2022 midterm election news and updates from the campaign trail

Democratic Ohio Senate nominee Tim Ryan once called for a ban on gas-powered cars and said he believed that Americans are "doing something terribly wrong" by waiting to eliminate the use of gas vehicles.

Ryan, who ran unsuccessfully for president and currently represents the Buckeye State's 13th Congressional District, offered the remarks in a 2019 interview after a Democratic primary presidential debate when he discussed a 2040 deadline to eliminate gas vehicles set by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

"I hope we don't have to wait until 2050. The way things are moving — Senator Sanders and I got into this in the debate a little bit. He was like, banning gas cars in 2040, and in my mind, in all honesty, it's like okay, great, whatever, but if we're waiting for 2040 to get rid of gas vehicles, we're doing something terribly wrong."

Jordan Fuja, a spokesperson for Ryan's Senate campaign, claimed Ryan's 2019 comments were a push to bring jobs back to America and invest in the manufacturing of "affordable electric vehicles" in the state of Ohio.

Read more: Ohio Senate Democrat nominee Tim Ryan called for a ban of 'gas vehicles' in 2019

Oregon Republican gubernatorial nominee Christine Drazan announced a new six-figure ad buy Wednesday amid what analysts expect to be a tight race in the traditionally blue state.

The ad, titled "Your Vote," slammed outgoing Democrat Gov. Kate Brown, as well as Drazan's opponents, Democrat Tina Kotek and independent Betsy Johnson, by tying them to the state's homelessness and drug crisis.

"This is a crisis, and Oregon's leaders have only made it worse," the ad began, showing images of homeless camps along the state's city streets, as well as images of Brown, Kotek and Johnson.

"The solution is new leadership. Christine Drazan is a bold new leader whose endorsed by law enforcement. Drazan's roadmap for Oregon declares a statewide homeless emergency, expands treatment and services, works to make meth and heroin a crime again, and fully funds police," the ad said.

"The Squad got us here. Your vote can fix it," it added, referencing Brown, Kotek and Johnson as the "Squad."

Fox News' Power Rankings rate Oregon's gubernatorial race as "Leans Democratic."

UVA's Center for Politics' Crystal Ball ratings have shifted in the Democrats favor, with only two months remaining until the heated midterm elections.

Maine's gubernatorial race switched from likely Democrat to safe Democrat, giving incumbent Janet Mills, D-Ma., who is seeking re-election, the upper hand in her contest against GOP nominee Paul LePage this fall.

Democrat Rep.-elect Mary Peltola recently won a special election in Alaska's only congressional district, altering the midterm ratings in the race from safe Republican to toss-up, where she will once again be on the ballot and seeks to hold her newly won seat.

The race in Michigan's Third Congressional District was adjusted from toss-up to lean Democrat. Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Ma., currently represents the district, but lost the GOP primary race to Trump-endorsed John Gibbs. Hilary Scholten won the Democratic primary in Michigan and is expected by the Center for Politics to be the victor in the race this November.

Washington's Eighth Congressional District, a seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier, was moved from toss-up to lean Democrat. Matt Larkin won the Republican primary in August, and is set to battle Schrier for the seat in the upcoming midterm elections.

A Twitter account associated with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posted a video Tuesday making fun of Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Florida Charlie Crist, President Joe Biden, and First Lady Jill Biden in some of their latest attempts to appeal to Hispanic voters.

In one clip, Crist is seen searching for common ground with Latinos around eating spicy food.

“Well you should know this, I’m the grandson of immigrants and my grandfather immigrated from Greece, my grandmother immigrated from Lebanon. So the spicy, Hispanic type food is not unnatural to me at all. I enjoy Greek food, Lebanese food, very similar sort of genre if you will. A lot of good taste, it’s fantastic," Crist said in the ad. While he speaks, the video pans to a Google search that defines Greek food as in more savory than spicy.

Crist is then shown driving in a car, claiming he only knows about one phrase in Spanish.

The video also shows Jill Biden mispronouncing a Spanish phrase, "si se puede," meaning "Yes, you can," followed by a clip of her speaking to a large crowd of Latino voters, saying they are as “unique” as “breakfast tacos.” The First Lady's taco comments sparked immediate backlash, and prompted jokes from prominent media and political figures, with t-shirts even being made from her remarks.

Joe Biden makes an appearance in the video, playing Spanish music from a cell phone into a microphone while speaking at an event.

Crist recently won the Democratic gubernatorial primary race in Florida, where he advanced to the midterms and will face off against GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Hispanic voters have shifted over the past few election cycles, particularly in Florida, from being a reliably Democratic voting bloc to showing signs of significant GOP support. In the 2020 election, there were nearly 2.5 million registered Latino voters in the state, making up about 17% of the overall votes.

EXCLUSIVE: The Republican National Committee (RNC) has made more than 50 million voter contacts cycle-to-date ahead of the November midterm elections.

The news of the party's achievement, shared first with Fox News Digital, comes earlier in the 2022 cycle than it did in the previous midterm cycle. The party did not reach 50 million voter contacts in the 2018 cycle until October of that year.

RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel championed the news, saying in a statement that the party is "united" and has "never been better positioned to retake majorities" just eight weeks away from the midterm elections.

"The Republican Party is united and firing on all cylinders heading into November," McDaniel told Fox News Digital. "Through a combination of our state-of-the-art, data-driven ground game, strong candidates across the country, and historic investments in minority communities, Republicans have never been better positioned to retake majorities in the House and Senate. Republicans have the tools, the message, and the candidates to beat the Biden Democrats and win in November."

Read more: RNC hits 50 million voter contacts two months ahead of midterm elections

Three Hispanic Republican women running for Congress in South Texas are entering the final weeks leading up to the November midterm elections swinging hard at the Democratic Party, claiming the left has taken advantage of the Latino community.

During a recent trip to the U.S. Southern border just outside McAllen, Texas, Rep. Mayra Flores, who is running for re-election in the state's 34th Congressional District, as well as Republican nominees Cassy Garcia, from the 28th Congressional District, and Monica De La Cruz, from the 15th Congressional District, spoke with Fox News Digital about just how far they feel Democrats have left Hispanics behind.

"Democrats try to push their message onto Hispanics at no avail. They're not looking at what our values are, they're not talking about our values, they continue to force down our throat this woke consciousness, and messages that simply just don't resonate with Hispanics," De La Cruz said following a meeting with Border Patrol agents and their families.

"I believe that Hispanics, finally, are having an awakening where they see that the Democrat Party has just moved so far to the left and no longer represents their values of faith, of family, and the American dream," she added. 

Pennsylvania Republican senatorial nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz criticized Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's continued reticence to agree to debates, telling Fox News the Democratic nominee is distracting the electorate with continued quips about vegetable trays and Oz's prior New Jersey residency.

Oz responded to remarks Fetterman made in his home county of Allegheny alongside President Biden, where he questioned Oz's standing as the owner of multiple homes and posh surroundings, comparing it to his own in the industrial Pittsburgh suburb of Braddock, where he lives in a converted Chevrolet dealership and was formerly mayor.

Earlier Tuesday, outgoing Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., appeared with Oz at a press conference, and echoed the candidate in saying that politicians "cannot do the job of U.S. senator sitting at home firing off snarky tweets."

Read more from Fox News' Charles Creitz here.

Polls have closed in Massachusetts primaries, where former President Trump is supporting former state Rep. Geoff Diehl — a firm backer of the former president’s unproven claims the 2020 election was "rigged" and "stolen" — against Chris Doughty, a Harvard Business School graduate and first-time candidate who is largely self-funding his own campaign.

Daughty has the backing of prominent New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who views him as having a better chance in November against two-term Attorney General Maura Healey, who is running uncontested in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Follow the latest results for the Massachusetts primary election at Fox News.

The University of Virginia Center for Politics has moved the Senate races in Arizona and Pennsylvania from "tossup" to "Leans Democratic."

The only Senate races to remain in the "tossup" category are the ones in Georgia and Nevada, dampening Republican hopes of winning control of the Senate in November's midterm elections.

According to the same group of ratings, the Senate race in New Hampshire is also rated "Leans Democratic," while the race in Colorado is rated "Likely Democratic."

Republicans are still favored in the Senate races in Ohio, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Florida.

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who is seeking to hold his seat in Senate against Republican challenger Joe O'Dea, has agreed to five candidate forums in the months before the November midterm elections.

“Michael enjoyed talking to voters in packed rooms across Colorado this August, from the Front Range to Southern Colorado, the Western Slope and everywhere in between," said Georgina Bevens, Bennet's campaign press secretary.

“He looks forward to five candidate forums in October where Coloradans will see and hear more about his record of fighting to lower costs and create good paying jobs for working people, protecting Colorado’s public lands and our way of life, rejecting corporate special interests and working to fix Washington.”

The first forum is scheduled for Oct. 12 at the University of Denver, hosted by the Denver Business journal, and the final of the five events is set for Oct. 28, a week and a half before the Nov. 8 election. Colorado's first day of absentee voting is Oct. 17.

Get the latest Massachusetts primary election results at the Fox News election center

Republicans hoping to hold on to the governor’s office this November in the blue state of Massachusetts are choosing between a former state lawmaker backed by former President Trump and a more centrist businessman in Tuesday’s GOP gubernatorial primary.

In the battle to succeed highly popular two-term Republican Gov. Charlie Baker — who opted against running for re-election — Trump is supporting former state Rep. Geoff Diehl, who is a firm backer of the former president’s unproven claims the 2020 election was "rigged" and "stolen." 

"Geoff is a proven fighter who successfully pushes back on the ultraliberal extremists," Trump said as he praised Diehl on a primary eve tele-rally.

"He’ll rule your state with an iron fist, and he’ll do what has to be done," the former president added.

Diehl, who lost to Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren by nearly 25 points in the state’s 2018 Senate election, is facing off against Chris Doughty, a Harvard Business School graduate and first-time candidate who is largely self-funding his own campaign.

"I'm a job creator, and that's a big part of what a governor does…to help the economy grow and to make sure everybody has not just jobs, but good jobs," Doughty told reporters on Tuesday as he voted.

Read more: Trump's political clout on the line again in Massachusetts GOP gubernatorial showdown

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Trump-backed Republican nominee running in the Pennsylvania Senate race, revealed that if he had been in the Senate following the 2020 presidential election, he would have certified electoral results leading to President Joe Biden's win.

“By the time the delegates and those reports were sent to the U.S. Senate, our job was to approve it, which is what I would have done," Oz said during a press conference Tuesday.

Several Republican candidates running for office, as well as Trump himself, have asserted that the 2020 election was stolen and denied that Biden actually won the presidency.

Oz also mentioned that he would have not voted in favor of impeaching Trump after the January 6 Capitol riot.

Prominent Pennsylvania newspaper the Pittsburg Post-Gazette is raising concerns over Senate candidate John Fetterman's health following repeated criticisms from his Republican opponent, celebrity doctor-turned-politician Mehmet Oz. 

"If Mr. Fetterman is not well enough to debate his opponent, that raises serious concerns about his ability to serve as a United States senator," the Post-Gazette editorial board wrote.

Fetterman, the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, suffered a stroke in May and consequently cut down on public appearances and engagements in the months following. Since coming back into the spotlight, Fetterman has consistently refused to debate Oz ahead of the November election, despite several attempts by the Oz campaign to schedule an event where they can appear side-by-side on a debate stage.

Read more from Fox News' Haley Chi-Sing here.

The Pennsylvania Senate race between Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz appears to be narrowing in the final months before the midterm elections, according to a new poll that also found abortion was nearly as important to voters as the economy and inflation.

A new Susquehanna Polling and Research (SP&R) poll suggests Fetterman holds a slight lead of five percentage points in one of the most closely watched Senate races of the year, receiving 49% support over Trump-backed Oz's 44%.

Among registered Independents, who make up one in 10 of Pennsylvania voters, 50% selected Oz as their midterm pick, while only 40% went with his Democrat opponent.

In the midst of a technical economic recession, inflation and the economy were the most important issues to 57% of registered Pennsylvanian voters.

Of those who see the economy as the most important issue, 52% support Oz and 40% would support Fetterman. The economy entered into a recession in August, defined as gross domestic product (GDP) dropping for two consecutive quarters, though some economists and the White House have denied that the economy is truly in recession.

Read more from Fox News' Aubrie Spady here.

New York's GOP gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin is once again challenging his Democratic opponent, Gov. Kathy Hochul, to a televised debate, an offer she has not yet accepted.

Zeldin called on his midterm opponent to participate in at least 5 live debates before November's election, which will take place in just nine weeks.

According to a press release from the Zeldin campaign, the congressman is "calling for at least 2 debates in the New York City media market, at least 1 debate in the Buffalo or Rochester media markets, at least 1 in the Capital Region, and at least 1 in the Syracuse, Elmira, Binghamton, Ithaca, or Watertown media markets.”

Hochul in August agreed to one debate against Zeldin, but the date and location has not been set. She has not yet accepted any other invitation to debate Zeldin before the midterms.

Rep.-elect Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, has launched her first ad in her race to secure a full House term, and made it about abortion protections in Alaska.

Calling abortion "one of Alaska's most fundamental freedoms," Peltola opens her ad criticizing the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs Wade this summer.

Peltola, who is running against Republicans Nick Begich and Sarah Palin after beating both of them in Alaska's ranked-choice special election, calls herself a "mom of seven, grandmother of two and a committed advocate for personal privacy rights."

"The federal government has no business taking away our freedoms," she said in the ad.

Abortion has become a key talking point for Democrats facing tough races this fall, as polling and some special election results have indicated that the overturn of Roe is a motivating issue for many left-wing voters.

Peltola won Alaska's special election last week to fill the remaining months of the late Rep. Don Young's term. The general election to determine who will fill the seat in the next Congress will be held Nov. 8.

A Wall Street Journal poll indicates that Americans' support for abortion increased in the months since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade precedent that recognized a nationwide right to terminate pregnancies.

The rise in support for abortion could affect the November midterm elections with voters viewing abortion as a more important issue than it has been in previous elections.

The WSJ poll found that support for abortion increased five percentage points, from 55% in March to 60% in August among all likely voters. But a vast majority of Democrats (83%) said the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization this summer would make them more likely to vote in the November midterm elections, and 53% of independent voters said the same.

The poll echoed other recent polling indicating that abortion is not the most important issue for voters when compared to economic concerns like inflation, but abortion did come out as the top reason that would make voters turn out in November, according to the WSJ survey.

"Abortion is not an issue that most people, prior to Dobbs, spent a lot of time thinking about," said Molly Murphy, a Democratic pollster who helped conduct the WSJ poll with Republican Tony Fabrizio.

"What Dobbs has done is, one, we’ve had a national conversation about it. Two, it has gone from hypothetical to real."

Read more: Support for legal abortion grew after Dobbs ruling, which could affect midterm election turnout: WSJ Poll

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is heading to New Hampshire next week on a 2022 mission that will also spark more speculation about his national ambitions in 2024.

Cruz will travel to the crucial general election battleground state to campaign with Republican candidate Karoline Leavitt, in an announcement that was shared first with Fox News on Saturday. The get-out-the-vote rally will be held Thursday evening at American Legion Post 27 in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

Leavitt, a 25-year-old veteran of former President Donald Trump’s White House press shop, is currently one of the co-front-runners in the Sept. 13 Republican primary in New Hampshire’s First Congressional District, which has long been a highly contested swing House district.

The seat is currently held by two-term Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, whom Republicans view as vulnerable amid a political climate that for the past year had favored the GOP. Republicans need a net gain of just five seats in November’s midterms to back the House majority they lost in the 2018 elections.

Read more from Fox News' Paul Steinhauser: Ted Cruz returning to New Hampshire to support Leavitt in GOP primary in crucial House race