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Thursday's Campaign Round-Up, 4.15.21

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

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

* Facing an intensifying scandal and a Justice Department investigation, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is launching a new television commercial that targets, of all things, CNN. The Florida Republican's ad buy is reportedly in the six-figure range.

* When making lists of states where Republicans are imposing harsh new voting restrictions, don't forget Arkansas: the Associated Press reported that the state's GOP-led legislature has "approved changes to the state's election laws, including restrictions outside polling places and on absentee ballots, that opponents said would disproportionately harm voters of color in the state." The Republicans' bill is now awaiting Gov. Asa Hutchinson's (R) signature.

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) swore in Congress' newest member yesterday, Louisiana's Julia Letlow (R-La.). The House chamber now has 218 Democrats, 212 Republicans, and five vacancies. (Four of the five vacancies are seats that were held by Democrats.)

* The new, national Quinnipiac poll found congressional Republicans with a 27% approval rating. Congressional Democrats, meanwhile, have 43% approval rating.

* Despite facing considerable intra-party pressure, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the #3 member of the House Republican leadership, publicly acknowledged this week that she would not support Donald Trump in 2024 if the former president tried to reclaim his old job.

* In a bit of a surprise, Maryland Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford (R) has decided not to run for governor next year. A few hours later, Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz (R) said she'd seek the GOP nomination.

* And nearly 160 days since Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential race, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told the Heritage Foundation this week that the courts never fully considered whether there was voter fraud in the last election. Meanwhile, in reality, Republicans filed dozens of cases, each of which were meritless, and the idea that there was systemic fraud is demonstrably ridiculous.