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| Democrats suffer disastrous night in Virginia and a tight race in New Jersey – live | Democrats suffer disastrous night in Virginia and a tight race in New Jersey – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Glen Youngkin wins Virginia governor’s race after Republicans provoked parents over critical race theory, and Phil Murphy is on the brink in New Jersey | Glen Youngkin wins Virginia governor’s race after Republicans provoked parents over critical race theory, and Phil Murphy is on the brink in New Jersey |
| It’s been an incredibly lively morning in US politics and the blog is bursting at the seams with news, so do stay with us. My colleague Lauren Aratani will take you through the next couple of hours and later the east coast team will hand over to our co-workers in California to report all the latest. | |
| Here’s where things stand so far: | |
| The New Jersey governor’s race is one step closer to fruition and, although it has not be called yet, Democrat Phil Murphy has inched ahead of his Republican rival. | |
| But in a disastrous result for Democrats in Virginia, and Joe Biden’s future prospects, Democrat Terry McAuliffe formally conceded he lost the race for the governorship of Virginia to his Republican rival Glenn Youngkin. | |
| House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today led Democrats in the House in putting a paid family leave provision back into their $1.75 trillion social and environmental spending bill that’s the flagship of Joe Biden’s Build Back Better legislative agenda. | |
| Oregon Democratic US Senator Jeff Merkley plans to oppose Joe Biden’s nomination of former Obama senior aide and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel to become the US representative to Japan. | |
| Conservative US supreme court justices appeared willing today to strike down New York state’s limits on carrying concealed handguns in public, in a major firearms rights case that could imperil certain restrictions nationally. | |
| The justices heard about two hours of arguments in an appeal by two gun owners and the New York affiliate of the National Rifle Association, the influential gun rights group closely aligned with Republicans, of a lower court ruling throwing out their challenge to the state’s law, enacted in 1913, Reuters writes. | |
| The news agency adds: | |
| The New Jersey governor’s race is one step closer to fruition and, although it has not be called yet, Democrat Phil Murphy has inched ahead of his Republican rival and there is an air of expectation that he has squeaked a win... | The New Jersey governor’s race is one step closer to fruition and, although it has not be called yet, Democrat Phil Murphy has inched ahead of his Republican rival and there is an air of expectation that he has squeaked a win... |
| News agency Reuters currently has this headline: Republicans jolt Biden with Virginia win, fall just short in New Jersey. | News agency Reuters currently has this headline: Republicans jolt Biden with Virginia win, fall just short in New Jersey. |
| On screen, CNN is showing Murphy, the incumbent, at 49.9% and challenger Jack Ciattarelli at 49.3% with 86% of the vote tallied. | On screen, CNN is showing Murphy, the incumbent, at 49.9% and challenger Jack Ciattarelli at 49.3% with 86% of the vote tallied. |
| And Reuters adds this situation has developed even though registered Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in New Jersey by more than a million. | And Reuters adds this situation has developed even though registered Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in New Jersey by more than a million. |
| Both parties saw strong gains in the suburbs from independent voters who had been turned off by Donald Trump’s style of politics. | Both parties saw strong gains in the suburbs from independent voters who had been turned off by Donald Trump’s style of politics. |
| The results in states that Biden won easily in 2020 (eg Virginia and New Jersey) suggest that Democrats’ razor-thin majorities in Congress are highly vulnerable in the 2022 mid-term elections. | The results in states that Biden won easily in 2020 (eg Virginia and New Jersey) suggest that Democrats’ razor-thin majorities in Congress are highly vulnerable in the 2022 mid-term elections. |
| Terry McAuliffe just formally conceded he lost the race for the governorship of Virginia to his Republican rival Glenn Youngkin. | Terry McAuliffe just formally conceded he lost the race for the governorship of Virginia to his Republican rival Glenn Youngkin. |
| The veteran Democrat has released a statement. Youngkin was projected as the winner late last night. | The veteran Democrat has released a statement. Youngkin was projected as the winner late last night. |
| McAuliffe said: | McAuliffe said: |
| He then goes on to congratulate Youngkin, thank his wife, family and campaign team and his supporters, and adds that previously serving as the governor of Virginia was the honor of his life. | He then goes on to congratulate Youngkin, thank his wife, family and campaign team and his supporters, and adds that previously serving as the governor of Virginia was the honor of his life. |
| The Guardian’s David Smith has this blistering analysis of McAuliffe’s (and Biden’s) failure in this contest, here. | The Guardian’s David Smith has this blistering analysis of McAuliffe’s (and Biden’s) failure in this contest, here. |
| Talking (again) of Joe Manchin, he just “felt the Bern”, whether he knew it or not. Here’s the independent Senator from Vermont and former presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders on the governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia. | Talking (again) of Joe Manchin, he just “felt the Bern”, whether he knew it or not. Here’s the independent Senator from Vermont and former presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders on the governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia. |
| Democrat Terry McAuliffe lost the gubernatorial contest in the early minutes of this morning to Republican Glenn Youngkin in Virginia, a state won by 10 points by Joe Biden in the presidential election exactly a year ago today. | Democrat Terry McAuliffe lost the gubernatorial contest in the early minutes of this morning to Republican Glenn Youngkin in Virginia, a state won by 10 points by Joe Biden in the presidential election exactly a year ago today. |
| In New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy is on a knife-edge with his re-election bid. | In New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy is on a knife-edge with his re-election bid. |
| House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today led Democrats in the House in putting a paid family leave provision back into their $1.75 trillion social and environmental spending bill that’s the flagship of Joe Biden’s Build Back Better legislative agenda. | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today led Democrats in the House in putting a paid family leave provision back into their $1.75 trillion social and environmental spending bill that’s the flagship of Joe Biden’s Build Back Better legislative agenda. |
| Democratic US Senator Joe “everyone’s a president” Manchin of West Virginia is opposed to that, which bodes ill in the upper chamber. | Democratic US Senator Joe “everyone’s a president” Manchin of West Virginia is opposed to that, which bodes ill in the upper chamber. |
| Speaking to reporters in the bowels of the Capitol moments ago, he said the new proposal lacked detail and the Build Back Better agenda is already a “mammoth” rejigging of “the whole entire tax code”. | Speaking to reporters in the bowels of the Capitol moments ago, he said the new proposal lacked detail and the Build Back Better agenda is already a “mammoth” rejigging of “the whole entire tax code”. |
| But Democratic US Senator Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas just told CNN that providing paid family and medical leave was part of a “a seismic change” for US laws, on a scale with FDR, that is “long overdue”. | But Democratic US Senator Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas just told CNN that providing paid family and medical leave was part of a “a seismic change” for US laws, on a scale with FDR, that is “long overdue”. |
| She said reinserting the measure in the bill by the House was “an important step forward” in getting the legislation passed and, in response to Manchin’s call for greater clarify, Jackson Lee said: “We will provide clarity.” | She said reinserting the measure in the bill by the House was “an important step forward” in getting the legislation passed and, in response to Manchin’s call for greater clarify, Jackson Lee said: “We will provide clarity.” |
| The Associated Press adds: | The Associated Press adds: |
| Oregon Democratic US Senator Jeff Merkley plans to oppose Joe Biden’s nomination of former Obama senior aide and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel to become the US representative to Japan. | Oregon Democratic US Senator Jeff Merkley plans to oppose Joe Biden’s nomination of former Obama senior aide and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel to become the US representative to Japan. |
| Emanuel was rumored to be in the running previously for transportation secretary (with Pete Buttigieg ultimately anointed), which stirred controversy/outrage at the time about his record in Chicago and whether he should be joining a Biden cabinet. | Emanuel was rumored to be in the running previously for transportation secretary (with Pete Buttigieg ultimately anointed), which stirred controversy/outrage at the time about his record in Chicago and whether he should be joining a Biden cabinet. |
| Here’s Merkley’s statement, which he put out on Twitter: | Here’s Merkley’s statement, which he put out on Twitter: |
| He’s just been backed by AOC in his opposition, and at least one journalist thinks that’s curtains for Emanuel in this venture. | He’s just been backed by AOC in his opposition, and at least one journalist thinks that’s curtains for Emanuel in this venture. |
| Emanuel was expected to seek a further term as mayor of Chicago, but did not do so, ultimately, and he was succeeded by Lori Lightfoot. | Emanuel was expected to seek a further term as mayor of Chicago, but did not do so, ultimately, and he was succeeded by Lori Lightfoot. |
| Our reporter Gloria Oladipo reported late last year that Emanuel was: a divisive figure who long ago upset liberals, most prominently in Washington, by discouraging Obama from pursuing what became his signature legislative achievement – healthcare reform via the Affordable Care Act – and then in myriad ways as mayor of Chicago from 2011 to 2019. | Our reporter Gloria Oladipo reported late last year that Emanuel was: a divisive figure who long ago upset liberals, most prominently in Washington, by discouraging Obama from pursuing what became his signature legislative achievement – healthcare reform via the Affordable Care Act – and then in myriad ways as mayor of Chicago from 2011 to 2019. |
| Prominent progressives in Chicago and elsewhere were livid that Biden would even give his name an airing, accusing Emanuel of exacerbating the city’s entrenched, acute inequalities and, most dramatically, botching the handling of Black teenager Laquan McDonald’s killing by a white police officer in 2014. | Prominent progressives in Chicago and elsewhere were livid that Biden would even give his name an airing, accusing Emanuel of exacerbating the city’s entrenched, acute inequalities and, most dramatically, botching the handling of Black teenager Laquan McDonald’s killing by a white police officer in 2014. |
| The long fight over the filibuster in the US senate is expected to finally reach a breaking point this afternoon. | The long fight over the filibuster in the US senate is expected to finally reach a breaking point this afternoon. |
| That’s when the senate will hold a vote on a voting rights bill that would restore a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act - the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. | That’s when the senate will hold a vote on a voting rights bill that would restore a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act - the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. |
| The measure would set up a new formula to require certain states and other jurisdictions to get voting changes approved by the federal government before they go into effect if there is evidence they have discriminated against voters in recent years. | The measure would set up a new formula to require certain states and other jurisdictions to get voting changes approved by the federal government before they go into effect if there is evidence they have discriminated against voters in recent years. |
| Just one Republican, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, supports the measure, all remaining GOP senators will likely vote against it. | Just one Republican, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, supports the measure, all remaining GOP senators will likely vote against it. |
| That will successfully block the measure from advancing using the filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance legislation. It will be the fourth time Republicans have filibustered a voting rights bill this year. | That will successfully block the measure from advancing using the filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance legislation. It will be the fourth time Republicans have filibustered a voting rights bill this year. |
| Democrats know that’s the likely outcome. But they’re hoping this will finally be enough to persuade Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, two Democrats who are the most reluctant to get rid of the filibuster, to support changing the rules. | Democrats know that’s the likely outcome. But they’re hoping this will finally be enough to persuade Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, two Democrats who are the most reluctant to get rid of the filibuster, to support changing the rules. |
| Expect Democrats to make a much louder push to explicitly change the rules of the filibuster following Wednesday’s vote. | Expect Democrats to make a much louder push to explicitly change the rules of the filibuster following Wednesday’s vote. |
| Joe Biden recently made headlines when he said he supported changing the rule to pass a voting rights bill, but he hasn’t explicitly said what changes he would support. We’ll likely be hearing a lot more about explicit changes soon. | Joe Biden recently made headlines when he said he supported changing the rule to pass a voting rights bill, but he hasn’t explicitly said what changes he would support. We’ll likely be hearing a lot more about explicit changes soon. |
| Reuters just added that senate minority leader Mitch McConnell predicted this morning that the senate would reject the latest effort by Democrats to open debate on voting rights legislation, in the procedural vote. | Reuters just added that senate minority leader Mitch McConnell predicted this morning that the senate would reject the latest effort by Democrats to open debate on voting rights legislation, in the procedural vote. |
| Do the Democrats have it in New Jersey? Governor Phil Murphy has been on a knife edge all night in his bid for re-election over a Republican challenger. | Do the Democrats have it in New Jersey? Governor Phil Murphy has been on a knife edge all night in his bid for re-election over a Republican challenger. |
| Some politics watchers now think Murphy is over the line: | Some politics watchers now think Murphy is over the line: |
| Good morning US live blog readers, Joe Biden arrived back in the US from the climate summit in Scotland and walked into a disastrous night for Democrats in Virginia as veteran party stalwart Terry McAuliffe lost the governor’s race to a Republican newcomer. There were lots of other interesting results and some hot stuff coming up on Capitol Hill later today, so please stay tuned. | Good morning US live blog readers, Joe Biden arrived back in the US from the climate summit in Scotland and walked into a disastrous night for Democrats in Virginia as veteran party stalwart Terry McAuliffe lost the governor’s race to a Republican newcomer. There were lots of other interesting results and some hot stuff coming up on Capitol Hill later today, so please stay tuned. |
| Democrats are reeling in Virginia after Glenn Youngkin won the gubernatorial election after a contest that pitted Democrats’ anti-Trump message against the Republicans’ provoking parents over school education. | Democrats are reeling in Virginia after Glenn Youngkin won the gubernatorial election after a contest that pitted Democrats’ anti-Trump message against the Republicans’ provoking parents over school education. |
| The New Jersey governor’s race is on a knife-edge this morning as Democrat Phil Murphy is on the brink. | The New Jersey governor’s race is on a knife-edge this morning as Democrat Phil Murphy is on the brink. |
| Boston has elected its first female mayor and person of color in the post after Michelle Wu pulled out a victory for Democrats, ending the city’s 200-year history of electing white men. | Boston has elected its first female mayor and person of color in the post after Michelle Wu pulled out a victory for Democrats, ending the city’s 200-year history of electing white men. |
| In Washington DC, Senate Democrats are pushing for another vote on election reform this afternoon, on whether to advance to the debate step the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would replace part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that the supreme court struck down in 2013. | In Washington DC, Senate Democrats are pushing for another vote on election reform this afternoon, on whether to advance to the debate step the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would replace part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that the supreme court struck down in 2013. |