Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In Virginia, the Republican field of gubernatorial candidates for this year’s election was effectively limited to incumbent Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. That’s changed a lot in recent days, as former state Sen. Amanda Chase, who describes herself as “Trump in heels,” joined the GOP race.
* In related news, a day before Chase’s candidacy got underway, Dave LaRock, another former Virginia lawmaker, also kicked off a Republican gubernatorial campaign. The primary election is scheduled for June.
* In Georgia, Kandiss Taylor ran an ill-fated gubernatorial campaign in 2022, relying on a “Jesus, Guns and Babies” slogan. Now, the Republican is launching a 2026 congressional campaign in Georgia’s 1st District.
* In Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro easily defeated Republican Doug Mastriano in their 2022 race, winning by nearly 15 points. Looking ahead to Shapiro’s re-election bid, however, Mastriano is reportedly eyeing a rematch, which the incumbent would probably see as good news.
* Facing a potential far-right rival in Louisiana, incumbent Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy is boasting about a recent poll showing him with a 69% approval rating among GOP voters in the Pelican State. The trouble is, most senators have higher approval ratings among voters in their own party, especially the year before an election. * Donald Trump claimed this week that election officials in California “just finished up” the vote-tallying process. In reality, the state’s election results were certified in December. * And in Florida, James Uthmeier, who ran Gov. Ron DeSantis’ failed Republican presidential race, has received a big promotion: Uthmeier has gone from serving as the governor’s chief of staff to becoming the state’s new attorney general.
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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