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SENATE
Pennsylvania: Recount Controversy Intensifies
The Pennsylvania Senate race continues to generate controversy. Democratic officials in Bucks, Center, Delaware and Philadelphia counties are openly defying a state Supreme Court order not to count ballots that fail to have proper documentation.
Republicans have already filed 12 lawsuits in localities to stop the practice of adding what the state Supreme Court has already reaffirmed are illegal ballots. The recount is getting underway and different news outlets are reporting different vote spreads. The range for Republican David McCormick over Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. stretches from an approximate 29,000+ to 17,000+ votes.
In the end, the Senate itself will be the final arbiter over seating new Senators. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), citing the aforementioned allowance of the already defined illegal ballots, is calling upon the Senators to reject seating Casey should the recount push him to the forefront. Expect the controversy to drag on at least until the Thanksgiving holiday.
HOUSE
IA-1: Another Pending Recount
Eastern Iowa election officials are dealing with congressional candidate Christina Bohannan’s (D) request for a recount of the Iowa 1st District results that find Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-LeClaire) projected as an 801-vote winner. It is unlikely that a recount will drastically change such a margin, but the Congresswoman is no stranger to close elections resulting in recounts. She first won the seat in 2020 with a six-vote margin.
The Iowa election certification deadline is December 2, so we will likely see final numbers at that time.
OH-9: Counting Should Conclude by Wednesday; Recount Possible
Election officials in the eight counties that comprise Ohio’s 9th Congressional District anchored in the city of Toledo continue to determine which provisional and remaining absentee ballots will be added to the aggregate count.
The county officials are supposed to present final numbers by Wednesday, November 20. If the official candidate totals are within half-percent, the Secretary of State will conduct a recount.
The unofficial totals find Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) leading state Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township) by 1,193 votes from a total of 366,062 ballots cast. The current margin is just 0.3%, which would be within the range of a mandated recount. Rep. Kaptur has already declared victory.
GOVERNOR
New Jersey: Rep. Sherrill Announces 2025 Candidacy
As promised she would do after the 2024 general election, Garden State US Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) officially announced her gubernatorial candidacy in the New Jersey open 2025 campaign.
Already in the Democratic primary are US Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wycoff), Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Stephen Fulop, Montclair Mayor Stephen Spiller, and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney. Since the New Jersey elections are held in the odd-numbered years, neither US House member will have to risk his or her seat to run for Governor.
For the Republicans, 2021 nominee Jack Ciattarelli, who held Gov. Phil Murphy (D) to a close 51-48% victory is running again, as is state Sen. John Bramnick (R-Plainfield), ex-state Sen. Ed Durr, and radio talk show host Bill Spadea.
Jim Ellis is a 35-year veteran of politics at the state and national levels. He has served ss executive director for two national political action committees, as well as a consultant to the three national Republican Party organizations in DC, the National Federation of Independent Business, and various national conservative groups.
Born and raised in Sacramento, California, he earned a B. A. in Political Science from the University of California at Davis in 1979. Jim raised his daughter, Jacqueline, alone after his wife died following a tragic car accident. He helped establish the Joan Ellis Victims Assistance Network in Rochester, NH. Jim also is a member of the Northern Virginia Football Officials Association, which officiates high school games throughout the region.
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