Mona Rodgers will seek third term as governor, may face tight race

WELCHFORD, Roddenshire -- Governor Mona Rodgers will seek an unprecedented third term in 2020, she announced Thursday.

Rodgers is finishing up her seventh year in office, and and while Roddenshire has no term limits for governors, it's customary for governors to only serve two consecutive four-year terms and then step down to allow for a new successor.

But the popular governor will run for re-election in 2020, she announced at a press conference Thursday afternoon at the state capitol.

While she remains popular, especially among Nationalists and progressives, her pitch for a third term is expected to galvanize Roddenshire Conservatives, who have long been locked out of power in the state's capitol, Welchford.

Conservatives have never come close to winning the governorship. In 2012, Rodgers trounced Lacarthy businessman Jon Cortano 61-39 percent. In a rematch four years later, he improved but she still beat him 58-42 percent.

However, Roddenshire's demographics have changed in recent years, with an influx of immigrants, particularly Asian and Hispanic.

And recent polling by the state's Conservative Party shows Cortano essentially tied with Rodgers.

Cortano performs strongly in rural areas and in working and middle class neighborhoods, while Rodgers does well with high-income and older voters.

Mavocke Mayor Tom Frederickson, a more moderate Conservative, leads Rodgers by two percentage points, according to the poll.

And Senator Frank Traetori of Warnick ties Rodgers too.

Conservatives say while Roddenshire's economy is doing well, it's largely due to outside factors that don't involve Rodgers. And voters are weary of her leadership.

"The polls we conducted show that voters are ready for new leadership. They're ready for new blood. They're tired of the same old Nationalist politicians running the show in Welchford. They're ready for a new chapter," said Tom Fuller, an executive board member of the state's Conservative Party.

Rodgers' campaign dismissed the polls, saying they are a "partisan pipe-dream."

"The fact is, Roddenshireans are happy with Mona Rodgers' positive leadership for our state. The economy is booming, education is doing well in our state, and people have a high quality of life," said spokesman Jared Dunn.

So far, the only confirmed candidate for the Conservatives is Cortano. Despite losing twice, his campaign says the 2020 race will be different.

"We have different demographics, we have several wealthy donors backing us this time unlike the previous campaigns, and people are tired of Mona Rodgers and more importantly they're tired of the Nationalist Party monopolizing our state government," said John Watkins, the Cortano campaign director.

Cortano, who grew up in a middle-class Italian-Grassadellian home in Lacarthy, will appeal to middle-class and working-class voters, his campaign said. He will focus on improving the economy, lowering taxes, alleviating traffic congestion, and cleaning up state government.

Roddenshire's economy is doing well, but it has some of the highest taxes in the nation. And sandwiched between Grassadellia City, the nation's largest metro area, and Mavocke, the national capitol, it has some of the worst automobile traffic in the country too.

Rodgers, who never married and has no children, said she plans to continue her focus on education and mitigating regional issues like Mavocke-Grassadellia City high-speed rail and sea ferry service between Roddenshire's southeast coast and Cape Joyner, Damoign.

Almone: North Korea might get 'Christmas gift' of its own from another country

MAVOCKE -- North Korea threatened the United States again this week, saying the US should expect a "Christmas gift."

North Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song warned the US on state television, saying "it is entirely up to the US what Christmas gift it will select."

The thinly-veiled threat is "bold and stupid," Donna Almone told the GBC.

Almone, Grassadellia's Foreign Affairs Secretary, said North Korea should be careful about throwing out threats.

"North Korea keeps poking the bear. They keep throwing out these threats to the United States and other countries, and I would say to North Korea and Kim Jong Un, you really should be careful about bandying about threats," said Almone in an interview with the GBC's Kristen Kelly.

"If you keep poking the bear and provoking other countries for long enough, one of these times, they might just give you a 'Christmas gift' you don't expect."

Following policy of previous administrations, Almone has taken a tough stance on North Korea since taking over as Foreign Affairs Secretary.

She previously called North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un a "wannabe thug" and a "privileged despot."

Earlier this year, she said in a press conference that North Korea was "all bark and no bite," but she has since said the rogue, hermit country needs to be "reined in" and "taken seriously."

North Korea has previously hurled colorful insults at Almone, calling her "a desperate woman" and "a cow being lead to slaughter."

The communist regime has also insulted Grassadellian President Jim McCaren, calling him "a buffoon" and describing him as having "the I.Q. of a small, disabled child."

Durick trails CNS opponents in Wilkonshire governor's race

CHRISTON, Wilk. -- He won by a sliver of the vote in the 2016 election, and now Wilkonshire Governor Tom Durick (pronounced "Dure-rick") is facing even steeper odds going into his 2020 re-election race.

In 2016, Durick eventually became governor after weeks of recounting. He barely edged out Christon Mayor Tara Hadley (C).

Now Hadley is running again, and a recent Insiders poll shows Hadley leading Durick by three points, 49% to 46%, respectively.

Durick also trails Conservative political newcomer Charlie Dunn by an even larger margin, 44%-53%, respectively.

Dunn has never run for office before. He owns an office supply company in Teaupederie.

Durick has the advantage in the money race. He has $1.3 million on hand as of December 1. Hadley has $800,000 and Dunn has not yet filed a report, so his financial status is unclear.

Wilkonshire is a battleground state, with a relatively even number of CNS and NAT voters.

The poll found Durick performing best in the liberal stronghold of Bradford, the state's second-largest city. He also does well in the state capital Provincetown and in the southern suburbs of Christon.

Hadley and Dunn both have the clear edge in the state's largest city Christon and its suburbs. The Conservative candidates also receive strong support in the southern city of Petersboro, as well as Oak Valley and Jaffling in the western half of the state.

The poll found the state's northeast corner is virtually evenly split between the two political parties.

White House placed angry phone call to Collester over Almone nomination

MAVOCKE -- When President Jim McCaren nominated former POG Governor Donna Almone to be the next Foreign Affairs Secretary, he got push-back from some members of Congress.

But McCaren also got complaints from an unlikely source: the President of the United States.

Phone records and aides to McCaren and Almone confirmed that US President Donald J. Trump called Collester the day after Almone was nominated for the position.


Trump spoke directly with McCaren, with Almone and a handful of other officials listening in.

The US President expressed his dissatisfaction with Almone, who has frequently and publicly criticized Trump in the past.

Trump told McCaren he should rescind Almone's nomination and pick someone else for the top job at Foreign Affairs.

"With all due respect, Mr. President, I am not going to pick someone else. Donna Almone is who I chose and I am going to stick with that decision. I have the utmost confidence in her," McCaren told Trump.

Collester did not release the full transcript from the call, including Trump's verbatim comments.

But sources say Trump was upset and told McCaren picking Almone was a mistake.

In a meeting last month with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Almone said she told Pompeo privately that she would be fair toward Trump and his administration when working with the United States.

"I told Secretary Pompeo that when he and President Trump are right on the issues, I will speak up and join with them. And when President McCaren and I feel the Americans are wrong on the issue, we will speak up about that as well," said Almone, recalling the conversation.

Before she took over her new job as Foreign Affairs Secretary, Almone criticized Trump for his positions on climate change and immigration. She also condemned his use of personal attacks and views toward women.

Asked if she thought Trump, Pompeo and other officials in the Trump administration would treat her fairly, Almone said she hoped so.

"I don't want to be mistreated for being a woman. Whether it's by a foreign government or by someone in our own country. I shouldn't be looked down upon because I'm a woman. No woman should have to deal with that kind of sexism in this day and age," said Almone. "But I also don't want to be treated with kid gloves. I want to be treated like everyone else, like all the men. I want my peers and counterparts from other countries to be straight up and honest with me and to treat me fairly but with dignity."

McCaren said Almone is "just as tough and competent and capable as any man" in a similar role.

"Donna is an amazing foreign secretary, and she will do as good if not better a job than any male politician will," McCaren said.

McCaren also issued a stinging rebuke to Trump, saying "no foreign government or foreign leader will ever dictate who I can or cannot nominate to my cabinet. That is my decision. Grassadellia is a sovereign country and we will conduct our business on our own terms. We will not be influenced or swayed by foreigners."

GNN contacted the White House for comment on this story but received no response.