Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Joining a sizable list of large companies, Google will reportedly end campaign contributions to Republicans who voted against certifying President Joe Biden’s victory on Jan. 6.
* With Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) announcing his retirement yesterday, there are now three Senate Republican incumbents stepping down next year, each in relatively competitive states: Ohio’s Portman, Pennsylvania’s Pat Toomey, and North Carolina’s Richard Burr. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), meanwhile, reiterated yesterday that he hasn’t yet decided to seek a third term.
* On a related note, Portman’s announcement jolted the political landscape in his home state, with four incumbent House Republicans — David Joyce, Steve Stivers, Mike Turner, and Brad Wenstrup — expressing interest in the 2022 race. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is also widely seen as a likely contender.
* Among Ohio Democrats, meanwhile, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) is, not surprisingly, expressing interest in a Senate campaign, as is Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio.).
* The latest national Monmouth poll found 56% support for Donald Trump’s impeachment, higher than the 53% who supported the Republican’s impeachment the first time. The same poll found that 54% of Americans are “very confident” that the 2020 election was conducted fairly and accurately. That’s up from 44% a few months ago. * Believe it or not, the leadership of the Oregon Republican Party formally approved a resolution calling the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol a “false flag operation” hatched by the left. As the Oregonian reported, the crackpot resolution “cited a variety of right-wing pundits and publications that have advanced the same theories.” * And in New Jersey, Republican Joe Vicari has withdrawn from this year’s gubernatorial race, just two weeks ago state Republican Party Chairman Doug Steinhardt ended his candidacy. New Jersey is one of two states that will hold gubernatorial elections this year. Incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is seeking a second term.
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
