Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Despite the pandemic, Donald Trump announced plans to hold a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 19. Among the problems: the president will hold a rally on Juneteenth in the same city that had the worst incident of racial violence in American history.
* On a related note, Trump appears likely to accept the Republican nomination in Jacksonville on Aug. 27. As the Washington Post noted, “In Jacksonville, that is the 60th anniversary of Ax Handle Saturday, when a mob of 200 white people chased peaceful civil rights protesters with ax handles and baseball bats.”
* Joe Biden told Comedy Central’s Trevor Noah that his biggest concern about the 2020 race is the prospect of the president trying to “steal” the election.
* In Georgia, it looks like Jon Ossoff (D) cleared the 50% threshold in the state’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary, which means there won’t be a runoff. Ossoff, making his second bid for elected office, will face incumbent Sen. David Perdue (R) in the fall.
* A group of prominent African-American athletes, including LeBron James, have created a new organization called More Than a Vote. The New York Times reported that it will be partly focused on “inspiring African-Americans to register and to cast a ballot in November.”
* With just a few weeks remaining before Utah’s competitive GOP gubernatorial primary, the latest Salt Lake Tribune/Suffolk poll found Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox (R) narrowly leading former Gov. Jon Hunstman (R), 32% to 30%. * On a related note, Hunstman acknowledged publicly yesterday that he’s contracted the coronavirus. In apparent reference to his candidacy, the Utah Republican added, “The work goes on!” * Georgia’s Stacey Abrams told Stephen Colbert yesterday that Joe Biden’s campaign has not reached out to her as part of the vice-presidential vetting process. * Remember former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R), who resigned in disgrace two years ago? Yesterday, the Republican filed to run for statewide office in 2024 — but it’s not clear exactly which office he intends to seek.
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."
Latest Post
Recommended
