With the presidential election looming on Tuesday, Sunshine State News caught up with Trish Regan, an anchor and markets reporter with the Fox Business Network.
One of the leading financial journalists on TV, Regan hosts “The Intelligence Report” on the Fox Business Network and, before that, hosted “Street Smart” on Bloomberg Television and worked as an anchor for “The Call" on CNBC. Regan is also a featured columnist for USAToday.
Regan will be front and center as Fox Business Network covers the election results. She will be hosting election coverage on Monday at 2PM and from 9-11PM, on Tuesday as part of Fox Business Network’s election team and on Wednesday at 2PM and from 9-11 PM.
Sunshine State News asked Regan for her take on things in the final hours before the election.
SSN: What states are you watching closely in the presidential contest? Are there any states on the Eastern Seaboard that you think could provide early signs for how things go on Tuesday night?
Regan: North Carolina and, of course, Florida are the biggies. Florida polls close at 7, so Florida (followed by North Carolina) will give us a pretty good indication of how the night might unfold. Another interesting state to watch on the East Coast is New Hampshire - it's small and easy to tally - so it could be important for determining the accuracy of the polls.
SSN: Florida is, as always, the frontlines of the presidential election. How do you see the presidential race and the Senate race in Florida between Marco Rubio and Patrick Murphy going?
Regan: The polls have narrowed considerably in recent days and the momentum is on Donald Trump's side. Marco Rubio should benefit from this -- though, his challenge is that many of Trump's base supporters are at odds with his policies. Patrick Murphy has benefited from this. Rubio is in the lead but it's clear he's facing a real challenge.
SSN: Do you see any surprises in store on Tuesday night? Can Clinton break into a traditionally red state or two? Can Trump flip a traditionally blue state or two?
Regan: Clinton has a narrow shot at Georgia, a historically red state. The last time Georgia voted blue was 1992 when Bill Clinton took the state. Right now, polls indicate a more challenging environment for Trump when it comes to blue states turning red. But, keep in mind, the Brexit polls were wrong in the U.K. People there were afraid to saying they were voting to leave the EU and some believe voters here are afraid to say they're voting for Trump.
SSN: The Democrats are hoping to flip the Senate with key races in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Missouri, Wisconsin and Illinois. Which of those seats do you think they will prevail in? Are there any Senate pickup opportunities for the GOP outside of Nevada?
Regan: I think Maggie Hassen has a very good shot in New Hampshire. Kelly Ayotte has had a hard time struggling between her support for Trump while then condemning him for his comments on women. She tried to thread the needle and it didn't quite work. So, watch the Granite State - that could be an opportunity for the Dems.
SSN: Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are upside down in the polls but Gary Johnson, Jill Stein and other third party candidates appear unlikely to do as well as Ross Perot did--or even as well as John Anderson did back in 1980. Why aren’t they catching fire?
Regan: Gary Johnson's Aleppo moment did him in. People want their leaders to be on top of the news curve, aware of everything that's happening in the world -- and he failed that test.
Jill Stein was late to the game and doesn't have the persona that Bernie Sanders has. As a result, she failed to take hold of the Bernie movement.
Ross Perot shared some similarities with Trump. He was a businessman, an entrepreneur and someone who continually made the point, like Trump, that he was beholden to no one. That resonated.
