Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score: Gillibrand goes to bat for House challengers — House Majority PAC hauls in $1 million in April — Takai, Clawson announce House retirements
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 20 May 2016 08:04:00 -0600

By Elena Schneider | 05/20/2016 10:00 AM EDT

With Kevin Robillard, Theodoric Meyer and Maggie Severns

The following newsletter is an abridged version of Campaign Pro's Morning Score. For an earlier morning read on exponentially more races - and for a more comprehensive aggregation of the day's most important campaign news - sign up for Campaign Pro today. (http://www.politicopro.com/proinfo)

GOING TO BAT - "Gillibrand investing in House campaigns," by Campaign Pro's Theodoric Meyer: "The New York Democrat has headlined fundraisers for House hopefuls. She cut TV ads recently for two House candidates ahead of the New York primary. Her leadership PAC, Off the Sidelines, has sent at least $635,000 to female Democratic House and Senate candidates, including at least 15 candidates looking to win back GOP-held House seats." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df02b4a9f710a2172b307380ffca98e087279e9ae595689661583cf9c7e0a0bf

FIRST IN SCORE - House Majority PAC raises $1 million in April: The Democrats' flagship super PAC operation brought in $1 million last month, bringing its 2016 total to $12.8 million. It has about $10 million hand, according to a statement from the group, which touted 113,000 individual contributions from 40,000 donors. "House Majority PAC continues forward into 2016 stronger than ever before," House Majority PAC executive director Alixandria Lapp said. "We will keep amassing resources to hold GOP congressional candidates accountable nationwide and secure wins for Democrats in districts across the country." 

ONE-TERMERS - Takai retiring after one term in Hawaii: "Freshman Democratic Rep. Mark Takai won't run for reelection, he announced late today afternoon, opening up one of Hawaii's two congressional seats less than three weeks before the filing deadline. Takai was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer less than a year after taking office. He initially decided to run for reelection while seeking treatment but recently learned that the cancer had spread. ...His decision opens up the overwhelmingly Democratic seat in Hawaii's 1st District with time running out before the June 7 filing deadline." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df02b4a9f710a2173dddd6db8c70065fb2d8ff6f8b8330fc21ec31e1250dcfeb 

- Rep. Curt Clawson announced Thursday he was retiring: The Florida Republican said he was leaving Congress after 2016 to spend more time with his family and his father. "Since my mother's passing last year, our family has gone through significant change and transition," he said in a statement. "I believe that now is a good time to pass the baton and spend more time close to home." The south Florida seat leans heavily Republican with a late August primary and a June 24 deadline to file for that primary. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df02b4a9f710a217747fb926121ed0bf4d60aefa4ead2ca74a778299544e5a4c 

Days until the Georgia primary and Texas runoffs: 4. Days until the 2016 election: 172.

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FIRST IN SCORE - EMILY'S LIST SPOT BOOSTS VERNON ON SOCIAL SECURITY: EMILY's List is airing an ad to boost Monica Vernon ahead of the competitive Democratic primary in Iowa's 1st District. The ad focuses on Vernon's support of Social Security. "She knows seniors have paid into Social Security and Medicare with every paycheck," the male narrator says. "It's a promise they depend on." The ad also boasts of her endorsements from Christie Vilsack and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. The ad, backed by 1,200 points on broadcast and cable in the Cedar Rapids media market, will begin airing today. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f7cea162dd0e1348ba440ab84c1c30df2cc1bee30333cdbd1a7ece3f613cdac

- MORE ON TV - NRCC getting involved in California primary: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=85eebad6d1f496480bf0e4ec0182d15fd3ac243435a0312db9cdaee539469312 

FIRST IN SCORE - Hassan reserves $6 million for fall TV campaign: New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan's Senate campaign plans to reserve $6 million in airtime for the fall, according to a New Hampshire Democratic source. The buy will start in late August and run until Election Day in the Manchester, Boston, Portland and Burlington markets, plus statewide cable. The DSCC has already committed $8 million to the state and the Democratic Senate Majority PAC has reserved more than $4 million worth of airtime. Most Republican groups haven't begun reserving airtime yet, but the NRSC has reserved $6.8 million to help GOP incumbent Kelly Ayotte,

SWITCHYARD - Republicans criticized for switching votes on LGBT anti-discrimination amendment: "The House erupted in chaos Thursday morning with Democrats crying foul after Republicans hastily persuaded a few of their own to switch their votes and narrowly block an amendment intended to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination," POLITICO's Rachael Bade, Ben Weyl and John Bresnahan report. "... At one point, a monitor in the House gallery showed there were 217 votes supporting the legislation, eliciting cheers of joy from Democrats ... But over the course of about 10 minutes, those votes suddenly dropped one by one to 212 - and the amendment failed. A number
 of lawmakers from western states, who originally voted yes, changed their votes. According to a list tweeted out an hour after the vote by House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer's (D-Md.) office, they included: California Reps. Darrell Issa, David Valadao, Jeff Denham, Mimi Walters, and Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon, Rep. David Young of Iowa and Rep. Bruce Poliquin of Maine." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f7cea162dd0e1341512e0507bbfeed150dc8132625c0518696e22d714b56160

- Several of those members are from battleground districts, and the Human Rights Campaign will promote digital ads against those seven Republicans on social media. See the anti-Poliquin ad here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f7cea162dd0e13442e215840f6c303bd97c1cdca2fd4c7606256daa80c14aae

NEW POLLING DATA - In NC-02 ... Republican Rep. George Holding is leading Rep. Renee Ellmers, 46 percent to 18 percent, according to an internal poll released by Holding' general consultant, Carter Wrenn, on his blog. Wrenn's write-up suggests negative advertising in the district has taken its toll on Ellmers. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3c4caf52152d2afb0d1ad299540a387b27ed7c72f99007724cea8f3cf6a864e4 

- In Indiana ... Pence 40, Gregg 36: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3c4caf52152d2afbdf809874ab46c2b233df2397c0994b940df450db96ce6abb 

PRESIDENTIAL SPEED READ - "Trump's Supreme Court picks have close ties to GOP senators," by POLITICO's Seung Min Kim: "...In selecting names for his list of potential Supreme Court picks, Trump seemed to make direct appeals to Senate Republicans by choosing their associates and even relatives, along with jurists who have long been household names among conservatives. ... Most Republican senators still can't bring themselves to fully embrace Trump as their presidential standard-bearer. But his long list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court is already going a long way in assuaging their concerns." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3c4caf52152d2afb381ac2d351e60d02a71c59d25422f329813fb58aaac6e499 

- "Make Yourself Great Again!" by POLITICO Magazine's Ben Wofford: "Nathan, who did not want his last name to be used for this story, is one of a substantial number of young men tapping into a growing informal online network: A dedicated denomination of self-improvement, built on the 'teachings' of one Donald J. Trump. From his books, public statements, and general attitude toward the world, they've extracted a highly motivating philosophy of positive thinking and the virtues of self-love and brazening things out, as real men do. Their numbers are unknown, but the trend exists in the form of dozens of their posts flourishing online, bouncing across Trump discussion threads and Twitter and
 the right-wing blogosphere, peppered with buzzwords and moments of epiphany." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3c4caf52152d2afb840b7bd24ed78d82e04569cea233264e971eb3e5db4d8825 

- "Manafort to GOP aides: Trump's 'behavior can be changed,'" by POLITICO's Burgess Everett, Seung Min Kim and Eli Stokols: "Donald Trump's newly empowered chief strategist sought to convince top GOP congressional officials on Capitol Hill that Trump can compete for the Latino vote, exploit Hillary Clinton's weaknesses and become a Reagan-esque figure in the party, according to attendees and sources familiar with the meeting. ... Facing a room full of seasoned campaign veterans and longtime congressional aides at D.C. law firm Jones day on Capitol Hill, Manafort struck a confident tone. He told attendees that Ronald Reagan used to be criticized just like Trump is now for his polarizing
 reputation within the Republican Party, the sources said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3c4caf52152d2afb7242e8a8fe5a546974eead87a53a7ec19484ced97654d00d 

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It was like affirmative action for conservatives." - Glenn Beck, on his meeting with Facebook. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=658862d5ec6e8bc24066c91d39103f2f23d104b2b6584c537a2a2d218d2c87d3 

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