WASHINGTON — If it’s Wednesday ... NBC’s Dasha Burns interviews Democrat John Fetterman on his health after his stroke: “I feel like I’m gonna get better and better — every day.” ... Herschel Walker’s abortion accuser shows the Washington Post a $700 check that contains Walker’s name, signature and address at time. ... President Biden warns of “consequences” for Saudi Arabia over OPEC’s cut in oil production. ... And Biden calls for resignation of an L.A. City Council members after audio of racist comments.
But first: Two interviews, two candidates and two unique situations — where the story at play is far removed from the traditional dynamics of a midterm campaign.
NBC News’ Dasha Burns interviewed Democrat John Fetterman in PA-SEN about his health in the candidate’s first sit-down TV interview since his stroke, and they discussed the transcription service he uses to process questions.
“It’s really just how things happen with me, because I sometimes will hear things in a way that’s not perfectly clear. So I use captioning, so I’m able to see what you’re saying in captioning,” Fetterman said.
On why his campaign has denied requests for his medical records: “As I said, being in front of thousands and thousands of people and having interviews and getting around all across Pennsylvania, that gives everybody-- and the voters decide if they think that’s really the issue.”
In a separate interview, ABC News spoke with Republican Herschel Walker in the Georgia Senate race after being accused of urging an ex-girlfriend to get an abortion and reimbursing her for it.
“I know nothing about an abortion. I know it’s a lie ... Yes, she’s lying,” he said.
That interview, however, was taped before the Washington Post reviewed a $700 check to Walker’s abortion accuser that contained Walker’s name, his signature and his address at the time, as well as a $575 receipt from a women’s medical center.
What stands out about both Fetterman and Walker is that their candidacies — right now — have little connection with the national political environment, even as they’re running in two of the most important Senate contests of 2022.
Instead, their challenges have become something else — health and an abortion accusation.
Tweet of the day
Data Download: The number of the day is … $725 million
That’s how much has already been spent on general election ads in governors races in 2022, per AdImpact (including what’s been booked). Democrats have a significant advantage — their candidates are outspending Republican candidates by a more than 2:1 margin ($210 million to $97 million), and Democratic outside groups have spent 39% more than Republican outside groups.
The top five races as far as spending so far are Texas, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nevada and Florida, in that order.
Other numbers to know:
More than 1 million: How many electronic communications from agents the Secret Service has turned over to congressional investigators from around Jan. 6, 2021, NBC News’ Julia Ainsley reports exclusively. The messages include emails but not text messages.
96: The age of the legendary actress Angela Lansbury when she passed away Tuesday.
14: How many GOP-held House seats Biden won in 2020, which Democrats are targeting to hold onto their majority, per the Associated Press.
67: The number of Republicans on the ballot in House races who are Black, Latino, Asian or Native American, per the New York Times.
$6 million: How much Republican Tiffany Smiley raised in the latest fundraising quarter in her Senate race in Washington, per Axios.
Midterm roundup: Standing by election deniers
Arizona is ground zero for election denialism, with GOP candidates for governor, Senate, secretary of state and attorney general all denying the results of the 2020 election. But that hasn’t stopped Republican leaders from campaigning with them.
On Wednesday, GOP Gov. Doug Ducey and former Vice President Mike Pence, who both defied pressure from former President Donald Trump to overturn the election results, respectively backed gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake and Senate nominee Blake Masters, both of whom have said the 2020 election was stolen.
In an interview with NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard, Ducey defended the Republican Governors Association’s decision to back Lake, arguing that border security, school choice and taxes are also important issues. And Pence said at event with Masters that he is a “proven conservative.”
The events in Arizona underscore a broader dynamic within the GOP as Republican leaders back scores of candidates who echo Trump’s lies about the 2020 election.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell summed it up this way in an interview with CNN: “I don’t have a litmus test. I’m for people that get the Republican nomination, and for winning, because if we win, we get to decide what the agenda is, and they don’t.”
Elsewhere on the campaign trail:
Colorado Senate/Governor: Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet leads Republican Joe O’Dea in a new Marist poll of registered voters 48%-41%. The poll also found Democratic Gov. Jared Polis leading his Republican rival, Heidi Ganahl, 54%-36%.
Pennsylvania Senate: Democratic nominee John Fetterman released a new ad in partnership with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee featuring a Republican planning to vote for him over the Republican nominee, Mehmet Oz. The ad is part of a new “Republicans for Fetterman” initiative, his campaign says.
Wisconsin Senate: Democrat Mandela Barnes is leaning into the issue of abortion as polls show a close race, Politico reports.
Michigan Governor: Vice President Kamala Harris will attend a fundraiser for Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the Detroit area this weekend. The RGA’s Michigan political committee is going up with its first direct ad buy of the general election in this race, for about $430,000 per AdImpact.
Nevada Governor: Everytown For Gun Safety Action Fund is booking its first ad buy in this race, costing $1.8 million, per AdImpact.
Oregon Governor: Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is campaigning next week with Oregon GOP gubernatorial nominee Christine Drazan.
Texas Governor: The Texas Tribune reports that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic nominee Beto O’Rourke each raised about $25 million from July through Sept. 29. And a new Marist poll of registered voters found 49% backing Abbott and 45% backing O’Rourke.
Texas Attorney General: NBC News’ Suzanne Gamboa explores whether the issue of abortion can help Democrat Rochelle Garza in her race against GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Connecticut-05: The Congressional Leadership Fund booked $1.1 million in ads here, per AdImpact.
Oregon-06: The Cook Political Report moved its rating of the newly drawn Oregon 6th District to a “Toss Up.”
Rhode Island-02: Republican Allan Fung leads Democrat Serth Magaziner by 8 points in a new Boston Globe/Suffolk poll, 45%-37% among likely voters. AdImpact data shows the GOP-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund just booked another $1.1 million in ad spending there. Fung is one of a handful of Republicans threatening to break Democrats’ hold on New England House districts, per the Washington post.
Ad watch: Using Gibbs’ own words against him
After boosting his right-wing primary opponent to help oust Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., Democrats are now turning to attacking that opponent — Republican John Gibbs — in an effort to flip Michigan’s 3rd District in November.
In a new ad out by House Majority PAC, a group aligned with House Democratic leadership, young girls read statements attributed to Gibbs. Those statements include things like, “Are men smarter than women? I think the answer is yes” and “The United States has suffered as a result of women’s suffrage.”
Despite this ad, a Republican group has still been the top spender since the August primary, according to AdImpact. The conservative Congressional Leadership Fund has spent $1.6 million already and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has spent $1.3 million. HMP, which funded this ad, has spent just $80,000 but has an additional $890,000 worth of airtime booked through Election Day.
Gibbs will face Democratic nominee Hillary Scholten in November. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race “Lean Democrat.”
ICYMI: What else is happening in the world
A new book focusing on the Trump administration details a tense call between former President Trump and Republican leaders ahead of his first impeachment.
Capitol Police are investigating a letter found near Rep. Bennie Thompson’s, D-Miss., office that they say has “concerning language.” Thompson chairs the House committee investigating January 6.
The Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to block the special master that is reviewing documents seized at Mar-a-Lago from accessing classified documents.
