| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | |  Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, on March 28, 2022, in Wilberforce, Ohio, left, and Republican candidate JD Vance on Sept. 17, 2022, in Youngstown, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon) | AP | AP | THE GENTLEMEN FROM OHIO — They really, really don't like each other. Ohio Senate candidates Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Republican J.D. Vance may have called each other "pal," "buddy," and "brother" throughout the course of the debate, but each with a venom reserved for true disgust with another person. (They also called each other "ass kisser" and "suckup" with plenty of sincerity.) Vance, a venture capitalist and author, has no voting record for Ryan to go after, so he made Trump's endorsement of Vance central to his message, for the second debate in a row. Ryan said that Vance, once a prominent Trump critic, was "calling Trump America's Hitler. Then he kissed his ass." Vance zeroed in on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Ryan's record of voting with her much of the time. But Ryan is far from a Pelosi acolyte: He challenged her for House Democratic leader in 2016 . "I stood toe to toe with her," Ryan said. "You keep talking about Nancy Pelosi," Ryan said at one point Monday night. "If you want to run against Nancy Pelosi, move back to San Francisco and run against Nancy Pelosi. You're running against me." On the mind of both men was Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who's retirement opened the seat they are jockeying for. Vance snagged Portman's endorsement, while Ryan boasts the backing of a former chief of staff of the retiring senator. Both brought him up during the debate, but neither brought his mild-mannered energy. Burgess is in Ohio and has more from the debate . IT'S A WEIRD ONE IN UTAH — It's still one of the strangest Senate races this cycle, with incumbent Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) facing a challenge from Evan McMullin, an independent, in deep red Utah. Lee hasn't faced a serious challenge since he was first elected and he won his previous two general-election campaigns by double-digit margins. At the only debate of the campaign on Monday night, Lee tried to draw contrast, or distance between himself and former President Donald Trump, as McMullin tried to paint him as a loyal disciple. McMullin zeroed in on text messages that Lee sent to Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows in the lead up to the Jan. 6 insurrection, which show Lee asking for advice on contributing to efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. Lee ultimately voted to certify the election results and defended the texts as just exploring legal arguments and rumors he was hearing about fake electors. Lee pointed to his votes, breaking with his party, on spending bills. "To suggest that I'm beholden to either party, that I've been a bootlicker for either party is folly. And it's contradicted by the plain facts," Lee said. RELATED: Sen. Mike Lee, Evan McMullin don't hold back in heated Senate debate , from Dennis Romboy at Deseret News; Debate recap: What Evan McMullin and Mike Lee told Utah voters during the 2022 midterm election debate , from Bryan Schott at The Salt Lake Tribune; Utah candidates spar over Trump in a close and unusual Senate race , from Olivia Olander
| | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, October 18, where there are three weeks until Election Day. VOTING FOR VETS? — Voters have nearly 200 chances in the midterms to put a vet in office. There are more military veterans running for Congress in these midterm elections than in any cycle since 2012, but that might not translate into more veterans in office, reports Leo Shane from Military Times . Research conducted by Veterans Campaign and Military Times shows that 183 House candidates with military experience won major party primaries earlier this year and will appear on state ballots in November and 12 more candidates with military experience won U.S. Senate primaries and will also be on the ballot. Right now, 126 are running as Republicans and 66 are running as Democrats. Overall, it's about a seven percent increase from the 2020 election and the most since 2012, but a serious dip since the 9/11 era and the post-Vietnam era when the military shifted to an all-volunteer force. Leo pulled together a handy list of all the vets running for Congress, check it out . ROLL THE UNION ON — Huddle is no labor newsletter (our friends at Weekly Shift have that covered) but there's so much union news on Capitol Hill, it's starting to feel like it. Senate Dining Contract Vote — Senate food service workers, employed by contractor Restaurant Associates, are voting today to ratify their first contract after voting last fall to organize a union and join Unite Here Local 23. The workers, who feed Senators, staff and visitors, have been in a long fight for more affordable health insurance, consistent scheduling and stability after ever-present layoff threats over the last two years. The final tally on the contract will be counted at 4:30 p.m. and a celebration is expected to follow. Come back tomorrow to learn what's in the contract. Levin Staff Clinch Contract — Staffers for Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) have agreed to a tentative union contract, just weeks after voting to form a union. The contract, first reported by Jim Saksa of CQ Roll Call , would provide all members of the bargaining unit with a $10,000 raise and bring the average wage of his junior staff to $76,000. The pay floor that went into effect in the House in September is $45,000. The pay increases will take effect in the October pay period, but collective bargaining continues on non-economic issues. Over at the Capitol Police, the starting pay (without a signing bonus and other recruitment perks) is $74,000. GOING GREENE — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has a warning, or maybe just a prediction, for GOP leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) if he takes the speaker's gavel in the new Congress: "I think that to be the best speaker of the House and to please the base, he's going to give me a lot of power and a lot of leeway. … And if he doesn't, they're going to be very unhappy about it. I think that's the best way to read that. And that's not in any way a threat at all. I just think that's reality." That's from a New York Times Magazine dive on Greene adapted from Robert Draper's book, Weapons of Mass Delusion: When the Republican Party Lost Its Mind," which is out today. YOUNG STAFF BACK PELTOLA — "A group of 18 [Don] Young associates – most of them former Young staffers, lobbyists or both – announced they're holding an online fundraiser for Peltola. The hosts include former Young chiefs of staff Colin Chapman, Pamela Day, Jack Ferguson and C.J. Zane. The fundraiser invitation says they're celebrating her "commitment to bipartisanship and Congressman Don Young's legacy," reports Liz Ruskin at Alaska Public Media . HE LIKES LEE FOR LEE — So that third person op-ed for Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)? It turns out it was written and submitted by the congressman's campaign staff, which the online edition failed to note. (Your Huddle host regrets not being a home delivery subscriber of The Salt Lake Tribune.) The updated byline on the piece now reads "Campaign for Mike Lee." Nancy has more over on Congress Minutes . GALLAGHER'S VISION FOR AN ANTI-NAVY — Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) speaks today at the Heritage Foundation release of their 2023 Index of Military Strength, which will downgrade the overall rating of the U.S. military. But Gallagher is expected to offer more optimism than the event's namesake report, with a pitch for increasing topline military funding along with restructuring Defense priorities to counter China. "We must not gamble the fate of the Free World on Xi's restraint nor on our own Utopian delusions that somehow we've evolved beyond wars of territorial expansion. We must put American hard power in Xi's path before it's too late," Gallagher is expected to say, according to prepared remarks obtained by POLITICO. He wants the U.S. to build an anti-Navy. "By anti-navy, I mean asymmetric forces and weapons designed to target the Chinese Navy, deny control of the seas surrounding Taiwan, and prevent PLA amphibious forces from gaining a lodgment on the island." Shifting resources: Gallagher envisions paying for the anti-Navy investments with reductions across the civilian workforce at the Defense Department, the overall number of flag and general officers, "and the fast-growing DEI bureaucracy." "We can recycle valuable assets that contribute nothing to warfighting such as golf courses," Gallagher will pitch.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today . | | | | | | | | Matchmaker for a day… Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) brought some candid thoughts to his podcast taping with Matchmaker Maria on Monday and doled out advice to single women looking for love. His deal breaker back when he was dating? Someone who checks luggage. Carry-on or bust. Dating in D.C.? He described our fair city as "a shitty place to date," based on what he's heard from his staffers. "The city attracts the uncommitted," he told a woman who's tired of flakey dudes in The District. Where to meet interesting, eligible guys? He told a listener from Colorado to try door knocking for Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). "We've had a lot of love found on our campaign trail among our volunteers," he said. He also talked about his own love story, including being a self-described "delinquent bachelor" during his early days in Congress before being set up with his now-wife. (He admitted to asking a "more savvy, younger staffer" to scope his wife out on Instagram before their first date.) QUICK LINKS Future Democratic stars at risk of getting wiped out in the midterms , from Elana Schneider Democrats sweat House race in deep-blue Rhode Island , from Lisa Kashinsky Dem candidates swamp GOP in House fundraising , from Ally Mutnick, Jessica Piper and Allan James Vestal One Group Is 'Fundamental' to Saving This Endangered House Democrat , from Jake Lahut at The Daily Beast TRANSITIONS Adam Farris has been promoted to be deputy chief of staff for Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.). He most recently was deputy legislative director and senior policy adviser for Scott. Senate Finance promotions: Tiffany Smith, the Democrats' chief tax counsel on the committee for six years, will now serve as general counsel. Bobby Andres, formerly a senior policy advisor, will now lead the Finance panel's tax team as chief tax advisor. And Ashley Schapitl, the chief communications advisor to Wyden, is now senior policy advisor, while Chris Arneson will be chief budget and economic advisor. Christopher Krepich is now working for House Energy and Commerce Republicans as press secretary. He previously served as communications director for Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), former Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.), and the GOP Doctors Caucus. He was most recently with Nahigian Strategies. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 9 a.m. for a pro forma session. The Senate convenes at 11:30 a.m. for a pro forma session. AROUND THE HILL 2 p.m. The Senate Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights holds a hearing on "the office of legal counsel's role in shaping executive privilege doctrine," with testimony from Christopher Schroeder, Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel. (Dirksen 226)
| | | MONDAY'S WINNER: Michael Ryan (yes, he won two days in a row and yesterday was the sole correct respondent). To date, 400 women have been elected or appointed to Congress. TODAY'S QUESTION from Michael: Who was the first father and son team in the U.S. Senate? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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