Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* When Donald Trump makes the pitch for tax reform in North Dakota today, he’ll be joined by Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), who’s up for re-election in this red state next year, and who’ll be on hand for the presidential event. It’s worth noting for context that Trump won North Dakota last year by more than 30 points.
* Though the White House has started to hedge on its support of Sen. Luther Strange (R) in Alabama’s Republican Senate primary, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) continues to rally behind the appointed incumbent, and will headline a high-dollar fundraiser for Strange tomorrow.
* It was a safe bet that David Clarke, who resigned his law enforcement position last week, would end up somewhere in Trump World, and it now appears the controversial former Milwaukee County Sheriff has signed on with a pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action.
* The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a lower court’s injunction yesterday and agreed to allow Texas to continue enforcing its controversial voter-ID law. A federal district court ruling recently said Texas’ law amounted to a “poll tax” on minority voters.
* Speaking of the Lone Star State, former Rep. Pete Gallego (D-Texas), after losing two tough races against Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas), announced yesterday he will not try again in 2018. * Politico reports that Democrats are launching a new super PAC this week called Forward Majority, which will focus on “winning back state legislatures ahead of the next round of redistricting in 2021.” The project is reportedly being run in part by “a group of Barack Obama campaign alums.” * And in Hawaii, Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D) is apparently giving up her seat and will take on incumbent Gov. Dave Ige (D) in a 2018 primary. Democrats are optimistic about keeping Hanabusa’s seat “blue” 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
