Thursday's Campaign Round-Up, 3.16.17

Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.* At a rally in Tennessee last night, Donald Trump told supporters, The law and the Constitution give the president the power to suspend immigration when he deems -- or she, or she. Fortunately, it will not be Hillary she." His crowd responded, once again, by chanting, "Lock her up."* Still nervous about the upcoming congressional special election in Georgia, the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC backed by House Republican leaders, has launched its second attack ad targeting Jon Ossoff (D). Like the first, the commercial goes after Ossoff for goofing around with his friends while in college.* In New Jersey, home to one of the two gubernatorial races held this year, the latest Quinnipiac poll shows former Ambassador Phil Murphy (D) and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno (R) leading their respective primary fields, though most voters in both parties are far from making up their minds.* On a related note, in a hypothetical match-up in the Garden State, the same poll showed Murphy with a significant lead over Guadagno, though again, a big chunk of New Jersey's electorate is undecided.* In a bit of a surprise, Rep. Ron Kind (D) announced this week that he isn't running for governor in Wisconsin next year, and he'll instead seek re-election in his competitive district. Incumbent Gov. Scott Walker (R) is expected to run for a third term in 2018.* Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's Democratic presidential campaign didn't work out too well last year, but he's apparently eyeing another try in 2020: "The leadership PAC tied to [O'Malley] conducted a poll in Iowa this month testing the state of play in the Hawkeye State."* New DNC Chair Tom Perez is making some major personnel moves to bolster the party's operation: "Perez on Wednesday tapped a wide range of Democrats for a transition advisory committee that will work over the next month or so to provide advice and recommendations. The 30 members of the committee were selected to represent and highlight the party's broad coalition, from former Alaska Sen. Mark Begich to Black Lives Matters activist Deray McKesson to former South Carolina Gov. and DNC Chair Don Fowler to undocumented immigrant activist Astrid Silva."* And a new organization, 314 Action, is "trying to get scientists to ditch their lab coats and run for office." I think that's a very good idea.