| | | | |  | | By Madison Fernandez | PROGRAMMING NOTE: We'll be off next week for the holidays but back to our normal schedule on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
| | | 2023 may be an off-year for elections, but there's still going to be plenty of campaigning happening in the coming months. Here are some elections to put on your radar as you start filling out your fresh 2023 calendar. Governors — Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi are holding gubernatorial elections next year. (That's 1/12 of how many were held this year!) We've seen the most action so far in Kentucky, with incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear filing for reelection in hopes of a second term earlier this month. A crowded GOP field has already formed, including Trump-endorsed Attorney General Daniel Cameron, GOP donor and former U.N. ambassador during the Trump administration Kelly Craft, Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, Kentucky Auditor Mike Harmon, state Rep. Savannah Maddox and Somerset Mayor Alan Keck, among others. Beshear is one of the most popular governors in the country, and has millions of dollars in the bank. Kentucky's filing deadline is Jan. 6, and the primary is May 16. In Mississippi, incumbent first-term Republican Gov. Tate Reeves (one of the more unpopular governors in the country) hasn't announced if he's running for reelection yet. The candidate pool is looking a little stagnant as of now, as candidates can't qualify for state offices until Jan. 3. Republican Secretary of State Michael Watson is reportedly considering a run, and Democratic Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley's name has been floated as a potential candidate. The filing deadline is Feb. 1, and the primary is set for Aug. 8. And you'll have to wait a little longer for Louisiana, whose filing deadline is Aug. 10. The primary is scheduled for Oct. 14. Incumbent Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards is term-limited. Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry, the first to enter the race, has earned the backing of the state's Republican party, and Republican Sen. John Kennedy has said he's seriously considering a bid. Republican Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said he'll announce his decision in early January. Democratic Secretary of Transportation Shawn Wilson hasn't announced, but could be Democrats' hope for holding the governorship. State legislatures — State legislatures got a lot of attention this cycle. Regularly scheduled elections are taking place in Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia. Louisiana and Mississippi are currently controlled by Republicans in both chambers, and New Jersey is controlled by Democrats in both chambers. Democrats are in charge of the Senate in Virginia, while Republicans hold the House of Delegates. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which had a strong showing this cycle, noted in its year-end memo that it "cannot wait to take on the Virginia GOP in 2023 and expand our majorities in 2024 and beyond." Supreme courts — Wisconsin's supreme court election will determine the balance of the court. The nonpartisan election is rapidly approaching, with a Jan. 3 filing deadline, a Feb. 21 primary and an April general election. Conservatives have a 4-3 majority, but one of the conservative judges is retiring. The court could take on an abortion case in the new year, and who controls the majority will likely influence future cases regarding voting rights. Pennsylvania is also holding an election for its supreme court to fill a vacant seat. The court currently has a 4-2 Democratic majority. Mayors — The first general mayoral election is right around the corner, taking place on Feb. 28 in Chicago. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot is running for her second term, but faces a crowded field, including Democratic Rep. Jesus "Chuy" García. It's a nonpartisan election that goes to a runoff in April if no one receives 50 percent of the vote. Houston, San Antonio and Dallas in Texas, as well as Philadelphia — some of the largest cities in the country — are also holding their mayoral races this year. And then, there's 2024 — A number of potential candidates have already teased their candidacy for a litany of races. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who's spending the holidays discussing with family a potential run for Senate, and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who said he'll make a decision on a Senate run in 2023, are just some to keep an eye on. It's hard to say how fast the presidential field will materialize. Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he'll make a decision in the first part of next year, and President Joe Biden's campaign may launch toward the end of the first quarter of 2023. But for now, let's enjoy the (relative) silence. It's Monday, Dec. 19 — the last Monday we'll be together until the new year. For all of the Weekly Score readers, thank you for welcoming me in your inbox during such an eventful cycle. To the daily Morning Score subscribers, I'll still be around for the rest of the week — we have a primary to watch! You know where to find me: mfernandez@politico.com and @madfernandez616. Days until the VA-04 special election: 64 Days until the 2023 election: 323 Days until the 2024 election: 687
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| | | VIRGINIA CORNER — We're just one day away from the Democratic primary for the VA-04 special election. Over the weekend, Virginia Republicans held a party canvass and nominated Leon Benjamin to face off against the soon-to-be-determined Democrat in February. Benjamin won with 57 percent of the vote over two other GOP candidates. This is Benjamin's third time running for the seat — he challenged the late Democratic Rep. Don McEachin in 2020 and 2022 and lost by more than 20 points each time. Meanwhile, the jockeying on the Democratic side is reaching a fever pitch. There will be four candidates on the ballot tomorrow — state Sens. Jennifer McClellan and Joe Morrissey, along with former state Del. Joseph Preston and Tavorise Marks, an insurance agent who ran for the state House of Delegates in 2019 but lost in the primary. Prominent local and national Democrats have thrown their support behind McClellan, who's raised more than $300,000 since launching her campaign less than a week ago, including End Citizens United/Let America Vote and NewDem Action Fund. Democratic Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott and Sen. Tim Kaine both cut radio ads for McClellan, and Kaine canvassed with her over the weekend. And Rep.-elect Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) took part in a youth phone bank for her yesterday (he did a similar effort for Sen. Raphael Warnock ahead of his runoff). Colette McEachin, the late congressman's wife, is also backing McClellan. "Donald and I have known Jennifer for many years and she is conscientious, ethical, dedicated to her constituents and an advocate for the values of the Democratic Party," she said. Regarding Morrissey, she said that the 4th District "deserves better." Planned Parenthood Votes has put in over $20,000 against Morrissey, who has described himself as "pro-life" and called for restrictions on abortion. That investment includes a digital ad calling Morrissey "too extreme for Virginia" regarding his abortion stance. Last week, Women Vote!, the super PAC affiliated with EMILY's List, the pro-abortion-rights Democratic group, announced its support of McClellan, with more than $30,000 on a digital ad buy. The local angle: The special election takes place just a few days before the last scheduled day of the 2023 regular session in the General Assembly. If either McClellan or Morrissey win the nomination — which is likely — "Democrats could temporarily lose one vote during a critical time in the General Assembly, when many of the most divisive decisions are made," WRIC's Jackie DeFusco writes. The Democratic Party of Virginia accused Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of intentionally choosing that date to narrow the Democratic majority in the state Senate. "There are people who might think I'm more clever than I am and, at the end of the day, we were trying to have an accelerated time frame so that the people of the fourth congressional district will have representation in Washington," Youngkin said last week. RNC RACE — With just about one month until the election for RNC leadership, some of the loudest voices in the conservative movement are calling for RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel to go. My colleagues Natalie Allison and Meridith McGraw have the latest on the rising tensions in the GOP. 2024 WATCH — Republican Matt Dolan, who ran for the Ohio Senate seat this cycle but lost in the primary to Sen.-elect J.D. Vance, has "taken steps in recent weeks to expand his pool of potential donor support and secure senior leadership for his campaign and leadership PAC, should he press ahead with a candidacy in the new year," Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Sophia Slacik report. "The time we have for introspection is limited. Before we know it, 2024 will be upon us and we have work to do," Dolan wrote in a letter to Ohio GOP county chairs last month. "We must… ensure Joe Biden and Sherrod Brown are sent packing." Brown is seen as one of the most endangered Senate Democrats in 2024. IN THE STATES — Iowa Democratic Party chair Ross Wilburn is stepping down — "a move that follows a year of steep election losses and a vote by national Democrats to strip Iowa of its first-in-the-nation caucuses," The Des Moines Register's Brianne Pfannenstiel writes. "The next Iowa Democratic Party chair will lead the group's efforts to either comply with the DNC's decision or, as Wilburn has suggested, hold an unsanctioned first-in-the-nation caucus in defiance of national Democrats." (More on shake-ups to watch in the party committees across the country here.) COURT WATCHIN' — The Arizona Republic's Robert Anglen and Richard Ruelas have the latest on defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake's lawsuit challenging the results of her election. Motions to dismiss the case from Democratic Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs' and Maricopa County will be taken up at a hearing in the Maricopa County Superior Court on Monday. … RELATED: "A judge Friday evening dismissed Rep. Mark Finchem's lawsuit seeking a do-over of the race for Arizona secretary of state and affirmed Adrian Fontes as winner of the Nov. 8 election," The Arizona Republic's Mary Jo Pitzl writes. TURNOUT TROUBLES — "Big cities faltered this year in producing the large vote totals that Democrats have traditionally relied on for election wins in many states, a troubling sign for the party despite its unexpected midterm victories," The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Zitner, John McCormick and Dante Chinni write (and crunch some numbers).
| | | RETURN OF THE CRYPTO — The DNC is setting aside funds to return the $815,000 in contributions FTX founder and political megadonor Sam Bankman-Fried since 2020, The Washington Post's Isaac Stanley-Becker and Tony Romm report. DSCC and DCCC are also planning to set aside funds to return $103,000 and $250,000, respectively. … MORE: "U.S. Scrutinizes Political Donations by Sam Bankman-Fried and Allies," by The New York Times' Kenneth P. Vogel and Ken Bensinger
| | | — Some attendees at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest conference — the nation's largest annual gathering of MAGA Millennials and Gen Zers — are talking about former President Donald Trump as more of a historical figure than the GOP's future presidential nominee, Natalie reports from Phoenix. "At times from the stage here, Trump and his policies were praised. So were [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis'. But aside from unsuccessful Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, speakers largely shied away from the nascent 2024 campaign, with most declining to pledge loyalty to Trump in his comeback presidential bid." — My colleague Adam Wren is up with a profile on former vice president and potential presidential contender Mike Pence: "Those who know Pence best say he is wrestling with how to recalibrate himself to a Republican base that hasn't yet forgiven him for refusing Trump's pressure to overturn the election results — and maybe never will." "He's got a huge problem," Newt Gingrich, who sits on Pence's Advancing American Freedom advisory board, told Adam. "I think Pence is very, very comfortable making a positive case for himself. He'd be very uncomfortable running a negative campaign because it's just not really who he is." — "President Biden's political advisers are preparing a strategy for his likely 2024 reelection campaign that would dramatically expand efforts to organize content-sharing between supporters and their friends on digital platforms, including TikTok and WhatsApp, where political advertising is not allowed," The Washington Post's Michael Scherer writes. "Top advisers have been testing ways to reactivate volunteers and donors, and they completed a review this summer of the shifts in how voters consumed political information over the past two years."
| | | | POLITICO AT CES 2023 : We are bringing a special edition of our Digital Future Daily newsletter to Las Vegas to cover CES 2023. The newsletter will take you inside the largest and most influential technology event on the planet, featuring every major and emerging industry in the technology ecosystem gathered in one place. The newsletter runs from Jan. 5-7 and will focus on the public policy related aspects of the event. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of CES 2023. | | | | | | | | — "The North Carolina Supreme Court issued two important rulings in voting rights cases Friday, on gerrymandering and voter ID," The News & Observer's Will Doran writes. "Both rulings found that Republican lawmakers had acted unconstitutionally to diminish the influence of Democratic voters — by passing a voter ID law with rules that intentionally discriminated against Black voters, and by redrawing the state's political districts in such a way that rendered many Democrats' votes essentially pointless in certain elections. … The rulings came at the last minute for the voting rights activists who won the cases, since in January the court will switch to a Republican majority." CODA — HEADLINE OF THE DAY: "Wine tasting in Napa and a staff revolt: How a progressive powerhouse went kaput" (POLITICO) | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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