Connell

ICYMI: Psaki says Democrats doomed if midterms are about Biden

Tuesday 11 October 2022 09:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said Democrats know that if the 2022 midterm election is about President Joe Biden’s record, they will lose.

Eric Garcia reports.

Psaki says Democrats know they’re doomed if midterms are a vote about Biden

John Fetterman details how his life is different after stroke: ‘It changes everything’

Wednesday 12 October 2022 00:40 , Eric Garcia

Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman has given his first in-person interview describing how his life is different since he suffered a stroke before the May primary.

Mr Fetterman spoke with NBC News’ Dasha Burns while using closed captioning. He is currently running against former television physician Mehmet Oz for a crucial Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

The Democrat said that it affected every aspect of his life.

Read more:

Fetterman details how his life is different after stroke: ‘It changes everything’

Ron Johnson challenged on his hardline abortion stance in Wisconsin debate

Tuesday 11 October 2022 07:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin’s Democratic challenger criticised him for his position on abortion during their debate on Friday night.

The Republican Senator is running for a third term and said during his debate with Democratic Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes that he supported a referendum on abortion after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson decision overturned Roe v Wade and therefore revived a ban on abortion from 1849 in the state.

Eric Garcia reports.

GOP senator challenged on his hardline abortion stance in Wisconsin debate

John Fetterman details how his life is different after stroke: ‘It changes everything’

Tuesday 11 October 2022 23:33 , John Bowden

Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman has given his first in-person interview describing how his life is different since he suffered a stroke before the May primary.

Mr Fetterman spoke with NBC News’ Dasha Burns while using closed captioning. He is currently running against former television physician Mehmet Oz for a crucial Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

Read more:

Fetterman details how his life is different after stroke: ‘It changes everything’

Inside the nastiest and potentially most important Senate race in the country

Tuesday 11 October 2022 03:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A race that could determine control of the Senate, and the direction of the country for at least the next four years, was always going to be fiercely fought. But even in the cut-and-thrust of Trump-era politics, few could have predicted just how bitter the campaign for Pennsylvania’s seat would become.

With less than one month to go until election day, the race between Democrat John Fetterman and his Republican opponent Mehmet Oz has the dubious honour of becoming the nastiest in the country, and there is little sign that either side is slowing down.

Eric Garcia takes a look at this crucial Senate race.

Killing puppies, crudite and cocaine: Welcome to the midterms’ nastiest race

Can the Jan 6 committee hearings close out with a bang?

Tuesday 11 October 2022 01:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The select committee investigating the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol will hold a public hearing on 13 October at 1pm.

Can they close out with a bang before the 8 November midterms?

Jan 6 hearings revealed details of Trump ‘coup’. Can committee close out with a bang?

Herschel Walker losing lead against Raphael Warnock after abortion scandal

Monday 10 October 2022 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell

With Republican Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s campaign rocked by reports he paid for a woman’s abortion, polls before the weekend showed a reversal in his prospects for the November midterms.

Herschel Walker loses lead against Raphael Warnock in new poll after abortion scandal

Gaetz and Pelosi: This month’s two most useless people in DC

Monday 10 October 2022 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

With Congress officially out until after the midterm election ends, Eric Garcia nominates two high-profile lawmakers for particularly cynical moves on Capitol Hill this month.

Matt Gaetz and Nancy Pelosi are this month’s most useless people in Washington

Anti-crime message Republican candidate sees two shot on his doorstep

Monday 10 October 2022 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A Republican running for governor of New York on an anti-crime message had a talking point literally play out on his doorstep over the weekend.

Congressman Lee Zeldin of New York was away from home when his daughters called 911 in response to a shocking drive-by shooting in broad daylight that left one teen suspect hiding in fear for his life under the representative’s porch and another ducking for cover by jumping over his fence.

John Bowden has the details.

Republican running on anti-crime message sees two shot in drive-by on his doorstep

Midterms 2022: Lessons and predictions

Monday 10 October 2022 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Independent’s Eric Garcia gives his four lessons and predictions for the upcoming midterm elections.

Some lessons and predictions for the midterms

Key races: Which are the most crucial contests to watch in the midterms?

Monday 10 October 2022 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Election Day is less than a month away and the 2022 midterm races are entering their final sprint.

Republicans are still hope that Americans’ frustration with inflation and the economy, as well as rising crime, will obfuscate their concerns about the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v Wade.

Conversely, Democrats hope to make abortion a centrepiece of the election, but also hope to point “MAGA Republicans” as threats to democracy and highlight the January 6 insurrection.

Eric Garcia takes a look at the most important elections to watch this cycle.

Most important midterm election a month out from Election Day 2022

ICYMI: Trump-backed Joe Kent accused of spreading conspiracy theories

Monday 10 October 2022 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump-backed congressional candidate Joe Kent has been accused of spreading conspiracy theories after he called the Covid vaccine an “experimental gene therapy” during a testy, sold-out debate in Washington state.

Little more than 40 days before voters across the country go to the polls in the midterm elections, Mr Kent clashed with Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, in their first debate in the showdown for Washington’s third congressional district.

Andrew Buncombe reports from Seattle.

Trump-backed Joe Kent accused of spreading conspiracy theories in testy debate

Midterms: Can Trump keep his QAnon supporters under control?

Monday 10 October 2022 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Can Donald Trump keep his QAnon supporters under control?

Kristi Noem: Balancing big ambitions and reelection in South Dakota

Monday 10 October 2022 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

If Kristi Noem has ambitions beyond her state, she must first take care of political business back home: winning a second term in November.

Noem's balancing act: Big ambitions, South Dakota reelection

Maxwell Frost: The first Gen Z member of Congress

Monday 10 October 2022 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Maxwell Frost wants to tell Democrats to not write off Florida simply as the state of Ron DeSantis and other Republicans.

The 25-year-old activist famously confronted the governor a few months ago about gun violence, to which Mr DeSantis – who has become the Republican Party’s golden boy for keeping Florida open during the Covid-19 pandemic – responded by saying “nobody wants to hear from you”.

But Mr DeSantis’s remarks notwithstanding, it turned out that some Floridians did want to hear from him. Mr Frost won the Democratic primary for Florida’s 10th District to replace Representative Val Demings, who is running to challenge Senator Marco Rubio. The district is overwhelmingly Democratic, meaning that a primary victory all but guarantees Mr Frost will be heading to Congress.

Eric Garcia reports on the candidate who will be the first of his generation in Congress.

Meet Maxwell Frost, the Uber driver who is about to be first Gen Z member of Congress

Monday 10 October 2022 15:08 , Oliver O'Connell

ICYMI: Psaki says Democrats doomed if midterms are about Biden

Monday 10 October 2022 14:36 , Oliver O'Connell

Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said Democrats know that if the 2022 midterm election is about President Joe Biden’s record, they will lose.

Eric Garcia reports.

Psaki says Democrats know they’re doomed if midterms are a vote about Biden

ICYMI: Psaki says Democrats doomed if midterms are about Biden

Monday 10 October 2022 20:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said Democrats know that if the 2022 midterm election is about President Joe Biden’s record, they will lose.

Eric Garcia reports.

Psaki says Democrats know they’re doomed if midterms are a vote about Biden

What really happened when an armed John Fetterman detained an unarmed Black jogger in 2013?

Tuesday 4 October 2022 20:38 , Josh Marcus

Starting this week, a super PAC that supports Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dr Mehmet Oz will be running a $1.5m ad buy highlighting a highly controversial moment in the life of his rival, progressive Democrat John Fetterman.

In 2013, while Mr Fetterman, the current Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, was serving as mayor of the town of Braddock, he chased an unarmed Black jogger with his car and stopped him at gunpoint, thinking he’d heard gunshots nearby and the man might be responsible.

Here’s what you need to know about what happened.

Why did an armed John Fetterman detain an unarmed Black jogger in 2013?

Walker’s son lashes out and calls father a liar over denial he paid for abortion

Tuesday 4 October 2022 19:15 , John Bowden

Christian Walker, a right-wing influencer on Instagram and other platforms, released a video Tuesday morning in which he unloaded on his father, his own critics on the right and left and the media following roughly 12 hours of mayhem caused by the report, which dropped Monday evening.

In the video, the younger Mr Walker excoriated his father, Georgia US Senate candidate Herschel Walker, and called him a liar who does not live up to the “family values” image that he so frequently preaches in interviews.

“I’m done. Done. Everything has been a lie,” Mr Walker declares in his video. “I was silent lie after lie after lie. The abortion card drops yesterday. It’s literally his handrwriting in the card!”

Read more:

Herschel Walker’s son calls his father a liar for denial he paid for abortion

Herschel Walker denies paying for ex girlfriend’s abortion after report turns own son against him

Tuesday 4 October 2022 18:32 , John Bowden

A bombshell report from The Daily Beast threatens to completely upturn the Georgia Senate race.

Herschel Walker, the far-right Trump-endorsed Republican candidate, is now scrambling to respond to a report claiming that he paid for an abortion for a woman he dated in 2009.

According to the Beast, the unnamed woman backed up her claim with “a $575 receipt from the abortion clinic, a ‘get well’ card from [Mr] Walker, and a bank deposit receipt that included an image of a signed $700 personal check from [Mr] Walker.”

Read more:

Herschel Walker denies paying for ex’s abortion after report turns son against him

Senator Susan Collins warns of violent threats: ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if a senator or House member were killed’

Monday 3 October 2022 22:18 , John Bowden

Maine’s centrist Republican senator, Susan Collins, is warning that threats against lawmakers are becoming very real as the midterm season heats up.

Simply offensive rhetoric was mutating into violent threats, warned the GOP senator who has faced the ire of many conservatives for breaking with her party on occasion.

The Republican senator spoke about her concerns in the wake of a man smashing a brick through her home in Bangor, Maine.

Read more from Eric Garcia:

Susan Collins issues dark warning: ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if a senator were killed’

Trump rallies drift to fringe ahead of potential 2024 bid

Monday 3 October 2022 18:57 , John Bowden

Donald Trump’s rallies have always attracted a broad swath of supporters, from first timers taking advantage of their chance to see a president in person, to devotees who camp out for days and follow him around the country like rock band groupies.

But after spending much of the last two years obsessively peddling false claims of a stolen election, Trump is increasingly attracting those who have broken with reality, including adherents of the baseless QAnon conspiracy, which began in the dark corners of the internet and is premised on the belief that the country is run by a ring of child sex traffickers, satanic pedophiles and cannibals that only Trump can defeat.

Jill Colvin takes us inside Donald Trump’s increasing embrace of his party’s fringe soothsayers and conspiracy-slingers.

Trump rallies drift to fringe ahead of potential 2024 bid

Pennsylvania Republican Doug Mastriano calls for 40 days of fasting to save flailing campaign

Wednesday 28 September 2022 22:01 , Eric Garcia

Doug Mastriano, the Trump-endorsed Republican gubernatorial nominee in Pennsylvania, called for 40 days of fasting and prayer as his campaign significantly lags behind Democratic nominee Josh Shaprio.

Pennsylvania Republican calls for 40 days of fasting to save his campaign

Can Donald Trump keep his QAnon supporters under control before the midterms?

Tuesday 27 September 2022 21:58 , Eric Garcia

The former president – who has more than 4 million followers on his Twitter clone Truth Social – and his close associates have shared dozens of QAnon-affiliated posts on the platform within the first several months after its launch, according to a report from NewsGuard, Eric Garcia and Alex Woodward report.

Can Donald Trump keep his QAnon supporters under control before the midterms?

Dr Oz’s insult for John Fetterman’s clothing backfires spectacularly

Tuesday 27 September 2022 20:08 , John Bowden

The latest GOP attempt to attack John Fetterman is falling flat as Dr Mehmet Oz and his Republican allies seek to make the lieutenant governor’s clothing choices and tattoos a campaign issue.

The latest back-and-forth in the much-watched Pennsylvania Senate race began with Dr Oz’s appearance on a podcast, wherein he attacked the lieutenant governor for wearing a “costume” — the sweatshirts and jeans style that Mr Fetterman has been known for embracing for years, dating back to his time as mayor of Braddock.

It escalated when former House speaker Newt Gingrich joined in to attack Mr Fetterman’s tattoo, a reference to the Nine Inch Nails song (and Johnny Cash cover of) Hurt.

Read more from The Independent’s John Bowden:

Dr Oz’s insult for John Fetterman’s clothing backfires spectacularly

Failure to launch: Doug Mastriano campaign struggles

Tuesday 27 September 2022 16:10 , David Taintor

With no ads and few supporters showing up to his rallies, Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano’s campaign is struggling.

Read more from The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg below:

Doug Mastriano’s campaign ‘sputtering’ with tiny rallies and no ads

John Fetterman’s lead against Dr Oz narrows in Pennsylvania

Tuesday 27 September 2022 14:39 , Eric Garcia

Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman’s lead against his Republican opponent Mehmet Oz narrowed to within the margin of arror, according to a new poll from Insider Advantage and Fox 29 Philadelphia.

John Fetterman’s lead against Dr Oz narrows in Pennsylvania

Tucker Carlson gets it wrong on John Fetterman’s tattoos

Monday 26 September 2022 23:12 , David Taintor

Tucker Carlson tried to attack John Fetterman over the Pennsylvania Senate candidate’s tattoos. But it turns that the politician’s ink has a special meaning.

Tucker Carlson left red faced after trying to insult Fetterman on tattoos

Inside Trump’s latest rally

Monday 26 September 2022 20:30 , David Taintor

The Independent’s Eric Garcia was on the ground at Donald Trump’s latest rally in North Carolina. Here’s what he saw on the ground at the event:

QAnon, the Big Lie and misogyny: Inside Trump’s Wilmington rally

The Senate seats most likely to flip in November

Monday 26 September 2022 19:55 , David Taintor

My colleague Eric Garcia took a look at the five Senate seats most likely to flip in the November midterm elections. Take a look at Eric’s list below:

These are the Senate seats most likely to flip in November

Let us count the Dr Oz gaffes

Friday 23 September 2022 18:51 , David Taintor

From crudites to misrepresenting the number of homes he owns, Dr Oz has made a number of eyebrow-raising comments. The Independent’s Eric Garcia has a running list below:

From crudités to homes in New Jersey: A rolling list of Dr Oz’s gaffes

Trump-backed Joe Kent has ‘good hair’ but ‘bad ideas’, says Democratic challenger

Friday 23 September 2022 18:08 , Andrew Buncombe

Checking in on the 3rd Congressional District in Washington:

Trump-backed Joe Kent has ‘good hair’ but ‘bad ideas’, says Democratic challenger

One reason Democrats may have a tough time picking up a Senate seat in Ohio

Friday 23 September 2022 18:06 , David Taintor

A shuttered auto plant in Youngstown, Ohio, looms large over the state’s US Senate race between author JD Vance and Rep Tim Ryan. The Independent’s John Bowden recently spent time in the area and spoke to a number of voters who brought up the episode unprompted. Read John’s reporting below:

Why a shuttered auto plant in Ohio may doom Democrats from picking up key Senate seat

Tuesday 20 September 2022 04:25 , John Bowden

Former president Donald Trump on Saturday levelled new, outlandish accusations at the Biden administration by claiming that federal authorities are now threatening his supporters with decades in prison unless they agree to say negative things about him.

He made the bizarre claim not ten minutes into a subdued, rambling speech to an under-capacity crowd at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio. Ostensibly a rally in support of Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance, Mr Trump’s remarks were instead peppered with what is now a familiar litany of grievances, grudges, and complaints about the myriad investigations into his conduct by federal and state prosecutors in Washington, DC, Fulton County, Georgia, and elsewhere.

Read more on-the-ground coverage of the president’s return to the Rust Belt from John Bowden and Andrew Feinberg:

Trump claims his supporters are threatened with jail for refusing to denounce him

Trump under fire for QAnon display at Ohio rally: ‘He has gone completely insane’

Tuesday 20 September 2022 03:25 , John Bowden

Donald Trump is causing new outrage among Democrats after appearing to embrace supporters of QAnon at his recent rally in Youngstown, Ohio.

The president’s rally blared music that is widely popular among the cultish conspiracy theory’s followers and at one point dozens of members of the crowd held one finger in the air in a strange salute that some experts said was likely a nod to the expansive nonsense of the Q community.

Read more from The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander:

Trump under fire for QAnon display at Ohio rally: ‘He has gone completely insane’

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website