Alternate History KEEP AMERICA FREE: The Presidency of Ronald Dion DeSantis

[Sergeant Foley]

PROLOGUE
Summer 2023

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and his wife, Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis during campaign announcement.
​

The country was clamoring for change and they wanted new blood NOW. Following the chaotic blunders of previous administrations ranging from domestic to foreign policy including an explosive sex scandal as well as multiple women coming forward against an authoritarian from the Northeast (I'll explain in the opening premise sometime later), and the downright incompetence of a bumbling politician from the West Coast, the country badly wanted some normalcy.

Everyone wondered "Will we ever be free?" "Who do we want in the White House to juice things up?" NOPE: It wasn't going to be the Donald, who decided after months of a guessing game with everyone to the annoyance of some Republicans, finally announced he was NOT running for anything after all: preferring to be the kingmaker of the Republican Party in the 2024 elections.

Almost immediately, the country's attention turned toward one man from the Southeast, who governed the Free State of Florida as a hardcore staunch conservative and was super, super Trumpian including pushing trigger buttons against political opponents than former President Donald Trump even dreamed of doing during his chaotic four years in office. The man who many in America viewed as the next Reagan 2.0: Florida Governor Ronald Dion DeSantis (R).

Now depending on whom you ask, we have to go way back: the 2022 Midterms and the explosive scandals coming out of DC!

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Evening everyone. I've got somewhat of a sketch which will help guide and inspire me on what the timeline will look like:
*Prologue
*Chapter 1: The 2022 Midterms.
*Headlines from Fall 2022.
*Backlash against President Cuomo on sexual harassment allegations as more women come forward.
*Chapter 2: Senator Sinema's middle finger to the Democratic Party escalating.
*Personal PoV's
*Sports Headlines: Fall 2022, Spring 2023 and Summer 2023.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Morning everybody. Inspired by the Blank Canvas timeline of Talk Elections, so I've decided to spice up a timeline of my own. This will focus on the Democratic Party at a crossroads while the Republican Party gets their groove back; it'll also include international headlines and personal PoVs.
Spoiler Alert: This timeline will be slowly put together due to methodical research, analysis and hardworking efforts.

Once again, I've got a sketch outlined that will help inspire and guide me. Enjoy 😃

Chapter 1: President Cuomo
9:00 PM EST, Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Family Quarters, White House, Washington, DC.

Then-New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) during the 2020 Presidential campaign. ​

Andrew Mark Cuomo had been given high expectations upon winning the 2020 Presidential election in a bitter, ugly and nasty campaign having defeated the unpopular and controversial reviled President Donald Trump. On November 3, 2020: Cuomo flipped the following States to Blue: Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and Pennsylvania all went to Cuomo, who won the popular vote (55% to 43%) including carrying the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico very handily.

Cuomo of course, resigned from the Governorship on January 18, 2021 after 10 years in the New York State Executive Mansion in Albany succeeded by Kathy Hochul (D) who ascended to the Governorship who took over at midnight, January 19, 2021 as New York State's 57th Governor. On January 20, 2021: Cuomo was inaugurated as the 50th President of the United States and in his Inaugural Address, he pledged to govern as a uniter for all Americans and declared "The Era of Division over the past four years is over!"

Fast forward to the 2022 Midterms: Cuomo's approval ratings plunged downward to the low 30s due to several factors: Backlash against the following from Middle America: CDC vaccine mandates, disastrous southern border, botched handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal (which the original plan was pushed by the Trump administration), CRT backlash in Virginia that to the rise of Glenn Youngkin leading the resurgence of the Virginia Republican Party by winning the Governorship as Republicans also flipped the offices of Lieutenant Governor with Winsome Sears (R) ,State Attorney General with Jason Miyares (R) including flipping control of the Virginia House of Delegates in November 2021; Voting Rights reform initiatives got blocked; the John Lewis Voting Rights Act was blocked by United States Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) including majority of Senate Republicans. Depending on whom you asked on a particular incident, the allegations were that Vice President Kamala Harris was reportedly irate at Sinema that she confronted the conservative Arizona Democrat on live television aired by C-SPAN 2 and punched her in the face repeatedly, only to be restrained by two of the Secret Service agents as Harris yelled "You nerdy piece of SHIT!". This incident damaged Harris' credibility as a potential contender for the Presidency plus it didn't help Cuomo that Russia was wreaking havoc on Ukraine. Another key factor during the Summer of 2022 was the mysterious plane crash that resulted in the death of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as she leaving Taiwan. It led to a repeat of the Bay of Pigs 2.0, which is still ongoing.

Going back to the evening hours of November 8th, President Cuomo was watching the election returns on television as the following was being reported:

(channel-flipping)
Bret Baier of Fox News: "The time is 9:00 PM and I believe the Fox News Decision Desk has a projection....

(Fox News Election Night Coverage music blaring out).

Fox News can project that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has been projected the winner of the Florida gubernatorial election, easily trouncing his Democratic challenger, former US Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) by a super wide margin as you can see here."

*Florida Governor: 81% of the precincts reporting
Ron DeSantis (R-incumbent): 4,373,661 (59.27%)✔
Charlie Crist (D): 3,000,172 (39.00%)

Bill Hemmer: "We knew it was going to be an uphill battle for Crist but look at these exit polls. My goodness!"

(Exit Polls: Florida Governor)
(Anglos)
DeSantis: 67%
Crist: 32%

(African Americans)
Crist: 76%
DeSantis: 18%

(Latinos)
DeSantis: 56%
Crist: 43%

Enraged, Cuomo threw a newspaper across the room angrily "BULLSHIT! That Jackass DeSantis is gunning for my job in 2024."

COMING UP: More highlights of the 2022 Midterms as President Cuomo's political situation gets more precarious due to the explosive Nursing Home Scandals.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Morning everyone. Hoping you're enjoying this What If Timeline and if you've got any questions or special tidbits you want me to add, just ask me and I'll be helpful to include them in here. We now go back to the coverage of the 2022 Midterms (I skipped the results of the US House of Representatives since it would've been redundant and too long).

Main focus will be on the United States Senate, Governorships, down-ballot statewide offices and several other down-ballot elections. Enjoy!

THE UNITED STATES SENATE: 2022 MIDTERMS:

*Alabama (Open): It's the end of an era in the Land of Dixie where longtime United States Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) is not seeking reelection after 36 years in the United States Senate. Shelby's former Senate Chief of Staff Katie Britt (R) easily trounced her Democratic opponent Willie Boyd, Jr., (D) in a massive landslide victory with 73% of the statewide vote: REPUBLICAN HOLD.

*Alaska: United States Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) held onto her job as she survived a hard-fought general election battle against three opponents including defeating Trump-backed challenger Kellh Tshibaka (R): REPUBLICAN HOLD.

*Arizona: Incumbent United States Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) survived an aggressive Republican onslaught from venture capitalist Blake Masters (R). Kelly was perceived by voters as more relatable to the average Arizonan and easy to work with. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

*Arkansas: United States Senator John Boozman (R-AR) easily dispatched Natalie James (D) without breaking a sweat, garnering 65% of the statewide vote and sweeping all 77 counties. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

*California: Upon being appointed to filling out the remainder of Vice President Kamala Harris' term in the United States Senate, incumbent United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) easily wins both the special election and regular general statewide election trouncing Mark P. Meuser (R): 62% to 36%. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

*Colorado: Despite Dana Perino of Fox News hyping up the chances of an upset in the Colorado US Senate race, it turned out to have egg on Perino's face as two-term incumbent United States Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) got lucky for the third consecutive time, as Bennet turned a slightly competitive race into a big sleeper and snooze-fest. Bennet defeated Joe O'Dea (R) by a margin of 56% to 40%. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

*Connecticut: Two-term incumbent United States Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) won his 8th consecutive statewide election defeating Lenora R. Levy (R): 60% to 35%. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

*Florida: Despite the mainstream media freaks (NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, CNN) all hyping this race to be competitive, turned out to be a snooze-fest as well. Two-term incumbent United States Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) easily defeated three-term US Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) and carried 65 out of 67 counties. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

COMING UP: MORE RESULTS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE IN THE 2022 MIDTERMS.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

The List of US Presidents since Harding​

29.) Warren Gamaliel Harding (R-OH): 29th President from March 4, 1921-August 2, 1923: Died under mysterious circumstances in San Francisco, California.

30.) Calvin Coolidge (R-MA): 30th President from August 2, 1923-March 4, 1929: Ascended to the Presidency upon Harding's death; Elected to full four-year term in 1924. Didn't seek reelection in 1928.

31.) Herbert Clark Hoover (R-IA): 31st President from March 4, 1929-March 4, 1933.

32.) Franklin Delano Roosevelt (D-NY St): 32nd President from March 4, 1933-April 12, 1945: Elected in 1932; reelected in 1936, 1940 and again in 1944; longest-serving US President with 12 years; Died at Summer retreat residence in Warm Springs, Georgia.

33.) Harry S. Truman (D-MO): 33rd President from April 12, 1945-January 20, 1953: Ascended to the Presidency upon Roosevelt's death; Elected to full four-year term in 1948. Didn't seek reelection in 1952.

34.) Dwight David Eisenhower (R-KS): 34th President from January 20, 1953-January 20, 1961.

35.) John Fitzgerald Kennedy (D-MA): 35th President from January 20, 1961-November 22, 1963: Assassinated while riding in open limousine during parade at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas.

36.) Lyndon Baines Johnson (D-TX): 36th President from November 22, 1963-January 20, 1969: Ascended to the Presidency upon Kennedy's assassination; Elected to full four-year term in 1964. Didn't seek reelection in 1968.

37.) Richard Milhous Nixon (R-CA): 37th President from January 20, 1969-August 9, 1974: Resigned in disgrace following Watergate Scandal.

38.) Gerald Rudolph Ford (R-MI): 38th President from August 9, 1974-September 5, 1975: Ascended to the Presidency upon Nixon's resignation; Assassinated while greeting well-wishers on Capitol Park of California State Capitol Grounds in Sacramento, California.

39.) Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (R-NY St): 39th President from September 5, 1975-January 26, 1979: Ascended to the Presidency upon Ford's assassination; Elected to full four-year term in 1976. Died under mysterious circumstances during secret sex escapade at his NYC townhouse apartment in Manhattan, New York State.

40.) Abner Linwood Holton, Jr., (R-VA): 40th President from January 26, 1979-January 20, 1981: Ascended to the Presidency upon Rockefeller's death; Didn't seek election to full four-year term in 1980.

41.) Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA): 41st President from January 20, 1981-November 13, 1983: Assassinated while attending military exercise festivities at the ROK Army 1st Corps Headquarters in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

42.) George Herbert Walker Bush (R-TX): 42nd President from November 13, 1983-January 20, 1993: Ascended to the Presidency upon Reagan's assassination; Elected to full four-year term in 1984 and reelected in 1988. Didn't seek reelection in 1992.

43.) William Jefferson Clinton (D-AR): 43rd President from 20, 1993-November 23, 1996: Assassinated while attending the 1996 APEC Philippines Summit in Manila, Philippines.

44.) Albert Arnold Gore, Jr., (D-TN): 44th President from November 23, 1996-December 4, 1997: Ascended to the Presidency upon Clinton's assassination; Died from complications of a stroke during six month incapacitation following assassination attempt.

45.) Mark Wells White, Jr., (D-TX): 45th President from December 4, 1997-January 20, 2001: Ascended to the Presidency upon Gore's death; Didn't seek election to full four-year term in 2000.

46.) George Walker Bush (R-TX): 46th President from January 20, 2001-January 20, 2009: Didn't seek reelection in 2008.

47.) Barack Hussein Obama, Jr., (D-IL): 47th President from January 20, 2009-April 28, 2014: First African American President; Assassinated during Welcoming Honors festivities at Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines.

48.) Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., (D-DE): 48th President from April 28, 2014-January 20, 2017: Ascended to the Presidency upon Obama's assassination; Didn't seek election to full four-year term in 2016.

49.) Donald John Trump (R-NY St/FL): 49th President from January 20, 2017-January 20, 2021.

50.) Andrew Mark Cuomo (D-NY St): 50th President since January 20, 2021.

 

[BenjaminBurch]

Desantis isn't going to win the Republican nomination.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Desantis isn't going to win the Republican nomination.

Can't someone just enjoy this dream. Geez!

 

[Sergeant Foley]

@Wolf of Arrakis @WolfBlade @Vyushia @Vyor @Starsall @Airbus_320 @Abyssgazer

Coming up during the Labor Day weekend: Highlights of the 2022 Midterms.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Author's Note: And....we're back for another update on the 2022 Midterm elections. So here we go!

UNITED STATES SENATE: DECISION 2022
Georgia: In the hotly-contested US Senate race in the Peach State between incumbent United States Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and famed popular NFL football running back Herschel Walker (R) where both the DSCC and the NRSCC spent millions of dollars with radio, television and social media advertising. Warnock, who was elected in the 2020 runoff election, had to overcome several key factors: Anti-Democratic sentiment, Anti-Cuomo backlash, Anti-Incumbency and the overall sense that Warnock voted 100% with President Cuomo. Walker, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and United States Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), chairman of the NRSCC, performed strongly well in their only debate. On Election Night, both Warnock and Walker advanced to the December 6th Runoff election: ADVANCED TO DECEMBER 6TH RUNOFF.

Hawaii: Incumbent United States Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) easily won reelection to a second full six-year term with 70% of the statewide vote. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

Idaho: United States Senator Mark Crapo (R-ID) was easily reelected to a fifth term with 73% of the statewide vote. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Illinois: Despite some hype from the likes of Lauren Simonetti of Fox Business, incumbent United States Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) dispatched the opposition without breaking a sweat and once results are official statewide, Duckworth's final margin of victory should be around 61%. DEMOCRATIC HOLD .

Indiana: United States Senator Todd Young (R-IN) is projected to win reelection according to the Associated Press and he'll win with at least 59% of the statewide vote. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Iowa: Longtime United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) will get reelected to an eighth term with 64%. He's been in the United States Senate since 1981. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Kansas: United States Senator Mark Moran (R-KS) has been projected to win reelection with 69% of the statewide vote. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Kentucky: Controversial United States Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) easily defeated his WOKE Democratic challenger State Rep. Charles Booker (D-Louisville) by a landslide margin: 61% to 36%. REPUBLICAN HOLD .

Louisiana: United States Senator John Neeley Kennedy (R-LA) defeats Luke Mixon (D) by a margin of 63% to 19%
REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Maryland: United States Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) wins reelection with 69%. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

Missouri (OPEN): United States Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) is not seeking reelection after 12 years in the United States Senate. Missouri State Attorney General Eric Schmidt (R) easily holds onto the open US Senate seat. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Nevada: Incumbent United States Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) defeated former Nevada State Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R) in a hotly-contested election by 6,000 votes in the Silver State, securing another six-year term in the United States Senate. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

New Hampshire: United States Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) easily held off a spirited challenge from Doug Bouldoc (R) by double digits of (56% to 43%) DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

New York State: US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY St) got a huge surprise when his supposed reelection cakewalk to a fifth term in the United States Senate against Joe Pinion (R) suddenly turned somewhat competitive.

Pinion aggressively tied Schumer to the unpopular Cuomo administration and unpopular New York State Governor Kathy Hochul (D) by running harsh, hard-hitting negative advertising commercials on violent crime, woke indoctrination in schools, inflation as well as bringing up Schumer's death threats towards the US Supreme Court.

On Election Night: New Yorkers came to the polls and voted to reelect Schumer by double digits (56% to 41%): DEMOCRATIC HOLD .

North Carolina (OPEN): US Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC) defeated former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley (D) (51% to 47%) despite DSCC spending millions attacking Budd's voting record especially voting to overturn the 2020 Presidential election. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

North Dakota: United States Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) has easily won reelection to a third term with 72%. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Ohio (OPEN): JD Vance (R) defeated US Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) (53% to 46%) in one of the nationally-watched US Senate elections across the country. REPUBLICAN HOLD .

Oklahoma: United States Senator James Lankford (R-OK) overwhelmingly wins reelection to second full term sweeping all 77 counties. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Oklahoma (Special Election): US Rep. Murrywayne McCulkin (R-OK) wins the vacated US Senate seat of longtime United States Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) who resigned. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Oregon: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) wins reelection very handily with 57% of the statewide vote. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

Pennsylvania (OPEN): In the battle to replace retiring two-term United States Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) ,who chose not to seek reelection to a third term after 12 years, the Keystone State's hotly-contested US Senate race between Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman (D) and Mehmet Oz (R) resulted in millions of dollars spent by both the RSCC and the DSCC. When all was said and done, Fetterman defeated Oz (50% to 46%), benefiting from the Pennsylvania Democratic Party's wave election. DEMOCRATIC GAIN.

South Carolina: In what was likely his third and final campaign for statewide office in the Palmetto State, United States Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) won a second full six-year term pretty easily with 65%. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

South Dakota: US Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) has been overwhelmingly reelected. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Utah: United States Senator Mike Lee (R-SC) has won reelection to a third term defeating Evan McMillan (I). REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Vermont (OPEN): US Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) wins the open US Senate seat of longtime United States Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

Washington: Over in the Evergreen State, United States Senator Patty Murray (D-WA St) easily throttled Tiffany Smiley (R) by double digits (57% to 43%) despite national attention on this race. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

Wisconsin: United States Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) held off a strong challenge from Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes (D) by 27,000 votes (50% to 49%) . REPUBLICAN HOLD.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS: DECISION 2022

SAFE (PART I):
Alabama: In the Land of Dixie, incumbent Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) easily wins reelection to a second full four-year term by a massive landslide victory. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Alaska: Incumbent Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy (R) faced off against his predecessor, former Alaska Governor Bill Walker (I) in this intriguing contest for the Alaska Governor's Mansion. Despite some tussle and hissy fits, Dunleavy managed to win reelection in a crowded field of candidates. REPUBLICAN HOLD .

Arkansas (OPEN): Former Trump White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), the daughter of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R), easily won the open Governorship in a massive landslide victory winning 76 out of 77 counties. She returns to the Arkansas Governor's Mansion in Little Rock, which she called home during her childhood years. REPUBLICAN HOLD .

California: Having easily defeated the 2021 Recall Election, incumbent California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) easily won reelection to securing a second term in a landslide victory with 65%. Big question is whether Newsom runs for either the United States Senate or the Presidency in 2024? DEMOCRATIC HOLD .

Florida: This was a snoozefest in the Sunshine State as popular but controversial incumbent Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) throttled former US Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL), who previously held the Governorship from 2007 to 2011 as a Republican before switching to an Independent in 2010; DeSantis wiped the floor with Crist in a massive landslide victory (59% to 39%) leading the Florida Republican Party to sweeping all of the statewide offices, increasing their supermajority in the Florida State Legislature including flipping several Democratic US House seats to Republicans. The resounding landslide reelection by DeSantis almost immediately catapulted him as one of the main contenders for the Presidency in 2024. REPUBLICAN HOLD .

Hawaii (OPEN): In the battle to replace retiring Hawaii Governor David Ige (D), who was term limited from succeeding himself. Hawaii Lieutenant Governor David Green (D) easily defeated former Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona (R) by double digits. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

SAFE: GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS (PART II):
Idaho: Idaho Governor Brad Little (R) , who easily dispatched a Trump-backed primary challenge from Idaho Lieutenant Governor Jeannette McClendon (R), easily won reelection to a second term defeating Democratic challenger Stephen Heigdt (D) by a massive landslide victory with 65% of the statewide vote. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Iowa: Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R) has easily won reelection to a second full four-year term defeating Deidre DeJear (D) by double digits: 57% to 38%. REPUBLICAN HOLD .

Maryland (OPEN): In the battle to replace term limited Maryland Governor Lawrence Hogan, Jr., (R), this was a snoozefest as Wesley Moore (D) trounced super far-rightwing nutjob Dan Cox (R) by one of the largest landslides in state history: 64% to 31%. Moore makes history as Maryland's first African American Governor and the nation's fifth African American Governor following PSB Pinchback of Louisiana, L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and David Paterson of New York State. DEMOCRATIC GAIN.

Massachusetts (OPEN): Massachusetts State Attorney General Maura Healey (D) easily trounced Trump-backed Geoff Diehl (R) very handily with 59% of the statewide vote. DEMOCRATIC GAIN.

Nebraska (OPEN): Jim Pillen (R) defeated State Senator Carol Blood (D), keeping the Nebraska Governor's Mansion in Republican control. REPUBLICAN HOLD .

New Hampshire: New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R) of the prominent Sununu dynasty, easily wins reelection to a fourth term in a landslide, increasing Republicans grip on both chambers of the New Hampshire State Legislature. REPUBLICAN HOLD .

Ohio: Incumbent Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) wins reelection defeating former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley (D) by double digits: 59% to 37%. REPUBLICAN HOLD .

COMING UP NEXT: Part III of the Gubernatorial elections in the 2022 Midterms.

 

[WolfBear]

How is Big Ron planning to address immigration?

 

[Sergeant Foley]

How is Big Ron planning to address immigration?

Haven't even gotten that far yet. Still on Chapter 1 with the 2022 Midterms

 

[Sergeant Foley]

PART III: GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS IN THE 2022 MIDTERMS.

*NATIONALLY-WATCHED:
Georgia: In the Peach State, the eyes of America was on the gubernatorial race in a rematch between incumbent Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) and former Georgia House of Representatives Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D-Atlanta) which both the DGA and RGA spent over $20+ million in this race.

Abrams distanced herself from unpopular President Cuomo and deeply reviled Vice President Harris while trying to offer her vision to Georgians. However, Kemp aggressively and successfully tied Abrams to the Cuomo administration's disastrous policies; Kemp boasted of sending 200,000 migrants to Baltimore, Detroit, Milwaukee, Chicago, NYC, Newark, etc., due to his staunch support of border security.

Benefiting from the massive Red Wave, Kemp easily dispatched Abrams (53% to 45%), resulting in the Georgia Republican Party sweeping all statewide offices including increasing their conservative majorities in both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly. REPUBLICAN HOLD.

Pennsylvania (OPEN): Over in the Keystone State's gubernatorial election between Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) and controversial super right-wing State Senator Doug Mastriano (R) which atrracted national attention. The campaign got nasty, bitter, divisive and highly aggressively negative on both sides; plus there was backlash of Mastriano's affinity for the Confederacy due to him wearing a confederate army uniform in a leaked photograph.

Pennsylvanians came to the polls and the winner was.....Shapiro by double digits (56% to 42%) leading Pennsylvania Democrats winning the Pennsylvania US Senate race with Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman (D) and Pennsylvania Democrats winning back control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Shapiro will take office on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 succeeding outgoing Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D). DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

Illinois: Meanwhile over in the Land of Lincoln, incumbent Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) won reelection very easily defeating far-right-wing State Senator Darren Bailey (R) becoming the first Illinois Democratic Governor to win reelection since then-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) in 2006.
JB Pritzker (D-incumbent): 2,190,918 (54.4%)
Darren Bailey (R): 1,723,659 (42.8%)
DEMOCRATIC HOLD

 

[Sergeant Foley]

@bintananth @Wolf of Arrakis @The Immortal Watch Dog @The Whispering Monk @Cherico @gral @Typhonis @Atarlost @Vyor @Buba @Tiamat

Working on the 2022 Midterms. Be patient folks!

 

[Sergeant Foley]

PART IV: GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS IN THE 2022 MIDTERMS.

NATIONALLY-WATCHED GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS (PART II):
*Kansas: Facing heavy political headwinds in the Sunflower State was incumbent Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) ,whose approval ratings had suffered due to the heavy unpopularity of President Andrew Cuomo. Gaining success of distancing herself from the deeply reviled Cuomo administration during an uphill reelection campaign, the Red Wave hyped up by Republicans, turned into a fizzler when Kelly defeated three-term Kansas State Attorney General Derek Schmidt (R) securing another four years at Cedar Crest (Residence of the Kansas Governor). DEMOCRATIC HOLD .

*Maine: Incumbent Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) was being challenged by former Maine Governor Paul LePage (R) ,who held the Governorship from January 6, 2011 to January 3, 2019. LePage aggressively defended his record including using harsh aggressive negative advertising commercials attacking Mills' administration for the 2020 Riots, CRT, targeting parents for demanding answers from school boards over curriculum. Boosted by the Republican Governors Association including high-profile figures such as Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R), New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R), Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R).
Mainers came to the polls on Election Night, returned Mills to Blaine House securing another four years. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

*Michigan: In the Wolverine State, everyone watched this gubernatorial election quite closely as incumbent Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) was supposed to be coasting to another four years in the Michigan Governor's Residence in Lansing. Following the US Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in overturning Roe vs Wade, effectively killing 50 years of protecting abortion rights including exceptions; polling surveys showed Whitmer leading by double digits somewhere between 16-32 percentage points.

Whitmer was also being hyped up as a future President or United States Senator; during the 2020 Presidential campaign, Whitmer was on the shortlist for Vice President by then-New York State Governor (current US President) Andrew Cuomo.

Then all of a sudden: Republicans nominated Tudor Dixon (R) as their nominee for the Governorship. Dixon at first was considered a long shot and Whitmer originally ignored her opponent by referring to her as "some typical election denier, who wants to turn Michigan into Trump-land." Dixon went on the offense aggressively during the general election campaign by hitting the trigger buttons: CRT, Election Integrity, Whitmer's controversial handling of COVID-19 pandem, shutting down businesses, etc.,

Suddenly, Whitmer's once strong double-digit lead in the polling surveys dropped quickly as Dixon's aggressive offensive high-powered attacks got more and more successful plus the more Dixon spoke and detailed specifics, proposals on what she'll do as Governor. During the first televised gubernatorial debate aired on NewsNation: Dixon was easily viewed as the winner and people were astonished when Whitmer's body language showed disgust and contempt including loudly clicking papers on the podium.

Dixon surged aggresively in the polling surveys when she won the second gubernatorial debate. Whitmer was put on the defensive non-stop and in private conservations, the Democratic Governors Association expressed concern about Whitmer's reelection chances as Real Clear Politics showed Dixon taking the lead in the closing stretch.

As Election Day approached, the Democratic Governors Association was forced to spend resources defending Michigan as polling surveys showed a tightening election, causing the Democratic National Committee to also spend resources defending governorships in New York State, Wisconsin, Illinois, etc.,

On Election Night: Michiganders came out in droves and Whitmer was declared the winner of the 2022 Michigan gubernatorial election by double digits (54% to 43%); Democrats got more good news such as Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) and Michigan State Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) both won reelection respectively including all of the statewide propositions being approved by the voters; Michigan Democrats flipped control of both chambers of the Michigan State Legislature, which is likely help Whitmer legislate. DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

COMING UP: Stay tuned for more highlights of the 2022 Midterms.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

We're right back with the 2022 Midterms in Chapter 1 of "Keep America Free".

**************Channel Surfing (C-SPAN)********************

BREAKING NEWS ALERTS: HOCHUL DEFEATS ZELDIN IN NEW YORK STATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION

Pedro Echeverria: "C-SPAN has gotten another projection in the nationally-watched New York State Gubernatorial election between US Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY St) and incumbent New York State Governor Kathy Hochul (D), and.....I think..... Ok, this is just coming in from the Associated Press right now.

The Associated Press and NBC News projects incumbent Governor Hochul has defeated Congressman Zeldin, securing her first full term in the New York State Executive Mansion for the next four years.

Hochul, who ascended to the Governorship on January 19, 2021 following the resignation of then-New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) ,who went on to be inaugurated as the 50th President of the United States. Throughout this campaign, Hochul went from holding a 24 percentage point lead during the Summer, which quickly evaporated into single digits due to Zeldin's aggressive hard-hiting campaign commercials highlighting violent crime escalating across the Empire State including hammering Hochul's disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the aggressive challenge from Zeldin, Hochul survived a scare in securing her first full term and down-ballot, the New York State Democrats lost several key US House seats downstate.
Kathy Hochul (D-incumbent): 3,020,773 (55.73%)
Lee Zeldin (R): 2,681,329 (44.57%)
DEMOCRATIC HOLD.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

AUTHOR'S NOTE ON LAST NIGHT'S MIDTERMS: Due to the results of the 2022 Midterms last night, I will be making more changes to several of the installments of the timeline.

Working on Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5 in short order. Be patient because this will likely take awhile! @WolfBear @BenjaminBurch @Arlos @bintananth @Simonbob @Buba @Tiamat

 

[Sergeant Foley]

PART V: GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS IN THE 2022 MIDTERMS

*Minnesota: Having presided over COVID-19 pandemic and the George Floyd murder and riots, incumbent Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) led the Land of 10,000 Lakes despite criticism from those who faulted him for the violent riots of Minneapolis during the Summer of 2020.
Despite a strong challenge from State Senator Scott Jensen (R), Minnesotans decided to keep Walz in office with another four years in the Minnesota Governor's Residence: DEMOCRATIC HOLD .

*Nebraska (Open): Over in the Cornhusker State, Jim Pillern (R) easily throttled State Senator Carol Blood (D) in the gubernatorial election by a massive landslide victory, keeping the Governor's Mansion in Republican control. REPUBLICAN HOLD .

*Nevada: Facing vicious backlash due to his controversial handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when incumbent Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak (D) shut down the entire Silver State when the outbreak escalated. This along with the economic crisis angered majority of Nevadans including violent crime in Las Vegas and the surrounding suburbs.

Sisolak also faced strong anti-Democratic sentiment and anti-Cuomo sentiment considering President Cuomo's approval ratings have been plunging to the 20s. Challenging the incumbent Democratic Governor was popular Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo (R) ,who was staunchly supported by former President Donald Trump including the Republican Governors Association and multiple high-profile Republicans campaigning for Lombardo.

Negative campaign commercials escalated on both sides during the general election, which got even nastier as the election approached during the closing months. Following days of long wait, Lombardo emerged victorious defeating Sisolak. The Nevada Republican Party also won the down-ballot statewide offices: Lieutenant Governor and State Controller.
REPUBLICAN GAIN .

*Oklahoma: Despite a somewhat interesting and intriguing canpaign, controversial incumbent Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) defeated Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister (D) by double digits (55% to 41%).
REPUBLICAN HOLD.

*Oregon (Open): The three-way gubernatorial election between former Oregon House of Representatives Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) ,former Oregon House of Representatives Republican Minority Leader Christine Drazan (R) including former State Senator Betsy Johnson (I) engaged in a full-scale aggressive negative advertising campaign, particularly Kotek vs Drazan, both of whom showed obvious disdain during their debates and town hall forums.

Polling surveys showed back and forth between the candidates which resulted in both the Republican Governors Association and Democratic Governors Association spending millions of dollars. On Election Night, Oregonians waited for three days to find out who won the Governorship: Drazan shocked the world by pulling off a major upset victory, ending 36 years of Democratic control of Mahonia Hall (Residence of the Oregon Governor).
REPUBLICAN GAIN.

COMING UP: Part X of the US State/Territory Governorships during the 2022 Midterms.