Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* As expected, Republican Sen. Rick Scott endorsed Donald Trump’s comeback bid, snubbing Gov. Ron DeSantis, who succeeded Scott in Florida’s gubernatorial office.
* In North Carolina, now that state House Speaker Tim Moore has successfully approved a gerrymandered congressional map, the Republican legislator has reportedly decided to run for Congress.
* In Arkansas, the latest statewide polling, conducted by the political science department at the University of Arkansas, found Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders with a 48% approval rating. That’s not necessarily bad, though Axios noted it’s the lowest for any Arkansas governor in 20 years.
* DeSantis was asked on MSNBC whether his party should nominate Trump if the former president is convicted of a felony. “Do I think somebody under those circumstances could get elected president? The answer is no,” the governor replied, adding, “It would be fatal in a general election.”
* Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has faded in recent weeks, but the entrepreneur hopes to change that with a $10 million ad buy in Iowa and New Hampshire. * President Joe Biden’s political operation is generally steering clear of the No Labels organization, but former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not. “No Labels is perilous to our democracy,” the California Democrat told reporters this week. * And Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips is apparently moving forward with his presidential campaign, and this week the Minnesotan hosted his first town-hall event in New Hampshire. To put it mildly, he did not receive a warm welcome.
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."
Latest Post
Recommended
