Welcome to the Democratic Governors Association’s Friday newsletter, the Weekender.
Let’s get started.
Oregon: With less than two weeks until Election Day, Christine Drazan continues to gain attention for her extreme anti-choice record and refusal to condemn election deniers. First, as Drazan has tried to hide her plans to ban abortion — even scrubbing her campaign website — her anti-choice allies at Oregon Right to Life recently launched a new webpage calling her “committed” and “proven” when it comes to their shared agenda to ban abortion with no exceptions for rape and incest and enforce it by throwing medical providers in jail. Drazan also received the official endorsement from one of the nation’s most extreme anti-abortion groups. Second, a new report from The Oregonian details how Drazan has “refused to criticize” dangerous election deniers and conspiracy theorists while cozying up to extremists on the campaign trail. In addition to previously known ties to violent extremists, the report reveals that “Drazan is getting a boost from local Republican Party chair Lisa Lamping” who “flew to D.C. to participate in the Jan. 6 protest,” while “Drazan’s campaign invited another Jan. 6 attendee to stand as part of a group onstage” at a recent event.Nevada: A court order obtained by News 3 reveals that Nevada taxpayers are the ones picking up the tab for Joe Lombardo’s corrupt and unethical actions as sheriff. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department must pay out over $86,000 in attorney fees and other costs related to a lawsuit over Lombardo sending self-serving political emails from his government account. “The money will likely be paid with taxpayer dollars,” News 3 reported. Records revealed during the lawsuit show that Lombardo directed staff at the Metro Police Department to conduct research used by his campaign, violating ethics rules. This is yet another example to pile on to the numerousethicscomplaints against Lombardo.
Ashley Kalus Sued by Former Boss In Illinois for FraudAshley Kalus is facing new allegations she bounced a paycheck and cheated the COO of an Illinois company that sought to market breast implant devices, run by Kalus herself, out of a $125,000 salary and even more in stock.According to the Providence Journal, Kalus’ company’s former COO is suing Kalus and her husband, accusing them of “common law fraud” and torpedoing the company as part of a “squeeze-out plan” to deprive the COO of her salary and promised stock. “Company is broke. End of story. End of company. End of friendship,” Kalus allegedly wrote to the former COO after firing her.Kalus was born in California, grew up in Massachusetts, owns a million-dollar home in Florida, and met the woman who’s now suing her when she was Kalus’ boss working for failed former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner. Kalus even received a tax exemption meant for permanent residents on her mansion in Illinois after she moved to and registered to vote in Rhode Island just last year.
This isn’t the first time Kalus’ business practices have been called into question. The state of Rhode Island canceled her multi-million dollar contract after her COVID testing sites received over 100 complaints of mismanagement.
Networks Reject Mark Ronchetti’s Plea to Pull Down Ads Exposing His Extreme Anti-Abortion StanceAccording to a new report from the Santa Fe New Mexican, multiple networks have rejected Mark Ronchetti’s desperate attempts to hide his extreme stance on abortion, refusing to pull down an ad that exposes him for praising the overturning of Roe v. Wade and then scrubbing his website of anti-abortion language.The ad highlights how Ronchetti praised the U.S. Supreme Court for letting politicians outlaw abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest.Ronchetti has also said he opposes abortion at “all stages,” and he has raked in money from a radical anti-abortion group whose mission is to “end abortion.”
Earlier in the campaign, a conservative pastor said Ronchetti’s “goal would be to end abortion in New Mexico,” but he’s been hiding his radical stance to win votes. Shortly after, Ronchetti deleted language on his website that described him as “strongly Pro-Life.”
We kicked off the first day of early voting in Wisconsin by meeting with folks in Madison, Milwaukee, and Racine. When we organize, bring people together, and talk to our neighbors about the future we want to build for our state—we win. pic.twitter.com/KeVXJxCrp6
“Do you really think books are more dangerous than guns?”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on taking action to keep students safe.
“The country today is divided, and this was the plan. It’s been in the works for years. The idea that you can topple the greatest country in the world. But to topple a country like the United States of America, you must be planning this for decades.” Who said it? Send your answer to press@dga.net, and we’ll reveal the answer in the next Weekender!If you guessed Arizona GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake last week, you were right! During an interview, when asked about the Voting Rights Act, she claimed that if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today, he would be a member of the party trying to dismantle the legislation he worked towards his entire life.
