The Fox News Decision Desk can venture that Democratic Senator Mark Kelly has gained re-election in Arizona. He defeats Republican challenger Blake Masters.

Kelly, a former NASA astronaut, was looking for a full time period as Senator of Arizona in the 2022 race, after profitable the 2020 race in opposition to Martha McSally, the Republican who was serving the remainder of John McCain’s time period after he handed away whereas in workplace.

Throughout the election cycle, the race was below the nationwide highlight, being top-of-the-line pickup alternatives for Senate Republicans this 12 months.

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Masters, the rich businessman turned GOP Senate candidate, was backed by former President Donald Trump early in the summer time earlier than profitable the Arizona GOP major in August.

Kelly and Masters solely participated in a single debate, however the pair lit up the stage in one of the intently watched matchups of the cycle. 

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During the heated face off, Masters instructed that Kelly and President Joe Biden have been central contributing elements to rising prices, the disaster on the southern border, and crime. 

Abortion was additionally a centerpiece of the race, after Masters overtly voiced his pro-life views, believing abortion ought to be banned with exceptions, whereas Kelly wouldn’t specify his pro-abortion place regardless of utilizing it as a speaking level all through his marketing campaign.

During their debate, Kelly was requested by the moderator if he supported abortion after six, seven and even eight months of viability. “I’ve supported Roe v. Wade,” Kelly responded, avoiding a transparent response to the query.

Throughout his marketing campaign, Kelly touted his pro-abortion views, however wouldn’t say which restrictions, if any, he supported when pressed by his opponent and requested Fox News Digital on a number of events.

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Kelly significantly outraised Masters, reportedly raking in $21 million from the July to September fundraising interval, whereas Masters solely added $4 million to his marketing campaign pockets throughout the identical timeframe.

Mark Kelly thanked Arizona voters in a press release.

“Thank you to the individuals of Arizona for re-electing me to the United States Senate. From day one, this marketing campaign has been about the numerous Arizonans – Democrats, Independents, and Republicans – who imagine in working collectively to deal with the numerous challenges we face. That’s precisely what I’ve achieved in my first two years in workplace and what I’ll proceed to do for so long as I’m there. It’s been one of many nice honors of my life to function Arizona’s Senator. I’m humbled by the belief our state has positioned in me to proceed this work,” Kelly stated.

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Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Senator Gary Peters additionally praised Kelly’s victory.

“Congratulations to Senator Mark Kelly on his victory. Mark’s life has been outlined by service – as a fight pilot in the Navy, an astronaut with NASA, and now in the U.S. Senate,” Peters stated.

He added: “Arizona voters stood with Mark as a result of he cuts by means of the political noise, solves issues and delivers outcomes, regardless of how tough the mission. Arizona’s working households, and our nation, will proceed to be higher off with Mark’s unbiased voice in the Senate.”

The House Freedom Caucus is discussing rival candidates for speaker because it seeks to stress Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy into giving legislative concessions in trade for supporting his bid for speaker, which he has started making even earlier than Republicans have locked up a majority. 

New and current members of the Caucus have spent the previous two days at a retreat in Washington, D.C. discussing strategy the speaker election later this month. More hard-line members are urgent for the caucus to face united in opposing McCarthy, R-Calif., on ideological grounds. 

“Kevin McCarthy has achieved nothing in two years to earn my vote,” stated Rep. Bob Good, R-Va. 

Others, in the meantime, wish to strike a deal with McCarthy on the House rules. The demanded adjustments are technical however would drastically cut back the House speaker’s management over the legislative course of.

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As the negotiations have but to ship a breakthrough, the Freedom Caucus has begun debating different candidates for speaker. Good, who was first elected in 2020, has been floated as a potential contender, however few see him as a reputable opponent for McCarthy.

Instead, the Freedom Caucus is weighing whether or not it may throw its unanimous help behind a challenger outdoors its rank. House GOP Whip Steve Scalise and GOP Vice Chair Mike Johnson, who already maintain conference-wide posts, have been floated as potentialities. 

Both Scalise and Johnson are formally backing McCarthy’s marketing campaign for speaker and neither is formally courting the Freedom Caucus. Scalise, in reality, is already running for the quantity two spot of House majority chief.   

Among the conservatives’ calls for are restoring the facility to take away a speaker by a vote that might be referred to as at any time, guaranteeing a ground vote on any modification if 10% p.c of the GOP convention cosponsors it, and reinstating a “majority of the bulk” rule underneath which payments would solely advance when supported by most GOP members.

“There’s a degree of leverage in these management votes,” stated House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa. “We wish to have a dialog, devoid of the politics about who’s main, on how the House ought to function, how laws ought to go.”

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McCarthy, who was prevented from ascending to the speakership in 2015 due to the Freedom Caucus, has not but agreed to the adjustments wholesale. GOP management has equally not agreed to maneuver the inner convention election till after the formal rules are adopted later this month. 

A supply near the Freedom Caucus management stated the discussions about different speaker candidates have been nonetheless preliminary, and a lot of the group was centered on securing help from McCarthy for its rules overhaul. 

“There’s a reasonably straightforward resolution right here,” stated the supply. “McCarthy can help standard reforms to decentralize the speaker’s energy and empower particular person members, or he can roll the cube that another person will not make that compromise and get the speaker’s gavel.” 

House management aides advised Fox News Digital they count on McCarthy will lower a deal and provides the Freedom Caucus not less than a portion of what they need. They word that McCarthy has an almost non-existent cushion of help to hit the 218 vote threshold wanted to turn into speaker. 

At the second, the potential Republican majority seems to be to be wherever between 218 seats, the naked minimal wanted to regulate the House, and 230 seats. The latter would represent a sweep of all excellent races, together with some through which Democrats are favored, however nonetheless falls far in need of the 60 seats McCarthy predicted might be doable underneath a GOP wave that by no means materialized. 

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The Freedom Caucus, which has greater than two-dozen members, might be pivotal to getting McCarthy throughout the 218-vote threshold wanted to turn into a speaker.

McCarthy’s workplace didn’t reply to requests for touch upon this story. 

The commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is being forced out of his job as half of a bigger change in prime personnel on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in line with a authorities source.

Chris Magnus is resisting leaving the place, after being instructed by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to resign or get fired, in line with the source. It comes after a record yr of migrants in search of to enter the U.S. alongside the Mexican border.

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Magnus has solely been on the job for about a yr, and sources say he has clashed with DHS officers over border enforcement coverage. Some of Magnus’ duties have been taken over by his deputies.

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DHS officers didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

New DHS figures present that for the fiscal yr ending in September, almost 2.4 million migrants had been detained on the border, a 37% enhance from the yr earlier than.

President Biden nominated Magnus for the place in 2021, and he was confirmed in December of that yr. 

Magnus has confronted a lot of controversies already, apart from the record border numbers. Fox News reported in October 2021 that Magnus settled a sexual harassment and retaliation case from a former officer in 2017. The case stemmed from his time as Richmond, California, police chief.

Last month, it was reported that Magnus was falling asleep throughout conferences. 

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“He’s not within the sport,” an administration official instructed Politico of Magnus. “Every time there’s a gathering and he’s in it, we’ll get to a conclusion and Magnus may have some sidebar subject that he desires to boost and we’re all like ‘What the f— is that about?’”

Magnus defended his efficiency in an October assertion to Fox News.

“I care a terrific deal about CBP and the individuals who work right here. In the ten months I’ve been CBP’s Commissioner, I’ve gotten in control on the company’s many advanced areas of duty,” he stated. “While CBP is an operational — not a policy-making — company, I’ve been intently concerned within the main DHS immigration, border safety, commerce, and different coverage discussions all through my time as Commissioner. I continuously share insights from CBP’s frontline legislation enforcement and civilian personnel in these discussions and can proceed to take action.”