In shock poll result, Jim Valoix leads in Oceanview County

WILLIAMSTOWN, Trin. -- It's been considered a staunchly liberal county for decades, with Nationalists routinely winning massive majorities in elections right-and-left.

So why is a Conservative candidate for governor leading in Trinton's Oceanview County, home to the state's second-largest city, Williamstown?

That's a question Conservative and Nationalist political pundits alike are asking themselves.

In a new poll released by the Golden Shore Tribune newspaper, Conservative Jim Valoix is actually leading his NAT rival, Assemblyman Tom Jamber, in Oceanview County.

It's the first time a Conservative candidate for governor has ever been in the lead in the county since modern polling began.

The finding is especially surprising because of Oceanview County's many left-wing university students and union workers.

The county is among the most highly-educated counties in the country, with almost 50% of adults having at least a Bachelor's degree or higher.

Statistics show that educated voters tend to vote NAT at a higher rate. And younger voters also favor the center-left party.

So, how is it that Valoix -- a thrice failed candidate for governor who is on his fourth attempt at the state's top job -- is leading in one of the most liberal counties in the nation?

Political experts aren't sure. But much of it could have to do with Trinton's difficult economy.

Housing prices are at an all-time high in the Golden Shore state, while homelessness is also at record levels.

Gas taxes imposed by Nationalist politicians, and signed into law by outgoing Gov. Marcus Edinough, are also among the highest in the nation.

For many voters, the economy is their top priority. Issues like inflation, housing prices, the cost of gasoline, and crime continue to dominate the race for governor.

"I think a lot of suburban voters, and even urban voters, are sick of the high taxes, they're sick of the crazy, exorbitant housing prices that price people out of homes, and they're sick and tired of criminals who break into people's houses and businesses, they get arrested, taken to jail for a night, and then released back onto the street, where they do it all over again the next day. I think people are fed up with all of that," Valoix told the GBC in a sit-down interview Saturday.

Nationalists seem to understand they have a problem with the economy and crime. 

Jamber recently told the Trinton Chamber of Commerce he will seek to detain repeat offenders in jail for longer periods, and he will work with state legislators to mandate repeat criminals go to rehabilitation or stay in jail.

On the economy, Jamber admitted many Trintonians are "missing out on the dream of owning a home" because of the state's high housing prices.

Jamber disputed, however, the notion that Nationalist politicians have caused the housing affordability and crime recidivism problems.

"Let's be clear," he told a panel of journalists at the University of Trinton's north campus in Tucannon, Friday. "The housing crisis was created by greedy banks and pandemic. And the crime issue has been created by a myriad of factors that have nothing to do with which political party is in charge."

Jamber also assigned some of the blame to current Gov. Marcus Edinough.

"I ran for governor back in 2020 and I lost to a center-right candidate. Not a Conservative, but a conservative-leaning governor. And he has declined to confront many of these issues that you're talking about today. If I had won back in 2020, these problems would be less significant than they are currently," said Jamber.

Governor Edinough's office responded to a question from the National Press Federation (NPF) with a curt reply.

"Tom Jamber sounds like a typical politician who is running for office. He blames everyone else for all the problems that he contributed to, and he is promising the moon to the voters, telling people he can fix all the complex problems that plague state government," said Eric Rotin, a spokesperson for Jamber's office.

"It's completely unfair to blame all of the state's problems on one person or one elected official," Rotin added.

Regardless, the issues of cost-of-living and crime are fertile issues for Conservative politicians like Jim Valoix. And those aren't issues that are unique to Trinton. 

All over the country, in every state that is electing a new governor this year, cost-of-living and crime come up over and over again, with many middle-class and affluent voters mentioning those issues at top influencers on their votes.

It seems whichever candidates can find the right positions on those issues, or can present themselves as the strongest candidate on those issues, may find themselves winning come election day.

While the recent poll did find Valoix leading in Oceanview County and his home county of Port Alice, the poll found Jamber leading overall statewide by an inch, 49.6% to 49.1%, respectively.

That means the race is well within the margin of error of plus-or-minus three points.

Upon publication of the poll's results, the Valoix campaign went on a fundraising frenzy, spitting out fundraising emails, phone calls and text messages to supporters, asking for cash.

The campaign also approached national Conservatives in the national party's leadership, asking for an infusion of cash from the Conservative Governors Association (CGA).

CGA chairman Ty Jaimeson, governor of North Ceona, promised Valoix an additional $3 million to Valoix's campaign as a result of the poll's findings, sources close to the situation said.

Neither Valoix nor Jaimeson would comment on the specific agreement the two men came to regarding campaign funding.

The poll results also spurred the Jamber campaign to act. 

They, too, sent out fundraising messages to supporters, with an urgent message that the race is closer than expected.

"If there's one thing we can't do this election, it's be complacent," said an email from the Jamber campaign, obtained by the GBC. "We need YOUR support right now, to defeat Jim Valoix and his wealthy billionaire friends," the email said.

Jamber has raised more donations for his campaign, mostly from wealthy tech executives and celebrity donors, many of whom do not live in Trinton.

Valoix has raised less money from donors, however, he is a multi-millionaire, with an estimated fortunate of up to $200 million. So, it's likely he can donate much of his own fortune to his campaign.

He has already given his campaign $5.8 million of his own money, and he has hinted in recent weeks he may pour in more of his fortune as a last-minute campaign funding boost.

NP governor's race a dead-heat

LONDONDERRY, NP -- A new poll released in the New Portsmouth governor's race shows both the Conservative incumbent and NAT challenger in a dead-heat race.

Most political pundits have, in recent weeks, given the edge to former NAT Gov. Welma Sidley, who is seeking a rematch with Conservative incumbent Barry Newkirk.

In a surprising upset victory back in 2022, Newkirk just barely edged out Sidley in her bid for re-election.

After enacting record tax breaks, gutting funding for the state's Department of Education, and transferring millions of dollars away from "green" transport projects back to more traditional, roads-based projects, many political analysts figured Newkirk would be trailing badly in the polls this close to the general election.

But the latest poll from the non-partisan Grantham Institute finds Newkirk actually leading Sidley, 50.4% to 48.6%, respectively.

However, that lead is insignificant, and well within the margin of error, which is plus-or-minus three points.

It's hardly a guaranteed win for Newkirk, but it shows he's not faring as badly as analysts predicted.

The poll is also bad news for the Sidley campaign, as top Nationalist figures and donors assumed she was headed for sure victory.

Now, her electoral prospects are in doubt.

Part of Sidley's problem is her age. At age 80, the former attorney general and governor is much older than Newkirk, age 56.

Sidley's running-mate, former Secretary of State Richard Crux, is also older, at age 78. Newkirk's running-mate, Lt. Gov. Jane Reems, is 64.

While the poll finds similar insights to the 2022 election results, there are some changes.

Population growth in southern and western New Portsmouth has outpaced the rest of the state, with conservative communities like Grantham, Hestock, and Nestley growing the fastest.

Fellwood County, home to Troy Air Force Base, is also heavily Conservative, and has experienced strong population growth.

In contrast, the state's largest metro area, Dayle-Locke, has had more stagnant growth, as high housing prices have afflicted the mostly affluent city.

Still, it's not all bad news for Sidley. She has strong support in Dayle-Locke, as well as other liberal enclaves like Lanard County along the south-central coast, and Terlot County on the southern tip of the state.

Sidley also leads strongly in Erlwick County, home to the university town of Boroughton.

But the poll shows Newkirk with overwhelming support in the rural corners of the state. The two exceptions are Whitaker County and Collier County, which are narrowly leaning toward Sidley.

Kurt Russell, the pollster who conducted the Grantham Institute's poll, says the outcome of this election will likely come down to voter turnout.

"Whichever candidate or party can get more of their voters to show up at the polls on election day, or to mail in their absentee ballots...whoever can do that, they will win," said Russell.

With about an even number of both Conservative and Nationalist voters, elections in New Portsmouth are notoriously close and difficult to predict. 

Virtually no polls predicted Newkirk would win the 2022 gubernatorial election. Most political analysts and insiders -- including Conservatives -- expected Sidley to win re-election last time.

"So it's still anybody's game," said Russell, in an interview with the NPF. "This race really could go either way to either candidate. It's too early to say it's going to go one way or the other. But we can say this race is closer than people thought, and it's going to come down to voter turnout, I believe."

When asked for comment, the Newkirk campaign responded, with spokesman Caleb Entman saying the poll "proves what we already knew -- that Gov. Newkirk is leading in this race and New Portsmouthians support his change agenda over the tired, establishment, rich, blue-blood NAT agenda that Wilma Sidley represents and wants."

The Sidley campaign downplayed the negative poll results.

"We never believed this would be an easy race to win. We knew it would be exceedingly close, and the poll results show that. This is a very close race. Gov. Sidley is not taking this race for granted. She is campaigning in every stretch and corner of the state. And she will not rest until election night at 8:00 PM," said spokeswoman Sarah Beille, referring to the 8:00 PM deadline when voting ends.

Burnstein easily dispatches De Beers in Monomi's Conservative Senate contest

NORTH TRIETON, Mon. -- What was considered a marquee Senate primary race came to a surprisingly dull ending last week.

Monomi incumbent Sen. Brooke Burnstein easily won his party's nomination for re-election, despite facing a strong and vocal challenge from a fellow high-profile Conservative.

Former Sen. Cathy De Beers, who lost re-election in 2022 to Nationalist Jordan Murdano, announced shortly after her 2022 loss that she would challenge Burnstein for the Conservative Party's backing in 2024.

Burnstein, a known moderate who often sides with Nationalists, is up for re-election this year. And Conservative allies of De Beers, who is a strongly right-wing Evangelical, were hoping the former senator could win her party's support and claw her way back into the Senate.

Calling Burnstein "a faux-conservative," De Beers spent months -- and millions of dollars -- casting Burnstein as closer to a Nationalist than a Conservative.

"Brooke Burnstein is too liberal for Monomi," said a narrator in a pro-De Beers television ad. "He votes for gun control, he opposed a farm bill that would have given millions of dollars to Monomi farmers, and he has voted to send millions of dollars to Ukraine in a war that Grassadellia should not be involved in," said the ad.

De Beers raised over seven million dollars for her comeback campaign, while Burnstein raised about nine million.

Many political pundits described Burnstein as vulnerable, especially since he was facing a well-known federal senator in the primary election.

However, Monomi's Conservative voters delivered a quiet victory for Burnstein.

The centrist senator ended election night with almost 58%, compared to only 42% for De Beers.

It wasn't a slam-dunk for Burnstein, but it wasn't the upset or the extremely close finish that most political experts predicted.

"Brooke Burnstein did much better than we thought he would, than everyone thought he would," said Dr. Richard Wrigley, a political science professor at the University of Monomi in Trieton. "Burnstein outperformed all the polls and exceeded expectations. Which either means the polling was off, or the Conservative voters of Monomi decided at the last second to side with Burnstein over De Beers. Or maybe a little bit of both," said Wrigley.

While his win was much bigger than expected, Burnstein didn't brag about it.

At his election night gathering in Drywood, a northern suburb of Trieton, Burnstein thanked his supporters, and quickly pivoted to the fall election.

"I want to thank everyone who helped my campaign. People who volunteered, people who shared information, positive information about me online on social media or with their neighbors or family or friends. I want to thank my incredible staff and my family. I wouldn't be standing here tonight before you without all these wonderful people," said a grateful Burnstein.

"And with that, we're moving on to December. We are now focused on the fall election and reaching that special number, 49," he said, referring to the number of Senate seats Conservatives must win to retake the majority.

Burnstein didn't address De Beers, who he previously served in the Senate with.

He noted in an interview yesterday that he holds no ill will toward De Beers.

"Was I thrilled that she decided to run against me and challenge me? No. Of course I was a little annoyed. But we won, it's over, let's move on. It's time to focus on the prize before us," said a confident Burnstein.

It's unclear whom Burnstein will face on the NAT side, as Nationalist voters will go to the polls this week to determine their nominee. Leading the race so far is Karen Elder, a mother and activist from north Trieton. 

However, Elder and the other NAT candidates are not well-known, and none have raised much money so far, which means Burnstein is likely to hold the seat in the fall election.

De Beers has stayed out of the limelight following her high-profile loss.

On election night, she told her supporters, who had gathered at a folksy, charming country store and restaurant in rural Stepkin County, that "no matter what happens, this is God's race, not ours."

She told reporters the day after the election that she had called Burnstein and conceded.

She added that she would work to help the Conservative Party reach the 49 needed seats to retake the majority.

She declined to comment beyond that.

The Monomi race is a much different story from what happened in neighboring Veroche, where another former Conservative federal senator, John Bosworth, was successful in challenging incumbent centrist Sen. Kit McHenry.

Many in Monomi feared Burnstein would inherit the same fate as McHenry, but it appears the Conservative voters of Monomi have delivered a different verdict.

"Monomi Conservatives proved tonight that they are focused on winning that 49th seat. And their strong endorsement of Brooke Burnstein might prove to be the winning race that puts us over the top," said Monomi Conservative Party Chairman Ed Randall.

The Monomi Nationalist primary election is scheduled for next Tuesday.

'Incredibly self-serving': Conservative politicians react to John Bosworth's stunning primary win in Veroche Senate race

LAVINGTON, Ver. -- Just two weeks after his surprise win in Veroche's Conservative Senate primary race, former federal Sen. John Bosworth is facing withering criticism from his former Conservative peers.

"I think it's incredibly self-serving, what John did," current federal Sen. Niles Gilcrest (C-Veroche) told reporters in a conference call Friday afternoon.

"The fact that our party is working hard to regain the majority in the Senate...we've been talking for months about how we are chasing that magic number of 49 so we can finally have the majority again...and Kit McHenry was, is a popular incumbent senator who was seeking re-election and had an easy path to re-election...and now he ran against her and beat her in the primary and put her safe seat into jeopardy all of a sudden...I think it's a great disservice to the Conservative Party and to the people of Veroche," said a frustrated Gilcrest.

Veroche Gov. Mac Griffin had similar feelings.

"It created unneeded drama and a problem where we didn't need a problem," said Griffin during a Friday afternoon press conference. "Kit McHenry is a great senator for the state of Veroche. She has served our state well and faithfully. And she would have won re-election, there's no doubt about that. And now, we have an ambitious and self-seeking politician who ran against her, beat her, but will probably lose in the general election and hand this safe CNS seat to the Nationalists. That's deeply disappointing," said Griffin.

In the aftermath of Bosworth's stunning upset, and McHenry's shocking fall, Conservatives from not just Veroche but from across the country have gone on the record, voicing their dismay at McHenry's ousting.

Notably not piling on Bosworth, however, is Conservative Senate Minority Leader Jon Ralston.

Ralston told reporters the day after McHenry's loss that the Conservative Senate Campaign Committee (CSCC) would "100-percent support" Bosworth in the fall election.

"Look, the Conservative voters of Veroche made their choice. Maybe they voted differently than I or all of us would have voted. But they voted. And they chose John Bosworth. Who represents the Veroche Conservative Party in the fall election is the sole decision of the Conservative voters of Veroche. They've made that decision, and I will respect it," said Ralston.

He added, "I am laser-focused on getting to 49. So that means every Conservative candidate that is on the ballot this year in every state will receive the backing of the CSCC and of the Conservative leadership," said Ralston, referring to 49, the number of Senate seats Conservatives must win to take back the majority.

Other Conservative senators, including close friends of McHenry's, are still fuming.

"Really beyond the pale," said Monomi Conservative Sen. Kerry Paul, a fellow woman senator who has grown close to McHenry since joining the Senate in 2017, speaking of Bosworth's challenge to McHenry.

"Kit is a popular senator. She's a woman senator, which are few and far between in the Conservative Party. And not only that, she's experienced, she's a leader, she's a bridge-builder and a consensus-finder. She is a respected elder in the Senate. She's someone senators from both parties and the executive branch turn to when they have a problem or an issue that needs to be resolved. And to target someone like her, who has done so much in the Senate and would definitely continue to do so much, it offends me. And it offends a lot of other people I've talked to," Paul told the National Press Federation (NPF).

It's not just female senators who are upset with Bosworth.

Armana Sen. Chuck Danbury has been equally vocal in his criticism of Bosworth.

"I don't know what's worse: the fact that he ran against a seasoned incumbent Conservative senator in the first place, or the fact that he probably won't be able to hold the seat in December," Danbury said on the GBC's Insight Tonight program.

"This was a perfectly safe Conservative seat. Kit McHenry was a guarantee. She was beloved by the people of Veroche, even by many Nationalists. And now John Bosworth, who just lost re-election and who is very unpopular in Veroche, he's probably going to lose this seat and hand the Nationalists another seat that should be in our column," said an exasperated Danbury.

When asked for comment on the backlash from fellow Conservative senators, the Bosworth campaign hardly blinked an eye.

"We don't waste time wondering what Kerry Paul or Chuck Danbury say or think," said Michael Deffries, a Bosworth campaign spokesman. "We are focused on winning in December and showing the people of Veroche that lower taxes, business-friendly policies and common sense legislating are superior to the race-baiting, gender-bending identity politics of Nationalists like Alex Tupperman."

Kit McHenry will not vote for John Bosworth

FAIRNS, Ver. -- After her stunning defeat in Veroche's primary election two weeks ago, federal Sen. Kit McHenry (C) says she will not vote for the Conservative colleague who beat her.

Just a month ago, McHenry was considered safe for re-election.

The popular Conservative senator has served Veroche since it achieved statehood back in 2007. She's been re-elected twice -- never by a landslide, by respectable margins, especially considering Veroche is an NAT-leaning state.

But then former Sen. John Bosworth did what many thought was impossible: he pulled an upset, defeating McHenry in the state's primary election by a 52% - 48% margin.

Bosworth had previously served one term alongside McHenry, but lost re-election back in 2022.

Immediately after his 2022 loss to Nationalist David Acade, Bosworth vowed to run for the Senate again 2024, even though the only Senate seat up for grabs in 2024 was McHenry's, and she had previously announced her intention to seek re-election.

"It offended me right off the bat that he announced he would challenge me in the primary. I'm a sitting Conservative senator. I've been in the Senate longer than he has. I have seniority, I have a vested interest in this body. And we're on the same team. We're trying desperately to reach 49 senators so the Conservative Party can retake the majority in the Senate. We should not be fighting each other in expensive and nasty primaries, we should be saving our manpower and money to beat Nationalists in the general election," a frustrated McHenry told a reporter for The Mavocke Capitol newspaper.

Making the loss sting even more was the fact that McHenry and Bosworth worked closely together in the Senate, often co-sponsoring legislation. They often appeared at events together and even dined in each other's homes and met each other's families.

"I considered him a friend, until he announced he was going to challenge me. Then I realized he doesn't care about conservative values or the Conservative Party. He cares about John Bosworth. He is one of those detestable politicians that will do anything to regain power, even targeting a 'friend'," said McHenry, using an ironic accent on the word 'friend' to convey her disgust.

In the immediate aftermath of her shock loss, McHenry declined to say if she would support Bosworth in the general election.

"I will continue to support Conservative candidates because I want our party to reach that magical number, 49, in the Senate," said McHenry on election night at her election night celebration in Fairns, her small hometown in the extreme northwest corner of the state.

But yesterday, the now-outgoing senator said she will not vote for Bosworth.

"I can't in good conscience support someone who stabs his own friends and Conservative peers in the back. I just can't support that kind of behavior. Because it's not just about me. It's me this time, but next time it could and will be another Conservative politician who is in good standing. And I don't want to support that kind of cannibalistic behavior," said McHenry.

On the other side of the state, in the city of Lavington, just southeast of Lanakis, Bosworth spoke with a reporter over the phone from his home, and brushed off McHenry's comments.

"I'm not surprised she's not voting for me. And frankly, I don't really care," said a defiant Bosworth. "I don't need Kit McHenry's one vote to win this election. I don't need the support of the establishment. I don't need any old relics of the Senate to support my campaign. I need fresh people, who are energized and ready to take on the establishment and the swamp," said Bosworth, echoing former US President Donald Trump, who often refers to alleged corrupt political opponents as "the swamp."

While Bosworth may not care about losing McHenry's support, he does need every vote he can get.

Although he is facing little-known homemaker and mother (and first-time candidate) Alex Tupperman (N) in the general election, Veroche is a liberal-leaning state. Conservatives have won statewide elections in recent years, but with the strongly-progressive city of Lanakis and its suburbs trending sharply to the left, it is difficult for Conservative candidates to win Veroche elections.

Most successful Conservative candidates try to run up big wins in rural counties and conservative-leaning suburban areas, such as Kanassett, Lavington and Collettasville.

Perhaps even more detrimental for Bosworth than losing McHenry's vote is how his run for senator has offended other Conservatives who strongly supported McHenry.

Already, more than two-dozen Conservative operatives and strategists in Veroche have announced they will not work with or support Bosworth in the general election.

"What he did to Kit McHenry is just reprehensible. He targeted her, he slung a whole bunch of mud at her, portrayed her as insufficiently conservative, turned her own party's voters against her, even though she's a reliable Conservative vote in the Senate, and he did all these things just to advance his own interests. That's pissed off a lot of people in the Conservative political world, especially here in Veroche," said Rich Mabry, who has worked for both McHenry and Bosworth in the past with his communications firm.

Mabry is among the more than two-dozen Conservative consultants who have refused to support Bosworth.

"We can't reward this kind of behavior, or it will open the floodgates and other renegade, narcissistic candidates like John Bosworth will do this to other valuable, venerable Conservative senators and governors," said Mabry.

The Bosworth campaign dismissed the criticism.

"They're painting John Bosworth as if he's a villain. Calling him a 'traitor' and a 'cannibal' because he dared to stand for election and put his name up on the board next to Kit McHenry's," said Justin Rhys, a deputy campaign manager for Bosworth.

"The fact is, Kit McHenry is much more liberal compared to John Bosworth. She has voted with Nationalists on dozens of occasions, maybe even hundreds. John Bosworth is a true conservative. Kit McHenry is a faux-conservative. John put his name up against Kit McHenry, asked the voters to weigh which candidate is better and pick the best candidate, and the Conservative voters of Veroche chose John Bosworth. He won. There was no cheating, there was no underhandedness. He won, fair and square. And she's mad she lost," said Rhys.

"You know what kind of politicians pout and whine and complain when they lose? Establishment, career politicians who are desperate to win re-election," added Rhys.

In a Zoom interview from her home in Fairns, McHenry disputed the idea that she's a "career politician."

"I had a very long and successful career before I ran for the Senate. So the idea I've been in the Senate my whole career is just not true. And this isn't about staying in power or being 'desperate' to win re-election. I'm not desperate to win re-election. If the voters of Veroche -- all the voters, not just the Conservative voters -- if they voted for someone else over me, I would respect that and accept that. And to be honest, I respect the will of the Conservative voters too. Obviously I have lost their trust, and that pains me, because I consider myself a lifelong Conservative who has been in good-standing with the party. I don't consider myself a 'moderate' or a 'faux-conservative.' I'm a proud and faithful Conservative. So I recognize that the Conservative voters have an issue with me, and I hope I can remedy that. But my beef with John is just that we were friends, we are on the same team, we are both Conservatives and should be uplifting and supporting each other. Instead, he turned on me, on a dime, and went after me with all the gusto he could gather, and instead of channeling that energy and that money and that momentum against Nationalists in the fall election, he channeled it against me," said McHenry.

"And now, here we are in September, and we've spent millions and millions of dollars on battling each other when we could have used that money for the fall election, where it's most needed, badly needed. And now what was once a safe Conservative seat is now in jeopardy, all because of John's need for validation and his desperation to get back into the Senate."

Though she hasn't commented publicly on the Conservative Party's intra-party feud, Nationalist Senate candidate Alex Tupperman no doubt must be savoring the opposition party's infighting.

The Tupperman campaign has aired only positive ads across the state so far, though a campaign spokesman told the NPF the Tupperman campaign will soon air new ads targeting John Bosworth.

"You've seen what kind of person John Bosworth is," said Curt Ryan, press manager for the Tupperman campaign. "He selfishly targeted Kit McHenry, and now he wants Veroche voters to give him another term in Mavocke. If he's willing to sell his own friends down the river, you can bet he is willing to sell the people of Veroche down the river for his own selfish interests."

Jamber again wins backing from Trinton's NAT in governor's race

VENLAY, Tri. -- Trinton's governor's race will feature two repeat candidates this year.

Last week, multi-millionaire businessman and real estate investor Jim Valoix won the Conservative Party's nomination for governor.

Valoix, from Port Alice, has sought the governorship three times in the past. This will be his fourth run for governor since 2012, and the second time he's successfully secured his party's nomination.

Just today, Trinton Secretary of State Adrianne Rodgers (N) released official results in the NAT contest for governor.

Coming out on top was Assemblyman Tom Jamber, who represents the North Shore area of central Trinton, including the state capitol Cristo Colonado and the northern edge of Williamstown.

Jamber won the six-way race with just 21.49%, respectively. 

In second place was former Gov. Mark De Auonne, who was seeking a comeback. De Auonne received 18.80%, while real estate mogul and labor activist Frank Broussard from north Williamstown came in third place with 17.83%, and state Rep. Colin Costello from Keyport in Williamstown's southeast came in fourth with 17.81%, respectively.

Federal prosecutor Kathy Kemmell of north-central Williamstown ended the race with 15.91%, while state Sen. Christy Lindner of Lamont received just over eight percent.

Lindner had previously said she would drop out of the race, but changed her mind and decided to continue on, despite poll numbers showing her headed for last place.

According to Trinton law, a candidate must only win a simple plurality of the votes in the state primary election in order to advance to the general election.

Thus, Tom Jamber, who was the NAT's unsuccessful nominee in 2020, will take up his party's torch again this year, and make a second attempt at the governorship.

The liberal assemblyman is well-liked by the state NAT's party leaders. Jamber has a strongly-liberal voting record, though he is not as liberal as other Trinton politicians, such as federal Sen. Dorothy Grischaltz or Grace Kemp.

Jamber starts the general election race with an inherent advantage, since Trinton is an NAT-leaning state.

The state's liberal bent will make it harder for Jim Valoix to chart a path to the governor's mansion in Cristo Colonado.

But while Jamber starts with an advantage, it won't be a cake-walk for him.

Polls show Trintonians of all political stripes are fed up with rampant crime in the state's largest cities.

Traffic congestion along the A-1 corridor is also something Trinton voters across the political spectrum agree needs to be addressed. 

Jamber has vowed to sharply increase spending on public transportation, including light rail and ferry services to the state's hundreds of islands.

He's also promised to revamp the state's education system, to increase climate change mitigation programs, and to protect LGBTQ+ rights.

"We are facing an extremist Conservative candidate in Jim Valoix," said Jamber at a victory rally at Omberto's Bar and Grill, in northeast Williamstown. "We can either go backwards on women's rights, on LGBTQ rights, on climate change, on education, on urban sprawl, etc. Or we can go forward. And put the past behind us, and a bright future ahead of us," he said, as his supporters cheered.

Jim Valoix posted on his social media accounts that he called Jamber to congratulate him on winning the NAT's nomination.

"Now that both parties have chosen their nominees, it's time for us to show voters the very different policy positions and ideas both candidates have. One of us wants to lower taxes, wants to build more houses to bring down the cost of housing, wants to build more roads and trains so people don't get stuck in traffic, wants to give parents the power in their child's education, wants to end homelessness in Trinton and fight fentanyl; and the other candidate wants to just listen to Mavocke and take orders from Chris Kinoelke and Jenna Duvan. The voters of Trinton are smart and they will make the right choice in December," wrote Valoix.

Dr. Kerry Rudgeley, director of the Edinough School of Government at Dulkalow University, currently rates the Trinton governor's race as "NAT-favored."

Tight finish for Trinton Conservatives in governor race

PORT ALICE, Tri. -- It's going to be deja vu all over again in Trinton this year.

After a machine recount, multi-millionaire businessman Jim Valoix has been declared the winner in Trinton's Conservative primary race for governor.

Valoix, who has ran for governor unsuccessfully three times prior, is hoping 2024 will be his break-through year.

He just slightly edged out Kelleyville attorney Bob Gillies, with both men polling nearly evenly in the lead-up to election night. 

Valoix won with 26.64% to Gillies' 25.62%, respectively. They were followed closely behind by conservative activist Mara Edinough, who ended the count with 24.77%. 

Edinough is the sister-in-law of outgoing Gov. Marcus Edinough (DR).

In last place was former federal Sen. Kelsey Frascanio, who earned 23.33%, respectively.

Valoix was declared the winner in the initial count of the ballots, holding a similar margin over his opponents.

The race was close, but not close enough to automatically trigger a recount by state statute. 

However, Mara Edinough's campaign requested and paid for a machine recount, which produced a similar outcome that was very close to the original count.

Valoix's lead diminished slightly, after a few more military and overseas ballots were included in the recount, but his lead held steady, with none of his challengers coming close to overtaking his vote count.

Frascanio was the first to concede, doing so on election night.

"It's clear that we don't have the votes, and it's clear to me that Jim Valoix has won the most votes and the confidence of the Conservative voters of Trinton. So I think we need to rally behind Jim and unite and help him win in the fall election, said a surprisingly upbeat Frascanio at her election night gathering in suburban Southfield, just outside of Williamstown.

The Gillies and Edinough campaigns declined to concede on election night. Gillies told his supporters, gathered at a working-class pub in Kelleyville, that the race was too close to know for sure who won.

"We're going to wait to see what the recount produces, if the numbers move. But we know this is an extremely close race, so we'll have to wait a few days to find out the final outcome," said Gillies.

Edinough was more defiant, telling her supporters, gathered at a bar and grill in the northern suburbs of Williamstown, that there was reason to be "concerned" about the accuracy of the vote count. 

"We are watching the vote tally very closely, aware that there may be some irregularities. Rest assured, we have campaign staff from our campaign who are monitoring the vote-counting process, and who are fighting for every single vote for our campaign," said Edinough.

She added that "we are not even close to ready to concede," as her supporters cheered.

But by Thursday afternoon, days after election day, Edinough seemed to read the writing on the wall.

"It's evident to me that the numbers just are not in our favor. The recount didn't produce more votes for us, the margins and percentages basically stayed the same. This was an extremely close election, and we knew this was an uphill battle, especially going against the establishment and having a four-way race. So we knew it was going to be hard. It's disappointing, but there just isn't a way forward," said Edinough in a press conference Thursday afternoon at her home in Branchwood.

Notably, Edinough -- who has propagated multiple election conspiracies on social media over the past few months -- never formally conceded to Jim Valoix or acknowledged that he won. During her lengthy press conference Thursday, she simply repeated that there "is no path forward" for her campaign, and that "the numbers just aren't there."

Further upstate at his home in Port Alice, Jim Valoix thanked his supporters and praised his three Conservative challengers.

"Every vote counts, as we see from the result of this race. This is our time. This is our moment. For a conservative change, a tidal wave of change in the state of Trinton," said Valoix. "And I am grateful to be leading it. I'm also grateful to all three of my Conservative colleagues who ran against me. They brought valuable issues to the table to discuss and debate, and they are partners with us in the fight for conservative change."

While Valoix made it through the Conservative primary, a more difficult challenge lies ahead, as he will face the eventual winner of the NAT primary.

Votes are still being counted in that race, as it's too close to call. So, it's unclear whom Valoix will face on the NAT side.

No matter who the eventual NAT nominee is, though, it will be an uphill battle for Valoix, with Trinton's strong NAT tilt and liberal bent.

Still, Conservatives are optimistic, grateful they at least have a shot at the governorship.

"We got robbed back in 2016, when I just barely lost out on a slot in the run-off," Valoix said, recalling when he placed third in the three-way race with Troy Halver (N) and Marcus Edinough (DR). "And in 2020, we got robbed too, when our candidate (Greg Baxter) came in third place. We didn't get into the run-off. But this time, we are going all the way to the fall election, and that's got to excite Trinton Conservatives."

Also helpful for Valoix will be other high-profile CNS candidates on the ballot, including former Secretary of State Trip Kellet, who is seeking his old office, and Senate nominee Mack Anderson, who is challenging incumbent NAT Sen. Dorothy Grischaltz.

Both Kellet and Anderson are popular, and their presence on the ballot may help Valoix by motivating Conservative voters to turn out strongly on election day.

Nationalists brush off the Conservative momentum, citing Trinton's historical NAT trends and the strength of their candidates.

"The Conservative Party in Trinton has been nothing but a carnival sideshow for the last decade, and I don't look for that to change this year," said state party chairman Paul DeNatta.

"Trinton Nationalists are prepared to fight hard this election and to win," said DeNatta, though he declined to address polls that show Dorothy Grischaltz trailing in her bid for re-election to Conservative Mack Anderson.

Another factor that is unclear is the influence of outgoing Gov. Marcus Edinough. A former Conservative-turned-Democratic Reformist, Edinough is fiscally conservative but socially liberal, and he has frequently sided with state Nationalists over Conservatives.

It's unclear if Edinough will endorse Valoix or the NAT nominee, or if he will endorse anyone at all in the contest.

Edinough made his distaste for his sister-in-law Mara Edinough very clear, telling the NPF he would not vote for Mara "under any circumstances."

"She's just too extreme. Trinton cannot afford an extremist governor. We need a moderate, middle-of-the-road, consensus-builder governor," said the outgoing Edinough.

Sources close to Edinough say he could be convinced to endorse a moderate Conservative, but it's unclear if Valoix would earn Edinough's backing.

***Trinton Conservative Party Nomination -- Governor -- Unofficial Election Results***

Candidates	Percentage	Votes
Jim Valoix	26.63%	315,704
Bob Gillies	25.26%	299,464
Mara Edinough	24.78%	293,778
Kelsey Frascanio	23.33%	276,606
	Total Votes:	1,185,552
	Voter Turnout:	19%