Republicans

Media Matters reports: Lauren Witzke, the Republican-backed Senate candidate running in Delaware, recently praised the neo-fascist Proud Boys for providing “free security” for her and her supporters at a rally. Witzke’s support for the group is the latest instance of her promoting and endorsing far-right extremism. The Delaware Republican Party and chair Jane Brady did not respond to a request …

The Washington Post reports: South Carolina Republicans asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to reinstate the witness signature requirement for mail ballots ahead of the November election, extending the legal turmoil over the rule even as tens of thousands of ballots have been sent to voters across the state. The request to the high court comes after the U.S. Court …

The Austin Statesman reports: Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order Thursday requiring counties to close multiple locations where voters can drop off completed mail-in ballots. As an election security measure, counties will be limited to one dropoff site where poll watchers — designated by political parties and candidates — must be allowed to observe ballot deliveries by voters, Abbott said. …

The Hill reports: The Republican National Committee and Trump campaign are signaling they will oppose changes to the presidential debate structure, after the nonpartisan commission that manages the events said it is exploring potential adjustments following the chaotic contest in Cleveland. Appearing on Fox News, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said that the commission should not make any adjustments …

Roll Call reports: A Republican super PAC, aligned with the party’s Senate leadership, will infuse $9 million into the Senate race in Michigan where incumbent Democrat Gary Peters faces GOP challenger John James. The Senate Leadership Fund is placing the buy Thursday, and the spots will air statewide beginning Saturday on TV and radio. Though Peters has held the edge …

The Hill reports: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said on Wednesday that President Trump should have condemned white supremacists during the first presidential debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden. “Of course,” Romney told reporters when asked. Trump refused to denounce white supremacy during Tuesday’s night chaotic debate. “I can’t tell you what impact that will have. I can say I watched …

The Hill reports: The House adopted a resolution on Tuesday to affirm the chamber’s support for a peaceful transfer of power after President Trump last week declined to commit to it if he loses reelection. Lawmakers adopted the measure in a bipartisan 397-5 vote, with all of the votes in opposition coming from Republicans. Tuesday’s vote followed one last week …

The Mississippi Free Press reports: Canadian, Russian, South African and Ukrainian models appear in U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s first 2020 campaign ad for her Mississippi campaigns—but no Mississippians. Instead, the ad uses stock footage from foreign production companies as the senator talks about the work she has done to bring jobs and economic growth to Mississippians. “Two years ago when …

The Washington Post reports: Pennsylvania’s Republican legislative leaders asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to stop a decision by the state’s high court to count mail-in ballots received up to three days after Election Day. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in Democrats’ favor on a number of mail-voting rules: permitting voters to turn in ballots via drop box in …

Reuters reports: The number of tests coming back positive for COVID-19 is topping 25% in several states in the U.S. Midwest as cases and hospitalizations also surge in the region, according to a Reuters analysis. North Dakota’s positive test rate has averaged 30% over the past seven days compared with 6% the prior week. The positivity rate has risen to …

The Washington Post reports: The main super PAC supporting the election of Democrats to the Senate is preparing to invest millions in South Carolina — a fresh signal that Democrats see the race against Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) as winnable. Senate Majority PAC will launch a new, $6.5 million ad campaign in South Carolina on Monday, marking the first …

Fort Lauderdale’s ABC News affiliate reports: On Fort Lauderdale Beach, those with months of quarantine-driven bar withdrawal showed up, showed off and toasted each other back to some semblance of normal life. “I’m healthy, I’m strong and I feel comfortable with all my friends,” Dan Gibby, who was out enjoying his Saturday at the Elbo Room, said. In an unexpected …

Politico reports: Sen. Tom Cotton was unfazed by President Donald Trump’s refusal to a commit to a peaceful transfer of power should Joe Biden win the election and supported the president’s decision not to accept the results unless the winner is clear. “We’ve been transferring the office of the presidency from one person to the next since 1796,” Cotton (R-Ark.) …

Mediaite reports: The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the organization that helps fundraise to elect Republicans to the United States Senate, posted a fundraising tweet in the moments after Amy Coney Barrett‘s nomination to the Supreme Court that immediately drew harshly critical reactions for attempting to co-opt Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg‘s legacy. At 5:07 pm ET, and then again at …

From an op-ed published today by the Philadelphia Inquirer: I will cast my vote for Joe Biden on Nov. 3. It will be my first vote for a Democratic candidate for president of the United States. But it is not the first time I have said “no” to Donald Trump. I urge my fellow Pennsylvanians to join me. I actually …

The Hill reports: The Senate Judiciary Committee will start a four-day hearing for President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee on Oct. 12, two people familiar with the schedule confirmed to The Hill. Though other nominees have been confirmed in fewer days, they were further away from the presidential election. Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is expected to announce the committee’s schedule later …

The Hill reports: The Lincoln Project, a conservative super PAC opposed to President Trump and several incumbent GOP lawmakers, released a new ad Friday mocking Sen. Lindsey Graham after the South Carolina Republican said he was “getting killed financially” by his Democratic challenger, Jaime Harrison. “Every single hour in South Carolina, Lindsey Graham is violently out-fundraised,” the ad states, playing …

The Jerusalem Post reports: Florida will now be issuing specialty “Florida Stands with Israel” license plates for those who wish to support the Jewish state throughout the Sunshine State. Gov.  Ron DeSantis signed legislation (HB 1135) on Friday which authorized the creation of the special license plate. The Israeli-American Council (IAC) lauded the “heartwarming expression of solidarity,” saying that it …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to move the state away from coronavirus restrictions, and even Friday’s decision to move the state into Phase 3 reopening doesn’t represent the end. Addressing reporters Friday in St. Petersburg, the Governor urged NFL stadiums to move toward filling their seats as the season progresses. DeSantis wants “to be able to show that …

The Washington Examiner reports: Former Texas Rep. Ron Paul has been hospitalized for “precautionary” reasons after he appeared to suffer a stroke during a live episode of his political show Liberty Report. Paul, an 85-year-old former obstetrician who twice ran for president as a Republican, was in the middle of a conversation on his show on Friday when he began …