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☆ How Danica Roem overcame a massive anti-trans campaign to win her fourth election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Danica Roem is now the first-ever transgender state senator in Virginia. AdvertisementAdvertisementRoem, 39, already had two comfortable reelection victories in her northern Virginia House of Delegates district. After coming into the election with a Democratic State Senate and a Republican House of Delegates, Virginia has a Democratic majority in both chambers. In her own election, Roem "faced an unprecedented deluge of anti-trans hate on the campaign trail, but she was not fazed nor distracted," Parker said. AdvertisementAdvertisementHer Inner MayorAs a trailblazer for trans politicians, Roem is celebrated in Democratic and cultural circles.

Persons: Danica Roem, Roem, —, toting kabobs, Glenn Youngkin, Youngkin's, Youngkin, Annise Parker, Parker, Bob Marshall, Virginia's, she's, Marshall, Bill Woolf III, I'm, Prince William County Organizations: Republican, Service, Shadow, Democratic, Delegates, Republican Gov, Associated Press, ABC, Houston, Democratic State Senate, of, Ohio, Democrat, Capitol, Mayor, Dodge, Airport Locations: Virginia, state's, Arlington , Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Richmond, United States, Centreville, Manassas, Virginia's, Prince William

OHIO ABORTION RIGHTSOhioans voted to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, Edison Research projected, which will render moot a six-week abortion limit signed into law by Republican Governor Mike DeWine. The ban is currently on hold pending litigation at the conservative state Supreme Court. The success of Ohio's ballot measure initiative, which put the question of abortion rights to voters directly, adds to a string of ballot measure victories for abortion rights supporters since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURTThe race for a new state Supreme Court justice will not alter the liberal tilt of Pennsylvania's highest court but could have future implications for abortion rights and election laws in the state. Democrats have a 4-2 majority in the partisan state court, with one vacant seat to be filled in this election.

Persons: Andy Beshear, Jon Cherry, Daniel Cameron, Republican Donald Trump, Beshear, Tate Reeves, Democrat Brandon Presley, Reeves, Presley, Elvis Presley, Roe, Wade, Glenn Youngkin, Mike DeWine, Cherelle Parker, Republican David Oh, Jim Kenney, Sheila Jackson Lee, John Whitmire, Sylvester Turner, Daniel McCaffery, Carolyn Carluccio, Gabriella Borter, Colleen Jenkins, Lincoln Organizations: Democratic, Capitol, REUTERS, Republicans, KENTUCKY, Edison Research, Republican, MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR Republican, Democrat, Democratic Governors Association, NEW, General, U.S, PENNSYLVANIA, New York Times, Democrats, Thomson Locations: Frankfort , Kentucky, U.S, Kentucky, Mississippi, Virginia, New Jersey, Ohio, COVID, MISSISSIPPI, Northern Mississippi, Southern, VIRGINIA, Virginia's Senate, U.S ., NEW JERSEY, Democratic New Jersey, OHIO, Philadelphia, Houston

☆ Wall Street execs, Spielberg, 'dark money' groups quietly back Democrat running for Pennsylvania Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Daniel McCaffery, Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania Supreme Court judge, arrives at his polling place to vote in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. If McCaffery wins, it would give the Democrats one more seat to boost their majority on the state court. Beyond the Spielberg group, the PAC has received funds from at least two veteran finance executives, according to the records. The "dark money" group is chaired by Chuck Hadley, according to his LinkedIn page. The North Fund, another 501(c)(4) "dark money" organization, gave $600,000 to the PAC, according to records.

Persons: Daniel McCaffery, Steven Spielberg, Carolyn Carluccio, Adam Bonin, Jeffrey Yass, Spielberg, Forbes, Stephen Mandel, Susan, Mandel, Mark Heising, Heising, Lynn Schusterman, Charles Schusterman, Schusterman, Chuck Hadley, Hadley, Arabella Organizations: Democratic, Pennsylvania, Democrat, Republican, Susquehanna International Group, Trust, Foundation, Lone, Lone Pine Capital, Medley Partners, PAC, Forbes, McCaffery PAC, Partners, North Fund Locations: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's, Hollywood, Tuesday's, Lone Pine

☆ What’s at Stake in Today’s Elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And even though we’re in what political analysts call an off-year — with neither a presidential election nor midterm congressional elections — a steady stream of voters still showed up at polling stations. Two governorships are at stake in competitive races in typically Republican southern states. In Ohio, voters will decide whether to enshrine the right to abortion in the state’s Constitution and whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Today’s elections, which also include all 140 Virginia legislative contests and a race to fill a Pennsylvania Supreme Court seat, will probably be dissected for hints about 2024. The results may determine whether Democrats find some reassurances about their approach to key issues like abortion, which has been a bright spot for their party.

Persons: Andy Beshear, Brandon Presley, Elvis Presley Organizations: Gov, Democrat, Pennsylvania Supreme Locations: U.S, In Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, state’s, Virginia, Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON (AP) — The most-watched races in Tuesday’s off-year general election have all been dominated by the ongoing debate over abortion rights. Here's a look at three major races and how abortion has shaped each contest. Andy Beshear seeks a second term in a heavily Republican state Donald Trump carried twice. Ohio constitutional amendment on abortionOhio voters will decide whether to amend the state Constitution to protect access to abortion services. The date for the new primary has not been set but will take place after Tuesday’s general election.

Persons: Wade, Here's, Andy Beshear, Donald Trump, Daniel Cameron, Beshear, Cameron, Steve Beshear, Matt Bevin, Mitch McConnell, ”, Tate Reeves, Democrat Brandon Presley, Elvis Presley, Presley outraised Reeves, Reeves, Carolyn Carluccio, Daniel McCaffery, Gabe Amo, Republican Gerry Leonard, David Cicilline, Cicilline, Democrat Patrick Kennedy, Sylvester Turner, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sen, John Whitmire, Kimberly Mata, Rubio, Cody Smith, Veronica Martinez, Joe Ganim, Tuesday’s, Richard Dziekan, Gino DiGiovanni, Yusef Salaam Organizations: WASHINGTON, Supreme, Roe, Kentucky, Democratic Gov, GOP, U.S, Trump, Black Republican, Reconstruction, Associated Press, Republican Gov, Democrat, Republicans, Pennsylvania, Court, Rhode, Rhode Island U.S . House, Republican, Democratic U.S . Rep, Mayors, U.S . Rep, Robb Elementary School, Democratic, Capitol Locations: Tuesday’s, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, U.S, Kentucky , Ohio, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Houston, Uvalde , Texas, Bridgeport , Connecticut, Derby , Connecticut, New York

Those charges center around a voting system breach in Coffee County, Georgia, a rural, Republican district that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2020. Willis’ indictment describes the breach, and Powell’s alleged involvement, as central to the broader conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Powell has also been identified by CNN as one of Trump’s un-indicted co-conspirators listed in Smith’s federal election indictment. New details about Smith’s ongoing investigation indicate federal prosecutors are scrutinizing a series of voting breaches following the 2020 election that state investigators have been probing for more than a year. Network of operativesIn addition, special counsel prosecutors have also heard from other witnesses about efforts to breach voting equipment in other states.

Persons: Jack Smith, indicting Donald Trump, Smith, Joe Biden, Sidney Powell, Powell’s, Powell, Fani Willis, Willis ’, Smith’s, Donald Trump, Al Drago, Biden, ”, Hugo Chavez, Bernie Kerik, Kerik, Tim Parlatore, Parlatore, Mike Ryan, Bill Bachenberg, Ryan, Bachenberg, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman –, Jocelyn Benson, Benson, Stefanie Lambert, Nalio Chery, “, ” Benson, Lambert, Trump Organizations: Washington CNN, Trump, CNN, Biden, Republican, Republican National Committee, Bloomberg, Getty, The Coalition, Good Governance, Systems, Network, FBI, Smith’s, Michigan Michigan, Reuters, Pennsylvania, American, Pennsylvania Senate Locations: Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Atlanta, Coffee County , Georgia, Washington , DC, Republic, Coffee, Antrim County , Michigan, Coffee County, Detroit , Michigan, Dieu, Antrim County, Fulton County , Pennsylvania, Fulton County

☆ Bill Cosby sued for sexual abuse under new NY lookback law
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Eric Levenson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Two former actresses on “The Cosby Show” are among five women who filed a lawsuit against Bill Cosby in New York state court on Monday accusing him of sexual assault and abuse dating back decades. According to the suit, Cosby drugged and raped Bernard, who played Mrs. Minifield on “The Cosby Show,” in New Jersey and Nevada in 1990 and at his Manhattan home in 1991. Gittens alleges Cosby invited her to his Manhattan home in 1989 or 1990 to discuss working on “The Cosby Show” but then drugged her and sexually assaulted her. Thompson alleges Cosby made her inappropriately touch him without her consent at his Manhattan home in 1988 when she was 18. Ladd alleges Cosby drugged her and raped her in 1969.

☆ Rudy Giuliani struggled to answer basic questions at his attorney misconduct hearing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rudy Giuliani appeared as a witness in his attorney misconduct hearing Monday. Opposing counsel grew increasingly frustrated as Giuliani failed to answer straightforward questions, veered off course, and aired nonsense allegations of voter fraud. "Mr. Giuliani, I am trying to find out what your role was in writing — in drafting — the initial complaint in Pennsylvania," Fox said. "It was hardly —"Fox then interjected, saying, "Mr. Giuliani, I ask the questions." Earlier in the day, Bernius interrupted another long-winded rant from Giuliani to remind him that he was testifying as a "witness."

☆ Pennsylvanians Rush to Fix Mail Ballots After Court Ruling
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Jan Wolfe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Some Pennsylvania election officials scrambled Tuesday to help voters fix mail-in ballots, following a ruling last week from the state’s Supreme Court that could determine the outcome of a closely watched U.S. Senate race. Election officials in Philadelphia County and Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh, published online the names of thousands of residents whose ballots were at risk of being rejected following the Nov. 1 decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

The lawsuits, filed in states with key races, mark the tail-end of a months-long legal push by Democrats and Republicans to define the rules for voting in Tuesday's election. Cobb County has been overnighting ballots to affected voters and estimated on Monday that 276 voters had yet to receive a ballot. Lawyers aligned with both Democrats and Republicans have brought waves of lawsuits over the rules for the upcoming election. Judge Casey McGinley in Arizona, who blocked the Conchise County hand count on Monday, said he was presented "no evidence" that the machine tabulation of ballots is inaccurate. Another hand count in Nevada’s rural Nye County was shut down in favor of machine counting after the state supreme court struck down parts of the process.

And in Arizona, a judge is preparing to rule on whether a hand count of ballots can proceed in Cochise County on the state’s southeastern border. Lawyers aligned with both Democrats and Republicans have brought waves of lawsuits seeking to define the voting rules for the midterm elections. And Georgia’s Cobb County is part of the populous Atlanta metropolitan area, which played a key role in Democrats' 2020 election wins. In the Cochise County hand count case, Arizona’s secretary of state’s office has argued that the longer hand-count process could risk the state’s ability to certify its election results by a Dec. 5 deadline. Another hand count in Nevada’s rural Nye County was shut down earlier this month in favor of machine counting after the state supreme court struck down key parts of the process.

John Fetterman, the Democratic Senate nominee, along with Democratic candidates in local House races on the University of Pittsburgh's campus. Former President Barack Obama speaks to supporters of Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Democratic Pennsylvania Senate nominee John Fetterman speaks to supporters on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on Saturday. Jeff Swensen / Getty ImagesOz, Obama said, would be a vote for Trump in case of another close election in 2024. Oz, Trump said, is "desperately" needed in the Senate where "he could very well be the tie-breaking vote."

☆ Mail-in Pennsylvania ballots with incorrect dates will be saved but not counted, court rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Democrats say the lawsuits are really efforts to disallow votes and could sway tight races. In its short ruling, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court also said that it was evenly split on the question of whether throwing out ballots with incorrect dates or no dates marked on the envelopes in which they are mailed violates a federal law that makes it illegal to throw out ballots for trivial reasons. For that reason, the court directed Pennsylvania county boards of elections to "segregate and preserve any ballots contained in undated or incorrectly dated outer envelopes," the ruling said. Such a move would ensure that the ballots were preserved in the event that a higher court overturns the ruling or finds that discarding such ballots would violate the federal law. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court said that opinions would follow.

Here is a summary of significant cases filed ahead of the Nov. 8 election and where they stand. The case is now before the Nevada Supreme Court, which earlier this month blocked officials from livestreaming the count ahead of election day. And in North Carolina, Republicans lost a bid to shorten the deadline for election officials to receive mail ballots from Nov. 14 to Nov. 11. Another lawsuit in Illinois, challenging the counting of mail ballots up to two weeks after election day, is pending. In Texas, the Justice Department and civil-rights groups are challenging a wide-ranging 2021 state law that criminalizes many voter outreach efforts.

Here is a summary of significant cases filed ahead of the Nov. 8 election and where they stand. County election officials halted the hand count in response to a ruling by the Nevada Supreme Court late Thursday, the ACLU said. And in North Carolina, Republicans lost a bid to shorten the deadline for election officials to receive mail ballots from Nov. 14 to Nov. 11. Another lawsuit in Illinois, challenging the counting of mail ballots up to two weeks after election day, is pending. In Texas, the Justice Department and civil-rights groups are challenging a wide-ranging 2021 state law that criminalizes many voter outreach efforts.

A voter casts their ballot in the Pennsylvania primary elections at Congregation Beth Or in Ambler, Pennsylvania, U.S. May 17, 2022. The alleged security breach came to light last month when Fulton County sued election equipment maker Dominion Voting Systems, citing purported security flaws discovered in Speckin's analysis of six hard drives from the machines. In a Pennsylvania Supreme Court filing on Tuesday, lawyers for the Secretary of the Commonwealth had asked the court to hold Fulton County officials, including Republican Commissioners Stuart Ulsh and Randy Bunch, in civil contempt for the breach. The lawyers said county officials "openly thumbed their noses at a clear and direct order of this Court" by allowing Speckin, a Michigan-based company, access to the machines. Stefanie Lambert, a Detroit-based attorney representing the county, did not immediately respond to a query about the special master appointment.

A voter casts their ballot in the Pennsylvania primary elections at Congregation Beth Or in Ambler, Pennsylvania, U.S. May 17, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah Beier/File PhotoOct 21 (Reuters) - A rural Pennsylvania county violated a court order when it allowed a forensics company to examine voting equipment in July, marking the county's second security breach of the machines, the state's top election official alleged in a court filing. The latest alleged breach came to light last month when Fulton County filed a lawsuit against election equipment maker Dominion Voting Systems, citing purported issues discovered in an examination of the equipment by Speckin Forensics LLC. She pointed to alleged security flaws highlighted in Speckin's report, and noted that the county has sued Dominion and no longer uses its machines. Petitioners have now twice breached the security of this voting system by turning its components over to unauthorized third parties," lawyers for the state wrote in the filing.

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