Category Archives: Republican

Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey

Harris County leaders voted to confirm the results of the most recent election on Monday with the exception of one Republican.

Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey was the lone no vote on a measure to certify the results of the Nov. 2 election.

Citing grave concerns that included delays in election night results and a lack of equipment familiarity, Ramsey said he wanted an independent audit of the process.

This was a very small (turnout) election, Ramsey said. Weve got some big elections coming up next year. Weve got the primary likely in March, and weve got, of course, November 2022, and we just have to make sure that everything is as it should be.

Republican Commissioner Jack Cagle of Precinct 4 joined the three Democrats on Commissioners Court to vote yes on confirming the results.

The state has already announced it would review this years early voting returns in Harris County, which Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria said were delayed because of a power outage at the central count location. The Texas Secretary of States Office said it would work to ensure that all ballots were handled appropriately and counted validly.

The 2021 election was an off-year cycle, with no major candidates on the ballot. Voters did approve eight constitutional amendments, including one that would ban local governments from suspending religious services during an emergency.

But Ramsey's vote against certifying the results comes amid increased polarization among political parties over the validity of elections, despite no proof of widespread voter fraud.

Former President Donald Trump publicly called for an audit into Texas 2021 election results, insisting for months without evidence that widespread voter fraud cost him the election. Hours after Trumps statements, the Texas Secretary of States Office did open an audit into Harris and three other counties Dallas, Tarrant and Collin. All but Collin County voted for Joe Biden.

In September, Ramsey and Cagle voted against a resolution condemning that audit. The resolution nonetheless passed 3-2 along party lines, with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo calling it yet another argument to feed a conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was stolen.

A number of Texas Republicans have come under fire for refusing to accept the results of 2020s presidential election, in which Biden defeated Trump with 306 electoral college votes to Trumps 232. Biden also won 51.3% of the popular vote.

More than a dozen Texas Republicans and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz all voted to reject the presidential election results in January. That same day, violent pro-Trump extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol to stop the process of counting the votes and certifying the election.

Some state Republican lawmakers who echoed the false stolen election narrative later championed sweeping new voting laws that critics say amount to voter suppression. Houston-area state Rep. Briscoe Cain, who traveled to Pennsylvania to try and help Trump overturn the election, was chair of the House Elections Committee.

Abbott also later appointed John Scott, who briefly represented Trump in his attempts to overturn the election, as Texas Secretary of State.

Ramseys tenure on Commissioners Court has not been without controversy. At a meeting two weeks ago, he was criticized for going on a conservative talk radio show and accusing Democratic Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis of corruption without evidence.

Ramsey also said Ellis, who is Black, may have anger issues. Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, also a Democrat, put forward a resolution to condemn Ramseys remarks, saying they promoted a stereotypical angry Black person image.

A resolution condemning Ramsey for his comments passed 3-2 on party lines.

Additional reporting by Andrew Schneider.

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A Republican Harris County commissioner voted against certifying the 2021 election results - Houston Public Media

The past couple of weeks have seen endless pundits predicting gloom and doom for the Democrats next year: Bidens approval rating is down. The party of the incumbent president always loses ground in midterm elections. Republicans control most state legislatures, so the decennial gerrymandering of Congressional districts will play out in Republicans favor. Inflation is up, and thats a pocketbook issue that will matter to voters. Finally, look at the results in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races.

Woe is Democrats!

Someone should offer a (slightly) contrary view.

Ive got some good news for you: Im just the guy to do it.

Three things are actually likely to be working in the Democrats favor by the time of next years midterm elections.

First, the pandemic is likely to be essentially under control in the United States by November 2022. One of the keys to controlling the pandemic is convincing (or coercing) the vaccine-hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Until the FDA approved approved, not approved through an emergency use authorization the COVID-19 vaccines, the government was hesitant to compel vaccinations. Once the FDA approved the vaccines, the government moved fairly rapidly to require government contractors and large employers to have their employees vaccinated. Although there are legal objections to those vaccination programs, theyre likely to have an impact. And those programs give other private employers the cover they need to require their employees to get vaccinated.

Add to that the availability of vaccines for children over 5 and likely under 5 by next spring and COVID-19 may be essentially under control in the United States by November 2022.

Nothing is certain, of course. Ive restricted my prediction to COVID-19 in the United States; the virus will probably still be running rampant overseas. And theres always the chance that a new, vaccine-resistant variant will emerge, putting public health, and the Democrats, back to square one. But, barring that public health disaster, the United States could almost be back to normal next year, and Democrats will benefit from that.

I suspect that Bidens approval rating will move inversely to infection rates. By November 2022, infection rates will decrease, and Bidens approval rating will improve, along with the Democrats chances.

Second, the economy is looking pretty good right now, and thats likely to continue for another 12 months. Were emerging from the virus; thats likely to continue. Businesses that benefit from the re-opening trade will reap the rewards. Unemployment is currently low and likely to move lower. Wages are increasing.

For the most part, the economy is doing well, and its likely to continue doing well for another year. Democrats will benefit.

Finally, everyone seems to be ignoring the possibility that Trump will be indicted between now and November 2022. New grand juries have been convened in New York and Georgia to investigate possible financial and electoral misconduct, respectively. Isnt the smart money betting that at least one of those two investigations will lead to an indictment?

If an indictment is handed down, any case against Trump is likely to be pending trial in November 2022. This puts Republicans in an awful bind: Trump will continue to insist that candidates pledge loyalty to him, insisting that any indictment is a Democrat-inspired witch hunt. Candidates will want to distance themselves from Trump, but Trump wont permit it. Whats a candidate to do?

Thats a tricky situation for all Republican candidates, and it cant help a political party to have its leading figure at risk of going to prison.

My crystal ball is of course cloudy. None of these events may come to pass. Even if they do, the many advantages that Republicans have in the midterm elections may outweigh the advantages accruing to the Democrats. But fate is funny, and I suspect that Democrats are not in as much trouble as the conventional wisdom suggests.

(Allow me to end on a point of personal privilege: Happy birthday to me! Today marks the eleventh anniversary of this column at Above the Law. Eleven years! Heaven help me, but thanks for reading.)

MarkHerrmannspent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and is now deputy general counsel at a large international company. He is the author of The Curmudgeons Guide to Practicing LawandDrug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy(affiliate links). You can reach him by email atinhouse@abovethelaw.com.

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Why The Expectation Of A Republican Landslide In November 2022 May Be Overstated - Above the Law

A slate of conspiracy theorists and Republican state officials headlined a rally against COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates Monday inside the state capitol.

The rally was held on the same day the legislature began its special session on redistricting. Their rhetoric included misleading or false claims about the vaccines and the efficacy of masks, as well as repeated comparisons of the present-day United States to the political climate in Germany before the Nazis took control.

Former ophthalmologist and aggressive anti-vaxxer Jim Meehan was among the events headline speakers. He touted the efficacy of ivermectin in preventing and treating COVID-19, which there is insufficient evidence for, and decried masks as useless, though they have been proven to slow the spread of the disease.

"Listen, ladies and gentlemen, we've got to rise against this medical tyranny. It's gone on too long," Meehan told the crowd on the second floor of the rotunda.

Other speakers framed the fight against vaccine and mask requirements as a Christian battle between good and evil, and the crowd was repeatedly urged to fight mandates. Six teachers fired from Oklahoma City Public Schools for not following a mask requirement made an appearance, as did Oklahoma Secretary of Education Ryan Walters, who is running for state superintendent.

"I'm a teacher, I'm the secretary of education, more importantly than any of that, I'm a parent. Love seeing all the kids here today. By the way, you know what? Your mom and dad are here today because they care about you and your future," Walters said.

Several Republican state lawmakers also spoke, including Broken Arrow Sen. Nathan Dahm, Yukon Sen. Jake Merrick, McCurtain Sen. Warren Hamilton, Tulsa Sen. Joe Newhouse and Shawnee Sen. Shane Jett.

"The federal government, in collusion with corporations and an international cabal, want to control the American people. You do not have to fear a free people who are armed to the teeth if you reflect their will," Jett said.

Attorney General John OConnor was on the schedule but was not seen during a broadcast carried on The Highwire, a website prominent anti-vaxxer Del Matthew Bigtree has used to spread COVID conspiracy theories and urge people not to follow health professionals' advice.

Rallygoers were encouraged to go meet with their state lawmakers afterward.

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Republican state officials and conspiracy theorists share the stage at capitol rally against COVID vaccine and mask mandates - Public Radio Tulsa

CARMEL Assemblyman Kevin Byrne (R, C Mahopac) has announced thathe will not run for another term in Albany, but will instead seek to become the next Putnam County executive.

Current Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell is not eligible to run again in 2022, due to term limits. Byrne announced his campaign intentions in a letter sent to Republican and Conservative county committee members.

Byrne, recognized as one of the most conservativemembers of the state legislature, has received high marks from both the State Republican and Conservative Committees.

His Assembly district includes the Putnam County towns of Patterson, Southeast, Mahopac, and Putnam Valley.

Ourcountyneeds leaders who are unafraid to stand up andmake governmentwork better for taxpayers,his letter said. As county executive, Ill work to make Putnam our states most welcoming county for new business and job creation; to lift property-tax burdens and innovate to make services more efficient and cost-effective.

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Conservative Republican to run for county executive - Mid Hudson News Website

Can white voters who back a Black candidate still hold racist beliefs and views?

That question has come to the fore in the wake of Glenn Youngkins gubernatorial victory in the blueish state of Virginia. Conservatives were quick to counter claims that Youngkins win represented the effectiveness of stoking racial fears with results from Virginias down-ballot election for lieutenant governor a contest where the Republican candidate, Winsome Sears, made history by becoming the first Black woman elected to statewide office in Virginia. The Wall Street Journals editorial board, for example, emphatically mocked the notion that voters called white supremacists elected a Black Lt. Gov. Conservative commentators on Fox News and Twitter, including Sears herself, also used the historic victory as an ostensible shield against accusations of Republican racism.

But supporting a Black candidate hardly precludes voters from harboring racist beliefs and motivations. Republicans are increasingly more likely than Democrats to hold prejudiced views of minorities, so Black Republicans like Sears often draw especially strong support from white Americans with otherwise anti-Black views simply because they draw most of their support from Republican voters.

A clear example of this was in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, when Ben Carson made a bid to become the GOPs first African American presidential nominee. Support for Carson was positively correlated with the belief that Black Americans have too much influence on U.S. politics, according to data from Washington University in St. Louiss American Panel Survey (TAPS) in late 2015:

Whites who thought African Americans had far too little influence disliked Carson and preferred Hillary Clinton by 60 percentage points in a hypothetical general election matchup. Meanwhile, Carson was very popular among whites who were most concerned about African Americans having too much influence in politics. So much so that whites who thought African Americans have far too much influence preferred Carson to Clinton by 45 points.

Again, much of that relationship is down to partisanship Republicans are more likely to hold prejudiced views and also more likely to support a Republican candidate. But thats the point: For many white GOP voters, anti-Black views dont seem to get in the way of supporting a Black Republican.

You can see a similar pattern in the January 2016 American National Election Studies Pilot Study. Carson received more favorable evaluations among the sizable minority (40 percent) of overtly prejudiced whites who agreed with the racist stereotype that most African Americans are more violent than most whites. This group rated Carson significantly more favorably on a 0-100 scale than the white moderate Republican presidential candidate, Jeb Bush (52 to 39, respectively). Then-candidate Donald Trump was the only politician in the survey who was rated higher than Carson among overtly prejudiced whites.

The contrast between how prejudiced whites rated Carson and Obama is rather revealing, as well. The sharp negative relationship between support for Obama and the endorsement of anti-Black stereotypes is consistent with several studies showing that prejudice was an unusually strong predictor of opposition to Obama from the 2008 election through the end of his presidency. These patterns also fit well with other political science research showing that racially prejudiced whites tend to be more opposed to Black Democrats than to white Democrats.

To make sense of why racially prejudiced white Americans are willing to support some Black candidates, it is worth considering why they so strongly oppose Black Democrats in the first place. Given the racialized nature of the two-party system in the United States, most Black political candidates are Democrats who embrace liberal positions on issues of race and justice. When asked whether they would support such a candidate, research shows that racially prejudiced white voters worry that these candidates will represent the interests of Black Americans, both because of a shared African American identity and because Democrats are perceived as the party more supportive of Black interests. So, it makes sense that racially resentful white Americans oppose candidates like Obama, as his racial identity and partisanship signaled to voters that he was more supportive of Black interests than prior presidents.

Put another way: Racially prejudiced white voters are not opposed to Black candidates simply because they are Black, but because they believe that most Black candidates will fight for those people and not people like us.

Black Republicans, on the other hand, are perceived differently by racially prejudiced white Americans. Their embrace of the Republican Party and its conservative ideology help assure racially prejudiced whites that, unlike Black Democrats, they are not in the business of carrying water for their own racial group. Instead, they are viewed as distinct from other Black elites. If Blackness is viewed as intertwined with a kind of racial liberalism that is antagonistic to the interests of white Americans, Black Republicans partisan and ideological commitments allay concerns that they are for them, not us.

This argument is buttressed by more recent scholarship in political science, which has found that Black candidates who embrace a bootstrap ideology an ideology that focuses on individual versus structural explanations of inequality are more positively evaluated by racially prejudiced whites relative to their white competitors. Explaining this finding, the authors note that racially prejudiced white voters might find black Republicans delivering an individualism message more favorable than they might find other candidates delivering a similar message precisely because the aesthetic character and the partisan affiliation of the messenger contradict racial and political expectations. LaFleur Stephens-Dougan, a professor of political science at Princeton University, similarly shows in her book Race to the Bottom that racially resentful whites respond well to Black candidates who take stances against the expected positions of their racial group a phenomenon she calls racial distancing.

Finally, voting for Black Republicans may also be especially appealing to racially prejudiced whites because it assuages concerns of being seen as racist by enabling them to say, in essence, I cant be racist! I voted for a Black candidate! Psychologists call this moral credentialing, and theres even some evidence that voters who expressed support for Obama shortly after the 2008 election felt more justified in favoring white Americans over Black Americans. Electing a Black Republican like Sears, who railed against critical race theory during the run-up to the election and supports voting restrictions that adversely affect racial minorities, is similarly used as a symbolic shield by the entire party from inevitable charges of championing racist policies. As we mentioned earlier, conservative media outlets and politicians are already weaponizing her victory against anyone who would dare suggest so.

But, of course, the role race and racism play in American politics is much more nuanced than those simplistic defenses suggest. When racially prejudiced whites oppose Black candidates, its not just because of the candidates skin color. Its also because they perceive (sometimes wrongly) that Black candidates, especially Black Democrats, have ideological commitments that are at odds with the interests of white Americans. Likewise, when racially prejudiced whites support Black Republicans, its hardly the case that theyve become progressive on race. Racially prejudiced whites did not vote for Sears because they appreciated her attachment and commitment to Black people. They were willing to support her because they discounted it.

Race, after all, is a social construct. It has meaning because we imbue it with meaning. Racially prejudiced whites are not hostile to Blackness, per se. They are hostile to a particular manifestation of Blackness one that reflects a commitment to racial justice and the advancement of the groups collective goals. Racially prejudiced whites are not bothered much by a manifestation of Blackness that is ideologically consistent with their own identities and attitudes. Why would they be? Searss conservative politics dont threaten the racial hierarchy, and her candidacy provides cover for a party thats often antagonistic to racial minorities. For racially prejudiced whites, the real question is what is there not to love about Black politicians like Sears?

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Why White Voters With Racist Views Often Still Support Black Republicans - FiveThirtyEight

A high-profile group of Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and several with Utah ties, gathered with the nations largest conservative LGBTQ organization in Florida this past weekend.

Log Cabin Republicans held its annual Spirit of Lincoln Gala at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where it honored former first lady Melania Trump, Utah Rep. Chris Stewart, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Richard Grenell, the first openly gay Cabinet official who served as acting director of national intelligence in the Trump administration.

Robert OBrien, Trumps national security adviser during his last year in office, introduced Stewart at the awards ceremony.

It wasnt long ago that such a collection of Republican politicians wouldnt be sitting in a room with the gay community.

Grenell, who was working on the Bush-Quayle reelection campaign in 1992, recalled hearing Pat Buchanan outline a strategy where gay people were not welcome in the GOP at the Republican National Convention.

Now, 29 years later, we were at an event where the former president of the United States and first lady are welcoming us, and hosting 600 influential gays, lesbians and their straight allies, Grenell, who also served as U.S. ambassador to Germany, told Fox News. It is phenomenal for me to look back and see this and to champion an organization like Log Cabin.

At the gala, McDaniel announced the RNC Pride Coalition, an effort with Log Cabin Republicans to mobilize LGBTQ communities ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. She called the group a partner to fight for our countrys future, according to Fox News.

Conservatives in Log Cabin dont just share our vision for a free, secure and prosperous America they enrich it by adding unique perspectives to our party and recruiting even more diverse candidates and supporters to join our cause, McDaniel said.

Trump portrayed himself as friendly to gay rights in his 2016 presidential campaign but that seemed to lose emphasis during his administration.

Nearly 9 million LGBTQ adults were registered and eligible to vote in the 2020 general election. Half of registered LGBTQ voters were Democrats, 15% Republicans, 22% independents and 13% identified with another party or didnt know which party they most identify with, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA.

Log Cabin Republicans president Charles Moran told Fox News, When LGBT conservatives are included in Republican campaigns, we win.

Its absolutely critical for the Republican Party to be making the case that our policies lift and protect all, said Greg Smith, a former White House deputy political director and BYU graduate who OBrien recently hired as vice president of his consulting firm.

Stewart had little interaction with Log Cabin Republicans prior to the group recognizing him over the weekend for the Fairness for All Act he is proposing.

He reintroduced the legislation earlier this year aiming to balance nondiscrimination protections for gay and transgender Americans with protections for people of faith. The bill has 20 GOP House co-sponsors, and Stewart said hes trying to find Democrats in the House and Senate to support the measure. It faces a long road given House Democrats passed the Equality Act earlier this year.

Meeting with Log Cabin leaders was a first for Stewart. While the GOP has focused on attracting Latinos and working class whites, he said LGBTQ voters are part of that effort as well.

I think the Republican Party has been viewed as being somewhat hostile to some LGBTQ groups, and I think thats unnecessary. Theres just been a general softening on some of these things over the last 10 years, certainly since Prop 8 in California, he said.

Republican leaders, Stewart said, dont really care about a persons sexual orientation, skin color or ethnicity.

What we care about is do we share the same values. Do we share the same goals? Will you work with us? Can we work with you? he said.

Stewart described the Log Cabin Republicans at the event as a very enthusiastic group of people.

There was nothing said there that I disagreed with. We didnt talk about LGBTQ rights so much as we talked about how do we protect America, how do we make America stronger, he said. It was a very natural fit.

It might also be interesting to note Stewart, OBrien, who has been mentioned as a dark horse 2024 presidential candidate, and McDaniel, the niece of Utah GOP Sen. Mitt Romney, are all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church has taken criticism over the years for its stance on some LGBTQ issues such as same-sex marriage.

Stewart said he and OBrien talked about the fact that Latter-day Saints were part of the Log Cabin event. He said OBrien told him he was surprised that two or three Latter-day Saints were hosted at the event. But, Stewart said, he noted that they were graciously received.

Neither one of us talked about it before, Stewart said. It was more an observation after the fact that, hey, here are three LDS people and we felt very welcome.

At the gala, Stewart shared a table with Trump. He said they talked about golf, baseball and other things, though he declined to offer specifics, saying only they had some substantial conversations.

Stewart didnt come away with any inside knowledge of whether Trump, who he described as full of energy, would run for president in 2024.

I honestly dont think hes decided, Stewart said. I think hes waiting to see.

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Will more LGBTQ Americans join the Republican Party? GOP holds gala - Deseret News

He was able to impose his will on legislation, said Joe Vitale, a Democratic state senator. He was a force of nature. So it will be a loss for those of us who respect him and support him.

Mr. Sweeney was closely allied with George E. Norcross, an insurance executive and powerful power broker whose stranglehold on southern New Jersey politics lead many to see him as a shadow governor. The two remained close during both Mr. Murphys administration and former Gov. Chris Christies eight years. Without Mr. Sweeney at the helm of the Senate, and with other Democratic losses in the southern part of the state, Mr. Norcross may no longer possess the ironclad control to shape state policy, though he still counts numerous legislators as allies.

In an interview, Mr. Norcross described Mr. Sweeney as the Lyndon Johnson of the State Legislature who brought order to the chaos. He said the sudden swelling of Republican turnout and independents anger happened with such warp speed, that there was nothing that could have been anticipated or done, because its not like we didnt have the money available to do it.

He added that the Democratic Party will need to change, both in the state and around the country, to win back voters.

The Democratic Party is going to have to, and candidates for office are going to have to, redefine themselves as fiscally responsible legislators and ones that are going to spend government money wisely and not recklessly as is portrayed, Mr. Norcross said. They cant be defined as wanting to defund police or socialist.

Mr. Sweeneys loss sets up a wide open race for his successor. Nicholas Scutari, a Democratic state senator from northern New Jersey, is seen as a possible candidate to replace Mr. Sweeney in the senate leadership. Troy Singleton, a Democratic state senator from southern New Jersey, also has been mentioned as a possible replacement, among many other candidates.

Ed Dobzanski, 56, a union truck driver from Gibbstown, N.J., said he voted for Mr. Sweeney because of the Senate presidents long support for trade unions, but he thought his rivals victory reflects a public desire for change.

I think this is a backlash of the same people being in the same positions a long time, he said. People just wanted change, they are tired of career politicians.

Jon Hurdle contributed reporting from West Deptford Township, N.J.

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Republican Truck Driver Beats Sweeney in N.J. Election - The New York Times

A man walks past a free flu shot advertisement outside of a drugstore in New York on August 19, 2020.Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images

Recent polls show a 25 percentage-point gap between Republicans and Democrats who've gotten or will get a flu shot.

This is remarkably similar to the approximately 30 percentage-point partisan gap on COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was little to no partisan gap on influenza vaccine uptake.

Recent polls show Republicans are now much less likely to get a flu shot than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating that the politicization of the coronavirus vaccines is bleeding over into the flu immunization.

In the years prior to the global pandemic, Republicans and Democrats were similarly likely to get an annual influenza shot, CNN recently pointed out. In a February 2020 AP-NORC poll, 58% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans said they'd gotten a flu shot in the past year.

This year, between 65 and 68% of Democrats say they have gotten or will almost certainly get a flu shot, while between 40 and 44% of Republicans said they have or will get vaccinated against the flu, recent polls show. A UC San Diego study published last spring found that Republicans had become less likely to say they'd get a flu shot during the pandemic.

This gap is reflective of the approximately 30 percentage-point gap between Democrats and Republicans who've received a COVID-19 jab. While between 90 and 95% of Democrats 18 and older have gotten a coronavirus vaccine, just about 65% of adult Republicans have done the same.

The coronavirus vaccines, vaccine mandates, and other public health efforts related to the pandemic, including mask-wearing and lockdowns, have been heavily politicized over the last nearly two years. Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to oppose these mitigation efforts. Many Republican lawmakers and politicians have aggressively opposed COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements, a position some experts fear will aggravate hesitancy and opposition to other vaccines as well.

Story continues

This partisan gap in vaccine uptake is one reason why there's a significantly higher COVID-19 death rate in counties that voted for former President Donald Trump and those that President Joe Biden won in 2020. Those who've received a COVID-19 vaccine are much more likely to have gotten or say they will get a flu shot than those who've failed to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

This comes as public health officials have ramped up their efforts to promote the influenza vaccine. Last year, medical experts warned of a "twindemic" of both rising COVID-19 cases and a flu epidemic that could overwhelm hospitals already stretched to the brink with coronavirus patients, prior to the release of the COVID-19 vaccines. The 2020-2021 flu season was ultimately very mild, likely because many Americans stayed home, distanced from others, and wore masks to protect against the coronavirus. But with many COVID-19 mitigation efforts loosened this year, it's likely cases of the flu will be higher.

Some private entities have also stepped up their efforts to fight the flu as the season. Some universities have mandated that students and staff get the flu shot this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone in the US six months and older get a flu shot. Medical experts warn that contracting the flu could make people more vulnerable to COVID-19 and that catching both viruses simultaneously could dramatically increase the risk of severe illness or death.

"The Covid-19 pandemic is not over, and the risk of both flu and Covid-19 circulating could put additional strain on hospitals and frontline health care professionals," CDC head Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in October.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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The gap between Republicans and Democrats on flu shots is 20 percentage-points bigger than it was pre-pandemic - Yahoo News

Just outside of Shawano, a billboard advertises the COVID-19 vaccine.

"I got the vaccine so I can protect myself and all the people I care about," it reads, alongside a photo of state Assembly Rep. Gary Tauchen, of Hartland.

Tauchen is a Republican, and his district is a conservative area. And like other rural parts of the state, uptake of the vaccine has been slow. Only 42 percent of Shawano County residents are fully vaccinated, according to state data, making it the county with the fifth-lowest vaccination rate in Wisconsin.

Tauchen, who is part of a coalition of leaders called the Community Health Action Team that is behind the new public messaging campaign, wants to see that change.

"I'm a farm boy by trade," Tauchen said. "We don't vaccinate part of our herd, we vaccinate the whole herd. And I think it's important to get as many people vaccinated as you can."

Tauchen is one of a relatively small number of elected Republican leaders in Wisconsin who've been willing to be a part of campaigns to publicly encourage vaccinations. GOP leaders like U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson have spent months promoting false or misleading information about the vaccine. In August, state Senate Majority Leader Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, encouraged hospital workers to defy their employers' vaccine mandates.

Public health leaders say the politicization of the vaccine campaign has had deadly results.

Consistently for the last year Republicans have been more likely than Democrats or independents to tell opinion surveys they are skeptical of the vaccine. A study published in April found that unlike other groups, self-identified Republicans became more skeptical of the vaccine over time.

By October, the death rate from COVID-19 in rural areas was double what it was in urban regions of the Unites States, according to an analysis from the University of Iowa College of Public Health. Relatively low vaccination rates in rural areas were at least part of the explanation, according to the report. In Wisconsin, the latest data show that in September unvaccinated people were five times more likely than fully vaccinated people to be infected with COVID-19, nine times more likely to be hospitalized and 19 times more likely to die.

That's why the Community Health Action Team, which is organized by the health system ThedaCare, launched the new campaign using grant money from the state Department of Health Services. In addition to the billboards, it includes a series of radio ads in which a Shawano parent and a school board member urge vaccinations as a way to keep schools open; and a doctor describes overloaded conditions at the local hospital.

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"So, when will this pandemic end?" the ads say. "It'll end when those who are able to get vaccinated, are vaccinated."

Public health campaigns promoting the COVID-19 vaccine have been going on for months. DHS paid for billboard campaigns across the state that featured local health providers doctors and nurses who might be recognizable, trusted sources of information to people in their communities. Like most of the country, Wisconsin saw a spike in vaccinations when they became widely available in the spring, followed by a precipitous decline in June. In early November, the state was averaging about 3,600 new vaccinations per day.

Julie Chikowski, vice president of ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano,acknowledged persuasion happens slowly, and any gains from the new campaign in the Shawano area are likely to be incremental. But she said the group also made efforts to tailor their messages to that specific community.

"We tried to make it more about keeping the schools open, keeping the businesses open," Chikowski said. "We're not saying, 'You need to go get a vaccination,' because that's a huge turn-off for the community ... (People) want to understand: What's in it for Shawano?"

Chikowski said shehopes those messages and the messengers they've chosen can break through the politicized nature of the vaccine debate, at least for some people.

"The goal is to try to open minds, get the politics out of the vaccination process, and have people really look at the science," she said.

Tauchen, who was first elected in 2006, announced in January he would not seek reelection next year. He acknowledged his decision to retire also gives him political freedom to speak in favor of the vaccine without worrying about a backlash from vaccine-skeptical members of the Republican base.

"This is my last term, so I'm not really worried about getting elected again," he said. "I think it's the right thing to do."

Chikowski said she knows a lot of people are tired of thinking about the pandemic. But with cases and hospitalizations once again rising in Wisconsin, that's not a luxury health officials have.

"Is there fatigue? Absolutely, there's fatigue," she said. "But people are still dying, so we don't get to be tired. We get to try to find a new way to have a new message that somehow reaches people that says: Get a vaccination, please."

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Republican lawmaker's pro-vaccine messages are part of an effort to 'get the politics out of the vaccination process' - Wisconsin Public Radio News

The Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger said on Sunday he would fight the cancer of Trumpism outside the congressional GOP, after he retires from the House next year.

In the House you can fight to try to tell the truth, the Illinois representative said, speaking to ABCs This Week. You can fight against the cancer in the Republican party of lies, of conspiracy, of dishonesty.

And you ultimately come to the realisation that basically itd be Liz Cheney and a few others that are telling the truth and there are about 190 people in the Republican party that arent going to say a word, and theres a leader of the Republican caucus [Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader] that is embracing Donald Trump with all he can.

Asked if he had handed Trump a win by quitting, he said he potentially had but added: Its not really handing a win as much to Donald Trump as it is to the cancerous kind of lie and conspiracy, not just wing anymore, but mainstream argument of the Republican party.

Kinzinger and Cheney were among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting supporters to attack the Capitol on 6 January, in an attempt to overturn the election.

That made Trumps second impeachment the most bipartisan ever. Seven Republican senators voted to convict, not enough for a required super-majority, ensuring Trumps acquittal.

Another House Republican who voted for impeachment, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, has announced his retirement. Trump greeted Kinzingers announcement by saying: Two down, eight to go. Others including Cheney have attracted challengers.

Kinzinger and Cheney are the only Republican members of the House select committee investigating 6 January. McCarthy withdrew co-operation when the speaker, Nancy Pelosi, rejected an attempt to put Trump allies on the panel.

Kinzinger told ABC Trumps lawsuit to stop the committee accessing presidential records held in the National Archives was an attempt to drag proceedings out long enough for Republicans to retake the House next year and thereby kill the investigation.

Look, they killed an independent commission, he said. Theyve killed any attempt to get to the truth. [But] we have sources beyond just those that are kind of making the news, the Steve Bannons, you know, the Archives. We have people coming in and talking to the committee every day.

I think if you look at that archive request and what the former president is trying to block, it is very telling when you look at things like call logs, etc We are going to fight as hard as we can to get that, and the president has no grounds to claim executive privilege as he is today.

Trump supporters, dominant in a GOP fully under the former presidents control, greeted Kinzingers retirement announcement with glee and abuse despite the fact that as a strong conservative, he mostly voted with Trump during Trumps time in office.

Kinzinger told ABC he intended to stay in politics.

The point is theres a lot of people that feel politically homeless, theres a lot of people that feel like something has to change in our politics, and I think its important to jump in with both feet and see where that goes. See if theres that market out there because whats happening, were failing the American people right now.

The political system is failing. And the Republicans in particular.

Kinzinger admitted that redistricting by Illinois Democrats that would affect his chances of re-election was part of his decision, saying: Im not complaining, its redistricting, I get it, its being done and abused everywhere. But when Democrats do say they want Republican partners to tell the truth, and then they specifically target me, it makes me wonder.

But he said a stronger push to retire had come from the direction of his party under Trump.

Its sitting back and saying, OK, what happens if I win again? I go back, probably Republicans will probably be in the majority. Im going to be fighting even harder and I havent seen any momentum in the party to move away from lies and towards truth.

See the rest here:

Republican Adam Kinzinger: Ill fight Trumpism cancer outside Congress - The Guardian