Midterm election news and updates as Democrats, Republicans vie for control of Congress

FIRST ON FOX: Former Vice President Mike Pence will head back to Iowa next week, as he’ll be the featured speaker at a prominent Republican family’s annual gathering.

Pence’s trip to Iowa will mark his second visit in a month to the state that for a half century has kicked off the presidential nominating calendar, another potential signal that the former vice president is moving towards launching a 2024 White House campaign.

Pence will headline the 15th annual Kaufmann Family Harvest Dinner, which will be held Thursday, Sept. 29, in Wilton, a small town in eastern Iowa. Word of his visit was shared first nationally with Fox News on Thursday.

For more, read our entire Fox News report here

A Quinnipiac University poll surveying registered voters in Connecticut found that inflation is the most important issue to 32% of voters in the state, with taxes being of top concern to 20% of respondents.

Among likely Democratic voters, 20% view inflation as the most concerning issue currently facing Connecticut, while 14% think it is climate change, and only 12% abortion.

According to the poll, 48% of Republicans and 33% of Independents in Connecticut view inflation as the issue of top concern. Taxes ranked as the second most important issue to both the likely GOP and Independent voters.

The poll found that voters in the state are split 48% to 48% in approval for President Joe Biden.

Democratic incumbent Gov. Ned Lamont is leading the gubernatorial race in the Constitution State, with 57% support over GOP opponent Bob Stefanowski who received 40% support.

Democrats are also leading in the state's Senate race, with 57% of respondents choosing incumbent Sen. Richard Blumenthal as their midterm pick and 40% hoping to see Republican Leora Levy take his seat this fall.

The survey was conducted from September 15-19, 2022 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

A Trump-endorsed congressional candidate in Ohio has been called an Afghanistan veteran for his Air Force service, but military record obtained by the Associated Press show that he was never stationed there.

J.R. Majewski, who is running against longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, served in Qatar for six months, but never was stationed in Afghanistan, the AP reports.

A House Republican campaign committee recently touted that Majewski's "squadron was one of the first on the ground in Afghanistan after 9/11," and he has mentioned serving in Afghanistan, the AP reports.

"I don't like talking about my military experience," Majewski said in a 2021 interview on the One American Podcast, after stating that he did a tour of duty in Afghanistan. "It was a tough time in life. You know, the military wasn't easy."

Majewski's military records, obtained by the AP through a public records request, show that he was Kadena Air Base in Japan for much of his service, and deployed to Qatar for six months in May 2002, loading and unloading planes and working as a "passenger operations specialist."

"I am proud to have served my country," Majewski said in a statement to the AP. "My accomplishments and record are under attack, meanwhile, career politician Marcy Kaptur has a forty-year record of failure for my Toledo community, which is why I'm running for Congress."

Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly launched a TV ad Wednesday where she says "of course" men should not play women's sports -- but her Republican opponent and the GOP say her record in office tells a different story.

"You may have seen my opponents' attacks, so let me just say it: of course men should not play girls sports. Ok, we all agree there," Kelly says in the ad, before saying the GOP nominee in the race, Derek Schmidt, has pushed for cutting funding for public schools.

Schmidt, however, pointed out that Kelly twice vetoed bills from the state legislature that would have prohibited biological males from participating in women's sports teams at schools as transgender athletes.

"She's been with Biden on this for years, now at reelection time she lies," Schmidt said in a tweet. "Kansans know it, and will vote her out."

The Republican Governors Association put together clips of Kelly stating that the legislation banning biological men from women's sports was "regressive."

Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman failed to preside over 33% of the state's Senate legislative sessions as lieutenant governor, but holds a perfect attendance record as chairman of the state's Board of Pardons.

Since taking office in 2019, Fetterman has presided over the state Senate 131 days out of the 196 days the legislature was in session from Jan. 15, 2019, to July 8, 2022, according to a review of Senate session journals and video feeds. State Senate journals are currently unavailable for April 13 to July 8, 2022, but the Senate Republican Policy Development & Research Office reviewed video recordings of the sessions showing Fetterman's absences.

Some of Fetterman's absences from his duties as lieutenant governor came during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when he showed up for only 50% of the sessions. In 2021, he missed nearly 30% of the meetings, and in 2022 has only attended 44%.

In May, Fetterman suffered from a stroke and had to undergo surgery to have a pacemaker implanted, which may account for many absences this year.

During his tenure as lieutenant governor, Fetterman has not had to use his constitutional prerogative to cast a tie-breaking vote in the state Senate. 

Joe Calvello, a spokesman for Fetterman's campaign, told Fox News Digital that the Senate nominee "takes his constitutional duty serving as president of the Pennsylvania Senate incredibly seriously" and that he is "proud of his record as mayor of Braddock," insisting that his absence from Senate sessions in the spring of 2020 were out of his control due to efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Read more: Fetterman failed to preside over Pennsylvania Senate 33% of the time, but attended every pardons board meeting

A new Marist poll released Wednesday shows a dead heat between Republican nominee J.D. Vance and Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic nominee, in this year's closely watched Ohio Senate race.

According to the poll of registered voters, Vance holds a slight lead with 46% to Ryan's 45% while 9% of voters remain undecided less than 7 weeks before election day.

The margins stayed the same when respondents were asked if they would definitely vote in the November general election, with Vance still holding a lead at 48% to Ryan's 47%, and just 5% remaining undecided.

Ryan holds an advantage over Vance when it comes to independent registered voters with 42% support to Vance's 40%, however, support by gender was split between the two, with 53% of male registered voters favoring Vance and 50% of female registered voters favoring Ryan.

Read more from Fox News' Brandon Gillespie here.

Republican Senate nominee J.D. Vance and incumbent Republican Gov. Mike DeWine have declined to participate in any debates sponsored by the Ohio Debate Commission (ODC).

Both candidates informed the commission on Tuesday that they would not be participating.

The news comes amid questions over the ODC's ability to be "nonpartisan," considering a Fox News Digital investigation found its executive director, Jill Miller Zimon, was a Democratic activist and frequent Republican critic.

“We’re obviously disappointed," ODC Board President Dan Moulthrop said in a . "(T)his election year has been plagued with candidates from both parties who prize their campaign consultants' input over voters' information needs. When 84% of Ohioans are saying they want debates and campaigns refuse a good faith offer from a statewide organization, democracy is paying the price."

The ODC has said it will not hold events with just one candidate participating.

Fox News' Power Rankings has rated the Ohio Senate race as "lean Republican," and the gubernatorial race as "likely Republican."

A new public opinion poll in the crucial general election battleground state of Georgia indicates that Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is viewed more favorably by registered voters than his Republican challenger Herschel Walker.

But the survey from Monmouth University, which was released on Wednesday, suggests that poor opinions of the Democratic Party in the Peach State are keeping the race between Warnock and Walker close. 

The Senate election in Georgia is one of a handful across the country that will likely determine if the GOP wins back the Senate majority in November’s midterms.

Read more from Fox News' Paul Steinhauser here.

Threats to democracy rose as the top midterm concern for Democratic voters in Wisconsin, a new poll in the state shows.

A Spectrum News/Sienna College poll of likely Wisconsin voters found that when deciding which candidate to vote for this fall, threats to the democracy was the first or second choice to 40% of likely Democratic voters in the state, and 30% listed it as their top issue.

The topic has shown up in several recent polls, after President Biden said that "MAGA Republicans" are "threats to the democracy."

Read more from Fox News' Aubrie Spady here.

The Cook Report updated its midterm election House ratings, changing the game for several midterm candidates less than seven weeks until Nov. 8.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas., was given the upper hand in his race against Republican opponent Cassy Garcia in Texas’ 28th Congressional District, after the rating was adjusted from a “toss-up” to “lean Democrat."

Rep. Schweikert, R-Ariz., lost some momentum in his battle to keep Arizona’s 1st Congressional District red this fall, after his race shifted from “lean Republican” to a “toss-up.”

Democrat Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., remains in a vulnerable position in the race against GOP nominee Eli Crane in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, but gained some traction after his race changed from “likely Republican to “lean Republican.”

A new USA Today/Suffolk University poll found that in Florida’s gubernatorial race, Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., is the midterm pick for 48% of respondents, giving him a lead over his Democratic opponent Charlie Crist who received 41% support.

Republicans are also ahead in Florida’s Senate race according to the poll, with Sen. Marco Rubio leading over his Democratic opponent Rep. Val Demings, 45% to 41%.According to the poll, inflation and the economy are the most important issues to 33% of registered Florida voters, ranking over threats to the democracy (12%) and abortion (11%).

Among likely Democratic voters, abortion was the most important to 21% of voters, followed by threats to the democracy, which was of top concern to 18%. Inflation and the economy were the most concerning issues to 51% of likely Republican and 36% of likely Independent voters.

President Biden received a job approval rating of 42% and a disapproval rating of 56% among likely voters in the Sunshine State.

The USA Today/Suffolk University poll was conducted Sept. 15-18, 2022 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., has received a key endorsement from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA) in her bid for re-election in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District.

The MPPOA's endorsement of the embattled Democrat is a sharp turn from the 2020 election cycle when the organization endorsed her Republican opponent, Tyler Kistner, who she is once again facing in the general election this year.

“Rep. Craig has supported and helped pass many pieces of bipartisan legislation to support law enforcement agencies, police officers, and their families,” MPPOA Executive Director Brian Peters said in a statement. “She has worked to support law enforcement, and we are proud to support her re-election to the U.S. Congress.”

In her own statement, Craig touted her relationship with law enforcement and stressed the importance of public safety in her district.

“My most important job as an elected official is to ensure public safety, and that is a responsibility I take very seriously. I am grateful for the strong relationships I have built with law enforcement officers across the Second District during my time in Congress, and I am committed to doing everything I can to promote public safety in Minnesota,” she said.

“I am honored to have earned the endorsement of the MPPOA, and I will continue to work with the men and women in uniform who do critical work to keep our communities safe," she added.

Fox News' Power Rankings has rated the race between Craig and Kistner as a "tossup."

Republican nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz's latest ad goes after Democratic opponent John Fetterman for avoiding debates in the heated Pennsylvania Senate race.

After a narrator states that Fetterman is "dodging debates" because "he can't defend freeing convicted murderers," the Oz ad shows Fetterman saying he missed some tax deadlines because they "fell through the cracks."

"What a fraud," Oz says to close out the ad. "Fetterman dodges debates and taxes, but demands that you pay more. I'll cut your taxes, and I won't take a penny of them either," he says.

Absent from Oz's ad is any mention of Fetterman's recovery from a May stroke, which the Democrat's campaign has said is the reason for not agreeing to a debate in early September.

Oz has attacked Fetterman for either misleading voters about his health, or being afraid to defend his policy positions on the debate stage.

The pair have agreed to take part in one debate, scheduled for Oct. 25, two weeks before election day on Nov. 8.

Georgia's Senate and gubernatorial midterm races are tightening, as a new poll found the majority of voters in the state hope to see Republicans pick up control of Congress in November.

A new Atlanta Journal Constitution poll found that if the election were today, 51% of registered Georgian voters would like to see Republicans in control of Congress, giving them a strong eight-point edge over the 43% who would hope Democrats hold onto their majority this fall.

With less than 50 days until the midterms, Democrats appear to be facing a tough election in Georgia, after President Joe Biden received a job approval rating of 37% among voters in the Peach State, with a total disapproval rating of 58%.

Adam Laxalt, the Republican nominee in Nevada's Senate race, released a new campaign ad coming after Democratic opponent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto for making abortion a focal point of her midterm campaign, despite abortion laws in the state remaining unchanged.

"Over the last two years, Democrat politicians have done incredible damage to America, ruining our economy, causing chaos at our border, increasing crime in our cities. They changed our lives. But one thing hasn't changed: abortion in Nevada," the ad narrator stated.

"Abortion will still be legal. Abortion rights are protected under current state law," the clip shows news reporters talking about abortion laws in Nevada. "Why do Democrats like Catherine Cortez Masto only talk about something that hasn't changed? Because they can't defend everything that has."

After the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade case and returned the power to the states to place limitations on abortion, Nevada's abortion laws did not change. Laxalt highlights this in his ad, claiming that even though the laws remain the same and abortion remains legal, Cortez Masto is using the topic to drive her campaign because she "can't defend what has changed."

FIRST ON FOX: The Republican National Committee out raised the rival Democratic National Committee in August, as the two major party organizations raced to bring in campaign cash to spend during the final weeks of the 2022 midterm election cycle.

The RNC brought in $17.2 million last month, according to figures shared first with Fox News on Tuesday. The RNC’s haul outpaced the DNC, which a couple of hours earlier reported raising $15.5 million in August.

The RNC says its August figures bring to $273.6 million the amount they’ve raised during the entire 2022 election cycle.Republicans are aiming to win back majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate in November, as well as potentially make gains in the battle for governorships and state legislatures. 

For much more, check out our full Fox News report here

The Republican National Committee out raised the rival Democratic National Committee in August, as the two major party organizations raced to bring in campaign cash to spend during the final weeks of the 2022 midterm election cycle.

The RNC brought in $17.2 million last month, according to figures shared first with Fox News on Tuesday. The RNC’s haul outpaced the DNC, which a couple of hours earlier reported raising $15.5 million in August. The RNC says its August figures bring to $273.6 million the amount they’ve raised during the entire 2022 election cycle.

Republicans are aiming to win back majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate in November, as well as potentially make gains in the battle for governorships and state legislatures.

National party fundraising is a key barometer of donor and voter enthusiasm ahead of the midterms, and the money raised can be used — among other things — for party staffing in key battlegrounds, grassroots and other get-out-the-vote efforts, campaign ads, and can be transferred to the party's House and Senate re-election committees.

A super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pulling $9.6 million away from ad buys Arizona Senate race, Fox News has confirmed, where GOP candidate Blake Masters is challenging Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly.

The money will be allocated toward other races, like Georgia, New Hampshire and Nevada, while Masters will get some more support from other outside groups.

"This allows us to pursue offensive opportunities, maximize our investment in existing commitments, and concentrate our efforts to win the Senate majority," said Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) president Steven Law.

Though SLF is pulling away from supporting Masters, McConnell will host a second fundraiser for Master this week.

Around $7.5 million in funding has been made up from other outside GOP groups, SLF told Fox News.

"We’re glad to see Republican outside forces showing up in a big way in Arizona, with millions in new spending pledged to take down Mark Kelly in the final stretch," Law said.

The former mayor of Palm Beach County, Florida, endorsed GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis at an event -- and took a dig at Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Charlie Crist in the process.

"I am very proud that you felt my endorsement was worthy of acceptance," Mayor Dave Kerner said at an event Tuesday, where he said DeSantis would get his vote on Nov. 8.

Kerner was apparently referring to Crist's comment after winning the Democratic nomination that he did not want the support of those who backed DeSantis.

"Those who support the governor should stay with him and vote for him. And I don't want your vote. If you have that hate in your heart, keep it there," Crist said during his first press conference in St. Petersburg as Florida's Democratic gubernatorial nominee. 

Kerner, who is currently a Palm Beach County commissioner and former mayor, as well as a former state representative, has a reputation for being a conservative Democrat.

"This was not a difficult choice fore me. This was not the proverbial lesser of two evils. Governor DeSantis has demonstrated himself beyond worthy of the humbling duties of this office," Kerner said in his endorsement of DeSantis.