Democrat Aaron Matson shares vision for SD District 11 - KELOLAND.com

NORFOLK, Va. — Federal authorities on Thursday charged a prominent Virginia Democrat with racketeering and a money laundering conspiracy as part of an alleged public corruption case involving a cannabis business she co-owns. Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump who is one of the most powerful Democrats in the state, surrendered to authorities Thursday. She was also charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana. A half-dozen other people, including Lucas’ daughters, were also in custody and charged in the alleged scheme. The investigation into the 82-year-old Lucas predates the Trump administration, NBC News previously reported. But the Justice Department’s move, just 12 days before a midterm election, is unusual, as federal authorities have typically avoided taking overt investigative steps against political figures so close to an election. Lucas is not up for re-election this year but has ties to prominent Democrats who are on the ballot. Lucas said in a statement on social media that she will not be intimidated or back down.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has denounced a controversial ad featuring the estranged mother of Dr. Amy Acton, taking sides with the Democratic candidate for governor and former member of his Cabinet over her Republican rival, Vivek Ramaswamy. At a gathering with reporters at the Statehouse in Columbus, DeWine called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling.”“It’s wrong to run this ad,” he said. “I would urge Ramaswamy’s campaign to take this down.”DeWine’s remarks place him at odds with Ramaswamy, whom he has endorsed. The biotech entrepreneur and 2024 presidential candidate has taken responsibility for the 60-second video, which has drawn bipartisan rebukes, and is spending $4 million to broadcast it online and on TV. Vice President JD Vance defended an ad Wednesday which spotlights the abuse Acton experienced as a child. During a campaign visit to Ohio, Vance told reporters he was “disgusted” by fellow Republicans who were pushing back against the ad, then later drew cheers at a political rally when he defended Ramaswamy. Get Starting PointA guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins distanced herself from a new ad attacking Democratic opponent Troy Jackson as a “freak” and a “creep” because “he has two kids with his cousin,” saying Wednesday that it should be taken down. The spot, airing on Maine radio in the form of a country song, is from the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Senate Republicans. Among the lyrics in the jingle: “If he’ll screw his own family, he’ll screw yours too.”Collins told reporters during a campaign appearance in Lewiston that she “had nothing to do with that ad.” She added that federal law bans her from coordinating with the super PAC, but she has publicly called for it to be removed. Previously, in a Politico story in September, Collins referenced Jackson’s relationship with a second cousin. “I’m not going to bring up the fact that the mother of his two children is his second cousin,” Collins said. “I don’t know whether people know that or not.”Get Starting PointA guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.

Support WBUR03:19Eric Stone, Alaska Public MediaOctober 21, 2026Alaska has been a reliably red state but a Democrat has a chance of becoming governor. Eric Stone with Alaska Public Media reports. This segment aired on October 21, 2026. Support WBURSupport WBURListen Live

One of the most competitive races in the country is playing out in southwest Washington, where an incumbent Democrat is defending her seat against a Trump-endorsed Republican challenger. “ I've proven over and over that I am loyal to the soil, I am loyal to people, I'm loyal to my community,” said U. S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who is running for re-election in the 3rd Congressional District, during a conversation with “Soundside.” In the interview, which aired Monday, Oct. 19, Gluesenkamp Perez addressed her voting record, progressivism in the Democratic Party, and the ballot initiative to ban trans athletes in girls’ sports.

HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola, the former congresswoman seeking a Senate seat, could cause headaches for party leaders if she joins the upper chamber. She’s so far campaigned as most election experts would expect of a Democrat in a reliably Republican state, bucking her party on positions Alaskans see as too far left and vowing to put her constituents over her party’s brass. A single-term House member, Peltola’s even called for limits to the time lawmakers can serve in Congress, which she said Friday was never meant to be a “lifetime appointment.”Top D. C. Democrats, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have supported her campaign, but they may not be as enthusiastic about her place in the Senate should she make herself comfortable. Peltola's emphasized her willingness to cross the aisle, potentially posing an obstacle for her Democratic colleagues as they prepare to take more forceful action against the GOP. “I’ll stand up to anyone, including people in my own party, who doesn’t understand what Alaska needs,” Peltola wrote in an op-ed earlier this month.