The American Independent

Michigan Democrats see 'record-breaking turnout' in midterm elections after Roe decision

More than 4.45 million Michigan residents made their voices heard in a record-setting midterm voter turnout, according to state election data. The previous record was set during the 2018 midterms, with a reported turnout of 4.34 million voters.

This year's election was the first major test of support for abortion rights in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling in June.

"The historic, record-breaking turnout by Republican, Democratic and independent citiz

The American Independent

Midterm voters come out in support of abortion rights

Voters across the nation turned out to protect abortion rights in their states on Tuesday in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade and leave the regulation of abortion rights to the states.

Following the rejection in August by voters in Kansas of a ballot measure on an anti-abortion amendment to the state's Constitution, five states — Vermont, Michigan, California, Kentucky, and Montana — had abortion-related questions on the ballot on Nov. 8.

Voters in

The American Independent

Obama joins Gretchen Whitmer at get-out-the-vote rally in Detroit: 'Who is on your side?'

Former President Barack Obama joined Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other state Democratic leaders at a get-out-the-vote rally in Detroit on Oct. 29.

Around 3,500 people attended the event at Renaissance High School, which focused on access to abortion, voting rights and public education.

"We have always known this would be a close election and there is too much at stake to take anything for granted," Whitmer said, encouraging the crowd to organize, volunteer, and get out the vote before t

The American Independent

Meet an anti-abortion rights Senate candidate: Herschel Walker

Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Georgia, says he is a staunch opponent of abortion rights.

"I believe in from the womb to the tomb," the former football player said during an event at First Baptist Church Atlanta in February. "You never know who's that baby is going to be. You never know what that baby gonna become."

Walker is running against incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who has been endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Action Fun

The American Independent

Democratic governor candidate says abortion law 'puts New Hampshire women in extreme risk'

Dr. Tom Sherman is the Democratic nominee for governor of New Hampshire running against incumbent Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.

"I've always felt that a woman should have the right to make her own health care decisions, period,” Sherman told the American Independent Foundation in an interview. “There's just no role for the government being in between that process of medical decision-making."

Although abortion is still legal in New Hampshire up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, the state does not have

The American Independent

GOP candidate calling for 'confronting' China is executive at company doing business there

Republican candidate Jeremy Shaffer, who is running to represent Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District, claims he wants to "end our dependence on China," but the company of which he is a vice president has had multiple contracts with organizations in China.

Shaffer, who is running against Democratic candidate Chris Deluzio, named "Confronting Communist China" as one of his top issues if he is elected. "While Russia is wreaking havoc, China is still the greatest foreign threat facing Americ

The American Independent

GOP House candidate condemns Biden's student loan forgiveness despite receiving PPP loans

Republican House candidate Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who is running against Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner to represent Oregon's 5th Congressional District, has publicly criticized President Joe Biden's federal pandemic relief agenda and other government spending programs — even though she herself has benefited from pandemic relief funds from the federal government.

According to ProPublica's Tracking PPP database, Chavez-DeRemer's family business, Anesthesia Associates Northwest LLC, received loans o

The American Independent

Meet an anti-abortion rights Senate candidate: Don Bolduc

Don Bolduc, the Republican nominee for the Senate seat held by incumbent New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, has made clear that he is completely opposed to any rights to abortion, according to a review of interviews, statements, and public appearances conducted by the American Independent Foundation.

Hassan, who has been endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice America, is a Senate co-sponsor of the Women's Health Protection Act, described as a bill "To protect a person's ability to determine whe

The American Independent

Meet an anti-abortion rights Senate candidate: Ron Johnson

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a longtime opponent of abortion rights, is in a close reelection race against the state's Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who supports the right to abortion care.

Endorsed by NARAL Pro-choice America, Barnes has pledged to protect reproductive rights, saying that if elected he would vote to pass the Women's Health Protection Act and to make contraception free and widely accessible.

"Any politician who believes they have the right to make decisions

The American Independent

Wisconsin GOP legislators shut down special session on ballot initiatives in 30 seconds

A special session of the Wisconsin Legislature called by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to discuss a constitutional amendment that would allow voter referendums on state laws, and specifically the state's abortion law, was adjourned by Republican leaders of both houses immediately after it was convened on Oct. 4.

Wisconsin currently does not have provisions for legislators or voters to place initiatives for referendums on the ballot.

Republican Senate President Chris Kapenga⁩ convened and adjourne

The American Independent

New Jersey GOP candidate secretly shares hidden webpage boasting his anti-abortion record

The campaign website of Tom Kean Jr., a Republican running for the seat in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District held by incumbent Democrat Tom Malinowski, contains a hidden page listing his stances on issues including abortion, education and immigration — issues that are not mentioned on the public website.

The hidden webpage cannot be accessed from any links or navigation on the public site. Gothamist reported on Sept. 18 that Malinowski's campaign was tipped off to the existence of the hid

The American Independent

Michigan GOP attorney general nominee DePerno wants to ban use of emergency contraception

Matthew DePerno, the Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general, recently suggested that emergency contraceptive pills such as Plan B should be banned from the state in the same way that opioids would be.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas in early August, DePerno, who is staunchly opposed to abortion rights, was recorded agreeing with a questioner that Plan B should be banned in the state.

In the audio recording, shared on Sept. 20 on Twitter by Chicago-based digi

The American Independent

Michigan GOP candidate wants US to withhold aid to countries where abortion is legal

Michigan Republican congressional candidate John Gibbs suggested in a May interview that the United States should withhold aid from countries where abortion is legal.

Gibbs, who is running for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District, has said he is "absolutely against abortion" and is "100% pro-life in all cases."

"As a lawmaker, your job is to vote on legislation, so whenever anything comes up that involves pro-life, such as giving money to foreign countries that will let them perform abortions

The American Independent

Meet an anti-abortion rights Senate candidate: Blake Masters

Arizona Republican Senate nominee and millionaire venture capitalist Blake Masters has publicly presented himself as "unapologetically" and "100%" against abortions from the moment of conception since the beginning of his campaign.

However, since winning the Republican primary last month, the Trump-backed candidate has made some changes to his campaign and released a new ad that completely contradicts his previous anti-abortion statements.

Masters recently posted the ad on Twitter, where he di

The American Independent

Supposedly 'pro-choice' New Hampshire Gov. Sununu campaigns with anti-abortion candidates

Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who is running for re-election, has recently toured New England to endorse or support other GOP gubernatorial candidates who vocally oppose abortion rights. This has earned Sununu -- who has repeatedly claimed he is 'pro-choice' -- criticism from pro-abortion advocates.


In June, Sununu campaigned in Connecticut with Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski. Stefanowski supports policies, such as notifying the parents of youth considering a

The American Independent

Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig stands up to Big Pharma in fight for affordable drugs

Democratic Rep. Angie Craig, currently running for reelection in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District, has dedicated a large part of her two terms in the House of Representatives to fighting for affordable medications for her constituents. While her opponent, Republican nominee Tyler Kistner, has not provided specific information on his intentions regarding the price of health care, he has consistently opposed such efforts as the Affordable Care Act and the Build Back Better plan aimed at redu

The American Independent

Colorado House races illustrate gun safety chasm between Democrats and Republicans

Two House races in Colorado could determine control of Congress in the November midterms. They are shaping up to be close contests between Democratic state legislators who played key roles in passing the state's red flag gun laws and Republicans who oppose virtually any legislation to curb gun violence.

In Colorado's 7th Congressional District, which includes areas west and southwest of Denver, Democratic state Sen. Brittany Pettersen is facing Republican Erik Aadland for the open seat of retir

The American Independent

New Mexico pastor says GOP governor nominee Mark Ronchetti intends to abolish abortion

A conservative pastor in Albuquerque told his congregation that Mark Ronchetti, the Republican nominee for governor of New Mexico, had assured him that while he may have said publicly that he thinks abortion should be legal up to 15 weeks' gestation, in fact he was saying that just to get elected. Ronchetti's actual goal, Steve Smothermon said, is "to end abortion in New Mexico."

On June 24, the day the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that st

The American Independent

House Democrats push wide-ranging gun safety legislation in wake of mass shootings

In the wake of recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, House Democrats are pushing to pass the Protecting Our Kids Act to reduce gun-related violence across the nation.

H.R. 7910, an omnibus bill that comprises gun safety proposals already introduced by House Democrats, is expected to receive a vote on the House floor this week after it was advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee on June 2 by a vote of 25-19. All Republican members of the committee voted against the

The American Independent

Montana GOP lawmaker says woman's uterus 'serves no specific purpose to her life'

In a recent email to fellow Republicans, Montana state Republican Rep. Brad Tschida said a woman's uterus serves no purpose to her own life or well-being, but rather, "The womb is a place set aside for another person who arrives as a result of a choice of a man and a woman to procreate."

According to NBC News affiliate KTVH in Helena, Montana, and the Daily Montanan, in the email, which Tschida sent to more than 100 members of the Legislature, the former Montana House majority leader and curren

The American Independent

With reproductive health care in peril, Michigan advocates and clinics fight for abortion rights

A renewed fight for abortion care is underway in Michigan, where more than 2.2 million people are in danger of losing their fundamental reproductive rights following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24.

People in the state are still able to obtain legal and safe abortions due to a preliminary injunction preventing the state's 1931 abortion ban from taking effect.

Since the Supreme Court's ruling, clinics across

The American Independent

Marjorie Taylor Greene tells British reporter 'Go back to your country'

During a press conference Wednesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) aggressively told a British reporter to "go back to your country" when questioned about gun violence nationwide.

At a press conference, Greene called out the 14 Republican senators — including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — who had voted on Tuesday to advance the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a gun safety bill.

"These are the Republican senators that Republican voters do not support anymore," Greene said.

At

The American Independent

House passes gun safety legislation with almost all Republicans voting against it

The House of Representatives passed a package of gun safety legislation Wednesday night in an attempt to address the rise of gun violence following the recent mass shooting incidents in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.

The Protecting Our Kids Act, H.R. 7910, is a package of multiple bills that would raise the age limit for purchasing certain semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21, require safe storage of firearms, limit large-capacity magazines and other ammunition-feeding devices, and requir

The American Independent

All but one GOP House member voted against Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act

In the wake of the shooting by a white man in a Buffalo, New York, supermarket on May 14 that left 10 people dead, all of them Black, the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act on Wednesday.

The House voted 222-203 to pass the bill, sponsored by Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), which would create new offices within the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security, and Federal Bureau of Investigation to "monitor, analyze, investigate, and prosec