Midterms 2022 - live: Tim Ryan accuses JD Vance of promoting ‘great replacement theory’ in Ohio Senate Debate

Democrat Tim Ryan and Trump-endorsed Republican JD Vance squared off in a debate in their battle for Ohio’s open Senate seat on Monday night. Mr Vance dodged on whether Donald Trump should comply with a subpoena from the House January 6 committee.

The pair faced each other as local Democrats plead for help from the national party in the belief they can win the race despite the state trending more conservative.

In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp and his Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams also met for a debate, as did Utah Senator Mike Lee and independent candidate Evan McMullin.

Meanwhile, Georgia Senate nominee Herschel Walker has insisted that a sheriff’s badge he flashed onstage at a debate on Friday is ‘legit’ after being ridiculed for falsely claiming to have held official law enforcement powers.

Mr Walker made the claim in an NBC News interview that saw him once again deny paying for an ex-girlfriend’s abortion. He said he saw no reason to reach out to his accuser – who is also the mother of his child.

Follow the latest news on the 2022 midterms below

Key points

• JD Vance’s second debate with Tim Ryan turns nasty

• Herschel Walker again denies paying for abortion

• Fetterman pulls in fundraising haul after NBC controversy

• Kari Lake attacks Democratic rival for skipping debate

• Ohio Dems press party to invest in high stakes Senate seat

Watch: Herschel Walker appears to have no idea what his first crime bill will be

13:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Kari Lake: The seemingly unstoppable rise of the Trump-endorsed election denier

12:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Two years after quitting her television job, this Trump-endorsed Maga champion is involved in a showdown with a Democratic opponent that pundits say is too close to call.

Andrew Buncombe reports.

The seemingly unstoppable rise of election denier Kari Lake

Is 2022 a 2020 sequel or a preview of 2024 for Biden and Trump?

10:15 , Oliver O'Connell

This year’s midterm elections are playing out as a strange continuation of the last presidential race — and a potential preview of the next one.

Donald Trump, who refused to exit the stage after his defeat, has spent months raging against Joe Biden, reshaping downballot campaigns that normally function as a straightforward referendum on the incumbent president.

The result is an episode of political shadowboxing with little precedent, as the current president and his immediate predecessor — and possible future challenger — crisscross the country in support of their party’s candidates.

For Biden and Trump, 2022 is 2020 sequel — and 2024 preview?

Stacey Abrams says she’s ‘on the right side of history’ in rematch against Georgia governor Brian Kemp

09:45 , Alex Woodward

While Brian Kemp outlined his vision for an optimistic second term as Georgia’s Republican governor, Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams pointed to what she called the “state of fear” for many Georgians that has dominated the last four years since they last faced off in 2018 – gun violence, threats to abortion rights and rising housing and medical costs.

“This is a governor who for the last four years beat his chest and delivered very little for most Georgians,” Ms Abrams said, adding that Mr Kemp “has weakened our privacy rights and women’s rights” and “denied women the access to reproductive care.”

“The most dangerous thing facing Georgia is four more years of Brian Kemp,” she said.

Despite polls showing her trailing behind Mr Kemp, Ms Abrams said she is “on the right side of history and on the right side of the issues.”

“But we also know that polls are a snapshot,” she said. “The question is: Who are they taking a picture of?”

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the highlights from their debate rematch, four years in the making:

Key moments from Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp in debate rematch for Georgia governor

Heated Ohio Senate race gets ugly at second debate between JD Vance and Tim Ryan

09:00 , Alex Woodward

The final debate before Election Day between JD Vance and Tim Ryan in Youngstown, Ohio, was puncuated by vicious back-and-forth sniping between two candidates with a clear personal disdain for one another.

The Independent’s John Bowden has the highlights from high-stakes Senate race debate:

Heated Ohio Senate race gets ugly at second debate between JD Vance and Tim Ryan

Republican hopefuls turn to Pence to broaden appeal before election

08:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The final weeks of this year’s intensely competitive midterm elections suggest that the former vice president’s fortunes have shifted as he lays the groundwork for his own potential 2024 White House campaign.

Read more:

GOP hopefuls turn to Pence to broaden appeal before election

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims to be ‘victim’ of January 6 riot

06:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia Representative Majorie Taylor Greene on Sunday used her only general election debate to comment on her Democratic opponent’s headgear and cast herself as a “victim” of the January 6 attack on the Capitol despite supporting the aims of the rioters that day.

Ms Greene is running for a second term against Marcus Flowers, who has raised significant amounts of money but has little chance of defeating her because of the makeup of Georgia’s 14th district.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims to be a victim of Jan 6 in heated Georgia debate

Reporter corrects Dr Oz live on air

04:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Dr Mehmet Oz was corrected live on air after he made false claims that his opponent John Fetterman wanted to end life imprisonment as his first political priority.

The pro-Trump Republican candidate for Pennsylvania’s US Senate seat is trailing his Democratic rival for the open seat with less than a month left before election day.

Graeme Massie has the story.

Reporter corrects Dr Oz live on air as he makes false claim about Fetterman

Stacey Abrams says she’s ‘on the right side of history’ in rematch against Georgia governor Brian Kemp

02:17 , Alex Woodward

After losing the election for Georgia’s governor in 2018, Stacey Abrams has boosted her national profile as a voting rights advocate, combatting a wave of Republican-led efforts to restrict ballot access across the US.

But closer to home, as she makes a second bid for the governor’s office, she has struggled to close the gap between her campaign and her GOP opponent Brian Kemp, who is making his pitch for another four years in office, as they head to a rematch this November.

On the final day of early voting in their governor’s race, Ms Abrams and Mr Kemp faced off on the debate stage for the first time since their 2018 challenge.

Read more:

Key moments from Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp in debate rematch for Georgia governor

Voices: Obama back on the campaign trail for radically different Democratic Party

02:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes that the 44th president never fully bonded with his party’s establishment but today’s Democratic Party is a different beast than it was in 2016 – never mind 2008.

Obama returns to the trail for a radically changed Democratic Party

Heated Ohio Senate race gets ugly at second debate between JD Vance and Tim Ryan

01:52 , John Bowden

The final debate before Election Day between JD Vance and Tim Ryan in Youngstown, Ohio, was puncuated by vicious back-and-forth sniping between two candidates with a clear personal disdain for one another.

The night began with Rep Tim Ryan wielding Donald Trump’s “ass-kissing” quote – made in the same city just a few weeks ago by the former president when he visited town to stump for Mr Vance – like a club and portraying the Republican candidate as a spineless, two-faced politician. Mr Ryan was quick to note that Mr Vance was campaigning alongside a man he once compared to Adolf Hitler (which Mr Vance claimed falsely was not the case), and scoring easy blows against his opponent.

Read more:

Heated Ohio Senate race gets ugly at second debate between JD Vance and Tim Ryan

Kemp doesn’t regret appointing Kelly Loeffler to Senate. after she lost to Raphael Warnock

Tuesday 18 October 2022 00:56 , Alex Woodward

Brian Kemp said he does not regret appointing Republican Kelly Loeffler to the US Senate. She lost in the 2020 election to Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock, who won alongside fellow Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff, giving the state to Democrats and handing the party narrow control of Congress.

Instead, Mr Kemp blamed the GOP’s ground game and turnout.

Stacey Abrams deflects when asked if she will accept the election results

Tuesday 18 October 2022 00:47 , Eric Garcia

Stacey Abrams deflected in a debate Monday evening when asked about whether she would accept the results of Georgia’s governor’s race in November after she did not concede in 2018’s election.

Debate moderator Greg Bluestein asked Ms Abrams about her non-concession in 2018 and whether she would commit to accepting the outcome of the vote and what it shows.

Ms Abrams said that in 2018, she acknowledged that Governor Brian Kemp had won the election. At the time, Mr Kemp served as secretary of state, Georgia’s top elections officer.

Read more:

Stacey Abrams deflects when asked if she will accept the election results

JD Vance dodges on whether Trump should comply with Jan 6 subpoena

Tuesday 18 October 2022 00:31 , David Taintor

Ohio Republican Senate nominee dodged when asked whether former president Donald Trump should comply with a subpoena from the House January 6 committee.

“I’m not going to pretend to give the president legal advice,” Mr Vance said, adding that it would probably be “enlightening” testimony from the former president.

Kemp tries to tie Abrams to ‘defund the police'

Tuesday 18 October 2022 00:20 , Alex Woodward

After Mr Kemp asked if any law enforcement agencies have endorsed her, Ms Abrams fired back: “Unlike you, I don’t have the luxury of relying on slogans to describe my position on public safety.”

Despite the “defund the police” mantra among GOP officials aimed at Democrats this cycle, more than 83 per cent of US law enforcement agencies are spending more this year than in 2019.

Abrams says ‘I will always acknowledge the outcome of elections’ as Kemp hits her on 2018 election

Tuesday 18 October 2022 00:16 , Alex Woodward

Tonight’s debate is a bit of a rematch from 2018, after which Ms Abrams did not formally concede but ended her campaign alleging unfair election practises and voter suppression.

In office as governor, Mr Kemp signed a sweeping restrictive elections bill into law, joining a nationwide Republican-led campaign to roll back ballot access.

“I will always acknowledge the outcome of elections,” Ms Abrams said. “I will never deny access.”

Mr Kemp said the bill makes it “easy to vote and hard to cheat” in the state, a familiar GOP refrain in support of restrictive voting laws.

Tim Ryan hits JD Vance over attacks against Pelosi

Tuesday 18 October 2022 00:16 , John Bowden

Tim Ryan opened up his performance in Monday’s Ohio US Senate debate by slamming his opponent, JD Vance, for his incessant attacks attempting to tie him to Nancy Pelosi or other DC Democrats.

“If you want to run against Nancy Pelosi, move back to San Francisco and run against Nancy Pelosi,” he told Mr Vance.

Follow live for more updates.

JD Vance says Trump’s ‘kissing my ass’ line was a joke

Tuesday 18 October 2022 00:15 , David Taintor

JD Vance says that Donald Trump claiming that the Ohio Senate candidate was “kissing” his “a**” because he wanted the former president’s support so much amounted to a simple joke, adding that he knows Mr Trump well and recognised the humour in the remark.

JD Vance and Tim Ryan debate begins

Tuesday 18 October 2022 00:02 , David Taintor

The Ohio Senate debate between JD Vance and Tim Ryan has begun. It’s expected to last for about one hour. Follow along for live updates.

Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp debate to begin

Monday 17 October 2022 23:59 , Alex Woodward

A debate between Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams and Republican incumbent Brian Kemp will start in a just a moment as the candidates make their case for who should be the governor of Georgia.

We’ll have the highlights.

Herschel Walker acknowledges giving check to ex but claims not to know if it was for abortion

Monday 17 October 2022 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker acknowledged in an interview with NBC News that he did indeed send a check to his ex-girlfriend but denied that it was to pay for an abortion.

NBC News’s Kristen Welker showed an image of the $700 check that he reportedly gave an ex-girlfriend. The network spoke with the woman who purported to be Mr Walker’s ex-girlfriend and provided a copy of the check and a receipt from the medical centre in Georgia.

Eric Garcia reports.

Herschel Walker says he wrote check to ex but doesn’t know if it was for abortion

Obama to campaign for Dems in Wisconsin

Monday 17 October 2022 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Barack Obama is heading to Wisconsin later this month to back the faltering campaign of Democratic Senate hopeful Mandela Barnes, a race that could help determine who controls the upper house.

Mr Obama, who handily won Wisconsin in 2008 and 2012, is reportedly bound for the state on 29 October, and will also campaign on behalf of governor Tony Evers.

Josh Marcus reports.

Obama to campaign in Wisconsin for Democratic Senate candidate trailing in the polls

Poll shows Vance inching ahead of Ryan in Ohio

Monday 17 October 2022 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

USA Today reports:

Republican J.D. Vance has opened a narrow edge over Democrat Tim Ryan in the Senate race in Ohio, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds, as President Joe Biden’s unpopularity complicates the campaign by the moderate Democratic congressman to flip a GOP-held seat.

Vance leads 47%-45%, a shift from Ryan’s one-point advantage last month, 47%-46%. Both findings are within the survey’s 4.4 percentage-point margin of error.

The Ohio race stands second only to Pennsylvania as a prospect for Democrats to pick up a Senate seat now held by a Republican.

Biden sticking by Fetterman in Pennsylvania Senate race

Monday 17 October 2022 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The White House has said that President Joe Biden is sticking behind Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman in Pennsylvania despite some concerns about his health after he survived a stroke.

Eric Garcia reports.

Biden is sticking by Fetterman in Senate race after post-stroke interview row

Herschel Walker ‘represented by empty podium’ at latest debate

Monday 17 October 2022 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A moderator has gone viral for saying Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker would be “represented by an empty podium” when he failed to show up for a debate against his rivals.

Johanna Chisholm has the story.

Moderator says Walker will be represented ‘by an empty podium’ after he skips debate

Elise Stefanik boasts about hospital investment she voted against

Monday 17 October 2022 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican lawmaker Elise Stefanik has been caught touting $12.9m in funding for rural hospitals in her district that she actually voted against.

The pro-Trump congresswoman from New York welcomed the Rural Development Grants from the Department of Agriculture, calling it a “significant investment.”

But the money came from Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan.

Graeme Massie reports.

Elise Stefanik caught boasting about $12.9m hospital investment she voted against

ICYMI: Fetterman raises $1m after NBC interview

Monday 17 October 2022 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

John Fetterman, the Democratic candidate challenging Dr Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania’s crucial Senate race, reportedly raised $1m in the days since a bombshell interview with NBC News aired.

Mr Fetterman’s campaign announced on Wednesday night that he’d raised the million-dollar figure in less than 36 hours since the Tuesday night sit-down with reporter Dasha Burns aired on the network.

Johanna Chisholm reports

John Fetterman raises $1m after debate-stirring NBC interview

Gisele Fetterman calls for NBC apologyafter ‘shocking’ interview with husband John Fetterman

Monday 17 October 2022 18:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman’s wife Gisele Baretto Fetterman criticised an NBC News interview with her husband for the way it talked about accommodating closed captioning.

Mr Fetterman suffered a stroke in May, shortly before the Pennsylvania Senate primaries. As a result, he uses closed captioning.

But in his interview with NBC News, journalist Dasha Burns said during small talk beforehand, it seemed that the Democratic lieutenant governor did not seem to understand what they were saying.

Ms Fetterman spoke with The Independent’s Eric Garcia.

Gisele Fetterman calls for NBC to apologise over interview with John Fetterman

Watch: The best and worst midterm campaign videos

Monday 17 October 2022 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

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’

ICYMI: Walker denies paying for abortion

Monday 17 October 2022 17:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker acknowledged in an interview with NBC News that he did indeed send a check to his ex-girlfriend but denied that it was to pay for an abortion.

NBC News’s Kristen Welker showed an image of the $700 check that he reportedly gave an ex-girlfriend.

“This is still a lie because she is the mother of my child,” he said. “I have no idea what that can be for.”

Eric Garcia writes:

Herschel Walker acknowledges check to ex, says he doesn’t know if it was for abortion

Lee “accidentally” runs self-penned puff piece in Utah newspaper

Monday 17 October 2022 16:45 , Andrew Naughtie

Utah Senator Mike Lee is being roasted for writing an opinion piece in the Salt Lake Tribune in which he praises himself in the third person.

“Since taking office, Senator Mike Lee has earned a reputation as a principled conservative. He believes elected officials are responsible for keeping the federal government within its constitutionally limited role,’ writes Sen Mike Lee,” a plug for the article on social media states.

The awkward phrasing brought cackles of derision on social media. Mr Lee’s campaign has now said they never intended for the “standard bio” to be run under Mr Lee’s byline.

Bevan Hurley has the story.

Mike Lee roasted for opinion column celebrating himself

Ron Johnson calls his opponent a Putin “tool"

Monday 17 October 2022 16:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Ron Johnson, a full-throated Trumpist who is fighting to keep his Wisconsin Senate seat this November, has lately seen his polling numbers recover somewhat as the Republican Party apparatus tears into his rival, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes. But he’s not taking his foot off the pedal, and going ever further in his attacks:

SNL rips Herschel Walker after debate

Monday 17 October 2022 15:30 , Andrew Naughtie

In a measure of how much his various missteps are permeating the national debate, this weekend’s Saturday Night Live featured a brief skit taking a poke at Herschel Walker’s bizarre police-badge moment on Friday.

“Walker pulled out a prob badge and said ‘I am work with many police officers’, which is yet another sign that Herschel Walker is has brain problems.”

Read Herschel Walker’s bizarre sheriff badge explanation

Monday 17 October 2022 15:21 , Andrew Naughtie

Herschel Walker has repeatedly claimed to have been given law enforcement powers by a local police force, but has never produced anything to demonstrate he had anything more than “honorary” status, meaning he was not in fact a law enforcement official.

Having been ridiculed for producing a sheriff’s badge in support of the false claim at Friday’s debate, he has now doubled down in his new NBC interview. A transcript indicates that his latest explanation makes little sense.

Analysis: Obama returns to the trail

Monday 17 October 2022 14:00 , Andrew Naughtie

In today’s Inside Washington dispatch, Eric Garcia takes a look at Barack Obama’s return to the campaign trail – a rare return to the political fray for an aloof former president who kept much of his party at arm’s length:

Read the full analysis below.

Obama returns to the trail for a radically changed Democratic Party

Walker on allegations he paid for abortion: new interview

Monday 17 October 2022 13:00 , Andrew Naughtie

Herschel Walker has long denied and prevaricated upon allegations that he offered to pay for an ex-girlfriend to have an abortion more than a decade away. In a new interview with NBC News, he has reiterated that the allegation is “a lie”...but admitted that a cheque shown to him by the interviewer was indeed signed by him.

Asked why he hadn’t reached out to his accuser, the candidate responded: “Why should I?”

Watch the clip below.

Biden approval rises with midterms less than four weeks away

Monday 17 October 2022 12:00 , Andrew Naughtie

ICYMI: 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.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

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

Analysis: Greg Abbott’s inaction on gun reform after Uvalde is hardly surprising. Until you look at Parkland.

Monday 17 October 2022 11:02 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: 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, Abbott’s inaction may come as little surprise. Except that it has been done before, Rachel Sharp writes.

Greg Abbott’s inaction after Uvalde isn’t surprising. Until you look at Parkland

Reporter corrects Dr Oz live on air as he makes false claim about Fetterman’s first wish for America

Monday 17 October 2022 09:03 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Dr Mehmet Oz was corrected live on air after he made false claims that his opponent John Fetterman wanted to end life imprisonment as his first political priority.

The pro-Trump Republican candidate for Pennsylvania’s US Senate seat is trailing his Democratic rival for the open seat with less than a month left before election day.

Reporter corrects Dr Oz live on air as he makes false claim about Fetterman

Pro-Trump election denier Kari Lake refuses to say she’ll accept result of her own Arizona race if she loses

Monday 17 October 2022 07:53 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Former reporter Kari Lake was on CNN this Sunday facing questions from Dana Bash when she dodged multiple inquiries regarding whether she would accept the result of the election if she lost.

It’s an important question given Ms Lake’s refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election and her frequent mention of that view on the campaign trail — but the Republican candidate was furious with Bash for bringing it up over other issues like the economy or immigration.

“You want to have me on here and talk 2020 election, and you’re the one who accuses me of constantly talking about it?” she asked Ms Bash.

Read more from The Independent’s John Bowden:

Election denier Kari Lake refuses to say she’ll accept result of her own Arizona race

Elise Stefanik caught boasting about $12.9m hospital investment that she voted against

Monday 17 October 2022 07:01 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: GOP lawmaker Elise Stefanik has been caught touting $12.9m in funding for rural hospitals in her district that she actually voted against.

The pro-Trump congresswoman from New York welcomed the Rural Development Grants from the Department of Agriculture, calling it a “significant investment.”

Elise Stefanik caught boasting about $12.9m hospital investment she voted against

ICYMI: The best and worst midterm campaign videos ahead of November’s midterms

Monday 17 October 2022 06:10 , Graeme Massie

“I believe in Jesus, guns and babies.”

The 2022 midterms are down to their final stretch and many races are neck-and-neck. That means campaigns are desperate, and pulling out all the stops to win.

The result has been some of the most entertaining — and downright weird — political advertising in recent memory.

Take a look, with The Independent:

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

Obama to campaign in Wisconsin for Democratic Senate candidate trailing in the polls

Monday 17 October 2022 05:04 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Former president Barack Obama is heading to Wisconsin later this month to back the faltering campaign of Democratic Senate hopeful Mandela Barnes, a race that could help determine who controls the upper house.

Mr Obama, who handily won Wisconsin in 2008 and 2012, is reportedly bound for the state on 29 October, and will also campaign on behalf of governor Tony Evers.

Obama to campaign in Wisconsin for Democratic Senate candidate trailing in the polls

ICYMI: Can Marie Perez defeat Trump-backed Joe Kent in rural Washington state?

Monday 17 October 2022 04:06 , Graeme Massie

Democrat Marie Perez says her campaign to defeat Joe Kent, a hardline conservative backed by Donald Trump, is running on “jet fuel”.

She says the scrapping of Roe by the Supreme Court has led to a surge in support for her campaign, especially among women and young people.

And she suggests Trump’s efforts to punish and oust the 10 Republican members of Congress who voted to impeach him may very well back fire.

Andrew Buncombe reports from Vancouver, Washington.

Business owner says bid to defeat Trump-backed Joe Kent ‘running on jet fuel’

ICYMI: What candidate fashion can tell us about the 2022 election

Monday 17 October 2022 03:01 , Graeme Massie

Josh Marcus investigates what the fashion choices of the 2022 midterm candidates 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

Could a Republican soon be running Oregon?

Monday 17 October 2022 02:15 , Graeme Massie

Oregon is typically known as a bastion of West Coast liberalism, where Democrats are easily elected and a Republican hasn’t served as governor since the early 1980s.

But with an unusually competitive three-way contest for governor, the Democratic candidate’s success is hardly a guarantee this year. As mail-in ballots become available to voters next week, Oregon is becoming the unlikely site of one of the most competitive governor’s races in the country.

Read more:

A GOP governor in liberal Oregon? Dems sound alarm on ‘spoiler’

‘I hope people with see through Marjorie’: Desperate Democrats celebrate Marcus Flowers’s ‘dignified’ performance against MTG

Monday 17 October 2022 01:40 , Graeme Massie

Democrats have not represented this congressional district for 30 years, writes Andrew Buncombe in Rome, Georgia.

Desperate Democrats celebrate Marcus Flowers’s ‘dignified’ performance against MTG

ICYMI: Fetterman reacts after NBC interview sparks debate about his health

Monday 17 October 2022 01:05 , Graeme Massie

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.

He added that his opponent, Dr Oz, would still be “a fraud”.

John Fetterman reacts after NBC interview sparks debate about his health

Marjorie Taylor Greene obsesses over opponent’s hat and claims to be a victim of Jan 6 in heated Georgia debate

Monday 17 October 2022 00:05 , Graeme Massie

Ms Greene is running for a second term against Marcus Flowers, who has raised significant amounts of money but has little chance of defeating her because of the makeup of Georgia’s 14th district, writes Andrew Feinberg.

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims to be a victim of Jan 6 in heated Georgia debate

MTG claims that her husband ‘has proof’ Biden didn’t beat Trump

Sunday 16 October 2022 23:35 , Graeme Massie

Marjorie Taylor Greene refused to acknowledge that Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the 2020 election, and even claimed that her husband, who has filed for divorce, “has the proof.”

MTG rants that Democrats are party of ‘child abuse'

Sunday 16 October 2022 23:14 , Graeme Massie

Marjorie Taylor used her district debate to rant that the Democrats were the party of child abuse and mutilation.

Marcus Flowers says he has MTG ‘rattled’

Sunday 16 October 2022 23:05 , Graeme Massie

“I just got off the debate stage with Marjorie Taylor Greene and it’s clear that our message is winning and she is rattled,” the Democrat tweeted following his debate with his Republican opponent in Atlanta.

John Fetterman raises $1m after debate-stirring NBC interview

Sunday 16 October 2022 23:00 , John Bowden

John Fetterman, the Democratic candidate challenging Dr Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania’s crucial Senate race, says that he’s raised $1m in the days since a controversial interview with NBC News aired.

The interview, which was the Democratic candidate’s first TV sit-down since suffering a stroke back in May, kicked off a flurry of controversy online after Ms Burns disclosed ahead of its screening that the recovering candidate required the use of closed captioning to understand her questions.

Read more from Johanna Chisholm:

John Fetterman raises $1m after debate-stirring NBC interview

Flowers brands MTG a ‘showhorse’

Sunday 16 October 2022 22:56 , Graeme Massie

“This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans this is about right and wrong, chaos versus stability, this is about us,” said Marcus Flowers in his closing statement.

“Do we want a showhorse or a workhorse who is going to get things done for us?”

Marcus Flowers says he will being ‘honour, decency, integrity’ to job

Sunday 16 October 2022 22:52 , Graeme Massie

“Honour, decency, integrity, three core values Marjorie Taylor Greene doesn’t have,” said Marcus Flowers when asked what he would bring to the job.

MTG claims she was ‘victim’ on January 6

Sunday 16 October 2022 22:45 , Graeme Massie

Marjorie Taylor Greene was asked why she was more supportive of “criminals” who took part in the Capitol riot rather than the people of her district.

“I was a victim of the January 6 riot, I am completely against what happened on January 6,” she said.

MTG brands rival a ‘liar’ over wearing a hat

Sunday 16 October 2022 22:41 , Graeme Massie

Marjorie Taylor Greene called her opponent Marcus Flowers a “liar” for wearing a hat.

“He wears a hat and doesn’t have one head of cattle, he is a liar…” the lawmaker said.

Marjorie Taylor Greene favoured to win Georgia House election

Sunday 16 October 2022 22:16 , John Bowden

Marjorie Taylor Greene heads in to tonight’s debate against Marcus Flowers with the knowledge that Democrats have an uphill battle to unseat her.

Polling of the deep-red House district is sparse, but one clue to how the district will vote can be found in primary vote totals. More than three times as many people voted for Ms Greene in the GOP primary than voted for Mr Flowers in the Democratic race.

Follow The Independent for live updates on tonight’s debate.

Obama to campaign in Wisconsin for Democratic Senate candidate trailing in the polls

Sunday 16 October 2022 19:31 , John Bowden

Former president Barack Obama is heading to Wisconsin later this month to back the faltering campaign of Democratic Senate hopeful Mandela Barnes as Democrats look to oust one of the Senate’s most vocal pro-Trump Republicans.

Mr Barnes, currently lieutenant governor, is facing off against Republican incumbent Ron Johnson, who is seeking a third term.

Read more:

Obama to campaign in Wisconsin for Democratic Senate candidate trailing in the polls

Reporter corrects Dr Oz live on air as he makes false claim about Fetterman’s first wish for America

Sunday 16 October 2022 19:00 , John Bowden

Dr Mehmet Oz was corrected live during an interview after he made false claims that his opponent John Fetterman wanted to end life imprisonment as his first political priority.

The moment came during a conversation with NBC’s Dasha Burns, who interviewed Mr Fetterman last week.

Read more:

Reporter corrects Dr Oz live on air as he makes false claim about Fetterman

New poll: Democrats lead Republicans on generic ballot, trail among likely voters

Sunday 16 October 2022 17:36 , John Bowden

A new poll from Fox News shows that more Americans want Democrats to control both houses of Congress after the midterm elections next month, while the GOP holds a slight advantage among those who actually say they are likely to vote.

It’s a troubling sign for Democrats who are playing defense and attempting to hold slim majorities in both chambers.

Marjorie Taylor Greene prepares for Georgia debate

Sunday 16 October 2022 16:32 , John Bowden

Incumbent Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene will face off Sunday evening against Marcus Flowers, a Democrat.

The district, located northwest of Atlanta, has become one of the most expensive House races in the country. Ms Greene, a vocal supporter of a wide range of conspiracy theories, is favoured to win the seat again but is weighed down by some of her past statements which have become ammunition for Democrats.

The debate will be held live at 5:30 p.m. est. Follow The Independent for live updates.

ICYMI: Could a GOP candidate become governor in liberal Oregon?

Sunday 16 October 2022 12:05 , Graeme Massie

Oregon is typically known as a bastion of West Coast liberalism, where Democrats are easily elected and a Republican hasn’t served as governor since the early 1980s.

But with an unusually competitive three-way contest for governor, the Democratic candidate’s success is hardly a guarantee this year. As mail-in ballots become available to voters next week, Oregon is becoming the unlikely site of one of the most competitive governor’s races in the country.

Read more:

A GOP governor in liberal Oregon? Dems sound alarm on ‘spoiler’

Watch: Herschel Walker scolded by debate moderator for prop badge

Sunday 16 October 2022 10:00 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: The best and worst midterm campaign videos

Sunday 16 October 2022 07:58 , Graeme Massie

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’

As midterms approach, Biden lauds lower prescription drug costs

Saturday 15 October 2022 12:04 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: President Joe Biden highlighted his administration’s efforts to lower prescription drug costs on Friday as part of his three-state Western tour this week, as he confronts a sobering inflation report in the waning weeks before midterm elections.

Biden pushing lower prescription drug costs in midterm press

Fetterman raises $1m after NBC interview

Saturday 15 October 2022 11:15 , Oliver O'Connell

John Fetterman, the Democratic candidate challenging Dr Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania’s crucial Senate race, reportedly raised $1m in the days since a bombshell interview with NBC News aired.

Mr Fetterman’s campaign announced on Wednesday night that he’d raised the million-dollar figure in less than 36 hours since the Tuesday night sit down with reporter Dasha Burns aired on the network.

Johanna Chisholm reports.

John Fetterman raises $1m after debate-stirring NBC interview

Herschel Walker called out for ‘prop’ badge during debate

Saturday 15 October 2022 01:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A debate moderator admonished Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker for pulling out a “prop” badge after Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia accused him of lying about being a police officer.

The exchange happened during a question about rising crime in Georgia, when Mr Walker accused Mr Warnock of being anti-police and criticising them too much.

Eric Garcia watched the debate.

Walker pulls out ‘prop’ badge in debate when accused of lying about being a sheriff

Voices: US’s next coup is on the ballot in November

Saturday 15 October 2022 01:15 , Graeme Massie

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

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

Saturday 15 October 2022 01:11 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s unclear whether this debate will have changed any minds, but it could have solidified support for both candidates.

Mr Walker did better than expected, though the bar was low and he maintained that the abortion scandal dogging his campaign is a lie — the issue was not addressed in depth.

Senator Warnock gave thoughtful, rehearsed answers that seemed intended to appeal to the middle ground.

Undoubtedly, the debate will only be remembered for Mr Walker pulling out a prop police badge, which was surreal.

Saturday 15 October 2022 01:04 , Oliver O'Connell

In closing statements, Senator Warnock asks people to vote early (early voting begins in Georgia on Monday), while Mr Walker asks people to consider him — the outsider — as their representative in Washington. Throughout the debate he kept referring to Mr Warnock as a career politician or DC insider, though he has only held the job for two years.

Saturday 15 October 2022 01:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Senator Warnock also demurs to answer a question on whether he would expand the Supreme Court.

Mr Walker says he would not support increasing the number of justices.

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:55 , Oliver O'Connell

On who should run in 2024, Senator Warnock manages to twice sidestep the issue of whether Joe Biden will be too old to run.

“I’ve not spent a minute thinking about what politicians should run in 2024.”

“The people of Georgia hired me to represent them ... they didn’t hire me to be a pundit.”

Mr Walker says he would support Donald Trump: “Yes, he’s my friend.”

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:52 , Oliver O'Connell

There is a question about how the US should react if Vladimir Putin uses nuclear weapons in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Mr Walker responds by asking why Senator Warnock didn’t stand up to Chuck Schumer.

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:49 , Oliver O'Connell

The moderators manage to keep the debate on track while both candidates try to respond to various allegations against them.

On the topic of healthcare, in a confusing answer Mr Walker appears to say that everyone has healthcare.

“Right now, people have coverage for health care.”

Mr Walker says Georgians should “get off the government healthcare and get on the healthccare he’s got,” pointing to Warnock.

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:42 , Oliver O'Connell

On the question of character, Senator Warnock is asked about a dispute with his wife.

“I went through a divorce, like a lot of people, while that was a painful period... my children know I am with them and for them and that I support them in every single way that a father does.”

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Moving on to crime, Mr Walker says Senator Warnock has “empowered criminals to think they’re more powerful than the police”.

He then lies and says 70 per cent of drugs coming over the border come to Atlanta.

“We will see time and time again tonight, as we’ve already seen, that my opponent has a problem with the truth,” Senator Warnock says.

There are loud cheers from the crowd. There is then laughter when Mr Walker responds when accused of pretending to be a police officer by pulling out a police badge.

He is reprimanded for using a prop.

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:32 , Oliver O'Connell

On a federal minimum wage, neither candidate is in favour of raising the federal minimum wage.

Mr Warnock clarifies that he wants a liveable wage, not a minimum wage.

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:28 , Oliver O'Connell

The debate moves onto the topic of student debt.

Mr Walker says: “This is not right, it’s unfair. How can you transfer someone debt who owe it to someone who don’t owe it? ... You gotta pay that debt”

Senator Warnock says: “It’s interesting that people crying about student debt haven’t said anything against billion-dollar PPP loans.”

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:23 , Oliver O'Connell

Mr Warnock mentions that he has tried to tackle the issue of maternal mortality and has worked on the issue with Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:21 , Oliver O'Connell

Mr Walker continues: “On abortion — I’m a Christian. I believe in life... I’ll be a senator that protects life.”

Rev Warnock argues that on abortion the examination room is getting crowded and that he trusts “women more than I trust politicians” on the issue. So far tonight this get the biggest reaction from the audience.

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Questioning turns to the abortion scandal that has plagued the Walker campaign. The Republican candidate denies that he paid his former girlfriend to get an abortion.

“I said that was a lie and I’m not backing down,” he says.

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:16 , Oliver O'Connell

The second biggest concern of Georgia voters is threats to democracy and voting rights.

Mr Walker appears to reject Donald Trump’s election fraud lies that the 2020 election was stolen: “President Biden won and Senator Warnock won. That’s the reason I decided to run.”

Both candidates say they will respect the result in November.

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

The first question in about the economy — which polling says is the number one concern of the electorate — Mr Walker immediately ties Mr Warnock to the Biden administration complaining about inflation and energy independence.

Mr Warnock mentions his work to lower the price of insulin and the Inflation Reduction Act. Mr Walker counters saying for insulin to work “you gotta eat right”.

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:09 , Oliver O'Connell

Senator Warnock says he is pleased to be in his hometown of Savannah and that he grew up just a mile away.

“Only in America is my story possible,” he says.

Mr Warnock’s take on the race is that it is about who is ready to represent Georgia in the Senate.

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:08 , Oliver O'Connell

In opening statements, Mr Walker says the race is not about him — though much of the talk about the campaign has centered on the abortion scandal that has dogged him — he says that the race is about what Mr Herschel and President Biden have done to Georgia families.

Georgia Senate debate gets underway

Saturday 15 October 2022 00:04 , Oliver O'Connell

Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker are facing off in Savannah, Georgia, tonight as the election day gets closer.

Rev Warnock is the first Black senator to represent the state and is asking voters to send him back to DC for a full six-year term.

Mr Walker has the support of former President Donald Trump and blames his opponent and President Joe Biden for the state’s problems.

NBC: Obama to campaign for Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin

Friday 14 October 2022 23:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Per NBC News:

Former President Barack Obama is heading to Wisconsin to help boost Senate candidate Mandela Barnes, a Democrat challenging GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, two sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.

The former president is also expected to help boost Gov. Tony Evers’ re-election efforts, the sources said.

Pennsylvania governor race breaks campaign finance record

Friday 14 October 2022 23:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania‘s Democratic nominee for governor, has smashed the state’s 2-decade-old campaign spending record as he competes against Republican Doug Mastriano, who was on track to spend less than a tenth as much.

The race between Shapiro and Mastriano may test how powerful that campaign spending is in one of the nation’s highest-profile races for governor. One candidate has spent more money than any other gubernatorial nominee ever in Pennsylvania, and the other has spent less than any other in at least the past two decades.

Read more:

Campaign finance record broken in Pennsylvania governor race

Ohio Dems plead for help against Trump-backed Vance in Senate race

Friday 14 October 2022 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Democrats across Ohio are pleading for help in the state’s Senate contest, afraid they may lose a winnable election unless national party leaders make major investments in the coming days.

So far, the most powerful groups in Democratic politics have prioritized Senate pickup opportunities in North Carolina, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania over Ohio, once a perennial swing state that veered right in the Trump era. But on the eve of the 2022 midterms, some public polls suggest Ohio is as competitive as the other swing states, leaving many Democrats here wondering why their party isn’t backing Senate contender Tim Ryan more forcefully.

Read more:

Ohio Dems press party to invest in high stakes Senate seat

What to watch for tonight in Walker v Warnock

Friday 14 October 2022 22:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Senator Raphael Warnock and former University of Georgia running back Herschel Walker will square off in their only scheduled debate in Savannah on Friday.

Here’s what to watch for tonight:

What to watch for in Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock Georgia senate debate

Coming up: Walker v Warnock in Georgia Senate race debate

Friday 14 October 2022 22:37 , Oliver O'Connell

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker, will meet Friday night for their only debate in Georgia’s marquee Senate contest, just days before in-person early voting begins.

The 60-minute session, which will take place before a live audience, comes in the wake of reports that Walker paid for a girlfriend to have an abortion in 2009 before later fathering a child with her. Additionally, the matchup could force both men to answer other attacks — personal and political — that have flooded voters’ television screens and social media feeds for months.

The Independent will be covering the debate live at 7pm ET.

Walker, Warnock meet for only debate in Georgia Senate race

Voices: Tucker Carlson missed the entire point about my tweet about accessibility and John Fetterman

Friday 14 October 2022 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes that providing accessibility doesn’t give politicians with disabilities a pass; it allows us as the press to hold them accountable.

No, Tucker Carlson – that is not what I meant

Watch: Highlights of Mandela Barnes v Ron Johnson Wisconsin Senate debate

Friday 14 October 2022 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Senator Ron Johnson draws laughs at debate with claim of FBI ‘set-up’

Friday 14 October 2022 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron Johnson, the Wisconsin GOP senator who is frequently in the news for his repetition of conspiracy theories and disinformation, had audience members at his debate with Democratic Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes laughing out loud after he complained that the FBI had exhibited “corruption” by briefing him about being the target of a Russian disinformation campaign.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Pro-Trump GOP Senator Ron Johnson draws laughs at debate with claim of FBI ‘set-up’

Cheney: ‘Not necessarily the last day of the hearings'

Friday 14 October 2022 20:44 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican Rep Liz Cheney, vice chair of the House select committee investigating the event of 6 January 2021, was asked on CSPAN why the panel waited until the last day of the public hearings to subpoena former President Donald Trump. More specifically she was asked why it had not been done on day one.

“It’s not necessarily the last day of the hearings,” replied Ms Cheney to applause.

“We have felt that it is very important that the investigation is conducted in a way that is rigorous and disciplined and responsible, and that has meant collecting evidence from many if not — not all because some people took the fifth or refused to appear — but collecting evidence from all those around the central figure in January 6, before we issued a subpoena for him. And so that’s what we’ve done.”

Watch below:

Biden pushes lower prescription drug costs in midterms

Friday 14 October 2022 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden is set to highlight his administration’s efforts to lower prescription drug costs on Friday as part of his three-state Western tour this week, as he confronts a sobering inflation report in the waning weeks before midterm elections.

Biden will head to a community college in Irvine, California, to meet with seniors and tout his administration’s efforts to reduce inflation and drive down costs

Read more:

Biden pushing lower prescription drug costs in midterm press

Fox contributor mocked for blaming inflation for $28 Taco Bell lunch

Friday 14 October 2022 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has gotten in on the action after a Fox Business contributor drew mockery by revealing that he spent $28 for lunch at Taco Bell and blaming inflation for the high price.

Abe ASher has the story.

AOC leads mockery of Fox contributor who blamed inflation for $28 Taco Bell lunch

Could a Republican soon be running Oregon?

Friday 14 October 2022 18:15 , Andrew Naughtie

Oregon is typically known as a bastion of West Coast liberalism, where Democrats are easily elected and a Republican hasn’t served as governor since the early 1980s.

But with an unusually competitive three-way contest for governor, the Democratic candidate’s success is hardly a guarantee this year. As mail-in ballots become available to voters next week, Oregon is becoming the unlikely site of one of the most competitive governor’s races in the country.

Read more:

A GOP governor in liberal Oregon? Dems sound alarm on ‘spoiler’

Coming up: Walker v Warnock in Georgia Senate race debate

Friday 14 October 2022 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker, will meet Friday night for their only debate in Georgia’s marquee Senate contest, just days before in-person early voting begins.

The 60-minute session, which will take place before a live audience, comes in the wake of reports that Walker paid for a girlfriend to have an abortion in 2009 before later fathering a child with her. Additionally, the matchup could force both men to answer other attacks — personal and political — that have flooded voters’ television screens and social media feeds for months.

The Independent will be covering the debate live at 7pm ET.

Walker, Warnock meet for only debate in Georgia Senate race

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