it's the top of the hour you're watching cnn "news central" and it is election day in the united states. we're closely watching several key races on major issues that could reverberate all the way into november 2024 either though joe biden and donald trump or any other republican presidential candidates are not on the ballot today there are issues that fire up their party's respective basises and here they are, abortion. democrats have seen win after win in red states over abortion rights. in virginia one republican is leaning into the abortion fight, convinced he can snap the republican party's losing streak on that issue. we're covering those votes and more. let's start with sunland tracking the virginia race. abortion is not on the ballot in virginia neither is governor glen youngkin, but those two things weigh heavily on the minds of voters. >> reporter: that's right. the governor has been involved in this race, and made his abortion proposal front and center in this campaign. they have invested considerable time and money to rally republicans around the messaging on this in the quest to flip the senate for republicans favor had he's pushing for a 15 week ban on abortions with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. youngkin has been trying to frame this on the campaign trail as the solution to a very polarizing issue. here's what he said this morning on the campaign trail. >> we've been very, very clear about one of the tough topics in america which is abortion. what the other side has been saying is simply not true. we're very clear. i will support one bill. one bill that will protect life at 15 weekends. -- at 15 weeks. a bill with exceptions for rape, s incense and life of the mother. to call it a ban is a mistruth and misinformation and they should be ashamed of what they said over the campaign because none of it has been true. >> if republicans hold the house and retake the senate that means republicans have full control since 2013. youngkin is clear if it happens, he's intending to sign this into law. this is a big test for youngkin's future on presidential stage. >> presidential aspirations for the governor. there's a reason we started in many virginia, a lot of eyes on it because it could give us clues about 2024. >> a lot of you clues here what happens in the commonwealth. there are off year elections in virginia typically the last few cycles have been shown to correlate with what happens in the following year's election. so a good showing for either democrats or republicans today would bode well for that party in the next year. we've seen both parties on the campaign trail trying to test out messages, themes that potentially we'll see on a grander scale next year. for democrats, especially in virginia the key is coming out of the tonight with their campaign on abortion rights. were republicans able to neutralize that message from the democrats so the results of tonight could provide hints for what portrays to the future. we want to take you live to ohio because we have tracking the fact that abortion is on the ballot there. she's at a polling location right now. what does it look like? >> reporter: when you talk to the people who are actually here at this polling location -- a reminder this is one snapshot we don't know what the rest of the state looks like. but here in the one polling location in columbus, ohio, these people in line, a lot of them are here because of issuee throughout the day, people who have been lining up, it's a diverse voting base in this particular polling location they're picking up their ballots and heading to vote in the voting place. so what they will tell you is that when you stop and chat with them is that it is issue one enshrining abortion rights into the state constitution that has motivated them to come out here. and a lot of them are quite passionate about this issue. i want you to listen to a couple of people we spoke with today. >> i think people feel strongly about people's personal choices and ability to make choices for their own. so just respecting each other and making sure everyone has the ability to do that on their behalf it's important and speaks highly of us as a community. >> i think from the personal experience sometimes you don't feel heard. i feel we're all hoping we can change things for the better. >> reporter: and when you talk to the advocates on either side of issue one what they will tell you that neither is superconfident as they head to the finish line. until they close the polls, both 15 sides are out knocking on doors trying to get people to the polls. they think in a red state trying to shrine the abortion rights, something that would be a first for a republican state to do that, they feel it will take every single vote. boris. >> a big test for advocates on both sides of that issue. thank you so much. at big race is happening in kentucky, and evan mckennd join us live from louisville. >> reporter: borsis we see a careful optimism from democrats they are feeling good going into the evening thinking governor bashir is well positioned but recognize the realities of this state. governor bashir has been at the helm during several natural disasters, during the pandemic, through some tragedies here,e h branded those efforts as everyone being on the same team. so that is why you even hear some trump supporters in the state say they like the governor. still, he has a credible challenger in attorney general daniel cameron. cameron is endorsed by the former president who is very popular if had this state. cameron has also worked overtime to try to connect governor bashir to president biden who is not popular in this state. and what we have seen him also do is confront the governor on issues when it cams to public safety, education, and the economy. to give you a sense of how close things were the last time, that was in 2019, just four years ago, governor bashir only pulled off a victory here by 5,000 votes. so that is why we see democrats have this cautious optimism. republicans, though, they tell me they're feeling good as well and hope that cameron can pull off an upset this evening. boris. >> eva thank you for an update in louisville. we want to bring in harry enten, i know you've been watching the kentucky race and a lot of others on our radar. >> that's right. this is one of my favorite days, election days, maybe not my favorite election day but still gets me up with a smile. as eva was saying in kentucky, an interesting race between andy beshear, the democratic governor, and daniel cameron the republican attorney general there. eva noted trump won kentucky easily, by 26 points back in 2020. i should note that kentucky ha a democratic edge to it, there have only been three republican governors in the state in 75 years so andy beshear is hoping to win back some democrats who has swayed from the party over the last few election cycles. another governor race is mississippi, tate reeves, the incumbent governor, is taking on brandon pressley, the democratic governor. no democrat has won mississippi since 1899. he may be aided by the fact that he's elvis' second cousin and democrats are trying to taint reeves with a welfare scandal involving brett favrer so we'lle what happens down there. >> 2024, 360-plus days away but right around the corner when it comes to campaigning. talk about the races you're watching that might give us implications towards the next presidential election. >> it's interesting to me as i'm looking towards what's going on. a if you have things i'm sort of noting. we spoke about virginia. there's also toe me an interesting ballot measure in the state of ohio concerning marijuana. the reason i'm interested there, it would be the 24th state to legalize marijuana recreationally. all of these states have done so since 2012. they've done it in red states, blue states. ohio being a red state so it's not just blue states it's happening. and you noted, boris, guess how many days we are now until the iowa caucuses. we are, in fact -- get this, we are very, very close to the iowa caucuses. we're less than 365 days until the next presidential election cycle, 68 days until the iowa caucuses. so i'm quite excited if you couldn't tell from i was going. this is my day, my jam. i can't wait to see the votes cast and counted today. >> we'll have to watch closely we know you will be too. thank you, harry. >> of course. still to come, we're one month into the deadly war between israel and hamas and prime minister benjamin netanyahu has shared details about israel's potential long-term plans to control gaza. we'll take you live to tel aviv in moments. later, ramping on pressure on senator tommy tuberville. senators meeting today to resolve his block on military promotions. that and more on cnn "news central" in just minutes. one month ago today, hamas unleashed terror on israel. candles in tel aviv memorialize the 1,400 people slain on october 17th. a short time ago, prime minister benjamin netanyahu gave an update on the offensive against hamas in gaza. saying enforces on the ground have encircled gaza city and are now operating within it. >> translator: so far we eliminated thousands of hamas above ground and under ground all of them murderers who executed and planned the massacre on that black saturday a month ago. we eliminated many posts, bases and tunnels of hamas. hamas realizes we reach places it didn't think we would reach. >> we want to warn you some video we're about to show you is disturbing. since israel's air strikes began more than 10,000 people have been killed inside of gaza, more than 7,000 of them children, women and elderly. that's from sources inside of gaza. cnn is not able to independently verify those numbers. let's take you to tel aviv with jim sciutto. netanyahu talked about how israel would maintain control of the gaza security for a time after the war for an indefinitely period. what has the response been to that? >> reporter: i think one clear message here, boris, this country despite divisions we saw politically including deep oppositions to netanyahu's government, it is unified now as what it perceives its right to pursue hamas to every end in gaza including with long-term military operations there and with the prime minister's statement tonight with a long-term military presence inside gaza. we heard it from netanyahu and also the defense minister to political opponents who are on the same side in effect. they said they're putting aside their political divisions to fight what they see as a threat to israel's very existence, very safety. one month into this since those october 7th attacks, that was part of their message tonight as well. this was an attack unlike any they've ever seen, the state of israel and they're in a war now unlike any that they have waged. when you think politically here, when you speak to folks in the military, when you speak to israelis from all ends of the political spectrum, what i hear from them is they're unified in that. they have a tremendous amount of support for that military action inside gaza and perhaps even beyond because another message we heard tonight was this could very well be a multi-front war not just in gaza but also the north, southern lebanon where iran-backed hezbollah is present. that's not an uncommon position either when i was in the north, they would said openly once military operations are done in gaza, whenever that is, not clear, they support military action inside southern lebanon. one thing clear being inside this country is you have a tremendous amount of cross political spectrum public support and political support for ongoing military operations in gaza and perhaps beyond and even in ways, boris, there are differences between israeli leaders and u.s. leaders, for instance a question on humanitarian pause. there is a country that feels it has a battle to fight and a battle it's got to win. >> yeah. as prime minister netanyahu has put it a battle for its very survival. thank you very much. let's pose some of those questions to an international spokesman for the israeli defense forces. lieutenant-colonel thank you for being with us. i want to repeat what the defense minister for israel said today that israel would maintain complete freedom of action after the war in gaza. and you heard prime minister netanyahu talking about security for an indefinitely period. what exactly do you think that would look like? is there a distinction in your mind between security responsibility and an occupation? >> yeah the -- i think it's -- first of all, thank you for having me. but i think it's clear what we're focused on is security. ever since october 7th we've come to the understanding, the hard, sad understanding that we cannot allow a return to preexisting conditions before october 7th and that we have to significantly change the entire security environment. we're in the first stage of implementing that now by dismantling a steady and methodical dismantling of hamas infrastructure ongoing as we speak in gaza now and once we're finished doing that and there's no more military threat then the process of rebuilding will start and, of course, that will be something that the national elected echelons will lead we'll implement it. but i think the interest here is to make sure that everybody understands that we are not, again, going to allow any terrorist entity to establish itself and strike root inside the gaza strip after we eradicated hamas. >> i'm cure i don'ious how you that, if it is an indefinite period, how do you measure the hamas? isn't it likely an extended period of israeli troops on the ground would lead to more action against those troops by groups like hamas? >> more action than the attack on october 7th you mean? >> well, more -- potentially. hamas has essentially said they're going to carry out similar attacks over and over again until israel is gone. i'm wondering how an extended stay for israeli troops in gaza doesn't lead to a situation where there is more action against israel. perhaps not by hamas, if you eradicate hamas but a group that then takes its place? >> i'm not following the logic really. but what i want to say, hamas executed the worst terror action on october 7th. we're responding to that and we're going to dismantle hamas. how could dismantling and making sure they won't rebuild be counter effective, i can't really understand. but i will say we are not looking to establish long-term control over gaza. those are not the directives given to the idf. what the idf is tasked at doing, dismantle hamas and once that is done, hopefully that will be done the fastest and best possible way with the minimal loss of life for our soldiers and civilians included. and once that is achieved, then i'm sure the international community, together with israel and other important stakeholders will start looking for solutions for permanent stability. my business is security for israeli civilians. and our number one priority is to make sure that our civilians, our displaced israeli citizens more than 250,000 of them today will be able to return to their homes and the hostages return. that is the number one priority. >> let me rephrase the question because you're getting to the issue that i'm bringing up. the idea is if the israel military is on the ground in gaza for an indefinitely period, there's going to be more insurgent action. we'll likely see a reaction from groups like hamas in the area -- >> hamas won't exist. >> potentially. >> hamas won't exist, boris. i'm sorry for interrupting. >> what i'm getting at is, what ultimately would let you feel as though the security of israel is guaranteed if you have troops on the ground in gaza that likely will be attacked by some sort of insurgency, call it hamas or something else. but what's being set up is insurgent warfare, is it not? >> no. first of all i would call it terrorism. that is what exists and has been festering in gaza for all too long since hamas took control in 2007. we understoand we cannot allow that situation to return where gaza is governed by any terror organization and what we're going to do is first dismantle hamas and other terrorist organizations that exist there and make sure they don't return. i think we're getting ahead of ourselves. there's still intense fighting in gaza, i know it's interesting to speak about the future and comments have been made by elected officials. what will say we will execute whatever policy the president says we need to do. and the number one thing we are concerned is with the is the safety of our civilians they can go back to their homes in the communities around gaza and live peacefully in their homes. that's what we're focused on. how that will be done we'll see. i can assure you we'll do it while thinking of all the international components and thinking long term not short term. >> to your point about the situation on the ground. netanyahu has rejected calls for a general cease-fire but said he's open to tactical little pauses up to an hour at a time. how would the idf carry that out? how would you decide when and how to take those pauses? >> we already are. it's only regretful that i cannot see the visuals on cnn. but really we already are. for the last four consecutive days we have windows of transport of civilians of safe zones from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. where the palestinians are informed ahead of time by us that we are going to hold our fire in order to allow them to evacuate safely from the north, the combat areas to relative safety in the south. that is ongoing every day. and there's footage coming out of gaza which you can see and show to the world. it's happening despite the fact that hamas is trying to keep those civilians there in order to use them as human shields but we are relentless in our plea and our demand, our advise to the palestinians, the civilians, evacuate northern gaza because it is an area of main combat operations and you will be safer in the south. many more, thousands are listening and heeding our warning and that's a good thing. without committing to it, i can anticipate that tomorrow again we'll open this humanitarian corridor a brief few hours for civilians to evacuate. not because it serves our tactical aims against hamas it means we're not firing at the time but it serves the strategic aim of what we want to achieve. we want to fight hamas and hamas only. the civilians are not our enemies and we would prefer them to be out of the battlefield and we want them out of our focus so we can get on with the business of dealing with hamas. >> we appreciate you answering our questions, thanks for the time, lieutenant colonel. >> thank you, boris. still to come. republican senators holding a special conference meeting right now trying to figure out a strategy on how to move forward with senator tommy tuberville's military holds. 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