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| Axios Sneak Peek |
| By Alayna Treene, Hans Nichols and Zachary Basu · Oct 27, 2022 |
| Welcome back to Sneak. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,022 words ... 4 minutes. |
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| 1 big thing — Scoop: Kerry eyes exit |
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| John Kerry delivers a speech at the Conference of African Ministers on the Environment in Dakar, Senegal, on Sept. 15. Photo: Seyllou/AFP via Getty Images |
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| Special climate envoy John Kerry is actively considering leaving the Biden administration after next month's COP27 summit, soliciting advice from friends and colleagues on how to stay involved in climate efforts from the private sector, Axios' Hans Nichols reports. Why it matters: President Biden has relied on Kerry, a former secretary of state, long-time senator and the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, to corral more multilateral buy-in for emissions cuts and keep climate on the radar despite economic headwinds and the Russia crisis. - He was in the thick of COP26 negotiations in Glasgow last November that produced, for the first time, an explicit pledge to move away from coal and fossil fuel subsidies.
- But with the U.S. and China staring each other down on both trade and security issues, the prospects for further joint action with Beijing on climate have diminished.
- Kerry hasn't made a final decision and could decide to remain in his role. "I can't stress enough: Secretary Kerry has no plans to depart, and his sole focus is COP27, period, and anything else is baseless speculation," said Kerry spokesperson Whitney Smith.
What we're hearing: Kerry is motivated to leave for several reasons. - He doesn't relish being hauled before his former colleagues in a potentially Republican-controlled Senate or House to defend his approach to lowering carbon emissions — including his family's private jet. For government trips, Kerry flies commercial.
- While Kerry enjoys a wealthy lifestyle from his wife's fortune, he is interested in returning to the private sector to increase his own net worth.
- And he's hinted to colleagues that he has achieved all that can be reasonably accomplished in the current political environment — both domestically and internationally.
What we're watching: This year's COP summit runs from Nov. 6-18. Participants will be closely watching the outcome of the midterms on Nov. 8. - Kerry's departure could be part of a broader administration reorganization, which the White House has telegraphed.
The intrigue: In the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress required all presidential envoys to be confirmed by the Senate, meaning that Biden's potential pick could face a bruising battle to get confirmed. - If Biden decides to keep the presidential envoy role, rather than opt for a climate negotiator at the State Department, he will have to decide whether to replace Kerry with a high-profile former politician or a technocrat who might be more easily confirmed.
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| 2. 🗳️ Abrams alarm met with GOP scorn |
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| Photo illustration: Maura Losch/Axios. Photo: Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images |
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| Democrat Stacey Abrams is again raising concerns about voter suppression in Georgia, rejecting claims that record early turnout has undermined her criticism of the state's new Republican-crafted election law, Axios Atlanta's Emma Hurt writes. Why it matters: Abrams, who became a national voting rights advocate after her narrow 2018 defeat, is trailing GOP Gov. Brian Kemp in public polling averages. Her renewed warnings have drawn speculation that she's laying the groundwork to again question the fairness of the election. - Abrams' decision not to formally concede to Kemp in 2018 has provided fodder for Georgia Republicans who stood up to former President Trump in his efforts to overturn the results of the election in 2020.
- But the Democratic nominee rejects comparisons to Trump as a false equivalency, saying she acknowledged Kemp's victory and never sought to overturn the results.
Driving the news: Georgia this week surpassed 1 million early votes cast — about double the total votes reported at the same time in 2018. But "more people in the water does not mean there are fewer sharks," Abrams has argued. - "Don't fall for any politically driven stories of either voter fraud or voter suppression," GOP Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday. "Follow the data."
- Glenna Jackson, an Abrams supporter from Canton, Georgia, told Axios that she believes Abrams was a victim of voter suppression in 2018 — and that if the Democrat loses in 2022, that will again be the case.
Keep reading. |
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| 3. 📺 Oz and Fetterman prep World Series fastballs |
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| Bryce Harper hits a go-ahead 2-run home run in the NLCS to take the Phillies to the World Series. Photo: Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images |
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| Republicans and Democrats battling for Pennsylvania's toss-up Senate seat are preparing their 9th inning pitches to undecided Phillies fans in Game 1 of the World Series tomorrow night, Hans writes. - The Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund and Oz's campaign plan to run ads across Pennsylvania media markets during the World Series. SLF has bought a seven-game package for roughly $700,000.
- The Senate Majority PAC, which is affiliated with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), is going up with an abortion-related ad expected to cost around $100,000 for a single Game 1 spot on Philly's Fox29, according to the Inquirer.
Why it matters: Finding undecided voters this late in the game is always a challenge. But a televised World Series kicking off in a swing state 10 days before Election Day gives both camps a prime — and expensive — opportunity to make their closing arguments. Share this story. |
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| A message from Axios |
| Start a new morning habit |
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| In just 10 minutes, catch up on the important news and interesting stories you won't hear anywhere else with host Niala Boodhoo. Each weekday morning, get the latest in everything from politics to space to race and justice. Listen now for free. |
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| 4. 💸 Charted: Jan. 6 cash surge |
 Data: Federal Election Commission, Axios research; Chart: Tory Lysik/Axios Of the seven members of the Jan. 6 select committee who ran for re-election this cycle, five already raised more money as of Sept. 30 than they did in the last cycle — in some cases by staggering margins, Axios' Andrew Solender writes. Why it matters: The data highlights what will likely be one of the lasting impacts of the panel even after it disbands at the end of the year: significantly enhancing the political star power of some of its members. ⚡ Latest: Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is endorsing and campaigning for Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) in her toss-up race against GOP state Sen. Tom Barrett, deepening a trend of Jan. 6 Republicans backing Democrats over election deniers in key races. Share this graphic. |
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| 5. 🔥 Hot mic: Schumer's optimism |
| Screenshot: Fox News Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was caught on a hot mic speaking candidly about Democrats' midterm chances with President Biden and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul: "It looks like the debate didn't hurt us too much in Pennsylvania as of today, so that's good. We're picking up steam in Nevada. ... The state where ... we're going downhill is Georgia. It's hard to believe that they will go for Herschel Walker." Watch the video. |
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| A message from Axios |
| Start a new morning habit |
| |
| |
| |
| In just 10 minutes, catch up on the important news and interesting stories you won't hear anywhere else with host Niala Boodhoo. Each weekday morning, get the latest in everything from politics to space to race and justice. Listen now for free. |
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| 📬 Thanks for reading this week. This newsletter was edited by Zachary Basu and copy edited by Kathie Bozanich. |
 | | Are you a fan of this email format? It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 300 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications. | | |
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