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MaddowBlog

From The Rachel Maddow Show

A person prepares to cast their ballot at the Metropolitan-Multi Service Center on Feb. 25, 2022, in Houston.
A person prepares to cast their ballot at the Metropolitan-Multi Service Center on Feb. 25, 2022, in Houston.Brandon Bell / Getty Images

Tuesday’s Campaign Round-Up, 3.1.22

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

By Steve Benen

* It’s Primary Day in Texas, where there are all kinds of interesting contests to keep an eye on. For Democrats, one of the marque races is Rep. Henry Cuellar’s primary campaign against Jessica Cisneros, while many Republicans will be watching state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s multi-candidate GOP race.

* Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida made some surprising news yesterday, announcing that he will step down from Congress in the fall to begin leading the American Jewish Committee. He’s the 31st House Democrat to announce his retirement ahead of the November elections.

* Speaking of retirements, Republican Rep. Fred Keller of Pennsylvania announced his decision not to run for re-election, blaming his state’s newly drawn district lines, which pitted him against fellow GOP Rep. Dan Meuser. He’s the 14th House Republican to announce his retirement plans this cycle.

* In Ohio’s crowded U.S. Senate Republican primary, Jane Timken has picked up new support from two prominent members of Donald Trump’s campaign team: Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie. Both will reportedly serve as senior advisers in Timken’s operation.

* The Arizona Republican Party has asked the state Supreme Court to strike down Arizona’s vote-by-mail system in its entirety. Currently, roughly 90 percent of voters in the Grand Canyon State cast their ballots through the mail, and there’s no credible evidence of flaws in the existing system.

* In Georgia, where a Rivian plant is expected to give the state’s economy a boost, GOP gubernatorial hopeful David Perdue is opposed to the project because George Soros owns a  stake in the electric vehicle startup.

* And while most Republicans with a national profile have been too afraid to criticize Donald Trump’s praise of Vladimir Putin, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is going in a different direction. “How can anyone with any understanding of the world call Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine ‘genius’ and ‘very savvy’ as we watch him unite the rest of the world against Russia in nearly an instant?” Christie asked yesterday via Twitter.

Steve Benen

Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics."