Let’s call it Election Week

Presented by National Retail Federation: A play-by-play preview of the day's congressional news

Nov 08, 2022 View in browser   By Katherine Tully-McManus Presented by National Retail Federation PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE — Today's the day that voting closes, but don't count on knowing all the results tonight, or even tomorrow. Key battleground states are warning, once again, that tallying votes takes time and it could take longer than voters expect. It is likely there may not be definitive election results available before the night – or week – is out in some states. Elections officials are getting the word out about this reality in the hopes of heading off misinformation, political violence and intimidation of poll workers as false theories about American elections continue to proliferate. "I'd like to remind everyone — voters, candidates, members of the media and the general public — that we will not have unofficial results in every race on election night," Leigh Chapman, Pennsylvania's acting secretary of the commonwealth, told reporters last week. "The bottom line is election results will take several days." Pennsylvania isn't alone. Michigan's Michigan department of state says "don't expect election results on election night." Zach Montellaro has more on why this is the case . Do we have to say it? The lack of same-day election results is not evidence of interference or tampering. It actually has more to do with state laws limiting the preprocessing of mail ballots . Election officials can't get to work opening ballot envelopes, validating signatures and preparing to count them in advance in Pennsylvania and preprocessing is extremely limited in Michigan. AND YET… GOP activists and candidates set stage to claim elections they lose are stolen , from Heidi Przybyla in Phoenix, Ariz. Welcome to Election Week. ONE STOP SHOPPING —  All that being said, you know POLITICO is tracking the results we will have as polls close across the country tonight. Don't miss the shiny new results hub. It allows you to survey all the races, or tune out the noise and create your own dashboard of your favorite races to keep an eye on. Check it out here .   NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID .     GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, November 8, where it's Election Day! Thank your poll workers. MCCARTHY'S LAST BATTLEGROUND STOP — Speaker-hopeful Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is on his last midterm swing campaigning for Republicans in Virginia's battleground districts alongside former speaker Newt Gingrich and Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Last night the GOP leader was on the stump for state senator Jen Kiggans, who is hoping to topple Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), one of the Democrats' most vulnerable incumbents. Today he'll be on the road in support of Hung Cao's campaign against Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.). Polls in Virginia close at 7 p.m. tonight and McCarthy knows eyes will be on the early states for indications of a potential GOP wave. Olivia was in Virginia Beach last night with McCarthy, Gingrich, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) and others. Don't miss her dispatch . MARK YOUR CALENDARS? — Former president Donald Trump knows how to counter-program. We already knew that House Republicans will be holding their conference leadership elections on November 16. It's also the day that former vice president Mike Pence's memoir is set to be published. But now Trump says he'll be making "a very big announcement" that day from Mar-a-Lago. All signs point to an announcement of his 2024 run for president, which has been all-but-official for a while but is sure to dominate the news cycle nonetheless when the announcement is made.   A message from National Retail Federation: The INFORM Consumers Act is a bipartisan solution to stop organized retail crime. It's supported by retailers, law enforcement organizations and consumer advocates alike. It's time for Congress to pass the INFORM Consumers Act — this year — and help keep our communities safe. Learn more here.   Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks during a press conference following a Senate Republican luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on September 28, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker) | Getty Images ANYONE BUT MITCH? — Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), asked on Monday if he'd support Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as majority leader if Republicans take the Senate, said he would not. "I don't imagine I will, no. ... I'm not sure if any other senator will run or not. Nobody's indicated they would. But my view is that we need new leadership in that position," Hawley said. Galen Bacharier from the Springfield News Leader reports that Hawley listed out a litany of legislative decisions McConnell has made in the last two years where he differed, including the bipartisan infrastructure and gun safety bills, Ukraine aid and campaign spending in Arizona and New Hampshire. He criticized McConnell for his comments on the strength of GOP candidates this cycle: "I did not agree with the idea that you go out there and badmouth our own candidates in the middle of an election." In Arizona, GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters also isn't committing to McConnell as the Senate's GOP leader. "I certainly think we need new leadership," he said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Monday. McConnell "will not own me, McConnell doesn't love me. And clearly, he had a chance to help. He didn't do it," Masters said, adding: "He doesn't want me in there, but he's about to be stuck with me." More from The WSJ's Eliza Collins in Phoenix . McConnell is broadly backed by his caucus, despite opposition from some corners. PELOSI'S FUTURE TIED TO ATTACK Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told CNN's Anderson Cooper last night that her decisions about her political future will be influenced by the brutal attack on her husband Paul Pelosi in their San Francisco home. Pelosi: "Well, I have to say my decision will be affected about what happened the last week or two." Cooper: "Will it be – will your decision be impacted by the attack in any way?" Pelosi: "Yes." RELATED: With her political future unclear, Nancy Pelosi stares down another midterm , from Paul Kane and Marianna Sotomayor at The Washington Post WHAT'S IN A NAME — Sure, official Washington can't get enough of acronyms, but there's also something to be said for strong branding. Robin Bravender at E&E News explored why climate advocates (and Hill people) can't settle on what to call the massive climate and health care law that Democrats passed back in August. "President Joe Biden prefers to say all seven syllables of Inflation Reduction Act. Some of his top officials have used the abbreviation 'I.R.A,' while others pronounce it 'eye-ra,'" wrote Robin . Your Huddle host has personally resisted I.R.A. because, well, the Irish Republican Army really had that acronym locked up for a while. But I also whined about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) steamrolling in on the Architect of the Capitol's acronym turf. And we know who won that branding fight.   DON'T MISS POLITICO'S 2nd ANNUAL DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/16: The United States is facing a defining moment in the future of its defense, national security and democratic ideals. The current conflicts and developments around the world are pushing Washington to reshape its defense strategy and how it cooperates with allies. Join POLITICO for our second annual defense summit, "At a Crossroads: America's Defense Strategy" on November 16 in person at the Schuyler DC or join online to hear keynote interviews and panels discussing the road ahead for America's national security. REGISTER HERE .     HUDDLE HOTDISH Hot and fresh salary data… The House Chief Administrative Officer has put out the latest pay analysis for Congressional staff, highlighting the new pay floor of $45,000 annually for full time employees. The new data includes average annual salary ranges for 2022 vs. 2021 based on third-quarter pay rates. The increases in average salaries for different positions are whopping. (But your Huddle host wonders who was a senior adviser for just $4,250 a year, full time, in 2021. Would love to talk to you.) Take a look at the data for yourself . QUICK LINKS  Court records identify man accused of throwing cans of liquor at Sen. Ted Cruz during Astros parade , from The Houston Chronicle House Democrats introduce bill requiring certification of presidential records , from Jacqueline Alemany at The Washington Post Dems Failed to Dethrone the 'King of Laredo,' Now They Hope He Reigns On , from Ursula Perano at The Daily Beast TRANSITIONS  Angelika Pellegrino is now deputy comms director for Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). She previously was American Rescue Plan outreach coordinator at the U.S. Economic Development Administration.   A message from National Retail Federation:   TODAY IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are out. AROUND THE HILL Plenty of nerves. TRIVIA MONDAY'S WINNER: MACKENZIE OBERST correctly answered that Susanna Salter was elected mayor of Argonia, Kansas – the first woman mayor in the country. TODAY'S QUESTION: This president never once voted prior to his electoral victory. The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus   A message from National Retail Federation: According to NRF's National Retail Security Survey, retailers reported an average 26.5% increase in organized retail crime last year alone. Retailers, consumer advocates and law enforcement organizations agree: Congress should pass the INFORM Consumers Act this year. This bipartisan bill will make it tougher for criminals to sell stolen goods online, while ensuring honest small businesses can use ecommerce to reach customers. Learn more here.     Follow us

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