SPLIT SCREEN — The nation's governors descended on Washington's Marriott Marquis over the weekend for the National Governors Association's winter meeting, the organization's first in-person meeting since the start of the pandemic. And while the organization itself is nonpartisan — a press conference kicking off the weekend with NGA Chair Asa Hutchinson was full of mostly kumbaya statements about finding ways for governors to work across party lines together and with the Biden administration, and promoting a cross-country initiative on computer science education for K-12 students — both party committee chairs were game to talk about the midterms. Republican Governors Association Chair Doug Ducey and Democratic Governors Association Chair Roy Cooper talked with POLITICO's Zach Montellaro about their midterm predictions and the role they see current and past presidents playing in it. The Ducey interview. The Cooper interview. THE MAP LINES — Democrats could gain three congressional seats under a map proposed by Democratic state lawmakers, POLITICO New York's Bill Mahoney wrote (for Pros). New York, which lost a seat due to reapportionment, has 19 Democrats and eight Republicans. But the number of Democrats could rise to 22 under the proposed map. The plan would account for the lost seat by "by eliminating the seat currently held by Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney, who lives in the Utica area. Much of Tenney's seat would join the swing district currently held by Democratic Rep. Antonio Delgado." — A Pennsylvania judge heard arguments in the state's redistricting case at the end of last week, Spotlight PA's Kate Huangpu reported. "The state court system is set to pick the next map just days after Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a proposal sent to him by the Republican-controlled legislature," Huangpu wrote. BATTLE FOR THE SENATE — Democrats Val Demings of Florida and Cheri Beasley of North Carolina cleared the Senate primary fields in their respective states by raising tons of cash and quelling fears about electability, POLITICO's Maya King reported. "In the process of squeezing out top prospective challengers with a show of political force, the two Democrats managed to break through a different kind of barrier to high office — longstanding perceptions about the profile of an electable statewide candidate. In the past, those perceptions have often worked against Black candidates," Maya wrote. THE CASH DASH — House Majority PAC and its sister organization House Majority Forward raised a combined $55 million in 2021, the groups announced. Individually, House Majority PAC ended the year with $39.1 million in cash on hand. — Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott accused Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke, the former congressman, of violating "campaign finance reporting laws by misreporting more than $1.7 million of in-kind contributions as also being expenditures," the Dallas Morning News' Robert Garrett wrote. — Democrats surpassed Republicans in dark money spending in the 2020 election, The New York Times' Kenneth Vogel and Shane Goldmacher reported. An analysis found "15 of the most politically active nonprofit organizations that generally align with the Democratic Party spent more than $1.5 billion in 2020 — compared to roughly $900 million spent by a comparable sample of 15 of the most politically active groups" aligned with Republicans. The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a group aligned with the left, received donations as large as $50 million, according to the Times. PARTY PROBLEMS — Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison is at odds with the White House, as the midterms approach and Biden's approval rating remains underwater, NBC's Natasha Korecki reported. "Key decisions for the committee are made by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jen O'Malley Dillon, who speaks frequently with other DNC officials but only about three times a month by Zoom with Harrison," and Harrison has primarily remained in his home state of South Carolina rather than visit donors or the DNC headquarters. THE KEYSTONE STATE — The Pennsylvania state Democratic Party declined to endorse a candidate to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey, POLITICO's Holly Otterbein reported. "The non-endorsement is a disappointment for Conor Lamb, who has been trailing behind primary frontrunner John Fetterman, the lieutenant governor, in polls and fundraising," Holly wrote. Lamb had "hustled behind the scenes to capture the party's blessing in the Senate race," making calls and even sending campaign-style mailers. — Pennsylvania Republican Mehmet Oz is up with a new ad attacking Dave McCormick as "China's friend, not ours." Oz and McCormick are two of the many Republicans running for Senate. ENDORSEMENT ALERT — Rep. Madison Cawthorn endorsed Arizona Republican Blake Masters, who is challenging Sen. Mark Kelly. Cawthorn is the youngest House lawmaker, and Masters would be the youngest Republican member of the Senate if he is elected. RETIREMENT WATCH — Rep. Marcy Kaptur has committed to run for reelection, even as dozens of other House Democrats announce their retirements, NBC News' Henry Gomez reported. Kaptur's district could become more red in redistricting, and the DCCC recently added her to its list of Frontline members, the party's most vulnerable lawmakers running for reelection. DROPPING OUT — South Carolina Republican Graham Allen ended his campaign against Rep. Tom Rice, The Post and Courier's Andy Shain reported. "President Trump was clear. One candidate against RINOs. I refuse to allow my own pride to get in the way of fighting for what this Country needs," Allen, a Trump ally, wrote in a Facebook post. Rice is one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump. Meanwhile, Rice is up with a new positive TV ad . "Through storms and floods and now pandemic, I stood shoulder to shoulder with you and I've delivered help," Rice says in the 30-second spot. ON THE AIRWAVES — Rep. Jeff Fortenberry is up with a new ad attacking Republican primary opponent Mike Flood. The commercial highlight's Flood's "vote to extend taxpayer funded healthcare benefits to illegals" and ties him to President Joe Biden. — Nebraska Republicans Brett Lindstrom and Jim Pillen are up with new ads for their gubernatorial campaigns. In his 30-second spot, Lindstrom emphasizes his biography and calls for a new generation of leadership. Pillen takes aim at liberals in his ad, saying: "You know what really ticks me off? Those crazy liberals in Washington who want to cancel everyone and everything." — The Club for Growth is up with a new ad attacking Alabama Republican Katie Britt. The Club is backing Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) to replace retiring Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). The new ad ties Britt to Cheney, one of Trump's top Republican enemies. STAFFING UP — Max Flugrath joins the Georgia state Democratic Party as senior communications adviser, focusing on the race for governor and the primary between GOP Gov. Brian Kemp and former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.). Flugrath previously served as communications strategy director for the Anti-Defamation League's Southern Division in Atlanta, and is an alum of Florida state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried's office and campaign. BALLOT BATTLE — "A Pennsylvania state court on Friday struck down the law allowing any voter to cast a ballot by mail," POLITICO's Zach Montellaro wrote, although the decision will be appealed to the state Supreme Court. The decision was a win for Republicans who are pushing to eliminate voting by mail. A panel of judges ruled legislation that passed with bipartisan support in 2019 violated the state constitution. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat running for governor, said the ruling will be appealed. An appeal would trigger a stay of the lower court's ruling. — "Georgia voters were 45 times more likely to have their mail ballot applications rejected—and ultimately not vote as a result" in November's municipal elections, compared to 2020, Mother Jones' Ryan Little and Ari Berman reported. "If that same rejection rate were extrapolated to the 2020 race, more than 38,000 votes would not have been cast in a presidential contest decided by just over 11,000 votes," according to Mother Jones' analysis. Republicans passed new voting restrictions last year. NEW DETAILS — Louisiana Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards kept quiet about the deadly arrest of Ronald Greene during his difficult reelection campaign in 2019, The Associated Press' Jim Mustian and Jake Bleiberg wrote. State troopers had engaged in "a violent, lengthy struggle" with Greene that led to his death, but told his family and wrote in official reports he had died from a car crash. "What the governor knew, when he knew it and what he did have become questions in a federal civil rights investigation of the deadly encounter," according to the AP.
| 
Comments
Post a Comment