Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Donald Trump seemed quite certain earlier this year that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp would lose his re-election bid. That now appears unlikely: The latest Monmouth University poll found 55% of Georgians are prepared to support the Republican incumbent, while 43% are prepared to back Stacey Abrams, Kemp’s Democratic rival.
* Speaking of Georgia, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is no longer holding back in its criticisms of Republican Senate hopeful Herschel Walker. A new ad launched by the party takes aim at Walker’s scandal-plagued past, including allegations of domestic violence and the former athlete’s history of brazen dishonesty.
* Democrats appear all but certain to flip partisan control of Maryland’s gubernatorial office: A new Baltimore Sun poll showed Wes Moore with a big lead over Republican Dan Cox, 58% to 27%.
* On a related note, a video emerged last week in which Cox was seen accepting a gift from the right-wing Proud Boys organization. The GOP candidate soon after tried to distance himself from the extremist group.
* If Democrats are going to fare well in this year’s midterm elections, the party is going to need strong turnout from young voters. It’s against this backdrop that Politico reported, “Add this to the list of Democratic worries ahead of the midterms: Younger voters — a cornerstone of the party’s electoral coalition — make up a smaller share of early and absentee voters so far than they did in 2020.” * In the state of Washington, incumbent Democratic Sen. Patty Murray is favored to win re-election, but as polls show a tightening race, the senator’s allies — including Women Vote, a super PAC affiliated with EMILY’s List — are starting to invest in the race. * As New York’s gubernatorial race grows more competitive, the state Board of Elections has launched an investigation, examining whether Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin ran afoul of state law by coordinating with super PACs supporting his candidacy. * On a related note, a super PAC supporting Herschel Walker’s candidacy is also now facing an investigation over its giveaways to potential voters over the summer.
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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