Friday's Campaign Round-Up, 5.26.17

Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.* In a curious tweet that touted a dubious poll, Donald Trump thought it'd be a good idea yesterday to promote the fact that most Americans disapprove of his job performance.* Yesterday morning, the DCCC unveiled a last-minute radio ad in Montana that asked, "If Greg Gianforte could be sentenced to jail, should he really be elected to Congress?" It didn't change the outcome, but it's interesting to see how quickly the parties can create a new ad nowadays.* The Federal Election Commission determined this morning that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), during his 2012 campaign, "improperly accounted for loans" he received from Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. It's something to keep an eye on as Cruz runs for re-election next year.* In the race to take on Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) in Ohio next year, state Treasurer Josh Mandel is considered the top Republican contender, but GOP officials are not necessarily optimistic about his chances. Instead, some Republicans are reportedly taking a look at Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance.* In Utah, where Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) has gone back and forth about retiring next year, the longtime Senate incumbent said yesterday he's convinced that Mitt Romney is not going to run for the seat.* In New Jersey, the latest Stockton University Poll shows Kim Guadagno (R) and Phil Murphy (D) as the top contenders in their parties' respective gubernatorial primaries. The primary in the Garden State is June 6, which is a week from Tuesday.* And just how much of the Republicans' U.S. House majority can be attributed to gerrymandering? According to a report out this week from the Brennan Center, the GOP has "a net benefit of at least 16-17 congressional seats in the current Congress from partisan bias." That's obviously a lot, but let's note for context that even if Dems won each of those seats, that wouldn't be enough to give then a majority.