2018 Elections

ARIZONA: Republican Wins Special US House Race

Roll Call reports: Former Republican state Sen. Debbie Lesko won the special election in Arizona’s 8th District on Tuesday night, but her victory margin for a seat that President Donald Trump easily carried in 2016 appeared to be relatively slim. The Associated Press called the race with Lesko leading Democrat Hiral Tipirneni, 53 percent to 47 percent in early ballots, …

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Record Number Of Female Democrats Have Filed US House Bids Thanks To Donald Trump And GOP Policies

The Associated Press reports: The number of women running for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives set a record Thursday, the vast majority of them Democrats motivated by angst over President Donald Trump and policies of the Republican-controlled Congress. Their ranks will continue to grow in the weeks ahead, with filing deadlines still to come in more than half …

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SOUTH CAROLINA: Literal Clown Runs For US House

South Carolina’s The State reports: This clown wants your vote for Congress. In this case, that isn’t a negative description. Steve Lough, a candidate for Congress in South Carolina’s 5th District, is a former professional clown for the Ringling Brothers circus. Lough is leaning into his unusual resume, appearing in clown makeup in a promotional photo and registering the domain …

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Democrats Now +10 In 2018 Midterms Poll

NBC News reports: Democrats enjoy a 10-point advantage over Republicans in congressional preference for the 2018 midterm elections, even as President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has ticked up, the latest national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds. Fifty percent of registered voters say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, while 40 percent want a GOP-controlled one. That double-digit lead — …

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PENNSYLVANIA: Dem +4 In Special US House Race

Talking Points Memo reports: Democrats are on the verge of a major upset victory deep in Trump country, according to a new bipartisan poll shared first with TPM. Democrat Conor Lamb leads Republican Rick Saccone by 48 percent to 44 percent in a survey conducted by RABA Research, a bipartisan firm. That would mark a huge upset in a conservative …

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Homocon Carl DeMaio Files Another US House Run

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports: Former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio has taken preliminary steps for another run for Congress, this time for a seat held by fellow Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine. San Diego County Registrar of Voters Michael Vu said that DeMaio has taken paperwork to run for California’s 50th District, an area that includes eastern and …

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Democrats +15 On Generic US House Ballot

The Hill reports: Democrats hold a 15-point lead over Republicans on a generic House ballot, according to a poll released Thursday by Suffolk University and USA Today. This survey is at least the third in recent days to have found Democrats with a double-digit lead as voters look to the 2018 midterms. Forty-seven percent of respondents said that they would …

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UTAH: Mitt Romney Unveils US Senate Bid [VIDEO]

CNBC reports: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, will run for Senate in Utah, he said Friday. Romney announced his campaign in a video message. “I have decided to run for United States Senate because I believe I can help bring Utah’s values and Utah’s lessons to Washington,” he said. “Utah is a better …

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UTAH: AP Confirms US Senate Bid By Mitt Romney

The Associated Press reports: Former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney will announce Thursday that he’s running for the Utah Senate seat held by retiring Orrin Hatch, three people with direct knowledge of the plan confirmed Wednesday. He’ll be a heavy favorite to keep the seat in Republican hands. The 70-year-old Romney, once a harsh critic of President Donald Trump, will …

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Five Dem Senators Won’t Take Corporate PAC Money

The Washington Examiner reports: Sen. Cory Booker announced late Tuesday that he will no longer accept campaign contributions from political action committees of for-profit companies, following the example of some of his fellow Democrats. Booker accepted $1.8 million from business PACs from 2013-2018, according to Open Secrets, which tracks campaign contributions. Booker became the fifth U.S. senator to reject corporate …

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CALIFORNIA: Gavin Newsom Hails His 2004 Move On Same-Sex Marriage In First Gubernatorial Ad [VIDEO]

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who sits atop most polls and has raised the most money in the 2018 California governor’s race, begins spending some of it Monday with his first campaign ad. It features the then-San Francisco mayor presiding over the first same-sex marriages in the city on this day 14 years ago. “Today, we …

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Funny Or Die To Spend $8M On Midterms GOTV

Politico reports: FUNNY OR DIE and BILLY EICHNER are launching a nonprofit “Glam Up The Midterms” — a campaign focused on under-40-year-old voters in the midterm election. The group tells Playbook it will spend $8 million on the most competitive congressional districts. Their plan: use online mobilization tactics and an analytics program to engage younger voters and hold live comedy …

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UTAH: Mitt Romney Teases US Senate Announcement

Mass Live reports: Former Massachusetts Gov. W. Mitt Romney will reveal whether he will run for the U.S. Senate seat in two weeks. Romney tweeted on Thursday afternoon that he was “Looking forward to making an announcement on February 15th about the Utah Senate race.” Those close to the 70-year-old former presidential candidate have said he is interested in running …

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GOP Rep. Trey “Benghazi” Gowdy Won’t Seek Reelection

It’s a stampede for the exits. The Hill reports: Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, announced Wednesday that he will not run for reelection. “There is a time to come and a time to go. This is the right time, for me, to leave politics and return to the justice system,” he said in a statement …

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REPORT: Romney To Unveil Senate Bid Next Week

Utah Policy reports: Sources close to Mitt Romney tell us that the former GOP presidential nominee will announce next week that he is running for the U.S. Senate this year. Romney will gather the 28,000 required signatures from registered GOP voters to ensure he gets on the late-June Republican Party primary ballot, assuming other Republicans will file to run for …

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GOP US Senate Candidate: Women Should Stay Home And Make Dinner, Not Be “Career-Obsessed Banshees”

Raw Story reports: Republican U.S. Senate candidate for Missouri Courtland Sykes blasted “women’s rights” this week. In a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday, Sykes said that he had been asked if he “supports women’s rights.” “I want to come home to a home cooked dinner every night at six,” Sykes said, referring to demands he makes of his girlfriend. …

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Chelsea Manning Issues First Senate Ad [VIDEO]

Salon reports: Chelsea Manning, a transgender woman and whistleblower convicted of leaking thousands of classified documents to Wikileaks, has released the first campaign advertisement for her bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Maryland. The ad opens with visuals of recent violent protests, clashes with police and the rally of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, Manning narrated, “We live in …

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REPORT: Dems Very Likely To Regain House Majority

Axios reports: The one thing that could dramatically diminish President Trump’s chances of avoiding impeachment and chalking up legislative wins is Democrats winning the House. And, thanks to series of recent developments, Trump knows this no longer just seems plausible, but probable. Hill sources tell us that a House Democratic takeover is now likely. One strategist close to Republican leaders …

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BUH-BYE: Anti-LGBT GOP House Rep Hits The Exit

The Los Angeles Times reports: Republican Rep. Ed Royce of Fullerton was among the House lawmakers considered vulnerable in the midterms, and winning his seat is key to the Democrats’ attempts to win back control of the U.S. House. Here’s the 13-term congressman’s statement: “It’s truly an honor to represent the people of California’s 39th Congressional District. Every day, it’s …

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FLORIDA: Ron DeSantis Enters Gubernatorial Race

Politico reports: With President Donald Trump’s recent endorsement in his back pocket, Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis on Friday will announce he’s entering the governor’s race, a move poised to inject national cash into a campaign already on the 2018 national radar. “I’m excited about taking this first step towards a campaign for governor,” DeSantis told POLITICO. “As a former prosecutor, …

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