Kari Lake election – live: Lake supporters call for military intervention amid fears she may be losing

Kari Lake supporters have called for military intervention amid fears that she may be losing.

Meanwhile, an Arizona police lab has found nothing in an envelope that the Kari Lake campaign claimed contained a “suspicious” powder.

The letter was sent to the campaign headquarters of Ms Lake in Phoenix, Arizona on 5 November.

A worker said it held a “suspicious white powder”.

Phoenix Police Department communications director Donna Rossi told The Arizona Republic that “the state lab tested the items turned over to them” and that they “determined there was no substance inside”.

Ms Lake is trying to sow doubt in Arizona’s gubernatorial election as Democrat Katie Hobbs extends her lead to 26,979 votes.

A TV host turned Donald Trump ally and election denier, Ms Lake is now trailing, with 49.3 per cent of votes to Ms Hobbs’ 50.7 per cent – with 88 per cent of votes now reported.

The race remains too close to call, with voters likely waiting until next week to learn the result of the race.

Arizona governor’s race

• Katie Hobbs leads by 27,000 votes

• Kari Lake says she is ‘100 per cent going to win'

• Arizona results not expected until next week

• Katie Hobbs brands Kari Lake ‘unhinged’

• Kari Lake continues to defend Trump – as GOP turns on former president

Voices: Here’s why the polls were wrong about the midterms

16:00 , Bevan Hurley

Michael Salfino writes:

From large numbers of independent voters to suburban women to younger voters turning up in better-than-expected numbers, the Democrats had some unexpected advantages. And even where Republicans are winning, it may be more due to redistricting than the popularity of their own candidates.

Polls got it wrong about the midterm election results. Here’s why

Lake supporters call for military intervention amid fears she may be losing

15:59 , Gustaf Kilander

In Arizona right now, nobody knows what to think

15:00 , Bevan Hurley

“Two days after the election, Arizona is still counting ballots. Meanwhile, the country watches on. The fight for the Senate seems to have come down to Arizona, its neighboring state of Nevada, and Georgia, which is going to a runoff in December. Nevada and Arizona results are expected soon.

“President Joe Biden won the state of Arizona in 2020 by 0.3 percent of the vote — around 10,000 votes — so every ballot paper does matter.

“Thomas Galvin is a Maricopa County supervisor, a member of the board who oversees Election Day operations. He explained in a phone interview, “The eyes of the world are on this election, and people prize accuracy and it must be treated with the utmost importance. The process is taking a long time because 290,000 mail ballots were dropped off on Election Day, which was a record.”

Read Masada Siegel’s piece for The Independent:

In Arizona right now, nobody knows what to think

Pro-Trump online communities cry foul over lack of a ‘red tsunami’

14:00 , Bevan Hurley

Pro-Trump online communities have reacted with dismay and disbelief to early results in Tuesday’s US midterm elections, blaming voter fraud for the lack of a red wave.

Before many races had even been called, users in far-right Telegram channels and bulletin boards had begun accusing Democrats and establishment Republicans of fixing the race.

Io Dodds took a look at what was being said online.

‘We got cheated’: Pro-Trump online forums in disbelief over lack of a ‘red tsunami’

Kari Lake goes on media blitz to insist she’s already won

13:00 , Bevan Hurley

Right-wing RepublicanKari Lake has gone on a media blitz claiming she has already won the race for governor in Arizona, despite results showing she still trails Katie Hobbs.

Graeme Massie reports.

Kari Lake goes on media blitz to insist she’s already won Arizona governor election

Don Jr mocked for ‘bloodbath’ tweet posted moments before race turned on GOP

12:00 , Bevan Hurley

The eldest of the former president’s children jumped the gun somewhat on Tuesday night and was roundly pilloried for it on social media.

Gustaf Kilander rounds up the best responses.

Don Jr mocked for posting ‘bloodbath’ tweet moments before race turned on GOP

Who won, who lost and what we know so far in the aftermath of the 2022 midterms

10:00 , Bevan Hurley

As the results began to roll in from America’s midterm elections, it quickly became clear that the contest had been much closer than expected and the outcome more nail-biting and unpredictable than many had foreseen.

Joe Sommerlad and Alisha Rahaman Sarkar unpack what happened.

US midterms: Who won, who lost and what we know so far

America is bitterly divided – and that is no surprise

08:00 , Bevan Hurley

A red wave? Not really. How about a blue wave? Not that either.

In fact, as America voted in midterm elections that will decide the control of the houses of Congress and kickstart the 2024 presidential showdown, all we really learned was something we already knew – that America is bitterly and deeply divided.

Andrew Buncombe reports.

All we learned is that America is bitterly divided – and that’s is no surprise

Which endorsements helped and which hindered in the midterms?

06:00 , Bevan Hurley

It was a mixed bag for former President Trump’s picks in congressional races, but his foe Liz Cheney’s backing proved more successful.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Don Jr rants about ‘brainless’ midterm winners breaking two days of humiliated silence

04:00 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump Jr has finally returned to social media and ranted about “brainless” election winners after two days of humiliating midterm silence.

The former president’s eldest son had predicted a “bloodbath” for Democrats on election day earlier this week, as well as wishing his followers “Happy Red Wave Day” on Instagram and even added “LFG!!!”

Graeme Massie reports on Mr Trump’s latest posts after jumping the gun on Tuesday.

Don Jr rants about ‘brainless’ election winners after two days of midterm silence

Why some races in Arizona still haven’t been called

03:00 , Bevan Hurley

Hundreds of thousands of votes here were still being tallied Wednesday in Arizona, where contested races including Senate and gubernatorial races remained uncalled.

What’s the delay? Here’s what we know:

Why some races in Arizona still aren't called

Paul Ryan: Trump was ‘drag’ on GOP midterm ticket

02:00 , Bevan Hurley

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan has joined in on GOP criticism of Donald Trump after the party’s predicted midterms “red wave” turned out to be anything but.

Mr Ryan, the last Republican to serve as speaker of the House, reacted to Tuesday’s election results by calling for his party to nominate anyone other than Mr Trump when it comes time to pick a candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

Andrew Feinberg reports on the former speaker’s remarks.

Ex-House speaker Paul Ryan blames ‘Trump hangover’ for GOP’s red wave failure

Voices: In Arizona right now, nobody knows what to think

01:00 , Bevan Hurley

“Two days after the election, Arizona is still counting ballots. Meanwhile, the country watches on. The fight for the Senate seems to have come down to Arizona, its neighboring state of Nevada, and Georgia, which is going to a runoff in December. Nevada and Arizona results are expected soon.

“President Joe Biden won the state of Arizona in 2020 by 0.3 percent of the vote — around 10,000 votes — so every ballot paper does matter.

“Thomas Galvin is a Maricopa County supervisor, a member of the board who oversees Election Day operations. He explained in a phone interview, “The eyes of the world are on this election, and people prize accuracy and it must be treated with the utmost importance. The process is taking a long time because 290,000 mail ballots were dropped off on Election Day, which was a record.”

Read Masada Siegel’s piece for The Independent:

In Arizona right now, nobody knows what to think

Murdoch turns on Trump with scathing New York Post cover

00:00 , Bevan Hurley

The New York Post, a Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper that’s long voiced its support for Donald Trump, shared a scathing cover of the former president that showed those loyalties may be eroding.

Johanna Chisholm reports on the shifting allegiances in right-wing media.

Murdoch turns against Trump in scathing New York Post cover: ‘TRUMPTY DUMPTY’

Kari Lake goes on media blitz to insist she’s already won despite real-time results

Saturday 12 November 2022 23:00 , Bevan Hurley

Republican Kari Lake is continuing to insist that she can claw her way back to victory, even as Democrat Katie Hobbs extends her lead in the Arizona governor’s race to 26,979 votes.

Ms Lake, the TV host turned Donald Trump ally and election denier, is now trailing, with 49.3 per cent of votes to Ms Hobbs’ 50.7 per cent – with 82 per cent of votes now reported.

The race remains too close to call, with election officials saying that voters may be waiting until next week to learn the outcome of the election.

Despite her disappointing performance so far, Ms Lake has gone on a media blitz declaring that she is “100 per cent going to win”.

The Independent’s Graeme Massie has the full story:

Kari Lake goes on media blitz to insist she’s already won Arizona governor election

Voices: The age of Trump is over

Saturday 12 November 2022 22:00 , Bevan Hurley

Ahmed Baba writes:

In an interview with Newsnation yesterday, Trump gave a classic deflection that was almost laughable in its bare-facedness: “If they win, I should get all the credit; if they lose, I should not be blamed at all.” Well, Republicans are handing him all of the blame, and on his most beloved network.

Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich tweeted: “GOP source tells me ‘if it wasn’t clear before it should be now. We have a Trump problem’.” Fox News commentator Marc Thiessen called the election “a searing indictment of the Republican Party” and an “absolute disaster,” and said the party needs to do some serious introspection.

Read on:

Republican reactions to the midterms make it clear. The age of Trump is over

Kari Lake continues to defend Trump – as GOP turns on former president

Saturday 12 November 2022 21:00 , Bevan Hurley

MAGA Republican Kari Lake has continued to defend Donald Trump – even as the GOP is turning on the former president following the party’s worse than expected midterm performance.

Ms Lake told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow on Thursday that she thinks Mr Trump is shouldering the blame because other GOP members don’t want him to run in 2024.

“Now it’s just an odd story. As you know, I worked for Trump for three years. I mean, it’s just a very odd story. Nobody wants to mention his accomplishments, his achievements, how well he managed the economy, how well he managed energy independence and foreign policy,” she said.

Mr Kudlow questioned “why all of a sudden is everyone pounding the poor guy to death?”, saying that “he did a lot of good things for this country”.

Ms Lake, a staunch Donald Trump ally who received the endorsement of the former president in her race for Arizona governor, replied:

“I’ll tell you why they’re doing it, because he’s probably going to announce he’s running and some people don’t want him to, but I don’t think that’s going to stop him.”

Did young voters save the Democrats from the red wave?

Saturday 12 November 2022 20:00 , Bevan Hurley

Younger voters were part of the blue wall that fended off a so-called “red tsunami” on Tuesday and contributed to a number of unlikely Democratic successes, John Bowden writes.

Exit polls from the National Election Pool (NEP), which includes a consortium of news outlets and the Edison Research group, found that younger voters aged 18-29 were the only voter group by age to overwhelmingly support Democrats in the midterms. Sixty-three per cent of voters in that age group voted for Democratic House candidates, according to the poll, while 35 per cent voted for Republicans.

Read more:

‘Thank you Gen Z!’ How young voters saved the Democrats

Women, Gen Z and LGBTQ candidates score series of firsts in midterms

Saturday 12 November 2022 19:00 , Bevan Hurley

Zooming in on individual contests across the country, pundits and pollsters could easily agree on at least one thing on Wednesday morning: 2022’s midterms were shaping up to be one for the record books.

Winning candidates clocked several historic firsts in races for governor’s mansions, Congress, and the Senate.

Johanna Chisholm reports.

Women, Gen Z and LGBTQ candidates celebrate series of firsts in midterm victories

Biden’s granddaughter flaunts midterm results at his haters online

Saturday 12 November 2022 18:00 , Bevan Hurley

Naomi Biden celebrated the better-than-expected performance of Democrats in Tuesday’s midterm elections by lauding her grandfather Joe Biden for presiding over the party’s success.

Her message was that the president should never be underestimated and has a history of triumphs against the odds.

Oliver O’Connell reports.

Naomi Biden flaunts midterm results at her grandfather’s haters online

Police find no powder in envelope sent to Arizona Republican Kari Lake which her team called ‘terroristic attack’

Saturday 12 November 2022 17:30 , Gustaf Kilander

An Arizona police lab has found nothing in an envelope that the Kari Lake campaign claimed contained a “suspicious” powder.

The letter was sent to the campaign headquarters of Ms Lake in Phoenix, Arizona on 5 November.

A worker said it held a “suspicious white powder”.

Phoenix Police Department communications director Donna Rossi told The Arizona Republic that “the state lab tested the items turned over to them” and that they “determined there was no substance inside”.

According to DailyMail.com, the campaign thought at the time that it was a “terroristic attack, trying to intimidate Kari and the campaign staff”.

Read more:

Police find no powder in envelope sent to Arizona Republican Kari Lake

Analysis: The knives are out, but can the Republican Party really ditch Trump?

Saturday 12 November 2022 17:00 , Bevan Hurley

A terrible midterm performance has given rise to the most serious attacks on Trump in years, but can the GOP really unseat their nominal party leader? Richard Hall reports.

The knives are out, but can the Republican Party really ditch Trump?

Murdoch turns on Trump with scathing New York Post cover

Saturday 12 November 2022 16:00 , Bevan Hurley

The New York Post, a Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper that’s long voiced its support for Donald Trump, shared a scathing cover of the former president that showed those loyalties may be eroding.

Johanna Chisholm reports on the shifting allegiances in right-wing media.

Murdoch turns against Trump in scathing New York Post cover: ‘TRUMPTY DUMPTY’

Police lab finds nothing in envelope Kari Lake campaign claimed contained ‘suspicious’ powder

Saturday 12 November 2022 15:00 , Gustaf Kilander

An Arizona police lab has found nothing in an envelope that the Kari Lake campaign claimed contained a “suspicious” powder.

The letter was sent to the campaign headquarters of Ms Lake in Phoenix, Arizona on 5 November.

A worker said it held a “suspicious white powder”.

Phoenix Police Department communications director Donna Rossi told The Arizona Republic that “the state lab tested the items turned over to them” and that they “determined there was no substance inside”.

Voices: Abortion wasn’t supposed to matter in the midterms but it gave Republicans a rude awakening

Saturday 12 November 2022 15:00 , Bevan Hurley

Clémence Michallon writes:

Exit polls show that voters cared a lot more about abortion than expected: it was the second most important issue they kept in mind, according to NBC News’s polling, right behind inflation and far ahead of crime, gun policy, and immigration.

And in states where abortion was explicitly on the ballot, people voted to support access to the procedure.

Read more:

Abortion wasn’t supposed to matter in the midterms. Republicans got a rude awakening

Voices: Where Democrats got things right in the midterms — and where they things very wrong

Saturday 12 November 2022 14:00 , Bevan Hurley

Eric Garcia, The Independent’s chief Washington correspondent, writes:

As a clearer image appears amid a map of red and blue, it’s easier to see where Democrats did well, where they missed opportunities, and where they flopped. We told you which races to watch here and here, so we’ll use the same measures now.

Where Democrats got it right — and where they got it very wrong

Pollsters underestimate the importance of abortion rights to female voters

Saturday 12 November 2022 13:00 , Bevan Hurley

Pissing off a demographic that makes up more than half of the electorate. Who could possibly have thought that was a good idea?

After a little more than four months of gruelling post-Roe midterm electioneering and endless speculation from Washington DC pundits, we have finally arrived at the conclusion that Democratic activists were quietly coming to months ago: yes, abortion matters. Taking away a right that people have relied on for decades matters.

John Bowden assesses what the midterms told us about how abortion rights stacked up against other issues.

Pollsters underestimated female voters in the midterms

Biden’s granddaughter flaunts midterm results at his haters online

Saturday 12 November 2022 12:00 , Bevan Hurley

Naomi Biden celebrated the better-than-expected performance of Democrats in Tuesday’s midterm elections by lauding her grandfather Joe Biden for presiding over the party’s success.

Her message was that the president should never be underestimated and has a history of triumphs against the odds.

Oliver O’Connell reports.

Naomi Biden flaunts midterm results at her grandfather’s haters online

Voices: The age of Trump is over

Saturday 12 November 2022 11:00 , Bevan Hurley

Ahmed Baba writes:

In an interview with Newsnation yesterday, Trump gave a classic deflection that was almost laughable in its bare-facedness: “If they win, I should get all the credit; if they lose, I should not be blamed at all.” Well, Republicans are handing him all of the blame, and on his most beloved network.

Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich tweeted: “GOP source tells me ‘if it wasn’t clear before it should be now. We have a Trump problem’.” Fox News commentator Marc Thiessen called the election “a searing indictment of the Republican Party” and an “absolute disaster,” and said the party needs to do some serious introspection.

Read on:

Republican reactions to the midterms make it clear. The age of Trump is over

‘My plan is working’: Biden takes victory lap after good inflation news

Saturday 12 November 2022 09:00 , Bevan Hurley

President Joe Biden on Thursday morning praised a new economic report that showed inflation falling for the fourth straight month.

“My economic plan is showing results, and the American people can see that we are facing global economic challenges from a position of strength,” Mr Biden said in a statement. “It will take time to get inflation back to normal levels — and we could see setbacks along the way — but we will keep at it and help families with the cost of living.”

Abe Asher reports.

Biden hails inflation news after midterm victory lap: ‘My plan is working’

Women, Gen Z and LGBTQ candidates score series of firsts in midterms

Saturday 12 November 2022 07:00 , Bevan Hurley

Zooming in on individual contests across the country, pundits and pollsters could easily agree on at least one thing on Wednesday morning: 2022’s midterms were shaping up to be one for the record books.

Winning candidates clocked several historic firsts in races for governor’s mansions, Congress, and the Senate.

Johanna Chisholm reports.

Women, Gen Z and LGBTQ candidates celebrate series of firsts in midterm victories

America is bitterly divided – and that is no surprise

Saturday 12 November 2022 05:00 , Bevan Hurley

A red wave? Not really. How about a blue wave? Not that either.

In fact, as America voted in midterm elections that will decide the control of the houses of Congress and kickstart the 2024 presidential showdown, all we really learned was something we already knew – that America is bitterly and deeply divided.

Andrew Buncombe reports.

All we learned is that America is bitterly divided – and that’s is no surprise

Did young voters save the Democrats from the red wave?

Saturday 12 November 2022 04:00 , Bevan Hurley

Younger voters were part of the blue wall that fended off a so-called “red tsunami” on Tuesday and contributed to a number of unlikely Democratic successes, John Bowden writes.

Exit polls from the National Election Pool (NEP), which includes a consortium of news outlets and the Edison Research group, found that younger voters aged 18-29 were the only voter group by age to overwhelmingly support Democrats in the midterms. Sixty-three per cent of voters in that age group voted for Democratic House candidates, according to the poll, while 35 per cent voted for Republicans.

‘Thank you Gen Z!’ How young voters saved the Democrats

Senator Mark Kelly pulls off victory in Arizona Senate race as Democrats inch closer to majority

Saturday 12 November 2022 03:34 , John Bowden and Andrew Feinberg

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly will return to the US Senate for a full six-year term, defeating former venture capital executive Blake Masters by a margin of 52 per cent to 46 per cent. The win inches Democrats towards holding onto its Senate majority.

Mr Kelly’s victory comes after Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan held her seat in New Hampshire and John Fetterman won an open race in Pennsylvania. The results give Democrats 49 Senate seats.

Mark Kelly pulls off victory in Arizona Senate race as Democrats inch to majority

Republicans who falsely claimed Trump won in 2020 are losing

Saturday 12 November 2022 03:00 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump’s endless grievances and a bogus narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him have fuelled dozens of Republican campaigns across the US, from local-level races to elections for governor and US Senate seats.

At least 145 Republicans who rejected the 2020 outcome have won their races in midterm elections for the House of Representatives, eclipsing the 139 House Republicans who objected to the counting of electoral votes in the aftermath of the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021.

Alex Woodward reports.

Election deniers are losing critical state-level races

Voices: Here’s why the polls were wrong about the midterms

Saturday 12 November 2022 02:00 , Bevan Hurley

Michael Salfino writes:

From large numbers of independent voters to suburban women to younger voters turning up in better-than-expected numbers, the Democrats had some unexpected advantages. And even where Republicans are winning, it may be more due to redistricting than the popularity of their own candidates.

Polls got it wrong about the midterm election results. Here’s why

Murdoch turns on Trump with scathing New York Post cover

Saturday 12 November 2022 01:00 , Bevan Hurley

The New York Post, a Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper that’s long voiced its support for Donald Trump, shared a scathing cover of the former president that showed those loyalties may be eroding.

Johanna Chisholm reports on the shifting allegiances in right-wing media.

Murdoch turns against Trump in scathing New York Post cover: ‘TRUMPTY DUMPTY’

Why some races in Arizona still haven’t been called

Saturday 12 November 2022 00:00 , Bevan Hurley

Hundreds of thousands of votes here were still being tallied Wednesday in Arizona, where contested races including Senate and gubernatorial races remained uncalled.

What’s the delay? Here’s what we know:

Why some races in Arizona still aren't called

Palin tells supporters to stop donating to the GOP

Friday 11 November 2022 23:00 , Bevan Hurley

Sarah Palin has gone nuclear on the Republican Party, claiming the GOP sabotaged her Alaska House race and that they deserved their drubbing in the midterms.

In a conspiracy-laden Instagram post, Ms Palin blamed the “cockamamie” ranked-choice voting system, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and the “dark, dysfunctional GOP machine” after Democrat Mary Peltola seemingly trounced her for the second time in three months.

Bevan Hurley reports.

Sarah Palin tells supporters to stop donating to the GOP

Voices: In Arizona right now, nobody knows what to think

Friday 11 November 2022 22:30 , Bevan Hurley

“Two days after the election, Arizona is still counting ballots. Meanwhile, the country watches on. The fight for the Senate seems to have come down to Arizona, its neighboring state of Nevada, and Georgia, which is going to a runoff in December. Nevada and Arizona results are expected soon.

“President Joe Biden won the state of Arizona in 2020 by 0.3 percent of the vote — around 10,000 votes — so every ballot paper does matter.

“Thomas Galvin is a Maricopa County supervisor, a member of the board who oversees Election Day operations. He explained in a phone interview, “The eyes of the world are on this election, and people prize accuracy and it must be treated with the utmost importance. The process is taking a long time because 290,000 mail ballots were dropped off on Election Day, which was a record.”

Read Masada Siegel’s piece for The Independent:

In Arizona right now, nobody knows what to think

Who won, who lost and what we know so far in the aftermath of the 2022 midterms

Friday 11 November 2022 22:00 , Bevan Hurley

As the results began to roll in from America’s midterm elections, it quickly became clear that the contest had been much closer than expected and the outcome more nail-biting and unpredictable than many had foreseen.

Joe Sommerlad and Alisha Rahaman Sarkar unpack what happened.

US midterms: Who won, who lost and what we know so far

More votes in from Navajo County

Friday 11 November 2022 21:37 , Bevan Hurley

Some 864 votes from Navajo County came in a few minutes ago, slightly favouring Katie Hobbs.

Republicans who falsely claimed Trump won in 2020 are losing

Friday 11 November 2022 21:30 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump’s endless grievances and a bogus narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him have fuelled dozens of Republican campaigns across the US, from local-level races to elections for governor and US Senate seats.

At least 145 Republicans who rejected the 2020 outcome have won their races in midterm elections for the House of Representatives, eclipsing the 139 House Republicans who objected to the counting of electoral votes in the aftermath of the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021.

Alex Woodward reports.

Election deniers are losing critical state-level races

Did young voters save the Democrats from the red wave?

Friday 11 November 2022 21:00 , Bevan Hurley

Younger voters were part of the blue wall that fended off a so-called “red tsunami” on Tuesday and contributed to a number of unlikely Democratic successes, John Bowden writes.

Exit polls from the National Election Pool (NEP), which includes a consortium of news outlets and the Edison Research group, found that younger voters aged 18-29 were the only voter group by age to overwhelmingly support Democrats in the midterms. Sixty-three per cent of voters in that age group voted for Democratic House candidates, according to the poll, while 35 per cent voted for Republicans.

‘Thank you Gen Z!’ How young voters saved the Democrats

America is bitterly divided – and that is no surprise

Friday 11 November 2022 20:30 , Bevan Hurley

A red wave? Not really. How about a blue wave? Not that either.

In fact, as America voted in midterm elections that will decide the control of the houses of Congress and kickstart the 2024 presidential showdown, all we really learned was something we already knew – that America is bitterly and deeply divided.

Andrew Buncombe reports.

All we learned is that America is bitterly divided – and that’s is no surprise

Voices: Abortion wasn’t supposed to matter in the midterms but it gave Republicans a rude awakening

Friday 11 November 2022 20:10 , Bevan Hurley

Clémence Michallon writes:

Exit polls show that voters cared a lot more about abortion than expected: it was the second most important issue they kept in mind, according to NBC News’s polling, right behind inflation and far ahead of crime, gun policy, and immigration.

And in states where abortion was explicitly on the ballot, people voted to support access to the procedure.

Read more:

Abortion wasn’t supposed to matter in the midterms. Republicans got a rude awakening

Analysis: The knives are out, but can the Republican Party really ditch Trump?

Friday 11 November 2022 19:45 , Bevan Hurley

A terrible midterm performance has given rise to the most serious attacks on Trump in years, but can the GOP really unseat their nominal party leader? Richard Hall reports.

The knives are out, but can the Republican Party really ditch Trump?

Why some races in Arizona still haven’t been called

Friday 11 November 2022 19:20 , Bevan Hurley

Hundreds of thousands of votes here were still being tallied Wednesday in Arizona, where contested races including Senate and gubernatorial races remained uncalled.

What’s the delay? Here’s what we know:

Why some races in Arizona still aren't called

Maricopa County election officials to release update

Friday 11 November 2022 18:50 , Rachel Sharp

Maricopa County election officials will release an update on the votes counted on Friday evening local time.

Arizona has around 500,000 votes left to be counted, with 350,000 of them in state’s most populous county.

Maricopa County election officials will continue working through Veterans Day, Saturday and Sunday to verify and count the votes, with the county’s Board of Supervisors saying he expects counting to be largely completed by early next week.

Why some races in Arizona still haven’t been called

Friday 11 November 2022 18:30 , Rachel Sharp

Hundreds of thousands of votes are still being tallied Friday in Arizona, where contested races including Senate and gubernatorial races remain uncalled.

What’s the delay? Here’s what we know:

Maricopa County forced to point out 'not every woman with glasses is Katie Hobbs’

Friday 11 November 2022 18:10 , Rachel Sharp

Maricopa County was forced to point out “not every woman with glasses is Katie Hobbs” after a social media user wrongly claimed that a poll worker wearing glasses was the gubernatorial candidate.

The state’s most populous county has been the target of a slew of conspiracy theories about the Arizona election as vote counting continues.

Election officials have tried to field the rumours by posting regular updates and photos of the vote counting on its Twitter page.

On Thursday, it tweeted: “Not every woman with glasses is Katie Hobbs. We can confirm this was a party Observer. Please refrain from making assumptions about workers who happen to wear glasses.”

Arizona results not expected until next week

Friday 11 November 2022 17:50 , Rachel Sharp

Election officials are continuing to tally up thousands of ballots in Arizona with the results key races not expected to become clear until next week.

As of Friday, around 518,034 votes are still left to be counted.

The vast majority of these – around 353,885 – are in Maricopa County, the state’s most populous county that includes Phoenix.

On Thursday, the county’s Board of Supervisors chair Bill Gates said that he expects counting to be largely completed by early next week.

“I think that we’ll see the lion’s share wrap up by early next week,” he told CNN.

Kari Lake goes on media blitz to insist she’s already won despite real-time results

Friday 11 November 2022 17:30 , Rachel Sharp

Republican Kari Lake is continuing to insist that she can claw her way back to victory, even as Democrat Katie Hobbs extends her lead in the Arizona governor’s race to 26,979 votes.

Ms Lake, the TV host turned Donald Trump ally and election denier, is now trailing, with 49.3 per cent of votes to Ms Hobbs’ 50.7 per cent – with 82 per cent of votes now reported.

The race remains too close to call, with election officials saying that voters may be waiting until next week to learn the outcome of the election.

Despite her disappointing performance so far, Ms Lake has gone on a media blitz declaring that she is “100 per cent going to win”.

The Independent’s Graeme Massie has the full story:

Kari Lake goes on media blitz to insist she’s already won Arizona governor election

Katie Hobbs brands Kari Lake ‘unhinged’

Friday 11 November 2022 17:10 , Rachel Sharp

Katie Hobbs has branded her Republican opponent Kari Lake “unhinged” as she urged the people of Arizona to be patient as votes continue to be counted.

“Despite what my election-denying opponent is trying to spin, the pattern and cadence of incoming votes are exactly what we expected.

“In fact, they mirror what our state has seen in recent elections. We must remain patient and let our election officials do their jobs,” she tweeted on Thursday.

“This election will be determined by the voters, not by the volume at which an unhinged former television reporter can shout conspiracy theories.”

Kari Lake continues to defend Trump – as GOP turns on former president

Friday 11 November 2022 16:50 , Rachel Sharp

MAGA Republican Kari Lake has continued to defend Donald Trump – even as the GOP is turning on the former president following the party’s worse than expected midterm performance.

Ms Lake told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow on Thursday that she thinks Mr Trump is shouldering the blame because other GOP members don’t want him to run in 2024.

“Now it’s just an odd story. As you know, I worked for Trump for three years. I mean, it’s just a very odd story. Nobody wants to mention his accomplishments, his achievements, how well he managed the economy, how well he managed energy independence and foreign policy,” she said.

Mr Kudlow questioned “why all of a sudden is everyone pounding the poor guy to death?”, saying that “he did a lot of good things for this country”.

Ms Lake, a staunch Donald Trump ally who received the endorsement of the former president in her race for Arizona governor, replied:

“I’ll tell you why they’re doing it, because he’s probably going to announce he’s running and some people don’t want him to, but I don’t think that’s going to stop him.”

Where governor race currently stands:

Friday 11 November 2022 16:32 , Rachel Sharp

Democrat Katie Hobbs has further extended her lead in the Arizona governor’s race, currently beating Republican Kari Lake by 26,979 votes.

With 82 per cent of votes now reported, Ms Hobbs is leading with 50.7 per cent of votes to Ms Lake’s 49.3 per cent.

The race remains too close to call, with election officials saying that voters may be waiting until next week to learn the outcome of the election.

Trump pushes conspiracy about Arizona election - as his candidates trail

Friday 11 November 2022 16:05 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump is once again pushing baseless claims about an election being rigged – as two candidates he endorsed in Arizona are trailing to Democrat rivals.

In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform on Thursday night and Friday morning, Mr Trump tried to sow doubt in the votes being counted in the state.

“These people are incompetent corrupt. Their finding some very strange ballots? Be careful, we MUST PROTECT KARI & BLAKE! #2020,” he posted.

In another post, he wrote: “So sad to see Republicans attack and foolishly tarnish the results of the Midterms.

“WE WON, Nancy got fired and is on her way to foreign lands, Republicans are taking over the House and, importantly, its Committees, and may very well win the Senate Majority, depending on whether or not Arizona or Nevada Elections are RIGGED (which I believe they are!)?”

“Very strange things are happening with the votes cast in Nevada and Arizona. Stay tuned!” he added in another.

Much like his claims back in 2020 that he lost the presidential election because of voter fraud – which have been debunked – Mr Trump provided no evidence or information to support his comments.

Democrat and Republican candidates are currently neck and neck in races in both Nevada and Arizona, with the races too close to call and many votes left to count.

Voices: In Arizona right now, nobody knows what to think

Friday 11 November 2022 15:45 , Rachel Sharp

“Two days after the election, Arizona is still counting ballots. Meanwhile, the country watches on. The fight for the Senate seems to have come down to Arizona, its neighboring state of Nevada, and Georgia, which is going to a runoff in December. Nevada and Arizona results are expected soon.

“President Joe Biden won the state of Arizona in 2020 by 0.3 percent of the vote — around 10,000 votes — so every ballot paper does matter.

“Thomas Galvin is a Maricopa County supervisor, a member of the board who oversees Election Day operations. He explained in a phone interview, “The eyes of the world are on this election, and people prize accuracy and it must be treated with the utmost importance. The process is taking a long time because 290,000 mail ballots were dropped off on Election Day, which was a record.”

Read Masada Siegel’s piece for The Independent:

In Arizona right now, nobody knows what to think

Arizona election results not expected until next week

Friday 11 November 2022 15:15 , Rachel Sharp

Election officials are continuing to tally up thousands of ballots in Arizona before unofficial results in key races can be determined.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors chair Bill Gates said on Thursday that the count will likely proceed into next week.

“I think that we’ll see the lion’s share wrap up by early next week,” Mr Gates told CNN.

Around 520,000 votes left to be counted

Friday 11 November 2022 14:36 , Rachel Sharp

As of Friday morning, around 520,000 votes are left to be counted in Arizona with both the Senate and gubernatorial races down to knife edge.

Democrat Katie Hobbs is currently leading Kari Lake by 27,000 votes in the race to be the new governor.

Senator Mark Kelly is currently leading Republican challenger by around 115,000 votes.

With more than half a million votes still to report, both races are too close to call.

Why all eyes are on Arizona:

Friday 11 November 2022 14:10 , Rachel Sharp

All eyes are on Arizona and Nevada as two key and extremely close Senate races look set to decide which party will control the upper chamber of Congress.

Republicans currently have 49 Senate seats and Democrats have 48, after John Fetterman flipped a seat blue in Pennsylvania.

Alaska’s Senate race winner is yet to be called but the Republican party has definitely won (with the seat included in the GOP’s 49 seats). Republican Kelly Tshibaka is leading with 44.2 per cent of votes, Republican Lisa Murkowski is second with 42.8 per cent and Democrat Patricia Chesbro has just 9.5 per cent.

The three remaining seats are Arizona, Nevada and Georgia.

Georgia has now gone to a runoff election in December after neither Herschel Walker nor Raphael Warnock achieved the 50 per cent of votes needed to win.

Both parties need two out of these three seats to take control of the Senate – taking Republicans to 51 or Democrats to 50, with Vice President Kamala Harris having the deciding (or 51st) vote.

Mark Kelly posts heartfelt anniversary message to wife as race still too close to call

Friday 11 November 2022 13:50 , Rachel Sharp

Senator Mark Kelly posted a heartfelt anniversary message to his wife on Thursday as Arizona’s race for the US Senate remained too close to call.

Mr Kelly, the Democratic incumbent, paid tribute to Gabby Giffords as the “smartest, strongest person I know”.

“Happy anniversary to my incredible wife, @GabbyGiffords. You’re the smartest, strongest person I know. Thank you for every single one of our last 15 years together. Here’s to many more,” he tweeted.

Mr Kelly remains in a tight race with Republican challenger Blake Masters in the race that could determine which party controls the US Senate.

At present, the Democrat is leading by 115,037 votes in the race that could determine which party controls the US Senate.

Trump unleashes on DeSantis claiming he ‘sent’ FBI to help him to 2018 win

Friday 11 November 2022 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Arizona hopeful Kari Lake is continuing to support Donald Trump despite much of the Republican party turning on the former president and instead supporting Ron DeSantis following the GOP’s poor midterms performance.

On Thursday, Mr Trump unleashed an angry rant at Mr DeSantis where he claimed that he used the FBI and US attorneys to help the Florida governor win the 2018 election.

In the rambling statement, Mr Trump made the controversial claim that he “sent the FBI” to interfere in Florida’s 2018 gubernatorial race – ensuring it swung in the Republican’s favour.

“I was all in for Ron, and he beat Gillum, but after the Race, when votes were being stolen by the corrupt Election process in Broward County, and Ron was going down ten thousand votes a day, along with now-Senator Rick Scott, I sent in the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys, and the ballot theft immediately ended, just prior to them running out of the votes necessary to win,” he wrote.

“I stopped his Election from being stolen…”

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Trump claims he used the FBI to help DeSantis win 2018 election

Why votes in Arizona are taking longer to count:

Friday 11 November 2022 13:07 , Rachel Sharp

While far-right figures have sought to push conspiracy theories or sow doubt in the election in Arizona because of the delay in the election results being called, votes were always expected to take time to be counted in the state.

Record levels of Arizonans voting through a certain method have also added to the numbers still waiting to be counted.

Voters in Arizona can vote via three ways: mail in, drop off and in person.

Voters can also drop off a ballot mailed to them on election day itself.

On Tuesday, more than 290,000 voters did so, dropping off a ballot at a polling location in person – a staggering 100,000 more than the record level in 2020.

These ballots now make up the majority of those still to be counted.

Mark Kelly leads Blake Masters by 115,000 votes in Senate race

Friday 11 November 2022 12:40 , Rachel Sharp

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat, is now leading Republican challenger Blake Masters by 115,037 votes in the race that could determine which party controls the US Senate.

Mr Kelly is now leading with 51.7 per cent of the votes to Mr Masters’ 46.1 per cent, with 82 per cent of votes now counted.

The race is still too close to call with thousands of ballots in the state’s most populous county Maricopa County still to be counted.

The outcome of the race is crucial for both parties, as they each need to claim two of the three remaining Senate seats to take control of the upper chamber.

Kari Lake continues to defend Trump – as GOP turns on former president

Friday 11 November 2022 12:20 , Rachel Sharp

MAGA Republican Kari Lake has continued to defend Donald Trump – even as the GOP is turning on the former president following the party’s worse than expected midterm performance.

Ms Lake told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow on Thursday that she thinks Mr Trump is shouldering the blame because other GOP members don’t want him to run in 2024.

“Now it’s just an odd story. As you know, I worked for Trump for three years. I mean, it’s just a very odd story. Nobody wants to mention his accomplishments, his achievements, how well he managed the economy, how well he managed energy independence and foreign policy,” she said.

Mr Kudlow questioned “why all of a sudden is everyone pounding the poor guy to death?”, saying that “he did a lot of good things for this country”.

Ms Lake, a staunch Donald Trump ally who received the endorsement of the former president in her race for Arizona governor, replied:

“I’ll tell you why they’re doing it, because he’s probably going to announce he’s running and some people don’t want him to, but I don’t think that’s going to stop him.”

Kari Lake goes on media blitz to insist she’s already won despite real-time results

Friday 11 November 2022 12:00 , Rachel Sharp

Republican Kari Lake is continuing to insist that she can claw her way back to victory, even as Democrat Katie Hobbs extends her lead in the Arizona governor’s race to 26,979 votes.

Ms Lake, the TV host turned Donald Trump ally and election denier, is now trailing, with 49.3 per cent of votes to Ms Hobbs’ 50.7 per cent – with 82 per cent of votes now reported.

The race remains too close to call, with election officials saying that voters may be waiting until next week to learn the outcome of the election.

Despite her disappointing performance so far, Ms Lake has gone on a media blitz declaring that she is “100 per cent going to win”.

The Independent’s Graeme Massie has the full story:

Kari Lake goes on media blitz to insist she’s already won Arizona governor election

Katie Hobbs brands Kari Lake ‘unhinged'

Friday 11 November 2022 11:40 , Rachel Sharp

Katie Hobbs has branded her Republican opponent Kari Lake “unhinged” as she urged the people of Arizona to be patient as votes continue to be counted.

“Despite what my election-denying opponent is trying to spin, the pattern and cadence of incoming votes are exactly what we expected.

“In fact, they mirror what our state has seen in recent elections. We must remain patient and let our election officials do their jobs,” she tweeted on Thursday.

“This election will be determined by the voters, not by the volume at which an unhinged former television reporter can shout conspiracy theories.”

Kari Lake tells Arizona to ‘get ready'

Friday 11 November 2022 11:20 , Rachel Sharp

Kari Lake has told Arizona to “get ready” for her to claim victory in the race for governor.

On Thursday night, she retweeted a post which showed a screen grab from an interview with Fox News where she has confidently asserted that she will win the race.

Under her speaking is the headline: “Kari Lake: I am 100% going to win.”

Ms Lake captioned the tweet: “Get ready!”

Kari Lake trailing by 26,000 votes

Friday 11 November 2022 11:06 , Rachel Sharp

Democrat Katie Hobbs has further extended her lead in the Arizona governor’s race, currently beating Republican Kari Lake by 26,979 votes.

With 82 per cent of votes now reported, Ms Hobbs is leading with 50.7 per cent of votes to Ms Lake’s 49.3 per cent.

The race remains too close to call, with election officials saying that voters may be waiting until next week to learn the outcome of the election.

Arizona Republican Eli Crane beats Democrat to House seat

Friday 11 November 2022 10:42 , Rachel Sharp

Republican Eli Crane has ousted Democratic incumbent Tom O’Halleran from his US House seat in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race at 10.55pm ET on Thursday.

Ms Crane, the CEO of Bottle Breacher – a business that makes bottle openers built from bullets – had been expected to benefit from redistricting which redrew the district, making it more red-leaning.

The seat flipping from blue to red continues to put Republicans on track to take the House.

Arizona election results not expected until next week

Friday 11 November 2022 10:04 , Bevan Hurley

Election officials are continuing to tally up thousands of ballots in Arizona before unofficial results in key races can be determined.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors chair Bill Gates said the count would likely proceed into next week.

“I think that we’ll see the lion’s share wrap up by early next week,” Mr Gates told CNN on 10 November.

Arizona election results not expected until next week

The knives are out, but can the Republican Party really ditch Trump?

Friday 11 November 2022 09:04 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump’s role as nominal party leader over three disastrous election cycles and his insistence on handpicking candidates loyal to him for every level of office has prompted a reckoning among previously stalwart supporters, writes The Independent’s Richard Hall.

Mr Trump’s sway in the party until now has been so strong that it has become almost career suicide for Republican lawmakers to criticise him publicly, as many learned during primary season when his endorsements played a deciding role.

But there are already stirrings across the party. Even newly elected members, such as Mike Lawler, who beat the Democratic Party Chairman to win a seat in New York, said he would like to see “the party move forward from” Trump.

The knives are out, but can the Republican Party really ditch Trump?

‘Hang tight Arizona’

Friday 11 November 2022 07:04 , Bevan Hurley

Katie Hobbs has urged her supporters to “stand firm” as votes continue to be counted in Maricopa County.

In marked contrast to her opponent Kari Lake, the incumbent secretary of state in Arizona expressed confidence in election officials in a tweet on Wednesday night.

“Hang tight Arizona — and let’s let our local election officials do their jobs, without fear or interference.”

Kari Lake ‘confident’ of victory

Friday 11 November 2022 06:28 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Republican Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who is trailing by a thin margin with the counting of less than 20 per cent of ballots remaining, said she is “confident” about her victory.

“I am 100 per cent going to win. I have absolute 100 per cent confidence that I will be the next governor of Arizona,” Ms Lake told Fox News.

“I think the Republican Party should continue along with ‘America First’ policies like we are with solutions, common sense solutions,” she said.

The Maga star added that she hopes Donald Trump runs again for the White House in 2024. “I think he will run. And if he does, I think he will win,” she said.

“We need a President Trump to go in there and fix all the damage that Joe Biden has inflicted on this country. And I’m rooting for President Trump.”

How ‘women just went crazy’ and saved the Democrats in the midterms

Friday 11 November 2022 05:04 , Bevan Hurley

Activists and organisers explain to John Bowden how polls and pundits underestimated the issue of abortion in the midterms.

How ‘women just went crazy’ and saved the Democrats in the midterms

Where Democrats got it right — and where they got it very wrong

Friday 11 November 2022 04:04 , Bevan Hurley

The Independent’s chief Washington correspondent Eric Garcia has a new midterms post-mortem out examining the Democrats’ successes, missed opportunities, and downright failures.

“The Good” was Democrats’ ability to win over the suburban and Latino voter, and a strong showing in New England.

These were tempered by missed opportunities in Ohio and North Carolina.

While in New York and Wisconsin, the Democrats will be ruing crucial mistakes.

Read Eric’s full analysis here.

Where Democrats got it right — and where they got it very wrong

Advantage Hobbs as 78,000 votes from Maricopa County come in

Friday 11 November 2022 03:54 , Bevan Hurley

Maricopa County election officials posted an additional 78,000 ballots on Thursday night, with 54.8 percent for Katie Hobbs.

She extends her lead by 7,494 votes to lead by 26,879 votes with 75 per cent of the ballots counted.

Arizona governor’s race may be heading to court

Friday 11 November 2022 03:04 , Bevan Hurley

Kari Lake sowed doubt on election integrity throughout her campaign, and refused to confirm she would accept the results of the governor’s race.

And with results on a knife-edge with 70 per cent of the votes counted, her allies are already eyeing a court battle.

An anonymous member of Ms Lake’s team told Time magazine that a lawsuit could focus on “the counting of the ballots and the monitoring of the counting.”

Katie Hobbs’ campaign manager told Time in a statement that they always knew the race would be tight.

“Each and every Arizonan deserves to have their ballot counted and their voice heard, and in the days to come we will continue to watch these results closely to make sure that happens.”

Same day vote tallies are only likely to be known by Monday.

ICYMI: ‘Highlights’ from the Republicans candidates debate

Friday 11 November 2022 02:04 , Bevan Hurley

Nearly five months ago, the Republican candidates for governor of Arizona sat down for a live debate.

The highlights were compiled into a short clip by Irish Times journalist Enda O’Dowd.

Hobbs hits back at ‘unhinged former television reporter'

Friday 11 November 2022 01:34 , Bevan Hurley

After Kari Lake claimed she was “100 percent certain” of victory in media interviews on Thursday, Katie Hobbs responded on Thursday afternoon.

“This election will be determined by the voters, not by the volume at which an unhinged former television reporter can shout conspiracy theories.”

Arizona election results not expected until next week

Friday 11 November 2022 01:04 , Bevan Hurley

Katie Hobbs is holding onto a slight lead against Kari Lake in Arizona’s race for governor on Thursday, as officials in Maricopa County addressed issues with counting ballots.

Maricopa County’s top election official Bill Gates told CNN on Thursday that the remaining votes in the county were unlikely to be counted until next week.

“I think that we’ll see the lion’s share wrap up by early next week.”

On Wednesday evening, the elections office for Maricopa County, the largest county in the state, addressed what happened when polling places ran out of paper ballots.

Mr Gates and Vice Chairman Clint Hickman said that the matter would be investigated.

“The printer settings for the Ballot-On-Demand printers at Vote Centers were the same ones we used in the August Primary.

“The paper was the same thickness. Prior to the General Election, the Elections Department test-printed and test-tabulated hundreds of ballots without issue,” they said.

‘We’re looking at a potential crisis’

Friday 11 November 2022 00:04 , Bevan Hurley

AZCentral, one of Arizona’s largest news sites, is warning of a “potential crisis” should Kari Lake lose the state governor’s race.

In an editorial, columnist Phil Boas writes that vote counting delays caused by machine malfunctions has further eroded trust in the election process among Republican voters.

“There was no conspiracy to rig the printers or count votes at a snail’s pace in Arizona, but when this is over, we do need to overhaul our election system,” he writes.

“Even if that has no impact on outcomes, Republican voters are furious.

“Nerves were already on edge as they always are Election Day, but the breakdown put a torch on them.

“Add to that Kari Lake’s foolish declarations that she has already won and we’re looking at a potential crisis: If she loses, her voters will be incandescent.”

The slow nature of vote counting is increasing distrust and needs to be overhauled, he added.

“Across Arizona and the nation and even in Europe, people are asking what is wrong with Maricopa County?”

Maricopa County election officials plead for patience

Thursday 10 November 2022 23:18 , Bevan Hurley

Maricopa County’s top election official Bill Gates addressed reporters a few moments ago where he pleaded for patience as votes continue to be counted.

Mr Gates said the original plan was to count 90 per cent of the votes by Friday, but that changed after 270,000 mail in ballots were dropped off at polling stations on election day.

He said there will be a ballot drop of approximately 62,000 votes from Maricopa County between 8pm and 9pm on Thursday night.

As of 6pm, Ms Hobbs holds a narrow lead of around 16,600 with 70 per cent of the vote counted.

In Arizona right now, nobody knows what to think

Thursday 10 November 2022 23:04 , Bevan Hurley

“The early votes counted looked like a slam-dunk for Democrats, but it is evening out,” writes Masada Siegel for The Independent.

“And in some key races the Republicans briefly overtook their Democratic competitors, only to later fall back again. Many margins remain razor-thin at the time of writing.”

Ms Siegel writes that ruby-red Arizona “shocked the nation by turning blue in 2020”.

“We may be in for another surprise in 2022.”

Arizona remains epicentre for post-election misinformation

More votes tilt see-sawing contest towards Hobbs

Thursday 10 November 2022 22:47 , Bevan Hurley

Pima County, which comprises Tucson, dropped just over 12,000 votes a short time ago, with 67 percent going for Democrat Katie Hobbs.

The overall state of the race remains tight, with Ms Hobbs on 50.44 per cent to Kari Lake’s 49.56 percent.

More votes from Maricopa County are expected to be tallied on Thursday night.

Trump’s finished? Not so fast says JD Vance

Thursday 10 November 2022 22:22 , Bevan Hurley

In a new interview, Republican Senator-elect JD Vance has criticised those who have written off Donald Trump after many of his candidates lost in the 2022 midterms.

“Every year, the media writes Donald Trump’s political obituary. And every year, we’re quickly reminded that Trump remains the most popular figure in the Republican Party,” Mr Vance told the New YorkTimes.

Arizona remains epicentre for post-election misinformation

Arizona remains epicentre for post-election misinformation

Thursday 10 November 2022 22:02 , Bevan Hurley

Two days after the midterm elections, misinformation about the results remains focused on Arizona and Pennsylvania, according to a new Associated Press report.

“Arizona and Pennsylvania both featured prominently in election conspiracy theories in 2020 and again this year, thanks in part to GOP gubernatorial candidates who had both advanced baseless claims about the last election,” the article notes.

Read on for the full story.

Arizona remains epicentre for post-election misinformation

Kari Lake goes on media blitz to insist she’s already won

Thursday 10 November 2022 21:30 , Bevan Hurley

The election denier appeared on The Charlie Kirk Show on Thursday morning and said she was “frustrated” and found the running of elections in her state to be “embarrassing.”

“Now, I feel 100 per cent confident we are going to win this, I hate that they’re slow-rolling and dragging their feet and delaying the inevitable. They don’t want to put out the truth, which is that we won,” she said.

Ms Lake also appeared on the Louder with Crowder podcast to again bolster her premature claims of victory.

The Independent’s Graeme Massie has the story.

Kari Lake goes on media blitz to insist she’s already won Arizona governor election

In Arizona right now, nobody knows what to think

Thursday 10 November 2022 21:10 , Bevan Hurley

“The early votes counted looked like a slam-dunk for Democrats, but it is evening out,” writes Masada Siegel for The Independent.

“And in some key races the Republicans briefly overtook their Democratic competitors, only to later fall back again. Many margins remain razor-thin at the time of writing.”

Ms Siegel writes that ruby-red Arizona “shocked the nation by turning blue in 2020”.

“We may be in for another surprise in 2022.”

In Arizona right now, nobody knows what to think

Arizona governor’s race may be heading to court

Thursday 10 November 2022 20:50 , Bevan Hurley

Kari Lake sowed doubt on election integrity throughout her campaign, and refused to confirm she would accept the results of the governor’s race.

And with results on a knife-edge with 70 per cent of the votes counted, her allies are already eyeing a court battle.

An anonymous member of Ms Lake’s team told Time magazine that a lawsuit could focus on “the counting of the ballots and the monitoring of the counting.”

Katie Hobbs’ campaign manager told Time in a statement that they always knew the race would be tight.

“Each and every Arizonan deserves to have their ballot counted and their voice heard, and in the days to come we will continue to watch these results closely to make sure that happens.”

Same day vote tallies are only likely to be known by Monday.

Governor’s race tightens after new vote drop

Thursday 10 November 2022 20:29 , Bevan Hurley

A few thousand votes have just landed from Yavapai County in Arizona, and Katie Hobbs’ lead over Kari Lake has narrowed slightly.

ABC15 elections analyst Garrett Archer tweeted a few minutes ago that 3,015 votes had come in, with Ms Lake capturing just over 60 per cent.

Ms Hobbs is still leading by around 2,500 votes with 70 per cent of the ballots counted.

‘We’re looking at a potential crisis'

Thursday 10 November 2022 20:20 , Bevan Hurley

AZCentral, one of Arizona’s largest news sites, is warning of a “potential crisis” should Kari Lake lose the state governor’s race.

In an editorial, columnist Phil Boas writes that vote counting delays caused by machine malfunctions has further eroded trust in the election process among Republican voters.

“There was no conspiracy to rig the printers or count votes at a snail’s pace in Arizona, but when this is over, we do need to overhaul our election system,” he writes.

“Even if that has no impact on outcomes, Republican voters are furious.

“Nerves were already on edge as they always are Election Day, but the breakdown put a torch on them.

“Add to that Kari Lake’s foolish declarations that she has already won and we’re looking at a potential crisis: If she loses, her voters will be incandescent.”

The slow nature of vote counting is increasing distrust and needs to be overhauled, he added.

“Across Arizona and the nation and even in Europe, people are asking what is wrong with Maricopa County?”

Where Democrats got it right — and where they got it very wrong

Thursday 10 November 2022 19:57 , Bevan Hurley

The Independent’s chief Washington correspondent Eric Garcia has a new midterms post-mortem out examining the Democrats’ successes, missed opportunities, and downright failures.

“The Good” was Democrats’ ability to win over the suburban and Latino voter, and a strong showing in New England.

These were tempered by missed opportunities in Ohio and North Carolina.

While in New York and Wisconsin, the Democrats will be ruing crucial mistakes.

Read Eric’s full analysis here.

Where Democrats got it right — and where they got it very wrong

Arizona election results not expected until next week

Thursday 10 November 2022 19:30 , Bevan Hurley

Katie Hobbs is holding onto a slight lead against Kari Lake in Arizona’s race for governor on Thursday, as officials in Maricopa County addressed issues with counting ballots.

Maricopa County’s top election official Bill Gates told CNN on Thursday that the remaining votes in the county were unlikely to be counted until next week.

“I think that we’ll see the lion’s share wrap up by early next week.”

On Wednesday evening, the elections office for Maricopa County, the largest county in the state, addressed what happened when polling places ran out of paper ballots.

Mr Gates and Vice Chairman Clint Hickman said that the matter would be investigated.

“The printer settings for the Ballot-On-Demand printers at Vote Centers were the same ones we used in the August Primary.

“The paper was the same thickness. Prior to the General Election, the Elections Department test-printed and test-tabulated hundreds of ballots without issue,” they said.

Arizona election results not expected until next week

Trump’s finished? Not so fast says JD Vance

Thursday 10 November 2022 19:10 , Bevan Hurley

Republican Senator-elect JD Vance criticised those who have written off Donald Trump after many of his candidates lost in the 2022 midterms.

“Every year, the media writes Donald Trump’s political obituary. And every year, we’re quickly reminded that Trump remains the most popular figure in the Republican Party,” Mr Vance told the Times.

JD Vance condemns critics writing Trump’s ‘political obituary’ as he backs 2024 run

Kari Lake calls Maricopa County officials ‘imbeciles’

Thursday 10 November 2022 18:50 , Bevan Hurley

Kari Lake has poured scorn on election officials as votes continue to be counted for the Arizona governor’s race in Maricopa County.

“It’s really odd that Maricopa County election officials who are the most incompetent in the country are dragging their feet in delivering what everybody wants to know,” she told Tucker Carlson on Wednesday night.

Ms Lake claimed that of the 650,000 votes yet to be counted, most are Republicans who voted on election day.

“We know this big group of voters are going to swing very heavily our way and we believe we will be victorious at the end of the day.”

Ms Lake went on to describe the election officials as “imbeciles”.

She has falsely claimed the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and said she would not accept the results of the governor’s race if she lost.