We Did it: Election bill gets a vote this week — GOP committees have bigger bank accounts — North Carolina tests Trump’s endorsement power

Jun 21, 2021

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Quick Fix

— Democrats' signature election legislation will get a vote in the Senate this week, though the bill is almost guaranteed to fail.

— The NRSC and the NRCC have more cash in the bank than their Democratic counterparts, according to this month's FEC filings.

— The chaotic Senate primary in North Carolina will test the limits of Donald Trump's post-presidential endorsement.

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Days until the New York mayoral primary: 1

Days until the TX-06 special election runoff: 36

Days until the OH-11 and OH-15 special election primaries: 43

Days until the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial elections and OH-11 and OH-15 special elections: 134

Days until the 2022 midterm elections: 505

Days until the 2024 election: 1,234

TopLine

— Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will force a vote on the all-but-doomed For the People Act
S. 1 (117)/ H.R. 1 (117) this week. Schumer is planning for the vote to take place Tuesday, POLITICO's Burgess Everett reported. The bill is expected to fail, but the vote will get lawmakers on the record opposing or supporting the legislation.

The legislation has been a major source of frustration for Democrats, especially after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) penned an op-ed in a home-state paper pledging to oppose the bill. Even President Joe Biden seemed to call out centrists Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) for opposing pieces of his agenda, and tasked Vice President Kamala Harris with handling the administration's work on voting.

Now, Manchin is trying to piece together a compromise on voting reforms with his Republican counterparts. That seems doomed, too, after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell gave the effort a thumbs down on Thursday, Axios' Oriana Gonzalez reported. For more on Manchin, who has become the swing vote of the Biden era, The Washington Post's Annie Linskey and Mike DeBonis took a look at his political history from Fairmont, W.Va.

At the same time, Republicans have enacted new laws that put new restrictions on voting in more than a dozen states. Election laws have become a campaign pitch on both sides of the aisle after the 2020 election, especially after then-President Donald Trump falsely claimed the election was illegitimate. Democrats Beto O'Rourke of Texas and Rep. Charlie Crist of Florida have embarked on voting tours of their states, while a Wisconsin Republican likely to run for governor listed election reforms as a top priority over the weekend (more on that below).

Still, groups that support the For the People Act are spending heavily to sway Senate lawmakers. End Citizens United and Let America Vote Action Fund are among the top Facebook ads spenders. Over the past week, the group has dropped $78,436 on Facebook ads, part of a $30 million TV, digital and in-person campaign with the National Democratic Redistricting Committee in support of the bill.

More than 70 businesses signed onto a new letter calling on Senate lawmakers to pass the For the People Act. Leaders from Patagonia, Tumblr, Ben & Jerry's and others penned the letter with advocacy groups When We All Vote, Vote.org and Declaration for American Democracy. "We call upon our colleagues in corporate America to join us in taking a nonpartisan stand for a democracy that is inclusive of all Americans," the letter says. And in Manchin's home state, the Poor People's Campaign led a recent "Moral March on Manchin" protest.

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Down the Ballot

THE CASH DASH — The three major Republican committees hold cash advantages over their Democratic counterparts, according to the latest FEC reports. Sunday marked another monthly FEC filing deadline, and we took a peek into committee bank accounts as they gear up for the 2022 midterms. (The reports cover May 1-31).

— DNC: The DNC raised $12.1 million and spent $8.7 million with $59.8 million on hand. (DNC filing).

— RNC: The RNC raised $11.1 and spent $22.7 million with $78.8 million on hand. (RNC filing).

— DSCC: The DSCC raised $7.2 million and spent $7.3 million with $12.6 million on hand. The committee has $8 million in debt. (DSCC filing).

— NRSC: The NRSC raised $10.4 million (including a $5 million transfer from the RNC) and spent $3.9 million with $20.7 million in cash on hand. The committee did not report any debt. ( NRSC filing).

— DCCC: The DCCC raised $9.9 million and spent $6 million with $36.1 million in cash on hand. (DCCC filing).

— NRCC: The NRCC raised $14.1 million and spent $6.1 million with $42.2 million in cash on hand. ( NRCC filing).

— Meanwhile in California, state lawmakers are trying to ban automatic recurring donations, a tactic made famous by Trump last year. POLITICO California's Jeremy White wrote (for Pros) that a new bill would require donors give affirmative consent to automatic donations, and would not allow recurring donations as a default option that donors must opt out of.

LEADING THE PARTY — Trump's early endorsement of GOP Rep. Ted Budd in the high-stakes North Carolina Senate primary is perplexing the state's political class and will provide an early test of the ex-president's endorsement power in the 2022 midterms, POLITICO's Burgess Everett, Melanie Zanona and Olivia Beavers wrote. The March primary to replace Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is one of the earliest contests on the 2022 calendar, and is a key pickup opportunity for Democrats. Burr, who sat for an interview with POLITICO, sees former Gov. Pat McCrory as "the only one in the race that can win the general election" over Budd and former Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.). Even Budd's own internal poll showed him trailing McCrory.

THE MAP LINES — Democrats are facing a redistricting conundrum: They've taken control of legislatures and governorships but ceded redistricting to independent commissions. States like Oregon, Virginia and Colorado shifted to independent processes in a push for good governance and to avoid gerrymandering, but partisan redistricting in red states could hurt their chances at the House majority, POLITICO's Ally Mutnick wrote. "In rabid partisan states that are controlled by Republicans, they're carving up left and right. And we're kind of unilaterally disarming," said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.).

ENDORSEMENT ALERT — Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) will endorse former Rep. Matt Salmon for governor this morning. Salmon launched his campaign to replace term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey last week. "Liberals in Arizona and Washington will stop at nothing to undercut our constitutional freedoms. That is why I am proud to support a proven conservative fighter for governor," said Biggs, who chairs the Freedom Caucus (Salmon was a founding member).

— Trump endorsed Republican Kelly Tshibaka, who is challenging Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), POLITICO's James Arkin wrote. The nod marks the first endorsement of the cycle where Trump is supporting a challenger to a sitting Republican Senator. Murkowski has been a vocal Trump critic in the GOP, and the former president pledged to support any Republican who ran against her. "If you have a pulse, I'm with you!" Trump said last year. Tshibaka is the former state commissioner of administration.

— Trump endorsed New York Republican Vito Fossella for Staten Island borough president, he announced over the weekend. Fossella is a former congressman who retired after a DWI that led to the revelation that he secretly had a child with a retired Air Force officer while he was married.

— Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) endorsed Republican Cory Mills in his campaign for Congress. Mills is one of several Republicans running for Rep. Stephanie Murphy's (D-Fla.) seat in the House. Murphy had been eyeing a Senate seat, but decided to seek reelection when Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) challenged Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

NOTABLE FLOATABLES — Football star Herschel Walker is getting closer to a Senate run in Georgia, if a video he posted to Twitter is any guide. "I'm getting ready," Walker, who lives in Texas, says in the clip as he pans to a Georgia license plate. "And we can run with the big dogs." Walker's post raised eyebrows in Georgia, The New York Times' Richard Fausset wrote, as political watchers wait to see if he will challenge Sen. Raphael Warnock next year. Trump has encouraged Walker to run for Senate in Georgia.

— Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch appears to be gearing up to challenge Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, The Journal Times' Adam Rogan reported. Kleefisch, a Republican, spoke at a Lincoln Day Dinner event in Kenosha over the weekend and dropped hints that she's considering a bid. She said the country would be in a better position if Trump were the president and advocated for new election restrictions.

EXCLUSIVE: STAFFING UP — Brynn Palmen will serve as coordinated director for The Nevada Democratic Victory, the 2022 statewide coordinated campaign in the state. Palmen recently worked for the DSCC and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada).

— The DCCC is growing its leadership team roster with nearly two dozen House members, POLITICO's Ally Mutnick reported. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) will lead recruitment, and Rep. Ami Bera (D-Cali.) will lead incumbent-protection efforts.

— Rhode Island state General Treasurer Seth Magaziner has put together a team of campaign consultants, a sign he plans to run for governor in 2022. Magaziner hired Tad Devine to handle media and advertising and pollster Mark Mellman, among others, WPRI's Ted Nesi reported. Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea is already running to replace now-Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and Gov. Dan McKee is expected to seek a full term.

POLLING POSITION — Two battleground state polls showed Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) in less-than-optimal shape. A Selzer & Co. poll found 64 percent of Iowa voters said they'd like to see Grassley's seat go to someone new, the Des Moines Register's Brianne Pfannenstiel reported. Grassley was elected in 1980. "Given that we're talking about Chuck Grassley and the ratings he used to garner, that is a 'wow,'" Selzer told the paper.

In New Hampshire, Hassan's approval rating is under water according to a Saint Anselm College poll . More voters view Hassan unfavorably (49 percent) than view her favorably (45 percent). GOP Gov. Chris Sununu, who is considering a Senate bid, has approval from 68 percent of voters. Sununu has said he won't decide whether to run for Senate until the fall.

MIDTERM MESSAGING — Republicans plan to make inflation a key issue in next year's midterms, pointing to the rising price of gasoline, groceries and other goods. Consumer prices rose the most this year since 2008, The Associated Press' Will Weissert and Josh Boak wrote, though economists say that's due to the pandemic, and prices are likely to even out. Republicans are hoping to pin the higher prices on Biden's agenda.

DAY IN COURT — Missouri Senate candidate Mark McCloskey pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for brandishing a rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Joel Currier reported. McCloskey must pay a $750 fine after pleading guilty to the fourth-degree assault, and his wife Patricia McCloskey also pleaded guilty and will pay a $2,000 fine. The couple agreed to give up their weapons. The McCloskeys went viral last summer when they were photographed holding their guns during the protest.

BALLOT BATTLE — Local election officials are being stripped of their powers in states across the country under new Republican-backed voting restrictions, The New York Times' Nick Corasaniti and Reid J. Epstein wrote. If the new provisions had been in place in battleground states like Georgia last year, experts say they would have added to the post-election turmoil when Trump falsely claimed the election was rigged. The bipartisan States United Democracy Center estimates Republicans have introduced 216 bills in 41 states that would give state legislators more power over election officials, and 24 have become law in 14 states.

THE BIG APPLE — New York City Democrats Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia formed an unusual alliance in the city's mayoral race this weekend. The city is using ranked-choice voting for the first time which has upended conventional campaigning wisdom. Yang, an entrepreneur, urged his supporters to rank Garcia second on their ballot. Garcia, former city sanitation commissioner, declined to go as far as to give Yang the same support, The New York Times' Emma Fitzsimmons and Jeffery Mays wrote.

But unity between the duo was still enough to draw criticism from Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who "said that the alliance between Mr. Yang and Ms. Garcia was aimed at preventing a 'person of color' from winning the race." Yang fired back by noting he is Asian, and Adams clarified he saw the endorsement as trying to prevent a Black or Latino person from winning the race.

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SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE — The Seattle Times has a rundown of the major candidates running for mayor this year. Mayor Jenny Durkan called off her campaign for a second term at the end of last year, opening up a 15-candidate race.

EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS — Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott followed through on his threat to defund the state legislature after a group of Democrats walked out of session to block a voting bill. Abbott vetoed the budget line item that funds salaries for lawmakers, their staff and other legislative functions beginning in September, the Dallas Morning News' Allie Morris wrote. The decision could be reversed if Abbott brings lawmakers back this summer for a special session. If they do return to Austin, Republicans expect to pass the elections bill.

— The episode is just one example of Abbott rehabilitating his reputation among his GOP base, POLITICO's David Siders wrote , after facing criticism for his Covid-19 restrictions and handling of a deadly storm. Abbott has emerged as a leading critic of the Biden agenda. He recently signed a bill to restrict critical race theory, announced he'd build a border wall and gave the green light to a law that will allow Texans to carry handguns without a license.

— And speaking of Abbott, O'Rourke continues to fuel speculation that he may run against the governor, this time in an interview with People Magazine. "One way or the other, I'm in for the distance for Texas," O'Rourke told the magazine. "That might be as a candidate."

(RE)CALL ME MAYBE — A recall in Arizona just failed, while Pennsylvania lawmakers are squabbling over recall legislation. The Arizona secretary of state's office said an effort to recall state House Speaker Rusty Bowers flopped because the signature sheets didn't have a date-stamped recall application attached to them, which is required by state law. Bowers was gearing up for a recall fight and was surprised by the news, the Arizona Republic's Mary Jo Pitzl reported. The Patriot Party of Arizona launched the recall because Bowers did not support the "audit" of Maricopa County ballots.

Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, a bill to allow voters to recall elected officials was changed by a Republican to only apply to Philadelphia, a city that leans heavily toward Democrats. The amendment passed on a party-line vote, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Chris Brennan and Jonathan Tamari wrote. The recall bill would "amend the Pennsylvania Constitution, so it must be passed in two consecutive legislative sessions and then approved by voters in a statewide referendum."

PAC ATTACK — A complaint alleges former Colorado state Republican Party chair Ryan Call took more than a quarter of a million dollars from a pro-Trump super PAC while he served as its treasurer, according to The Associated Press. The complaint by the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, which regulates state attorneys, claims Call transferred money from the Rebuilding America Now PAC to himself over three years.

CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY — "You come down here and try to interact with people and be nice to people. But this isn't very nice, is it?" — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), after getting booed at a Juneteenth celebration, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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