Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* According to a report in the Topeka Capital-Journal, freshman Rep. Steve Watkins (R-Kan.) listed a UPS Store on his election documents and voter-registration form as his residential address. The article added that the Kansas Republican is facing allegations of “voter fraud under federal law and election perjury under state statute.”
* Speaking of Kansas, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, despite being tarnished by the Ukraine scandal, has reportedly taken steps to line up financial support for a possible U.S. Senate campaign. The Republican’s efforts have reportedly included outreach to Sheldon Adelson and Charles Koch, the latter of whom is a Kansan who’s supported Pompeo’s elections in the past.
* VoteVets, the nation’s largest progressive group of veterans, announced its endorsement this morning for Pete Buttigieg’s Democratic presidential campaign. The mayor is one of only two military veterans running in 2020.
* In Texas, state Rep. Rick Miller (R) lost his party’s support after making controversial comments about his Asian-American primary rivals, and this morning, the Republican state lawmaker ended his re-election bid altogether.
* And speaking of the Lone Star State, a Beacon Research poll in Texas showed Sen. John Cornyn (R) with a narrow lead in a hypothetical match-up against former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D), 46% to 42%. The same poll, however, found the Republican incumbent with double-digit leads over the Democrats who are actually in the race. * After Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) exited the presidential race yesterday, Donald Trump taunted her on Twitter. The Democratic senator responded soon after, “Don’t worry, Mr. President. I’ll see you at your trial.” * On a related note, a Twitter account managed by Trump’s re-election campaign credited Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), another 2020 presidential candidate, with Kamala Harris’ departure.
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
