13 DEM CHALLENGERS OUTRAISE VULNERABLE REPUBLICANS IN Q2. Democrats running for Senate continued to grow their fundraising considerably in the second quarter, outraising vulnerable Republican incumbents and candidates in 13 GOP-held seats while smashing records and building their cash on hand in key states. The massive Q2 fundraising hauls has “alarmed” Republicans as the latest indicator that Democrats are running aggressive campaign operations across the country that will have the resources to flip the Senate in November. The eye-popping Q2 numbers come as Republicans are also confronting a “fundraising emergency” of lagging enthusiasm among small-dollar donors.
The DSCC also had its best-ever Q2 fundraising haul with nearly $34 million raised, after bringing in $13.6 million in June — a record total for the committee in June of an election year and our biggest month so far of the cycle. Check out the fundraising highlights here:
NYT: HEALTH CARE “CENTER STAGE” IN SENATE BATTLE DURING PANDEMIC. As the U.S. leads the world in the number of reported coronavirus cases and deaths, a report from the New York Times finds that health care is taking “center stage” in the battle for control of the Senate — and that’s bad news for every Republican who’s on the ballot in less than four months. Senate Republicans won’t be able to run from their toxic records of working to tear down protections for pre-existing conditions, eliminate benefits like maternity care, and gut Medicaid expansion funding… not to mention enabling a dangerous lawsuit right now that would take away health care access from millions. And even amid a massive public health crisis, not one Republican incumbent or candidate has taken any meaningful steps to stop the GOP’s lawsuit against the ACA.
“FOUR PINOCCHIOS”: GOP SENATORS MISLEAD ON PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. A fact check analysis from the Washington Post found that vulnerable Senate Republicans including Steve Daines, Cory Gardner, and Martha McSally misled voters about their real records of trying to gut protections for people with pre-existing health conditions. Their duplicity earned them a rating of “four Pinocchios all around” –– all three vulnerable incumbents have tried to paper over their records with false ads and statements. But the facts are clear: each of these GOP senators “have voted to end the Affordable Care Act,” put their constituents with pre-existing conditions at risk of being denied coverage or having their prices jacked up, and have offered “woefully vague” comments about the GOP lawsuit to dismantle the health care law that can all be interpreted as “tacit support.”
MCSALLY CAUGHT USING UNDISCLOSED GOP OPERATIVE *AGAIN* IN HEALTH CARE AD. In another attempt to mislead Arizonans on her unpopular health care record, unelected Senator Martha McSally released another false new TV ad about pre-existing conditions, featuring a testimonial from a GOP operative front and center. This isn’t the first time McSally was caught withholding essential information in her ads. In May, McSally released a health care ad featuring a former staffer, that did not disclose that the individual had been paid nearly $400,000 for work in McSally’s Congressional office and on her political campaigns.
SARA GIDEON “DECISIVELY” WINS RIGHT TO TAKE ON SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS. House Speaker Sara Gideon “decisively” advanced to the general election in Maine this week with a strong primary victory. A proven leader with a track record of bringing people together, Gideon stands up for what’s right and doesn’t let partisanship and political games get in the way of delivering results to improve Mainers’ lives. Gideon is facing vulnerable incumbent Senator Susan Collins, who she has outraised for the last four quarters in a row with strong grassroots support. Collins is facing the most difficult re-election campaign of her political career, which is rated as a Toss-Up by every major nonpartisan elections analyst for the first time.
YET ANOTHER ENDORSEMENT FLIPS FROM COLLINS TO GIDEON. The day after the primary, major LGBTQ rights group Human Rights Campaign broke with Senator Collins (after supporting her in every re-election campaign since 2002) to endorse Sara Gideon — joining a long and growing list of labor unions, environmental advocates, and pro-choice organizations that have supported Collins in the past but have now flipped to backing Gideon this cycle. In recent days, Gideon has also continued to pick up endorsements from Governor Janet Mills, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, and Vice President Joe Biden.
WATCH: Collins still refuses to say whether she’ll support the president’s reelection, as she’s been doing for the last 579 days.
MJ HEGAR ADVANCES TO FACE VULNERABLE SENATOR JOHN CORNYN IN BATTLEGROUND TEXAS. Decorated combat veteran MJ Hegar won the Democratic runoff for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, advancing to an increasingly competitive general election where she will face vulnerable incumbent Senator John Cornyn. MJ has traveled tens of thousands of miles in person and virtually to talk with voters across the state, earned grassroots support from more than 50,000 donors, and raised more than $6.5 million to date. MJ overcame attempts by Cornyn to “meddle” in the Democratic runoff, demonstrating how desperate Republicans were to avoid facing the decorated combat veteran. And in the middle of a pandemic,Texas Democrats broke the record for highest turnout in a runoff election in Texas Democratic history.
DOUG JONES STARTS GENERAL WITH $7.5M COH ADVANTAGE. After an ugly and bitter drawn-out runoff that became “the most negative Senate campaign of 2020 so far,” the “unprepared hyper-partisan” Tommy Tuberville beat former Senator Jeff Sessions in Alabama – and it’s making Republicans nervous. Tuberville’s campaign strategy so far has been to dodge the press and avoid tough questions as he desperately tries to convince voters to look past his complete lack of experience and shady history. Tuberville will face Senator Doug Jones, an independent voice in the Senate who has delivered real results for hardworking Alabamians as he’s gotten 17 bipartisan bills signed into law. Senator Jones holds almost 16 times as much cash on hand as his Republican challenger.
SURVIVOR DEMANDS NRSC PULL “HORRIFYING” TV ATTACK AD IN COLORADO. A survivor of the 2017 Firestone explosion in Denver, who lost loved ones in the blast, demanded the NRSC this week take down their “horrifying” new ad attacking John Hickenlooper. Instead, the NRSC refused to apologize and doubled down on their false and repulsive smear. It’s a disappointing but unsurprising response from Washington Republicans as they desperately try to bail out a vulnerable incumbent who’s losing by double digits. And Cory Gardner’s silence is deafening.
MOST REPUBLICANS QUIET ON TRUMP’S “HISTORIC CORRUPTION.” Last weekend, President Trump abused the rule of law to commute the jail sentence of his former campaign adviser Roger Stone — what Senator Mitt Romney called “unprecedented, historic corruption.” If you were holding out hope that Republican senators who are actually on the ballot in November will hold President Trump accountable, you’d be disappointed. So far, the response from most GOP senators who will face voters this year has been sad but predictable: silence and no accountability.
REPUBLICANS ALSO SILENT ON TRUMP/DEVOS THREATENING SCHOOLS. Senate Republicans also remained silent after billionaire GOP donor and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos went on a media tour where she offered no plan to safely reopen schools and underscored the Trump administration’s position that “school districts are basically on their own.” DeVos’ disastrous interviews followed a series of menacing ultimatums from the White House, where President Trump broke with the recommendations of health experts and threatened to cut federal funding from schools.
MILLIONS FACE “UNAVOIDABLE” FISCAL CLIFF BECAUSE OF MCCONNELL. Another week and unfortunately it’s the same story: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans still refuse to take action and extend relief in the middle of an unprecedented unemployment crisis and impending fiscal cliff that threatens millions of Americans. For weeks now, reports have spotlighted how “millions of American workers are suffering from economic whiplash” as they are laid off for the second time, that “the already struggling U.S. economy has begun to show signs of another shock,” and how allowing the additional emergency unemployment relief to expire will put a further “financial squeeze” on communities. The $600 per week emergency unemployment relief “will likely lapse before more aid is passed” because Senate Republicans chose to take a two-week summer break instead of working on solutions.
TILLIS THINKS GOP WILL WIN “BECAUSE LIFE WAS GOOD BEFORE COVID-19.” Senator Thom Tillis is confident in the GOP’s chances in November because according to him, “people remember how good their lives were back in February.” Tillis foolishly suggested at the North Carolina GOP convention that if the public just ignores the ramifications of an insufficient pandemic response, leaving over 90,000 North Carolinians infected and more than 1.1 million filing jobless claims, voters will support Republicans in November. Even before they grossly mishandled the pandemic response, Senate Republicans like Tillis were working for years to gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions and give tax breaks to the wealthy and corporate special interests — and voters won’t forget that, either.
GARDNER, MCSALLY, DAINES “IN A TIGHT SPOT” ON PUBLIC LANDS. Just weeks after attempts to greenwash their records to try and save their political careers, Republican senators including Steve Daines, Cory Gardner, and Martha McSally are “in a tight spot” as they are forced to either defy the White House or support President Trump’s controversial nominee to run the Bureau of Land Management –– an anti-public lands zealot and climate science denier. Unsurprisingly, all three vulnerable GOP incumbents have dodged questions about their support for William Perry Pendly and have refused to stand up for their constituents and their states by speaking out against his nomination.
WATCH: BEN RAY LUJÁN RELEASES FIRST AD IN SENATE CAMPAIGN: “VOICES.” Congressman Ben Ray Luján released his first Senate ad this week discussing his deep New Mexico roots and his work to help its rural communities.
IOWA DEMS LAUNCH ELECTIONYEARERNST.COM TO HOLD ERNST ACCOUNTABLE. The Iowa Democratic Party launched a website this week to set the record straight on Senator Joni Ernst’s failure to fight for Iowans over the course of her six years in Washington, and spotlight her desperate attempts to rewrite her toxic record in an election year. Read more about the new website here and check it out below:
IN THE STATES
AL — Birmingham Watch: Jones Starts Last Leg of Campaign With Almost 16 Times as Much Money as Tuberville
AK — Alaska Public Media: As Trump pulls down Republican Congressional candidates, two Alaska challengers out-raise GOP incumbents
AZ — KAWC: Senate Candidate Mark Kelly Says Rural, Native-Owned Small Businesses Need Assistance
AZ — Arizona Mirror: Kelly adds $12.8M to massive fundraising haul, has $24 million remaining
CO — Colorado Politics: ENDORSEMENT WATCH | Citing Senate’s inaction on House-passed bills, DeGette gets behind Hickenlooper
GA — CNBC: Senate candidate Jon Ossoff looks to young voters to help him flip Georgia blue
GA — CBS: 25 Democratic senators endorse Atlanta reverend in Georgia Senate race
GA — Atlanta Journal Constitution: Election 2020: Democrats Ossoff, Warnock outraise Republican opponents
IA — Des Moines Register: Theresa Greenfield touts small businesses at virtual roundtable Senate campaign event
IA — Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier: CAMPAIGN ALMANAC: Ernst approval low in AARP poll
KY — Louisville Courier Journal: Amy McGrath: ‘We need to tackle police brutality,’ give Breonna Taylor’s family justice
ME — Bangor Daily News: Sara Gideon expands fundraising lead over Susan Collins in Maine U.S. Senate race
MI — Upper Michigan Source: Sen. Peters vows to protect the Affordable Care Act during virtual campaign event
MS — Mississippi Today: Democrat Mike Espy outraises GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith nearly 3-to-1
NC — Raleigh News & Observer: Tillis’ fundraising numbers highlight Republican money struggles vs. Democrats in NC
NC — AP: Democrat outraises N. Carolina senator nearly 3-to-1 in Q2
NH — Keene Sentinel: Shaheen endorsed by two conservation organizations
NH — WMUR: NH Primary Source: Democratic incumbents out-raise GOP challengers in US Senate, House races
SC — CNBC: Jaime Harrison on young voters and his plan to beat Trump ally Lindsey Graham
SC — Charleston Post & Courier: Democrat Jaime Harrison again outraises GOP incumbent Lindsey Graham in SC Senate race
TX — KVUE: MJ Hegar talks November Senate election after winning Democratic nomination
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Lauren Passalacqua
@laurenvpass
Stewart Boss
@stew_boss
Helen Kalla
@helen_kalla
Shea Necheles
@sheanecheles
Regina Anderson
@reginasopinion
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