Welcome to the AR/Intel Race Rundown, our weekly recap of the most important news happening in campaigns across the country.
Catch up with all the news you may have missed below.
NATIONAL
Roll Call: “Democrats Insist They’re United And Delivering But Obstacles Abound” (Roll Call, 4/12/19)
The RNC raised $45.8 million in the first quarter of 2019 and has $41 million on hand. (The Washington Examiner, 4/15/19)
Following the release of the Mueller report, Democrats are divided over what comes next. (Vanity Fair, 4/19/19)
PRESIDENTIAL
President Trump’s campaign raised $30 million in the first quarter of 2019 and had more than $40 million cash on hand, amassing a record war chest and far outpacing the field of Democratic candidates heading into the 2020 race. (NBC News, 4/14/19)
- AR/Intel compiled all the topline fundraising numbers for 2020 Democrats running for President. (AR/Intel, 4/17/19)
- Vox: “Trump’s Latest Fundraising Numbers Show His Campaign Lapping The Democratic Field” (Vox, 4/15/19)
A new Emerson poll of Democratic primary voters found Sen. Bernie Sanders leading the field for President with support from 29% of those polled. He is followed by former Vice President Joe Biden (24%), Mayor Pete Buttigieg (9%), and Beto O’Rourke (who is tied with Sen. Kamala Harris at 8%). (Emerson Polling, 4/15/19)
- A new Morning Consult survey of Democratic primary voters found former Vice President Joe Biden leading the field for President with support from 31% of those polled. He is followed by former Sen. Bernie Sanders (23%), Sen. Kamala Harris (9%), Beto O’Rourke (8%) and Mayor Pete Buttigieg tied with Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 7%. (The Hill, 4/16/19)
Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to officially launch his presidential bid next Wednesday. (The Hill, 4/19/19)
BuzzFeed: “Elizabeth Warren Has The Biggest 2020 Presidential Campaign — And It’s Only Growing” (BuzzFeed, 4/17/19)
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke released 10 years of his tax returns on Monday. (The Hill, 4/15/19)
Rep. Eric Swalwell formally launched his 2020 presidential run Sunday, promising to center his campaign on gun control. (CNN, 4/15/19)
SENATE NATIONAL
AR/Intel compiled all the topline fundraising numbers for Senate incumbents running for Senate as well as their challengers. (AR/Intel, 4/17/19)
The Daily Beast: “GOP Ramps Up Senate Super PAC Machine” (The Daily Beast, 4/16/19)
The NRSC raised $19.5 million in the first quarter of this year, the best first-quarter fundraising in the committee’s history. (Politico, 4/17/19)
SENATE ALABAMA
A review of Sen. Doug Jones’ (D-AL) first quarter FEC report found that only 12 percent ($107,122) of his itemized individual donations came from Alabama residents. (Yellow Hammer, 4/15/19)
A new Mason-Dixon poll showed that 50 percent of registered voters in Alabama said they would vote to replace Jones in the Senate with a Republican, while only 40 percent said they would vote to reelect him. (Politico, 4/16/19)
- The poll also showed former Senate candidate Roy Moore leading the Republican field of candidates (both announced and considering) among primary voters. Moore received support from 27 percent of those polled followed by Reps. Mo Brooks (18 percent) and Bradley Byrne (13 percent). (Alabama Political Reporter, 4/16/19)
SENATE ARKANSAS
2018 Third District Democratic Congressional candidate Joshua Mahony confirmed that he has had multiple conversations with national groups about a bid to run against Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) in 2020 and is contemplating a run. (Talk Business & Politics, 4/16/19)
SENATE ARIZONA
The Huffington Post: “Mark Kelly Was A Pitchman For A Multi-Level Marketing Company Selling Supplements” (The Huffington Post, 4/17/19)
SENATE COLORADO
Democrat Dan Baer, who most recently worked for Governor John Hickenlooper as the director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education, announced he will run for U.S. Senate. (Colorado Politics, 4/15/19)
- John Walsh (D-CO), a former U.S. attorney in Denver, officially launched his campaign this week as well. (Politico, 4/16/19)
- Ellen Burnes (D-CO), a finance professor at Colorado State University and former chair of the Boulder County Democratic Party, announced her candidacy Wednesday. (The Denver Post, 4/17/19)
- Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat elected just last year, is also reportedly considering running for Senate and has met with top Democrats in Washington about the prospect. (Politico, 4/18/19)
SENATE GEORGIA
Stacey Abrams says Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been “relentless but thoughtful” as he’s tried to persuade the former Georgia gubernatorial candidate to run for Senate next year. (The Hill, 4/12/19)
SENATE KANSAS
McClatchy: “Rep. Marshall Hasn’t Entered Senate Race, But He’s Already Winning The Money Game” (McClatchy, 4/12/19)
SENATE NEW MEXICO
Rep. Ben Ray Luján’s (D-NM) campaign for the New Mexico Senate seat being vacated by Tom Udall was endorsed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. He also received an endorsement from the DSCC. (Albuquerque Journal, 4/17/19; Politico, 4/18/19)
SENATE NORTH CAROLINA
Former state Sen. Eric Mansfield (D-NC) is launching an exploratory committee on whether to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC). (The Fayetteville Observer, 4/17/19)
HOUSE NATIONAL
Roll Call: “No Letup In Congressional Fundraising After ‘Green Wave’ Election” (Roll Call, 4/17/19)
- The Hill: “Freshmen House Dems Surge Past GOP In Money Race” (The Hill, 4/16/19)
The DCCC raised $13.5 million in March, bringing its total first-quarter fundraising haul to $32.5 million, the most the DCCC has raised in the first quarter of an off year. (Politico, 4/12/19)
The Intercept: “These House Democrats Pledged Not To Take Corporate Cash – But They’re Using Loophole To Do It Anyway” (The Intercept, 4/13/19)
The Washington Times: “DCCC’s Incumbent Protection Policy May Have Backfired” (The Washington Times, 4/18/19)
HOUSE CALIFORNIA
CA-21: The Fresno Bee: “Freshman Congressman TJ Cox Has History Of Being Forced To Repay Business Taxes, Debts” (The Fresno Bee, 4/16/19)
CA-25: “Lancaster City Councilmember Angela Underwood-Jacobs has entered the race to challenge Congresswoman Katie Hill, making her the third Republican to enter the highly-contested race. (KHTS, 4/19/19)
HOUSE GEORGIA
GA-07: The Latino Victory Fund launched a campaign to draft Brenda Lopez (D-GA) an attorney and a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, to run for the seat being vacated by Rep. Rob Woodall. The group launched a similar campaign encouraging Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) to run to replace retiring Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM). (The Hill, 4/18/19)
HOUSE ILLINOIS
IL-03: Democrat Marie Newman, who challenged Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) in a primary last year, announced she intends to run against Lipinski again. (Chicago Sun Times, 4/16/19)
HOUSE IOWA
IA-02: Seven-term Democratic Congressman Dave Loebsack announced that he is retiring from congress. (Quad City-Times, 4/12/19)
- IA-02: Following the announcement, Roll Call’s Nathan Gonzales changed the rating of the race from “solid Democrat” to “toss up.” (Roll Call, 4/15/19)
IA-04: In the first quarter of the year, Rep. Steve King only raised $60K. Meanwhile, his primary opponent, state Senator Randy Feenstra, raised over $260K. (The Des Moines Register, 4/17/19)
HOUSE NEW JERSEY
NJ-02: Freshman Rep. Jeff Van Drew raised the least amount of money of the 55 Democratic House members who have appeared on a national Republican target list, bringing in just $120,556 during the first quarter. (New Jersey Globe, 4/17/19)
NJ-07: New Jersey Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean formally announced his bid to oust Rep. Tom Malinowski on Tuesday. (New Jersey Globe, 4/17/19)
HOUSE NEW YORK
NY-22: George Phillips (R-NY), a history professor at Seton Catholic Central, announced his candidacy for the seat currently held by Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-NY). (Fox-Binghamton, 4/17/19)
NY-24: Dana Balter, the Syracuse Democrat who lost to Rep. John Katko (R-NY) by 5 points last year, is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge the incumbent Republican again in 2020. (The Auburn Public Citizen, 4/16/19)
- NY-24: Navy veteran Francis Conole, who comes from a prominent Democratic family in Syracuse, announced that he will seek the party’s nomination to challenge Rep. John Katko in 2020. (com, 4/15/19)
NY-27: Rep. Chris Collins said that he has not yet decided if he will seek reelection and may not make a final decision until early next year. (NBC Buffalo, 4/15/19)
- NY-27: Collins was indicted in August on charges that he used insider information about a biotech company to trade stocks. He told the Daily News he wants “to see where the court case stands” before deciding on if he’ll run for reelection. (Talking Points Memo, 4/15/19)
HOUSE NORTH CAROLINA
NC-03: The Club for Growth endorsed accountant Celeste Cairns in the crowded primary for North Carolina’s 3rd District. (Roll Call, 4/17/19)
NC-09: According to FEC filings, the National Association of Realtors has spent nearly $1.1 million to support real estate broker Leigh Brown, a Republican candidate. Filings also show that the Club for Growth Action has spent nearly $18,000 in mailers against Stony Rushing, a Union County commissioner. (The Charlotte Observer, 4/18/19)
NC-09: State Senator Dan Bishop (R-NC) raised $150,000 in the first quarter, more than doubling the haul of the next closest Republican running. Democrat Dan McCready, however, raised $1.6M. (Longleaf Politics, 4/16/19)
HOUSE TEXAS
San Antonio Express-News: “Democrats Set Up Shop In Texas Suburbs Early For 2020 Push” (San Antonio Express-News, 4/15/19)
TX-07: Pierce Bush, the Houston-based CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star and member of the Bush family, might run for the Congressional seat currently occupied by Democratic Rep. Lizzie Pannill Fletcher. (The Texas Tribune, 4/17/19)
TX-24: Democrat Candace Valenzuela, a 34-year-old Carrollton-Farmers Branch school board member, is launching a campaign against GOP Rep. Kenny Marchant, one of the party’s top targets in 2020. (McClatchy, 4/15/19)