November 4, 2020 - The Virginia Star

Trump Sues in Pennsylvania, Michigan; Asks for Wisconsin Recount

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 The Associated Press

The Trump campaign said it filed lawsuits Wednesday in Pennsylvania and Michigan, laying the groundwork for contesting the outcome in undecided battleground states that could determine whether President Donald Trump gets another four years in the White House.

Suits in both states are demanding better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted, the campaign said. The campaign also is seeking to intervene in a Pennsylvania case at the Supreme Court that deals with whether ballots received up to three days after the election can be counted, deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said.

Trump Campaign Says President Will Be Reelected with 285 Electoral College Votes

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 John Fredericks

Despite the greatest efforts of the fake news media and their phony pollster compatriots, Trump is now back on a steely pathway to win re-election.

President Trump currently has 214 Electoral votes awarded. The final count will be Trump 285. Here is the breakdown: North Carolina-15, Georgia-16, Pennsylvania-20, Arizona-11, Nevada-6, Alaska-3.

Incumbent Democrat Rep. Elaine Luria Defends Seat Against Republican Scott Taylor

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Incumbent Elaine Luria (D-VA-02) retained her seat in a battle against Republican candidate Scott Taylor that was similar to 2018.

In the first hour after polls closed, Taylor started out with a 23 point lead in the 17 percent of votes reported. From there on out, Taylor’s lead dwindled. Two hours after polls closed, Taylor was up by 18 points with 36 percent of the votes reported. An hour later, Taylor dropped to lead Luria by 10 points with 48 percent of votes. By 1 in the morning, Luria made her first gain ahead of Taylor, leading by 3 points with 85 percent of the vote.

Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer Wins Re-Election

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 Corinne Murdock

By the early morning hours of November 4, Virginia Beach mayor Bobby Dyer had secured his re-election by defeating both Jody Wagner and Richard Kowalewitch. Dyer won by about nine points against the runner-up, Wagner – an even larger margin than his 2018 victory.
The incumbent cruised ahead comfortably within the first hour, holding a 30 point lead at 27 percent of votes. Dyer gained two points from his lead at around 9 p.m. EST, which reflected 74 percent of voters. In two hours, Dyer retained his lead despite a 14 percent increase in voters factored. By two in the morning, the incumbent had winnowed down to an eight point lead representing 97 percent of voters.

No Winner Yet: Fight for White House Could Drag on for Days or Weeks

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

For the first time in years, Americans will wake up Wednesday morning after the presidential election uncertain of who their president will be on Jan. 20.

President Donald Trump, a Republican, overperformed expectations in winning Florida. His Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, flipped longtime Republican stronghold Arizona.

Michigan, Wisconsin Elections Officials Refuse to Explain Sudden Biden Vote Influx

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Elections officials in Michigan and Wisconsin refused to explain Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s sudden and dramatic vote tally increase that occurred in both states Wednesday morning.

Michigan and Wisconsin state officials warned against misinformation being shared online, but wouldn’t comment on specific vote tranches that appeared to show former Vice President Joe Biden suddenly receiving more votes than President Donald Trump. The two battleground states remained tightly contested as of Wednesday afternoon, according to The New York Times.

UPDATE: Unofficially, Stoney Pulls Ahead in Six of the Nine Richmond Districts

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 Eric Burk

Richmond mayoral candidate Alexsis Rodgers proved surprisingly competitive in early results on Tuesday night, leading in both Councilmember Kim Gray’s home district two, and in the fifth district, which pundits expected to fall for Stoney. Stoney took the lead in district three, another critical district for Gray. Meanwhile, Gray has so far failed to take the lead in any of districts five through nine, giving Stoney a lead in five districts. That said, over 70,000 early and absentee votes still need to be counted; only 32,090 votes were available on the City of Richmond elections site as of this reporting. The 2016 mayor’s race saw over 100,000 voters, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.

Commentary: What We Have Learned So Far

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Democratic veteran James Carville, speaking for many in the chattering class, had confidently predicted earlier in the week that a Biden victory would be obvious by at least 10 o’clock on Tuesday night. That didn’t happen. Trump has proven harder for the Dems to kill than they thought. Will we know soon who has won the election?

Nearly 100 Million Americans Voted Early; Hawaii, Texas Already Exceed 2016 Turnout

November 4, 2020November 3, 2020 The Center Square

Roughly 100 million early votes already were cast before the first polls opened Tuesday morning, Michael McDonald, professor at the University of Florida, says. He runs the Election Project, which tracks polling and election data by state.

“These reports will include early voting activity from the proceeding day,” McDonald said in the latest analysis published Nov. 1. “It is also likely reports by Tuesday morning will fail to capture all of the pre-election voting activity since there are sporadic reports of election officials experiencing delays in processing the unprecedented number of mail ballots.”

Passionately Catholic: Hell, It’s Not Tropical Vacation

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

Most of us live our lives not thinking all that much about where we are going to spend eternity. I think I can safely say that many believe they will be in a better place when they die.

Daniel Gade Doesn’t Concede Senate Race to Mark Warner as Vote Counting in Virginia Paused

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 Jordan Bondurant

It’s been a long, hard-fought battle for Virginia’s U.S. Senate seat between Republican nominee Daniel Gade and incumbent Democrat Mark Warner. And that battle will carry on just a bit longer.

As ballot counting and reporting by the Virginia Department of Elections paused just past 11 p.m. on Election Night, Gade told supporters that he’s not going to concede the race.

At Least 35 Dead, Dozens Wounded in Kabul University Gunman Attack

November 4, 2020November 3, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Casualties from a Monday shooting at Kabul University in Afghanistan have risen to 35, according to two government officials, Reuters reported.

The majority of the dead were students, and approximately 50 were wounded in the attack, the sources said, Reuters reported. The Taliban has denied responsibility for the attack, but approximately 100 students protested outside the school that Doha Taliban peace negotiations haven’t resulted in lowered violence.

Joe Biden Plans to Assume Role of President-Elect If Media Declares Him Winner – Even Amid Trump’s Legal Challenges

November 4, 2020November 3, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Joe Biden is planning to strike a pose as the president-elect on election night if the corporate media decides that he has an insurmountable lead, even as President Trump challenges late mail-in ballots in court.

Democrats say they have “learned the lesson” of the contested 2000 election, when they say George W. Bush declared victory and “acted like the winner” while votes were still being counted and his Democrat opponent Al Gore “hung back.”

Justice Department Distributes Over $458 Million to Combat Violent Crime

November 4, 2020November 3, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

The Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs announced Monday the distribution of over $458 million in grants to combat violent crime, according to a press release.

The funds are being distributed “to support state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts to fight and prevent violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States,” according to the press release.

Trump Has Appointed Second-Most Federal Judges Through November 1 of a President’s Fourth Year

November 4, 2020November 3, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

President Donald Trump has appointed and the Senate has confirmed 220 Article III federal judges through Nov. 1, 2020, his fourth year in office. This is the second-most Article III judicial appointments through this point in all presidencies since Jimmy Carter (D). The Senate had confirmed 260 of Carter’s appointees at this point in his term.

The average number of federal judges appointed by a president through Nov. 1 of their fourth year in office is 200.

Gunman Who Killed Four in Vienna Attack Had Sought to Join IS

November 4, 2020November 3, 2020 The Associated Press

A man who had previously tried to join the Islamic State group rampaged in Vienna armed with an automatic rifle and a fake explosive vest, fatally shooting four people before he was killed by police, Austrian authorities said Tuesday.

Witnesses described dozens of screaming people fleeing the sounds of gunshots Monday night in a nightlife district crowded with revelers enjoying the last hours before a coronavirus lockdown.

Trump Wins Ohio, Florida and Texas, Closes Electoral Vote Gap with Biden in Race to 270

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 The Center Square

President Donald Trump won the key battleground states of Ohio, Florida and Texas and he holds leads in all the others but Arizona as former Vice President Joe Biden’s path to victory narrowed.

Trump so far has been declared the winner in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

UPDATE: Freitas Clings to a 1,000 Vote Lead over Spanberger; 69,000 Potential Mail Ballots Outstanding

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 Jacob Taylor

Despite State Delegate Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper) holding a steady lead on Election night over incumbent Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-05), a winner has not been declared for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District as over 220,00 early votes still need to be counted in several key counties.

Freitas held a 20-point advantage as of 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning, accumulating 60.6 percent of votes so far (143,899) compared to Spanberger’s 39.4 percent (93,573), according to data from the Associated Press.