Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In the latest national Pew Research Center poll, Joe Biden narrowly leads Donald Trump, 47% to 45%.
* Though it may seem early, the former vice president acknowledged yesterday that he’s begun to assemble a post-election transition team in order to be fully prepared in the event of his victory. It’s worth noting for some historical context that Ronald Reagan did the same thing in April 1980.
* There are U.S. Senate races in Kentucky, South Carolina, Kansas, Maine, Colorado, and Arizona this year with two things in common: they each feature a Republican incumbent, and each of those sitting GOP senators were outraised by their Democratic counterparts in the first quarter of 2020.
* Though prospective vice presidential candidates tend to play a delicate dance — expressing interest in the job, without expressing too much interest — Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) acknowledged during an MSNBC interview yesterday that she’d be “honored” to serve if asked.
* Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), arguably Congress’ most conservative Democrat, acknowledged yesterday that he’s going to support Biden’s presidential campaign.
* The Trump campaign this week sued an NBC affiliate in Wisconsin for airing a commercial that quotes the president in a way the campaign didn’t like. Priorities USA Action, the Democratic super PAC responsible for the ad, vowed yesterday to fight back in support of its message. * Gallup showed Trump’s approval rating jumping to an all-time high of 49% in March, but in the pollster’s latest report, the president’s support had dipped back down to 43%. * Wisconsin state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, who badly lost his election last week, is signaling his intention to participate in a voter-purge case ahead of his departure. Kelly, a conservative, had previously recused himself hearing the case. * And speaking of the Badger State, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) had expressed interest in delaying the May 12 congressional special election in the state’s 7th district, but the governor’s legal counsel said yesterday that the election is likely to stick to the current schedule. The 7th district was represented by Republican Sean Duffy, who stepped down late last year.
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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