Welcome to the AR/Intel Race Rundown, our weekly recap of the most important news happening in campaigns across the country. Sign up to get the Race Rundown delivered to your inbox every Friday morning here.
NATIONAL
The Washington Post: “6 Million Democratic Donors Gave $1 Billion In 2019 Through ActBlue, Officials Say” (The Washington Post, 1/9/20)
WinRed, the GOP’s answer to ActBlue, brought in $101 million in the second half of last year. Nearly $35 million was raised in December alone, as impeachment-related fundraising asks generated 300% more in donations to campaigns. (The Associated Press, 1/6/20)
Axios: “Chamber Of Commerce CEO To Push A More Bipartisan Agenda” (Axios, 1/9/20)
AR/Intel: “The Political Edge: Roundup Of Announced Q4 Fundraising Totals” (AR/Intel, 1/9/20)
PRESIDENTIAL
Former Vice President Joe Biden earned endorsements from three swing-district Democrats: Reps. Chrissy Houlahan and Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania and Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia. (NBC News, 1/5/20)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s campaign announced that she raised $21.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. (Politico, 1/3/20)
Former San Antonio mayor Julián Castro, who ended his presidential campaign last week, endorsed Warren on Monday, saying she is the “one candidate I see who’s unafraid to fight like hell to make sure America’s promise will be there for everyone.” (The Washington Post, 1/6/20)
POLL: This week’s national Morning Consult poll of Democratic primary voters found former Vice President Joe Biden (D-DE) leading the field for president with support from 31% of those polled. He is followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) (23%), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) (14%), Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN) (8%), and Michael Bloomberg (D-NY) (7%). (Morning Consult, 1/7/20)
POLL: A new poll of nationwide Democratic voters from The Economist/YouGov shows Biden leading the field with support from 27% of those polled followed by Warren (22%), Sanders (22%), Buttigieg (7%), and Bloomberg, Klobuchar, Gabbard, and Yang tied at 3%. (YouGov, 1/8/20)
SENATE NATIONAL
CNN: “Democratic Groups Set To Spend Millions Pressuring Senate Republicans On Impeachment” (CNN, 1/8/20)
SENATE ARIZONA
A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Democrat Mark Kelly leading Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) by a four-point margin, 46% to 42%, with 12% undecided. (The Hill, 1/8/20)
Roll Call: “Arizona’s GOP Sen. Martha McSally Target Of New Super PAC Ad” (Roll Call, 1/6/20)
AR/Intel Insiders: Get the latest on the Arizona Senate race. Looking for info on another race? Find it in the Race Brief Library.
SENATE GEORGIA
Republican Kelly Loeffler was officially sworn in as the newest senator for the state of Georgia during a ceremony held in the US Capitol Monday evening. (CNN, 1/6/20)
- Roll Call: “Who Is Kelly Loeffler?” (Roll Call, 1/6/20)
- According to a Public Policy Polling survey, Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) leads Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) in a hypothetical matchup 56% to 16% with 27% undecided. (Public Policy Polling, 1/7/20)
Democrat Jon Ossoff’s campaign announced that he raised $1 million in the last quarter of 2020. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/6/20)
Democrat Matt Lieberman said he will report raising more than $700,000 in the three months since he entered the U.S. Senate race against Republican Kelly Loeffler. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/9/20)
Former U.S. Attorney Ed Tarver (D-GA) said he will soon announce a challenge to Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA). (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/10/20)
SENATE IOWA
Democrat Theresa Greenfield’s (D-IA) campaign announced that she raised more than $1.6 million in the final quarter of 2019 and has $2.1 million on hand. (Iowa Starting Line, 1/9/10)
SENATE KANSAS
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reportedly told senior party officials that he does not plan to run for Senate in 2020. (The New York Times, 1/6/20)
- Following the reports about Pompeo’s decision, Roll Call’s Nathan Gonzales changed the rating of the race from “solid Republican” to “lean Republican.” (Roll Call, 1/8/20)
Kansas state Sen. Barbara Bollier’s (D-IA) campaign announced that she raised more than $1.1 million in the fourth quarter of last year and is expected to report around $800,000 in the bank at the end of 2019. (Politico, 1/7/20)
SENATE KENTUCKY
Democrat Amy McGrath announced that she raised $6.2 million in the final quarter of 2019 and has $9.1 million on hand in her bid to unseat Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). (Lexington Herald-Leader, 1/3/20)
Freshman state Rep. Charles Booker ended weeks of speculation and announced he will seek the Democratic nomination in Kentucky’s 2020 Senate race. Booker’s entrance into the race is viewed as a progressive response to McGrath’s candidacy. (The Louisville Courier-Journal, 1/5/20)
Buzzfeed: “An Interracial, Intergenerational Battle Is Brewing In The Race To Replace Mitch McConnell” (Buzzfeed, 1/9/20)
SENATE MICHIGAN
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) announced that he raised $2.51 million in the last quarter of 2019 and has roughly $8 million in the bank. (Michigan Advance, 1/7/20)
- Republican challenger John James, meanwhile, raised $3.5 million in the fourth quarter. (Politico, 1/7/20)
A new poll of likely Michigan voters conducted by the Glengariff Group shows Peters with a 44%-40% lead over James. (Detroit News, 1/8/20)
SENATE NEW MEXICO
Businessman Louie Sanchez (R-NM) announced that he is entering the race to replace retiring Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM). He joins a growing Republican field that includes former New Mexico State University professor Gavin Clarkson; anti-abortion advocate Elisa Martinez; and Albuquerque contractor Mick Rich. U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján and accountant Andrew Perkins are seeking the Democratic nomination. (Albuquerque Journal, 1/5/20)
- On the heels of Sanchez’s announcement, Mark Ronchetti, an Albuquerque meteorologist who is one of New Mexico’s most popular television figures, announced he is joining the Republican primary. (The Associated Press, 1/7/20)
SENATE NORTH CAROLINA
Democrat Cal Cunningham announced that he raised $1.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and ended the year with $1.7 million in cash on hand. (Politico, 1/7/20)
AR/Intel Insiders: We’re keeping close tabs on this critical race – make sure you’re up to speed on the latest developments here.
SENATE SOUTH CAROLINA
Democrat Jaime Harrison raised $3.5 million in the fourth quarter of last year for his bid to challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), his campaign announced, and ended the quarter with $4.6 million in cash on hand. (Politico, 1/6/20)
HOUSE NATIONAL
McClatchy: “Conservatives Give GOP Senators Breathing Room — They’ll Spend Money On The House” (McClatchy, 1/10/20)
The DCCC announced that it raised more than $125 million in 2019, a record for the organization in a non-election year. (CNN, 1/9/20)
HOUSE ARIZONA
AZ-01: John Moore, the mayor of Williams, AZ, announced he is seeking the Republican nomination for Arizona’s 1st congressional district. (KNAU, 1/9/20)
HOUSE CALIFORNIA
CA-50: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) formally submitted his resignation letter to Congress, a month after he pled guilty to conspiracy to misuse campaign funds. Hunter’s resignation will take effect Jan. 13. (Politico, 1/7/20)
- CA-50: Following Hunter’s resignation submission, California Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed he will not call a special election to fill the seat and it will remain vacant until 2021. (Politico, 1/8/20)
HOUSE ILLINOIS
IL-06: A poll conducted on behalf of Republican Jeanne Ives’ campaign shows her leading Rep. Sean Casted (D-IL) by nine points, 47% to 38%. (Breitbart, 1/3/20)
HOUSE KANSAS
KS-02: Topeka mayor Michelle De La Isla announced she is entering the Democratic race for Kansas’s 2nd Congressional District, filling a vacuum created when the party’s only candidate dropped out in October. (The Wichita Eagle, 1/6/20)
HOUSE MINNESOTA
MN-02: Tyler Kistner, a former U.S. Marine Corps officer, became the second Republican to announce his candidacy to challenge first-term Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN). He joins Rick Olson, an attorney and former Michigan state lawmaker. (Twin Cities-Pioneer Press, 1/7/20)
HOUSE NEW JERSEY
NJ-02: Amy Kennedy (D-NJ), wife of former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), announced she is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Rep. Jeff Van Drew, the former Democratic lawmaker who switched parties in December. (The Washington Examiner, 1/6/20)
NJ-02: Will Cunningham, a Chief Investigator on the House Oversight Committee, also joined the primary race to challenge Congressman Jeff Van Drew this year. Cunningham ran in the Democratic primary Van Drew won in 2018. (The Press of Atlantic City, 1/8/20)
NJ-02: The Washington Examiner: “Trump Schedules Campaign Rally In South Jersey District Of Party-Switching Jeff Van Drew” (The Washington Examiner, 1/7/20)
HOUSE TENNESSEE
TN-01: Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) announced that he will not seek a seventh term in Congress and retire at the end of this year. (Politico, 1/3/20)
AR/Intel Insiders: There’s been a rash of House retirements in recent weeks – brush up on who is heading for the exits with our Retirement Tracker.
HOUSE TEXAS
TX-23: The Texas Tribune: “Will Hurd’s Legacy Casts Shadow Over Republican Primary To Replace Him In The U.S. House” (The Texas Tribune, 1/9/20)
HOUSE UTAH
UT-04: Three-term Republican state legislator Kim Coleman officially announced that she’s running for the 4th Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT). (Salt Lake Tribune, 1/4/20)
HOUSE VIRGINIA
VA-02: Republican Scott Taylor announced that he will end his U.S. Senate campaign and instead run for his old U.S. House seat currently held by Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA). (The Washington Post, 1/6/20)