Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Georgia’s long-awaited congressional special election is today, pitting Jon Ossoff (D) against Karen Handel (R) in a district that’s been a Republican stronghold for many years. Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time and will close at 7 p.m. Check out tonight’s show for results.
* Though it’s received less attention — and far less money — South Carolina is also hosting a congressional special election today, with Ralph Norman (R) facing off against Archie Parnell (R) in a deep-red district. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, “The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the biggest outside contributor to the race, has spent $275,000 to test a host of messages aimed at driving black voters to the polls. The results, officials say, will inform Democratic turnout efforts in African-American communities in the 2018 elections.”
* In Nevada, the latest Public Policy Polling survey found Sen. Dean Heller (R), who’s up for re-election in a battleground state, with an approval rating of just 31%, with 44% disapproving. In a test against a generic Democrat, the poll found Heller trailing by seven percentage points.
* With this in mind, it was of interest last night when Politico reported that Rep. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) intended to take on the Republican incumbent in Nevada next year, with a formal announcement coming “in a couple weeks.”
* In the race to replace Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who’ll resign from Congress next week, Utah Democrats have chosen physician Kathie Allen as the party’s nominee for the special election. There will be no primary, and Allen is considered the underdog in this heavily Republican district. * The field of candidates in Michigan’s 2018 gubernatorial race continues to grow, with Shri Thanedar, a businessman and scientist, kicking off his campaign last week. Thanedar, the CEO of a chemical testing lab in Ann Arbor, is running as a Democrat. * And while Senate Republicans are rallying behind appointed Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.) ahead of his special election in Alabama, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) is picking up some House supporters: Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) has endorsed his fellow House member’s candidacy.
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
