Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* President Joe Biden hasn’t had much to say about New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) scandals, but he told ABC News that if allegations against the governor are confirmed, Cuomo should resign — and may even face prosecution.
* The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported yesterday that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) is restoring the voting rights of 69,000 Virginians “who completed their prison sentences for a felony but remain under probation — a change in the state’s policy that he said will help people fully re-enter society.”
* Now that she’s been confirmed as the nation’s new Interior secretary, Deb Haaland resigned yesterday as a member of Congress, effective immediately. Her departure from Capitol Hill means that the U.S. House now has 219 Democrats, 211 Republicans, and five vacancies.
* With Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) retiring next year, how nervous are Republicans about former Gov. Eric Greitens (R) running for the seat? Politico reported that national GOP leaders “say they aren’t ruling out taking aggressive steps to stop Greitens from winning the nomination, including waging a slashing advertising campaign against him.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s political operation is already involved in the process.
* In Iowa, the latest Des Moines Register poll found Joe Biden’s favorability rating in the state has climbed to 51%, up from 43% last fall. The Democratic president lost Iowa by roughly eight points. * There’s no reason to assume that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) will depart the Senate before her term ends in 2024, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) considered the hypothetical this week and vowed to appoint a Black woman to the seat in the event of a vacancy. * And in case things haven’t been quite messy enough for Arizona Republicans lately, the Associated Press reports that two candidates for the state GOP’s executive committee, both of whom lost in January, “are suing state party Chair Kelli Ward to force an audit of the results.” The lawsuit was filed late last week in Maricopa County and seeks a court order requiring an audit of the results.
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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