Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* TPM reported this morning that the 21 members of Alabama’s Republican Party central steering committee will hold a meeting this week to further explore Roy Moore’s fate.
* Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), who ran against Moore in Alabama’s Senate Republican primary, announced last night that he isn’t wavering in his support for Moore candidacy.
* On the other hand, Alabama’s senior U.S. senator, Republican Richard Shelby, said yesterday it’d be “easier” for everyone if Moore stepped aside. Shelby also suggested Attorney General Jeff Sessions (R), whose seat voters will soon fill, could be a write-in candidate for Republicans to rally behind.
* Meanwhile, Moore’s Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, has a new television ad featuring Republican voters saying on camera that they won’t support Moore’s candidacy. Alabama’s special election is four weeks from today.
* Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) announced yesterday that he’ll retire at the end of this term. Green represents Texas’ 29th district, which is heavily Democratic, and which appears unlikely to be competitive for Republicans next year. * The latest from Virginia: “It has been almost a week since Election Day and the control of the Virginia House of Delegates is still in question. Possible recounts for a few seats could swing the majority. Right now, Republicans appear to hold a 51-to-49 lead. Whether they will hold on to the edge is still to be determined.” * The New York Times quoted a University of Chicago law professor and an expert on gerrymandering this week saying that Democratic House candidates may get 54% of the vote nationally next year and still end up in the minority.
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
