Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) ended his struggling presidential campaign yesterday, shrinking the Democratic 2020 field to 18 candidates — which is still the largest ever.
* Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), facing a tough primary challenge in her home district, announced overnight that she’s giving up her U.S. House seat to focus exclusively on her long-shot presidential campaign. This has fueled speculation about a possible third-party bid, but it’s worth noting that Gabbard, a former DNC official, signed the party’s loyalty pledge, just like every other 2020 contender.
* Speaking of the DNC, Democratic officials announced some new details about December’s presidential primary debate, currently scheduled for Dec. 19 in Los Angeles. To participate, candidates will need at least 4% support in four qualifying polls, or 6% support in two early-state polls. Candidates will also need at least 200,00 unique donors, with a minimum of 800 unique donors per state in at least 20 states.
* As of this weekend, the Iowa presidential caucuses are 100 days away. Buckle up.
* For months, Joe Biden’s campaign suggested it did not want or expect support from an independent super PAC. Yesterday, the former vice president’s operation, facing a financial shortfall, softened that position quite a bit. * With just 11 days remaining in Mississippi’s gubernatorial race a Mason-Dixon poll found Tate Reeves (R) with a narrow advantage over Jim Hood (D), 46% to 43%. (It’s worth noting for context that Mississippi has an electoral-college-style model that makes it awfully difficult for a Democrat to win.) * Donald Trump earned a reputation as a deadbeat before taking office, and now that he’s president, it’s notable that his political operation now has over $1 million in outstanding bills to American cities that have hosted Trump events.
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
