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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Shortly before the GOP presidential primary debate in her home state of Alabama, Sen. Katie Britt announced her 2024 endorsement of Donald Trump. The former president now has the backing of every Republican in Alabama’s congressional delegation.
* On a related note, Republican Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota also announced his support for Trump yesterday. The senator had originally backed his home-state governor, Doug Burgum, who ended his candidacy earlier this week.
* My takeaway from last night’s debate: Vivek Ramaswamy seems to believe quite a few strange conspiracy theories, including the ridiculous idea that the Jan. 6 attack might’ve been “an inside job.”
* With 39 days remaining before the Iowa caucuses, Trump is reportedly prepared to make multiple visits to the Hawkeye State in the coming weeks, and his operation will apparently deploy “dozens” of surrogates to the state.
* On a related note, Team Trump has also reportedly ramped up advertising in Iowa, suggesting the former president’s operation has either seen some discouraging polling, or simply hopes to run up the score.
* In New York’s competitive 17th congressional district, Liz Whitmer Gereghty, a Katonah-Lewisboro School Board member, has ended her campaign, effectively clearing the way for former Rep. Mondaire Jones to take on incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler.
* And voters in Houston are poised to elect a new mayor on Saturday. A runoff election in the nation’s fourth-largest city will pit two Democrats — Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire — against one another.