Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* On the heels of Bernie Sanders’ campaign shaking up its staffing in New Hampshire, the Vermont senator’s operation has also parted ways with its political director in Iowa.
* The latest national Fox News poll found Joe Biden leading the Democrats’ 2020 field with 29% support, followed by Sanders at 18% and Elizabeth Warren at 16%. Sen. Kamala Harris was fourth with 7%, followed by Pete Buttigieg at 5% and Beto O’Rourke at 4%.
* In hypothetical general-election match-ups, the same poll also found Biden leading Donald Trump by 14 points (52% to 38%), while Sanders leads the president by eight (48% to 40%) and Warren leads by six (46% to 40%).
* With Kamala Harris’ campaign struggling to reach the top tier, Politico reports that the senator’s operation is shifting to “a new Iowa-or-bust strategy.”
* It looks like North Carolina will be home to another competitive U.S. Senate race next year: Public Policy Polling found Cal Cunningham (D) with a slight lead over incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis (R), 45% to 43%, * It looks like Massachusetts will be home to a tough Democratic Senate primary next year, with Rep. Joe Kennedy (D) taking on incumbent Sen. Ed Markey (D). Kennedy will reportedly kick off his statewide campaign this weekend. * And political consultant Kelley Rogers pleaded guilty to wire fraud yesterday as part of a federal case against his fraudulent political action committees. Rogers’ operation targeted conservative donors, encouraging them to donate to entities such as the Conservative Majority Fund, which raised millions of dollars, most of which ended up in the pockets of Rogers and his business partners.
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
