Abortion rights fight brings key victories for Democrats but Biden trails Trump in swing states – US politics live | US politics
Democrats secure victories in Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky
Democrats have secured victories in multiple states including Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky in yesterday’s elections, while Mississippi saw its Republican incumbent governor beat out his Democratic opponent.
In Virginia, Democrats gained full control of the state legislature, a win that will allow them to block Republican governor Glenn Youngkin’s conservative agenda – which includes a 15-week ban on abortions.
Ohio also saw a win for abortion rights with voters overwhelming deciding to add abortion protections to the state constitution.
In Kentucky, the predominantly conservative state saw its Democratic incumbent governor Andy Beshear retain his seat. Beshear beat his Republican opponent Daniel Cameron, also the state’s first Black attorney general.
Meanwhile in Mississippi, Brandon Presley, a Democrat and relative of Elvis Presley, conceded to the state’s Republican incumbent governor Tate Reeves following a heated race that included verbal blows exchanged on both sides.
Despite yesterday’s Democratic victories, Joe Biden is trailing behind Donald Trump in five swing states including Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan. A new CNN poll released on Tuesday also showed Trump leading Biden 49% to 45% in a hypothetical rematch.
Here are other developments in US politics:
Key events
Philadephia has elected Cherelle Parker, the first female mayor to lead the city.
Following her victory, Parker, who served 10 years as a state representative for northwest Philadelphia, said:
“Thank you Philly. We did it. We made history, or “her” story. As a little girl, I never dreamed that this moment would arrive but it’s here now… From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in me and in my vision for a safer, cleaner greener city with economic oppurtunity for all.”
Thank you, Philly!! Stay tuned for more announcements and updates coming soon right here! Our journey doesn’t end here—it’s just the beginning of the work we’ll do together. Keep an eye on social media for exciting news to come! pic.twitter.com/wfEKYFPzXY
— Cherelle Parker (@PeopleforParker) November 8, 2023
Brandon Presley, the Democrat who lost to Mississippi’s incumbent Republican governor, Tate Reeves said that although the result “wasn’t what we wanted, I’m more confident than ever in our people”.
“May God bless Gov Reeves in his victory and this great state,” he added, following his defeat in yesterday’s gubernatorial election.
Mississippi is a wonderful state that welcomed me and Katelyn into all 82 counties over this campaign. While tonight’s result wasn’t what we wanted, I’m more confident than ever in our people. May God bless Gov. Reeves in his victory and this great state. pic.twitter.com/uCaxzhIq3Y
— Brandon Presley (@BrandonPresley) November 8, 2023
Maine voters have rejected a utilities initiative to establish the state’s first public power company backed by climate groups.
The Guardian’s Aliya Uteuova reports:
Maine voters turned down an attempt on Tuesday to oust the state’s corporate-owned electric utilities and replace them with a non-profit backed by climate advocacy groups.
In one of several ballot initiatives, Maine voters rejected the proposed takeover of the two investor-owned utilities that distribute 97% of electricity in the state.
Voters opted for the status quo rather than a move that would have marked the first time a state with existing private utilities discarded them all at the same time. The proposal had called for dismantling Central Maine Power and Versant Power and creating a non-profit utility called Pine Tree Power to govern the grid.
Supporters had said there was little to lose because of the utilities’ poor performance.
Critics, though, argued there was no guarantee the non-profit utility would perform any better, while the move could spark lawsuits and buying out the existing utilities could cost as much as $13.5bn.
For further details, click here:
Here is video of Ohio voters celebrating their victory after securing abortion rights across the state:
Rhode Island has elected its first Black representative to Congress, Democratic Gabe Amo.
Following his win, Amo, who worked under the Barack Obama and Joe Biden administrations, said:
“I went to vote with my mom earlier today. When I was 8 years old helping my mother study for the citizenship test, I never could have imagined that I would go with her to cast her ballot to vote for her son for the United States Congress…
The journey of so many Rhode Islanders and their familes is one of grit, hard work, determination and resilience. I stand on the shoulders of so many who came before me.”
Gabe Amo will be the first person of color to represent Rhode Island in Congress.
“When I was 8 years old helping my mother study for the citizenship test, I never could have imagined that I would go with her to cast her ballot to vote for her son.”https://t.co/aGSDLLQ4xK pic.twitter.com/YkmmpMVXTu
— POLITICO (@politico) November 8, 2023
Campaigners hail voters for rejecting Republican ‘false narrative’ on abortion
ParentsTogether Action, a national family advocacy group, has hailed voters, including parents, for “rejecting the Republican party’s attempt to win their votes” in multiple states.
The organization’s executive director Alien Arreaza said:
“This election season, we’ve seen the GOP’s strategy on full display: target parent voters with a false narrative about ‘parental rights’ that hinges on a manufactured sense of distrust, chaos, and loss of control that Republicans themselves have created to stoke fear in parents – and last night we saw that agenda fail.
From Ohio to Virginia to Kentucky and beyond, voters saw the GOP’s emphasis on education and parental rights as exactly what it is: an attempt to distract from their extreme and unpopular agenda. Let’s be clear: the real GOP agenda aims to obliterate abortion rights, undermine access to an honest education, ban books, all while attempting to cut benefits that actually help families thrive like the expanded Child Tax Credit and accessible child care.
Make no mistake though– Republicans see parents as a key voting bloc who they can persuade by creating a false sense that their rights are being threatened..
Like yesterday showed us, parents will continue to see through the rhetorical noise and vote for who will really support what families want and need to succeed.”
Here is an excerpt from a poll report released by CNN on Tuesday that showed Donald Trump leading Joe Biden by 4% in a hypothetical rematch:
“One year out from Election Day 2024, former President Donald Trump narrowly leads President Joe Biden, 49% to 45% among registered voters, in a hypothetical rematch in the latest CNN poll conducted by SSRS…
All told, 51% of voters nationwide say there is no chance at all that they would vote for Biden, and just 4% are not currently supporting him but say there is a chance they will. Nearly half, 48%, say there is no chance they will vote for Trump, and only 2% that they aren’t currently backing him but would consider it…
Among voters younger than 35, 48% support Trump, 47% Biden. Political independents break 45% Trump to 41% Biden. Black voters favor Biden, 73%vs. Trump’s 23%, while Latino voters split 50% Biden to 46% Trump. And among voters of color generally, women divide 63% Biden to 31% Trump, while men split about evenly, 49% Trump to 46% Biden.”
Andy Beshear thanks voters for re-electing him
Kentucky’s Democratic governor Andy Beshear has thanked his voters after winning a second term, saying:
“This is our chance to turn these four years of progress into decades of prosperity for your kids and mine. Let’s make it happen together.”
To my fellow Kentuckians: Thank you.
This is our chance to turn these four years of progress into decades of prosperity for your kids and mine. Let’s make it happen together. ^AB pic.twitter.com/isjH0CNRdZ
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) November 8, 2023
Joe Biden hails Ohio’s abortion rights victory: ‘Democracy won’
Joe Biden has hailed the victory secured by Ohio voters to enshrine abortion rights into the state’s constitution.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Biden said:
“Americans once again voted to protect their fundamental freedoms – and democracy won. In Ohio, voters protected access to reproductive health in their state constitution.
Ohioans and voters across the country rejected attempts by MAGA Republican elected officials to impose extreme abortion bans that put the health and lives of women in jeopardy, force women to travel hundreds of miles for care, and threaten to criminalize doctors and nurses for providing the health care that their patients need and that they are trained to provide.
This extreme and dangerous agenda is out-of-step with the vast majority of Americans. My administration will continue to protect access to reproductive health care and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law once and for all.”
Democrats secure victories in Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky
Democrats have secured victories in multiple states including Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky in yesterday’s elections, while Mississippi saw its Republican incumbent governor beat out his Democratic opponent.
In Virginia, Democrats gained full control of the state legislature, a win that will allow them to block Republican governor Glenn Youngkin’s conservative agenda – which includes a 15-week ban on abortions.
Ohio also saw a win for abortion rights with voters overwhelming deciding to add abortion protections to the state constitution.
In Kentucky, the predominantly conservative state saw its Democratic incumbent governor Andy Beshear retain his seat. Beshear beat his Republican opponent Daniel Cameron, also the state’s first Black attorney general.
Meanwhile in Mississippi, Brandon Presley, a Democrat and relative of Elvis Presley, conceded to the state’s Republican incumbent governor Tate Reeves following a heated race that included verbal blows exchanged on both sides.
Despite yesterday’s Democratic victories, Joe Biden is trailing behind Donald Trump in five swing states including Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan. A new CNN poll released on Tuesday also showed Trump leading Biden 49% to 45% in a hypothetical rematch.
Here are other developments in US politics:
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