Election Brief: One week to go until Georgia’s Senate runoff election

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GEORGIA ON THE MIND: Early voting has begun in the Georgia Senate runoff election Dec. 6, and the campaigns for incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican nominee Herschel Walker are getting boosts from a host of national political figures, from former First Lady Michelle Obama to former Trump administration cabinet secretary Ben Carson. BUT… 

ROOM FOR JOE? Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock wouldn’t say whether he would welcome President Biden to campaign with him — after discussing plans for former President Obama to join him in the week prior to the runoff. Read more from Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie: WATCH: Warnock goes on the record about whether he wants Biden to join him on the campaign trail

TOP STORIES

‘PANDEMIC OF VIOLENCE’: The Chicago mayoral election, set to take place early next year, comes amid an unprecedented spike in crime as incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot seeks to defend her post in the mayor’s office against numerous challengers. While there are a number of issues in focus ahead of the election, crime is a central priority for both candidates and voters. Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris: ‘PANDEMIC OF VIOLENCE’: Lightfoot’s record on crime at the forefront of Chicago mayoral election

NO POLITICS AT THE TABLE: America’s politicians share their favorite Thanksgiving dishes with Fox News Digital — from fan-favorites like apple pie to the Southern classics like giblet gravy and pecan pie. Read more from Fox News’ Sophia Slacik: Cruz is a ‘dark meat guy,’ Obama still loves pie. What Republicans & Democrats will be eating on Thanksgiving

HOUSE RACE CALLED: Incumbent Alaska Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola has defeated her general election challengers including former Gov. Sarah Palin to represent Alaska’s at-large congressional district for a full term in the House, The Associated Press projects. Alaska’s sole congressional district is currently represented by Peltola after she won a special election in August to fill the remainder of former GOP Rep. Don Young’s term, which ends in January 2023. Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris: Alaska incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola wins full term to represent state’s at-large congressional district

2024 WATCH

MOUNTAIN STATE MOVES: West Virginia’s Moore Capito aims to follow in his famous mother and grandfather’s footsteps as he launches a campaign for statewide office. Capito, a Republican leader in the West Virginia House of Delegates, on Tuesday announced his candidacy for governor in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Jim Justice, who’s mulling a Senate bid against Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, a former governor. Read more from Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser: 2024 Watch: West Virginia’s Moore Capito launches Republican gubernatorial campaign

POLL WATCH: With focus shifting to the 2024 presidential election, more voters would prefer to see Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis run instead of former President Trump, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted days after the former president announced his candidacy. When asked who they would like to see win the 2024 GOP nomination in a hypothetical matchup between Trump and DeSantis, 43% said that they would like to see the Florida governor representing the party in 2024 while 29% would prefer Trump. Republican voters were evenly split (44% to 44%) between who they would like to see represent the party in the next election. Read more from Fox News’ Aubrie Spady: Hypothetical 2024 poll reveals who voters want as their 2024 GOP nominee and how many Dems want Biden to run

FIRST ON FOX: As he builds toward a likely 2024 White House run, former Vice President Mike Pence will return to the crucial early voting presidential nominating state of New Hampshire. Fox News has learned that, on Dec. 12, Pence will stop in New Hampshire, which for a century has held the first primary on the road to the White House. Pence will host two book signings for his new autobiography “So Help Me God,” in which the former vice president gives an account of his career, including his four years serving under then-President Donald Trump. Read more from Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser here: FIRST ON FOX: Pence heading back to New Hampshire; will Trump hold first 2024 rally in December?

EYES ON THE PRIZE: After losing the majority in the House of Representatives, Democrats are already plotting a course for 2024 and taking aim at several Republican-won districts they will attempt to flip next cycle. The House Majority PAC (HMP) on Tuesday released a report, “After Defying the Odds, House Democrats Will Retake the Majority In 2024,” touting the 2022 election cycle just two weeks after Democrats lost their majority in the midterms. Read more from Fox News’ Aubrie Spady here: House Democrat group claims party ‘will retake the majority in 2024,’ reveals GOP seats it hopes to flip

CAMPAIGN TRAIL UPDATES

DOWN ON DIVISION: Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson on Monday accused the left of attempting “to divide the Black community” through racial attacks against Black conservatives like Herschel Walker. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital following a Walker campaign rally in Toccoa, Georgia, Carson said it was inevitable that former football star would receive such criticism because of the color of his skin, and that such division has been happening for centuries. Read more from Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie: Ben Carson: Left’s attacks on Black conservative Herschel Walker an ‘attempt to divide the Black community’

WEIGHING ABORTION: Democrats who focused on abortion for months ahead of the midterm elections failed to unseat one of the most pro-life governors in the country. Yet in the same state of Georgia, activists see the issue as a decisive factor int he Senate runoff election. How big of a role will abortion play in the Dec. 6 election? Read more from Fox News’ Aubrie Spady: Pro-choice activists see abortion as ‘winning issue’ in GA Senate runoff despite pro-life gov’s landslide win

GEORGIA MATTERS: Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz issued a stark warning to Americans across the country on Tuesday over what he says could happen Warnock wins the Georgia runoff election against Walker next month. Speaking with Fox News Digital, Cruz highlighted difference between a 50-50 Senate with shared power between Republicans and Democrats, and a 51-49 Senate where Democrats would have greater control and would be in a position to pass more far-reaching legislation. Read more from Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie: Ted Cruz issues warning over possible Warnock victory, says Dem lies about voting record

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