Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Another setback for Texas Republicans: “The state of Texas is on an impressive losing streak in court. On Thursday evening, a three-judge panel of a federal district court in San Antonio found that the state House district map purposefully undercut the voting power of African American and Latino voters — the ninth racial discrimination case the state has lost since 2011 and the fourth in just over a week.”
* Former President Barack Obama hasn’t played much of a role in electoral politics this year, but he did throw this support this week behind St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman (D), whose election is on Tuesday in Florida.
* Eric Trump, who’s ostensibly steering clear of politics while helping run his father’s business, was a featured speaker last night at the RNC Summer Meeting in Nashville. [Correction: I thought he was speaking tonight, but it was last night.]
* On a related note, top officials from Trump’s campaign committee will also be on hand in Nashville, talking about RNC members with the president’s 2020 bid in mind.
* It’s not exactly a secret that Sen. Susan Collins (R) is interested in Maine’s gubernatorial race next year, and the senator said yesterday she’ll announce her plans by the end of September. * On a related note, Maine’s current governor, the perpetually controversial Paul LePage (R), said yesterday he believes it’s “highly unlikely” Collins could “win a Republican primary.” * Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a popular target for Trump criticisms, was asked yesterday whether he believes the president will face a primary rival in 2020. “I think that certainly depends on him,” Flake said before adding that Trump seems to be “inviting” a rival. * And speaking of 2020, this seems like a bad idea: “Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) — ‘the Johns,’ as insiders are calling them — have been making a flurry of joint appearances to talk about state-driven improvements to health care. But Axios has learned that their duet is part of an alliance that’s gaining momentum toward a possible joint independent bid for president in 2020, likely with Kasich at the top of the ticket:”
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
