Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who appears poised to launch a presidential campaign this weekend, has reportedly faced some challenges assembling a staff. HuffPost reported yesterday that the senator’s alleged history of “mistreating her staff” has led some contenders for campaign manager to withdraw from consideration.
* Donald Trump, who apparently feels qualified to give Democrats campaign advice, urged Stacey Abrams (D) not to run next year against incumbent Sen. David Perdue (R). “I don’t think she can win,” the president said.
* Trump also predicted this morning that the scandals surrounding Democratic leaders in Virginia will push the commonwealth into Republicans’ hands in 2020. (Trump lost Virginia by two points in 2016, and voters haven’t backed the GOP presidential ticket since 2004.)
* A Quinnipiac poll released yesterday found California Democrats, looking ahead to next year’s presidential primary, most excited about former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, a native Californian.
* Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) told Oprah Winfrey this week that he’ll announce his plans for 2020 “before the end of this month.” * On a related note, plenty of Texas Democratic leaders would love to see O’Rourke skip the presidential race and instead run against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R) next year. O’Rourke lost to Sen. Ted Cruz (R) in Texas last year, but the former congressman raised a ton of money and lost by less than 3 points in a race that wasn’t expected to be competitive. * And the number of mayors eyeing the 2020 presidential race continues to get a little smaller. Asked about a national campaign, former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said, “I don’t think so. A lot of people have asked me that. I never say never, but at this point in time I don’t think I’m going to do it.”
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
