Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* There will be four state legislative special elections in Missouri today. All four seats were recently represented by Republicans.
* Speaking of Missouri, intra-party questions about state Attorney General Josh Hawley’s (R) Senate candidacy have reached the point that some GOP officials have reached out to Rep. Ann Wagner (R), asking her to reconsider her decision not to run.
* And in case that weren’t enough news about the Show-Me State, a grand jury is reportedly hearing evidence in a case against Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R), who’s been caught up in a sex/blackmail scandal.
* In Pennsylvania’s congressional special election, the national Republican Party has reportedly “deployed its full arsenal” ahead of March 13. By one count, GOP-allied groups have outspent their Democratic counterparts in this race by a 17-to-1 margin.
* Former Rep. Michele Bachman (R-Minn.), who had said she was waiting for divine guidance on whether to run for the Senate this year, announced yesterday that she’s skipping the race. * Though there were no real doubts about his plans, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) officially filed for re-election yesterday. It means that we now know there will be no Senate Democratic retirements this cycle. * The Columbus Dispatch reports today, “Republicans, Democrats and a coalition of redistricting-reform advocates reached a deal to put a proposal on the May ballot aimed at curtailing partisan gerrymandering of Ohio’s congressional map.” * And the HuffPost raised an interesting observation about 2018 candidates with a scientific background: “More than 60 researchers and technologists are running for federal office in 2018 as part of a historic wave of candidates with science backgrounds launching campaigns.”
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
