“Republicans Know There’s an Election!”: Is New York’s Kathy Hochul at Risk of Losing?

Would DeSantis Take On Trump? • Media’s Elon Agita • Election Night TV Plans [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Hive logo image]( “Republicans Know There’s an Election!”: Is New York’s Kathy Hochul at Risk of Losing? It’s the final weekend before the midterms, and Chris Smith [reports]( on how Kathy Hochul is trying to hang on in New York against Republican Lee Zeldin, whom election insiders see as out-campaigning the Democratic governor. “I have not received an email, a phone call, a text message, or a digital ad from the governor’s campaign,” says one Democratic insider. “That’s sort of basic stuff to tell people there’s a damn election.” If only the Hochul campaign had heeded the warnings to Smith [back in June]( about avoiding a “Rose Garden strategy.” Also this week, Charlotte Klein [talked to]( network executives and newsroom leaders about their plans—and concerns—for covering election night and beyond; Joe Pompeo [explored]( the media agita surrounding Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover; and Molly Jong-Fast [captured]( what it’s like to be wrapping up the “post-truth midterms.” Plus, amid expectations that Donald Trump will announce a 2024 run this month, Gabriel Sherman [heard]( doubts from GOP insiders that Ron DeSantis would take on the former president. Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you Monday, the start of a momentous week in American politics. —Michael Calderone, editor [Image may contain: Head, Person, Face, Body Part, Hand, Finger, Portrait, Photography, Kathy Hochul, Wedding, Adult, and Baby]( [“Republicans Know There’s an Election!”: Is New York’s Kathy Hochul at Risk of Losing?]( By [Chris Smith]( [As blue as New York is, the state is not impermeable to national forces. Election insiders see Republican Lee Zeldin out-campaigning Hochul. And she’s not the only Democrat in the state who is facing a tougher-than-expected race.]( [Read more button](   [We’re Witnessing the Post-Truth Midterms]( By [Molly Jong-Fast]( [This cycle has been awash in lies—about everything from the last election to litter boxes to the assault on Paul Pelosi—and an Elon-owned Twitter could further fuel the right’s alternate reality.]( [Read more button](   [“If This Takes 35 Days, We’ll Be Ready”: News Outlets Are Bracing for Uncertainty on Election Night]( By [Charlotte Klein]( [Persistent 2020 election denial, along with the potential for disruptions or delays in counting votes, has journalists and media executives on alert—and determined to counter misinformation. “We really feel that the more we can get out in front of it, the better,” says the AP’s Washington bureau chief.]( [Read more button](   [Blue-Check Havoc: Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover Fuels a Media Meltdown]( By [Joe Pompeo]( [Journalists are deleting DMs, scoffing at Musk’s $8 verification fee, and even considering bolting from the platform. Substack, meanwhile, is cashing in on the chaos. “We shouldn’t need to fret so much about a dictator holding dominion over a vast digital media empire,” says cofounder Hamish McKenzie.]( [Read more button](   [Image may contain: Tie, Accessories, Accessory, Electrical Device, Microphone, Human, Person, Suit, Coat, and Clothing]( [GOP Insiders Are Starting to Doubt Ron DeSantis Would Actually Take On Trump]( By [Gabriel Sherman]( [The Florida governor is expected to cruise to reelection next week—yet might hold back on a 2024 bid. One source tells Vanity Fair that DeSantis has led donors “to believe he will not run if Trump does,” while another says he could “walk into the presidency in 2028 without pissing off Trump or Florida.”]( [Read more button](   Get on the list Subscribe to our Hollywood newsletter for your essential industry and awards-season news, every day. [Sign Up Now](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn](   This e-mail was sent to you by The Hive. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe](newsletter=vf) Sent from Condé Nast, 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 Copyright © 2022 Condé Nast