Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In this week’s congressional special election in Pennsylvania, Conor Lamb (D) appears to have narrowly won, but Republican officials are making plans for a recount and a possible lawsuit.
* Vice President Mike Pence raised money last night for his brother, Greg Pence, who’s running for Congress in Indiana. Because the event was held at the Trump International Hotel in D.C., the president was able to profit from the fundraiser.
* In case there weren’t already enough questions about Donald Trump’s outside legal team, CNBC reports that John Dowd, who’s helping lead the president’s defense team in the Russia scandal, violated election law last year by contributing more to Trump than is legally permitted.
* In Illinois, where Rep. Dan Lipinski (D) is facing a tough Democratic primary in his Chicago-area district, the latest campaign mailer on the congressman’s behalf features a big photo of Barack Obama. As David Axelrod noted, there’s some irony to this: Lipinski, a conservative Democrat, refused to endorse Obama’s 2012 re-election bid.
* In Missouri’s closely watched U.S. Senate race, state Attorney General Josh Hawley (R) is trying to prevent the release of records related to his time as a University of Missouri professor. Some state Democratic lawmakers have asked the state auditor to examine the matter. * Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is facing a credible Democratic rival this year, but as the filing deadline passes, no top-tier Republicans entered the race, * And in case there were any doubts about Tim Pawlenty’s (R) plans in Minnesota, the former governor, who’s spent the last few years lobbying for Wall Street banks, is raising money as part of an effort to reclaim his old job.
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
