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From The Rachel Maddow Show

Image: Residents cast their votes at the Warner Park Community Recreation Center on the first day of early voting on March 21, 2023, in Madison, Wis.
Residents cast their votes on the first day of early voting on March 21, 2023, in Madison, Wis. Morry Gash / AP

Tuesday’s Campaign Round-Up, 4.4.23

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

By Steve Benen

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

* It’s Election Day in Wisconsin, where voters will elect a new justice to the state Supreme Court. It’s arguably the most important election of 2023, and the results will have a dramatic impact on politics in one of the nation’s most closely divided battleground states.

* It’s also Election Day in Chicago, where voters will elect a new mayor. Polls suggest it’ll be a very close race between Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas, the former Chicago public schools chief.

* For campaign watchers, there are some other notable contests today, including the first round of balloting in Denver’s mayoral election and a state Senate special election in a Milwaukee suburb.

* In New York, Republican Rep. George Santos has a new problem: Kellen Curry, a military veteran turned business executive, launched a congressional campaign yesterday in the congressman’s district, with an unsubtle focus on “honesty and integrity.”

* When Gov. Ron DeSantis gets around to launching his presidential campaign, the Florida Republican will be backed by plenty of resources: Never Back Down, a super PAC promoting DeSantis’ ambitions, has reportedly raised $30 million since its March 9 launch.

* Speaking of the GOP governor, the latest Mason-Dixon poll in Florida found DeSantis with a modest lead in a primary match-up against Donald Trump, 44% to 39%.

* And speaking of 2024 polling, the latest St. Anselm College poll in New Hampshire showed Trump with a fairly comfortable lead over DeSantis, 42% to 29%. Incumbent Gov. Chris Sununu was third in his own home state, generating 14% support in the poll, which was conducted shortly before the former president’s indictment.

* In Georgia, where Trump hasn’t had much success backing Senate candidates, the former president recently encouraged Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to run in 2026. Asked about the possibility, the right-wing congresswoman told NBC News, “I haven’t talked with him about it, but it was so nice of him to say that at the rally!” As for whether she’s considering the race, Greene added, “I have no idea. Yeah, I hadn’t thought about it.”

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."