Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In a bit of a surprise, Rep. Jim Jordan (R) has decided not to run for Ohio’s open U.S. Senate seat next year and will instead seek re-election in 2022. Rumor has it he’s instead eyeing a House GOP leadership post, especially with Republicans optimistic about reclaiming the House majority after next year’s midterm elections.
* On a related note, Rep. Ken Buck (R) announced this morning that he won’t take on incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet (D) in Colorado next year. Buck will seek re-election to the House.
* Despite recent efforts from GOP leaders to reduce intra-party conflict, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) traveled to Wyoming yesterday to criticize Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) to her own constituents. The congresswoman has been under intense pressure from the far-right after voting to impeach Donald Trump earlier this month.
* On a related note, former Trump aide Corey Lewandowski has formed a new political entity to raise money for a Republican rival to take on Cheney in Wyoming.
* The Associated Press reported that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) “refused to acknowledge” yesterday that President Joe Biden won in a free and fair election. * While quite a few members of Team Trump have struggled to find good jobs, freshman Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) announced this week that he’s hired 13 former Trump administration officials to work for him. * And while it’s unlikely we’ll ever see a poll in which Congress is popular, a new national Monmouth poll found the institution with a 35% approval rating — up from 23% in the fall. In fact, this is the most popular Congress has been in any national Monmouth poll since the pollster started asking the question in 2013.
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."
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