We Did it: September 2021

Monday, September 27, 2021

House Democrats’ maneuvers imperil free college, pre-K

Sep 27, 2021

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Editor's note: Weekly Education is a weekly version of POLITICO Pro's daily Education policy newsletter, Morning Education. POLITICO Pro is a policy intelligence platform that combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day's biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.

CONGRESS ON THE EDGE — This week could make or break some of Democrats' most sweeping education proposals, including universal pre-K for the nation's 3- and 4-year-olds and free community college, as the House prepares to take up two huge bills this week: the bipartisan infrastructure framework and Democrats' social spending package.

— House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday evening that while debate on the infrastructure plan will begin today, she plans to bring the infrastructure bill to the floor on Thursday. Moderate lawmakers, meanwhile, have threatened to derail the Democratic spending plan, called the Build Back Better Act, if the separate, bipartisan infrastructure measure is not passed this week. And progressives told reporters last week they would vote against the infrastructure bill unless the Senate has already approved the reconciliation deal.

— All of this has left Pelosi and her leadership team still racing to lock down the votes for both bills, our Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle write. "With just three votes to spare, Democratic leaders are counting on the White House to flex even more whip muscle in their already expansive operation."

IT'S MONDAY, SEPT. 27. WELCOME TO WEEKLY EDUCATION. HAVE WE MET YET? Let's grab coffee. Ping me at bquilantan@politico.com to chat. Send tips to my colleagues Juan Perez Jr. at jperez@politico.com and Michael Stratford at mstratford@politico.com. And follow us on Twitter: @Morning_Edu and @POLITICOPro.

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Students shouldn't pay more for college than they have to, but more and more families are leaving money on the table each year. Nearly a third of students skipped the Free Application from Federal Student Aid or FAFSA^® last year, and the form's complexity is a big reason why. To help students maximize federal financial aid, which is important to do before considering other options, including private student loans, Sallie Mae launched a free suite of financial education tools and planning resources, including a FAFSA support tool that can help families complete the form in minutes. See how Sallie Mae makes sense of the FAFSA.

Pre-K

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Annette Choi/POLITICO Pro DataPoint

QUESTIONS REMAIN ON UNIVERSAL PRE-K — While negotiations with the Senate could still lead to changes in the final bill by the time it reaches President Joe Biden's desk, House Democrats' Build Back Better package currently includes $450 billion for child care and universal pre-K. Even after the bill is passed, though, education experts say many of the details won't be clear until the federal government issues regulations and guidance for implementing those policies.

Establishing a "cohesive system that guarantees access for all for all children is going to take a lot of coordination and collaboration," said Abbie Lieberman, a senior policy analyst at New America.

— The proposal, which Biden officials have touted as a once-in-a-generation investment, is rooted in making early education accessible for all students. The same could be said about how it could applied to pre-K providers as the bill says preschool seats in the program will need to be distributed equitably among child care providers, Head Start programs and schools. A provision specifying the importance of mixed delivery — the capacity to deliver universal preschool instruction through various providers, not just public schools — was an important component of the bill, Lieberman said.

— "It is important that it includes this line about having a mixed delivery system, because there simply isn't space right now in public schools to add pre-K to every single public school," she said. "And I don't think that's what most parents want."

— How it could work: "Congress' timeline is ambitious, but doable," Lieberman said. "It is a federal-state partnership, so the federal government provides 100 percent of the funding for the first two years and then slowly phases it out by 10 percent each year until 2028. ... The idea is that states are able to sustain part of these programs on their own."

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Melissa Jean reads

A parent reads to her son's pre-K class at Phyl's Academy in the Brooklyn borough of New York. | Mark Lennihan, Pool/AP Photo

HOW HEAD START FITS IN — In exchange for federal funding, states must agree to prioritize underresourced communities to make sure kids have access to pre-K, including by making sure Head Start seats are filled. Universal pre-K will also be housed within the Department of Health and Human Services, like Head Start already is, instead of the Education Department (though it will still get some input from that agency).

— "It is very much built around the Head Start model," said Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association. "We need to make sure that the Head Start model is sewn into the fabric of this new system."

— The bill leverages some components of Head Start that have already been proven to be effective, Sheridan said, like its quality standards and requirement of 1020 hours of preschool per year, or about a full school year. "If this bill gets passed the way that it's currently drafted," he added, "it will be something that is very good for probably millions of children and families, especially in the way that it prioritizes the children and families who are the lowest income and highest need."

— Another important provision of the bill would address pay disparities among early education providers, who are often paid less than their K-12 counterparts. Pay has been a longstanding issue in the pre-K realm, leading to shortages in workers and high turnover. "We need to make sure that we're creating career pathways for people to continue to grow," Sheridan said."But if that ladder just means you go to Head Start and then you move up into the K-12 system — that's going to be disruptive, it's going to be also costly."

K-12

MOST K-12 AFT MEMBERS SUPPORT VACCINE MANDATES — About 90 percent of American Federation of Teachers members are vaccinated against the coronavirus, and two-thirds of them support vaccine mandates, according to a survey.

— About 67 percent of K-12 members said they are in favor of requiring all school employees to get vaccinated unless they have a valid medical or religious exemption, while 73 percent support requiring vaccines or a weekly Covid-19 test. Support for a vaccine mandate exceeds 60 percent in every region of the country, according to the union. Educators of color were more in favor of the mandates, with 78 percent of Black members and 73 percent of Hispanic members in support.

REMOTE LEARNING ON THE RISE — Between July and September, the number of districts in the Center on Reinventing Public Education's nationwide review of 100 large and urban school systems offering remote learning more than doubled from 41 to 94. While some states are allowing remote learning this school year, some other states are facing pressure from districts and families to authorize more remote learning options.

— To date, Burbio has identified just under 2,200 in-person school closures (up from just over 2,000 last week) across 539 districts in 43 states. About 74 percent of closures in the last two weeks have involved schools going virtual, while the remaining quarter had to close entirely.

Student Loans

22 ATTORNEYS GENERAL URGE CARDONA TO FIX LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM — Led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the attorneys general sent a letter to the Education Department urging the agency to fix the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which promises educators forgiveness for their student loans in exchange for eligible work as public servants. The AGs argued that the state of the program — nearly all applicants for loan forgiveness are ultimately denied — "compromises our states' ability to recruit and retain" teachers, nurses, public interest attorneys, social workers, first responders and other professionals.

— "Without loan forgiveness, many individuals cannot repay their significant student loan debt while caring for themselves and their families on public service salaries," they wrote. "The inaccessibility of PSLF is particularly harmful given that many states are already experiencing severe shortages in critical public service fields, such as education and medicine."

In Congress

CARDONA, BECERRA HEAD TO SENATE HELP — The Senate HELP committee will hold a hearing on Thursday at 10 a.m. that will focus on school safety and reopening efforts. The hearing will include testimony from Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.

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Movers and Shakers

— Mehul Doshi is joining ACT as its chief product and technology officer. Doshi comes to ACT from Foot Locker, where he was global vice president of mobile and digital experiences.

Syllabus

— 'I Need an Army': Across America, Schools Cram for Their Covid Tests: The New York Times

— San Jose State president faces increased scrutiny in athletic trainer sex abuse case: The Mercury News

— Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate for New York City Teachers Blocked by Federal Judge: The Wall Street Journal

A message from Sallie Mae®:

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA^®, opens the door to $150 billion in federal financial aid, including scholarships, grants, work study, and federal student loans. But too many students and families are missing out on aid because they simply never complete the form. To help simplify the process, Sallie Mae launched a tool that helps students file the FAFSA in minutes, empowering them to make informed choices with confidence. See how Sallie Mae makes sense of college financing.

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The end-of-September redistricting rush

Sep 27, 2021

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By Stephanie Murray

Editor's Note: Weekly Score is a weekly version of POLITICO Pro's daily Campaigns policy newsletter, Morning Score. POLITICO Pro is a policy intelligence platform that combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day's biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.

Quick Fix

— States are bumping up against end-of-September redistricting deadlines — and while some have advanced new political maps, others are gridlocked over how to proceed.

— The GOP-backed Arizona "audit" showed President Joe Biden won the presidential election, but that's not stopping Republicans from pushing for more partisan election reviews to relitigate 2020.

— Democrats are at a stalemate over Biden's agenda in Congress, while the party acknowledges its 2022 midterm success hinges on passing his policy proposals.

Good Monday morning. Email me at smurray@politico.com, and follow me on Twitter at @stephanie_murr.

Email the rest of the POLITICO Campaigns team at sshepard@politico.com, zmontellaro@politico.com and amutnick@politico.com. Follow them on Twitter: @POLITICO_Steve, @ZachMontellaro and @allymutnick .

Days until the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial elections, the OH-11 and OH-15 special elections and the FL-20 special primary: 37

Days until the 2022 midterm elections: 408

Days until the 2024 election: 1,136

TopLine

THE MAP LINES — We've entered the last week of September, meaning states with early redistricting deadlines are racing against the clock to finish their maps. Texas lawmakers are gearing up to release new maps, while Oregon Republicans have frozen the process to protest a congressional map that will benefit Democrats.

Texas: Republicans control the redistricting process in Texas, and lawmakers are finalizing a plan to pack Democrats into three districts centered around major metro areas that saw population growth: Austin, Houston and Dallas. Republicans are limited, however, by the nature of the state's population growth over the past decade, POLITICO's Ally Mutnick reported . The proposed map will likely give "Republicans control of at least two dozen of the state's 38 districts — but it is not expected to significantly reduce Democrats' footprint."

Oregon: Republicans stalled the redistricting process on Saturday, denying state lawmakers the quorum needed to pass new political maps. Democrats offered to make the new congressional maps a bit more even-handed, though they would still likely give the party a 5-1 advantage. The state legislature is running out of time to draw new districts. If lawmakers can't come to an agreement today, the process will be taken over by Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, a Democrat, The Oregonian's Hillary Borrud wrote.

Maine: The state's redistricting commission reached a deal that would move Augusta into the swingy ME-02, the Bangor Daily News' Jessica Piper wrote. The map represents a compromise between Democrats and Republicans, especially since conservatives were able to keep the liberal college town of Waterville out of the 2nd District. The map will head to state lawmakers for approval.

Nebraska: After tense negotiations, state lawmakers advanced political maps on Friday that would keep Rep. Don Bacon's (R-Neb.) home in his congressional district, the Omaha World-Herald's Ryan Hoffman reported. Bacon's NE-02 had been a sticking point in debate over the new congressional maps. Lawmakers face a Sept. 30 deadline to approve a plan.

Colorado: The latest round of political maps released by Colorado's independent redistricting commission could become the state's official political maps, CPR News' Megan Verlee reported. If the commission cannot come to an agreement, the state constitution says a map drawn by nonpartisan staff will be submitted to the state Supreme Court. The draft map that could be sent to the court creates four Democratic seats, three Republican seats and one swing district.

Down the Ballot

THE PROCESS — The results of the partisan 2020 election review in Arizona affirmed Biden's victory in the 2020 election. But Republicans are eager to replicate the Maricopa County "audit" in other states, POLITICO's Zach Montellaro and Meridith McGraw reported. GOP candidates up and down the ballot are calling for more audits, and a September CNN poll showed 78 percent of Republicans say Biden did not win the 2020 election. Fifty-four percent of Republicans believe there is evidence to support that belief.

Former President Donald Trump's push to undermine the 2020 election results "will never be dropped," a Trump aide told Zach and Meridith. "I think he believes it, and number two, it is a rallying point for the base. It's something a lot of his supporters believe in," the aide said, despite the underlying falsehoods.

— Meanwhile in Michigan, Republicans are pledging to increase their poll watching operation, the Detroit Free Press' Paul Egan reported. The state Republican Party held its Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference over the weekend, where Josh Findlay, election integrity director for the RNC, pledged Republicans would also beef up election litigation in future cycles.

One more tidbit from Mackinac Island: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told the crowd there that he hopes Trump runs for president in 2024, per the Detroit News' Craig Mauger.

MIDTERM MESSAGING — The battle in Congress over Biden's agenda could have a major impact on Democrats in the midterms, The New York Times' Jonathan Martin wrote. Progressive and moderate Democrats are feuding over the timing and content of a pair of major bills, while the party acknowledges "the only way Mr. Biden can rebound politically — and the party can retain its tenuous grip on power in the Capitol — is if he and they are able to hold up tangible achievements to voters."

OLD DOMINION — The tight race for governor between Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin has Virginia Democrats sweating, The Associated Press' Sarah Rankin wrote. Although most polls have shown McAuliffe leading the race, the margins are quite close, and enthusiastic Republican voters are turning out for Youngkin events. Youngkin said he's brought together "Forever-Trumpers and Never-Trumpers," Axios' Sarah Mucha reported. During his interview with Axios, Youngkin acknowledged Biden beat Trump in 2020, but did not say whether he would have voted to certify the election results on Jan. 6 if he were a member of Congress.

— For more on the Virginia election, the Richmond Times-Dispatch's Mel Leonor, Michael Martz and Patrick Wilson have a look at the battle for control of the state House of Delegates. Republicans lost ground in the state legislature during the Trump era, but are hopeful they can capitalize on Biden's sinking approval rating to regain the majority.

GETTING IN — Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) will seek reelection, he announced Friday. Grassley's decision to run in 2022 boosts Republicans' hopes of winning back the Senate majority, POLITICO's Burgess Everett wrote. Former Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa) is running against Grassley in 2022. He won reelection to the Senate by 25 points in 2016.

NOTABLE FLOATABLES — Former Pennsylvania state Auditor Eugene DePasquale is preparing a congressional campaign, but the Democrat won't make any announcement until the state's new congressional maps are finalized, the Patriot News' Charles Thompson reported. DePasquale has been raising cash to unseat Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), after losing to him in 2020.

JUST PEACHY — Trump's rally in Georgia on Saturday was largely focused on 2020 election conspiracy theories, and the ex-president knocked GOP Gov. Brian Kemp for refusing to intervene and sway the election last fall, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Patricia Murphy and Greg Bluestein reported. Trump floated Democrat Stacey Abrams as a better choice than Kemp, and gave a shoutout to former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), saying, "Are you running for governor, David Perdue? Did I hear you're running for governor?"

ON THE AIRWAVES — Arkansas Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders is up with a new one-minute ad for her campaign for governor. Huckabee Sanders highlights her father, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, who worked with then-President Bill Clinton during his time in office. Huckabee Sanders also focuses on social issues in the ad, saying, "We don't want our kids living under socialism, cancel culture and big government."

— Speaking of Arkansas, Huckabee Sanders is intentionally nationalizing her bid for office, The Associated Press' Andrew DeMillo wrote. Her campaign fits into a broader trend of statewide elections hinging on national issues in recent years. "It's a sharp contrast with past races for governor in Arkansas, where Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson campaigned on requiring computer science education in schools," for example.

POLL POSITION — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly leads state Attorney General Derek Schmidt in a head-to-head matchup, according to a Clarity Campaign Labs poll commissioned by EMILY's List. Kelly, a first-term Democrat, has 47 percent of support from voters, compared to Schmidt, a Republican, who has 44 percent of support. The poll surveyed 810 registered voters Sept. 13-15.

THE GOLDEN STATE — The race for Los Angeles mayor kicked into gear last week, when Rep. Karen Bass and several other candidates took steps toward launching campaigns, the Los Angeles Times' David Zahniser, Dakota Smith and Benjamin Oreskes wrote. The open-seat race will hinge on major issues like homelessness, law enforcement and the cost of housing.

Bass hasn't launched a campaign yet, but a POLITICO reporter overheard her on a phone call walking out of the House chamber. "I'm going to officially announce a run for mayor," Bass said on the call, per POLITICO's Nicholas Wu.

— Republican Larry Elder lost the California recall, but his political profile grew significantly over the course of the race, POLITICO California's Carla Marinucci wrote. Now, California Republicans must grapple with Elder, who is against raising the minimum wage and supports abortion restrictions, which could drive away moderate voters the way Trump has in the state ahead of the 2022 race for governor.

EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS — Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) is raising questions about actor Matthew McConaughey, a fellow Texan who, like O'Rourke, is considering a bid for governor, the Dallas Morning News' Todd Gillman wrote. "He's a really popular figure whose political views have not in any way been fixed. I don't know, for example, who he voted for in the most consequential election since 1864 in this country," O'Rourke said, in reference to the 2020 election, during the Texas Tribune Festival.

CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY — "Stacey, would you like to take his place? It's OK with me," — Trump, pitching Abrams over Kemp in Georgia, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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Monday, September 20, 2021

Everything’s bigger in Texas

Sep 20, 2021

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By Stephanie Murray

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Editor's Note: Weekly Score is a weekly version of POLITICO Pro's daily Campaigns policy newsletter, Morning Score. POLITICO Pro is a policy intelligence platform that combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day's biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.

Quick Fix

— Texas lawmakers will begin the once-in-a-decade process of redrawing the state's political maps today, while the still-forming race for governor looms.

— The 2020 election was nearly a year ago, but baseless Republican claims that the process was rigged are growing in states across the country.

— Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin are locked in a tight race six weeks out from the Virginia gubernatorial election.

Good Monday morning. Email me at smurray@politico.com, and follow me on Twitter at @stephanie_murr.

Days until the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial elections, the OH-11 and OH-15 special elections and the FL-20 special primary: 43

Days until the 2022 midterm elections: 414

Days until the 2024 election: 1,142

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TopLine

The Texas Capitol is pictured. | Getty Images

Texas will officially begin its redistricting process today. | Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS — The redistricting cycle in Texas officially begins today. Lawmakers will gather for a special session in Austin to redraw the state's political maps, including the state's two new congressional districts. The process will almost surely benefit Republicans, who control the process.

Redistricting will be the latest partisan battle in the Lone Star State, which has prompted national debates over voting rights, abortion and the Covid-19 pandemic over the last several months. People of color fueled Texas' population growth over the last decade, and Democratic groups are already preparing to fight the new map lines in court. Lawmakers released an early draft of the state Senate map that would beef up Republicans' majority in the chamber, the Texas Tribune's Rebekah Allen and James Barragán reported. The new map released Friday "includes 19 senate districts where Trump voters outnumbered Biden voters — up from 16 districts currently."

At the same time, attention is on the still-forming race for governor in Texas. Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) has been calling political allies for advice and leaving them with the impression he'll challenge GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, Axios reported over the weekend, in the latest round of speculation that the former Senate and presidential candidate will take a run at the governors' office.

Speaking of Abbott, his moves on conservative issues, like the state's controversial new abortion law, have left his approval rating underwater and allowed potential Democratic opponents to gain ground, according to a new poll from The Dallas Morning News and University of Texas at Tyler.

Fifty-four percent of Texans said the state was on the wrong track, according to the poll, and only 45 percent approve of Abbott's job performance, The Dallas Morning News' Todd J. Gillman and Emily Caldwell wrote. Abbott's 12-point lead in a hypothetical match-up against O'Rourke shrunk to 5 points in the survey of 1,148 registered voters, conducted Sept. 7-14. The survey was even better for actor and potential candidate Matthew McConaughey, who leads the governor by 9 percentage points in a hypothetical (and perhaps fanciful) matchup.

Abbott has shored up his right flank in recent months. Abbott's primary challengers, former state Sen. Don Huffines and former state Republican Party chair Allen West, have struggled to gain traction in the contest. "In head-to-head matches, Abbott leads Huffines 70-15 and he tops West 65-20," according to the poll.

JOIN THURSDAY FOR A WOMEN RULE CONVERSATION ON ENDING SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE MILITARY: Sexual assault in the military has been an issue for years, and political leaders are taking steps to address it. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) proposed bipartisan legislation to overhaul military sexual assault policies, but still face opposition. Join Women Rule for a virtual interview featuring Sens. Ernst and Gillibrand, who will discuss their legislative push and what it will take to end sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military. REGISTER HERE.

Down the Ballot

2020 VISION — Republicans are using former President Donald Trump's claim that the 2020 election was stolen as a rallying cry and already undermining confidence in future elections, David Siders and Zach Montellaro reported. Republicans like Nevada Senate candidate Adam Laxalt and Pennsylvania gubernatorial hopeful Lou Barletta have cast doubt on the 2022 election, and California recall candidate Larry Elder raised voter fraud suspicions during his campaign.

Claiming the election was rigged may be popular to Trump's base, but it could be a costly strategy for Republicans. The claims depressed GOP turnout in this year's Georgia Senate runoffs, for example. "An erosion in GOP voter confidence in election integrity could once again persuade some of them to stay home in competitive House and Senate races next year — and in the presidential race in 2024 — with nothing less than the balance of power in Washington at risk," David and Zach wrote.

OLD DOMINION — McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin are in a tight race six weeks before Election Day, according to a new Washington Post/Schar School poll, POLITICO's Myah Ward wrote. The survey found McAuliffe had 50 percent of support among likely voters, and Youngkin had 47 percent. The poll was conducted Sept. 7-13 and surveyed 728 likely voters.

— In more Virginia news, McAuliffe is up with a new ad highlighting Youngkin's stances on masks and Covid-19 vaccines. The pair sparred over pandemic policies during their debate last week.

EXCLUSIVE: LEADING THE PARTY — A group that aims to help young candidates in swing districts is launching the new Organize for Democracy Collective and plans to register at least 2 million voters and commit $1 million to candidates during the 2022 midterm cycle. The Next 50 PAC, a left-leaning group which supports "pro-democracy" candidates under the age of 50, also plans to mobilize 450,000 volunteers. The new collective includes groups like Mi Familia Vota, NAACP and March On's Future Coalition.

ENDORSEMENT ALERT — The Democratic Governors Association will endorse New York Gov. Kathy Hochul today. The group is backing the new governor for a full term, after she took the reins following the resignation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

GETTING IN — Former Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) is running for governor, he says in a new campaign video . Heller plans to launch a campaign for governor today in Carson City and will join a crowded race to take on Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak. Heller criticized the governor's positions on mask mandates, defunding the police and pandemic lockdowns in his launch video.

— Ohio Republican Matt Dolan will launch a campaign for Senate today, The Columbus Dispatch's Haley BeMiller reported. Dolan, a moderate, will be the sixth major candidate to enter the Republican primary to replace retiring Sen. Rob Portman. Dolan is a state senator, and his family owns Cleveland's baseball team.

PAC ATTACK — No Better Friend Corp. will kick off a $1.5 million ad blitz in Wisconsin tonight with a minute-long ad during the Green Bay Packers' "Monday Night Football" game against the Detroit Lions. The group, founded by Republican businessperson and Marine veteran Kevin Nicholson, will air ads "aimed at encouraging Wisconsinites to get actively involved in solving the societal challenges that we currently face." Nicholson, who finished second in the 2018 Senate primary, is considering running for Senate or governor.

— Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate Sean Parnell is getting hit by attack ads from a super PAC which supports another Republican candidate, POLITICO's Scott Bland wrote. The pro-Jeff Bartos "Jobs for Our Future" super PAC made a six-figure TV and digital ad buy hitting Parnell. A 60-second ad which aired Saturday, during the Penn State University football game against Auburn University, featured comments Parnell made about women and referenced protective orders Parnell's wife sought against him in 2017 and 2018.

— The second-place finisher in New Jersey's Republican primary for governor launched a new super PAC, POLITICO New Jersey's Matt Friedman wrote (for Pros). Pastor Phil Rizzo, a far-right candidate who lost to GOP nominee Jack Ciattarelli, will use the Jersey Rising super PAC to support candidates with similar ideological views.

NOTABLE FLOATABLES — New York Republican Marc Molinaro filed to run against Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.) and could announce a campaign this week, Spectrum News' Luke Parsnow reported. Molinaro, who serves as Dutchess County executive, was the GOP nominee for governor in 2018.

TRUMP CARD — Trump is looking for a challenger to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, The Wall Street Journal's Michael Bender and Lindsay Wise wrote, but even the former president's top allies are reluctant to oust McConnell from leadership. McConnell has split with Trump on issues like the 2020 election and infrastructure, but their biggest electoral difference has been over Senate candidates. Trump did not confirm whether he was recruiting a McConnell challenger but said Republicans "ought to" kick him out of leadership.

— Speaking of Trump, he endorsed two incumbent lawmakers: Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) and Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), for reelection over the weekend.

EXIT ROW — News that Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) will retire instead of face a Trump-backed challenger in a primary has demoralized Republican moderates, POLITICO's David Siders, Olivia Beavers and Ally Mutnick wrote. The matchup between Gonzalez and Republican Max Miller could have been one of the clearest tests of Trump's post-presidential power in the 2022 midterms. Gonzalez is the first of the 10 House Republicans who voted for Trump's impeachment to announce retirement.

PRIMARY SOURCES — Colorado Republicans will hold primary elections next year, after the state party rejected a push to opt out of primaries, The Colorado Sun's Jesse Paul reported. If the party had nixed primaries, it would have blocked the state's 1.7 million unaffiliated voters from participating in the party's nomination process, and may have violated state law.

THE PROCESS — The results of a partisan 2020 election review in Arizona's Maricopa County are expected Friday, the Arizona Republic reports, after the "audit" stretched on for months longer than planned. Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan will present the findings, along with audit spokesman and fundraiser Randy Pullen and Shiva Ayyadurai, who has pushed election conspiracy theories and conducted a review of signatures on mail-in ballot envelopes.

— Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, Democrats filed a lawsuit to block Republicans from subpoenaing voter records as part of a 2020 election review in the state, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jonathan Lai wrote. The lawsuit alleges the subpoena is unconstitutional because it steps "on the courts' power to investigate and rule on election disputes and on the executive branch's power, given specifically to the state auditor general, to audit how elections are run."

THE EMPIRE STATE — Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), who is running for governor, was diagnosed with leukemia last year, The New York Times' Maggie Haberman reported. Zeldin, who has been receiving treatment, shared news of his illness during an Ontario County Republican Party dinner last week. Zeldin said his diagnosis would not impact his run for governor. He faces Republican Andrew Giuliani in the primary.

THE MAP LINES — Republicans and Democrats are feuding over Oregon's new political maps, The Oregonian's Hillary Borrud and Mark Friesen wrote. State lawmakers are expected to vote on new district lines today, where Democrats have supermajorities in both chambers. Republicans in the state House are united against the proposed maps and could file an appeal to the state Supreme Court, (or in the case of the congressional map, a panel selected by the court's top justice) if Democrats pass them. Oregon will gain a congressional seat this cycle.

JUST PEACHY — Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams does not have to hand over records from her 2018 campaign, a Fulton County judge ruled on Thursday, because a subpoena issued by the state ethics commission was too broad. Abrams has already given records to the commission, after being accused of illegally coordinating with groups during her bid for governor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's James Salzer reported. Abrams is expected to run against GOP Gov. Brian Kemp next year.

— The former leader of the state Republican Party is demanding the state party repay him for legal fees linked to a racial discrimination complaint from a former staffer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Greg Bluestein wrote. "John Padgett wants the state party to pay him more than $230,000 for legal costs he said he incurred related to the lawsuit filed by Qiana Keith, a former Georgia GOP staffer who claimed her co-workers had referred to her with a racial slur and humiliated her," according to Bluestein. The party has racked up $1 million in legal fees and other costs to settle the complaint.

CODA — HEADLINE OF THE DAY — "Philly DA Larry Krasner won't debate his Republican challenger, calling it 'a waste of time'" — Philadelphia Inquirer

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