McCaren eyeing Alyssa Jones for education secretary

MAVOCKE -- Sources close to President Jim McCaren say the Nationalist president is considering former Conservative Senator Alyssa Jones to be the next education secretary.

The position is currently vacant, and Jones, despite being a staunch Conservative, has a close relationship with the president.

The two served in the senate together, both representing the state of Damoign.

McCaren's office has not confirmed his interest in Jones for the position, but sources, who asked for anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss the issue, told the Mavocke Capitol newspaper that McCaren is weighing choosing Jones.

Just this week, Jones ran a second time for the senate, but lost in the Conservative primary to Assemblywoman Patty Waters.

It could be a difficult task getting Jones confirmed by the senate, however.

She is an Evangelical and strongly conservative on social issues.

Her support of abstinence-only sex education and religious charter schools could be stumbling blocks for her.

A spokeswoman for Jones did not answer questions about the matter.

In her election night speech, after being defeated by Waters, Jones said she was not sure what job or career path she would take next.

She vowed to stay involved in politics, but didn't offer any specifics.

Duke Castlebury unseated in Armana senate primary race

MAINE CITY -- Incumbent NAT Senator Duke Castlebury has been defeated by a fellow Nationalist in his primary race, the NPF confirms.

With all precincts reporting, Emily Burkart, a 37-year-old banking executive from Maine City, was leading Castlebury 53% to 47%, respectively.

Seeking his second term, Castlebury, 76, had long been criticized for his conservative voting record in the senate. Though a life-long Nationalist, the senator frequently votes with Conservatives, primarily on military and foreign policy issues.

Burkhart, who previously challenged Conservative Senator Chuck Danbury unsuccessfully in 2010, centered her campaign around fighting for progressive ideals.

"Senator Castlebury has served his country, and we thank him for that. But he is not a progressive. He does not have a progressive voting record. He sides with Conservatives time after time. We need a fresh, progressive voice in Mavocke representing our state," Burkhart said last week at a campaign rally in Reading Township northeast of Maine City.

She focused specifically on women's issues and the #MeToo movement, as well as climate change, education and a $15 minimum wage.

At her campaign party north of the city, she announced that Castlebury had called her and conceded.

"We again thank Senator Castlebury for his service to our state and to our country as a veteran," she said.

Castlebury, at a more subdued gathering two hours northeast of the city, said he will continue to fight for Armana and for Nationalist ideals.

"I recognize that the voters spoke tonight, and they decided to back my opponent, and I respect the voters' wishes. But I have always been and remain a strong supporter of the Nationalist party and the Nationalist ideals of taking care of the Grassadellian people first above and before everything else."

"While this defeat stings, it does not change my convictions or my belief in labor, in health care for everyone, in social welfare, in strengthening the middle class."

Despite being 76 years old, Castlebury said he is not ready to retire from politics, but didn't say if he would run for office again.

"I don't know, I really don't know, so I can't tell you what I'll do. But I do know I will stay involved. That may mean running for office again. Or it may mean giving speeches and supporting candidates who I believe are the right leaders for our state and our country. I don't know how I'll be involved, but I will continue to be involved."

Liberal groups strongly backed Burkhart's campaign, while fellow centrist and moderate Nationalist politicians supported Castlebury.

"There aren't many of us moderate Nationalists left in the Senate these days," South Ceona Senator Vic Chambers told the NPF last week, while at a campaign fundraiser for Castlebury. "We need more people like Duke, who are willing to compromise and work with the other side."

Armana's senior senator and fellow foreign policy hawk Chuck Danbury lamented Castlebury's loss.

"Duke is a good man, and it's a shame that the Nationalist party is pushing out moderate leaders like him," Danbury told Maine City's largest newspaper last week.

Danbury himself is a moderate Conservative who often crosses over to vote with the NAT on key votes. He has faced similar criticism from the right flank of his party for being too liberal and too cozy with the other party.

"I've been on the receiving end of that stuff before just like Duke. I know what it's like to have the hardliners in your party pissed off at you and trying to push you out. I survived and I was hoping Duke would too because he's a good leader, we need him in the senate. But the Nationalist voters of Armana have had their say and they chose Emily Burkhart, so they've chosen a different course," said Danbury.

Fellow Armana Senator Dana Glow, also a moderate Conservative like Danbury, tweeted that he also was disappointed with Castlebury's defeat.

"Sad to hear about my friend and colleague Duke Castlebury. He is a good man who has done great things in the senate. He will be missed by members from both parties," Glow tweeted.

If she wins the December general election against Conservative state lawmaker Mike Holt - which she is strongly favored to do - Burkhart will join Danbury, Glow and Serap Figaori, a fellow progressive who holds Armana's fourth senate seat.

Figaori tweeted out his support for Castlebury and his congratulations for Burkhart.

"I have enjoyed every moment working with Duke Castlebury. On behalf of all Armanans, I thank him for his service. And I know Emily Burkhart will also make a great senator our state," he tweeted, adding the hashtag #OnToDecember.

Senate Majority Leader Debbie Madronas also honored Castlebury in a post on Facebook.

"Duke Castlebury will forever be remembered as someone who served his country, who fought for liberty, who fought for the underdog and the middle class, who fought for social welfare and a social democratic tradition in this country. It has been an honor to work with him and I speak for all Nationalist senators when I say 'Thank You Duke,' your service and sacrifice will not be forgotten."

Denna Halitz backs Sam Pyatt in campaign video but praises Val Hennemott

CHRISTEN-KERR, E. Deschire -- Former federal Senator Denna Halitz (C) says she is backing Conservative Sam Pyatt in the race for East Deschire governor, despite her close relationship with Pyatt's NAT opponent, Val Hennemott.

Questions had been swirling for months about whom Halitz would endorse in the race.

A longtime Conservative, Halitz has known Pyatt for years and the two served in Congress together.

However, Val Hennemott is a former federal senator also, and like Pyatt, served alongside Halitz.

In addition, after a crushing defeat in the 2014 election, Halitz returned to East Deschire looking to rebuild.

Hennemott offered her a partner-level job at her public relations and consulting firm in Christen-Kerr.

The two former female senators, from different parties, built a successful bipartisan consulting agency.

There was speculation Halitz might cross party lines and endorse Hennemott over Pyatt in allegiance to her colleague and business partner.

But in her announcement video, which was filmed in the living room of her home outside Christen-Kerr, Halitz said while she considers Hennemott a friend, she and Hennemott agree to disagree on politics.

"Our friendship transcends politics," she said.

"Val and I made an agreement a long time ago, and that agreement was this: we may endorse different political candidates or different political parties. We may not agree on politics. We may have polar opposite views. But we will always be friends no matter what. And each of us should feel free to voice our political beliefs and share our opinions without fear of damaging our friendship," said Halitz.

She pointed out that in the 2016 presidential race, Hennemott endorsed Nationalist Jim McCaren, while Halitz supported Conservative Donna Almone.

"Just because I endorse someone doesn't mean I don't like Val or think she would make a great governor. I think she would make a great governor. And she is a role model for women leaders in East Deschire. But I have to be true to my political convictions, and politically, I am more conservative, and Sam Pyatt is the more conservative choice, and I think he is well-positioned to lead, he's done a good job in his first term as governor, and we need to continue the work he's already done," Halitz said.

Sources close to both women told the GBC when Hennemott first began exploring a campaign for governor, she consulted with Halitz. The two agreed Hennemott was a viable candidate and had a strong chance of winning.

Hennemott even asked Halitz if she'd be interested in serving as her running mate.

Halitz expressed interest but said she didn't want to run against Pyatt, whom she also considers a friend. She also expressed doubt that a gubernatorial ticket led by two women could win in strongly-conservative East Deschire.

Halitz also reportedly expressed trepidation about endorsing a Nationalist candidate.

"Denna feared that if she backed someone from the NAT, that would effectively end her career in the Conservative party," said one source, who asked for anonymity because they were not permitted to speak to the media. "Denna is already considered a 'moderate,' a 'faux-Conservative' by many hardliners in her party. If she endorsed a Nationalist, that would just seal her coffin and she'd never be able to win another election in East Deschire as a Conservative."

After Lieutenant Governor Mark Ellsworth decided to run for attorney general, Sam Pyatt needed a new running mate to replace Ellsworth.

The governor reportedly asked Halitz if she wanted the job, but like she did when Hennemott asked, Halitz declined, saying she didn't want to run against her friend, Val Hennemott.

Pyatt ultimately chose Christen-Kerr Mayor Phil Qwenberry to be his running mate.

Hennemott chose her former rival, Hansboro businessman John Blackman, to be hers.

The sources who spoke to the GBC said they believe Halitz wants to endorse Val Hennemott, but is backing Sam Pyatt because of pressure from Conservative party leaders.

"If she didn't have to consider politics, I think she would back Val Hennemott, but she's trying to protect her political future, and part of that is loyalty to the party," the source said.

In her video statement, Halitz said she will campaign with Pyatt at various campaign events, but would not demonize the NAT ticket, or condone any negative attacks against Hennemott and Blackman.

"We need to return civility to our politics. I will not participate in any attack ads or negative mailings. I want to elevate the level of our discourse because at the end of the day, we are all East Deschireans who care about our state, whether you're Conservative or Nationalist."

The Val Hennemott campaign released a statement in response to this article, saying, "Val appreciates her friendship and business partnership with Denna Halitz. Val and Denna are both political veterans, and they both understand that sometimes in politics, friends are pitted against friends, and friends end up on different sides. But that's okay, because reasonable people can disagree on these issues and elections and still have a productive relationship."

Sam Pyatt, Val Hennemott agree to three debates

DEROSA, E. Deschire -- The two leading candidates for East Deschire governor have agreed to three debates in the coming weeks.

Governor Sam Pyatt (C), who is seeking re-election, proposed three debates: one in Hansboro, the state's largest city, one in Doylestown, the state's second-largest city, and one in Ridgeview, the largest city in the panhandle region in the west.

But Val Hennemott, the NAT candidate, took issue with Pyatt's proposal because Ridgeview is Pyatt's hometown, which might give the governor a home-field advantage.

The two campaigns ended up agreeing to one debate in Hansboro, one at the University of East Deschire in Clawfield in the southern part of the state, and the final debate at East Deschire State University in Elmstead, which is about 20 miles southeast of Ridgeview.

Meanwhile, in the state's high-profile senate race, incumbent Allison Sweeten (N) has agreed so far to only one debate with her Conservative challenger, Nancy Lindselli. That debate is tentatively planned to take place in Doylestown.

Lindselli has called for more debates around the state, and has criticized Sweeten for refusing to participate in more.

"The only reason a politician passes up on a debate is because they're afraid to answer questions. I wish Allison would agree to more of these debates we've proposed, because the people of East Deschire deserve answers," Lindselli told the Hansboro Laureate newspaper.

Sweeten's campaign responded in an email to the Laureate, insisting the senator has not agreed to more debates because of her busy schedule, not because she's dodging questions.

Lindselli is known for her sharp rhetoric and bullish presence in debates, where she seems to revel in the spotlight. Her zingers and one-liners against opponents are often stinging and draw laughs and boos alike.

Polls show a neck-and-neck race between Sweeten, 37, and 74-year-old Lindselli. 

Ramos leads in POG governor's race

LANSDALE -- A new Lexmark University shows state Attorney General Ramon Ramos (N) leading Conservative Assemblyman Nick Karen 52%-48% in the state's governor race.

The poll confirmed that Ramos, 44, who has served two terms as AG, has much more name recognition than the little-known Karen, who has represented a suburban west Lansdale district for six years.

Karen, age 39, narrowly beat back his more hardline primary opponents, businessmen Mike Indano and Terry Silvi, in the October primary race.

Ramos won a four-way race on the NAT side, beating federal Senator Max Kiesling, billionaire businessman Pat Gaynor and Assemblywoman Elaine Najiscoto from the state's southeast.

Poll results show Ramos is better known but has higher unfavorability ratings. Some 43% of respondents said they don't like him.

Forty-two percent of respondents said they don't know enough about Nick Karen to form an opinion.

Both men having been hitting the airwaves and campaigning across the state in a final push to win over undecided voters.

Karen has been endorsed by outgoing Governor Donna Almone and federal Senator Dick Trau. After finishing in third place in the primary race, Terry Silvi endorsed Karen, but Mike Indano, who finished in a close second, has refused to back Karen.

Ramos has received endorsements from Senators George Mercott and Diane Coke. Outgoing Senator Max Kiesling, who lost to Ramos, has declined to endorse him.

Pat Gaynor and Elaine Najiscoto have both given Ramos their backing.

Kiesling told the Lansdale Focus newspaper that he has concerns about Ramos' partisan history.

"Of course I want to see an NAT governor, but I want to see a governor that's a unifier, not someone who is a hard-line partisan, so I haven't made up my mind yet on whether I'll endorse Ramon or not," Kiesling said.

Scott King denies rape allegations as Monomi governor's race descends into chaos

TRIETON -- For the first ten minutes of the Monomi governor's debate Thursday night, former NAT Governor Scott King defended his reputation and denied allegations of rape and sexual harassment by multiple women.

"I am totally innocent of these allegations, I have never and never would rape a woman. These allegations are a political smear on my campaign and my good name, and I will fight back with everything I have because I refuse to let my political opponents sully my name and accuse me of something as awful and abhorrent as rape," King said in his opening statement at the debate.

King, whose political career was derailed back in 2010 due to a separate scandal involving rumored prostitutes and mismanagement of state money, won the 2018 Nationalist Party's nomination for governor back on October 3, narrowly defeating Trieton businesswoman Beth Gowan 51% to 49%, respectively.

During the primary campaign, King acknowledged his past scandal, for which he was never charged with a crime but was later recalled by the voters in a closely-split recall election in 2010.

King portrayed the scandal as politically-motivated and said there was no merit to the accusations.

But just two weeks after he won the 2018 NAT nomination for governor, a campaign he billed as his "Redemption Comeback," a bombshell investigation by the Trieton Sun newspaper detailed new allegations by two women who said King raped them.

In addition to the two rape accusers, six other women told the Sun King sexually assaulted or harassed them, including "sexting" unwanted sexual images of himself to them.

The first alleged rape reportedly occurred when King was a young lawyer back in 1998, the victim told the Sun. Both were attending a holiday party at a private residence and had been drinking alcohol.

The second is said to have occurred in 2012 at another holiday party. Both the victim and King had consumed alcohol on that occasion as well, the victim says.

The six women who accuse King of groping them and sending explicit photos say those actions happened more recently, starting in 2010 and as recent as last year.

When the article first broke on October 27, King immediately denied the accusations, calling them a "despicable, last-minute attempt to derail my campaign."

In an emergency press conference on October 27, the former governor said he has never raped anyone.

"Absolutely, flat-out, 100 percent, I can tell you I have never raped anyone in my life. Ever. Period."

He admitted to sexting multiple women, and said he may have groped some women on occasion, but insisted the photos were not unwanted and the groping incidents were good-natured jokes, not predatory behavior.

"Yes, I have sent intimate pictures of myself to some of my girlfriends and some women I dated. But never unwanted. In each case, those images were requested or we were dating, so it was not inappropriate," King said. "As for the groping, there were a couple times where I'd had too much to drink and I did grope a woman's butt or brush up against her breast. But it was always just joking around, and not once did any of the women accusing me now express any discomfort or dislike of it or ask me to stop."

After the new allegations broke, the state NAT party held an emergency meeting and unanimously voted to remove King as their candidate. He was replaced by his running mate and former primary rival, Beth Gowan, the founder and CEO of the Pro-Athletica, a sportswear and fitness company.

King complained the state party's leadership committee never asked him about the allegations.

"They never asked me if these allegations were true. They never asked me for my side of the story. They never attempted to verify the veracity of these claims. They just said 'Scott, you need to step aside.' And then they forcibly removed me without any due process," he said.

Forced out as the NAT's nominee, King announced he would continue his campaign as a write-in candidate.

It was too late for him to file to run as an independent, Monomi Secretary of State Krystelle LaSchantz said. But he was not too late to run as a write-in candidate.

The explosive allegations of sexual assault and rape have now upended Monomi's governor's race and turned it into a three-way contest between King, Gowan and Conservative Attorney General Will Huxton.

Normally, a write-in candidate would not be included in a televised debate. But in the most recent polls, King has been polling at around 21% in a three-way match-up, and debate rules allow any candidate who polls at 10% or more to appear in televised debates.

At the November 1 debate in downtown Trieton at the University of Monomi, King again defended himself.

"Remember what they did to me in 2010. They accused me of using prostitutes and stealing money, paying people off. The attorney general investigated and said there's not enough evidence. The feds investigated and said there's not enough evidence. I never committed a crime then, and I didn't commit a crime this time either," King said to the audience.

When asked by Trieton news anchor Kevin Derrington, a debate moderator, why allegations of corruption and womanizing seem to keep popping up in his political career, King interrupted him and said "because I'm a powerful person, because I've been the best damn governor this state has had in the last 20 years, and because Monomians love me and like what I've done. I'm a threat to the establishment. I'm a threat to the Conservatives and I'm a threat to the party elite in the NAT. Both parties fear me and fear my popularity, so they're trying to take me down with these lies that conveniently come up when I'm running for office."

King said he didn't even remember the first woman who accused him of rape. "I don't even know who she is. I don't recognize the name, I saw a picture of her and don't recognize her face. I don't ever recall meeting her, I'm not sure I ever have."

He did recall the second accuser, and admitted the two did have a sexual encounter, but said it was "entirely consensual."

"We did have sex, it was just sort of a spontaneous hook-up at a party, and we both had been drinking, but neither one of us was drunk, it was 100% consensual, and never at any time did she say 'no' or express any reluctance. This was a totally consensual encounter between two consenting adults, and this is the first I'm hearing that it wasn't consensual on her account."

After spending more than ten minutes of the debate defending himself, moderator Kevin Derrington said "we have to move on and give Ms. Gowan and Mr. Huxton time to respond and speak. This is not a campaign media event for you, Mr. King, this is a debate, and all candidates are entitled to equal time."

When asked about the allegations against King, Gowan said she was disappointed and worried.

"I consider Scott a friend. He's done a lot of great things for this state. But we have to take allegations of sexual assault and rape seriously. And just because he's a fellow Nationalist, just because he's a friend, I can't ignore the allegations against him. They need to be investigated fully and fairly. The state NAT had no choice but to remove him from the ticket, given the gravity of the allegations.

"The most important thing right now is for Scott to address this crisis. He needs to step out of the race, discontinue his campaign, and focus on his legal and personal matters right now. It's best for him, best for the victims and best for the people of Monomi. Our state government has been through enough turmoil during his first term as governor. It's not fair to drag Monomians through all this a second time," Gowan said.

Conservative Will Huxton declined to call for King to step down, but said the allegations against him are "very concerning."

"I can tell you, as attorney general, I have prosecuted many, many cases of rape and sexual assault over my career, and I can tell you personally from having spoken with the victims just how traumatic and life-changing something like this can be. We just can't have a governor who treats women like this. We need a governor who respects women, who treats women with dignity, and Scott King, even if he didn't rape these women...the other allegations against him, some of which he's admitted to like sexting women and groping them, those actions alone disqualify him from the governorship."

Much of the debate focused on King's scandal, but moderators eventually moved the conversation to important issues such as transportation, health care, environment, education, and border security.

In his closing statement, King reminded voters that he governed over a strong economy when he first served as governor, and urged voters to vote with the economy in mind.

"They're trying to make this election about sexual assault and the #MeToo movement," King said, pointing to Gowan and Huxton. "But this election should be about jobs and fixing our economy, and making Monomi great again. Our state has floundered under John Densy and the Conservatives. We need to get back on track, and I'm the only candidate on this stage who will fix our economy, bring jobs back here, and get Monomi moving again," he said.

Gowan touted her endorsements from most of the state's largest newspapers, and said she was the only real choice.

"Scott King needs to stand down and deal with his legal issues. Scott, you should end your campaign now, for the sake of our state. And Will Huxton is an extreme partisan who has time and time again pushed a radical conservative agenda. He wants to tighten down on immigrant families. He wants to defund public schools and spend more on charter schools. He wants to cut funding for state programs. He wants to cut funding for green projects. And he wants to cut taxes for the rich. Both of these men up here tonight are wrong for Monomi. I'm the only one up here who has experience in the business world. I know how to create jobs. As a CEO, I've overseen a major Fortune 500 company. I've hired people. I've given out paychecks and balanced budgets. And I will bring my expertise from the private sector to our state government, which needs new leadership desperately," said Gowan.

Huxton laughed at Gowan's comments. "All those things she just accused me of, they're so absurd, I don't know where to begin."

"The bottom line is, you have a choice to make this election. You can vote for a man who admits to groping women and sending nude pictures of himself. Or you can vote for Ms. Gowan, who is a typical Nationalist who wants higher taxes, more environmental restrictions that will harm our construction and housing. She's pushing the radical social agenda of the Nationalist party. She's 100% in agreement with Jim McCaren and Debbie Madronas and all the other radical Nationalist leaders in Mavocke. She takes her orders from them.

"So you can vote for one of these two Nationalists up here, both will raise your taxes and favor immigrants over Monomians. Or you can vote for me. A proven conservative. I will fight for lower taxes. I will put more police on the streets. I will make sure our borders are secure. I will rein in government spending. And I will oppose the national government every time they try to stick their noses in to our state business. I will be a governor Monomians can trust and a governor Monomi can be proud of."

The hour-long debate ended up going more than 90 minutes, and the television station sponsoring the debate continued coverage of the debate despite other programming.

Following the recent developments in the race, Dr. Kerry Rudgley from the Edinough School of Government at Dulkalow University in Damoign is rating the race as "likely Conservative."

President McCaren rallies in East Deschire for NAT women candidates

GEORGETOWN, E. Deschire -- It was all about "girl power" in northwest East Deschire Friday night.

More than six thousand people - mostly women but some men too - turned out for a high-energy rally in the panhandle city to hear President Jim McCaren campaign for female NAT candidates.

Crowds began forming around 3:00 pm western time at the George Hinshaw Theater in Georgetown, located just across the river from its sister-city, Dash Knoll, Deschire.

The Hinshaw Theater only holds about 1,200 people, so the rest of the crowd was forced to stand outside in the drizzle, shutting down streets for several hours.

McCaren was in town to campaign for Nationalist Senator Allison Sweeten and NAT governor candidate Val Hennemott.

Sweeten is in a tight race for re-election against former Senator Nancy Lindselli, an outspoken conservative firebrand whom Sweeten narrowly defeated in 2012.

Hennemott is also in a close race with incumbent Governor Sam Pyatt (C). Hennemott is a former senator.

The rally wasn't only for East Deschire's candidates though. Jhinny Addelson and Trish Potter, who represent neighboring Deschire in the senate, are also up for re-election this year, and joined the rally, which was billed as a bi-state rally for panhandle East Deschire and northwest Deschire.

Also at the rally were East Deschire's two other female NAT senators, Portia McLendon and Donna Rae Cobb.

Secretary of State Jenny Sinderman (N) was also on stage but did not speak.

Pictures of McCaren on stage joining hands in victory with the seven NAT women were going viral on social media.

McCaren hailed the courage of Sweeten and Hennemott for running in a state that is dominated by male Conservative politicians.

"When Allison Sweeten and Val Hennemott first ran for the senate, they were told a woman couldn't win. Even in the state NAT party, there were people who said 'you can't win because you're a woman and this is a conservative state,'" McCaren said, while the crowd booed. "But they ran anyway, and they won, and they showed the country that Nationalist women can be elected in East Deschire, and not only that, they can get results."

McCaren praised Deschire Senator Jhinny Addelson as a "champion of women's rights," and said Addelson was among the most pivotal members of Congress on the issue of abortion access for women.

"Without Jhinny Addelson in the senate, the Conservatives would have chipped away, and will chip away even more, at women's constitutional and human right to make choices about their own bodies," McCaren said. "We need Jhinny Addelson in Mavocke. We absolutely need her, and you must vote for her and make sure she wins so she can keep leading the good fight in the senate to defend women," said the president.

McCaren also credited Potter with her work on a bipartisan transportation and infrastructure bill that is currently being negotiated.

"Trish works behind the scenes. She's not always the first one to speak at a press conference, or to appear on the news programs. She's maybe not as visible in the public eye as some of her colleagues. She's a quiet leader who works diligently when the cameras aren't rolling. She doesn't receive nearly enough credit for all her work. She's constantly reaching across the aisle to get things done. She doesn't receive the accolades or the glory in the news media, but she is a key deal broker, and she has delivered for Deschire, and she will continue to deliver as your senator," McCaren said.

The ladies spoke too. Sweeten said President McCaren has been "an invaluable partner" and thanked his administration for not forgetting western Grassadellia as previous administrations sometimes did.

"Western Grassadellia accounts for only 20% of our country's population, and sometimes administrations don't pay much attention to western issues because most of the population is back east. But Jim McCaren has not forgotten East Deschire and Deschire and the rest of the west. He has our back."

Addelson, who was born and raised and still lives in Dash Knoll, said McCaren has been a strong ally of women.

"This man up here, our president, has stood with women and continues to do so. Whether it's reproductive rights or maternity leave or equal pay, Jim McCaren is for women," she said to cheers.

The enthusiastic crowd responded with loud applause. Signs reading "Women for McCaren" and "Ladies First" and "Strong Women = Strong Country" were seen throughout the audience.

East Deschire Senator Portia McLendon closed the rally by reminding women to vote.

"If we want to win, if we want to stop the Conservatives from taking over Mavocke and pushing their radical, anti-woman agenda, we - women - have to vote!" she cried. "Get out there and vote! Let's show the rest of the country that the women's rights movement begins and has its roots here in East Deschire and Deschire!"

During the rally, Conservative Nancy Lindselli held her own event in nearby Ridgeview, north of Georgetown.

Lindselli, who is known for her provocative comments and insults, mocked the rally, calling it "a desperate cry for attention."

"They're down there in Georgetown, rallying for women's rights, rallying for abortion, rallying for extreme feminism, rallying for the extreme, Jim McCaren, Nationalist agenda that will bankrupt our country, bring more and more taxes, neuter our military, and open our borders," said Lindselli.

"And we're up here in Ridgeview...we don't have as many cameras or as much media pizzazz as they do. But we do have common sense on our side, and we have public opinion. The people of East Deschire are smart, and they have repeatedly rejected the liberal ideology and the radical agenda of the Nationalist party, and they will do it again this election."