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Wednesday's Campaign Round-Up, 3.29.17

Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.* Making America Great, a group backed by Rebekah Mercer, a prominent Republican megadonor and Donald Trump supporter, is reportedly launching a new ad campaign targeting Democratic senators from states Trump won in 2016. Here's the ad, launched as part of a $1.3 million effort.* In Georgia's congressional special election, Club for Growth Action is launching ads targeting the top Republican contender, former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel, for not being conservative enough.* A new CBS News poll shows Trump with a 40% approval rating. The same results found House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) faring even worse with a 33% approval rating.* Corey Stewart, who served as the Trump campaign's chairman in Virginia last year, is running an explicitly pro-Confederate gubernatorial campaign this year, including unfurling a Confederate battle flag at a recent event. "Folks, this is a symbol of heritage. It is not a symbol of racism. It is not a symbol of slavery," Stewart declared. "I'm proud to be here with this flag."* On a related note, in Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary, former Rep. Tom Perriello has made his opposition to Trump a central message of his campaign. Asked about this, his primary rival, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, told Slate, "Donald Trump is a narcissistic maniac, and I will do all I can to keep his hate out of Virginia."* The Associated Press reports today on the president's relationship with his chief of staff, Reince Priebus. "For laughs," the article noted, "Trump will sometimes recount a tense exchange with Priebus at one of the campaign's lowest moments: the release of a video in which Trump is heard making predatory comments about women. During an emergency campaign meeting, Priebus told Trump he should either drop out of the race or risk dragging down Republican candidates across the country." (I'm not sure I get the president's sense of humor.)* And at the DNC, new Chairman Tom Perez is overhauling the party's internal organization, requesting resignation letters from all current staffers. Previous DNC chairs have made similar moves after changes in party leadership.