Election Brief: Four weeks from election day, October surprise watch is on

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TOP STORIES

GREEN SPEAKS OUT: Jennifer-Ruth Green, the Republican candidate in the race to represent Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, is livid after Politico published details about her sexual assault while in the military, without her permission, and blames her opponent for “illegally” obtaining the information. But now she’s ready to speak out.

WATCH FOX NEWS DIGITAL’S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH GREEN HERE: Jennifer-Ruth Green takes aim at political opposition after Politico publishes records of her sexual assault

… While Green accuses her opponent and the media of revealing her assault for political purposes, prominent Me Too Movement figures have remained quiet. Read more from Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie: Me Too Movement silent following Politico’s outing of GOP candidate who survived sexual assault

OCTOBER SURPRISE WATCH: Elon Musk? Vladimir Putin? What might be the October surprise in this year’s midterm election? Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris and Andrew Murray: These potential October surprises could upend midterm elections

CRIME HITS CLOSE TO HOME: Concern over rising crime across the country is continuing to grow following a shooting outside the home of New York Republican gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin just weeks ahead of the November midterm elections. Suffolk County Police told Fox News that the shooting, which resulted in two 17-year-olds being shot with non-life threatening injuries, happened around 2:20 p.m. on Sunday in Shirley on Long Island. Rep. Zeldin, R-N.Y., said in a statement that his two 16-year-old daughters were inside the home when the shooting happened while he had just departed the Bronx Columbus Day Parade in Morris Park. He added in a tweet that one of the bullets landed just 30 feet from his two daughters. Read more from Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie: Spotlight on crime grows ahead of midterm elections following shooting outside home of Lee Zeldin

SLAVERY ON THE BALLOT: Residents in five states will have the opportunity to vote on amendments this November that could remove language from their state constitution that permits slavery as a form of punishment for convicted criminals, though not everyone supports the referendum. The Tennessee state constitution was amended five years after the 13th Amendment to state that “slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, are forever prohibited by this State.” That language could soon be changed, however, as voters in the Volunteer State have been given the chance to vote yes or no in November on a statewide ballot referendum to amend the language used in the state’s constitution.  Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris: Slavery on the ballot this fall as voters decide whether to amend language to constitution in five states

ABRAMS ASKS FOR BIDEN: Democratic Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams told Fox News Digital on Friday that she’s “been in conversations” with the White House, and that she wants President Biden to join her on the campaign trail, even though she did not appear with Biden when he visited the state earlier this year. Read more from Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie: Stacey Abrams says she’s ‘been in conversations’ with White House, wants Biden to join her on campaign trail

CAMPAIGN TRAIL UPDATES

WALKER CAMPAIGN CLEAN-UP: Republican Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s campaign fired political director Taylor Crowe on suspicion of leaking to members of the media, two Republican sources with knowledge of the events confirmed to Fox News Digital. The after Walker denied reports that he urged an unnamed former girlfriend to get an abortion, and reimbursed her $700 for the procedure. Read more from Fox News’ Timothy Nerozzi and Paul Steinhauser: Herschel Walker campaign fires political director on suspicion of media leaks: sources

ABORTION UPFRONT: As abortion remains a midterm focus, Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., will not say if he supports any limitations on abortion after referring to himself as the “pro-choice pastor” and cosponsoring the Democrats Women’s Health Protection Act. Read more from Fox News’ Aubrie Spady: Self-proclaimed ‘pro-choice pastor’ Democrat Sen. Warnock won’t say if he supports any limits on abortion

DEMS TARGET CHABOT: Ohio’s 1st Congressional District has long been Steve Chabot country. But thanks in part to redistricting, Chabot is fighting for his political life in November’s elections, even as his party is likely to regain the House majority it lost in the 2018 midterms. Read more from Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser: Battle for House: Democrats aiming to flip these GOP held seats from red to blue November’s midterm elections

RISKY BUSINESS: A blogger who shared racist remarks about former President Obama was paid by Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez’s campaign for “advertising services” on two separate occasions. In November 2014, Juan Montoya, who operates the El Rrun Rrun blog, amplified the insensitive comments that were penned by Jerry McHale, another blogger who was revealed in July to have made numerous racist and sexist remarks through his own blog that targeted GOP Rep. Mayra Flores. Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris: Dem candidate paid blogger who amplified remarks using the N-word to describe Obama to promote campaign

POLLS & PREDICTIONS

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NOT-THAT-HIGH: The latest public opinion poll in Colorado, an increasingly reliable blue state, indicates that Republican Senate challenger Joe O’Dea trails Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet by just six points among those who say they’ll definitely vote in November election. Read more from Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser: Colorado Senate showdown: GOP challenger O’Dea down six points to Democratic Sen. Bennet in latest poll

KEYSTONE POLLING: In Pennsylvania, where Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is in a heated matchup against GOP nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz in the battle for the state’s open Senate seat, a new poll suggests that voters prefer the Democratic candidate on critical issues, despite the majority of respondents having an unfavorable opinion of Democrat President Biden. A new Monmouth University survey among voters in Pennsylvania found that despite Biden’s underwater approval rating, the majority of voters trust Fetterman over Oz to best handle every issue of top concern, including abortion, the economy, crime and immigration. Read more from Fox News’ Aubrie Spady: Voters trust John Fetterman over Dr. Oz on the economy, crime and immigration: poll

LAXALT LEADS: Former Attorney General Adam Laxalt claims that his newfound lead in the Nevada Senate race is due to voters being “fed up with Cortez Masto” amid soaring gas prices, the border crisis and rising crime. A new CNN poll found that Laxalt, the Trump-backed nominee running in the state’s Senate race, has a two-point edge over Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, 48% to 46%. Read more from Fox News’ Aubrie Spady: Laxalt leads in NV Senate race against Dem Senator in new poll: ‘Nevadans are fed up with Cortez Masto’

FOUR WEEKS TO GO…

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