News of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement from the Supreme Court served as the capstone of a busy week of news in Washington, D.C. President Trump said he would nominate someone from his already-published list of 25 candidates, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate would vote on confirmation this fall. This is setting the stage for yet another bipartisan battle over the highest court in the land.
On the Senate front, Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) announced it would invest $25 million for its initial fall TV ad buy in Missouri, Nevada, and North Dakota. NBC News published a story stating that the Indiana Senate race may be the best midterm bellwether in the country, and Mitt Romney officially won the GOP primary in Utah.
On the House side, news was dominated by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s stunning defeat of 10-term incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY). The 28-year-old shocked political observers with a decisive victory on Tuesday, and some are wondering if Democrats could soon be faced with an insurgency from its liberal wing.