Becky Grael clarifies relationship with Sam Baskingwood

ELMHURST, Ans. -- Speaker of the Ansleigha State House of Representatives Becky Grael (N) is clarifying her relationship with Ansleigha Gov. Sam Baskingwood (C).

Previous news stories, including a news piece in The Regent magazine, characterized Grael's friendship with Baskingwood as highly positive.

The governor and the speaker, former foes in the 2020 governor's race, are now dear friends, the piece insinuated.

The article immediately created backlash for Grael, with left-wing activists protesting her for being too friendly with a Conservative politician.

The outcry from her fellow Nationalists has led Grael to clarify her connections to Baskingwood.

In an interview with The Ansleighan magazine, Grael said she is not friends with Baskingwood, but instead a rival.

"Sam Baskingwood and I are not friends. I want to make that clear. I need to make that clear. We are not friends," she said emphatically.

"We are friendly, we are respectful to each other, we conduct ourselves with professionalism and mutual respect for the other's office and constitutional duties, but we are not friends," she clarified.

"A lady wrote this piece on me and the governor a few months ago, and ever since then, people think the governor and I are meeting for tea every week and going to each other's houses for dinner parties and sending each other notes of encouragement. And that's not true." 

"I do go to the governor's mansion to see him, but only in a professional capacity as speaker of the state house, not as a friend or a social call. And while I am friendly to him, I don't consider him a friend. He's a rival. He's a political opponent. He's a thorn in my side, with his policies that are diametrically opposed to mine. We do not see eye-to-eye. We do not agree. Sometimes we are able to find a compromise, but it's professional courtesy, not personal admiration," she said.

She continued, saying that she abhors Baskingwood's policies that "favor the rich and harm everyday Ansleighans."

And she can't be friends with someone who does not believe in full citizenship for undocumented immigrants, she said. Baskingwood has made clear his opposition to granting citizenship to undocumented immigrants, especially those who have committed violent crimes or not worked.

That said, Grael did say she and Baskingwood respect each other as political rivals. And the governor did send an encouraging note to her when her mother was ill with terminal cancer.

"We aren't friends, but we are human. And he did send me a very kind note, which was very thoughtful of him. That doesn't mean we are bosom buddies," she said.

She did admit that the two, while political foes, try to one-up the other.

"I've screwed him a few times, and I've rubbed it in his face. And he's pulled the carpet out from under me a few times, and he always gloats about it too," she said. "So we do have a friendly rivalry, a mutual respect for the other's political savviness. But friends? I think that's going too far."

Baskingwood's office was contacted for comment, and a spokeswoman for the governor said that, while the two politicians are political challengers, the governor continues to view Grael as a friend.

"Gov. Baskingwood is saddened to hear that Becky Grael does not consider him a friend. He always has and continues to consider her a friend, and will continue to treat her with the utmost respect and professionalism, no matter what," said Angela Marktz, Deputy Press Secretary for the governor's office.

Grael ended her interview with The Ansleighan by saying she is "all in" on supporting whoever the NAT nominee for governor is in the 2024 election.

There is "absolutely no way" Grael will support Baskingwood for reelection, she said.

Jaimeson leads all NAT challengers, but is losing some Conservative voters: polls

PARKINS, N. Ceona -- As he gears up for his reelection bid, North Ceona Gov. Ty Jaimeson is in a strong position, according to new polling.

Jaimeson, first elected in 2020, leads all of his eight NAT challengers, most by a comfortable margin, though a few do come close to running even with him.

However, that same set of polling data found that while Jaimeson does well with independent voters and even pulls some moderate NAT voters, he is struggling with the state's far-right Conservative voters, who are disillusioned with his more centrist policies and positions.

The trend is most notable in the state's most conservative counties, which cover a swath of rural desert terrain, miles way from the more diverse metro areas of Parkins, Lexerna or Berwick.

In those jurisdictions, many right-wing voters simply can't stomach voting for Jaimeson, who they feel is a "faux Conservative," that is, too liberal for the Conservative Party.

Still, despite losing some of the most ardent Conservative voters, Jaimeson is well-positioned heading into the November 2024 election. He is not facing any fellow Conservative challengers in the primary election, and most of his NAT opponents are little-known and first-time candidates for statewide office.

Sen. Elizabeth Graham, who narrowly lost to Jaimeson back in 2024, has declined to run again this year, as has former state Attorney General John Ennis.

Senators Anthony Campanelli (N) and Wendy MacDonald (N) also declined to challenge Jaimeson, and former Sen. Alexis Stotter also ruled out a run.

That's left eight NAT candidates who are relatively unknown. The most prominent name in the race so far is state Senate Minority Leader Tom Muddleford, who previously ran for governor in 2020 but lost to Graham and Ennis in the primary. Muddleford came in third place in that contest.

Muddleford is the best-known candidate on the NAT side, yet his polling numbers are not as favorable as some of his opponents. His strong personality and his history of refusing to compromise with fellow state legislators are a turn-off to many voters, polling shows.

The latest Jaimeson-Muddleford poll conducted in early January found Muddleford trailing the incumbent governor by seven points (46% - 53%).

So far, the NAT's best-polling candidate is Forward Industries CEO Susie Forzsak (pronounced "For-Zack").

Forward Industries is an aeronautics company that makes parts for large commercial aircraft. Forzsak, who lives in the far eastern Parkins suburbs of affluent Mantionne County, has never ran for office before, and is little-known outside of state NAT Party circles.

However, Forzsak has already been running television ads statewide promoting her candidacy and her friendship with some of the state's top NAT leaders, including Graham and MacDonald.

Forzsak has made the economy and bringing living-wage jobs to North Ceona a central part of her campaign, while other candidates in the race have made labor and race relations their central themes.

In a head-to-head match up, Forzsak trails Jaimeson by just two points, according to a poll from the North Ceonan newspaper.

Also a leading contender against Jaimeson is Lexerna businessman John Thurgood, a self-made millionaire who founded and runs his own logistics company. Thurgood trails Jaimeson by a similar margin, according to the polls.

State Sen. Tom Denton, of north-central Parkins, is also a leading candidate, though his polling numbers fall far shorter against Jaimeson (45% - 53%).

Fellow State Sen. Katie Pollock of south Parkins comes closer to Jaimeson (48% - 51%), while businessman Blair Elliott of Lexerna also comes within shouting distance (47% - 52%).

Arab-Grassadellian community organizer and journalist Sajid Roushan garners 46% to Jaimeson's 53%, respectively, while State Sen. Lisa Campion of Cape Goodwin has the lowest numbers against Jaimeson, 45% - 54%, respectively. 

The numbers show the race is far from a clinch for Jaimeson. However, the popular, young governor will be difficult for Nationalists to unseat.

In his first term, he's made education, business, low taxes, and the environment chief areas of focus for his administration. He's also acutely followed crime and homelessness in the Parkins metro area, which has seen a spike in crime and homeless activity in recent years.

Another advantage for Jaimeson is his side job of running the Conservative Party's nationwide gubernatorial campaign strategies. As the chair of CGA, he is personally responsible for recruiting top-notch CNS candidates for governor in all 24 states, and that position gives him easy access to wealthy donors and party elites.

Jaimeson is sitting on a $4.6 million campaign bank account, at the moment. His NAT challengers are starting from virtually ground zero, in terms of fundraising.

But North Ceona is a fickle state, often delivering narrow wins for both parties. Previously firmly in the Conservative Party's column, the state, in recent years, has become a battleground, with both parties holding nearly equal strength.

The state continues to lean to the CNS, but many moderate and independent voters who break for both parties have the ability to sway elections into the NAT's favor. While the NAT has never won a governor's race in North Ceona, three of the state's current four federal senators are from the NAT.

And even an unsuccessful run against Jaimeson could still be helpful for aspiring NAT candidates.

A loss in 2024 could still provide much-needed name recognition and donor networking, which could help a losing candidate rebuild and grow in strength for a future run for office.

It's a race that will be worth watching for, analysts say. Longtime veteran pollster Dr. Kerry Rudgely from Dulkalow University currently rates the race as a CNS-favored, which means the race is favoring the CNS but could become more competitive with the right NAT candidate.

In the NAT primary race, Muddleford continues to lead the field, although with eight candidates in the mix, several of whom are great fundraisers, the NAT nomination is far from certain.