https://news.yahoo.com/gops-cheney-endorsing-michigan-democrat-150007366.html
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Associated Press
GOP's Cheney endorses Michigan Democrat Slotkin in a first
THOMAS BEAUMONT
Thu, October 27, 2022 at 8:00 AM
Republican Rep. Liz Cheney on Thursday endorsed and plans to campaign
for Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, the first time that the critic of
former President Donald Trump who lost her GOP primary has crossed party
lines to formally support a Democrat.
Cheney, of Wyoming, announced her support for the two-term House member
from Holly, Michigan, in a statement by the Slotkin campaign that notes
she plans to headline a campaign event with Slotkin in the Lansing-area
district next Tuesday.
Slotkin is competing against Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett in
Michigan's 7th Congressional District. Their race is considered a
toss-up by both sides and one of the Republicans' chief targets in their
campaign to win the House majority on Nov. 8.
Cheney and Slotkin serve on the House Armed Services Committee, but
their shared background in the federal government goes back further.
Cheney worked in the State Department before launching her political
career, as did Slotkin, who worked in the CIA and the Defense Department
as well.
Both have been vocal critics of House Republicans who have sought to
downplay the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Cheney is vice
chair of the House Jan. 6 committee, which recently issued a subpoena
for Trump to testify.
Video: Cheney slams Youngkin for campaigning for election denier
“I have come to know Elissa as a good and honorable public servant,"
Cheney said in a statement included in the Slotkin campaign's
announcement. “While Elissa and I have our policy disagreements, at a
time when our nation is facing threats at home and abroad, we need
serious, responsible, substantive members like Elissa in Congress."
For her part, Slotkin was an early and vocal proponent of the select
committee's formation.
Cheney's role in the investigation into the violent breach of the
Capitol and her unsparing criticism of Trump, a fellow Republican whom
she described as “clearly unfit for future office," cost her reelection
to Wyoming's at-large House seat. After her defeat in the August
primary, she said she was considering a 2024 presidential campaign,
which Trump is also expected to wage.
Though it's unclear how the Jan. 6 attack will be reflected in the
midterm voting, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs
Research poll this month found only 9% of U.S. adults think democracy is
working “extremely” well or “very well" while 52% say it’s not working well.
The AP-NORC poll also found a large segment of Republicans, 58%, still
believe Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election wasn’t legitimate.
That’s down slightly from 66% in July 2021. Exhaustive reviews in key
states upheld Biden’s win, while judges — including some appointed by
Trump — dismissed numerous lawsuits challenging the outcome. Trump’s own
attorney general, William Barr, called the claims bogus.
“At a moment when the very heart of our democracy is being challenged,
Rep. Cheney’s voice has been critical,” Slotkin said in the campaign
press release. “Rep. Cheney has shown tremendous leadership over the
last two years, and while we certainly don’t agree on every issue, I
look forward to welcoming her to Michigan’s 7th district next week."
As of two weeks ago, Michigan's 7th District was the most expensive
House race in the country, according to AdImpact, a nonpartisan
political media tracking company. The two campaigns and outside groups
had combined to spend $27 million.
Biden received more votes than Trump in the district in 2020 by less
than 1 percentage point.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2022 midterm elections at
https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections. And check out
https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections to learn more about the
issues and factors at play in the midterms.