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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In Chicago’s mayoral race, incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her bid for a second term yesterday, finishing third in a nine-person race. Paul Vallas, a former CEO of Chicago schools, and Brandon Johnson, a Cook County commissioner, were the top two vote-getters, and they’ll advance to a runoff election next month.
* Following a lengthy, complex, and at times contentious process, Democrat Joanna McClinton yesterday became the first woman state House speaker in Pennsylvania history. She’s also the second Black state House speaker in the commonwealth.
* It’s still early, but Axios reported this morning on the four most recent polls of the Republican presidential race, each of which found Donald Trump with relatively comfortable leads over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
* On a related note, Trump, using his social media platform, has begun calling the Florida governor “Ron DeSanctus” — I’m not entirely sure what that’s supposed to mean or what message it’s supposed to advance — adding yesterday that the DeSantis is a “wheelchair-over-the-cliff kind of guy.” That was an apparent reference to the governor’s previous support for Medicare and Social Security cuts.
* House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was asked yesterday whether he’d support Rep. George Santos’ re-election campaign in the New York Republican runs again next year. McCarthy didn’t entirely rule out the possibility. “I think we’d have to see the election,” the speaker told CNN. “I’d probably have a little difficulty doing that.”
* And as the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gets underway today, one of the bigger surprises is just how many prominent Republican voices are skipping this year’s gathering. Among those who won’t appear are DeSantis, McCarthy, former Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. Trump, however, is scheduled to address attendees on Saturday.