Thursday's Campaign Round-Up, 5.18.17

Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.* With just a week remaining before Montana's congressional special election, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is "rushing a last-minute $200,000 ad buy" onto the airwaves in support of Republican Greg Gianforte.* As early as today, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) is expected to announce his plans to resign from Congress well ahead of the end of his term.* In Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary, a new Washington Post-Schar School poll shows a very competitive contest, with former Rep. Tom Perriello narrowly leading Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, 40% to 38%.* Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), considered a leading Democratic target in 2018, yesterday became the second House Republican to raise the specter of impeaching Donald Trump. "If any congressional committee documents and concludes that any federal official is guilty of obstruction of justice," he told the Washington Post, "certainly that would rise to the level of impeachment.... I don't think that's what will likely end up happening. But is it something that's on people's minds around here? Yes. I happen to be saying it publicly; most members are saying it privately."* The latest data from the Pew Research Center found that about 1 in 10 voters switched between the parties last year, with young Republicans being the most likely to abandon their party.* And the Democratic National Committee's new CEO is Jess O'Connell, who is perhaps best known for having served as the executive director of EMILY's List.