Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Republican Michael Cloud easily won a congressional special election in Texas over the weekend, and will replace disgraced former Rep. Blake Farenthold (R). But Cloud’s term will be brief: his re-election bid is just a few months away.
* Though California’s 22nd congressional district isn’t seen as one of the most competitive in the state this year, a new Public Policy Polling survey found Rep. Devin Nunes (R) leading his Democratic challenger, Andrew Janz, by a modest eight points, 49% to 41%.
* In Virginia, where Senate hopeful Corey Stewart is the top GOP candidate on the ballot in the commonwealth this year, the Washington Post reports that “some donors and activists saying they are so turned off that they are willing to vote for his Democratic opponent, Sen. Tim Kaine.”
* Politico reports that Illinois Republicans missed multiple opportunities to stop an actual Nazi from becoming the GOP candidate in the 3rd congressional district, and some Illinois Republicans fear his extremism “poses a threat to the party up and down the ticket.”
* Fox News’ Sean Hannity will be in Tampa today, hitting the campaign trail in support of Rep. Ron DeSantis (R), Donald Trump’s preferred candidate in this year’s gubernatorial race, and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R), who is seeking a second term. * Richard Painter, the Bush/Cheney ethics lawyer who switched parties and is running for the Senate in Minnesota, argued over the weekend that the circumstances surrounding Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement “must be investigated by the Senate Judiciary Committee before any replacement is considered.” Painter added, “The Constitution does not give Trump the power to use underhanded means to induce Supreme Court resignations.” For the record, I’m not aware of evidence pointing to Trump using any underhanded means. * And though there’s been some chatter of late about former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg running for national office as a Democrat, Bloomberg reportedly hosted a re-election fundraiser at his home last week in support of Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.).
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
