GOP state legislature candidate in North Dakota who died of Covid wins election

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GOP state legislature candidate in North Dakota who died of Covid wins election

A Republican in North Dakota has won a seat in the state legislature — nearly a month after he died of complications from Covid-19.

David Andahl was 55 when he died on Oct. 5, after winning a heated primary with an incumbent committee chairman. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) had endorsed the Bismarck rancher, saying, “we need more Trump Republicans in the State Legislature.”

Democrats nationwide had gone into Election Day believing that the White House’s haphazard handling of the coronavirus pandemic would hurt Republican chances at the ballot boxes, only to be stunned when the projected “blue wave” never materialized.

North Dakota has seen a dramatic surge in cases over the last month — it now leads the country in the number of new cases per 100,000 people, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Andahl and another Republican won the two seats for state representatives from North Dakota’s eighth district, with Andahl taking nearly 36 percent of the vote.

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FAIR: Corporate Media Reverse Reality by Blaming BLM Protesters for Everything

 

View article on FAIR's website Corporate Media Reverse Reality by Blaming BLM Protesters for Everything JOSHUA CHO

Aside from the coronavirus pandemic, this year has also seen unprecedented mass uprisings against the US’s white supremacist police state after the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Minneapolis. However, throughout the ongoing protests this year, corporate media seemed to take every opportunity to vilify the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement by spinning the protesters—rather than the racist and authoritarian US regime they are protesting against—as the primary instigators of violence and theft, in addition to preemptively blaming them for Trump’s reelection.

When the protests began after Floyd’s death, corporate media reports were quick to blame BLM for initiating violence, portraying them as senseless rioters in an otherwise peaceful and tranquil society.

• NBC News (6/1/20): “Some George Floyd Protests Turn Violent in Several West Coast Cities”
• Wall Street Journal (6/2/20): “Protests Sparked by George Floyd Death Descend Into Violence Despite Curfews”
• ABC News (7/26/20): “Police Declare Riots as Protests Turn Violent in Cities Nationwide; 1 Demonstrator Dead in Austin”
• Wall Street Journal (7/26/20): “Violence Erupts Around Protests Across US”
• Associated Press (8/22/20): “Portland Protest Turns Violent, Federal Police Clear Plaza”
• Chicago Tribune (8/15/20): “Protests Turn Violent in Downtown Chicago”
• 9&10 News (9/24/20): “Protests Over Breonna Taylor Case Turned Violent Overnight”
• CNN (10/28/20): “Philadelphia Puts Curfew in Place After Violence Erupts During Protests over the Fatal Police Shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.”

As it happens, a study by the US Crisis Monitor (9/3/20), a joint effort by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) and the Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) at Princeton University, found that 93% of all racial justice protests since Floyd’s death have been peaceful and non-destructive. These findings contradict the misleading impressions corporate media coverage have given about the BLM uprisings spawning a massive wave of violence and property damage.

A Wall Street Journal headline (6/2/20) exemplifies the assumption that despite police killings of civilians and forcible repression of dissent, the situation does not "descend into violence" until protesters fight back.

But focusing too much on whether violence occurred at the protests or not would be missing the point by conceding too much to the copaganda narrative. The “violence” did not begin when protesters began destroying property; this is a reversal of cause and effect. In actuality, the US “turns violent” every time Black people are brutally beaten down and murdered by the state for trivial or nonexistent infractions in the US’s selective enforcement system (often euphemized as a “law enforcement system”). As Adam Johnson and Nima Shirazi of the Citations Needed podcast (8/9/17) pointed out, when white supremacy is the default setting of corporate media, Black people dying at the hands of the racist police state is not really “violence,” or a disturbance of the peace, but simply the natural state of affairs.

This “turning violent” framing also neglects how brutal actions by police officers escalate violence, as many observers of these rebellions pointed out that “looting” and “destruction” often take place after the police begin violent repression. This serves to encourage and justify a police crackdown against all protesters under the pretext of only going after “violent” protesters, even though nonviolence is no guarantee that they won’t also be targeted for state repression (FAIR.org, 6/8/20). Indeed, making the violence of protesters disrupting the status quo the predominant focus of media scrutiny and scorn makes it hard for [their] audiences to realize the much greater violence that is being inflicted by the police to maintain it.

Despite media obfuscations and euphemisms (FAIR.org, 6/5/20, 6/7/20) that give a false sense of parity between unarmed protesters and armored militarized police, using terms like “skirmishes'' and “clashes” (FAIR.org, 6/9/20), only one side routinely uses chemical weapons banned on the battlefield on protesters, uses mass arrests of protesters to intimidate dissent and is responsible for the vast majority of assaults on journalists (around 80%, as of June 4) to suppress unfavorable information. And only one side has plowed vehicles through large crowds, shot at people on their porch, trapped thousands of people on bridges, and kills hundreds of people every year.

Since the beginning of the uprisings, corporate media have also focused intensely on the break-ins at businesses that have occurred at some of these protests, which might give the misleading impression that stealing by BLM protesters is the most troubling form of theft in the country:

• Fox News (6/1/20): “Rioting, Looting Linked to George Floyd Protests Leaves Trail of Destruction Across American Cities”
• New York Post (6/3/20): “Soho ‘Looting Street Party’ Video Goes Viral as de Blasio Downplays NYC Chaos”
• USA Today (6/15/20): 'Peaceful Protests Got Hijacked': Some Criminals Used George Floyd Protests as Cover for Looting, Police Say”
• Washington Post (8/10/20): “Looters Smash Business Windows Along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile After Police-Involved Shooting”
• Chicago Tribune (10/6/20): “Chicago’s Summer of Looting and Unrest, and How the City is Still Reeling”
• Fox News (10/28/20): “Philadelphia Police Say 1,000 Looters Targeting Businesses on Second Night of Protests"
• Philadelphia Inquirer (10/28/20): “Looting, Skirmishes Follow Peaceful Protests Over Police Abuse Against Black People and Killing of Walter Wallace Jr”

While it’s important not to handwave away the real violence that has occurred to the livelihoods of small business owners and their employees that were already struggling during the pandemic, it’s also important not to portray all protesters who target businesses as merely opportunistic thieves, or exaggerate the scale of economic damage caused by them. There are varying reasons why people commit vandalism during these uprisings, and by focusing on the act of “looting” itself, without exploring the reasons behind the act (such as expressions of anti-capitalist intent, or retribution against stores that don’t serve poor or minority communities), media oversimplify the story as a caricature of unruly mobs that need to be quashed (Vox, 6/2/20; Atlantic, 6/2/20).

You would have to strip the shelves of hundreds of Walmart stores to surpass the value of wages the corporation has been caught stealing from employees in the 21st century (In These Times, 6/8/18). From these sensationalist stories, it’s easy to lose track of the fact that the biggest thieves in the country have consistently been employers stealing from their employees’ wages. The Economic Policy Institute (9/18/14, 5/10/17) found that wage theft is a much bigger problem than all other forms of criminal property theft like burglaries, larceny and motor vehicle theft combined, with minimum wage violations alone potentially exceeding all other forms of theft put together. Yet outlets like Newsweek (10/28/20) continue to reverse reality by emphasizing the ransacking of businesses like Walmart after activists protested the recent killing of Walter Wallace Jr. by Philadelphia police (FAIR.org, 10/30/20). Walmart is one of the most notorious perpetrators of wage theft, for whom paying wage theft penalties is merely a cost of doing business (In These Times, 6/8/18). In 2016, Walmart was forced to pay $224 million as a settlement to its Pennsylvania employees, a resolution it had fought for 10 years after it was caught stealing $140 million from employees from 1998 to 2006. It’s also important to put the economic damage done by protesters in context by comparing it with the economic damage caused by large corporations and the US government. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the US has committed acts of modern piracy, stealing hundreds of thousands of masks bound for Europe and oil from Iran to Venezuela and selling them for tens of millions of dollars. In the largest government spending program in US history, FAIR (5/1/20) covered how corporate media were spinning massive corporate looting as a “rescue plan” for the “country,” and robber barons like Steve Mnuchin as “saviors” of the economy, while large corporations were pillaging millions of dollars from bailout money intended for small businesses (New York Times, 4/22/20, 4/26/20). However, there is little sustained outrage for the looting done by the US government and large corporations, as corporate media appear to reserve their attention for the relatively small-scale pilferage done by protesters. As the president of the United States deliberately incites violence as a re-election strategy, an appointee of the last president put the blame on people protesting police killings (The Hill, 9/2/20). Yet another way corporate media try to make the story about problematic protesters, rather than the problems they are trying to solve, is by preemptively blaming them for Donald Trump’s re-election. It’s unclear what will happen in the election today, between the size of Joe Biden’s polling leads and Trump’s strenuous efforts to steal the election (FAIR.org, 9/15/20), but op-eds like The Hill’s “End the Violent 'Protests' Now — You're Only Ensuring Trump's Reelection” (9/2/20) and USA Today’s “When Black Lives Matter Protests Turn Violent, Donald Trump Gets Just What He Wants” (7/29/20) sound like threats to cease disrupting the violent “stability” of the US based on misleading caricatures of how “violent” BLM protests actually are. When CNN’s Van Jones (Fox News, 9/2/20) echoes similar talking points by urging “Democrats” to cease nighttime BLM protests, out of an ostensible concern about giving more ammunition to Trump’s reelection campaign, he is putting the onus on protesters to win over voters, rather than challenging white supremacy and people who prioritize property and tranquility over Black lives: "The longer we talk about violence and unrest and how he's handling it or not handling it, it all advantages Trump," Jones began. "In other words, this campaign is going well for Donald Trump because we're not talking about the economic devastation that people are experiencing or the virus really. And I think it's time for us to recognize-- we are in a very perilous situation if you want to see a change in November… “We need a national moratorium on these nighttime marches. That would separate the responsible, productive demonstrations that have united the whole world from some of these other demonstrations that are just not as useful. There are things that Joe Biden and other progressives can do that can begin to push down on the violence in our movement and then turn it back toward the people who are actually suffering." Jones glosses over the fact that nobody is forcing corporate media to divert attention from police brutality, economic devastation or the coronavirus by vilifying protesters, and exaggerates the scale of their violence while minimizing the violence of the US’s authoritarian state. The many reports worrying over the effect of “violence” on swing-state voters (e.g., New York Times, 8/26/20, Politico, 8/27/20, Axios, 8/29/20) also reverse reality. FAIR (8/11/20) has covered how corporate media have minimized the violence of right-wing extremists, a far more deadly threat. Preemptively blaming Trump’s reelection on BLM protesters downplays how Trump’s election theft efforts include deliberately stoking violence by white supremacists on his behalf. Several people have already debunked the notion that a backlash against BLM protests is driving people to vote for Trump, and current polling averages by RealClearPolitics and FiveThirtyEight show that Biden has maintained a consistent lead over Trump despite the ongoing protests. It is impossible to predict the outcome of today’s election with certainty, but blaming BLM protesters for everything under the sun is one way to maintain the violent status quo of white supremacy.   © 2020 Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting. All rights reserved. Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting Our mailing address is: FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING 124 W. 30th Street, Suite 201 New York, NY 10001 FAIR's Website FAIR counts on your support to do this work — please donate today. Follow us on Twitter | Friend us on Facebook

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: TRUMP, BIDEN locked in CLOSE RACE for White House — RANKED CHOICE VOTING loses — BAKER BLANKS presidential ballot

 

BY STEPHANIE MURRAY GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. PRESIDENTIAL RACE COULD TAKE A WHILE — There is no clear winner of the presidential race between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden this morning. It's a reality we've been preparing for over the last several months. Officials in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan have long said they would need some time to process mail-in ballots. But locked in a tight battle for the White House, the president is already eyeing a legal challenge. Trump falsely declared victory and said early this morning he'd try to stop votes from being counted after Election Day, though it's not clear what legal argument he could make. Biden stressed that the election results were up to the voters, not either of the candidates. With the presidential election in limbo, Massachusetts officials were relatively quiet last night. I asked a number of Bay State leaders whether they had plans to make a public statement while we await election results over the next several days. The answer from many: Stay tuned. Several days ago, Gov. Charlie Baker activated 1,000 members of the National Guard in case cities and towns faced unrest after the election, though no flare ups were reported yesterday. With about two thirds of the total Massachusetts vote reported , Biden led Trump with nearly 67 percent of the vote, according to the Associated Press. That's a larger margin than Hillary Clinton's 60 percent of support in 2016, but Biden's numbers could dwindle a bit as cities and towns report their vote totals. RIGHT TO REPAIR PASSES — Question 1, the most expensive ballot question in Massachusetts history, passed easily last night. The "yes" side of the right to repair initiative declared victory relatively early in the night, with support form 75 percent of voters. The ballot question teed up a fight between automakers and repair shops. Supporters of the initiative spent $24.3 million, while opponents spent $26.4 million. That's a combined $50 million on a single ballot question. RANKED-CHOICE VOTING FAILS — In a blow to progressives, the campaign to bring ranked-choice voting to Massachusetts conceded its ballot campaign late last night. The Yes on 2 campaign received about 45 percent of support, while opponents of ranked-choice voting made up 55 percent of the vote, according to early results. Spending was lopsided here: Supporters of ranked-choice voting raised close to $10 million, while opponents only raised $3,500. This is something of a win for Gov. Charlie Baker, who recently came out against ranked-choice voting. Well-known Democrats who supported ranked-choice voting include Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. INCUMBENTS SWEEP HOUSE RACES — Massachusetts is sending its all-Democratic delegation back to Congress in 2021. Nationally, Democrats maintained their majority in the House, meaning high-ranking committee members like House Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal and Rules Committee Chair Jim McGovern are likely to hold onto their power. It also means Jake Auchincloss is officially Kennedy's successor in the House, after Kennedy gave up his seat to run for Senate against Markey. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Rep. Richard Neal speaks to the press in Springfield. Rep. Seth Moulton holds a press conference in Salem. Activists plan to protest in Boston following the presidential election. ELECTIONLAND: POLITICO is partnering with Electionland , a ProPublica project that works with newsrooms to track voting issues around the country. The Electionland project covers problems that prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots during the 2020 elections. We’re part of a coalition of newsrooms around the country that are investigating issues related to voter registration, pandemic-related changes to voting, the shift to vote-by-mail, cybersecurity, voter education, misinformation, and more. Tell us here if you had trouble voting. THE LATEST NUMBERS – “Massachusetts reports 923 new COVID cases, 12 deaths as seven-day average of new cases dips slightly,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “State health officials confirmed another 923 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 157,308. That’s based on 54,843 new molecular tests, according to the Department of Public Health. There are currently 16,681 active cases of the virus across the state.” DATELINE BEACON HILL — “Gov. Baker nominates Judge Dalila Argaez Wendlandt to SJC. She would be the first Latina on the high court,” by Matt Stout and Shelley Murphy, Boston Globe: “Governor Charlie Baker on Tuesday nominated appellate court judge Dalila Argaez Wendlandt to the Supreme Judicial Court, putting her in line to be the first Latina to serve on the state’s highest court in its 328-year history. Baker formally announced Wendlandt’s selection at an afternoon news conference at the State House.” — “Charlie Baker says he ‘blanked’ his 2020 presidential vote,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has repeatedly said he wouldn’t vote to re-elect Republican President Donald Trump in this year’s election. However, despite his often vocal criticisms of Trump, the moderate GOP governor also isn’t backing Democratic nominee Joe Biden. During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Baker indicated for the first time that he did not vote for any candidate in the 2020 presidential race.”   NEW EPISODES OF POLITICO'S GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST: The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded in 2020. Are world leaders and political actors up to the task of solving them? Is the private sector? Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, unpacks the roadblocks to smart policy decisions and examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. Subscribe for Season Two, available now.     THE SENATE SHOWDOWN — “Ed Markey, new progressive icon, wins another Senate term,” by Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: “Senator Edward J. Markey cruised to re-election Tuesday in an anti-climatic victory over his Republican challenger, attorney Kevin O’Connor, whose long-shot bid never generated the energy or voter attention that the contest’s Democratic primary drew. The Associated Press called the race at 8 p.m. for Markey, who earlier this year clawed his way back from underdog status to vanquish a member of the state’s most famous political dynasty, Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III.” FROM THE HUB — “In a historic election, anxiety propels Massachusetts voters to the polls,” by Meg Woolhouse, GBH News: “Siddharth Hariharin is not registered to vote in Massachusetts — but that didn’t stop the 23-year-old from taking democracy into his own hands on election day. When the recent New Jersey transplant noticed that people couldn’t find the door to the polling site at Boston City Hall, he spent hours in the cold pointing would-be voters in the right direction.” — “No more fights, and no more virus: What Mass. voters want from the future U.S. president,” by Adrian Ma, WBUR: “On paper, there are some obvious differences between the town of Saugus and the Boston neighborhood of East Boston. Demographically, about 60% of East Boston residents are either Hispanic or Black, and in the 2016 election, voters there preferred Hillary Clinton by a large margin. By contrast, about 90% of Saugus residents are white, and during the last election, the town favored Trump. And yet, East Boston and Saugus share a grim similarity — both are seeing high rates of new COVID-19 infections.” — “Prepared for unrest, police in Mass. report few disruptions on Election Night,” by Milton J. Valencia and Vernal Coleman, Boston Globe: “Following days of preparation and uncertainty over the potential for voting disruptions and unrest on Election Day, law enforcement agencies across Massachusetts were reporting few, if any, notable incidents Tuesday night. As national election results trickled in and temperatures dropped into the 20s Tuesday night, many, it seemed, chose to wait out their anxieties at home.” THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ROUNDUP — “Biden wave in Mass. doesn’t translate in House,” by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: “The blue wave in Massachusetts for Joe Biden and the state’s congressional delegation didn’t translate into a sweep of local House races for Democrats. Republican Rep. Leonard Mirra of Georgetown said the presidential race ‘made things more difficult for [local] Republicans this year,’ but he held on to retain his seat.” — “Andover Democrat fends off Republican in legislative race,” by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: “State Representative Tram Nguyen won her reelection bid Tuesday in the 18th Essex District, one of dozens of contested legislative seats across Massachusetts. Nguyen, an Andover Democrat, received about 62 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. Her Republican challenger, Jeff DuFour of Tewksbury, received about 38 percent.” — “Kip Diggs unseats William Crocker in 2nd Barnstable District race,” by Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times: “Democrat Kip Diggs unseated two-term Republican incumbent William Crocker on Tuesday in the race for state representative in the 2nd Barnstable District. The district comprises 10 precincts in Barnstable and two in Yarmouth.” — “Rausch appears on way to second term in state Senate,” by Tom Reilly, Sun Chronicle: “Becca Rausch appeared to be on her way to a second term in the state Senate Tuesday night, turning back a challenge from a veteran Franklin town councilor. By early Wednesday morning, she had led her opponent, Republican Matt Kelly, 57 to 43 percent.” — “State Sen. Susan Moran elected to full term in Plymouth & Barnstable District,” by Jessica Hill, Cape Cod Times: “Incumbent state Sen. Susan Moran, D-Falmouth, won a full term Tuesday to the Plymouth & Barnstable District seat she first claimed just six months ago. Moran won 56% of the vote to defeat Republican James ‘Jay’ McMahon III of Bourne in Tuesday’s election.” — “Steven Xiarhos edges James Dever in 5th Barnstable District race,” by Ethan Genter, Cape Cod Times: “Former Yarmouth police Deputy Chief Steven Xiarhos will be the 5th Barnstable District’s next state representative, beating James Dever in Tuesday’s election by 1,167 votes. Xiarhos, a Republican from West Barnstable, will succeed state Rep. Randy Hunt, R-Sandwich, who decided not to run for a sixth term this year.” — “A generational journey: Meghan Kilcoyne becomes 1st woman elected to Massachusetts’ 12th Worcester District,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “Kilcoyne declared victory around 10 p.m. Tuesday as she took the lead with 8 out of 11 precincts reporting. Shortly before 10:30 p.m., Kilcoyne had 57% of the vote, while Republican Susan Smiley had 38.33% and Green Party candidate Charlene DiCalogero had roughly 4% of the vote.” — “Tight race in Massachusetts House’s 7th Hampden District has both candidates claiming lead; AP results show James 'Chip’ Harrington ahead,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “In a wild ride fitting 2020, the candidates for the 7th Hampden House of Representatives seat both claimed victory in Tuesday’s election by the slimmest of margins. James ‘Chip’ Harrington, a Republican, said he bested Democratic opponent Jake Oliveira by 146 votes. But, Oliveira countered that he beat Harrington by 137 votes.” — “Cronin declares victory; Sen. Tran not conceding,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “Democrat John Cronin was clinging to a tiny lead over Republican Sen. Dean Tran of Fitchburg early Wednesday morning, but Cronin said the trendlines were enough for him to declare victory.”   EXCLUSIVE: "THE CIRCUS" & POLITICO TEAM UP TO PULL BACK THE CURTAIN ON THE MOST UNPRECEDENTED PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN HISTORY: It’s been the most unconventional and contentious election season of our lifetime. The approach taken by each candidate couldn’t be more different, yet the stakes couldn’t be higher as we cross the finish line. Join POLITICO’s John Harris, Laura Barrón-López, Gabby Orr and Eugene Daniels in a conversation with John Heilemann, Alex Wagner, Mark McKinnon and Jennifer Palmieri of Showtime's "The Circus" on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. EST for an insiders’ look at the Trump and Biden campaigns, behind-the-scenes details and nuggets from the trail, and the latest on where things stand and where they are heading. DON'T MISS THIS! REGISTER HERE.     IN THE VOTING BOOTH — “This guy drove 2,000 miles roundtrip from Boston to Georgia to vote after his absentee ballot didn’t arrive,” by Steve Annear, Boston Globe: “Joe LaMuraglia isn’t the type of person to give up easily. And when he gets an idea in his head? Well, good luck stopping him from seeing it through. … It was that determination that compelled LaMuraglia to drive more than 2,000 miles from Massachusetts to Savannah, Ga., and back again, to ensure his vote was cast in the 2020 presidential election.” — “Election 2020: Massachusetts voter who wore Black Lives Matter shirt successfully casts ballot after initially being turned away from polls,” by Jackson Cote, MassLive.com: “After initially being turned away from the polls for wearing Black Lives Matter gear on Election Day, a Massachusetts voter was successfully able to cast their ballot Tuesday, news outlets reported. A poll worker in Hanson believed a Black Lives Matter shirt or mask was prohibited inside voting locations the same way that paraphernalia promoting or opposing a political candidate on the ballot is not allowed.” BALLOT WARS — “Right to repair ballot question passes, but implementation a concern,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Massachusetts voters on Tuesday voted to expand the state’s Right to Repair law and require car manufacturers to provide more information to independent repair shops. The passage of the ballot question raises questions about how the new law will be implemented on a tight time frame — whether the Legislature will step in and tweak the law, or even whether some cars may be unavailable to Massachusetts buyers next year.” — “Question 2 supporters concede defeat in effort to bring ranked choice voting to Massachusetts,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Despite support from the state’s top-ranking elected Democrats, a massive fundraising advantage, and an army of volunteers, the ballot effort to implement ranked choice voting in Massachusetts says it fell short Tuesday. Down by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent with 80 percent of precincts reporting, the Yes on 2 campaign conceded defeat Wednesday morning at 12:30 a.m.” DAY IN COURT — “'We do not anticipate any violent protests’: After Worcester courthouse announces early closure, city’s police chief says there’s no evidence of violence,” by Jackson Cote, MassLive.com: “Court officials said the Worcester courthouse will close early Wednesday after initially claiming there was intelligence suggesting violent protests were planned, putting them at odds with law enforcement in the city who said no such evidence exists.” FROM THE DELEGATION — “Auchincloss wins 4th Congressional District race,” by Wilder Fleming, WBUR: “Jake Auchincloss has won the House seat soon to be vacated by Congressman Joe Kennedy III. The Newton Democrat easily bested Republican opponent, former U.S. Air Force colonel Julie Hall, in the race for the 4th Congressional District.” ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: “BALLOT BLITZ,” — Globe: “Another night on the razor’s edge,” “In shades of 2016, it’s up to ‘blue wall.’” FROM THE 413 — “Surprise challenger for NAACP president reflects new activism,” by Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle: “The election for president of the Berkshire branch of the NAACP has grown prickly after its long-standing president drew an unexpected challenger. Ari Zorn, 53, of Egremont, surprised President Dennis Powell and many in the group with his candidacy, and a public announcement of a platform that suggests that the current leadership needs modernizing to expand its reach, further pad its coffers, and unify with other groups and causes.” — “Holyoke’s Patrick Beaudry gets Election Day talk from Joe Biden in Scranton, Penn.” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “CNN viewers Tuesday morning saw former Vice President Joe Biden visiting his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to talk to, among others, Patrick Beaudry of Holyoke.” HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. Ken Gordon, Michael Fontneau, who is 36, NYT’s Kit Seelye, Julie Siegel, Morgan Mohr and Jean Roseme. NEW EPISODE: END TIMES INSIGHT — On this week’s Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray discuss ranked choice voting and a new Massachusetts poll, and the Boston Globe’s Victoria McGrane breaks down the fight for the Senate. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.   Follow us on Twitter Stephanie Murray @StephMurr_Jour   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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