IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.
Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a Republican from North Carolina, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, TX, U.S.July 9, 2021.
Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a Republican from North Carolina, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, TX, U.S.July 9, 2021.Dylan Hollingsworth / Bloomberg via Getty Images, file

Wednesday's Campaign Round-Up, 2.9.22

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

By

* Part of the Republican Governors Association’s purpose is to help re-elect Republican governors. With this in mind, the RGA has launched a new ad campaign in support of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp — even as Donald Trump runs attack ads against him.

* In Missouri’s Republican U.S. Senate primary, Rep. Jason Smith has apparently decided to forgo the race and will instead focus his energies on becoming the next chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

* Republican Gov. Bill Lee has signed Tennessee’s newly gerrymandered district map into law, which is notable in large part because the new lines divide the city of Nashville — one of the few “blue” parts of the state — into multiple parts, so as to make Democratic victories nearly impossible. It helps explain why Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper is retiring.

* In the Democratic primary in Texas’ 28th congressional district, attorney Jessica Cisneros has launched a new ad targeting incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar, shining a light on the fact that the FBI recently raided the congressman’s house.

* On Capitol Hill, Democrats have asked Rep. Cori Bush to stop using the phrase “defund the police” as part of her campaign platform. The Missouri congresswoman apparently intends to ignore the requests.

* There are now at least six states considering new protections for election workers in light of right-wing threats: Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington

* The North Carolina State Board of Elections argued yesterday that it has the legal authority to keep Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn off the 2022 ballot, if it so chooses. The far-right congressman is facing a challenge over his alleged role in the events of Jan. 6.

* And in Kansas, the Republican-led state Senate has now overridden Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of the GOP’s gerrymandered congressional map. The issue now shifts to the Republican-led state House, which will try to do the same.