Megathread #0003: "[The Kurds] didn't help us at Normandy"

[foxfirefey]

The White House and Congress are locked in a power struggle over impeachment investigation proceedings; meanwhile, the US has been abandoning its Kurdish allies to Turkey's aggression.

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Elections news - Oct 28, 2019

[chrysostom]

HOUSE

• OR-02: Rep Greg Walden (R) is retiring.  Seat is Solid R (Trump 57-36).  Walden's departure brings the number of GOP ranking committee members who are leaving to five.


• CA-25: Rep Katie Hill (D) is resigning in the wake of a scandal involving improper relations with a staffer.  A special election is to be scheduled; they may just be able to squeeze it in on the regular primary date.  Interest from both parties is high in this 50-47 Clinton seat, including from former Rep Steve Knight (R).  District is Lean D.

SENATE

• MI: Cook moves race rating from Likely D to Leans D, in light of strong GOP fundraising and ambiguous polling.

STATES

• LA gov: JMC poll has incumbent Dem Edwards up 48-46 on GOPer Rispone.  With leaners, it's Edwards up 50-47.


• VA: Wason Center poll has Dems with strong leads in four key state Senate districts.  These Wason Center polls have been getting really highly educated responses, and I don't think they're weighting for them, and I am therefore suspicious.

ODDS & ENDS

• A North Carolina court found that the state's Congressional district lines were the product of illegal gerrymandering and ordered the legislature to re-draw them.  Fair lines are likely to result in a 2-4 seat pickup for Dems.


• Also in NC, the court found the legislature's resubmitted lines for legislative districts were acceptable (this was the other gerrymandering case).   This was a bit of an own goal for Dems - although the new lines are definitely fairer, legislature Dems failed to uniformly oppose a sub-optimal plan, being bought off by protecting current legislators.  As a result, Dems will likely pick up some seats, but will be hard pressed to flip either chamber.


• Also also in NC, Dems file lawsuit to restore early voting on Saturday prior to Election Day.  The GOP eliminated it in 2018 as a vote suppression tactic.