Subject: Daily Political Guidance -- Wednesday, April 27
From: "Moore, Colby" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2016 08:57:37 -0700

This email is intended to provide a brief summary of key Political Department priorities, including recent news and principal travel.  It includes the following components:

  *   Recent News
  *   Polls
  *   Upcoming Principal & Staff Travel
  *   Upcoming Political Events
  *   Upcoming State Party Events
  *   Election Clips

RECENT NEWS\

·         April 26 Presidential Primary Results

o   Connecticut

§  Trump 58%, Kasich 29%, Cruz 12%

§  Clinton 52%, Sanders 47%

o   Delaware

§  Trump 61%, Kasich 20%, Cruz 16%

§  Clinton 60%, Sanders 39%

o   Maryland

§  Trump 54%, Kasich 23%, Cruz 19%

§  Clinton 63%, Sanders 33%

o   Pennsylvania

§  Trump 57%, Cruz 22%, Kasich 19%

§  Clinton 56%, Sanders 44%

o   Rhode Island

§  Trump 64%, Kasich 24%, Cruz 10%

§  Sanders 55%, Clinton 43%

·         April 26 Non-Presidential Primary Results

o   Maryland Senate

§  Democratic - Van Hollen 53%, Edwards 39%

§  Republican - Szeliga 36%, Chaffee - 14%, Kefalas - 10%

o   Baltimore Mayoral

§  Democratic - Pugh 37%, Dixon 34%, Embry 12%

§  Republican - Walden 41%, Wardlow 18%, Vaeth 16%

o   Maryland 4th

§  Democratic - Brown 42%, Ivey 34%, Pena-Melnyk 19%

§  Republican - McDermott 46%, Therrien 26%

o   Maryland 8th

§  Democratic - Raskin 34%, Trone 27%, Matthews 24%

§  Republican - Cox 45%, Jones 20%, Matory 15%

o   Pennsylvania Senate

§  Democratic - McGinty 44%, Sestak 34%, Fetterman 20%

o   Pennsylvania Attorney General

§  Democratic - Shapiro 47%, Zappala 37%

§  Republican - Rafferty 64%, Peters 36%

o   Pennsylvania 2nd

§  Democratic - Evans 42%, Fattah 35%, Gordon 13%

o   Pennsylvania 8th

§  Democratic - Santarsiero 60%, Naughton 40%

§  Republican - Fitzpatrick 78%, Warren 12%, Duome 9%

POLLS

N/A

Upcoming PRINCIPAL AND Staff Travel

TODAY
PRINCIPALS
None Scheduled

CEO/POLITICAL/CONSTITUENCY STAFF
None Scheduled

THURSDAY
PRINCIPALS
None Scheduled

CEO/POLITICAL/CONSTITUENCY STAFF
None Scheduled

FRIDAY
PRINCIPALS
Dr. Biden - Pensacola, FL

CEO/POLITICAL/CONSTITUENCY STAFF
None Scheduled

SATURDAY
PRINCIPALS
Dr. Biden - Newport News, VA

CEO/POLITICAL/CONSTITUENCY STAFF
None Scheduled

SUNDAY
PRINCIPALS
None Scheduled

CEO/POLITICAL/CONSTITUENCY STAFF
None Scheduled

Upcoming political events

  *   5/3/2016 - Indiana Primary
  *   5/7/2016 - Guam Caucus
  *   5/10/2016 - West Virginia Primary and Nebraska Republican Primary
  *   5/17/2016 - Oregon Primary and Kentucky Democratic Primary
  *   5/24/2016 - Washington Republican Primary
  *   6/4/2016 - Virgin Islands Democratic Caucus
  *   6/5/2016 - Puerto Rico Democratic Primary
  *   6/7/2016 - California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota Primaries and North Dakota Democratic Caucus
  *   6/14/2016 - DC Democratic Primary

Upcoming state party events

·         4/28/2016  - Maryland Democratic Party  - Statewide Unity Rally

·         4/28/2016 - Missouri Democratic Party -Delegation Selection Congressional District Meetings

·         4/28/2016 - Indiana Democratic Party - "How to be a State and National Delegate" Webinar

·         4/28/2016 - DC Democratic Party - Kennedy King Awards Program & Reception

·         4/29/2016 - Utah Democratic Party - National Delegate Meeting

·         4/30/2016 - Georgia Democratic Party  - State Committee Meeting

·         4/30/2016 - Hawaii Democratic Party - Hawaii Island County Committee Convention

·         4/30/2016 - South Dakota Democratic Party - McGovern Day Dinner

·         4/30/2016 - Michigan Democratic Party - Jefferson-Jackson Dinner

ELECTION CLIPS

2016 - Presidential

Democratic Party Candidates

Hillary Clinton

Pulling Away From Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton Is Turning to the Fall<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/27/us/politics/democratic-race-sanders-clinton.html>

After months of trying to sideline an unexpectedly deft and well-financed liberal opponent, Hillary Clinton on Tuesday won a series of primaries that freed her to present herself as the de facto victor of the Democratic nominating fight and gave her the impetus to shift focus decisively toward the November election. Now all but certain to clinch her party's nomination, Mrs. Clinton will continue to face the criticism of her party rival, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. But she is expected to move swiftly to claim an early advantage against the leading Republican candidate, Donald J. Trump. Her advisers and allies say she will spend the coming weeks honing her message for the general election, and stepping up fund-raising that has lagged in the face of Mr. Sanders's challenge.

Bernie Sanders

Plan B for Bernie Sanders: Make the Democratic Party platform more progressive<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/04/27/plan-b-sanders-make-democratic-party-platform-more-progressive/83558806/>

The results of Tuesday's five Democratic presidential primaries will almost certainly force Sen. Bernie Sanders to acknowledge a hard reality -- it's time for Plan B. Sanders hasn't said if he has a strategy for changing the focus of his campaign, and he insists he'll continue fighting through the last contest in June. But rather than insisting that victory over Hillary Clinton is still within reach, he said after Tuesday's contests that he'll go to the Democratic Party's national convention in July "with as many delegates as possible to fight for a progressive party platform."

Republican Party Candidates

Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz Needs Indiana to Be Like Wisconsin<http://www.wsj.com/articles/ted-cruz-needs-indiana-to-be-like-wisconsin-1461714557>

For Ted Cruz to stop Donald Trump from seizing the Republican presidential nomination, he must replicate his Wisconsin victory in Indiana, another Midwestern state with similar demographics and population. But even with Ohio Gov. John Kasich's ceding Indiana to him as part of a nonaggression pact, it's a tall hurdle.

John Kasich

Congressman Charlie Dent Throws Support Behind John Kasich<http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2016/04/25/charlie-dent-supports-john-kasich>

Pennsylvania and four other states go to the polls Tuesday. In the Keystone State, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are ahead in the polls. Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson speaks with Republican Congressman Charlie Dent, who is supporting John Kasich.

Donald Trump

No, Donald Trump, beating Hillary Clinton will not be easy for you<https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/04/27/no-donald-trump-beating-hillary-clinton-will-not-be-easy-for-you/>

Following a five-primary sweep Tuesday night, Donald Trump repeatedly insisted that he would beat Hillary Clinton "so easily," because she is a crooked politician and a flawed candidate whom people do not like. It is undoubtedly true that Clinton is beatable. By her own admission, she is "not a natural politician." But that does not mean that Trump can beat her, let alone easily.

2016 - Senate

Arizona

John McCain Put on His Maverick Suit to Take on the Worst Defense Project in Years<http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a44354/john-mccain-f-35/>

Like hanging, a tough re-election tends to concentrate the mind. Out in Arizona, John McCain is getting a serious run from Democratic Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick. (Arizona being Arizona, McCain also is bedeviled by a primary challenge from Kelli Ward, a former state senator and yet another in what seems to be an endless roster of wingnut physicians. Ward once held a town hall meeting to encourage debate on the threat of chemtrails.

California

California: U.S. Senate candidates' debate spotlights styles of Kamala Harris, Loretta Sanchez<http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_29814853/california-u-s-senate-candidates-debate-spotlights-styles>

What they lacked in policy distinctions the two Democrats vying for California's first open U.S. Senate seat in decades made up for in stylistic differences, with front-runner Attorney General Kamala Harris sticking to an attorney's measured tones and Rep. Loretta Sanchez shooting from the hip and milking every moment for a quip. In Monday night's debate, Harris and Sanchez agreed on the need to create path to citizenship for people living in the United States illegally, on restricting access to weapons for those with a criminal record or history of mental illness and on the need to provide free community college education.

Colorado

Keyser argues over rejected signature petitions for Senate race; ruling by Friday<http://www.aurorasentinel.com/news/keyser-files-petition-protest-secretary-states-ballot-denial-u-s-senate-race/>

Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Jon Keyser on Tuesday challenged his disqualification from Colorado's GOP primary, seeking a court order that would put his name on the June ballot. The former state representative and one-time favorite to challenge Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet argued that Secretary of State Wayne Williams erroneously rejected voter signatures that Keyser needed to make the primary. Denver District Court Judge Elizabeth Starrs said after a hearing she would have a ruling by Friday.

Florida

A Debate Where the Voters Pick the Questions<http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/a-debate-where-the-voters-pick-the-questions/479958/>

When Alan Grayson faced off against David Jolly on Monday night in the first debate in the race for the Florida Senate seat being vacated by Marco Rubio, the match-up was unique in a couple of ways. For one, Grayson, a Democrat, and Jolly, a Republican, haven't even won their parties' nominations yet. The primaries aren't until August-the latest in the country for congressional seats-and there are a handful of other serious candidates in the race. But the more notable twist in Monday's debate was the questions themselves: They were posted online in advance for all to see, having been determined, for the most part, by more than 400,000 votes from Internet users, including more than 84,000 in Florida.

Indiana

Tea Party group endorses Stutzman for Indiana senate<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/277675-tea-party-group-endorses-stutzman-for-indiana-senate>

Another major Tea Party group has backed Rep. Marlin Stutzman's (R-Ind.) insurgent bid for Indiana's Senate seat just one week before the GOP primary.  Tea Party Express on Tuesday announced their endorsement, calling Stutzman the best choice for the grassroots. Stutzman is facing fellow Republican Rep. Todd Young in the primary. "The Indiana Senate race is a clear example where the politicians and lobbyists in Washington have picked one candidate while the grassroots of Indiana have picked another candidate," executive director Taylor Budowich said in a statement.

Louisiana

Boustany, Fleming with big $ lead in Louisiana's U.S. Senate race to replace Vitter<http://www.bayoubuzz.com/bb/item/1061662-boustany-fleming-with-big-lead-in-louisiana-s-u-s-senate-race-to-replace-vitter>

The race for the open Louisiana U.S. Senate seat will be an expensive one.  Incumbent U.S. Sen. David Vitter decided not to seek a third term.  There will be a long list of candidates from both parties on the ballot this November, but presently the attention is centered around six, who are considered major candidates.

Maryland

Van Hollen defeats Edwards in heated Maryland primary for U.S. Senate<https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/2016/04/26/ad03cdf4-0bbc-11e6-bfa1-4efa856caf2a_story.html>

Rep. Chris Van Hollen won a hard-fought Senate primary that exposed racial and gender divisions within the Maryland Democratic Party, defeating Rep. Donna F. Edwards for the nomination. He will compete in November for a rare open Senate seat, from which Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D) is retiring after 30 years. African American turnout reached record levels, exceeding 2008, when Barack Obama first ran for president, and outnumbering white voters, according to exit polls. Yet the candidate who would have been Maryland's first black senator and the second black woman to ever serve in the U.S. Senate fell short.

New Hampshire

Networks Blackout Hassan Scandal<http://freebeacon.com/politics/networks-blackout-hassan-scandal/>

National news networks have ignored the sex scandal that has dominated headlines in the New Hampshire Senate race, a Washington Free Beacon analysis found. The Boston Globe's March revelation that Gov. Maggie Hassan's husband Tom hushed up a sexual misconduct scandal while working as principal of the Phillips Exeter Academy has stirred controversy in the Granite State.

Ohio

Republican donor backs clean energy senators with digital campaign<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-republican-climatechange-idUSKCN0XO16S>

A Republican political donor said on Wednesday he would spend "seven figures" on a targeted digital campaign backing two senators who support clean energy policies, which could help tip the balance in their tight November re-election races. Jay Faison, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based executive of an audio-vision equipment company, said he would endorse Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio and Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire for re-election. Portman is a co-sponsor of a bipartisan energy efficiency bill, while Ayotte is one of the only Republican supporters of President Barack Obama's plan to cut carbon emissions.

Pennsylvania

Establishment favorite McGinty wins big in Pennsylvania Senate primary<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/04/26/establishment-favorite-mcginty-holds-big-lead-in-pennsylvania-senate-primary/>

Katie McGinty won the hotly contested Pennsylvania Democratic primary Tuesday, setting up a critical race against Republican Sen. Pat Toomey this fall that will help determine the Senate majority next year. A relative newcomer to elective politics, McGinty used the endorsement of President Obama and more than $4 million in spending on her behalf from outside liberal groups to knock off former congressman Joe Sestak, whose solo style of campaigning sparked a bitter feud with Democrats in Washington. After a truce effort failed last year, Senate Democrats worked to find someone other than the former Navy admiral to run against Toomey, believing Sestak's quirky personality would hurt them in such a key contest.

Wisconsin

Feingold says Johnson 'hasn't really tried' to reduce national debt<http://fox6now.com/2016/04/26/johnson-vs-feingold-which-candidate-has-the-best-plan-to-get-our-country-out-of-debt/>

As the spotlight shifts to Wisconsin's U.S. Senate race, candidate Russ Feingold says that incumbent Ron Johnson "hasn't really tried" to reduce the national debt. Johnson countered Feingold's charge by pointing to his rival's plans to increase taxes on certain groups. Both men have long talked about problems associated with federal spending, although the debt has skyrocketed while each man has served in the Senate.

2016 - Governors

Indiana

Indiana polls show close races for president, governor<http://www.wndu.com/content/news/Indiana-polls-show-close-races-for-president-governor-377165741.html>

The campaign trail is heating up, and with the Indiana presidential primary just a week away, recent polls by WTHR and Howey Politics Indiana reveal which candidates are in the lead. In the GOP race, Donald Trump is polling at 37 percent, but Ted Cruz isn't far behind with 31 percent. John Kasich comes in third with 22 percent. It's important to point out that this poll was taken a day or two before the Cruz-Kasich alliance, so we'll see how that affects future polls.

Utah

Rolly: Gov. Herbert got tag-teamed at Utah's GOP convention<http://www.sltrib.com/home/3818228-155/rolly-gov-herbert-got-tag-teamed-at>

Gov. Gary Herbert's failure to lock up the Republican nomination at the state convention without having a primary may have been the result of a tag-team match in violation of GOP rules. Herbert had three Republican rivals going into Saturday's showdown, with Jonathan Johnson seen as the only viable threat. During the convention speeches from the gubernatorial candidates, Nate Jensen took his six-minute allotment to rail against Herbert, scolding him on the Common Core, tax hikes and the Count My Vote compromise reviled by the party's hard core.

West Virginia

A look at W.Va. governor candidate Jim Justice<http://www.bdtonline.com/news/a-look-at-w-va-governor-candidate-jim-justice/article_8892aa86-0c15-11e6-a8b3-5b6cbdc48bff.html>

The only real political outsider in the governor's race this year, Jim Justice might also have the most statewide name recognition. Outside the political arena, Justice has built empires in coal, agriculture and tourism, and with that, a reputation for getting things done. Worth more than $1.5 billion, Justice has become a household name in the region after his 2009 purchase of The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs. Justice's investment there, $20.1 million, seemed to be at once a bargain and an instantaneous boondoggle when he began losing more than $1 million a week at the historic property.

Thanks,

Colby Moore
Executive Assistant to the National Political Director
Democratic National Committee
O: (202) 488-5044
C: (704) 430-7163
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>
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