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Midterm campaign live updates: GOP's Cheney endorses Ohio Democrat Tim Ryan for Senate

ABC News is reporting on campaign developments in key states across the U.S.

The 2022 campaign is shaping up to be a historic, decisive moment in American politics.

From our reporters across the country, ABC News brings you all the latest on what the candidates are saying and doing -- and what voters want to happen in November's midterm elections.

For more from ABC News' team of reporters embedded in battleground states, watch "Power Trip: Those Seeking Power and Those Who Chase Them" on Hulu , with new episodes on Sunday.

Power Trip
Power Trip
"Power Trip: Those Seeking Power and Those Who Chase Them" follows 7 young reporters as they chase down candidates in the lead up to the midterms with George Stephanopoulos guiding them along the way.
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With questions waiting at his campaign bus after event, Mastriano opts for another exit

The Republican candidate to be Pennsylvania's governor, Doug Mastriano, appeared to take unusual measures to avoid questions on Wednesday as the RV that typically shuttles him between campaign events left a stop without the candidate on it after ABC News waited by the vehicle.

When ABC arrived at the small meet-and-greet in Galeton, a town of less than a thousand people near the New York border, the bus, embroidered with the campaign’s logo, was parked in front of a motorcycle shop hosting the event.

But toward the end of Mastriano’s remarks, when ABC went to the bus to meet the candidate as he walked toward it, as he did at the previous stop, the RV had been driven to the back of the building, near a rear door.

As ABC News waited by the bus, a campaign spokesperson named Matt walked out, said Mastriano would not have time for questions and then reentered the building.

A few minutes later, the RV backed away and drove out of sight.

On the other side of the building, an attendee confirmed that Mastriano had left in a car.

If Mastriano was in fact avoiding questions from the press, it would not be the first time he’s done so. But six weeks from Election Day, amid a campaign underfunded and shunned by some national Republican groups, Mastriano appears to forging ahead with a strategy focused on conservative grassroots turn-out in towns like Galeton.

-- ABC News' Will McDuffie

Power Trip
"Power Trip" follows 7 young reporters as they chase down candidates in the lead up to the midterms with George Stephanopoulos guiding them along the way.
Stream On Hulu

Officials track threats of political violence -- and of 'second Civil War'

Security and intelligence agencies are boosting their efforts to monitor online threats of political violence -- which some experts say have been exacerbated by election denialism -- as November's midterm races rapidly approach.

"We're seeing these conspiracy theories and other narratives being promoted online by extremist groups and conspiracy theory organizations like QAnon. On the other hand, we're seeing mainstream public figures in government in politics, even in the media, mimic and amplify these fringe narratives, these conspiracy theories. And that's very powerful in the sense that it tells people that these ideas aren't that wacky," John Cohen, a former Department of Homeland Security intelligence official, told ABC News.

As intelligence officials see election conspiracy theories rapidly become part of the cultural mainstream, agencies are spending more time trying to combat the misinformation before it leads to violence.

Chris Rodriguez, the director of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, which helps track threats and inform law enforcement officials, told ABC News that the danger from right-wing extremists has grown.

"We've really seen an evolution of the threat. We're seeing a lot more threats toward local elected officials, for example, people in communities who actually run elections," Rodriguez said. "We've also seen calls for what is referred to as a quote 'second Civil War,' which is, again, very troubling and very concerning."

Now, Rodriguez's agency is doubling down on the coordination of information-sharing with partners.

"We've been communicating with authorities in Pennsylvania and Ohio and Arizona and Colorado to make sure, again, that we are we're doing the best that we can to keep our election officials, people who are administering elections and the public at large, safe and secure."

-- ABC News' Lalee Ibssa


California governor attacks Democrats' midterm messaging

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom again criticized his party's midterm campaign strategy in an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday from Austin, Texas, blasting Democrats for what he called ineffective "messaging problem" that has persisted for years.

"We need to be more assertive to wake folks up," Newsom said.

"There's no doubt states are on the front lines of the rights battle. Period. Full stop. And the Supreme Court now has made that crystal clear … We allow these culture wars to take shape. And we consistently are on the back end of them."

The remarks follow a speech he made this weekend at the Texas Tribune Festival, where he said the Democrats are "getting crushed" by their GOP opponents due to their backseat campaign style while Republicans "dominate with illusion."

The one-term blue state governor has said he does not plan on running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024 despite increased national media appearances and political ventures, like his reelection campaign's rental of pro-abortion billboards in six states with near-total abortion bans.

On Wednesday, he said Democrats can turn it all around, "if we go on the offense."

"That's why I'm doing the billboards. That's why I'm doing these ads. That's why I'm doing these TV commercials in other states. Take it to them," he said. "People are losing their rights. We can't sit by but you've got to push back. We've got to hold them accountable. And yes, we prepare ourselves for the great reconciliation, and that's to come --- because we can't, for no other reason, we can't live like this."

–ABC News' Libby Cathey


Nevada Republicans see a midterm opportunity in the longtime swing state

Nevada, known for its consistently tight political races, is set to play an outsize role in this year's midterm politics given an array of what are expected to be margin-of-error contests for the Senate and more.

The Silver State has tilted narrowly but decisively toward Democrats in most election cycles since 2016 -- most recently handing the party its six Electoral College votes for president, the governor's mansion, both Senate seats and three out of four House districts.

But Republicans are mustering their political might to flip several of those offices in a year that is anticipated to favor the GOP.

Former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt, a Republican, is running to unseat first-term Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, while Clark County's Republican Sheriff Joe Lombardo is facing Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak.

Democratic Reps. Steve Horsford, Susie Lee and Dina Titus are all running to protect their Las Vegas-area House seats, and Democratic attorney Cisco Aguilar is running for secretary of state against Republican Jim Marchant, who has pushed baseless conspiracies about the 2020 presidential race.

Read more here.

–ABC News’ Tal Axelrod and Abby Cruz


Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman cuts ad for Sen. Mike Lee

The conservative Club for Growth is putting out a new ad looking to boost Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, as he faces a tougher-than-anticipated challenge from independent Evan McMullin.

The video, backed by an $800,000 reservation, will begin airing statewide Wednesday through Election Day. The 30-second clip features former Gov. Jon Huntsman, who served one term and was later the U.S. ambassador to Russia during the Trump administration.

"There's a lot of noise out there right now, so let me tell you what I know about Mike Lee. I've worked with Mike since I was governor, and I know his heart. He has the unshakeable integrity that's all too scarce in politics. You might not always agree with Mike. I don't. But we can all agree that principled leadership and fidelity to the Constitution are paramount in difficult times. Let's send Mike Lee back to the Senate," Huntsman says in the ad.

The late buy suggests 11th-hour handwringing by some of Lee's allies over McMullin's bid.

Lee recently went on Fox News to plead with Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, for his endorsement, and the FiveThirtyEight polling average only has Lee up by about 8 points after he won reelection in 2016 by more than 40.

McMullin has centered his challenge around Lee's communications discussing methods to challenge the 2020 election results after the race was over, accusing Lee of shedding his label as a "constitutional conservative." Lee notes he did not ultimately reject to certifying the Electoral College results.

He and his allies have accused McMullin -- who previously worked as a Republican congressional aide and then ran for president in 2016 as an independent -- of now being a closet Democrat, noting that the state Democratic Party endorsed him and did not run a candidate of its own. McMullin, though, has said he wouldn't caucus with either party in the Senate.

-- ABC News' Tal Axelrod