Page 3118 – Texas Weekly Online

Democrat seeks recount in razor-thin Virginia House race

Kimberly Pope Adams, the Democratic candidate in a central Virginia House of Delegates race that remains uncalled by The Associated Press, is seeking a recount. Adams said in a statement Thursday that the election results, which show just 78 votes separating Adams and GOP incumbent Kim Taylor, “are far too close for anyone to declare outright victory.” “The people of the 82nd House District deserve to know with absolute certainty who is the winner of this race and Virginia law affords them that right. For that reason, I am seeking a recount of the vote,” Adams said. VIRGINIA SENATE NAMES CAUCUS LEADERS FOR UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION Taylor, who has served in the House since 2022, previously declared victory. The competitive 82nd District covers Petersburg, Surry County and parts of Prince George and Dinwiddie counties. The outcome of the race won’t have implications for the balance of power in the House. Democrats secured a narrow majority on Election Day and are on track to have either 51 or 52 seats in the 100-seat chamber come January. Virginia doesn’t have automatic recounts. Candidates can request, and pay for, recounts if the margin between the top two candidates is 1 percentage point or less. Recounts are paid for by the government if the margin is less than 0.5 percentage points. The AP will not call the race until the recount is complete.

Trump to remain on Colorado ballot after judge rejects 14th Amendment challenge to eligibility

Former President Donald Trump’s name will remain on the Colorado 2024 presidential primary ballot, a judge ruled Friday. “The court orders the Secretary of State to place Donald J. Trump on the presidential primary ballot when it certifies the ballot on January 5, 2024,” U.S. District Court Judge Sarah B. Wallace wrote in her ruling. The decision came following a legal challenge seeking to disqualify Trump from appearing on the ballot, citing the 14th Amendment. BIDEN USES TRUMP’S OWN WORDS AGAINST HIM IN BID TO RECAPTURE THIS MAJOR VOTING BLOCK FOR DEMS IN 2024 The lawsuit sought to use the Disqualifications Clause, or Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars individuals who have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against America or who have aided those engaged in such activities from holding office, and specifically cited Trump’s alleged involvement in the Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021. Watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), as well as six Colorado voters, filed the lawsuit in September, one of multiple legal attempts in a number of states across the country aiming to prevent Trump winning another four years in the White House. CREW, a left-wing organization that often targets Republicans, was optimistic Friday morning that the ruling would fall in their favor. NEW YORK JUDGE LIFTS TRUMP GAG ORDER IN CIVIL FRAUD TRIAL OVER FREE SPEECH CONCERNS In a statement following the ruling, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung called it “another nail in the coffin of the un-American ballot challenges.” “With this decision, Democrats’ 14th Amendment challenges have now been defeated in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and New Hampshire. These cases represent the most cynical and blatant political attempts to interfere with the upcoming presidential election by desperate Democrats who know Crooked Joe Biden is a failed president on the fast track to defeat,” he said. “The American voter has a Constitutional right to vote for the candidate of their choosing, with President Donald J. Trump leading by massive numbers. This right was correctly preserved in Colorado today and urge the swift disposal of any and all remaining Democrat ballot challenges. Onward to total victory in 2024, we will Make America Great Again!” he added. JUDGE IN TRUMP’S GEORGIA ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE ORDERS ‘SENSITIVE’ EVIDENCE WITHHELD FROM PUBLIC The decision comes after a Michigan judge ruled Wednesday in a similar lawsuit that Trump would also remain on that state’s primary ballot, which followed the Minnesota Supreme Court and a federal judge in New Hampshire previously dismissing other challenges. Trump is the first former president in United States history to face criminal charges. He was indicted during special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into alleged interference in the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. He faces criminal charges in Georgia, New York and from Smith’s separate investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges, which included conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

New Jersey to continue offshore wind push despite top contractor’s withdrawal

Despite the loss of two major offshore wind farm projects when Danish developer Orsted pulled out of New Jersey, the state is moving forward with its plans to support and grow the nascent industry. The state Board of Public Utilities on Friday voted to seek bids for a transmission facility into which several offshore wind projects can plug, an important part of getting the power from ocean-based wind turbines into the onshore electrical grid. But on a more elemental level, Friday’s vote represented a vote of confidence in offshore wind from a state that wants to be the East Coast leader in the industry. DEVELOPERS MAKE PLEDGE TO FINISH NJ’S FIRST OFFSHORE WIND FARM BY 2025 “Recent setbacks will not prevent us from moving forward with our commitment to offshore wind,” said Christine Guhl-Sadovy, the board’s president. “Offshore wind is and continues to be the economic development opportunity of a generation, and remains a key tool in climate change mitigation.” The board authorized a solicitation of proposals for an energy transmission system. That system would be “an open-access transmission facility, located either in the Atlantic Ocean or onshore, used to facilitate the collection of offshore wind energy or its delivery to the electric transmission system in this state,” according to a 2019 law. It would include concrete structures and empty pipes through which power cables would pass. They would be installed in a single construction effort, capable of servicing multiple offshore wind farms. James Ferris, the deputy director of the board’s clean energy division, said that installing the project all at once “would minimize environmental and community impacts by resulting in a single shore crossing.” Those eligible to apply include power transmission developers and owners, and offshore wind developers, Ferris said. The board vote came nearly three weeks after Orsted, the world’s largest offshore wind developer, scrapped its Ocean Wind I and II projects off the coast of New Jersey. The company cited inflation, supply chain problems and a failure to secure as many government financial subsidies as it wanted as reasons the projects were no longer feasible. That sent shock waves through the offshore wind industry. It also heartened its opponents, who said Orsted’s decision to walk away from New Jersey and write off $4 billion in losses, mostly due to the cancellations, shows the industry is inherently unprofitable without massive government subsidies. Shortly after Orsted scraped its projects, numerous community groups celebrated, and promised to oppose other pending wind farms, including one by Atlantic Shores, a project by EDF/Shell. 4 NEW OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS PLANNED IN NEW JERSEY “The communities of southern New Jersey are surely celebrating the end of the project,” said Joseph Mancini, mayor of Long Beach Township. “New Jersey can harness sustainable energy solutions more effectively without succumbing to the industrialization of the ocean. There are smarter, more considerate avenues to explore that protect our state’s interests and national natural treasures.” As the vote was happening, the Southern New Jersey Development Council, a business group, reaffirmed its support for offshore wind projects, calling them “a shining example of responsible environmental stewardship and economic revitalization.” “Yes, Orsted’s cancellation of the Ocean Wind I and Ocean Wind II projects was a setback, but New Jersey’s continued commitment to offshore wind power is a beacon of hope for a future where renewable energy takes center stage in our fight against climate change, said Marlene Asselta, the group’s president. Proposals are due by April 3.