David Handley will be NAT nominee in Wilkonshire gubernatorial race

BRADFORD, Wilk. -- Wilkonshire Nationalists will have a young nominee for governor, who, if elected, could become the youngest governor in state history.

The five-way race for governor among Wilkonshire's Nationalists has come to an end, with Lt. Gov. David Handley taking the most votes.

Handley hardly won a mandate from voters. Under Wilkonshire law, whichever candidate wins a simple plurality, or simply the most votes, wins the primary election. Handley won just 23.49%, respectively.

But that 23% was more than any of his four opponents. Former state Attorney General Reed Powell came in a close second place, winning 21.58%, while state Sen. Dean Albaugh was right behind with 21.42%, respectively.

Businessman Michael Pike was not far behind the top three; Pike earned 19.39%, while state Rep. Rod Winkleton trailed significantly with only 14.13%, respectively.

That means Handley, a two-term lieutenant governor who has served closely with outgoing NAT Gov. Tom Durick, will take the reins of the state party and attempt to lead the Wilkonshire NAT to an historic fifth consecutive term in the governor's office.

Nationalists have controlled Wilkonshire's governorship for almost 16 years, with both Durick and his predecessor Caroline Jepsey serving two back-to-back terms.

Conservatives, meanwhile, are itching to wrest control of the governorship from Nationalists. Only one Conservative has ever held the state's governorship since statehood, and it was only briefly -- for just over a year. 

That lone Conservative governor was former federal Attorney General John Agnew, who served as the state's interim governor until his election to the federal Senate in 2010.

Now, after a nearly 16-year dry spell, Conservatives are anxious to hit the pavement and make their case to Wilkonshireans.

"After 16 years of failed Nationalist policies, Wilkonshireans are hungry for common sense conservative policies that put the people, the taxpayers, and public safety first," state CNS chairman Don Teaguen told the NPF.

It's a common theme among the three Conservative candidates seeking their party's nomination.

Tara Hadley, the former mayor of Christon and a twice-failed nominee for governor, is running for the third time in a row.

Hadley, who came exceedingly close to winning the governorship in both 2020 and 2016, has leaned in heavily to right-wing conspiracy theories. She attributes both her losses for governor to cheating and errors in the secretary of state's office, and she has made law and order a central theme of her campaign.

"As mayor of Christon, I saw first-hand the crime we have in this state, and I saw the failed liberal policies at the state level that sent violent criminals to rehab instead of prison. I saw how imbecilic Nationalist politicians let violent criminals out of prison early. I saw how repeat offenders were booked into jail for a couple hour and then released back into the community, even after dozens of arrests and convictions. I've seen hundreds or thousands of Wilkonshireans who have had their cars stolen, their homes broken into, who have been assaulted by homeless people and victimized by gangs. And Nationalist politicians have done nothing to stop the assault on public safety in this state," she said in a recent TV interview.

Teaupederie businessman Charlie Dunn had similar criticisms on crime, although he has eschewed many of the conspiracy theories Hadley has embraced.

"I think the Nationalist party and Nationalist party politicians have failed our state," Dunn said in a TV interview with the GBC last week. "We have record crime. We have record inflation. We have record bad scores in our public schools. We have record traffic in the Bradford-Christon corridor. We have record office vacancies in downtown Bradford and Christon and elsewhere. I think it's time for a change. I think people are hungry for change."

Federal Senator Bob Mellon, who is also seeking the CNS nomination for governor, agrees, but was more pointed in his criticism.

Mellon, known for his colorful language and humorous quips, told GBC Radio that "Liberal Nationalist politicians have put Wilkonshire in the toilet" with their "failed liberal policies."

"How much longer will the people of Wilkonshire tolerate liberal politicians who fail to get criminals off the street. Who spend all our tax dollars on pointless social programs that don't actually help anyone. Who worry more about climate change than the economy. Who have lost more jobs than just about any other state in this country. How long will Wilkonshireans stand for it? I can tell you, from all my traveling around this state and from all the hundreds or thousands of people I meet every month, I can tell you that Wilkonshireans are mad as hell. And they're ready to fight for change," Mellon said.

Nationalists dispute those Conservative talking points.

Handley himself, in a sit-down interview at the Wilkonshire State Fair this week, said Conservative complaints about crime are "overblown."

"Governor Durick and I and others have been working to expand our prisons and jails so we can get more criminals off the streets. We're trying to reform our bail process, so that it's fairer and more equitable for all Wilkonshireans. And we're working to hire more prosecutors and public defenders so that our court system is more efficient and can handle the increased caseload," Handley told local journalists.

Conservatives say that's not enough.

"Adding more prosecutors and public defenders helps, but it's not enough. Nationalists politicians directly exacerbated the crime problem in this state. They gave criminals a free pass and let them out of jail with no repercussions, with no stipulations. And now they've realized their policies are disastrous, and they're trying to fix it," Charlie Dunn told a group of undecided voters at the Circaylah County Fair last week. "At least they're trying to fix it and they're doing something. But we wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for all the failed NAT policies and failed politicians who put us in this mess."

Nationalists insist the Wilkonshire economy is on the uptick. After the pandemic, with remote work increasing, corporate rentals in high-rise buildings did plummet, as they have done across the nation and in all first-world countries. But just last week, Bradford city officials said two large companies leased office space in the city's central business district.

And in the education sector, math and reading scores were better this year among Wilkonshire students than scores were in the last five years.

"It's taking us a while to recover from the pandemic. From the financial impact, the impact to our kids, the impact to our infrastructure," Handley told voters at the State Fair. "But we are slowly improving. And if we elect pragmatic, level-minded leaders, we will continue our sensible recovery. We will come out stronger than we were before. If we elect reactionary Conservative politicians who want to completely upend everything and cause upheaval, that will set us back."

Handley's fellow NAT opponents for governor held largely similar views. Powell, the former state attorney general, espoused more middle-of-the-road views, telling voters the night before the primary election that Nationalists had to appeal to disaffected independent and even Conservative voters.

"We can't win statewide elections this year if we aren't reaching out to folks on the other side," Powell said in a campaign stop in Evanston, in the far eastern Wilkonshire suburbs of Lanakis.

Rod Winkleton, another centrist, had similar views.

"People are mad at the Nationalist party because we've been in power for decades now and people feel like they're not much better off," Winkleton told reporters at a campaign stop in rural Nephariles County in the north-central part of the state. "We have to build a coalition of our team plus some others who might otherwise vote the other way."

Businessman Michael Pike agreed, telling reporters in the state capitol of Newberry last week that "A strong economy and business-friendly policies are not a Nationalist or Conservative thing, they are a common sense thing."

But state Sen. Dean Albaugh pushed a more left-wing, liberal agenda. Albaugh's progressive populist policies resonated with poor voters, rural voters and blue collar voters. 

Albaugh assailed Conservatives' proposals to cut taxes for wealthy Wilkonshireans. He eviscerated Conservative candidates for suggesting corporate tax cuts. And he blamed state Nationalist leaders for being too moderate.

"We don't win by moving to the right on all these issues. We win by standing up and telling voters, 'This is what Conservatives want to do, and this is what we will do.' If we compare and contrast and present the dichotomy clearly, voters will move to our side, because the voters know the Conservative ideology is flawed," said Albaugh last week while campaigning in suburban New Dunslee.

As the party's official nominee, what direction the state party takes as it heads into the fall general election will largely be up to David Handley and his campaign.

The lieutenant governor has championed progressive policies, but has so far not drifted far to the left. He calls his policies "Pragmatic Progressivism."

The NAT nominee for lieutenant governor, James Marlowe, an African-Grassadellian activist from inner-city Christon, is considerably further left on the political spectrum than Handley.

Marlowe narrowly beat former federal Sen. Tom O'Hearn to win the NAT's nomination for lieutenant governor. 

In his victory speech, Marlowe pledged to "nudge" Handley and state Nationalist leaders further to the left.

"We've had liberal-lite policies for years now. We've had two centrist NAT governors. And we're grateful for their leadership. But the time for economic equity and equal opportunity for all Wilkonshireans is here, and we're not going to pass up that opportunity.

Marlowe calls himself a "socialist," and does not shy away from the term. Conservatives have pounced on his left-wing views, already airing TV commercials that show video of Marlowe describing his socialist views.

"James Marlowe is a radical left-wing activist and a self-described 'socialist.' And now he's the mainstream of the Wilkonshire Nationalist Party," a narrator says in a pro-Conservative campaign commercial.

The state CNS is confident that twice-failed lieutenant governor candidate Tom Rose, a former pastor, will prevail against the overtly liberal Marlowe.

"I'm confident voters will look at their two choices for lieutenant governor and they'll see a radical socialist on one side, and a reasonable, pro-business, pro-capitalist pastor on the other side. I think they'll back Tom Rose quite easily," said state CNS chairman Teaguen.

Although Marlowe is decisively left-wing, and his politics may be soundly rejected in the vast rural reaches of the state, he is popular among minorities. And he previously ran for federal Senate in 2022, losing to Conservative incumbent John Agnew. But while his run for Senate was unsuccessful, it gave him increased name-recognition and allowed him to build alliances around the state.

Furthermore, Marlowe's left-wing racial equality policies resonate in urban areas like Bradford and inner-Christon.

The statewide elections for governor and lieutenant governor may largely come down to which party's voters turn out to vote on election day.

Wilkonshire is a battleground state, and has roughly the same number of NAT and CNS voters. In 2016, Tom Durick (N) beat Tara Hadley (C) in the race for governor by just 11,000 votes out of more than 2.3 million cast.

So the state is used to close elections. And Wilkonshireans may need to prepare for close races this time around too.

***Wilkonshire NAT Primary Election Results -- Governor -- Official Results***

318,243	292,286	191,361	262,631	290,126	Total Votes:	1,354,647
Handley	Powell	Winkleton	Pike	Albaugh		VTO: 17%
23.49%	21.58%	14.13%	19.39%	21.42%

Marsha Dawes wins Marchenay's CNS senate primary

CHARRINGTON, Mar. -- Wealthy millionaire businessman Burke Azurjean has suffered a second defeat in Marchenay politics.

The former Bankcorp CEO conceded to downstate Assemblywoman Marsha Dawes last night, after the two Conservative candidates endured a hard-fought race for the party's nomination for federal senate.

The final numbers from Secretary of State Ari Kavarnath showed Dawes ahead with 50.74% to Azurjean's 49.26%, respectively, a difference of about 30,000 votes.

Dawes will go on to the fall election to challenge NAT incumbent Sen. Heidi Wolmach. The race is rated as a "toss-up" by most political prognosticators.

Azurjean was hoping to win his party's backing, even donating more than $1.7 million of his own money to his campaign.

But Conservative voters narrowly sided with Dawes, who has served southern Marchenay in the Assembly for years.

Dawes entered the race first, and criticized Azurjean for "coming to the table late in the game," although Azurjean declared his candidacy back in March.

His narrow loss to Dawes is the second painful election defeat he's faced in the past two years.

In 2022, Azurjean finished second in the Conservative primary election for governor, only 568 votes behind eventual governor-elect Mike Shannon (C).

"Once again, we have another extremely close election, and it appears the numbers are not in our favor," Azurjean told his supporters at his election night rally at a suburban Madagen wine bar. "It's clear to me that this race has been won by Assemblywoman Dawes, and I congratulate her on her win."

Dawes, at her election night celebration in Wynbrook in far-southern Marchenay, thanked Azurjean for a "robust" debate.

"Burke Azurjean ran for governor and he lost by a sliver. He ran for senate, and he lost by not very much. While I am grateful for winning my party's support and nomination, we have to acknowledge and recognize that Burke Azurjean has won hundreds of thousands of votes over the last two years. Hundreds of thousands, over a million actually, Marchenayans have chosen him with their votes. And while he didn't win, he has amassed a large amount of support, and clearly his message is resonating with Marchenayans. So Burke, thank you for a hard-fought race. Thank you for bringing important issues into the dialogue. And thank you for your willingness to serve Marchenay," said Dawes.

Azurjean admitted to reporters on election night that it was "frustrating" to have lost two close elections in a row. But he said he still believed in the people of Marchenay and the power of democracy.

"We live in a democracy, and we believe that whichever candidate wins the most votes has the confidence of the party. Marsha Dawes got more votes than me. The voters picked her, and I respect that," said Azurjean.

Still, the loss has to be stinging. Azurjean poured over $1.7 million of his own money into his senate campaign. And he poured millions more into his 2022 failed gubernatorial bid as well.

It's unclear what the future holds for Azurjean, who two years ago stepped down from his high-paying job as CEO of Bankcorp.

There's talk that Azurjean may be offered a political commentator position with the STAR Network. He may write a book, and may run for another office in the future.

"I haven't decided what I'm going to do next. I do know I'm not going to just quietly go away and fade into the background. We have too many problems in this country for good people to sit on the sidelines and not say anything. So I will stay involved. But what that involvement looks like, I'm not sure yet," he told reporters Monday.

Azurjean did pledge to campaigning for and helping elect Dawes in the general election.

"Marsha is a thousand times better of a choice than Heidi Wolmach. So I will happily campaign for her, if she wants me to, and I'll do whatever I can to make sure she secures that 49th senate seat," Azurjean said, referring to the number "49," which is the amount of seats needed for a majority in the senate.

Currently, Nationalists have 54 seats while Conservatives have only 42. The CNS will have to gain seven new seats, and hold all their current seats, in order to win back the senate chamber.

The Heidi Wolmach campaign congratulated Dawes on her victory in the Conservative primary, but quickly pivoted to attacking Dawes for her "radical" views.

"Marsha Dawes is extreme on abortion. She has voted to strip away woman's reproductive freedom. She's an extremist on guns. She's voted to let people buy assault rifles and lethal weapons that have no business being on our streets. She continues to back the extremist Benjamin Netanyahu regime in Israel in their illegal war on Palestinians. And Senator Wolmach looks forward to presenting Marsha Dawes' radical views to Marchenayans," said campaign spokeswoman Sarah Peoples.

Dawes hit back Monday night in an interview on the STAR Network, telling conservative host Brad Upkins that "Heidi Wolmach is one of the most dangerous senators in Mavocke right now," and that "her anti-Israel stance, her pro-taxes on families, her anti-children and family policies are literally killing and robbing Marchenayans."

Marchenay Senate Primary -- Conservative Party -- Official Results
	Marsha Dawes	50.74%	1,040,359
	Burke Azurjean	49.26%	1,009,927
			-----------------
	VTO: 18%		2,050,286

Tom Muddleford consolidates NAT support after winning party's nomination for NC governor

PARKINS, N. Ceona -- Despite a crowded primary race with eight candidates, North Ceona Senate Minority Leader Tom Muddleford has quickly coalesced the support of his party and former challengers.

In the race for governor, Muddleford won the NAT's nomination, defeating seven well-known and well-funded opponents.

In a contest with a large field of candidates, Muddleford only won with 17% of the vote -- hardly a mandate. 

However, under North Ceona law, there is no minimum threshold a candidate must attain in a primary election. Whichever candidate wins a plurality, no matter how small, wins the primary election and their party's nomination. 

Put simply, the candidate that wins the most votes, no matter how small the percentage of the total votes, advances to the general election in the fall.

At his election-night speech at a wine bar in the upscale suburb of Lea Hills, southeast of Parkins, Muddleford pledged to bring the state NAT party together.

"This is not just the Tom Muddleford campaign. This is the campaign for all Nationalists and all working-class people who believe in good government, who believe in the value of government; to help lift people out of poverty; to protect women's rights over their own bodies; to empower families of all kinds, not just the ones that look traditional. This campaign is for people who support all of those ideas and values," Muddleford said.

The day after North Ceona's primary election, Muddleford moved quickly to select his running mate. He asked Susie Forszak, CEO of Forward Industries, a major aeronautics company head-quartered in the northeast suburbs of Parkins, to join his ticket as his candidate for lieutenant governor.

Within just two days after the primary, Muddleford had already secured endorsements from all of his previous NAT challengers.

"Tom Muddleford is the right man to beat Ty Jaimeson and the radical Conservative agenda in Parkins," said Lexerna businessman John Thurgood, who finished second in the primary.

Lawyer Blair Elliott, also of Lexerna, likewise heaped praise on Muddleford.

"I am happy and proud to endorse Tom Muddleford for governor. He is an experienced and well-qualified candidate who has dedicated years of public service to helping the people of North Ceona," said Elliott.

State Sen. Katie Pollock, of south Parkins, who was reportedly also under consideration to be Muddleford's lieutenant governor, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that she would "happily" work to get Muddleford elected.

"North Ceona needs Tom Muddleford. He fights for low-income North Ceonans, he fights for women, he fights for minorities, he fights for LGBTQ+ folks...he is the leader North Ceona needs right now," said Pollock.

Fellow challengers Sajid Roushan, Lisa Campion and Tom Denton issued similar statements congratulating Muddleford and vowing to assist his campaign.

Despite the diverse coalition Muddleford quickly assembled, his race against Jaimeson will still be an uphill battle.

The young governor, who is seeking a second term, remains popular. 

Jaimeson has good relations with state legislators and local officials across the state, he has largely avoided controversial social issues, and hasn't made any serious gaffes, unlike his Conservative counterpart Mark Ellsworth in neighboring East Deschire.

Jaimeson also has a large bank account. As of the last campaign finance report, he had raised $8.1 million, with $6.6 million in cash-on-hand.

Muddleford has raised $4.3 million so far, with about $900,000 in cash-on-hand.

Supporters of Muddleford say that, while the Senate Minority Leader is behind in the money race, now that he has won the party's nomination, the donations will pour in.

"Tom Muddleford is winning support from Nationalists all over North Ceona and beyond," Pat Riley, chair of the North Ceona Nationalist Party, told the STAR Network. "I look for the money gap to narrow significantly over the next month."

Still, Jaimeson remains the favorite. While the governor only narrowly won his last contest in 2020, he enjoys high approval ratings, he avoided a nasty primary fight with his own party, and the conservative tilt of North Ceona electoral politics is in his favor.

The last Jaimeson-Muddleford poll, conducted before Muddleford secured the NAT nomination, had Jaimeson leading with 53% to Muddleford's 46%, respectively.

"This race is by no means a sure thing, but at this point, Ty Jaimeson remains in the lead and continues to have the advantage," political scientist Rod Snyder told the STAR Network, noting that a lot could change in the next three months.

If Muddleford does pull off an upset against Jaimeson, Muddleford will become the state's first NAT governor.

***North Ceona Primary Election for Governor -- NAT -- Unofficial Results***

149,452	119,869	132,491	102,463	84,270	65,203	95,406	87,952
17.85%	14.32%	15.83%	12.24%	10.07%	7.79%	11.40%	10.51%
Muddleford	Forszak	Thurgood	Pollock	Campion	Denton	Elliott	Roushan

Shannon noncommittal on Azurjean vs Dawes race

MADAGEN, Mar. -- Marchenay Gov. Mike Shannon is not taking sides in the state's contested Senate primary election, he announced Monday.

Shannon, a Conservative, had been asked repeatedly if he would back fellow Conservative businessman Burke Azurjean for federal Senate, or Conservative Assemblywoman Marsha Dawes.

Both Azurjean and Dawes are vying for the party's nomination to take on NAT Sen. Heidi Wolmach, who is up for reelection in the fall.

Dawes, a longtime assemblywoman with strong conservative credentials from southern Marchenay, was the first to declare her candidacy for the seat. She has received endorsements from the more right-wing side of the party.

Azurjean, a moderate who previously ran unsuccessfully against Shannon for governor back in 2022, is seen as a centrist candidate who could better appeal to independent and swing voters. However, Azurjean entered the race after Dawes, and there is concern among party leaders that he may not be able to win over the party's most loyal voters in next week's primary election.

When asked which candidate he is supporting, Gov. Shannon said he would "be happy either way."

"They're both great candidates. I've known Marsha for years and she's been a great assembly member for her district. Burke Azurjean is also a great conservative mind who would represent our state well. So I really don't think you can go wrong with either one," said Shannon to a group of reporters at the National Robotics Convention at the Madagen Convention Center.

The governor was at the convention speaking to leaders in the robotics industry.

Both Azurjean and Dawes have been highlighting their closeness with Shannon, who is seen as the leader of Marchenay's Conservative Party.

"Ever since Mike Shannon beat me in the 2022 governor's race, I've worked to get him elected and to enact his conservative, constitution-focused agenda," said Azurjean, in a recent campaign TV commercial.

Dawes, meanwhile, has pointed out that her voting record has strongly overlapped with Shannon's when Shannon was in the state Senate.

"I am proud to support the same policies and rights that Mike Shannon has fought for. I am a proud gun owner, a strong advocate for small businesses and lower taxes, a strong advocate for healthy, traditional families, and a fierce opponent of the federal government overreaching and telling Marchenayans how to live their lives," Dawes said in her own campaign commercial.

A spokesperson for the governor repeated that, while both candidates may imply or suggest he is backing their campaign, the governor is in fact remaining neutral.

"Gov. Shannon supports both Burke Azurjean and Marsha Dawes equally. He is not taking a side. They are both strong, reliable Conservative leaders, and the governor would be delighted to see either one in the federal Senate. He believes both candidates are superior to Heidi Wolmach and can beat her in November," said John Dulaney, a spokesperson for the governor's office.

Among the high-profile groups supporting Azurjean are the Grassadellia Chamber of Commerce, the Marchenay Association of Industry and Business, and Bridge Builders, a good-governance group that advocates for bipartisanship.

Dawes has been endorsed by the National Rifle Club, the Grassadellian Conservative Union, and the Grassadellian Farmers Alliance.

In the money race, Azurjean has raised significantly more money for his campaign, about $7 million so far. However, $3 million of that came from his own pocket. As a multi-millionaire, he has deep pockets he can tap for additional campaign funds. Azurjean currently has $2.1 million in cash-on-hand.

Dawes is not as fortunate. Her net worth is significantly smaller. However, the assemblywoman has strong financial support from many major players in the conservative political arena. She has raised $4.3 million for her campaign so far. Dawes has $1.1 million in cash-on-hand.

Marchenay's other top Conservatives, federal senators Sidney Leeland and Megan Sellious, are also remaining neutral in the Azurjean-Dawes contest.

Federal Sen. Kathy Bernanski (N) is also up for reelection this fall. However, only Conservative State Rep. David LaSaria is running, unopposed, on the CNS side.

Wolmach's race is rated as a toss-up by most political prognosticators, while Bernanski's race is rated either safely NAT or NAT-leaning.

Mara Edinough is surging in Trinton governor's race, and that has the Conservative party establishment sweating

ENFOLK, Tri. -- An outspoken and colorful candidate is surging in Trinton's Conservative governor's race, and that has the party's establishment leaders scrambling to coalesce around another candidate.

Mara Edinough, the sister-in-law of current Gov. Marcus Edinough, is running to succeed her brother-in-law as governor.

After two terms as a centrist, fiscally conservative but socially moderate Democratic-Reformist governor, Marcus Edinough is not running for re-election. 

But his sister-in-law is running to replace him.

And unlike her brother-in-law, who is quiet and reserved and sometimes described as aloof, Mara Edinough is outspoken and brash.

She's also running for governor as a Conservative. Her brother-in-law used to be a Conservative but left the party back in 2009, citing the party's drift to social, right-wing extremism.

Mara Edinough, who has never ran for elected office before, is married to Marcus' older brother Andrew. The couple, who are enthusiastic gun owners and hard-line Conservatives, live in Enfolk, a northern suburb of Williamstown.

Mara has a strong presence on social media, where she frequently posts videos of her speaking to right-wing activists and even criticizing her own brother-in-law's policies.

"I love Marcus. We're family. But he's completely wrong on so many issues. He left the Conservative Party, he left the conservative ideals he was raised with by his wonderful parents. And now he's leading our state in a slower left-ward trajectory, but still a left-ward trajectory," said Mara in a video post back in April.

Mara and Andrew's two young-adult sons get in on the action too, often appearing in videos on their mother's social media channels, or tagging her, and vice-versa.

"Our branch of the Edinough family is very conservative. We believe in freedom. We believe in faith. We believe in the right to own a gun. We believe in patriotism and love of country. We believe in law and order. We believe that people should follow their own conscience and not 'follow the science.' We believe in personal and individual liberty. That's what this country used to be about and what it should be about," said Mara in another video posted in early June on her TikTok account.

Mrs. Edinough's candidacy is exciting to hard-line conservative activists, who have largely been side-lined over the years by the party's more moderate establishment.

Her candidacy is worrying for the establishment, however. Her colorful language and frequent swearing on video, her occasional dropping of racial slurs and homophobic language, and her less-educated style make Mrs. Edinough prone to controversy, something party leaders want to avoid.

"Trinton is a liberal state. It's difficult for Conservatives to win here. And if we run a Donald Trump-loving hardliner like Mara Edinough, we will get crushed by the Nationalists," says Stewart Stevens, a Conservative strategist who has worked on several statewide campaigns for the party.

The establishment strongly prefers a more centrist candidate, such as businessman Jim Valoix or former Federal Sen. Kelsey Frascanio.

But the party faithful, especially in rural reaches of the state and the most conservative zip codes, strongly prefer Mara Edinough.

"She speaks her mind. She's not timid and afraid like her brother-in-law. She's not trying to be 'moderate' or move to the 'center' so people will vote for her. She's just telling the truth like it is. And people like that, I like that," said Sylvia Greenley, a Conservative voters from rural Kelleyville County,. when interviewed by The Golden Shore Tribune.

Edinough herself often campaigns against the establishment.

"It's no secret they want me to fail. They don't like that I speak my mind. They don't like that I tell people the truth. They don't like that I'm an outspoken defender of civil liberties and our rights. They [party leaders] want someone who will just go with the flow and do what they're told. And that's not me. I'm an independent woman. I'm a mother. I'm a wife. I'm a concerned Grassadellian who cares about our country and refused to be silent as the left and the Nationalist Party and the media and celebrities and big business and all those people ruin our country," said Edinough.

Her brother-in-law, who is leaving office soon, has said little about Mara's candidacy.

"I have nothing to say except that her views don't represent me," said the governor last week, when accosted by reporters in an empty hallway at the state capitol in Cristo Colonado.

Indeed, Mrs. Edinough and her younger brother-in-law differ vastly on the issues.

Gov. Marcus Edinough was one of the first Trinton politicians to voice his support for same-sex marriage back in the early 2000's. Mara Edinough is still vocally opposed to same-sex marriage, though she has said she has "nothing but respect and love for the LGBT community."

She also has several prominent LGBTQ folks on her campaign staff.

On climate change, Marcus Edinough has devoted millions of dollars to preparing the state for rising sea levels and fighting carbon. Mara Edinough doesn't believe climate change is human-caused, and doesn't want to spend tax-payer money to fight climate change.

On taxes, Marcus Edinough has generally favored lower taxes, but has often compromised with Nationalists and signed tax increases into law. Mara Edinough is fiercely anti-tax.

When it comes to transportation, Marcus Edinough has funded public transport. Mara Edinough wants to expand roads and freeways.

And on crime, Mara Edinough has been harsh in her criticism of the governor. She wants more police, tougher sentences for offenders, and homeless people banished from the streets.

Marcus Edinough has generally supported a strong police presence, but has backed away from mandatory minimum sentencing laws. And on homelessness, Marcus Edinough has compromised with Nationalists to increase beds but also treatment.

"On nearly every issue, Mara Edinough is on the right, common sense side, while her brother-in-law Marcus Edinough is on the loony Nationalists' side," said Williamstown conservative radio talkshow host Mike LePeu.

Quietly, behind the scenes, party leaders are looking to boost Jim Valoix or Kelsey Frascanio.

But on the ground, the Conservative Party's most faithful voters are flocking to Mrs. Edinough. 

Some are also supporting businessman Bob Gillies, but he is older and lacks the flair Mara Edinough exhibits.

"This race is going to come down to the establishment versus the people, and I hope to God the people win," said Mara Edinough, in a recent campaign speech in Banbury County.

Bob Perrins, a surrogate for Jim Valoix, had the opposite view.

"We have to decide as a party if we want someone normal representing us in the fall election, or do we want some crazy, anti-vaxxer, anti-science, anti-everything candidate representing us," said Perrins in an interview with the Tribune.

The Trinton primary election is scheduled for September 3.

Halver ends governor bid, switches to attorney general race, scrambling Trinton's political landscape

TORNBORO, Tri. -- Former Attorney General Troy Halver has ended his gubernatorial bid and has instead set his sights on running for his old position.

Halver made the announcement Monday at a press conference in Tornboro, his hometown and the home base for his campaign.

He will challenge a member of his own party, current Attorney General Damon Garcia-Perrera, for the NAT's nomination. 

The surprise announcement came after new polling numbers showed Halver trailing in the NAT primary for governor.

The polling numbers were not the only reason Halver switched races, he told reporters Monday.

"The polling numbers were part of it. There were eight candidates on the NAT side for governor. And many others who already dropped out. So with that many leading candidates in the race, it has made it difficult for one person to jump out way ahead in front of the others," he said. "But there were other reasons too. For one, I'm good at the job. I used to be attorney general, and I did a kick-ass job. We put a lot of criminals in jail and off the streets. And now, we have some of the highest crime we've ever had in modern memory. We have an attorney general...[who]...even though he's from the same party as me...he's failing our state."

The new poll, conducted by the University of Trinton in conjunction with The Golden Shore Tribune, found Halver in fifth place out of eight candidates on the NAT side. Halver garnered about 13% in the poll.

While fifth place and only 13% are not good numbers, in a race with viable candidates, no candidate has opened a wide lead in the race.

Front-runner Tom Jamber, an assemblyman from Cristo Colonado who was the NAT's nominee for governor back in 2020, had 17.6% in the poll, while former Gov. Mark De Auonne earned 16.4%. State Sen. Colin Costello had 15.8%, and businessman Frank Broussard had 13.9%, respectively.

The three female candidates in the race all polled under 10% -- federal prosecutor Kathy Kemmell polled nine percent, state Sen. Diane Fassetto took eight percent, and state Rep. Christy Lindner with 6.4%, respectively.

"It's clear from these poll numbers that Tom Jamber, Mark De Auonne and Colin Costello are certainly in the lead in this race," said Dr. Phil Lumbar, a political science professor at the University of Trinton. "However, with eight candidates in the race who are all well-known and have money and widespread support, this race is not sewn up by any means. It's still anyone's race at this point. The lead that the leading candidates have is tenuous and can easily be overcome."

Halver agreed, and told reporters he was confident he could still win the NAT's nomination for governor.

"It's tough to win when you're running against so many well-qualified and well-known people. So the governor's race was tough. But I'm confident I could have won the nomination and could have won the whole contest. I've won the nomination in the past and come extremely close to winning the governorship, so I know I can do it. But at this time, we need to take back the attorney general's office from the woke leftists and bring it back under common sense leadership," said Halver.

Although a Nationalist, Halver has frequently butted heads with his fellow Nationalists.

Halver supports climate change legislation, increasing the minimum wage, and better labor conditions. He opposes charter schools and supports a woman's right to abortion, all positions that are widely in the NAT's mainstream.

However, on law and order, Halver is more conservative, and he often sides with the CNS over his own party.

He's supported longer, more severe sentences for violent criminals and repeat offenders, including for low-level crimes and property crimes.

He's called for more police officers on the streets, not less, like many of his NAT colleagues have demanded.

And he wants to build additional prisons to accommodate more prisoners, something that puts him directly at odds with his party, which has advocated for less incarceration and a focus on rehabilitation.

Garcia-Perrera, the current attorney general, has embraced a more left-wing view on crime. He's dropped prosecution for many low-level crimes, and he's largely avoided addressing property crime, except for property crime rings, such as chop shops and other theft rings.

Garcia-Perrera has focused instead on social justice, fighting for LGBTQ Trintonians and suing e-cig and vape manufacturers. He's also taken on corporations that have violated consumers' rights.

The incumbent has made police accountability and exposing police brutality key areas of focus during his tenure.

"We don't need more police on the streets," Garcia-Perrera told reporters last week, in response to criticism from Halver. "We need better accountability and training for the existing officers we already have on the streets. If we just add more untrained and unaccounted for officers to the mix, we're not going to stop crime or fix our communities. We have to have accountability action."

Garcia-Perrera briefly toyed with running for governor this year, but amid the large field of candidates, he opted to run for re-election to the attorney general's seat instead. If he wins this November, he will serve his third consecutive term.

Halver served one term as attorney general, from 2013 - 2017. He ran for governor in 2016, securing the NAT's nomination and placing first in a three-way race with then-Lt. Gov. Marcus Edinough (DR) and Conservative businessman Jim Valoix.

However, none of the three gubernatorial candidates reached the required 40% threshold to win outright, so Halver and Edinough, the top two candidates, advanced to a run-off, where Edinough squeaked out a win.

Halver ran for governor again in 2020, but lost in the NAT primary to Assemblyman Tom Jamber.

Garcia-Perrera has criticized Halver, saying, "the guy is desperate for a title."

Halver disputes that, and says he just wants to make his home state a better place.

"It's not about a title. It's not about an office or my name on a door. It's about fixing our state, getting the criminals and the drug addicts and the homeless people off our streets, and making our state livable again."

As for the Conservatives, no party-backed candidate has not yet filed to run for attorney general. State Conservative leaders are in talks with Halver, and are considering supporting him against Garcia-Perrera.

"Troy Halver is not a Conservative. We'd prefer to have a Conservative candidate, but until and unless one emerges, Troy Halver is a better option than the far-left Damon Garcia-Perrera," said Trinon Conservative Party Vice President Phil Ingram.

Meanwhile, Halver's exit from the NAT's governor's race was not the only departure.

State Sen. Diane Fassetto announced she would end her bid as well, amid negative polling numbers. Fassetto said she will instead run for lieutenant governor, challenging incumbent Lt. Gov. Kathy Lewitt (NAT), who is seeking re-election.

State Rep. Christy Lindner also dropped out of the race, saying she will instead seek an assembly seat.

As for who they'll support moving forward, Halver and Fassetto both threw their support to Frank Broussard, a businessman and labor activist from northwest Williamstown.

Lindner endorsed Colin Costello, who represents southeast Williamstown in the state senate.

The Conservative race for governor is also somewhat fractured, although there are only four candidates running on the CNS side.

Millionaire businessman Jim Valoix currently leads the four-way race, with 28.6%, while activist Mara Edinough, a sister-in-law of current Gov. Marcus Edinough (DR), is in second with 26.1%, respectively.

Former Federal Sen. Kelsey Frascanio is currently standing in third place with 23.8%, and businessman Bob Gillies from Kelleyville trails with 21.5%, respectively.

Valoix has ran for governor three times previously. He won the CNS nomination in both 2012 and 2016, but lost both times, first to Gov. Mark De Auonne (N) and then to Gov. Marcus Edinough (DR).

In 2020, Valoix ran for governor but lost in the CNS primary to Greg Baxter, who went on to lose to Edinough and NAT nominee Tom Jamber.

Many Conservatives have reservations about Valoix's fourth attempt at the governorship. There are serious doubts he can win after failing three times.

However, the millionaire businessman remains popular within the party, and his significant personal fortune has provided him with a wealth of money to tap, making him a competitive candidate.

The Trinton primary election is scheduled for September 3.

Houndsler still leads in Ansleigha, but Baskingwood gaining

KOEURN, Asl. -- First-time candidate Agatha Houndsler is off to a strong start in the Ansleigha governor's race. The art teacher and psychologist continues to lead Conservative Gov. Sam Baskingwood and Independent businesswoman Rosamond Burkes. 

However, Houndsler's lead has slipped slightly, and Baskingwood has made some small gains, according to the latest poll.

The latest poll, conducted by the University of Ansleigha and The Grassadellia City Times, finds Houndsler earning 39.7% and Baskingwood earning 38.2%, while Burkes receives 21.3%, respectively.

Just two months ago, Houndsler led Baskingwood in the polls by almost seven points. That was before the NAT nominee had secured her party's nomination, however. And Houndsler was not well-known by Ansleigha voters at the time.

Since she won her party's nomination last month, Houndsler has come under greater scrutiny from the media and her political rivals. She's also come under attack from both the Baskingwood and Burkes campaigns, who have portrayed Houndsler as a left-wing idealist who prioritizes feel-good social justice gestures over effective policies.

"Agatha Houndsler may be a nice person, but her policies are just flat out crazy," says a narrator in a pro-Baskingwood campaign commercial.

The same commercial hits Houndsler for suggesting rehabilitation and early release for violent criminals in the state's prison system, and for her embrace of transgender-friendly policies in schools and government offices.

"When it comes to protecting Ansleigha's families from violent crime and dangerous predators, Sam Baskingwood is the only candidate who will keep criminals off the street, and keep predators out of our kids' schools and bathrooms," says the narrator.

Burkes has similarly gone after Houndsler, calling her a "culture warrior for the left."

"'Hagatha,' as I call her, is a bleeding heart liberal. She wants to feed all the homeless people and give them free food and shelter. She even wants to give them free drugs and needle exchanges. Because she says that will help them," said Burkes at a campaign rally in the eastern suburbs of Koeurn last week.

The crowd booed at Burkes' comments.

"If you want to fix the homeless situation, if you want to get thugs and drug dealers off the streets, you better vote for me. Because 'Hagatha' won't do it, and 'Sell-Out Sam' won't do it either," said Burkes, referring to Houndsler and Baskingwood, both of whom she has given degrading nicknames.

Houndsler embraces the hippie label her political foes have assigned to her.

"I am a hippie, I won't shy away from that. I am a hippie. I am anti-war. I am pro-human rights. I am pro-women's rights. I am pro-environment. If all of that makes me a hippie, then yes, I am one," she told The Grassadellia City Times as a reporter shadowed her on the campaign trail last week.

Still, it's unclear if Conservatives' usual playbook -- using crime and homelessness to criticize and attack Nationalist politicians -- will work this time around.

Baskingwood has been in office for three-and-a-half years at this point, and any criticism about crime would also imply he has not done enough himself to combat the problem. The same is true of homelessness.

But top Conservatives are hoping their negative ads that cast Houndsler as an extreme left-wing "bleeding heart" will sway voters who value law and order.

"This election is, I think, going to come down less to the economy and more to crime, homelessness, and culture wars. For better or for worse," said Dr. Phil Angelo, a political science professor at Hastings University in Elmhurst. "The question is, which candidate will voters trust on these issues."

Cal Sully holds off Simi Hagley, for now

ASHFORD'S LANDING, Har. -- Moderate NAT Sen. Cal Sully can breathe a temporary sigh of relief.

The incumbent senator, who is known for his independent streak and for frequently bucking his party, narrowly prevailed over his more left-wing opponent, liberal activist and perennial candidate Simi Hagley.

With all precincts reporting, Sully was leading with just shy of 52%, while Hagley had just over 48%, respectively.

It was a tight race for the long-time senator, who routinely faces criticism and backlash from the left-wing of the NAT for his sometimes more conservative voting record.

Sully is staunchly liberal on issues like labor, women's health care, and social welfare programs.

But he often sides with Conservatives on national security and tax issues.

More recently, he has earned scorn from liberal activists for not supporting several of President Jim McCaren's cabinet nominees.

Hagley ran against Sully because, as she told The Ashford Current newspaper, "Harlyne deserves a true liberal senator who will champion progressive values, and not just give them lip service."

Sully defended his record, saying that he votes liberal "90% of the time," and that he often votes against the president because he believes the president's nominees or positions are too conservative.

"I don't side with Conservatives against the president. I vote my conscience. And sometimes my conscience happens to align with Conservatives. But it's not about me teaming up with Conservatives or joining their side," he told a reporter last week on the campaign trail.

"I'm not a Vic Chambers," Sully said, referring to South Ceona Sen. Vic Chambers, who is officially a Nationalist but who votes with Conservatives more often than his own party.

Hagley and the far-left have long tried to eliminate Sully. Hagley ran against him six years ago, in another close contest. 

Sully beat Hagley in the primary, narrowly. However, Hagley switched her political affiliation to "Independent" and continued her campaign, resulting in a three-way race in the general election, where Sully defeated Hagley and Conservative Hal Swenson. Sully won that race with 45.7% to Swenson's 41.7% and Hagley's 10%, respectively.

This year's election is shaping up to be an identical re-run of 2018.

Just like in 2018, Hagley challenged Sully in a close primary election, where he hobbled out a narrow win.

And also just like 2018, Hagley says she will continue to the general election as an Independent candidate, assuming she gets enough signatures and the secretary of state's office certifies her candidacy, both of which are expected to happen.

Hal Swenson is also running for the Conservatives again.

The WHMC Member, who represents far eastern Bourneham County, is known for his hard-line, right-wing views.

Swenson has been critical of Sully for not being Conservative enough. And Swenson's chief criticism this time around is that Sully, as a Nationalist, is enabling Senate Majority Leader Debbie Madronas and more liberal members of Congress, who hold the majority.

"The Nationalists get their power in the Senate by having more NAT senators than Conservative senators. So even if Cal Sully says he's 'independent,' and he says he votes his conscience and bucks his party, the very fact that he is a Nationalist and is on the NAT's team, the fact that he sits in their section of the Senate chamber, the fact that he's apart of their caucus, that means he's enabling and helping Debbie Madronas. He may not vote the way she wants him to, all the time, but he is adding to her majority, and that majority gives her the power," said Swenson in an interview with The Current.

Swenson said he will implore voters, once again, to vote Conservative.

"This isn't even about voting for me, as much as it is about stopping Debbie Madronas. You may not love me, you may not agree with all my policies. But let's stop Debbie Madronas and Paul LeBouse and Deborah Kay and all the other liberal wacky senators from running our country into the ground. We need to deny the Nationalists a majority, and that starts by voting Conservative this fall," said an adamant Swenson.

Sully disputed Swenson's contention, saying, "the voters of Harlyne have a right to pick their senator based on who that person is, not on some national party strategy."

"The people of Harlyne know me. They know how I operate. They know how I vote. They know I vote my conscience. They know I work with Conservatives and Nationalists. They know I have strong values and I stick to those values. I'm confident the voters of Harlyne will vote to retain me in the fall. They would rather have an independent-minded senator who votes their conscience rather than a party automaton who just does whatever the far-right or far-left tells them and pressures them to do," said Sully.

The race is likely to come down to Sully and Swenson, as Hagley has ran for office numerous times over the past two decades. Many voters dismiss her because of her routine runs for office, which have never been successful.

Still, while Hagley may not command enough votes to win, she could siphon enough votes away from Sully, which could theoretically allow Swenson to win with a simple plurality.

"It's in the realm of possibility," Swenson told the NPF. "We are approaching this race as if we can win. I wouldn't be running if I thought this was a waste of time. I believe I can win, my supporters believe that. We're running alongside Tom Marelo for governor. The voters of Harlyne will finally have a solid choice for a true conservative for governor and for senator. This could be the year that Conservatives rise from the ashes in Harlyne and rightfully claim their place of authority," said Swenson.

Though not as experienced on the ballot as Hagley, Swenson has also run for office multiple times, and has never won statewide office. An outspoken Evangelical Christian, Swenson is known for his conservative fiscal policies, his ultra-conservative views on social issues, and his frequent references to the Bible and end times.

Despite his unsuccessful record at statewide office, Swenson has managed to hold on to his WHMC seat in eastern Bourneham County for years. He has a strong base of support in the mostly suburban and rural district he represents.

Sully has been endorsed by Gov. Kate Morelda, as well as a slew of local NAT mayors, county commissioners, and other leaders.

Notably, he has not received an endorsement from fellow NAT Senator Lei Chan, who was appointed to the Senate by Morelda back in February. Chan, who is decidedly more liberal than Sully, has not endorsed Hagley, with a spokesman for Chan's office saying the newly-appointed senator has not been focused on the race and will not get involved in the race in the near future.

Celebration turns to worry for Morelda campaign in wake of Marelo primary win

ASHFORD'S LANDING, Har. -- Advisors and surrogates of Harlyne Gov. Kate Morelda (N) were initially jubilant when it was confirmed Conservative hard-liner Tom Marelo won the state's CNS primary for governor.

Marelo is, by Harlyne standards, a bit of an extremist. He's anti-abortion. He supports low taxes and making cuts to the state's budget. He is staunchly opposed to electric vehicles. And wants to prohibit transgender children from using their preferred pronouns in schools.

So the Morelda camp was quite excited to hear Marelo prevailed over a more mainstream, moderate candidate in last week's CNS primary election.

Morelda already easily beat Marelo back in 2020, and will likely do it again this year, Morelda supporters figured. He should be easier to beat than the moderate Frank Kerenbury, who was the favored CNS candidate, who also enjoyed the CNS party leadership's support.

However, while Marelo may have squeezed out a narrow win over Kerenbury, and while Marelo may have been easily held back in 2020, he may not be as easily defeated this fall in the general election.

A new poll released Friday finds Marelo trailing Morelda by a measly three points. Morelda leads with 51% to Marelo's 48%, respectively.

Those numbers are far from a slam dunk for Morelda. And those concerningly close poll numbers turned the joyous mood at Morelda campaign headquarters into a mood of panic and fear.

"When we first found out Tom Marelo won, we were ecstatic," said Jay Bukes, a senior advisor to Morelda. "But we have seen the poll numbers, and we know that this race is actually very close."

"We still believe Tom Marelo is the easier candidate to beat. He's an extremist who is out of step and out of touch with the values of Harlynians. And we will point that out every chance we get during this campaign. However, we're not taking anything for granted. We're not going to be presumptive or complacent. We know we have to work hard to convince Harlynians to re-elect Governor Morelda," said Bukes.

The Marelo campaign, unsurprisingly, is touting the latest poll numbers.

"This latest poll confirms what we already knew and what we have been saying for months, but the liberal, elite media and establishment have refused to listen. Tom Marelo is very much a contender in this governor's race. He and Kate Morelda are essentially tied for the lead. This race could go either way. It's a toss-up. Kate Morelda and her liberal cronies have arrogantly dismissed Tom Marelo as having no chance of winning, but these poll numbers show their arrogance will be their downfall," said Robert Strange, a close advisor to Marelo.

Harlyne is a liberal-leaning state, although moderate Conservatives, such as former governor and current senator George Garesby, Sen. Bourret Magiscanti, and Secretary of State Jan Scianden have won statewide elections.

Former Attorney General Julio Emaria, who is more conservative, has also won two terms in the state's top law-enforcement job.

On the whole, however, Nationalists dominate, particularly in the heavily-populated western half of the state, where almost two-thirds of the state's population resides.

One thing is clear after last week's poll. The Nationalist Party cannot dismiss Tom Marelo. And the Conservative Party may want to invest more money in the race than they originally planned.

"We are very much in this to win this. I wouldn't be running if I thought I had no chance of winning. The poll numbers are showing that we are on the cusp of something big. We are in striking distance. And that should make Kate Morelda and her left-wing cronies in Ashford's Landing think twice before they implement their latest, loony policies," a defiant Marelo told reporters Friday at a campaign stop in northern Adams County.

The Morelda campaign responded with skepticism.

"I've ran against Tom Marelo before. I know how he operates. He's cocky. He's very sure of himself. We heard this last time too, that he was going to win and his support was under-reported. But we ended up winning by five points. I know the state of Harlyne. I know the values Harlynians believe in. And I know Tom Marelo does not match up with those values. So I am confident the voters will send me back to Clevey Springs this fall," said Morelda Friday afternoon at a dinner reception in south Ashford's Landing.

In terms of money, Morelda has a significant advantage. She has raised $6.1 million so far for her campaign, and has $4.7 million in cash-on-hand. 

Marelo has raised $1.4 million for his campaign, and has also donated an additional $1.6 million of his own money. He has just $998,000 in cash-on-hand.

Marelo pulls off upset in knife-edge Harlyne CNS primary election

GOLDCHRIS, Har. -- Defying all expectations, hard-line Conservative gubernatorial candidate and businessman Tom Marelo won a major upset against an establishment Conservative opponent.

Originally, five CNS candidates were vying for the Conservative party's nomination. One, H-Tel CEO Rich Tuller, dropped out and filed to run for lieutenant governor instead.

Former Attorney General Julia Giorchani and current Assemblyman Steve Frenitch both dropped out just days before the primary election.

Frenitch opted to run for attorney general instead, while Giorchani did not give a reason for her departure from the race and didn't file to run for another office.

That left Marelo and Assemblyman Frank Kerenbury, the establishment-backed and favorite candidate of party leadership.

Kerenbury is decidedly more moderate than Marelo, with the former embracing bipartisanship and moderate positions on social issues.

Marelo is considerably more conservative on fiscal and social policies, and has ruthlessly attacked Nationalists politicians.

The outspoken millionaire businessman, who is a staunch Evangelical Christian, has received strong support from his home base in Adams County, the state's most conservative county. 

Marelo's support has spread beyond Adams County, though, including to all of eastern Harlyne and even to the heavily-populated western half of the state.

Indeed, it was an unexpected wellspring of support for Marelo in Scandinaugh County, the state's second-most-populous, that helped pushed Marelo past the finish line.

Kerenbury, who hails from Scandinaugh County, ended up losing his home county narrowly, with Marelo enjoying a strong lead among working-class and blue-collar voters.

Kerenbury received more support from elderly and higher-educated voters.

In the end, the race was exceedingly close. Kerenbury led by a sliver of the vote in the first count. But as additional overseas and military ballots trickled in, Marelo pulled ahead. 

However, his win was exceedingly marginal, beating Kerenbury by less than 2,000 votes out of more than 240,000 votes cast.

A win for Marelo is a victory for hard-line and right-wing Conservatives, and a blow to party leadership, who tried to clear a path for Kerenbury.

Party elders are concerned about Marelo's nomination primarily because they believe he is too conservative to win in the fall election.

"Harlyne is a liberal state. We are a left-leaning state. We can't win with a right-wing candidate here," Josh Jarvis, a Conservative political consultant from Harlyne, told the NPF.

Additionally, Marelo previously ran unsuccessfully for governor back in 2020, losing to NAT Gov. Kate Morelda by a 52%-46% margin.

"How is this year going to be any different than 2020 when Tom Marelo lost back then? I'm not convinced he can beat Kate Morelda," Jarvis added.

Marelo brushes off concerns about electability.

"We came fairly close to winning last time around. And now voters have had almost four years of Kate Morelda's 'leadership.' People are hungry for change. They're yearning for common sense policies. They're tired of seeing homeless people on every street corner. They're tired of 'catch and release' policies with criminals who commit crimes. People are tired of being taxed out of their cars and their homes. The climate and the mood are very different this time around, and we intend to capitalize on that," Marelo told The Harlyne Sun newspaper in a sit-down interview yesterday.

Perhaps a challenge equally as daunting as defeating Kate Morelda in the fall will be the process of healing intra-party rifts between the pro-Marelo and pro-Kerenbury factions of the CNS, something Marelo acknowledged.

"I know this was a tough-fought primary election. I know Assemblyman Kerenbury is a good person and has served our state for many years. I appreciate his service and his ideas. And I hope he partners with me to win in November," said Marelo.

Kerenbury briefly toyed with changing his party registration to "Independent," which would allow him to continue his campaign for governor as an Independent candidate.

However, polls on a hypothetical Morelda-Marelo-Kerenbury, three-way race showed Morelda leading overwhelmingly, with Conservatives splitting the vote.

The adverse poll numbers convinced Kerenbury to accept defeat. He subsequently endorsed Marelo.

"It is disappointing to being standing here not as a winner but conceding to another candidate. That's not the outcome we hoped for, it's not the outcome I hoped for. But the voters have spoken, and they, ever so narrowly, chose Tom Marelo's vision for our state over my vision. And I have to respect that," Kerenbury told a local TV station Friday in Harlynee.

"This [defeat] doesn't change my fidelity to the party. I am still a loyal Conservative. I still support the party and still want our party to win in November. I will be supporting Tom Marelo in the fall. We need a change, we need new leadership in Clevey Springs. So this contested primary election doesn't change that."

Despite Marelo's endorsement, concerns persist among the Conservative party's leadership. Many fear moderate Conservative voters, who have long been the backbone of the party, may either switch their votes to Morelda in the fall election, or they may abstain and not vote at all. Either scenario would hurt Marelo's chances of taking the governorship.

Still, others point to Marelo's surprising win, and an upsurge in support he received in Scandinaugh, Herell, Bourneham and Saoca counties. They also look to states like Ansleigha, where Conservatives swept statewide elections back in 2020 in a surprising upset result.

"Who's to say Harlyne won't be the next Ansleigha," said Rick Thornton, deputy campaign manager for the Marelo campaign. "Some of the best results for Conservatives are coming out of NAT-leaning states."

Indeed, polls show Marelo either tied with or narrowly trailing Morelda in a fall match-up.

"This race is going to be much closer than national pundits and so-called 'experts' say it will be," said Marelo.

The Morelda campaign is taking anything for granted, said Vanessa Kemp, spokesperson for the Morelda campaign.

"Gov. Morelda will continue to outline and share her vision for Harlyne with the voters. Gov. Morelda believes her pro-climate, pro-environment, pro-family, pro-women and pro-civil rights policies will resonate with Harlynians. Her positions are in stark contrast to the radical anti-woman, anti-abortion, anti-climate policies of Tom Marelo. And Gov. Morelda looks forward to election day, so Harlynians can decide for themselves what direction they want our state to go for the next four years," said Kemp.

***Election Results -- Harlyne Conservative Primary for Governor -- Unofficial Results***

Candidates:	Votes:	Percent:	Counties Won:
Tom Marelo	122,203	50.75%	6
Frank Kerenbury	118,578	49.25%	5
	Total Votes:
	240,781
	Turnout:
	17.70%

Scott King says Nationalist Party must fight harder for middle class voters

TRIETON, Mon. -- As one of the most controversial governors in Grassadellia, Monomi Gov. Scott King is heavily scrutinized and criticized by his critics. 

His latest advice for his fellow Nationalists is falling on deaf ears, he says.

In an exclusive interview with the STAR Network, King told correspondent Keely Underwood that the Nationalist Party has become too focused on rich celebrities instead of middle class voters.

"Our party tends to value rich, liberal celebrities much more than middle class Grassadellians, and that's a mistake," said King.

For years, the party has placed an emphasis on fighting for low-income and poor Grassadellians, "which is great," said King. 

"But we've largely ignored the middle class," King told Underwood. "We've basically surrendered and ceded the middle class to the Conservative Party, and that's a big mistake. It's a big reason why we have lost elections. It's a big reason why so many rural and suburban voters are turned off by the Nationalist Party and our party's agenda," he said.

He pointed to many close elections in recent years, including in Kalnier's governor's race in 2022, where liberal incumbent Gov. Nick Hall performed excellently in inner-Lamberth, but flopped in the suburbs.

"Hall's agenda was exclusively focused on low-income and urban voters," said King. "[Hall] didn't even fight for suburban voters. He basically surrendered them to Tony Ritonio."

The same could be said in Veroche's 2020 governor's race, where Conservative Mac Griffin ousted NAT Gov. Tom Harper.

"Again, we saw a similar pattern. The NAT candidate does well in inner-Lanakis and urban areas. But the suburbs are largely forgotten and ignored, which allowed Mac Griffin to dominate in those areas," said King.

Not all Nationalists agree with King's assessment.

"That's bullshit," Hall told GNN, when asked for a response.

"I never ignored the suburbs. I fought for every vote I got, including people in the suburban areas. Scott King doesn't know what he's talking about," said a defiant Hall.

Hall did concede the middle class turned against him in the 2022 election, but he said it wasn't for a lack of trying.

"I think people were frustrated with inflation, which was, to a large extent, out of my control. And I think people saw issues like homeless people and education as issues that needed to be resolved. And we were working to resolve those issues, but we didn't have them resolved in time for the election. So in that aspect, yes, the election loss to Tony Ritonio was my fault. But it wasn't for a lack of focus or caring about the middle class. Our campaign cared about every voter, and as governor, I fought for every Kalnieran, no matter what their socio-economic status was."

King attributed his 2022 election win, in part, to focusing on middle class and rural voters "who have been ignored and maligned by the NAT party establishment."

"These voters were angry. They were ticked. They were pissed off at having been ignored and treated like shit by Nationalist Party leaders," said King. "They didn't want to vote for Will Huxton, but they didn't want to vote for an arrogant Nationalist politician who only cares about downtown Trieton or inner-city Skyllings. Voters want to vote for a politician who they feel cares about them. And all over the campaign trail, I had people coming up to me saying, 'You know Scott, I have never voted for a Nationalist before. But I will vote for you, because you understand me, you try to understand what's important to me, and that's something no politician has ever done before.'"

King said he has met with Nationalist Party leaders, both in Monomi and at the national level, and he is urging his fellow NAT governors to "make an effort" to "meet middle class voters where they are."

"As a party, we tend to only focus on the inner-city and the urban areas. On the college towns. On the liberal retirement communities with highly-educated voters. We need to change that. We need to focus on the rural communities. We need to focus on the Conservative-leaning areas. We need to compete for voters across the whole country, not just in the urban enclaves," said King.

Hardline Conservatives put aside differences, come together to support Mercer Diego for Damoign governor

GREENEWOOD, Dmg. -- He said he'd never drop out of the race for governor.

But libertarian radio talk show host and Conservative candidate for governor Rob McCann did just that last Monday in a surprise announcement.

McCann was among seven candidates who were seeking the Conservative nomination for governor.

Though he had little support, he soldiered on in the campaign, vowing to stay in until the end.

However, last week, McCann changed his mind, he told his national radio audience from his suburban Grassadellia City home and studio.

"I was going to stay in the race until the bitter end. But I realized, if I stay in the race, that's only going to help the moderates win. The moderate party leaders want George Velmar or Pat Leemore to win, and me staying in the race will only help one of those two get elected. And George Velmar and Pat Leemore are not true Conservatives," said McCann.

"[Velmar and Leemore] belong to the Conservative party. They have a 'C' after their names. But they are moderates. They are Conservative-lites. Faux-Conservatives. Whatever you want to call them. They don't believe in true liberty and freedom from government like you and I do," McCann told his audience.

The only candidate left in the race who will truly stand for conservative values, McCann said, is former lieutenant governor and twice-unsuccessful gubernatorial nominee Mercer Diego.

"Now I disagree on a lot of issues with Mercer Diego. I do not agree with him on many things. But, I do agree with him on some important things. Things like property rights, gun rights, low taxes, less government spending, less bureaucracy, fighting the 'climate change' hoax, etc. George Velmar and Pat Leemore don't care about these things. They will fall right in line with what the media and the Nationalists want them to do," said McCann.

"Mercer Diego is the only candidate left in the race who will fight for the conservative values that people like you and me hold dear and know to be true," said McCann. "So that's why I dropped out of the race. I want to support Mercer and help him win the nomination. And I'm urging all my supporters and people who voted for other Conservative candidates. If you truly believe in freedom and liberty, the only candidate you can really support is Mercer Diego."

The former lieutenant governor is locked in a tight three-way race for governor with billionaire businessman George Velmar of Larche and current Lt. Gov. Pat Leemore of Bragdon.

The other four Conservative candidates have all dropped out of the race.

McCann and West Lake businessman Rick Tesario have both endorsed Diego, while former Federal Treasury official Kim Camden has endorsed Leemore.

Lawyer and businessman John Barian has not endorsed anyone yet, although he's expressed support for all of the three remaining candidates.

At the moment, Leemore leads in the primary contest. She has won small, local-level elections in 17 of Damoign's 43 counties, and leads the vote tally with 28% of the votes that have been cast.

Velmar is close behind, having won 25.6% of the votes cast, although he has only won four counties.

Diego is in third place, with 24.7% of votes cast so far. He has won eight counties.

It's unclear just how many votes are left in the contest, since the remaining 14 counties have not cast ballots yet.

However, there are still a few heavily-populated counties left to take part in the primary voting contest, including Sexton, New Upton, Reever, Riverton, Pickering, Percival, West Lake, Quindulson and Gentry counties.

A strong showing by either Velmar or Diego in any of those counties could change the rankings and vote tallies significantly, making the race's outcome far from certain.

Already, battle lines are being drawn, as the more hardline Conservative politicians are coalescing around Diego, while the more moderate Conservatives are backing Leemore or Velmar.

Mr. Velmar, who is often compared to former US President Donald Trump, finds support from both the moderate and right-wing factions of the party. His supporters say he is the only candidate left in the race who can bring both the moderate and far-right wings of the party together in the fall election.

If none of the candidates get a majority of the vote, which is likely to be the case, the top two will advance to a run-off election.

Whoever wins the run-off will go on to face NAT Gov. Jenna Duvan in the fall election.

Duvan is seeking an historic and unprecedented third consecutive term in November.

No major third-party or independent candidates have filed to run, making November's contest a head-to-head match-up between Duvan and the eventual Conservative nominee.

For the first time in state history, gubernatorial nominees will run on a ticket with running mates.

Previously, in Damoign, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor ran separately in separate races. The 2024 election will be the first in which candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run together as one joint ticket.