Marelo pulls off surprise win in Harlyne governor's race, Morelda vows a political comeback

OVERCLIFF, Har. -- The 2024 election is proving to be a strong year for Conservatives across the country, and the first sign of the CNS' success was in Harlyne's governor's race.

Social conservative and Evangelical Christian businessman Tom Marelo pulled off what many political prognosticators thought was unthinkable: defeating incumbent Gov. Kate Morelda (N).

A year ago, polls showed Morelda leading Marelo by a modest but comfortable margin. But in the closing weeks of the campaign, polling started to show Marelo closing the gap, and eventually, the race became nearly a toss-up.

Harlyne Secretary of State Jan Scianden released the unofficial election results, which show Marelo just ahead of Morelda, with a lead of about 16,000 votes out of a little over one million total votes cast.

Perhaps the biggest key to Marelo's surprise win was his unexpected strength in Scandinaugh County, the state's second-most populous.

Scandinaugh County has traditionally been an NAT stronghold, but over the last decade, the county, which is home to a sizable working class population, has trended more center-right.

During his campaign, Marelo focused a great deal of attention on Scandinaugh County, campaigning there often. He made inroads with blue collar voters who in the past have supported the NAT.

Marelo only won a modest 52% in Scandinaugh County, but that proved to be a foreshadow of the rest of the evening.

He won neighboring Adams County and Saoca County, both Conservative strongholds, with over 60% of the vote. He also won the outlying counties of Scotsman, Islington and Le Courdier by large margins, but won Kalawamai County with only 51% of the vote, respectively.

Morelda, a former attorney general from Ashford's Landing, prevailed overwhelmingly in the state's most populous county, Bourneham, by a 63-36% margin. 

She won Herell County, the state's third-most populous, and Windleton County in eastern Harlyne, with 54% and 53% of the vote, respectively.

In Hamith County, in the state's far northeast, Morelda won with 57% of the vote, a strong win but smaller than her previous victories there.

In rural Enore County in east-central Harlyne, Morelda lost by a larger amount than in her previous races, taking only 35% to Marelo's 65 percent, respectively.

When all the votes were tallied across the state's eight main islands, Morelda came up short in her bid for reelection, winning 48.98% to Marelo's 50.55 percent, respectively.

Morelda conceded the race at her election night gathering in southwest Ashford's Landing.

"This is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, but it is the outcome the voters have delivered, and I respect their choice," said a deflated Morelda. "It has been the honor of my life serving as attorney general and then governor of our great state. And I will keep fighting every day to make sure our state is cleaner, more inclusive, and more equitable for all Harlynians."

Marelo, at his election night celebration in downtown Harlynee, thanked Morelda for her concession, and pledged to make lowering taxes, cutting spending, and eliminating divisive social programs key parts of his agenda.

"I want to thank every Harlynian who voted for me tonight. We are a small state. We don't have a lot of people. So every vote really matters here in Harlyne. Every vote is felt and every vote has weight, more so than in larger, more populated states. So thank you, to everyone who voted for me. From here in Harlynee to up in Village-On-Shore and over in Alkirk and down in Cranby. Thank you.

"Together, as we move forward, I will, on day one, lower taxes for working Harlynians. I will work with my staff and with the legislature to lower taxes on working Harlynian families. We will work to make education fair and effective again. We will work to give parents control over their children again, instead of the state stepping in and telling parents how to raise and educate their child. We will work to fix our broken transportation in this state. We will get grown men out of girls' bathrooms. We will get homeless people off our streets so our businesses can be open without vandalism or crime. We have so much work to do, but I am honored that you have chosen me to do it, and I am ready to get to work," said Marelo.

The businessman from Adams County spent more than $6 million of his own money on his campaign for governor. His successful run comes on the heels of 2020, when he ran unsuccessfully against Morelda.

Morelda declined to say what her next step will be. At age 47, she's still relatively young by political standards. She could run for governor again in 2028, or run for the Federal Senate. She could also run for a lower office, such as the Western Harlyne Metropolitan Council, or Federal Assembly.

"I don't know what lies ahead for me. I haven't figured that out yet. But one thing I can tell you is, I'm not done fighting for and working for Harlyne," said a defiant Morelda.

Morelda was the first and to-date, the only woman governor of Harlyne.

When Marelo takes office on January 2, he will become the second Conservative governor of Harlyne and the first governor from eastern Harlyne.

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**Harlyne Governor's Race -- Final Election Results**

Tom Marelo (C)	50.55%	519,366
Kate Morelda (N)	48.98%	503,234
Other	0.47%	4,782
	TOTAL:	1,027,383
	VTO:	80.87%

Martinek holds narrow lead in Roddenshire governor's race

LACARTHY, Rodd. -- Former state Attorney General Andrew Martinek (N) continues to lead Conservative Governor Jon Cortano in Roddenshire's governor's race, a new poll finds.

Cortano, who is seeking his second term, is slightly behind Martinek, earning 48.2% to Martinek's 50.9%, respectively, according to the new poll.

The poll was commissioned by the Roddenshire Today newspaper, based out of Lacarthy. It has a margin of plus or minus three points, which means the race is within the margin of error.

Cortano narrowly pulled off a win four years ago against Nationalist incumbent Gov. Mona Rodgers, who was seeking a historic third term.

That same year, Martinek lost reelection himself to the attorney generalship, losing narrowly to Conservative Sean Bracken.

Shortly after his loss, and after Rodgers was appointed Federal Secretary of State by President Jim McCaren, Martinek announced his intention to challenge Cortano in 2024.

Roddenshire is a liberal state, although Conservatives sometimes are able to pull of surprising upsets.

Cortano won his governorship in 2020 based largely on the economy, taxes, and assailing Rodgers for being a "career politician."

The governor is now hoping his support for the proposed Bi-State/Cross-Strait Bridge on the M1 freeway, which would connect Roddenshire's far eastern tip with Damoign's north coast, bypassing the Grassadellia City inner-urban area, will appeal to voters who are sick of long commutes and some of the nation's worst traffic jams.

Cortano has also lowered taxes, saying it was necessary to unburden families who are already struggling with high costs of living and inflation.

Contrary to many Conservative governors, Cortano has actually increased spending on education, though he has redirected how many of the funds are allocated. He has also championed and signed charter schools into law, something Nationalists were bitterly opposed to.

Cortano has invested some money in public transport, which is particularly important in the northwestern and southeastern ends of the state, where suburban areas border Mavocke and Grassadellia City, respectively. But he has spent more money on fixing roads, a policy Nationalists take issue with.

On healthcare, Cortano, a devout Roman Catholic, has largely left abortion laws the same as they were when he took office. He has voiced his personal opposition, and he attempted to require teenage girls to get parental consent before obtaining abortions, but the NAT-controlled state legislature defeated the bill Cortano proposed.

Martinek and Nationalists see an opening in Cortano's race for reelection. The state is overwhelmingly liberal, and Nationalist win the vast majority of elections. Additionally, Cortano's relative youth (age 48) helped him in 2020 against the elderly Rodgers, 73.

But this time around, it's Martinek who is younger, at age 44.

The former attorney general has said he wants to increase funding for public transport, climate change mitigation, and education. He also is backing a state medicaid program, a move Cortano strongly opposes. Martinek also says he will raise taxes on wealthy Roddenshireans, as well as increase the state's sales tax, something Cortano calls "insane."

"Why would you want to increase taxes on Roddenshireans right now when the economy is still struggling after COVID-19, people are struggling with inflation, people can't afford their mortgages or rents. It's just insane. Only a Nationalist would propose a tax increase on struggling families," said Cortano in a press conference in Lacarthy on Thursday.

Martinek also wants to require builders and developers to include affordable housing for low-income residents in all new large-scale housing projects. Cortano opposes that idea, saying he will reduce red tape and restrictions on zoning to increase new housing construction.

"I've already waived some requirements and eased some zoning restrictions to allow developers to build more housing, but I'll continue to do that and continue to support the construction industry if reelected," Cortano said Thursday.

Martinek responded Saturday at a campaign stop in Woldham County on the state's northeast tip, telling voters Cortano hasn't done anything meaningful to make housing more affordable since he's been elected.

"What has he done? He's had almost four years to do something, and instead of requiring people to build affordable housing, he's eased zoning laws. All that has done is allow developers to build more luxury housing in places they weren't previously allowed to do it before," said Martinek.

In the money race, Martinek has raised more money, although it's close.

The former attorney general has raised $8.1 million, while the Cortano campaign has raised $6.9 million.

Those figures do not include money spent from outside groups that are either directly or indirectly supporting each candidate.

The next financial disclosure will take place on November 1.

Humiliating loss for Maryanne Rudding in Wellington Senate race

LONGBLADE, Well. -- A former state attorney general is licking her wounds after a humiliating defeat in Wellington's Senate primary race.

Maryann Rudding (N), was expected to win the NAT's nomination for Senate.

As a former attorney general, Rudding, 54, has high name recognition, connections with party leaders in the state and nationally, and has proven she can win a statewide race.

But Wellington's Nationalist voters delivered a blow to Rudding last week, when they picked former NAT Senate nominee Jane Paulson over Rudding.

Paulson won by just a hair of the vote: 51.2% to Rudding's 48.8%, respectively.

And Paulson has previously ran for Senate, back in 2020, so she enjoys high name recognition and campaign connections too.

However, Rudding was the favorite in the race, and she enjoyed support from most of Wellington's top Nationalist figures.

It was a painful loss for the one-term attorney general, who lost reelection to that post in 2022.

"It's a tough night," said Rudding at her primary election night celebration in Longblade in the state's far northeast corner. "We were hoping for a different result, but we have to respect the will of Wellington's Nationalist voters."

Further south in McCune County in the central part of the state, Paulson thanked the voters for delivering a narrow but decisive vote.

"From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you to all the voters who ticked my name on the ballot," said Paulson, 44, a businesswoman and entrepreneur. "Now we have to unite together so we can take back this Senate seat and bring common-sense Wellington values to the Senate."

The two women were competing for a chance to challenge incumbent Conservative Senator Lindsey Bronure, who is up for reelection this year.

"Lindsey Bronure is a rubber stamp for Jon Ralston," said Paulson during a primary debate sponsored by a local Lions Club in Arrowhead County. "We need someone who will vote independently and not be spineless to pressure from the political parties."

Rudding expressed similar sentiment, telling the audience that Bronure "mindlessly votes for whatever her party bosses tell her to vote for."

The two NAT candidates largely agreed on policy. They both hold similar positions and views. The race mainly came down to a generational gap, as younger voters favored Paulson and older voters backed Rudding.

There was also division in the party between the establishment and the grassroots.

Grassroots voters strongly turned out for Paulson, while the establishment and party leaders backed Rudding.

Still, although she enjoyed the grassroots support at the local level, Paulson says she would be a "moderate voice of reason" if elected to the Senate.

"I think we need senators who listen to everyone, who listen to every side of the issue, and who then vote according to what's right for their state," said Paulson. "I plan to be an independent-minded senator, if elected."

The Bronure campaign congratulated Paulson on her win, posting a congratulatory note on Bronure's social media channels.

But the campaign quickly shifted to attacking Paulson for her "radical NAT values."

"Jane Paulson is a nice person, she's attractive and well-educated. But she's really a female version of Nadan Saralo," said Bronure campaign Deputy Director Derek Todd.

"Jane Paulson is a hard-left liberal. She will vote in step with Nadan Saralo, with Debbie Madronas, Grace Kemp, Paul LeBouse, Deborah Kay, all those hard-left senators. She will be Wellington's version of Deborah Kay," said Todd, referring to the controversial left-wing senator from Damoign.

While the campaigns' rhetoric flies, the truth is the race against Bronure will be an uphill climb for Paulson.

Bronure is also young and attractive, and her conservative voting record is more in-step with the conservative tilt of the Prairie State.

Additionally, this year's election looks to strongly favor the CNS, as Nationalists are defending more seats and the national mood is in Conservatives' favor.

Bronure has also avoided any major scandals or gaffes, and unlike Paulson, Bronure has never lost an election before.

"Jane Paulson is a loser. Literally a loser. I don't mean that in a rude way, I'm just saying, she literally lost in 2020 to Claire Renatti. She's a has-been. She's trying again this time, but she will lose again," said conservative radio host Mark Bruce, who hosts a daily program in Starksmin.

In 2020, Paulson lost to Conservative Sen. Claire Renatti in a close race by a 47.9% - 49.7% margin, respectively.

Baskingwood campaign projects calm as allies panic at disappointing polling

RAWLINGSWORTH, Asl. -- The calm governor of Ansleigha is holding steady, despite disappointing poll numbers that were released this week.

Gov. Sam Baskingwood (C) is running behind in his attempt at reelection. The latest poll numbers came out Thursday, released by the University of Ansleigha (UA) and the Association of Ansleigha Newspapers (AAN), and they weren't in Baskingwood's favor.

The governor trails Nationalist opponent Agatha Houndsler 34%-37%, while Independent candidate Rosamond Burkes receives 27%, respectively.

The Baskingwood campaign was hoping the governor would be leading in the new poll, as Burkes had taken time off the campaign trail in recent weeks and cut back on advertising, and first-time candidate Houndsler became better known to voters. 

But instead, the independent firebrand Burkes has surged to her best polling result yet, still far from leading, but the best showing she's had all year in the polls.

And support for Houndsler has dropped somewhat, but the self-described "hippie college professor" from Danaecke is still leading the three-way race.

Baskingwood was asked Friday about the latest poll results.

"Your campaign predicted you'd be leading in the polls this week. There have been a lot of folks suggesting you might slip into first place at this point. How does it feel to still be behind in the race, and why do you think you're still trailing Agatha Houndsler?" asked reporter Karen Handley from Ansleigha Public Radio.

"Well first of all, I've never thought I was leading this race. I am running like I am the underdog, like I am way behind. I am campaigning literally every day, in all 40 counties of the state, in every town and neighborhood and village. I am not taking this race for granted," said Baskingwood.

"Secondly, this is one poll. And the polls are notoriously not accurate. So I don't put much stock in them. The only poll that really matters is what the voters decide on election day," said Baskingwood. "So I am tuning out the polling, I'm tuning out what the media is predicting or saying, because ultimately it's the voters of Ansleigha who will decide who their next governor is. I hope it's me, but if it's not me, I respect their decision and I will make the transition with grace."

Richard Davry, a close advisor to Baskingwood and the governor's communications director, told the National Press Federation (NPF) that the governor remains unperturbed by poor polling.

"Anyone who knows Governor Baskingwood knows that he is a very calm, level-headed guy. He doesn't get rattled easily. He doesn't freak out. He doesn't panic. He's a strong leader. He's stable, he's solid, he's steady-handed when the waves get big and the boat rocks. He is not panicked by these poll numbers, and our campaign isn't either. We are so focused on visiting every part of Ansleigha and reminding voters of Governor Baskingwood's promises and policies, and how they've helped Ansleighans," said Davry.

"We're also focused on reminding voters who Agatha Houndsler is, and how her radical, left-wing, extreme agenda will damage Ansleigha irrevocably," said Davry.

When asked what the campaign thought of Rosamond Burkes' strong poll numbers, Davry dismissed the question.

"First of all, these are 'strong poll numbers,' like you suggest. She's only getting 27 percent of the vote. That's not a winnable amount. That's very much a minority. She has no path to victory. Poll after poll shows that, and the last election proved that," said Davry. "At the same time, while 27 percent isn't enough to win, it is enough to alter the race and to tip the scales in favor of Agatha Houndsler. We are aware of that. And we are aware that many voters appreciate and like Rosamond Burkes and her policies. Unlike Agatha Houndsler, we don't denigrate Rosamond's voters. We welcome them into our tent. We need all Conservatives on board to beat Agatha Houndsler, and I think at the end of the day, a lot of voters who are maybe leaning toward or consider Rosamond Burkes, they will realize that she just doesn't have a shot at winning. She doesn't have a chance. But Sam Baskingwood does. He's the only thing standing between normal, common-sense, conservative leadership, and Agatha Houndsler's radical, hardcore liberal, lunatic policies."

While the Baskingwood campaign might be projecting calm, allies of the governor, behind the scenes, are quietly panicking.

One source whom GNN spoke with, who asked for anonymity so they could speak freely, said the campaign believed Baskingwood would be in first place by now.

"There was this idea among the campaign's leadership, and top Conservatives, that after the public got introduced to Agatha Houndsler, and after she and Rosamond Burkes said more crazy things and adopted more crazy policies publicly, the voters would be turned off by the radicalness of both of them and turn to the 'adult in the room,' so to speak, Sam Baskingwood. But the polling shows that hasn't happened yet, and now people are freaking out," said the source.

"It could still happen. People could still shift to Sam, and some probably will. But it's not going the way we thought it would, it's not looking as hopeful as people expected or wanted, and that's disappointing," said the source.

Another source confirmed that Baskingwood was "surprised and a little deflated" by the poor polling numbers.

"He was hoping to be in the lead this time, to turn the narrative of the race in his favor, and to put Rosamond Burkes to rest once and for all, make her irrelevant, etc. But that's not what the poll numbers are showing," said the source.

The Burkes campaign, understandably, was elated about the polling numbers.

"This poll shows that Ansleighans are on the same page as Rosamond. They want lower crime, less red tape, they want politicians who actually do what they'll say instead of just giving empty promises," said Sarah Jenning, a deputy campaign manger for Burkes. "Ansleighans want a strong leader, and they're seeing that in Rosamond Burkes."

The Burkes campaign capitalized on the poll, sending out emails and text messages asking for donations. The campaign says it raised "well into the triple digits" after the poll came out, though the campaign declined to release a specific amount.

Conservative allies of Baskingwood have largely dismissed Burkes as unable to win, though not a non-factor.

"She is a factor, but she's not a contender," said Bill Richards, a Conservative businessman and fundraiser who has close ties to Baskingwood. "She can't be ignored completely, but we can put her over here on the side of the page, because really, she has no hope of winning this race."

The Houndsler campaign similarly dismissed Burkes as a contender, but also acknowledges Burkes' level of support is significant.

"Do I think Rosamond Burkes will win? Absolutely not. I hope not. And I really don't see that happening," says Susan Shannen, a close friend and advisor to Houndsler. "But, at the same time, hundreds of thousands of voters are supporting her [Burkes]. So you have to acknowledge that and recognize that, even though she probably won't win, she is definitely getting a significant chunk of the votes."

Shannen said the polling released this week is "confirmation that Agatha Houndsler is firmly in the lead."

"There's one common denominator among all the polls that have been conducted in this race, and that is that Agatha Houndsler has led all three-way polls. Every single one. She has always maintained the lead, and she continues to do so because Ansleighans are hungry for change," said Shannen.

Indeed, Houndsler has led all polls that have included herself, Baskingwood and Burkes.

But, Houndsler's support has dropped by two percent overall in the polling averages. And in two-way polling, in which pollsters only ask voters to choose between Baskingwood and Houndsler, Baskingwood significantly leads Houndsler 57%-38%, respectively.

There's been mixed polling on the race because Burkes has implied that she may drop out of the race and throw her support to Baskingwood.

Rumors were circling all over Ansleigha last week the wealthy heiress would possibly drop her bid for governor. But after the positive poll numbers buoyed her campaign, Burkes made clear she is in the race to win.

"We can win this race. And I love when the media says we can't. Or the Nationalists and Conservatives say we can't. Because that just fuels my supporters even more. And then the money pours in, the attention pours in, and people get fired up," said Burkes at a campaign stop in Chadwick County, Saturday.

"We are fired up, and we are going to fight to win this thing," said Burkes. "All we need is 33, 34 percent to win. And we can get there," she added.

As she hopped into a waiting town car, she looked at the cameras and the gaggle of reporters and said "we're climbing the ladder, baby," as she flashed two thumbs up.

Conservatives may be disheartened, but they are still raising money. Baskingwood privately called North Ceona Gov. Ty Jaimeson, the head of the Conservative Governors' Association (CGA), and asked for additional funds.

Jaimeson agreed to dispatch more funds to Baskingwood, but neither men nor their spokespeople would disclose the exact amount.

Advisors to Baskingwood still maintain that voters will come around to their side on election day.

"I really think voters will look at the three choices, and they'll see that there's really only one reasonable choice, and that's Sam Baskingwood. You can either vote for a stable, common-sense, conservative leader, which is Sam. Or you can vote for a radical left-wing lunatic, Agatha Houndsler, who will release convicted felons from prison early and teach radical transgender ideology to our kids in public schools. Or you can vote for a kooky old lady who is all over the place with her positions and policies, and who frankly, is probably not firing on all cylinders," said Davry, referring to Rosamond Burkes.

"At the end of the day, I think voters will make the right choice. They want someone normal and calm and level-headed at the wheel. They don't want a reactionary person like Rosamond Burkes driving the train. Or a liberal activist like Agatha Houndsler," added Davry.

Most political pundits are now rating the Ansleigha governor's race as either a "Toss Up" or "Leans NAT."

Stryde holds huge lead in Kensington governor's race

KENDALL, Kens. -- Nationalist Gov. Karen Downs is facing increasingly strong headwinds in her race for reelection, a new poll shows.

The poll, conducted by The Necadia Daily newspaper, shows Downs down by 10 points against her Conservative opponent, state Attorney General Chris Stryde.

Stryde has led in the polls for months, but only by smaller margins. Nationalists were hopeful that raising abortion as an issue would cultivate more support for Downs, as she seeks her second full term as governor.

But the poll shows the abortion issue has done little to move the race in Downs' favor.

If the election were held today, 54% of voters would choose Stryde, according to the poll. Only 44% would vote to reelect Downs, while the other two percent would vote for minor party candidates.

Voters appear receptive to Stryde's moderate conservative agenda. The attorney general has hit on tried-and-true Conservative causes: the state's large homeless population, high cost of living, inflation, and crime, although Kensington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.

Still, despite the low level overall statewide, there are pockets of the state that suffer from high amounts of property crime. Places like Robertsville, in the north-central part of the state, and Jeunas County, just south of Robertsville, have had large increases in crime in the last year.

Downs is hoping that Kensington's liberal tilt will work in her favor. But while Nationalists normally dominate elections in the state, moderate Conservatives, such as Stryde and federal Sen. Barnard "Barn" Scott, have had electoral success.

The poll, released today, also shows male voters are more motivated than female voters, which is unusual. In order to win, Downs will need to tap into female voters, a constituency from which she has found strong support in the past.

While Stryde leads strongly among male voters (64%-36%), he leads with women by a much smaller margin (52%-48%).

Downs has struggled to quell voter angst over crime and the economy. In a debate last week, Stryde called her "a do-nothing governor," and suggested she had only won the governorship because Kensington is a liberal state and Downs had never faced any top-notch Conservative opponents.

Downs hit back, accusing Stryde of "mansplaining" and mistreating women, "particularly women who are professionals, educated, and who are in positions of similar authority to him," she told moderators during the debate.

"If I'm anti-woman, then why am I leading in the polls with women voters?" Stryde asked. Downs dodged the question, saying "the polls are not exact" and that "women will come home to the right candidate on election day," suggesting most women voters will support her.

"It's that kind of arrogance that voters are sick of," said Stryde. "The idea that just because you're a woman, or a minority, or LGBTQ, you have to vote for Nationalists. You must support the NAT candidate. That's what she assumes, that's what their party and the media assume. They think people owe them their vote somehow. Conservatives believe we have to earn every vote, and that's what I intend to do."

While Stryde is favored heading into the last stretch of the election, Nationalists are likely to hold on to other statewide positions.

Federal Sen. Chris Blair is expected to be reelected, and Nationalist Debbie Kirkendahl is favored to win the attorney generalship.

Lt. Gov. Phil Pratt (N), however, is facing a strong challenge from state Sen. Bill Langessy (C). And Secretary of State Mark Wood is in a similarly close race with Conservative Reed Chansky.

Conservatives have pointed to the high cost of living in Kensington, as well as high taxes and high crime in some areas, as reasons the state actually lost people in the annual population census count.

"There's a reason people are fleeing this state, and it's because of mindless NAT leadership. Nationalist leaders who don't actually get anything meaningful done. They just hold an office and a title. But they haven't fought for the middle class, they haven't fought for average Kensingtonians. That's why people are leaving, and we're going to stop the hemorrhaging when I'm elected," said Stryde in a recent TV interview.

If elected, Stryde will become the state's second governor, and the first male governor and first Conservative governor.

Coriano trails badly in Carova Senate race

VALLINGBURG, Car. -- Outspoken NAT Sen. Karen Coriano has a tough race on her hands in Carova.

As the unabashedly liberal senator fights for reelection, a new poll released by The Carova Statesman newspaper shows Coriano far behind her Conservative challenger, former Lt. Gov. Aaron Hallings.

Hallings entered the race late in the year, but he has wide name recognition. He's a mainstream Conservative, but the poll finds he receives strong support from the far right wing of the party as well.

Coriano was first elected in 2008, defeating Conservative Robert Myer in a close race. Then, in 2014, she narrowly lost to Conservative Assemblyman Sawyer Upton. 

In 2018, Coriano launched a successful comeback, beating then-Lt. Gov. Dave Emser (C) by three percentage points.

This time around, as Conservatives have rallied nationally to take back the majority in the Senate, Conservatives were able to recruit Hallings, who is young (46) and media savvy.

Hailing from Port Bay, Hallings has largely avoided controversial social issues, though Coriano, who is passionate about abortion rights, has sought to make abortion a top campaign issue.

"Aaron Hallings doesn't care about women," says a pro-Coriano TV commercial, airing statewide. "Aaron will let his old, white, rich men colleagues in the Senate tell him how to vote. He'll cave to religious extremists to take away a woman's basic right to control her own body. And he won't stand up for working mothers."

Hallings and his Conservative allies have sought to portray Coriano as too extreme for Carova.

It was an effective strategy back in 2014 for Sawyer Upton, a more moderate candidate who frequently pointed to Coriano's left-wing voter record as out of step with Carova's more conservative bent.

"Karen Coriano is by far the most liberal senator that Carova has ever had," said Conservative state party chairman Ken Edelman. "She is hardcore left wing on abortion, hardcore left wing on climate change, hardcore left wing on socialism and the economy, and she votes whatever way Debbie Madronas and Jim McCaren tell her to vote."

Coriano has, indeed, voted largely in step with the Nationalist party. She has only occasionally voted against her party, usually on issues that are of unique importance to Carova, such as oil drilling and timber.

By and large, though, the NAT incumbent has usually sided with her NAT colleagues. And even though Carova is a more conservative-leaning state, Coriano has refused to moderate her position on women's reproductive rights.

"I will never back down or stand down from fighting for a woman's basic right to own her own body and make her own decisions that pertain to her body," she told the NPF in a recent phone interview. "People may not like that, but I believe in every fiber of my being that a woman should be able to choose what to do with her own body, and when to have a child, and when it's not a good time or when she's not able to have a child."

In the final stretches of the campaign, Coriano is calling in big NAT star power.

She has multiple campaign rallies scheduled around the state with Carova's other liberal darling, Sen. Anna Maas.

And Gov. Dan Sallovich is slated to hit the campaign trail with Coriano too.

"We absolutely need Karen Coriano in the Senate," said Sallovich Thursday afternoon, as a he boarded a plane for Mavocke, where he had meetings with the McCaren administration.

"Karen is the hardest-working, the most passionate defender of Carovans in Mavocke today. She is truly one of the last people standing between radical, anti-working family Conservatives and the social safety nets that we have long enjoyed in this country."

Nationalists have been quick to paint Hallings as a rich, out-of-touch-with-the-working-class Conservative "good old boy," even though he's only 46 years old.

"Aaron Hallings only cares about Ivy Leaguers and wealthy businessmen. That's all he cares about," said Coriano in a recent campaign appearance in her hometown of Vallingburg. "You don't see Aaron Hallings going into inner-city Carlingford. You don't see him working at the soup kitchens in our cities. You don't see him driving out to rural eastern Carova, where Indigenous People are struggling to pay for food, water and basic necessities. You only see Aaron Hallings at country clubs and yacht clubs. And that's the difference between us."

The Hallings campaign responded, saying Coriano's voting record in the Senate is more in line with a liberal state like Damoign or Lial.

"Karen Coriano is representing the wrong state in the Senate," said Herm Wallinger, deputy campaign manager for Hallings. "She should be representing Lial or Veroche or Trinton or some other left-wing state. Her voting record is strong on socialism and partisanship. Carovans want a strong conservative voice who will work with both parties, not a far-left radical who will only vote for lunatic left-wing policies."

The recent Carova Statesman poll found Hallings leading with 54.3% and Coriano with 44.8%, respectively.

The poll has a margin of plus-or-minus four points.

Welma Sidley dumps Richard Crux as running mate, picks Michael Barrett as replacement

DAYLE-LOCKE, NP -- Faced with the uncomfortable reality that both she and her running mate are too old, New Portsmouth's NAT candidate for governor, Welma Sidley, has chosen to drop her running mate Richard Crux, age 78, in favor of a younger running mate, 51-year-old former Lt. Gov. Michael Barrett.

Sidley made the stunning announcement Friday afternoon at a hastily-arranged press conference in Dayle-Locke.

She said she appreciates Richard Crux and considers him a close friend, but her campaign "needs a younger perspective," she told reporters.

She also added that she and Crux had "critical differences" on how to run the campaign.

Sources within the Sidley campaign confirm that Sidley, a former governor and attorney general, was not seeing eye-to-eye with Crux, a former secretary of state.

"I think they both wanted to run the campaign their own way, and they had some 'creative differences,' you could say," said the campaign source, who asked for anonymity, so as to speak freely without retribution.

Crux is reportedly somewhat bitter at the pair's divorce, but he believes it's for the best.

"I think he knows their candidacy would never have worked, so maybe it's for the best," said the campaign source.

Meanwhile, the Sidley campaign is attempting to quickly move on from the campaign shake-up. Barrett, a well-known former lieutenant governor, has been prominently featured on the campaign's social media channels in recent days, and has hit the campaign trail running.

Barrett served as Sidley's running mate and lieutenant back when she was briefly governor, from 2021-2023.

But he was passed over this year, as many within the Sidley campaign, including the former governor herself, felt the campaign needed a new face to refresh the ticket.

However, Crux is not exactly a new face. He previously served as secretary of state from 2009-2013, but he hasn't run for office since. And at age 78, many within the state's NAT circles complained he was too old to compete with the Conservative incumbents, Gov. Barry Newkirk and Lt. Gov. Jane Reems.

The campaign source, who spoke to the NPF, said Crux is potentially planning to run for governor in two years, in his own right.

New Portsmouth is the only state that elects governors every two years. All other 23 states elect their governors for four-year terms.

Conservative incumbent Gov. Barry Newkirk was considered vulnerable, since he won the governorship in a surprise upset back in 2022, just barely earning more votes than Sidley.

Many political analysts, including some from the Conservative party, expected Newkirk to be a "one-term wonder," as conservative pundit Sally Feldman called him previously.

But a new poll released last week shows Newkirk actually leading Sidley by almost two percent -- still within the poll's margin of error, but much better than analysts had predicted.

The poll's release has caused some Nationalists to panic. A few months ago, most NAT leaders and activists were confident Sidley could win back the governorship. But now, many are having doubts.

"There are many Nationalists, probably about half, I'd say, who think Welma Sidley is done. She's sunk. She can't recover from the bad poll numbers, she can't recover from the old age issue, and she can't recover from swapping running mates so close to the general election," said another NAT source, who also asked for anonymity, so they could speak freely without professional consequences.

Sidley, age 80, is much older than her Conservative opponent Newkirk, who is 56. Sidley was 78 when elected governor, the same age as former Gov. Dale Rochey (N) when he assumed the governorship.

Should Sidley pull off another upset win this year, she would become the oldest person to be elected governor of New Portsmouth.

She is, to date, the second woman governor of New Portsmouth, and the first NAT woman governor of the state.

She's also the only governor to have only served one term. All other governors were reelected at least one time, though Sidley could change that if she prevails this fall.

Mac Griffin's campaign works to combat public perception that he is old

RED LEAF, Ver. -- He got teased for it in his last race for governor, and it's becoming an even more urgent issue in this year's campaign.

Veroche Gov. Mac Griffin (C) is an elderly man. There's no denying it.

At age 72, he 20 years older than his NAT opponent, former Lt. Gov. Nic Marcellinos.

And Griffin's age is becoming an issue of contention on the campaign trail.

In his 2020 race for governor, then-Gov. Tom Harper (N) repeatedly tried to use Griffin's age against him. While Harper elicited some laughs and made jokes at Griffin's expense, it wasn't significant enough of an issue to derail Griffin's campaign.

But a new poll released last week by the University of Veroche found Griffin trailing Marcellinos 47.7% to 51.6%, respectively, in Griffin's bid for reelection.

One factor voters cited when asked by pollsters was Griffin's age. 

Many voters are looking for a younger governor.

So, to combat that problem, the Griffin campaign is working around the clock to change the narrative on Griffin's age.

His staff urged him to show the public he is still vigorous and lively.

His campaign manager urged the governor to attend a Lanakis Cavaliers football game, where he was photographed drinking beer and cheering until the game ended, just after 11:00 PM.

The governor specifically mentioned during a press conference -- at his advisors' insistence -- that he stays up late every Saturday night to play poker with a group of friends.

And the Griffin campaign recently released a TV ad showing him playing an X-box game with his grandsons and throwing a nerf football around with his granddaughter.

"I might be old on paper, but I am young at heart," says the smiling grandfather, in the TV ad.

"And he can keep up with the rest of us," says his teenage granddaughter Kaylee.

It's all part of the Griffin campaign's strategy to show the public that Griffin is not an old fogey, but a robust leader who still has the energy to lead the nation's fourth-most-populous state.

In a TV interview with a local Lanakis station on Thursday, Griffin told the reporter he plays golf weekly, "if I can," acknowledging that sometimes the demands of the governor's office prevent him from hitting the links. "Sometimes, it's a crazy day at work. Or we have a crisis or an emergency. If that's the case, then I am on the road to wherever I need to be. Or on the phone. Or meeting with people. And golf comes second to the people of Veroche," he said.

The Marcellinos campaign is still pushing the issue. 

A recent pro-Marcellinos TV ad that hit the airwaves this week shows the former lieutenant governor throwing a football around with his teenage son. It also shows the elder Marcellinos running a half-marathon and lifting weights.

"Nic Marcellinos is up to the job of governor. He's a father, a husband, and he'll be a governor Veroche can count on," says the narrator.

The Marcellinos campaign frequently makes jokes about Griffin's age, with a Marcellinos aide saying last week that Griffin "probably eats dinner at 4:00 in the afternoon."

Marcellinos himself has been reticent to use Griffin's age against him. The NAT nominee would much rather his surrogates and supporters attack Griffin's age instead of doing it himself.

But a Marcellinos campaign worker, who is privy to the campaign's strategies, confirmed to the GBC that the campaign has been instructed to compare and contrast Marcellinos' age and vigor with that of Griffin.

"It's definitely an issue with voters. They know it, we know it. So, we're going to use that issue to our advantage," said the campaign worker, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the campaign's inner-workings.

Griffin's team disputes the idea that his age is a liability.

"We know it's an issue, but the fact is Mac Griffin is very much alive and well. He is active. He plays pickleball, he plays softball, he hits the gym three times a week, he golfs regularly and swims. He's very active for his age. It's not like he's in a wheelchair drooling on himself. That's what they (the Marcellinos campaign) would have the public believe. But the voters know the truth and they can see right through this," said Bruce Danforth, a Griffin campaign spokesman.

In fact, the Griffin campaign actually sees the governor's age as an asset.

"Nic Marcellinos is young. He's handsome. He's photogenic. But he doesn't have the experience to be governor," Don Bartolo, a close advisor to Griffin, told the National Press Federation (NPF).

"Nic was lieutenant governor under a disastrous NAT governor. But he had a minimal role in the governor's office during those years. He mostly was just for show. He had a title and an office, but he didn't get his hands dirty doing the work of state government. He has very little experience, his resume is extraordinarily thin. And I think the voters of Veroche want a leader who knows how to lead our state, how to direct our economy, how to rebuild our state after decades of disastrous, failed NAT leadership. They don't want just a pretty face who has a nice smile but no solutions," said Bartolo.

Polls show more Verocheans trust Griffin on the economy and law and order, while a majority of voters think Marcellinos would handle health care, education and climate change better.

Some Conservatives have been panicking after the recent poll numbers showed Griffin trailing Marcellinos. But other Conservatives are urging calm.

"It's one poll. One poll shows him a little behind. And we still have two months until election day. People need to stop freaking out and panicking and put on your big boy boots and pants and get to work to re-elect Mac Griffin," said right-wing activist Katie Yung, on X, formerly Twitter.

On Friday, Marcellinos, at a campaign stop at a bookstore south of Lanakis, told reporters that age is not a main factor in most peoples' minds as they decide who to vote for.

"It's a factor, but I don't think it's a major factor. I think people care more about which candidate is going to make our society more equal, which candidate is going to give us an equal economy where everyone has a chance to succeed, which candidate is going to stop climate change, things like that," said Marcellinos.

Conservatives jumped on his comments, particularly about an "equal economy."

"Nic Marcellinos is openly advocating and calling for socialism," said Veroche Conservative Party Chairman Vance Elder. "He literally said he wants an 'equal economy,' where everyone makes the same amount of money and owns the same amount of property. That's the NAT economy. A socialist economy where everyone is equal, where government regulates everything, and where no one is actually prosperous or financially secure."

"He also thinks he can stop climate change too," said Elder, in an interview with the STAR Network. "It's truly laughable. If Nic Marcellinos can stop climate change, then he can save the world. Good luck with that."

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%