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Thursday's Campaign Round-Up, 5.2.19

Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.

Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.

* Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) this morning became the latest Democrat to launch a 2020 presidential campaign. He is the 19th candidate with at least some experience in public office, and he's now one of seven members of the Senate Democratic caucus who's running for the White House.

* On a related note, the Democratic field now includes candidates with the names Biden, Bernie, Booker, Buttigieg, Beto, Bennet, and soon, Bullock. (For the record, I'm not running, though "Benen" would obviously fit right in.)

* As if Senate Democratic recruitment weren't already a significant problem for the party, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D) announced yesterday that he won't run for the U.S. Senate in Texas next year. He will, however, seek re-election to the U.S. House.

* Similarly, Rep. Cindy Axne (D) decided this week that she's also skipping the U.S. Senate race in Iowa. Like Castro, Axne will run in 2020 to keep her current seat in Congress.

* Presidential hopeful Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) this week unveiled a clemency plan that would, in theory, release thousands of people currently incarcerated in federal prisons. The plan involves utilizing a bipartisan clemency advisory board, which could be created without congressional approval.

* As of this morning, quite a few Democratic presidential candidates have called for Attorney General Bill Barr's resignation.

* In case the Democratic presidential debate stages won't be crowded enough, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has apparently met the threshold, thanks to the latest national CNN poll.

* According to a local NBC affiliate, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) will kick off his presidential campaign in two weeks. He'll be one of only three governors in the race.

* And in Alabama, remember disgraced former Gov. Robert Bentley (R)? As of this week, believe it or not, he's weighing a possible run for U.S. Senate in 2020.