Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Late Friday, in a 2-1 ruling, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Texas’ voter-ID law, concluding that it does not discriminate against racial and ethnic minorities.
* As the scandals surrounding Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R) intensify, his approval rating is falling: the latest statewide poll puts the Republican governor’s support at just 37%. That said, despite his recent felony indictments, 57% of Missouri Republicans continue to approve of Greitens.
* In a surprise move, Richard Painter, a longtime Republican who served as George W. Bush’s chief ethics lawyer, has decided to switch parties and will run for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota as a Democrat. Painter will apparently run in a primary against appointed Sen. Tina Smith (D).
* Behind the scenes, Republican leaders are reportedly telling Donald Trump the party is poised to suffer significant losses in the midterm elections, and control of Congress is in jeopardy. The president refuses to believe them.
* Ohio is poised to host a congressional special election primary in the race to replace former Rep. Pat Tiberi (R), but Republicans are sharply divided. Melanie Leneghan enjoys the backing of Rep. Jim Jordan (R), the co-founder of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, while state Sen. Troy Balderson (R) has the support of Tiberi. * Charlotte is apparently making a concerted effort to host the Republican National Convention in 2020, and according to the Charlotte Observer, very few other cities are even bothering to compete. * And in Massachusetts, where Gov. Charlie Baker (R) is heavily favored to win a second term, the governor will not avoid a primary. At the Massachusetts Republican convention over the weekend, right-wing pastor Scott Lively needed just 15% support to force Baker into a statewide primary, and Lively ended up with nearly 28%.
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." Recommended
