(WASHINGTON) — In the wake of the Buffalo, New York, supermarket shooting that left 10 Black people dead, the House on Wednesday approved a measure to beef up federal efforts to combat domestic terrorism and white supremacy.
The vote was 222-203, with Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Illinois, voting with all Democrats in favor of the proposal.
The bill from Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Illinois, would create new offices within the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation to “monitor, analyze, investigate, and prosecute domestic terrorism.”
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and other progressives were initially wary of the measure earlier this year, but reached an agreement on language in talks with leadership and the American Civil Liberties Union to address concerns about the potential infringement on Americans’ First Amendment rights.
“I was proud to lead my colleagues in a successful effort to strengthen protections in this bill for protesters, narrow the domestic terrorism definition, and enhance the scope of Congressional oversight to ensure that civil rights and civil liberties continue to be protected,” Bush said in a statement to ABC News. “As an activist, I know first-hand the ways in which law enforcement agencies have targeted, surveilled and prosecuted marginalized communities.”
All Republicans besides Kinzinger opposed the measure, arguing that it would be duplicative and could be used to target parents raising concerns at local school board meetings.
That could jeopardize its passage through the Senate, where Democrats have pledged to hold a vote but need the support of 10 Republicans to advance legislation past the 60-vote threshold.
“By diverting resources that could be used to actually combat domestic terrorism and mandating investigations into the armed services and law enforcement, this bill further weaponizes and emboldens the DOJ to target Americans’ First Amendment rights and go after those who they see as political threats,” House GOP Whip Steve Scalise’s office wrote to Republican lawmakers in a memo encouraging them to vote against the measure.
The Justice Department and Attorney General Merrick Garland have said Republicans are mischaracterizing a memo issued last fall to the FBI and U.S. attorneys’ offices around the country encouraging them to meet with local law enforcement partners to address a rising number of threats against local school board officials.
Even Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who co-sponsored the original resolution introduced with Schneider, said he was “torn” on the bill ahead of passage, and ultimately voted against it.
“Maybe for four months after I put my name on that bill, every meeting I went to, I had people upset I was on that bill,” he told ABC News. “They said, ‘Will I be investigated because I am pro-life?’ I heard overwhelming feedback.”
The Justice Department has already established a domestic terrorism unit, and the Biden administration has requested funding from Congress to support 60 attorneys focused on domestic terrorism cases.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has called domestic terrorism one of the greatest threats to the United States.
The problem of domestic terrorism has been metastasizing across the country for a long time now and it’s not going away anytime soon,” Wray told a Congressional panel in March of 2021. “At the FBI, we’ve been sounding the alarm on it for a number of years now.”
(WASHINGTON) — With much of the Biden administration’s attention this year focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden turns his attention to Asia Thursday as he embarks on a visit to South Korea and Japan — a trip that the White House says “comes at a pivotal moment” for his foreign policy agenda.
The trip will mark the president’s first trip to the region since taking office and will feature a heavy focus on North Korea and China. While the president campaigned heavily on making China a main focus of his foreign policy, the war in Ukraine has occupied Biden’s foreign agenda of late.
While the White House may hope that the trip shows that the president has not taken his eye off the challenge China poses, Ukraine will still loom large over the trip.
“President Biden has rallied the free world in defense of Ukraine and in opposition to Russian aggression,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Wednesday. “He remains focused on ensuring that our efforts in those missions are successful, but he also intends to seize this moment, this pivotal moment, to assert bold and confident American leadership in another vital region of the world — the Indo-Pacific.”
Biden will begin his journey in Seoul and wrap the visit in Tokyo. Sullivan said this will be an “opportunity to reaffirm and reinforce two vital security alliances” and to “deepen two vibrant economic partnerships.”
“The message we’re trying to send on this trip is a message of an affirmative vision of what the world can look like if the democracies and open societies of the world stand together to shape the rules of the road, to define the security architecture of the region, to reinforce strong, powerful, historic alliances, and we think putting that on display over four days bilaterally with the ROK and Japan, through the Quad, through the Indo-Pacific economic framework, it will send a powerful message. We think that message will be heard everywhere,” he said.
Asked to what extent is the message of this trip a cautionary tale delivered to China and their aggression towards Taiwan, Sullivan said the message “will be heard in Beijing, but it is not a negative message, and it’s not targeted at any one country.”
While in South Korea, President Biden is expected to meet with President Yoon Seok-youl, “engage with technology and manufacturing leaders” who are “mobilizing billions of dollars in investment here in the United States,” and he will visit American and South Korean troops who are “standing shoulder-to-shoulder in defense” of threats posed by North Korea, Sullivan said.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will not be visiting the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) this trip. He visited the area as vice president in 2013 and while serving in the Senate.
Sullivan, though, continued to repeat that U.S. intelligence continues to show that North Korean leader Kim Jon Un, who ramped up missile launches in 2002, could launch a long-range missile test, nuclear test, or both in the days leading into, on, or after the president’s trip to the region.
“We are preparing for all contingencies, including the possibility that such a provocation would occur while we are in Korea or in Japan,” Sullivan told reporters.
He said that the U.S. is coordinating with allies in South Korea and Japan, as well as counterparts in China.
“We are prepared obviously to make both short and longer-term adjustments to our military posture as necessary to ensure that we are providing both defense and deterrence to our allies in the region and then we’re responding to any North Korean provocation,” Sullivan said.
In Japan, Biden will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss economic relations and global security issues, including North Korea, and they will launch a new economic initiative for the region.
“The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, IPEF, as we affectionately call it, is a 21st century economic arrangement, a new model designed to tackle new economic challenges,” Sullivan said. “From setting the rules of the digital economy, to ensuring secure and resilient supply chains, to managing the energy transition, to investing in clean modern high standards infrastructure.”
And while in Tokyo, Biden will also participate in a second in-person Quad summit with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan. They last met in September at the White House.
(WASHINGTON) — Many across the country — and certainly former President Donald Trump — are watching Pennsylvania.
Ballots are still being counted in the GOP Senate primary race, where razor-thin margins separate hedge fund manager David McCormick and celebrity TV Dr. Mehmet Oz. Meanwhile, a late Trump endorsement in the Republican gubernatorial primary helped boost election denier and state Sen. Doug Mastriano to a win. Both races offer insight — and raise tough questions — about the conservative electorate in the Keystone State.
As of Wednesday afternoon, with 98% of votes counted, both McCormick and Oz had roughly 31% — separated by just about 2,000 votes. Pennsylvania law triggers a recount if a candidate’s margin of victory is 0.5% or less, as seems all but certain.
Here’s what happening in the Senate contest and what to know about the gubernatorial win.
What’s next for Oz and McCormick?
Only about 2% of ballots in the GOP Senate primary remain to be counted. But in a squeaker like this, those 2% are key.
Many counties in Pennsylvania don’t start counting mail-in ballots until Election Day, so there are still enough outstanding votes across the state’s 67 counties to be tabulated and counted that a result cannot yet be projected.
Raising another issue, in Lancaster County, “about 22,000 mail ballots were printed by the print vendor with the incorrect code and could not be read by the county’s scanners,” the secretary of state’s office told ABC News on Tuesday night. County election officials were in the process of re-marking and scanning the ballots by hand, which will likely take a few days.
If the margin demands a recount when all votes are in, the secretary of state will initiate that process.
Trump, taking a page out of his own playbook and refusing to wait for every vote to be counted, on Wednesday publicly urged Oz to “declare victory.” Trump continued to sow doubt in the election results to come, using his social media app, Truth Social, to again attack mail-in ballots.
Republicans have been reluctant to rely on that voting method in the last two years — repeatedly criticizing and undercutting an option that millions of Americans relied on at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite any evidence of widespread fraud. But a key race still counting them is forcing patience within the party.
The combination of mail-in ballots trailing in and printing errors is, in part, what’s causing the delayed result on the McCormick-Oz contest. But another factor was the ascendance of far-right conservative commentator Kathy Barnette — over Trump’s objections.
Barnette — who was at Trump’s rally on Jan. 6, 2021, and was seen walking with others to the U.S. Capitol before the deadly rioting (in which she has denied participating) — saw a surge in support in the last few weeks and appeared to split votes among Trump’s base and away from Oz and McCormick. As of Wednesday afternoon, she had about 25% of the votes compared to the others’ 31% each, highlighting how unusually fractured GOP primary voters were.
In the days leading up to the primary, Trump came after Barnette, saying that she would not be able to win the general election against the Democratic nominee (who ended up being Lt. Gov. John Fetterman). He also swiped at her background, saying that “she has many things in her past which have not been properly explained or vetted.” Barnette told NBC News Trump had to say that because “he’s going to stick with that endorsement.”
But during Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month, intended to bolster Oz, voters on the ground expressed skepticism, citing Oz’s changing stances on COVID vaccines, abortion access and the Second Amendment. Instead, many told ABC News, they would prefer Barnette, calling her a true conservative.
“MAGA [“Make America Great Again”] does not belong to President Trump,” Barnette said at a debate last month. “MAGA — although he coined the word — MAGA is actually, it belongs to the people.”
Without Barnette’s success, it’s likely that either McCormick or Oz would have more decisively won the race, avoiding the potential for a recall while Republicans would prefer to be able to turn toward the upcoming general against Fetterman.
The Senate seat that Oz and McCormick are vying for is currently held by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. It would be a significant loss to the GOP — and a critical gain for Democrats who hope to maintain their slim control in the 50-50 Senate.
Trump announced his endorsement of Oz in April, citing the latter’s popularity and past compliments on Trump’s health. He argued that Oz would be the one most likely able to win in November’s midterms. But McCormick, the hedge fund owner from Connecticut endorsed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and whose wife worked in the Trump administration, drew many votes even without Trump’s coveted support.
In a call with ABC News on Tuesday, McCormick struck a delicate balance of complimenting Trump while arguing his endorsement didn’t matter in the race.
Both McCormick and Oz spoke at their respective election night parties and acknowledged that their race was too close to call.
“We’re not going to have resolution tonight, but we can see the path ahead,” McCormick said.
Oz, appearing minutes after, first thanked Trump for his endorsement and then Fox News host Sean Hannity for his “behind-the-scenes” advice.
“We’re not going to have a result tonight. When all the votes are tallied, I am confident we will win,” Oz said.
Whoever wins the Republican primary will face Fetterman, who has campaigned with a distinctly blue-collar bent and an everyman affect — tall, bald and tattooed, more often in a shirt and shorts than a suit. He soared to a wide victory in the Democratic race over the more moderate Rep. Conor Lamb, even as he underwent surgery on primary day to get a pacemaker with defibrillator after he suffered a stroke last Friday. His campaign said Tuesday that the procedure was successful and he was recovering in the hospital.
Trump vaults Mastriano to victory, with a Democratic assist
Pennsylvania’s Republican gubernatorial primary shifted dramatically in the final days of the election after Trump interjected and endorsed Doug Mastriano, who had attracted conservative grassroots support for his efforts to try to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential result. Mastriano’s win has raised concerns about the state’s future election integrity, since Pennsylvania’s governor appoints the secretary of state, the chief officer in charge with overseeing elections.
The state senator and retired Army colonel organized buses to the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6 and was seen on camera walking past barricades at the Capitol ahead of the rioting later that day. The House’s Jan. 6 committee has subpoenaed him, given that he was in communication with Trump, but neither he nor the committee has confirmed whether he complied with the order. He has denied participating in any violence.
Establishment Republicans worried about Mastriano getting the nomination, given how his baseless claims about the 2020 election might play with the wider electorate. Two GOP candidates in the governor’s race, Melissa Hart and Jake Corman, dropped out in the last stretch in an effort to consolidate votes around Rep. Lou Barletta instead of Mastriano.
Democrats, however, hoped for Mastriano’s win, believing him easier to beat in November.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, branded Mastriano as Trump’s pick so that he could stand out from the GOP crowd. But Republican political strategist Amanda Carpenter, who condemned Mastriano as “an insurrectionist” in a column for the website The Bulwark, also said his win should provide a lesson to Democrats, especially those who wanted Trump to face Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election for similar reasons.
“Hoping that Democrats will solve the problems of the Republican party has been a grave mistake. It’s not often countries get second chances,” she wrote. “But if the GOP now gets behind insurrectionists like Mastriano, it’s January 6th forever.”
ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Oren Oppenheim and Alisa Wiersema ontributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden is invoking the Defense Production Act to address the widespread shortage of baby formula, the White House announced Wednesday evening.
The move will get ingredients to manufacturers to help speed up production, the administration said.
“The President is requiring suppliers to direct needed resources to infant formula manufacturers before any other customer who may have ordered that good,” the White House said in a statement. “Directing firms to prioritize and allocate the production of key infant formula inputs will help increase production and speed up in supply chains.”
The president has also directed the use of Department of Defense commercial aircraft to pick up infant formula overseas to get on U.S. shelves faster while U.S. manufacturers ramp up production, the White House said.
The ongoing baby formula crisis has triggered a public outcry from parents and lawmakers, as well as an investigation by the House Oversight Committee.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden’s daughter, Ashley Biden, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a White House official.
The first daughter, 40, was scheduled to travel to Latin America this week with first lady Jill Biden.
The president and first lady are not considered a close contacts, according to the first lady’s spokesperson, Michael LaRosa.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reaffirmed in Wednesday’s briefing that the president was not considered a close contact of his daughter, who he hasn’t seen in “about a week.” She did not have guidance on when the president was last tested for COVID-19.
“[T]he president tests regularly throughout the week as part of a cadence as determined by his doctor,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. “If his testing were to change because of the close contact, we’d let all of you know, but his cadence has not changed.”
Ashley Biden will no longer be joining the first lady on her trip to Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica, LaRosa said. Jill Biden was scheduled to depart Wednesday afternoon for Quito, Ecuador.
This is the second foreign trip Ashley Biden has had to drop out of in recent weeks. She was considered a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19 before the first lady’s trip to Poland, Romania and Ukraine earlier this month.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who is currently meeting with health officials from G-7 countries in Germany, also tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, the agency said. The president is not considered a close contact, it said.
As the BA.2 subvariant has spread around Washington, several people within the president’s inner circle have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks, including Vice President Kamala Harris, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield, former press secretary Jen Psaki and Jean-Pierre herself.
The president has never been deemed a close contact. When asked how this was possible, Jean-Pierre reiterated Wednesday that “extra precautions” are taken around meetings with the president. Because she had a meeting with the president today, Jean-Pierre said she was tested, masked and the meeting was socially distanced.
Masks are now optional at the White House campus, though meetings with the president are often socially distanced, officials said. White House officials have also stressed that the president is up-to-date on COVID boosters.
Someone is considered a close contact if the person was within 6 feet of an individual with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
(WASHINGTON) — In the wake of the Buffalo, New York, supermarket shooting that left 10 Black people dead, the House on Wednesday is expected to pass a measure to beef up federal efforts to combat domestic terrorism and white supremacy.
The bill from Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Illinois, would create new offices within the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation to “monitor, analyze, investigate, and prosecute domestic terrorism.”
Suspect fired 50 rounds in Buffalo supermarket hate crime shooting that killed 10: Police
The bill is expected to have broad support among Democrats for passage. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and other progressives were initially wary of the measure earlier this year but reached an agreement on language in talks with leadership and the American Civil Liberties Union to address concerns about the potential infringement on Americans’ First Amendment rights.
“I was proud to lead my colleagues in a successful effort to strengthen protections in this bill for protesters, narrow the domestic terrorism definition, and enhance the scope of Congressional oversight to ensure that civil rights and civil liberties continue to be protected,” Bush said in a statement to ABC News. “As an activist, I know first-hand the ways in which law enforcement agencies have targeted, surveilled and prosecuted marginalized communities.”
Republicans, however, are expected to oppose the bill, arguing that the measure is duplicative and could be used to target parents raising concerns at local school board meetings.
That could jeopardize its passage through the Senate, where Democrats have pledged to hold a vote but need the support of ten Republicans to advance legislation past the 60-vote threshold.
“By diverting resources that could be used to actually combat domestic terrorism and mandating investigations into the armed services and law enforcement, this bill further weaponizes and emboldens the DOJ to target Americans’ First Amendment rights and go after those who they see as political threats,” House GOP Whip Steve Scalise’s office wrote to Republican lawmakers in a memo encouraging them to vote against the measure.
The Justice Department and Attorney General Merrick Garland have said Republicans are mischaracterizing a memo issued last fall to the FBI and U.S. attorneys’ offices around the country encouraging them to meet with local law enforcement partners to address a rising number of threats against local school board officials.
Even Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who co-sponsored the original resolution introduced with Schneider, said he was “torn” on the bill and unsure how he would vote.
“Maybe for four months after I put my name on that bill, every meeting I went to, I had people upset I was on that bill,” he told ABC News. “They said, ‘Will I be investigated because I am pro-life?’ I heard overwhelming feedback.”
The Justice Department has already established a domestic terrorism unit, and the Biden administration has requested funding from Congress to support 60 attorneys focused on domestic terrorism cases.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has called domestic terrorism one of the greatest threats to the United States.
The problem of domestic terrorism has been metastasizing across the country for a long time now and it’s not going away anytime soon,” Wray told a Congressional panel in March of 2021. “At the FBI, we’ve been sounding the alarm on it for a number of years now.”
ABC’s Luke Barr and Alex Mallin contributed to this report.
Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday it was pausing its short-lived Disinformation Governance Board pending a review of the larger strategy behind it. The person tapped to lead the group, former Wilson Center fellow Nina Jankowicz, said she had resigned as a result.
Both Jankowicz and a DHS spokesperson said the group had itself become a target of disinformation since its creation was announced in late April. A DHS official went further on Wednesday, saying Jankowicz was “the subject of some particularly vicious and unfair attacks.”
As the official suggested, Jankowicz became the face of conservative-fueled criticism, some of it in personal terms. Others voiced concerns about her background: Jankowicz, who is routinely outspoken on Twitter, had publicly criticized Republicans and sowed doubt about the accuracy of press reports critical of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter.
More broadly, the disinformation board found detractors in the GOP and some leading civil liberties groups over the scope of its work. That scrutiny was fueled by an admittedly clumsy rollout — such as a confusing name — as well as an initial lack of specifics about the board’s operations.
In an interview with ABC News last week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the board wasn’t rolled out “effectively,” but that its work was “exactly contrary” to how it was being portrayed.
“It was intended to ensure coordination across the Department’s component agencies as they protect Americans from disinformation that threatens the homeland,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday. “The Board has been grossly and intentionally mischaracterized: it was never about censorship or policing speech in any manner. It was designed to ensure we fulfill our mission to protect the homeland, while protecting core Constitutional rights.”
“However,” the spokesperson continued, “false attacks have become a significant distraction from the Department’s vitally important work to combat disinformation that threatens the safety and security of the American people.”
The board is now on hold awaiting a report and a review of strategy for how the department can combat disinformation effectively while still protecting civil liberties. That work will be handled by members of the recently revamped Homeland Security Advisory Council. The DHS said that former Secretary Michael Chertoff and former Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick were tapped by Mayorkas to produce recommendations on the future of the group within 75 days.
“During the HSAC’s review … the Department’s critical work across several administrations to address disinformation that threatens the security of our country will continue,” the DHS spokesperson said.
In her own statement on Wednesday, Jankowicz said, “With the Board’s work paused and its future uncertain, and I have decided to leave DHS to return to my work in the public sphere. … It is deeply disappointing that mischaracterizations of the Board became a distraction from the Department’s vital work, and indeed, along with recent events globally and nationally, embodies why it is necessary.”
“I maintain my commitment to building awareness of disinformation’s threats and trust the Department will do the same,” Jankowciz said.
Administration officials emphasized that the decision to temporarily suspend the board was in part due to the “extreme” reaction from those who disagreed with it.
“There have been gross mischaracterizations of what the board what the board’s work would be and there have been grotesque personal attacks,” one official said Wednesday. “And the reaction has candidly become a distraction to the department’s important work in addressing disinformation to security.”
Mayorkas himself ultimately made the move to reassess the board before the group ever hosted its first meeting, according to the official. Asked if the decision was politically motivated, the official said the broader point was to ensure the success of the department’s mission to counter misinformation campaigns, which the government believes compromise security.
The DHS had been on the defensive about the board for weeks, with Mayorkas being pressed by Republicans about it during a Senate hearing earlier this month.
The department previously admitted that “there has been confusion about the working group, its role, and its activities” and vowed to work on building greater public trust.
DHS has said the the panel would not be involved in managing department operations and Mayorkas said the group would “bring together the experts throughout our department to ensure that our ongoing work in combating disinformation is done in a way that does not infringe on free speech, a fundamental constitutional right embedded in the First Amendment, nor on the right of privacy or other civil rights and civil liberties.”
Addressing disinformation is a major homeland security priority and DHS had said the new board would help counter false claims from human smugglers and Russia. A homeland security spokesperson stressed that work again on Wednesday, noting “malicious efforts spread by foreign adversaries, human traffickers, and transnational criminal organizations.”
Some Republicans cheered the board’s suspension, renewing attacks that it was “Orwellian” in nature and would, despite DHS’ statements otherwise, be “policing” U.S. citizens.
“This board was only successful in reinforcing that the Department of Homeland Security’s priorities are severely misplaced,” Rep. Mike Turner, of Ohio, and New York Rep. John Katko said in a joint statement Wednesday. “When the border crisis is worsening daily, cyber-attacks from adversaries are threatening to cripple our critical infrastructure, the rise in violent crime is putting Americans across the country in danger, and disrupted supply chains are having devastating impacts on Americans, DHS is focused on policing Americans’ free speech.”
But the group was warily received by some civil liberties advocates, too.
“The burden is on the government to explain why a Homeland Security Department needs a disinformation board in the first place,” Ben Wizner, director of ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, told ABC News on Wednesday. “They really have only themselves to blame for the political backlash, given that they announced this without offering any clarity about the mission or scope of the board.”
A group of First Amendment-focused organizations wrote to Mayorkas earlier this month asking for the type of re-evaluation that DHS has now announced.
“The Department has demonstrated a readiness to cross the legal bounds of privacy and speech rights. Coupled with the Department’s checkered record on civil liberties, the Department’s muddled announcement of the Board has squandered the trust that would be required for the Board to fulfill its mission,” the groups, led by the nonprofit Protect Democracy, said in a statement.
Former Acting Head of Intelligence and Analysis at DHS John Cohen, who is also an ABC News contributor, said the responsibilities of the board were widely misunderstood.
“The intention of the board was to facilitate the discussion on policy issues impacting the department, it was meant to ensure that the department protected privacy and civil liberties, as they move to evaluate threat related online content,” Cohen said.
Cohen, who helped stand up the disinformation board and left the department last month, said earlier in May that the board addressed a communication issue within the department.
“It didn’t coordinate operational activities, it wasn’t governing intelligence operations, it had no input on how organizations collect intelligence or information,” he said then. “It was simply intended to be a working group that would gather on an ad hoc basis to address matters of policy.”
(WASHINGTON) — The House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing Wednesday on abortion access as the nation awaits a final decision from the Supreme Court in a case that result in the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., kicked off the hearing with a warning that if the landmark 1973 decision legalizing abortion is in fact overturned — as was indicated in a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion — the impact will be “devastating.”
“Making decisions about when and how to start a family is essential to women’s lives,” Nadler said. “The right to decide whether to carry or terminate a pregnancy is central to life, liberty and equality. It is the very essence of what it means to have bodily autonomy, which is a prerequisite for freedom.”
Expert witnesses speaking at Wednesday’s hearing include Dr. Yashica Robinson, a board-certified OBGYN and board member with Physicians for Reproductive Health; Michele Bratcher Goodwin, a chancellor’s law professor at the University of California, Irvine; Catherine Glenn Foster, the president and CEO of the anti-abortion law firm Americans United for Life; and Aimee Arrambide, the executive director of the abortion rights nonprofit Avow Texas.
Goodwin told committee members that if the draft opinion holds, it would be an “incredibly unusual” moment in American democracy.
“The Supreme Court has never gone back to in fact revoke what has been freedoms that have been well-articulated and established in the Constitution and also by the Supreme Court,” she said.
The draft opinion, which is not the final ruling, was published by Politico on May 2 — and later confirmed by the court to be authentic. Politico later reported that the Feb. 10 draft was still the only one circulated among the group and that none of the conservative justices have changed their vote in the wake of the bombshell leak.
Protests have been a near-daily occurrence since the document became public, with demonstrations extending to the homes of Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. A nationwide day of protest was held on May 14 featuring hundreds of “Bans Off Our Bodies” events organized by abortion rights groups.
Security measures at the Supreme Court and for all nine justices have been increased since the demonstrations began.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, ABC News reported, domestic violent extremists have invaded the national abortion debate “to incite violence amongst their supporters.” Targets of threats include the justices, members of Congress, public officials, clergy, health care providers and more.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, ranking chairman on the House Judiciary Committee, focused his opening statement Wednesday on accusing Democrats and activists of a trying to strong-arm the Supreme Court.
“You know why they’re trying to bully and intimidate the court?” Jordan asked. “You know why, because the evidence for overturning Roe is overwhelming.”
(NEW YORK) — Consequential primary races in five states, including some battlegrounds, helped shed light Tuesday night on what the rest of the midterms might look like.
For Republicans, former President Donald Trump’s star-making power and election conspiracies thrived on the ticket in swing state Pennsylvania, but one controversial North Carolina-based member of Congress heavy in MAGA-orbit fell to scandal. And on the left, progressives locked horns with establishment Democrats in North Carolina, Oregon and Pennsylvania while the strength of President Joe Biden’s introductory midterm race endorsement bore out in Oregon.
Here are three major takeaways from the primaries in Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Idaho:
Election integrity on the ballot
Trump notched a significant win in the Republican primary for the Pennsylvania governor’s race with the success of state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a conservative grassroots candidate who attended the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington on Jan 6. The Republican candidate for governor has been subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee and posits a full-throated endorsement of the debunked conspiracy theory that the 2020 general election was tampered with and stolen from Trump.
His win is a direct challenge to a less extreme wing of the Republican Party (remember, Biden won the state by about 2% in 2020), some of whom backed Rep. Lou Barletta. For what it’s worth, Barletta was backed by Trump in his losing Senate race in 2018.
Another key race in Pennsylvania full of loaded election integrity rhetoric was the GOP primary for Senate, a true-nail biter that has Trump-endorsed celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz in a dead heat with former Bridgewater executive David McCormick. The race edged into too-close-to-call territory around midnight Tuesday, and tight margins could leave Pennsylvanians waiting. No matter who wins, a candidate who at least pushes some sort of election integrity policy — promoting election skepticism without outright embracing the “big lie” — will represent Republicans on the ballot come November.
A MAGA candidate’s concession
What may be the biggest blow to Trump’s magic touch so far this election cycle was the crushing loss of his endorsed candidate Rep. Madison Cawthorn, the embattled congressman embroiled in several controversies, notably one in which he claimed his Washington colleagues partake in orgy and drug-filled romps. He later walked his claims back, saying he had been exaggerating. Cawthorn conceded the race Tuesday night (in not very MAGA fashion) to state Sen. Chuck Edwards.
Edwards boasts support from Republicans like Sen. Thom Tillis, who leans more moderate.
Cawthorn, a freshman lawmaker, quickly made enemies — sparring with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, carrying a loaded firearm into an airport and calling Ukrainian President Vlodomymyr Zeleksnyy a “thug,” among other incitements.
In the waning days of the primary race, many began to cast doubts on Cawthorn’s staying power. Several attempts from Trump to save Cawthorn — even at the 11th hour on Truth Social — clearly failed.
Earlier, before the concession, Cawthorn’s communication director said his team was “not listening to the beltway media.” Now, they don’t have to.
And while Trump may still be a kingmaker for some, his endorsement doesn’t equate to a sure path to victory either.
Progressive setbacks
Progressives failed to capture North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District with the loss of incumbent Nida Allam, a 28-year-old county official who boasted support from progressive Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Allam was overtaken by Valerie Foushee, a Black state lawmaker with largely establishment backing. Foushee benefited from millions of dollars in support from outside groups that spent big to sink Allam — a trend slammed by Sanders on Monday.
“The goal of this billionaire funded effort is to crush the candidacies of a number of progressive women of color who are running for Congress,” Sanders wrote to Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison. “I am writing to you today to demand that the Democratic National Committee make it clear that super PAC money is not welcome in Democratic primaries.”
Clay Aiken, who some may remember as the runner-up in Season 2 of American Idol, was also singing a sad tune Tuesday night, having lost the chance to represent Democrats on the national stage.
A win for the center is also a proxy win for Biden. Worrisome approval ratings for the White House and mass conflict abroad spell an uphill battle and then some for Democrats — though Foushee’s playbook (and embrace of those lucrative contributors) may offer a helpful playbook to victory.
(WASHINGTON) — Voters were heading to the polls Tuesday for primary elections in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Kentucky, Idaho and Oregon amid a midterm season that will test the endorsement power of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
While Trump wasn’t successful across the board, at least 22 of his 25 endorsed candidates for Senate, House and governor (mostly in noncompetitive races) won Tuesday night, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Here is how the news developed Tuesday. All times Eastern:
May 18, 12:12 am
Pennsylvania Senate primary too close to call between Oz, McCormick
As the Pennsylvania Republican Senate race tightens, David McCormick and Dr. Mehmet Oz both appeared to thank supporters at their respective election night parties but said their race would not be called Tuesday because of outstanding votes, errors on some mail-in ballots — and, experts note, a split electorate.
“We’re not going to have a resolution tonight, but we can see the path ahead,” said McCormick, the former hedge fund owner whose wife worked in the Trump administration. “We can see victory ahead, and that’s all because of you.”
Oz, speaking minutes after McCormick, thanked former President Donald Trump for his endorsement and then, Fox News host Sean Hannity for his “behind-the-scenes” advice.
“We’re not going to have a result tonight,” Oz told supporters. “When all the votes are tallied, I am confident we will win.”
Within the past couple of weeks, far-right conservative commentator Kathy Barnette, who marched at Trump’s rally on Jan. 6, saw a surge in support in the race. Though she trailed behind on election night, her presence in the race appeared to split votes among Trump’s MAGA base and away from Oz.
May 18, 12:03 am
Gisele Fetterman speaks with ABC News about husband’s projected win, health scare
Gisele Fetterman, wife of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, spoke with ABC News’ Linsey Davis after her husband’s projected win in Pennsylvania’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Fetterman suffered a stroke just five days ago and underwent surgery on Election Day to get a pacemaker and defibrillator.
“It’s been a long road here and we’re grateful to celebrate together very soon,” she told Davis from an election night party in Pittsburgh. She said Tuesday’s surgery was “very successful” and that her husband is “well on his way to a full recovery.”
Gisele Fetterman also spoke about the role Pennsylvania will play in national politics this midterm election cycle. The state was the center of former President Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election results after Joe Biden flipped the state from red to blue. Democrats see the race as their best shot to pick up a seat in the chamber from retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.
“This is the city that can decide everything,” she said. “So it’s why it’s going to be the most watched seat in the country. And it’s critical to make this seat a blue seat.”
May 17, 11:50 pm
Bo Hines projected to win in North Carolina GOP House primary
In North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District, ABC News projects Bo Hines will win the Republican House primary.
Hines’ win is a victory for former President Donald Trump, who is testing his endorsement power in several races this midterms season. Trump also endorsed incumbent Rep. Madison Cawthorn in another North Carolina House race — but Cawthorn conceded his loss earlier Tuesday and threw his support behind Republican State Sen. Chuck Edwards.
Hines is running in an area he has no connection to and does not live in, and many people have criticized him for using this campaign to launch his political career. His campaign finance disclosure shows that only six people from North Carolina donated money to him in the first quarter, and those same six people do not live in the district he is trying to represent.
The 26-year-old is a former college football star who played for the North Carolina State Wolfpack and Yale Bulldogs. He has said his ultimate goal is to become president.
May 17, 11:12 pm
Last polls close in Idaho, Oregon
All polls are now closed in Tuesday’s primary elections.
In Idaho, there will be a showdown between incumbent Gov. Brad Little and Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Little and McGeachin have clashed over coronavirus protocols during their administration, with McGeachin once issuing an executive order to “fix” statewide rules while Little was out of town.
In Oregon, term-limited Democratic Gov. Kate Brown’s unpopularity could open the door for Republicans to hold the governorship for the first time in more than three decades. There are 19 Republicans running for the party’s nomination on Tuesday.
President Joe Biden’s influence will be put to the test in Oregon, where Rep. Kurt Schrader is facing a challenge from progressive Jamie McLeod-Skinner in a redrawn district. Biden threw his support behind Schrader a few weeks ago, marking his first endorsement of the 2022 election season.
Returns are still coming in from Kentucky, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, with the winners of several key races already projected by ABC News.
May 17, 10:56 pm
Rep. Madison Cawthorn concedes to Chuck Edwards in North Carolina
Freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s wild freshman year appears to have caught up with him.
ABC News has learned that Cawthorn has just conceded the race in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District — a seat he won in 2020 at the age of 25, making him the youngest person in the 117th Congress.
State Sen. Chuck Edwards, one of seven Republicans challenging Cawthorn for the nomination, declared victory in a statement on Tuesday night. ABC News has yet to project a winner in the race, but early returns showed Edwards ahead of the pack.
“This is simply incredible,” Edwards said. “Against all odds, we fought hard to win this election and provide clear conservative leadership for the mountains. I am so grateful for the support I received and am forever indebted to the hardworking people of this district who made this victory possible. Now, we will harness this energy, come together as a party, and keep this seat in Republican hands in November. My campaign has been about staying true to mountain values and delivering real results for Western North Carolina, and that is exactly what I intend to do.”
Republican voters were tasked with deciding if they wanted to keep Cawthorn around despite multiple scandals, including his unsubstantiated claims that some of his GOP colleagues on Capitol Hill invited him to sex parties and used cocaine.
He later told House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., that his remarks were exaggerations, but the incident caused some in the party to look to Edwards as a possible replacement.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who backed Edwards in March, said Cawthorn had “fallen well short of the most basic standard western North Carolina expects from their representatives.”
Other controversies surrounding Cawthorn include allegations of insider trading, trying to bring a loaded gun through airport security and his description of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “thug.”
Still, Cawthorn had former President Donald Trump on his side heading into Tuesday’s contest, but it doesn’t appear to have been enough to sway enough voters. Trump said Monday that Cawthorn should be given a “second chance” after making some “foolish mistakes.”
May 17, 10:33 pm
Shapiro blasts Mastriano’s stance on abortion, support of Trump’s ‘big lie’
Josh Shapiro, who is quarantining with COVID Tuesday and running unopposed for the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania governor, put out a statement about his general-election opponent, Trump-backed Doug Mastriano, now that Mastriano is projected to win.
Shapiro slams Mariano’s stance on abortion rights and election conspiracies, saying in a statement that “Pennsylvanians need a Governor who can meet this moment, but Republicans just nominated a dangerous extremist who wants to take away our freedoms. The contrast in this election could not be clearer – Doug Mastriano wants to ban abortion without exceptions, restrict the right to vote and spread conspiracy theories, and destroy the union way of life for hard working Pennsylvanians.”
Mastriano participated in the Jan. 6 rally before the march to the Capitol, organized buses to the rally and was caught on camera walking past barricades at the Capitol ahead of the deadly attack. He has denied participating in any violence.
Republicans in the state were worried about Mastriano getting the nomination, while Democrats were vying for that outcome, hoping Shapiro can appeal to more voters in a general election. The race takes on additional significance because the winner appoints the secretary of state, the officer who will oversee elections in the battleground state.
May 17, 10:15 pm
Chris Deluzio projected to win primary for Rep. Conor Lamb’s seat
ABC News projects that Chris Deluzio will win the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District.
Deluzio is a veteran and voting rights attorney and beat out LGBTQ rights advocate Sean Meloy for the Democratic nomination in the seat currently held by a Democrat. The district Deluzio ran in is being vacated by Rep. Conor Lamb, who ran for Senate in the state but fell short to Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in the Democratic primary earlier Tuesday night.
May 17, 9:56 pm
Mastriano projected to win GOP gubernatorial primary in Pennsylvania
In the Pennsylvania gubernatorial Republican primary, ABC News projects state Sen. Doug Mastriano will win, beating out his closest primary rival, former Rep. Lou Barletta.
Mastriano, a retired Army colonel and long proponent of “the big lie,” gained former President Donald Trump’s endorsement only three days ago. Mastriano attended Trump’s Jan. 6 rally in Washington and falsely claimed in December 2020 that “cheating and fraud happened in our state.” As a state senator, he also attempted to launch a forensic “audit” of the state’s election results, similar to the partisan inquisition that took place in Arizona. It failed to find any evidence of widespread fraud.
The race is especially significant since the governor of Pennsylvania gets to name the secretary of state — the state’s chief election official, charged with overseeing elections.
The House Jan. 6 committee has subpoenaed Mastriano, given that he was in communication with Trump on Jan. 6, but neither he nor the committee has confirmed whether he complied with the order.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro, running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for governor, has called Mastriano “the most extreme and dangerous GOP candidate.” The two will face off in November.
May 17, 9:50 pm
Fetterman’s wife thanks supporters, calls out two key campaign promises
Gisele Fetterman, wife of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, spoke to supporters at an election night party in Pittsburgh following her husband’s projection to win the Democratic primary for Senate as he recovers from a stroke in the hospital.
She opened by “addressing the elephant in the room,” which is that “my husband John Fetterman is not in the room,” and said Fetterman would be “back on his feet in no time.”
“This race we’re running is a race for the future,” she said to a warm audience. “It’s a race for every job that has been lost, every factory that has been closed, every cost that has been rising, every worker that can’t keep up. It’s a race for a better Pennsylvania.”
She also mentioned two issues her husband raises at almost every stop: a commitment to legalizing marijuana and to eliminating the Senate filibuster.
May 17, 9:42 pm
Biden celebrates Fetterman’s projected win
President Joe Biden didn’t endorse in the race, but the son of Pennsylvania celebrated John Fetterman’s win in the state’s Senate Democratic primary on Tuesday.
“John Fetterman understands that working class families in Pennsylvania and across the country have been dealt out for far too long. It’s time to deal them back in, and electing John to the United States Senate would be a big step forward for Pennsylvania’s working people,” the president wrote.
May 17, 9:36 pm
Foushee wins North Carolina primary in setback for progressives
In North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District, ABC News projects state Sen. Valerie Foushee will win the House Democratic primary.
Foushee defeated eight other candidates vying for the nomination, including American Idol star Clay Aiken. Aiken launched his bid in January, citing white supremacy and racism as reasons for his second congressional bid.
She also defeated Nida Allam, a 28-year-old county official who is Muslim and who got wide support from the Bernie Sanders-Elizabeth Warren wing of the party. Sanders on Tuesday called out national groups who spent a large amount of money trying to sink Allam’s candidacy.
The safely Democratic district has been held by Rep. David Price for nearly 35 years. Price announced in October 2021 that he is retiring at the end of this term.
May 17, 9:15 pm
Fetterman thanks supporters in a tweet
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, recovering in the hospital from a stroke and primary day surgery, tweeted a thank you to supporters Tuesday night after he was projected to win the Senate Democratic primary in Pennsylvania.
“The fate of our Democratic majority all comes down to Pennsylvania,” tweeted.
The front-runner candidate who supports progressive policies but refuses the progressive label, Fetterman defeated Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb, considered an establishment candidate, and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, a progressive representing Philadelphia, in the primary race.
Fetterman voted from his hospital earlier Tuesday via an emergency absentee ballot. His wife, Gisele, is slated to speak later at his campaign party.
May 17, 9:03 pm
Fetterman projected to win Pennsylvania primary after suffering stroke
ABC News projects Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman will win the Senate Democratic primary in Pennsylvania — after a stroke just five days ago took him off the campaign trail.
Fetterman, the lieutenant governor since 2019, who led in the polls for the Democratic nomination, beat out Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta. Fetterman and Kenyatta both staked out progressive positions on policy, while current Lamb is considered more centrist.
Fetterman will not be present at his campaign party Tuesday while he recovers in the hospital, but his wife, Gisele, will speak instead.
Earlier Tuesday, Fetterman underwent a “successful procedure,” his campaign said, to get a pacemaker and defibrillator, after suffering a stroke late last week. He also voted via an emergency absentee ballot from his hospital.
Fetterman doesn’t fit the mold for what a typical senator looks like: Standing 6-foot-8, he is bald, goateed and tattooed and frequently eschews traditional suits and ties in favor of shorts and Dickies shirts. He earned his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University but has campaigned with a blue-collar approach, having served as the mayor of the small borough of Braddock, just outside Pittsburgh, for 16 years before being elected alongside Gov. Tom Wolf, a fellow Democrat, four years ago.
The general election in Pennsylvania later this year could help decide the balance of power in Congress. Democrats see the Keystone State as their best shot to pick up a seat from retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.
Fetterman will face either Trump-backed Dr. Mehmet Oz, businessman David McCormick or right-wing fringe candidate Kathy Barnette.
May 17, 8:53 pm
‘The big lie’ candidates in big races Tuesday
Often when checking for candidates who endorse Trump’s “big lie” — his baseless claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent — they wind up being fringe candidates or trailing in their races. But that’s less so the case Tuesday night, where multiple candidates who support ‘the big lie” are competitive, or even the front-runners in some of tonight’s biggest races.
Take Pennsylvania, where Doug Mastriano, a retired Army colonel who marched with Trump supporters on Jan. 6, is the front-runner in the Republican primary for governor. He’s been a proponent of “the big lie” from the start, claiming in December 2020 that “cheating and fraud happened in our state.” As a state senator, he also attempted to launch a forensic “audit” of the state’s election results, similar to the partisan inquisition that took place in Arizona. (It failed to find any evidence of widespread fraud.) He recently gained Trump’s endorsement.
“The big lie” has cast a shadow over another hot race: the GOP primary for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat. All three front-runners have offered mixed responses regarding whether they endorse the idea that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.
FiveThirtyEight’s Kaleigh Rogers is tracking all of these races and others where “the big lie” believers are on the ticket here.
May 17, 8:31 pm
More voting trouble in Pennsylvania
After news surfaced of voting issues in Lancaster County, it became clear that Berks County is also dealing with minor issues but will be able to keep its polling places open an extra hour.
The Reading Eagle, a local news outlet, reported that polling places in Berks County were having issues with new electronic poll books, forcing a return to paper. Attorneys for both Democratic and Republican county parties successfully filed emergency petitions to keep the polls open past the regular 8 p.m. closing time.
May 17, 8:11 pm
Trump-endorsed Rep. Ted Budd to face Beasley in North Carolina Senate race
ABC News has projected Rep. Ted Budd will win the North Carolina GOP Senate primary, setting him up to run against North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley, the projected Democratic nominee, in November.
There were over 10 candidates in the GOP race — but Budd, carrying the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, came out victorious and led the pack heading into the primary after lagging in the polls and in fundraising early on. Other candidates included former Gov. Pat McCrory, who had a record of running statewide, and former Rep. Mark Walker, a Trump loyalist who stayed in the race even though he faded down the stretch.
Budd voted against the certification of election results after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, though he has acknowledged Joe Biden’s legitimacy as president.
Democrats are hoping to pick up the seat from retiring Republican Sen. Richard Burr — but it’s an uphill battle as the seat leans red.
May 17, 8:00 pm
Pennsylvania polls close
Polls are now closed in Pennsylvania, which is home to one of the most competitive primaries of the night featuring celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Oz shook up the Republican primary for Senate after launching his campaign late last year, winning former President Donald Trump’s endorsement over businessman David McCormick. But it’s been another candidate, conservative commentator Kathy Barnette, making headlines in the final weeks of the race as she experiences a sudden surge.
Trump said of Barnette last week that she will “never be able to win the general election against the radical left Democrats.” Her momentum in the polls has jeopardized his second attempt to influence the race — he endorsed Oz after Sean Parnell, his initial pick, dropped out of the race.
Leading candidates for the Democratic nomination include Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Rep. Conor Lamb and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.
Another race to watch will be the gubernatorial primary. Attorney General Josh Shapiro is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination to take over for term-limited Gov. Tom Wolf, while several Republicans are looking for the opportunity to flip control of the governor’s mansion.
May 17, 7:51 pm
Cheri Beasley projected to win in North Carolina Dem Senate primary
In the North Carolina Democratic Senate Primary, ABC News projects that former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley will win.
North Carolina presents a key opportunity for Democrats to possibly pick up another seat in the chamber as Republican Sen. Richard Burr retires this year.
Beasley was seen as the presumptive front-runner for the Democratic nomination.
On the Republican side, incumbent Rep. Ted Budd, carrying former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, is hoping to beat two standouts in the GOP field: Former Rep. Mark Walker and former Gov. Pat McCrory. Tuesday presents a telling test of Trump’s endorsement power across state lines, as he also aims for Dr. Mehmet Oz to win the Republican primary race for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat.
May 17, 7:32 pm
Polls close in North Carolina
Polls have officially closed in North Carolina, where voters are picking their party’s nominees for the Senate and House elections.
The battleground state presents a key opportunity for Democrats to possibly pick up another seat in the chamber as Republican Sen. Richard Burr retires this year. Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley is seen as the presumptive frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, while there are three standouts in the Republican field: Rep. Ted Budd, former Rep. Mark Walker and former Gov. Pat McCrory. Budd was endorsed by Trump earlier this year.
Another test of Trump’s influence will be in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District and 13th Congressional District, where he’s backed two 26-year-olds: Rep. Madison Cawthorn, widely known across the country for his scandals and irreverent attitude, and Bo Hines, a former college football star with little name recognition running in a district he doesn’t live in.
Candidates will need to receive more than 30% of the vote to become the party’s nominee or face a runoff election on July 26.
May 17, 7:21 pm
Pennsylvania county reports voting issue
The Lancaster County Board of Elections on Tuesday reported issues with its mail-in ballots, stating that a mistake by a vendor left it unable to scan thousands of ballots because it printed them with the wrong identification codes.
County officials called the error “unacceptable.”
“About 22,000 mail ballots were printed by the print vendor with the incorrect code and could not be read by the county’s scanners,” the secretary of state’s office told ABC News. “County election officials will re-mark the ballots by hand and then scan them. This is allowed under [Pennsylvania] law. It is likely to take county officials a few days.”
It’s unclear how the glitch will impact the election. Polls close at 8 p.m. ET in the state, where voters are choosing their party’s nominees for Senate and governor.
May 17, 7:13 pm
Sens. Rand Paul, Charles Booker projected to win respective Kentucky primaries
The first poll closure of the night comes in Kentucky, where Republican Sen. Rand Paul is seeking a third term and ABC News projected he will win the GOP primary.
Paul has garnered national recognition for his libertarian-leaning views and recently made headlines for single-handedly delaying a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine, which ultimately passed with bipartisan support. Five other Republicans had challenged Paul in the primary race, though he was expected to easily clinch the nomination and win the general election in November.
On the Democratic side, ABC News projected Sen. Charles Booker would win the Senate primary. Booker rose to prominence in the 2020 election cycle when he nearly upset a well-funded, establishment-backed Democratic rival in a Senate primary to challenge Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
May 17, 6:58 pm
Fetterman’s primary day surgery ‘successful’: Campaign
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the front-runner in the state’s Democratic Senate primary race, has completed a “successful procedure” to recieve a pacemaker and defibrillator, his campaign said Tuesday, after he suffered a stroke late last week.
“John Fetterman just completed a successful procedure to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator. The procedure began at 3:15pm, John was released at 5:56pm, and he has been given the all-clear that it was successful. He is resting at the hospital and recovering well. John continues to improve every day, and he is still on track for a full recovery,” the campaign said in a statement.
Dr. Jay Bhatt, an internal medicine physician, instructor at the University of Illinois School of Public Health and ABC News Contributor, said the procedure to implant a defibrillator and pacemaker are “common but carry risks of infection, bleeding, and complications and inappropriate shocks from the defibrillator.”
A day after Fetterman announced his stroke, his team said that he would not be attending his election night party and would remain in the hospital. His wife, Gisele, will speak in his place. His campaign released a photo Tuesday morning of Fetterman voting with an emergency absentee ballot from the hospital, where he is recovering.
May 17, 5:41 pm
Democratic House primaries could foreshadow party’s direction
While much of the focus this midterm cycle has been on statewide races and the momentum behind Republicans amid dismal approval numbers for President Joe Biden, several Democratic House primaries could be emblematic of the direction of the party ahead of November.
In these contentious primary races in North Carolina, Oregon and Pennsylvania, voters will choose between progressive and more moderate candidates. These races have drawn the attention of progressive heavyweights, including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Click here to read what you need to know about key Democratic House primary races, which include incumbent Rep. Kurt Schrader in Oregon gaining Biden’s endorsement, and in North Carolina, Clay Aiken of “American Idol” fame taking another shot at Congress.
-ABC News Deputy Political Director Averi Harper
May 17, 5:38 pm
Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb says primary will offer ‘lessons’ for Dems
With primary day underway in some of the hottest races of the year, Rep. Conor Lamb, a moderate two-term Democrat vying for the U.S. Senate nomination in Pennsylvania, told ABC News’ Senior Washington Reporter Devin Dwyer that results in the state Tuesday could be a key bellwether for the future direction of the party and control of the Senate.
“I think the Democratic Party is going to have to, you know, think really hard about how we’re going to succeed and what is a very, very challenging political environment — and today is going to have some lessons,” Lamb said outside a polling place in his district.
Lamb, who has been trailing progressive Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in recent polls, acknowledged that Democrats face a choice between “two very different paths based on two different sets of experience and two different personalities,” as many in the party view the race as their best shot at flipping a Senate seat.
Asked by ABC News whether he thinks Fetterman’s hospitalization for a stroke will have any impact on the race, Lamb said “I don’t know” and then offered what seemed to be criticism of his rival for “very little information about it [his condition] much like the rest of the general public.”
“I wish him well, but I really can’t forecast that and people are just got to make up their own minds,” he said.
May 17, 5:35 pm
Top Dem candidates face health issues on primary day
Two top Democrats in midterm races in Pennsylvania are facing health issues on primary day, causing them both to miss their election night events. One is isolated with COVID and another was in the hospital Tuesday undergoing surgery after a stroke.
Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary race for governor, announced this morning on Twitter that he tested positive for COVID-19 Monday night. He said he’s isolated at home with “mild symptoms” and will be back on the campaign trail next week.
Shapiro also shared on Tuesday afternoon that he voted using an emergency absentee ballot, speaking in a video posted from his campaign’s Twitter account.
Meanwhile, the front-runner in the Democratic Senate primary race, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, underwent surgery on Tuesday to get a pacemaker and defibrillator after he suffered a stroke last Friday. As a result, his campaign team said he would not be able to attend his election night rally; instead, his wife, Gisele, will speak in his place.
Earlier on Tuesday, ahead of sharing the news of his surgery, Fetterman’s campaign shared a photo of him voting via an emergency absentee battle in the hospital.
May 17, 5:26 pm
Dr. Oz touts Trump endorsement, says opponent has ‘had her moment in the sun’
In a somewhat last-minute endorsement in April, former President Donald Trump threw his support behind Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania’s Republican Senate primary, citing the television doctor’s popularity and compliments regarding Trump’s health.
ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott was the only network reporter with Dr. Oz as he voted this morning in Pennsylvania. On his way out, Oz told Scott he’s confident he will win this evening’s primary. But a last-minute surge by conservative commentator Kathy Barnette has now shaken up the race.
When Scott asked Dr. Oz about her momentum, he said, “I think that Kathy, metaphorically, had her moment in the sun.”
“And I’m very proud of the president’s endorsement. He said I was smart-talking — never let you down, smart enough to understand the issues tough, tough enough to not weather in the face of criticism. When you go to bed at night, you know, I’ll never let you down,” he added.
“I just cast a vote for myself, which is not a humble thing to do,” Oz said. “But it’s what I’m humbly asking all Pennsylvanians to do to vote for someone that they know will win in the general election which is one of the main reasons President Trump endorsed me.”
May 17, 5:23 pm
McCormick speaks about missing out on Trump endorsement
McCormick did not get the coveted endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who threw his weight behind Dr. Mehmet Oz, so McCormick tried to balance complimenting the former president and saying Trump’s endorsement doesn’t have much impact.
“He’s very popular in Pennsylvania with good reason, in my opinion, but in terms of his endorsement — of course, his endorsement matters — but his endorsement to Mehmet Oz hasn’t had much of an impact,” McCormick said. “And the reason for that is much more about Mehmet Oz than it is about the president in that Mehmet doesn’t have a track record.”
McCormick also said the race boils down to two main issues: inflation and authenticity.
Recent polls have shown many Pennsylvania voters were still undecided leading up to primary day.
-ABC News’ Alexa Presha
May 17, 4:44 pm
Here’s what time polls close by state
Here’s what time the polls close in each state Tuesday. All times Eastern.
May 17, 4:43 pm
Tuesday’s contents test endorsement power of Biden, Trump
Tuesday’s primaries span five states, the most so far this season, and will test of the strength of endorsements from both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Biden handed out his first endorsement just a few weeks ago to Oregon incumbent Rep. Kurt Schrader in a race that was low profile until the president weighed in.
Trump has interjected himself in several primary races so far, including backing Dr. Mehmet Oz for Senate in Pennsylvania and Doug Mastriano for the state’s governor.
The state is one of several battlegrounds across the country where supporters of Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election results, and Mastriano attended the rally preceding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, as did Kathy Barnette, a dark horse ultra-conservative GOP Senate candidate.
One question that will be answered Tuesday night is if the Trump endorsement can save tainted candidates. Trump put his neck out for two 26-years-olds in North Carolina: GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn, widely known across the country for his scandals and irreverent attitude, and Bo Hines — running for Congress in North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District where he doesn’t live or have wide name recognition.
