Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton (D-IL) Sits down with The Center Square's Greg Bishop

(The Center Square) — Competitive races across Iowa are expected to determine partisan control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, where candidates are divided among affordability concerns, farming and tax policies.

Incumbent Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, is facing Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott in one of the tightest congressional elections in the country, according to most forecasters. The Cook Political Report ranks Iowa’s third congressional district as a “toss up,” which means either party has a good chance of winning.

The rising unpopularity of President Donald Trump and the U.S. conflict with Iran has driven Republicans, including Nunn, from associating with the larger party. Nunn broke with the majority of Republicans on Sept. 16 when he voted in favor of a war powers resolution that would limit Trump’s military efforts in Iran.

Additionally, Nunn introduced legislation to ban foreign beef imports into the United States, an idea proposed by Trump.

“Lowering beef prices for Iowa families and supporting our cattle producers should go hand-in-hand,” Nunn said. “If we want more affordable beef for the long term, we need more American beef being raised and produced here at home.”

Trone Garriott has made opposition to the Trump administration’s tariff policies central to her campaign against Nunn. She estimated tariff policies cost Iowa families $600 more per year and erased $2.1 billion in farm income.

“Iowa farmers are getting squeezed from every direction: fertilizer and diesel costs spiking from the Iran war, trade wars compounding the downturn, and monopolies price-gouging,” Trone Garriott wrote on social media.

She proposed increasing the federal minimum wage, expanding the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

“I’m committed to lowering costs in real, meaningful ways,” Trone Garriott’s website reads. “This includes cracking down on corporate price gouging and ending the reckless tariff policy that is raising prices on ordinary families and wreaking havoc on Iowa’s economy.”

Nunn voted for the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which included a slew of tax-cut measures and work requirements for people who receive Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance.

“The largest tax cut in American history means a waitress keeps her tips, a nurse or a cop keeps their overtime, and a senior keeps more of their Social Security. That's real money staying in Iowa,” Nunn wrote on social media.

Trone Garriott slammed Nunn’s vote in favor of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and vowed to reverse cuts made to Medicaid and other welfare programs. She said cuts to the programs have shuttered rural hospitals in Iowa.

“Thousands of my neighbors in rural communities are now having to drive over an hour just to see a doctor,” Trone Garriott said in an interview. “As a hospital chaplain, I know how important it is for my neighbors to get the health care they need.”

Trone Garriott has vowed to pass legislation that would lower taxes for Iowa citizens. She touted her record voting alongside Republicans in the Iowa Senate to cap property tax bills and raise exemptions for seniors, veterans and homeowners.

“In Congress, I’ll vote to lower taxes and I’ll work with anyone to do it,” Trone Garriott said in an advertisement. “I care about lower costs, and definitely lower taxes.”

However, Nunn has attacked her record on tax legislation and accused Trone Garriott of raising taxes during her tenure in the state Senate. He said Trone Garriott voted against legislation to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving SNAP and other welfare program benefits.

Trone Garriott has a significant fundraising lead over Nunn with $5.2 million in contributions compared to the incumbent congressman with $4.8 million. She even has more cash on hand with $3.8 million compared to Nunn’s $3.5 million.

Trone Garriott received $21,637 over the last year from JStreetPAC, a group to support congressional candidates in favor of Israel. She also received $6,000 from the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund and $5,000 from the Communication Workers of America.

Nunn received $81,000 from the American-Israel Public Affairs Committe, $14,000 from the Republican Jewish Coalition PAC and $3,000 from the Morgan Stanley PAC.  

Voters in Iowa must request a mail-in absentee ballot by Oct. 19. Early in-person voting is available from Oct. 14 to Nov. 2. Polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

For more information, visit the Iowa Secretary of State's website at sos.iowa.gov. For results on Election Day, visit thecentersquare.com/iowa.

(The Center Square) — One of the closest U.S. Senate races in the country is in Alaska between candidates who offer key similarities and differences in their tax policies.

Incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, will face off against Democrat Mary Peltola in November with control of Congress on the line. Decision Desk Headquarters gives Peltola a slight edge in polling, with as much as a 52% chance of flipping the critical Senate seat.

Democrats in Congress need to flip four seats in the U.S. Senate to gain control of the upper chamber while holding all of their current seats.

Sullivan is dealing with the added factor of competing against two other Republican candidates, one that shares his name. In Alaska, the top four vote getters in the primary move on to the general election.

Dan J. Sullivan, a former schoolteacher, is in the race against the incumbent Senator and Democratic candidate. Gerald Hiekes, another Republican, joined the race after Democratic candidate David Leslie withdrew.

With three Republicans running, the odds of a split vote appear increasingly likely. When measured on tax policy, though, Peltola and Sullivan share many similarities and a few key differences.

Sullivan touted his vote for the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which expanded the child tax credit, cut rates for middle-income families and increased the standard tax deduction. Sullivan called for Congress to make the tax cuts in the legislation permanent, including work requirements for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

“We prevented the largest tax hike in history–more than $4 trillion–and locked in permanent, lower tax rates,” Sullivan said.

Peltola, on the other hand, has focused her tax reform efforts on supporting annual tax credits for families. She called for eliminating taxes for families earning less than $92,000 and giving tax incentives to companies that provide “fair wages.”

Peltola pushed for a larger expansion of the child tax credit from its current rate of $2,200 per year to $3,600 annually per child under the age of six and $3,000 per child from ages six to 17.

“The expanded child tax policy reduced child poverty by over 40% and was a massive economic aid to many Alaskan families,” Peltola wrote on social media. “That’s why I’m going to fight for its renewal in Congress.”

Sullivan, alongside Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., introduced the Child Care Tax Benefit Outreach and Assistance Act, legislation that would create a position within the IRS to inform families of available child tax credits.

“I hear repeatedly from Alaska parents that the lack of affordable child care is one of their top concerns, and the data backs that up,” Sullivan said. “This legislation will help employers, providers, and other nonprofits better utilize federal tools for employees—specifically the significant expansion of federal incentives in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act for child care facilities and the provisions that expand opportunities and support for working families.”

Peltola and Sullivan have also diverged on tax cuts for corporations. Peltola maintains a policy of allowing Alaskan businesses to receive tax cuts but preventing out-of-state corporations from taking in the same benefits.

She said out-of-state corporations have overharvested Alaska’s critical fish population and need to be regulated.

“Our fight is not against small and mid-size boats that keep communities like Kodiak strong. It’s against the out-of-state corporate greed that leads to wanton waste and damage to our sea floor,” Peltola said in a September debate.

Sullivan called for providing more incentives for the energy industry to extract resources from Alaska through tax legislation. He touted efforts in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to allow for permanent development in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, National Petroleum Reserve Alaska and the Cook Inlet.

“These provisions are focused on creating good-paying jobs, generating billions of dollars in new revenues for the state, and putting Alaskans back in the driver’s seat of our economic future,” Sullivan said.

Additionally, Peltola called for introducing tax credits for renters spending more than 30% of their income on housing and expanding blocks on corporate housing ownership. She said she would support the ROAD to Housing Act, which places restrictions on institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes.

Sullivan voted in favor of the legislation, signaling a key area of agreement between the two candidates. The incumbent senator also proposed middle-income housing tax credits for 50% the cost of a newly built home and 20% the cost of a rehabilitated home.

“Mary Peltola cheered on Democrats’ reckless spending that sent costs soaring. But Senator Dan Sullivan is fighting tirelessly to unleash economic opportunity for families and make housing affordable again,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia.

Pelotla has a significant fundraising lead over Sullivan with more than $18.5 million in contributions. Sullivan follows behind with more than $11.7 million in contributions.

The two candidates diverge with cash on hand, as Peltola holds $4.6 million compared to Sullivan’s $7.2 million.

Peltola received $1.1 million from the Fish Family Freedom Fund, an organization to provide support for Peltola’s campaign and fish farming issues. She also received $10,000 from the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers PAC and $2,000 from Timothy Hannegan, a consultant at Penn Avenue Partners in Bethesda, Md.

Sullivan received $10,000 from the National Rifle Association PAC, $5,000 from the National Beer Wholesalers PAC and $5,000 from the Employees of Palantir PAC.

Election officials will begin mailing absentee ballots to voters on Oct. 9. Early in-person voting is from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day.

Polls are open in Alaska from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, visit the Alaska Division of Elections website, at elections.alaska.gov. For results on Election Day, visit thecentersquare.com/alaska.

(The Center Square) – With early voting in Illinois underway in most jurisdictions, Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton – the Democrat hopeful to replace Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in Congress – sat down with The Center Square to discuss politics, policies and goals for the seat if she wins the race.

Stratton, a former state representative, has served as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s second in command since taking office in 2019. 

Her opponent is Don Tracy, former chair of the state Republican Party and the Illinois Gaming Board under former Gov. Bruce Rauner. 

Stratton promised to counter President Donald Trump's policies if elected, saying voters from all political sides are worried about corruption in the nation’s top office. 

“I'm hearing from not just Democrats, but independents and Republicans that they are very concerned with what's happening,” Stratton said. “I always say this is the most corrupt president that we've had in history. And people are worried about seeing a president who now has made about $2 billion dollars since he's been in office this second term.”

Stratton said she’s also focused on serving all Illinoisans, not just on partisan terms.

As for the filibuster, a procedure that is often used in the Senate to block or delay votes on major legislation by allowing unlimited debate that requires a supermajority vote to conclude, Stratton said she wants to see Democrats eliminate it if they take power in the coming election.

“I think about all of the progress that has been stalled and halted because of the filibuster,” Stratton said. “What about reproductive freedom? And gun violence, you know, like really pushing for a federal assault weapons ban. There's so many issues that we've been able to tackle here in Illinois and get done that has been held up.”

She said while she’s supportive of cutting away at waste and fraud within federal spending, it needs to be done more carefully, again noting the current president and Congress have pushed through less careful measures.

“I've always said, of course, if there are any specific instances of fraud, we certainly should root it out,” Stratton said. “But that's not what's happening here. This is a president that just wants to enrich himself and a Congress that is supporting him and doing that. And that's not what the people of Illinois are looking for.”

Asked her stance on the Democratic Socialist wing of the party, and more radical figures influencing politics today like online socialist commentator Hasan Piker, Stratton said she doesn’t hear Illinoisans worried either way about the progressive wing.

“I certainly don't agree with everything that [Piker] has said and I found some of the things he said quite offensive, but I would disagree with the categorization that a lot of people are talking about it,” Stratton said. “What I hear people talking about is how are you going to make my life more affordable? How are you going to make sure we protect our democracy and our rights?”

In a recent New York Times-Siena poll conducted in battleground states for this November, respondents overwhelmingly said they didn’t know who Piker was, despite him campaigning for candidates in many of the states polled and appearing in attack ads in places like Michigan.

Stratton’s opponent has been critical of her not accepting any debate invitations from various organizations and media outlets, but Stratton has since agreed to appear for a televised debate on Chicago’s WTTW Channel 11 on Oct. 20.

Tracy told The Center Square his Democratic opponent is afraid of engaging with him because it’ll draw attention to her platform of “open borders, open jails and open checkbooks.”

Early voting began Thursday in most jurisdictions, excluding Chicago, which will open early in-person voting Oct. 1.

Greg Bishop contributed to this story

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The crowd at Davis Wade Stadium could see it coming, letting its anticipation be known with a wave of noise starting to build.

Mississippi State wide receiver Anthony Evans III made a cut near the sideline to get inside leverage on Missouri defensive back Chris Graves Jr.

By the time quarterback Kamario Taylor started to float the ball to Evans, it was clear the receiver wasn’t going to have much of a challenge to dive for a 48-yard reception to set up Mississippi State for the go-ahead touchdown in a 31-24 win.

Allowing deep passes has been one of the biggest issue for this Missouri team so far. It brought down an otherwise tough performance from the Tigers on Saturday.

"You can hold them all game, but if you give them two big ones, you know it's the difference," coach Eli Drinkwitz said after the loss.

Two plays after the 24-yard catch from Evans, Taylor sent a rainbow of pass to wide receiver Sanfrisco Magee for a 24-yard touchdown reception. McGee made a cut inside, dodging two defenders to leap up for the catch.

On Mississippi State’s second drive of the game, McGee beat Missouri defensive back Santana Banner in one-on-one coverage to haul in a 43-yard touchdown pass.

Missouri had put together a resilient performance. After going down 14-0, the Tigers scored 17 unanswered points between the second and third quarter. But the repeated explosive passes rendered those efforts meaningless.

Allowing deep passes has been a problem all season for a Tigers' secondary prone to missed assignments, bad reads and other errors. Against Troy, Missouri allowed a touchdown pass of 76 yards on the first drive of the game and another for 77 on the drive immediately before halftime. On the first of those, Drinkwitz attributed it to the free safety on the play having a, "terrible angle."

"It's awful," Drinkwitz said of the play. "Bottom line, that's awful defense."

Without those two deep passes against Troy, Missouri would have had a much more comfortable win against the Sun Belt opponent. 

In its conference opener, the deep passes allowed were even more costly.  Ultimately, even after going down by the touchdown allowed to the Bulldogs on a 24-yard pass, Missouri's offense had two chances to match it. 

On the first, the Tigers made it all the way to a fourth-and-3 just 11 yards out from the end zone, but a pass from quarterback Austin Simmons was batted at the line. 

On the second and final effort, the Tigers received the ball with 47 seconds remaining. A Hail Mary attempt from Simmons fell short.

When it looks back at the tape, Missouri will have much more than just the lapses in deep coverage to fix. But its one of the biggest gaps that the Tigers will need to fill in order to accomplish much in conference play.

The Tigers continue to find success from the pair of Millie Skelton and Evelyn Whiteside in the Husker Invitational. The Tigers again saw a trio of both wins and losses today. 

Skelton and Whiteside controlled the match against the Denver team of Yunfei Cai and Ruby Hansen. The Tigers won 8-2. 

In singles play, Skelton dominated. She beat Kansas' Caroline Manzi while only dropping three games across two sets. She won the first 6-1 and the second 6-2.

Whiteside prevailed in a hard-fought singles match. Playing against Ruby Hansen, she won the first set 7-6, winning 8-6 in tiebreakers. She then put the match to bed, winning 6-4 in another close set. 

The young duo of Leticia Bazan and Alba Salles Canudas lost for a second day in a row, but showed fight in an 8-6 loss against Alina Vysochenko (Wichita State) and Neda Rahimkhani (Nebraska). 

Bazan lost to Minnesota's Massiva Boukirat in singles play, 6-3 (Bazan), 6-4 (Boukirat) and 6-1 (Boukirat).

Salles Canudas lost her singles match to KU's Nahyeong Cho. Salles Canudas won the first set 6-2, then dropped the next set 6-2 before losing the final set 6-4.

Day 3 of the Husker Invitational will start at 9 a.m. Sunday in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Mizzou men's golf finished 14th, second-to-last, in the University of New Mexico's William H. Tucker Invitational on Saturday in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

The Tigers buried themselves into a deep hole with a 10-over par second round, but rebounded to shoot a 1-over 289 in Round 3 on Saturday.

Antoni Hawkins was the best Mizzou individual in the tournament, ending in a tie for 35th at even par.

Trent Mierl had a promising start for MU, sitting at 3-under par after Round 1. However, the junior bogeyed 14 of 36 holes in the final two rounds, placing in a tie for 63rd at 5-over par.

Mizzou has a pair of weeks to regroup, next taking to the tees at The Bryson Invitational on Oct. 12 in Miami.

Mizzou baseball faces Iowa in 18-inning scrimmage

Mizzou baseball began its 2026 fall campaign Saturday, falling 18-7 to Iowa in an 18-inning matchup in Columbia.

The Tigers totaled 10 hits and struck out 28 times against 15 Hawkeye pitchers.

Mizzou trailed 6-3 after nine innings. It was scoreless through six, but then tacked on a run in each of the next three frames.

Breaking the game open in the 14th, the Hawkeyes plated six runs and took a commanding 14-4 lead.

MU will continue its fall exhibition competition against Bradley on Oct. 17 at Taylor Stadium.

Columbia men's soccer secures senior day shutout

Columbia College won at home with a 4-0 win over Maharisi International University on Saturday.

The first three goals of the game were scored within the first half. Pedro Moutinho tallied the first goal first in the 13th minute. Drew Schlimme notched the second in the 23rd minute. Joshua Peterson extended the lead to 3-0 in the 33rd minute.

Following halftime, the Cougars added one more in the 66th minute by Freddie Fenton to seal the victory.

Columbia's goalkeepers Mason Beck and Caden Hof combined their stellar work at the net for a clean sheet. Meanwhile, the Cougars offense outshot the Pioneers 17-10, maintaining the ball on Maharisi's side of the field majority of the time.

After a short break, Columbia will face Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 6 before beginning American Midwest Conference play Oct. 10 against Central Baptist College.

Stephens volleyball sweeps Baptist Central

Stephens volleyball defeated Baptist Central in three sets 25-14, 25-22, 25-14 on Saturday afternoon.

Junior outside hitter Jocelyn Rios led the match with 11 kills. Freshman defensive specialist Audrey Dinwiddie recorded 37 assists during the three sets.

The Stars ended the match with 43 kills, 39 assists and nine service aces.

Stephens volleyball will play a double header against Columbia College at 3 p.m. and Crowleys Ridge College 6 p.m. on Oct. 3 at the Carter Activities Center in Paragould, Arizona.

Columbia volleyball takes one win in two matches

Columbia College volleyball lost to McPherson College on Saturday morning in four sets before turning around and sweeping Haskell Indian Nations University.

Columbia started strong winning the first set 25-19 before McPherson college took the match's momentum and won the next three sets 25-23, 25-16 and 25-17.

Junior outside hitter Isabella Kinciad, sophomore middle hitter Kenedi Canty, and freshman middle hitter Alayna Backes all ended the match with nine kills.

Junior setter Hannah Vogt recorded seven out of the team's 10 aces throughout the match. Vogt also recorded 24 assists during the match.

After the loss, Columbia quickly turned things around and defeated Haskell Indian Nations University in three sets 25-18, 25-15, 25-16.

Senior outside hitter Viola Giangreco led the match in kills, with 10. She recorded one attack error and a hitting percentage of .563. Junior setter Alexa Olson led the match in assists with 18.

Columbia out-attacked Haskell 42-23 with the Cougars getting 16 kills in both the first and second set.

Columbia will play a doubleheader in the Hannibal-La Grange University tri-match against Hannibal LeGrange University at 3 p.m. and Evangel University at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Hannibal.

Stephens soccer ties Dakota State

Stephens soccer tied Dakota State 3-3 on Saturday afternoon.

Stephens opened up the match strong when sophomore forward Amaura Austell scored in the 10th minute, her first of the season.

Miscommunication between goalkeeper Petra Brncova and senior midfielder Abi Leake gave Dakota State their first goal. Leake miss-hit a pass and Brncova was unable to chase it down.

The Cybers scored their second goal during the 41st minute. They then scored their third goal in the 54th minute.

Stephens retaliated only three minutes later when Austell scored her second goal, bringing the score to 3-2.

Junior forward Eastin Coyler tied the game for the Stars after she scored in the 85th minute.

Stephens will face Mission at 1 p.m. next Saturday at Battle High School.

(The Center Square) – U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, once again, was the only Democrat on Thursday to vote against a resolution which would limit President Donald Trump’s military actions against Iran.

Fetterman and U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., were among the 50 who voted to reject the effort, while 49 voted in favor.

While a majority of Republicans voted to reject this resolution, four Republicans crossed the aisle to support it. Several votes have been decided by a one-vote margin since the war began, while Reuters notes that it was the 14th time that the Senate has voted on this war powers resolution.

Fetterman didn’t issue a public statement following his vote on Thursday. However, he has been a vocal opponent against the effort from his fellow Democrats since the beginning of the war, despite growing opposition from members of his own party. 

On Feb. 28, Fetterman shared a screenshot of an Axios article titled “Democrats demand war powers vote after U.S. strikes Iran.”

Fetterman’s response to that was “Committed Democrat here. I’m a hard no. My vote is Operation Epic Fury.”

McCormick, a military veteran who served in the 82nd Airborne Division during the Gulf War, also didn’t issue a public statement regarding that vote on Thursday. However, he’s also been a Trump ally during this military operation and defended the president’s actions as recently as Sunday. 

“I've been very supportive of the president's actions to ensure Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon,” McCormick said on Fox News Sunday on Sept. 20. “It was a courageous decision, not an easy decision, but imagine the idea of Iran having a nuclear weapon on his watch, which I believe would have happened had we not intervened.” 

“We've made huge progress on diminishing their military,” he added. “They still have some capability, but it's been significant, and our economic efforts are working.”

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who has led the effort since late February, described the military action against Iran as “illegal” and called on the U.S. Senate to return to session and “vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran.”

The 1973 War Powers Resolution “requires military operations to wind down after 60 days, unless Congress authorizes continued action,” according to Politico. Multiple votes have taken place since the legal deadline has passed. 

While the last several attempts have failed by a one-vote margin, more Republicans running in battleground states have expressed opposition to the war. 

NBC News reports that in recent days, GOP Senate candidates Mike Rogers in Michigan and Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa have called for ending the war after siding with Trump on it for months.

Recent polling also indicates that the war is not popular in Pennsylvania. 

Just 31% of Pennsylvanians either strongly or somewhat approve of Trump’s handling of the war in Iran, while 67% strongly or somewhat disapprove, according to a New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena poll conducted among 615 voters from Sept. 15 to 22. 

The U.S. House has supported the resolution on multiple occasions. On Sept. 15, the chamber voted to pass the resolution, which would restrict Trump’s military actions against Iran. While the vote mostly fell along party lines for Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, GOP U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick joined Democrats in voting in support.

Fetterman, who has been viewed as the deciding vote on multiple occasions for this resolution, has been sharply criticized by his fellow Democrats, including those who have been named as potential primary challengers in 2028. 

U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-17th District, is a Navy veteran and has been outspoken in his criticism of the war since Feb. 28. 

“John Fetterman just cast the deciding vote to keep the Iran War raging,” Deluzio wrote on social media Thursday. “This reckless war has cost American lives, innocent lives, tens of billions of dollars, and higher prices on nearly everything here at home. John and 49 Republican Senators voted in favor of all of that. Change is coming…”

(The Center Square) – A stretch of federal land in southeastern Ohio is about to hold one of the largest data center projects in the world, and the debate surrounding the facility has come to dominate Ohio’s battleground Senate race.

U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, is defending his seat against former Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who represented Ohio in the Senate from 2007 to 2025. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the matchup a toss up, and it has quickly become one of the most watched races of the midterm election season.

Ohio’s Senate seat will be key to determining which party controls the chamber during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term in the White House. With a slim 6-seat voting advantage by Republicans, Brown’s candidacy is central to Democrats’ hopes of flipping the Senate in their favor.

Husted has held the seat since 2025, when Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him to fill Vice President JD Vance’s seat. Brown is chasing a comeback after losing Ohio’s other Senate seat to Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, in 2024.

Data centers have emerged as a defining issue for voters across the country in the 2026 midterm cycle. The debate in Ohio ramped up when OpenAI signed on to a project in Pike County, partnering with S.B. Energy, NVIDIA and the U.S. Department of Energy to build a multibillion-dollar site.

The project could bring 35,000 new jobs to Ohio through 2032 and $120 million in community investment. It will also draw 8 gigawatts of electricity, roughly equivalent to the output of eight large power plants.

Husted and Brown both say tech companies should pay for the power their data centers use, instead of passing those costs on to households. Neither candidate has called for the kind of construction moratorium New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced earlier this year.

What the candidates clash over, however, is who is responsible for the data center projects already underway and whether Ohio should keep paying to attract more companies.

In July, Husted introduced a bill to require state utility regulators to consider standards making the largest power users cover the costs of the plants, transmission lines and substations built to serve them. The standards could also require companies to provide financial assurances so families aren't left footing the bill if a project is delayed, downsized or abandoned.

"Working families, small businesses and senior citizens should not open up their electric bills and discover the pain for the power infrastructure needed by some large tech company," Husted said on the Senate floor.

While the bill passed the House 417-3 earlier this month, it stalled in the Senate after Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, objected to Husted's request to pass it by unanimous consent.

Trump has embraced the issue of data centers since returning to the White House last year, pushing for rapid construction of facilities to remain ahead of competitors like China. Husted has taken a more cautious approach to the issue, arguing that decisions should remain in the hands of local communities.

"This should be a local decision. Local elected officials [and] local citizens should decide whether they want a data center or not," Husted said on CBS’s Face the Nation. "No one in Washington should be telling them that they need one or they can't have one.”

Brown’s campaign has utilized TV ads to push for an end to the tax breaks Ohio uses to court tech companies. He has run at least eight ads on the issue, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact, while Husted has aired none.

"These out-of-state corporations have come in," Brown said in an interview with NBC. "Local communities had no say over this, taking their land, swallowing up their water, and then they have to pay more in electric bills."

One of Brown’s ads features an Ohio man who opposes Google’s data center in Lancaster.

"No one asked for that data center to be built here. And no one here is getting a damn thing from it, except higher electric bills,” he says.

Brown’s ad accuses Husted of leading "the push to bring data centers to Ohio" and giving away "billions of tax dollars to make it happen."

As Ohio’s lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2025, Husted defended tax breaks for Google’s New Albany facility. According to the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, data centers in Ohio collected $2.5 billion in state and local tax breaks between 2017 and 2024.

Brown has supported data centers in the past. In 2015, Brown called a Licking County data center “great news” for central Ohio and secured $2.8 million in 2010 for a Dayton research center working on data center cooling technology.

Brown holds a significant fundraising edge over Husted, having raised more than double that of his opponent. Brown reported $38.6 million in funds in his latest Federal Election Commission filings, while Husted reported $14.4 million. As of June 30, Brown still had $16.2 million on hand and Husted $9.4 million.

Voters will head to the polls for the midterm elections on Nov. 3. Polls in Ohio are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

(The Center Square) – The shooting of an alleged armed robber by an Illinois concealed-carry license holder at an Orland Park gas station highlights the potential role of lawfully armed citizens during violent encounters, according to John Boch of Guns Save Life.

Boch said the surveillance video made the circumstances particularly clear to him.

“The thug thought he was going to win the confrontation, and he thought wrong, because of course the victim, he had a gun too, and he got a vote in the matter,” Boch said.

“Instead of being a victim, the concealed-carry holder ended up just being a witness and survived it uninjured,” he said.

Orland Park police said a citizen was pumping gas at a Shell station in the 15100 block of Harlem Avenue around 9 a.m. Tuesday when an individual attempted an armed robbery. The CCL holder fired a handgun, striking the suspect. The citizen was not injured and cooperated with investigators.

The suspect was taken to a hospital.

Boch said the incident demonstrates why he believes concealed carry can provide an option for people confronted by an armed attacker.

“It means they're not a defenseless victim and the bad guys don't get a run rough shot over them without fear of meaningful resistance,” Boch said.

“The gun obviously provided the good guy in this case, meaningful resistance against a criminal attack,” he said.

Illinois law permits deadly force when a person reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to themselves or another person, or the commission of a forcible felony.

Boch said understanding those legal requirements is an important part of concealed-carry training.

“Basically, if you have a reasonable fear of death or great bodily injury at that particular moment, you can use lethal force to protect yourself or another innocent,” he said.

Whether deadly force is legally justified depends on the circumstances of each case. The Orland Park investigation remains ongoing.

Boch said Illinois’ concealed-carry training framework addresses the use of force but said the quality of instruction can vary.

“Officially, yes, it does,” Boch said when asked whether the framework prepares license holders for armed attacks. “In the real world, it depends on how good your instructor or instructors are that are delivering the material.”

He also warned Illinois gun owners about misconceptions surrounding self-defense law.

“There are a lot of misconceptions by people who aren't educated in what the law is,” Boch said.

Boch said the surveillance video also appeared to show the CCL holder paying attention to his surroundings before the confrontation escalated.

“To the good guy's credit, he was paying attention to his surroundings,” Boch said.

“Crime happens everywhere,” Boch added. “It doesn't matter how nice your neighborhood is or, you know, how you perceive it. It's everywhere.”

The incident has renewed discussion about concealed carry and self-defense in Illinois as police continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Missouri starting edge rusher Darris Smith has been ruled out for Saturday's game against Mississippi State, the team revealed Friday in its availability report.

Smith had been listed as questionable on the Wednesday and Thursday reports. He exited Missouri's Week 3 game against Troy in the first quarter, limping to the locker room with the help of trainers. He did return briefly in the third quarter but did not complete the game.

In Smith's absence against Troy, MU relied on sophomore Daeden Hopkins and Florida State transfer Jaden Jones to take his starting spot.

Smith is in his third year with the Tigers and his first as a starter. After missing all of 2024 with a knee injury, he earned a contributing role with the Tigers in 2025, recording 15 total tackles, four sacks and two pass deflections.

In addition to Smith, Missouri ruled out running backs Ahmad Hardy and Malae Fonoti, tight end Gavin Hoffman, safety JaDon Blair and offensive tackle Josh Atkins for the game against the No. 24 Bulldogs.

Missouri will kick off against Mississippi State at 6:45 p.m. Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.