Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* The House Republicans’ retirement problem continues: Rep. Paul Cook (R) from California’s 8th district announced yesterday he won’t seek re-election next year.
* Though Republicans complained yesterday that Democrats had organized a “political” hearing with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, Lewandowski teased his possible U.S. Senate campaign during one of the hearing’s breaks.
* As Rachel noted on last night’s show, the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Joe Biden leading the national race for the Democratic nomination with 31%, followed by Elizabeth Warren with 25%. Bernie Sanders was third with 14%, and Pete Buttigieg, with 7%, was the only other candidate above 5%.
* Speaking of polls, the latest Emerson survey of California Democrats found Biden and Sanders tied at 26% each, with Warren close behind at 20%. In her home state, Kamala Harris was further back, with 6%.
* On a related note, Bill de Blasio’s Democratic presidential campaign is struggling with the voters who presumably know him best: the latest polling shows him with 0% support in both New York City and the state of New York. * There aren’t many Democrats who hold statewide office in Iowa, but state Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald is one of them, and yesterday he threw his support behind Elizabeth Warren. * And in Massachusetts, state Treasurer Deb Goldberg (D) filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission this week, positioning her for a run in the 4th congressional district. That wouldn’t be especially notable, except Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III (D) currently represents that district, suggesting Goldberg expects Kennedy to give up his seat to run for the Senate.
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
