Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In runoff primaries yesterday, six incumbent Republicans in Oklahoma’s state legislature were voted out. The Associated Press noted that all six “voted against a tax hike used to fund a teacher pay raise.” The report added, “Of the 19 House Republicans who voted against the tax hike, eight have now been defeated. Seven others decided not to run. Only four have advanced to the general election.”
* Donald Trump claimed this morning that Sen. Jeff Flake (R) tried to endorse Rep. Martha McSally (R) in Arizona’s Senate race, but she “turned it down.” Flake quickly explained that the president’s claim is made-up.
* In Wisconsin, a new Suffolk poll conducted for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found Tony Evers (D) with a slight edge over incumbent Gov. Scott Walker (R), 46% to 44%.
* The same poll found incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) leading her Republican challenger, Leah Vukmir, 50% to 42%.
* In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer running as a Democrat against Rep. Dave Brat (R), is accusing the Congressional Leadership Fund of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance application. The New York Times reported that the application is a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information, and Spanberger has asked the Republican super PAC, closely affiliated with House GOP leaders, to destroy all copies of the document. * The Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity is investing nearly $5 million in another round of anti-Democrat attack ads, this time targeting Sen. Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin, Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri, and former Gov. Phil Bredesen who’s running for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee. * And though there was some question about his future plans, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) announced the other day that he is running for re-election. Note, the Bluegrass State has off-year elections, which means Bevin will seek a second term next year.
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
