Election Brief: Democrats' messaging headed into midterms show party's priorities

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TOP STORIES

WINNING MESSAGE?: President Biden and congressional leaders from the Democratic Party have prioritized several issues as key messages ahead of the midterms — abortion, gun control and student loan debt — while mostly ignoring inflation and the economy. Read more from Fox News' Kyle Morris: Political experts weigh impact of 'messaging' and party priorities ahead of midterm elections

SHIFTING GROUND: Abortion has been a key tenet of Democrats' strategy headed into the midterms, but Biden's rhetoric about the alleged threat to democracy posed by "MAGA Republicans" appears to be gaining steam with constituents in some crucial midterm battleground states. Read more from Fox News' Aubrie Spady: In key midterm states, Dem voters move on from abortion, now say protecting democracy top election issue

WALK ON: Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker says Trump does not "run him," and says his opponent, Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, has demonized the police in the past. Read more from Fox News' Paul Steinhauser: Walker charges Warnock’s ‘demonized’ the police; emphasizes his independence from Trump

TURNING THE TABLES: Democrats who spent nearly half a million dollars to help a Trump-backed candidate win a Michigan congressional primary say the GOP must "answer" for that same candidate after his previous comments on the patriarchy, women's suffrage and differences between men and women resurfaced. John Gibbs, who defeated Republican Rep. Peter Meijer in the GOP primary last month, has taken fire after CNN resurfaced posts he made while in college at Stanford, where he founded the "Society for the Critique of Feminism" to push back against claims that "a patriarchal society is inherently wrong" and to argue for the "headship of man over woman." Read more from Fox News' Thomas Phippen and Andrew Murray: Dems attack GOP candidate over women's suffrage posts after spending nearly $500K to help him win primary

BUSING BACK BETTER: As the volume of migrants illegally crossing the southern border into the U.S. exceeded 2 million this fiscal year, a new poll finds that most registered voters approve of the decision by some Republican governors to send illegal immigrants to Democrat-run cities, and many see it as an effective way to draw attention to the immigration issue. The CBS/YouGov survey found that 51% of registered voters approve of sending illegal immigrants to Democratic cities, compared to 49% who disapprove. Additionally, 88% of those who approve say it is an effective way of bringing attention to the issue of illegal immigration. Read more from Fox News' Aubrie Spady: Majority of Americans support sending illegal immigrants to Democrat-led cities: poll

MAGA INC.: Some of former President Trump’s leading political advisers are launching a new Super PAC known as MAGA Inc. that is expected to spend heavily over the next six weeks to support Trump-endorsed candidates running in November’s midterm elections. Nearly two years after his 2020 election defeat, the former president remains the most ferocious fundraiser in the GOP, as he hauls in both grassroots and top dollar contributions, and his Save America political action committee is sitting on nearly $100 million cash on hand in its coffers. Read more from Fox News' Paul Steinhauser: Trump advisers launch new super PAC MAGA Inc. to spend millions in midterms backing endorsed candidates

CAMPAIGN TRAIL UPDATES

THE GREEN NEW DEAL CANDIDATE: Wisconsin Democratic Senate nominee Mandela Barnes received the endorsement of a climate group that promotes the Green New Deal and has taken aim at President Biden and members of the Democratic Party over their refusal to rapidly pass legislation that would be providing funding for the environment without GOP input. The Sunrise Movement, a youth climate organization with a self-described mission to "stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process," offered its endorsement of Barnes last week, concluding that he is a candidate who will "fight like hell" for Wisconsin residents. Read more from Fox News' Kyle Morris: Mandela Barnes endorsed by leftist environmental group that popularized Green New Deal

ABSENT FETTERMAN: Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman failed to preside over 33% of the state's Senate legislative sessions as lieutenant governor, but holds a perfect attendance record as chairman of the state's Board of Pardons. Since taking office in 2019, Fetterman has presided over the state Senate 131 days out of the 196 days the legislature was in session from Jan. 15, 2019, to July 8, 2022, according to a review of Senate session journals and video feeds. Read more from Fox News' Kyle Morris: Fetterman failed to preside over Pennsylvania Senate 33% of the time, but attended every pardons board meeting

WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS: Iowa Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne was not physically present at the nation's Capitol last month for a vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, but voted by proxy as she vacationed with her family in France. Read more from Fox News' Kyle Morris: Vulnerable Iowa Democrat vacationed in Europe as she voted by proxy for Inflation Reduction Act, IRS expansion

'IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID': Several top political analysts, including veteran strategist James Carville, back the Democratic Party's midterm focus on abortion, despite recent polls indicating independent voters are most concerned about inflation and the economy. While abortion has salience with Democrats, it hasn't become the top issue for the majority of voters in most polls. To Carville, the longtime advisor to former President Bill Clinton, the GOP message on the economy simply isn't as clear as the Democrats' message on abortion. Read more from Fox News' Aubrie Spady and Andrew Murray: Economy tops list of independent voters' concerns, but James Carville and other Dems defend focus on abortion

BACKING OFF: The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is scrapping $1 million in scheduled TV ads for GOP congressional candidate J.R. Majewski after military records reportedly revealed he was never stationed in Afghanistan, despite claiming to have served there after the 9/11 terrorist attack. Majewski, the candidate running against Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Ohio's 9th Congressional District, has been called an Afghanistan veteran for his Air Force service, but military records obtained by the Associated Press reveal that he was never actually stationed there. Read more from Fox News' Aubrie Spady: NRCC pulls ads for Majewski after reports he didn't actually serve in Afghanistan after 9/11

MAYORAL FIGHT: Rep. Karen Bass and businessman Rick Caruso face off on Wednesday evening in their first — and only scheduled — televised debate in this year’s race for mayor of Los Angeles. With Caruso down by double digits to Bass in the most recent public opinion poll, the pressure will be on the Republican-turned-Democrat billionaire developer to shake up the dynamics of the contest. Read more from Fox News' Paul Steinhauser: Los Angeles mayoral showdown: Bass, Caruso face off on debate stage for first time

SIX WEEKS TO GO…

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