Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* With California hosting a massive presidential primary early next year, 14 presidential hopefuls attended the California Democratic Party’s convention over the weekend. It was, by all accounts, a rather raucous affair.
* At a Fox News town-hall event last week, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said, “We want women to have a seat at the table.” Host Chris Wallace asked the presidential candidate, “What about men?” to which the New York Democrat replied, “They’re already there — do you not know?”
* Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a prominent Democratic presidential contender, has begun fleshing out his plan to overhaul the U.S. Supreme Court. Under his vision, the high court would have 15 members: five justices affiliated with Democrats, five affiliated with Republicans, and five chosen by the other 10.
* In case there were lingering doubts, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) ruled out the possibility of a 2020 presidential campaign over the weekend. Hogan had considered taking on Donald Trump in a Republican primary.
* On a related note, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) late last week also said there’s “no path” for him to defeat his party’s president in 2020. * In one of this year’s most closely watched contests, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) is one of the nation’s most unpopular governors, but he may win re-election anyway because he’s a Republican. * In Montana last week, the conservative Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC that helps Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate, launched a new ad attacking Gov. Steve Bullock (D). That wouldn’t be especially notable except for the fact that Bullock is running for president, not the Senate, though the SLF apparently isn’t convinced about his 2020 electoral plans.
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
