June 12, 2020 Press Releases

DSCC FRIDAY TAKEAWAYS: “PROBLEMS FOR REPUBLICAN INCUMBENTS”—#GASEN RACE HEATS UP AS OSSOFF ADVANCES TO FACE PERDUE—COOK MOVES #AKSEN TOWARDS DEMS

“PROBLEMS FOR REPUBLICAN INCUMBENTS.” NBC News reported that “problems for Republican incumbents” coupled with impressive Democratic challengers, record-breaking grassroots fundraising, and a clear focus on defending health care protections have expanded opportunities across the map. Nonpartisan election analysts have already moved the overall Senate battle to an increasingly competitive toss-up and are now saying “I would rather be the Democrats than Republicans right now.”

NEW DSCC ONLINE HUB: FLIPTHESENATE.COM. This week, the DSCC launched FlipTheSenate.com — a one-stop shop over the next five months for voters to engage with Democratic campaigns across the Senate battlefield, donate directly to candidates, and sign up to volunteer for campaigns. The new website also shares information on why Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans need to be defeated in 2020, spotlighting their records attacking health care and rewarding corporate special interests instead of hardworking families. Check out the website here.

JON OSSOFF ADVANCES TO GENERAL ELECTION. Democrats continue to expand the Senate map this week with Jon Ossoff’s strong victory in Georgia. Despite the alarming barriers to voting access many Georgians faced on Election Day, a surge of Democratic enthusiasm resulted in an over 22% percent increase in turnout. And the momentum is on Democrats’ side to win this race: Jon outraised incumbent Senator David Perdue in the pre-primary fundraising period, a slew of recent polls have found the race is now a dead heat, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report recently upgraded the race in Democrats’ direction. Even Senator Perdue has admitted “the state of Georgia is in play” because of Democratic enthusiasm.

RATINGS CHANGE: COOK POLITICAL REPORT SHIFTS ALASKA SENATE RATING IN DEMOCRATS’ FAVOR. Cook Political Report moved the Alaska Senate Race from Solid to Lean Republican, pointing to a strong challenger in Dr. Al Gross, who has outraised Dan Sullivan. Cook Political’s newest ratings change is just the latest example of the Senate map shifting in Democrats’ direction. In March, Cook Political Report wrote that “the chances of Democrats taking back the Senate are rising,” pointing to “now several plausible paths” Democrats have to flip the seats needed to win the majority in November.

SENATE REPUBLICANS DODGE QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUMP’S “BASELESS” TWEET. Once again, vulnerable Senate Republicans on the ballot in November are refusing to condemn Trump –– this time feigning ignorance and dodging questions about Trump’s peddling of conspiracy theories about a 75-year-old peaceful protester who remains in the hospital after he was violently injured, even when reporters printed out Trump’s conspiracy tweet for them to read.

This latest cowardice displayed by Senate Republicans is unsurprising –– a recent report noted that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told his caucus that “they couldn’t abandon Trump” even as a Washington Post report revealed how Republicans are “raising alarms” that President Trump’s failed responses to the coronavirus pandemic and protests against racial injustice are hurting their electoral prospects in November. Despite Republicans’ hand-wringing over Trump, the NRSC asserted in April that “there is no daylight” between themselves and the White House.

Vulnerable incumbent Senator Susan Collins is a prime example of the tightrope Republicans are trying to (unsuccessfully) walk: she won’t say if she’ll vote for Trump, but she supports his agenda and refuses to condemn his conspiracy tweet.

GOP SENATORS DISAPPEAR TRUMP FROM 2020 ADS… BUT STILL WON’T STAND UP TO HIM. And in yet another unsurprising example of political cowardice, a review by The Daily Beast of TV ads from vulnerable Republican incumbents found a “larger trend” that Trump has “all but disappeared” from their campaign messages in paid advertising. Republicans including Senator Thom Tillis, Senator Cory Gardner, Senator Susan Collins, Senator Martha McSally, and failed politician John James are looking to avoid reminding voters of their support for Trump’s agenda as the president tanks in the polls in their respective states, but all still refuse to hold him accountable for his failed leadership.

GARDNER, DAINES ATTEMPT TO GREENWASH RECORDS BUT “HAVE BACKED TRUMP’S ANTI-CONSERVATION AGENDA AT EVERY TURN.” Senators Steve Daines and Cory Gardner have repeatedly failed to stand up for public lands but are now trying to greenwash their records ahead of tough elections where both “are at real risk of losing their seats.” The latest desperate political ploy by Mitch McConnell to hand a political gift to two vulnerable incumbents to save his majority will not erase Daines and Gardner’s long records of voting to gut clean air and water protections and selling out public lands. They’ve voted to cut funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and supported appointees who’ve overseen the largest rollback of protected public lands in U.S. history and dismantled major policies to fight climate change. This stunt has exposed how Senators Cory Gardner and Steve Daines “are relatively new to the fight” to protect our public lands and “have backed Trump’s anti-conservation agenda at every turn.”

New York Times: Senate Moves Toward Preserving Public Lands, and Political Careers
HuffPost: In An Election Year, 2 Vulnerable GOP Senators Are Suddenly Conservationists

DES MOINES REGISTER ED BOARD CALLS ON ERNST TO OPPOSE ACA LAWSUIT. In an editorial this week, the Des Moines Register called on Senator Joni Ernst to oppose the dangerous GOP lawsuit that would eliminate protections for pre-existing conditions and end Medicaid expansion and other benefits Iowans rely on in the middle of this public health crisis. The Register wrote that if successful, the lawsuit to overturn the entire Affordable Care Act would have “disastrous consequences for Iowans.”

Ernst has a long history of voting to tear down the health care law. Senator Ernst “sparked” this lawsuit with her 2017 vote for the Republican tax law and has refused to oppose or take action to stop the lawsuit since then. So far this cycle, Senator Ernst has dodged questions about the lawsuit with answers like “I’m not saying whether I support it or not” and “I am not an attorney.”

ANOTHER BAD WEEK FOR JOHN JAMES: DODGING PRESS, LEGAL VIOLATIONS. New reporting reveals failed politician John James was implicated in a Hatch Act complaint that alleges Trump administration officials illegally promoted James’ struggling campaign at a taxpayer-funded White House event. James also caught the attention and scrutiny of in-state media this week who noted that James “continues to miss opportunities to talk to Michigan voters through local news media and press conferences,” preferring “limited FOX News appearances.” Michigan pundits have also taken note of James’ attempts to mislead voters about being ‘2000%’ with Trump. Take a look at James’ bad coverage below:

MIRS: Is Logic Behind The James ‘Comfortable Setting Only’ Strategy?
Lansing City Pulse (Kyle Melinn): James Ignoring Media Outside Of Fox News And Why It Matters
WILS 1320 Morning Wake-Up With Dave Akerly: “John James is pretty much doing Fox and Friends… He’s not doing in-state media… He hasn’t been on the show here in 18 months.”

RONCHETTI “TWISTS, TURNS AND ACTS LIKE ANYONE BUT HIMSELF.” A recent column in the Santa Fe New Mexican hammers the Republican Senate nominee for being a disingenuous flip-flopper who voters can’t trust. Some highlights:

“If Ronchetti cared about truth in labeling, he would have to bill himself as the contortionist. He twists, turns and maneuvers into all sorts of ugly, conflicting positions. The result is Ronchetti will act like anyone but himself.”
“Ronchetti has hit all the political clichés. He transformed himself from someone disgusted by The Orange One to a hard-right Trump man. Now Ronchetti is again reborn as a candidate.”
“On any given day, a different Ronchetti might be on the stump.”

THE STATE ED BOARD PRAISES JAIME HARRISON: “GENUINE DEPTH & SUBSTANCE.” In a new editorial from The State, Jaime Harrison was praised as “without question the strongest opponent Sen. Lindsey Graham has faced since the Republican was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002.” The Editorial Board gave a few reasons why, highlighted below:

“Harrison has vowed to work across the aisle to improve the nation’s infrastructure and reduce the appalling technology gap that now sees hundreds of thousands of South Carolinians with little or poor internet access.”

“Harrison has shown an eye-popping ability to raise campaign funds at a competitive pace with Graham; indeed Harrison has recruited several of Graham’s former donors and the Democrat was tied with Graham in a recent online poll of South Carolina voters.”

“In short Harrison is a Senate candidate of genuine depth and substance — one who has soared above the bar of credibility with ease.”

**NEW** POLL SHOWS MIKE ESPY WITHIN SINGLE DIGITS OF CINDY HYDE-SMITH. A new poll from Public Policy Polling shows the Mississippi Senate race shifting in Mike Espy’s favor, with Espy pulling within single digits of Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith more than five months out from this general election rematch. As Hyde-Smith’s approval rating plummets, Mike Espy is closing the gap and the poll shows that he has the greatest potential for growth.

IN THE STATES

AL — Alabama Political Reporter: Sen. Jones: Millions for Alabama priorities in annual defense bill

CO — Colorado Politics: Union-backed PAC launches ad attacking Gardner over claim country was prepared for pandemic

CO — Coloradoan: Colorado primary: Q&A with U.S. Senate candidate for Colorado John Hickenlooper

GA — WABE: ‘He Needs To Go’: After Primary Win, Jon Ossoff Slams Sen. Perdue

GA — Washington Post: Democrats grow bullish on Senate prospects as Georgia voters cast ballots

KY — Courier Journal: Amy McGrath: I am running for Senate to ensure Kentuckians’ voices are heard in D.C.

MT — Missoulian: Bullock warns against COVID complacency, state on track for testing goal

MT — KXLH: Governor attends Northern Cheyenne COVID-19 testing event

NH — Union Leader: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen: America is facing two national crisis

NC — Daily Beast: Thom Tillis’ Campaign Literally Lifts Ed Gillespie’s Strategy Memo

SC — The Root: US Senate Candidate Jaime Harrison of South Carolina Talks Ending Qualified Immunity for Bad Cops, Expanding Obamacare and More With The Root