Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Despite being under criminal indictment, Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) announced yesterday that he’s not just running for re-election, he’ll also “actively campaign” for the post. The New York Republican last month suspended his candidacy after surrendering to the FBI, and asked local GOP officials to find a different candidate.
* In related news, Collins’ Democratic rival, Nate McMurray, unveiled a television ad this week, taking aim at the incumbent congressman’s scandal, though it’s unclear if the campaign will have the resources necessary to get it on the air.
* In Florida’s gubernatorial race, Steven M. Alembik is one of Ron DeSantis’ (R) top supporters, and as Politico reported, the GOP donor lined up a speech for the candidate at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. Alembik also recently called Barack Obama a “F—- MUSLIM N—-” on Twitter, prompting the Republican candidate to distance himself from his ally.
* Axios published an interesting report this morning showing a big surge in Democratic turnout in 2018 primaries. It’s the first time in a decade in which Democratic primary voters turned out in greater numbers than Republican primary voters.
* Few observers expect Virginia’s U.S. Senate race to be at all competitive, and a new University of Mary Washington poll helps show why: the results found incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine (D) leading Corey Stewart (R), 49% to 30%. * In Wisconsin, someone in the Madison area called the police on Shelia Stubbs, an African-American woman running for the state Assembly, as she did door-to-door campaigning. I wish this were the first recent example of the police being called on a black candidate who wasn’t doing anything wrong, but it’s not. * And in 2020 news, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) has created a leadership PAC ahead of a likely presidential race, while Sen. Jeff Merkeley (D-Ore.) has hired staff in Iowa and New Hampshire “to help candidates running in this year’s midterm election.”
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." Recommended
