Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score: The Senate map: Dems clear Labor Day in improved position — But DSCC cancels more Ohio ads — General election ads in Arizona, Wisconsin, NY-19, FL-26
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 06 Sep 2016 08:08:08 -0600

By Elena Schneider | 09/06/2016 10:05 AM EDT

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)

WELCOME BACK - "Senate Republicans brace for frightful fall," by Campaign Pro's Maggie Severns and Kevin Robillard: "Donald Trump's tumultuous August has increased Democrats' chances of winning the Senate, with a dozen states potentially in play - including previously uncompetitive races in North Carolina and Indiana. GOP operatives still believe their incumbents and candidates can prevail against imperfect Democrats in states ranging from Pennsylvania to Nevada. But protecting the 54-seat Republican majority will require a near-sweep of competitive states that is looking increasingly unlikely.

"Democrats have long been favored in Illinois and Wisconsin, and polls now show them with steady if slim advantages in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, as well as larger leads in Indiana. A sweep of those states would give them control of the Senate, though Democrats also have growing concerns about keeping retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's seat in Nevada - both because of its symbolism and because it could decide the balance of the Senate. Many Republican Senate candidates still run ahead of Trump in the polls - an absolute necessity for defending blue - and purple-state seats up this year. But wasn't enough to keep strong incumbents like Pennsylvania's Pat Toomey and New
 Hampshire's Kelly Ayotte from trailing consistently during Trump's August doldrums." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661bcfe2c0f0e40dbf6a6c8552ca6806447e56c018e8ca590e0f

ATTEMPTED FRIDAY NEWS DUMP - DSCC dumps more Ohio ad time in another blow to Strickland: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee canceled another two weeks of TV reservations late on Friday before the long weekend, the second time in a week it pulled back ads in the expensive swing state. The DSCC had already canceled ads up to Sept. 26 in the race against GOP Sen. Rob Portman, whose position has improved of late. (The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis first reported the latest cancellations.) Senate Majority PAC also pulled millions of dollars in September ad reservations last week, too. The DSCC also canceled its ads in Colorado, as Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet looks safe against
 Republican Darryl Glenn. "We are continuing to make investments in Ohio that support Ted Strickland in a variety of ways," said a DSCC official. "At the same time, Republicans have failed to mount a credible challenge in Colorado, which frees up that money to go further on offense. Republicans were unable to expand the map which leaves them playing defense across the board."

ICYMI - "Senate race rankings: Map expands into Indiana and North Carolina," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: 1. Illinois, still number one. 2. Wisconsin. 3. Indiana (previously unranked). 4. Pennsylvania (jumped up a spot). 5. New Hampshire (dropped a spot). See the rest here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661be83b3ef28cf5ecf6cb0dbbb64d39e723cabe0a3e14726801

Days until the 2016 election: 63.

Days until the New Hampshire and Delaware congressional primaries: 7.

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FIRST IN SCORE - Biden to raise money for Kander in St. Louis: Vice President Joe Biden will attend a fundraiser for Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander on Friday in St. Louis, according to an invite obtained by Campaign Pro. The minimum donation is $1,000 and tickets for two couples, including a photo with Biden and Kander, will set you back $12,700. The festivities will kick off at 11:45 a.m. at the exclusive St. Louis Club. 

MEANWHILE, IN ARIZONA - Biggs and Jones prepare for recount in AZ-05: From The Arizona Republic's Rebekah L. Sanders: "Christine Jones, who lost the Republican primary by just 9 votes" in the final official count "to state Sen. Andy Biggs... is questioning the ballot count and seeking more information about how it was conducted. ... Jones had been leading the 5th Congressional District Republican primary all week as the Maricopa County Recorder's Office processed thousands of mail-in and provisional ballots. But on Friday, as waves of new results were posted, Biggs shaved her lead down. In the final tally reported at about 2 a.m. Saturday, a small batch of ballots boosted Biggs to his
 current razor-thin lead. In total, more than 85,000 votes were cast in the four-way race. The margin between Biggs and Jones is so narrow that state statute requires a recount." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661be05faacfe7bc844674e4fccdde0d646ca53d17d8c81c7a38

FIRST IN SCORE - Teachout debuts first TV ad in NY-19: Democrat Zephyr Teachout, a progressive favorite endorsed by Bernie Sanders, is going up with her first TV ad today in the race for an open swing seat in New York's Hudson Valley. "You know how most political ads don't say anything?" Teachout says in the ad, as she stands next to a digital clock counting down the seconds. "Well, 30 seconds isn't enough time - but, also, a lot of politicians just don't think you're very smart. I'm Zephyr Teachout and I think you are. That's why I'm running for Congress as an economic patriot: to bring jobs home, support local farming and make things in America again." Teachout then points viewers to more
 detailed policy videos on her website. Teachout is facing Republican John Faso - who went up with his first ad two weeks ago - for retiring GOP Rep. Chris Gibson's seat. Watch the ad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661bc06ad487a9b3804d5a25fbfbd161a7e7a8aaf2f7ba5bdccb

NEW THIS MORNING - Johnson goes back to 2010 to start fall advertising: GOP Sen. Ron Johnson's latest ad is a callback to his advertising in 2010, featuring Johnson standing in front of a whiteboard and explaining that while the U.S. Senate is filled with lawyers and career politicians, he's the only manufacturer. "There's still way too many career politicians, and now Sen. Feingold wants to add another one: himself," Johnson says. "Fixing this broken system will take the perspective of someone who's actually solved problems. 31 years of manufacturing taught me how." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661b83073ba227d940012e28e3854d93fe085d443beb8f2940d8

- Latest McCain ad, coordinated with NRSC, hits Kirkpatrick: Less than a week after GOP Sen. John McCain beat back a primary challenge in Arizona, the NRSC is hitting the airwaves with a new TV ad backing McCain and attacking his Democratic opponent. "Ann Kirkpatrick isn't being honest with us," the ad's narrator says. "She claims she's independent but votes with D.C. liberals nearly 90 percent." The ad criticizes Kirkpatrick for calling Hillary Clinton trustworthy and supporting Obamacare. "Kirkpatrick turned her back on us, but John McCain has always put service first," the ad concludes. The NRSC is spending six figures out of its coordinated budget to air the ad statewide on broadcast
 and cable. Watch the ad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661b98f0949f842573c61d4a6a61f178b3f59b1cad2ae58410ca

MORE TV - "Curbelo reveals two new TV ads, centered on environment and immigration," by The Miami Herald's Patricia Mazzei: "In one TV ad, U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo is boating with one of his young daughters and talking in English about how nature is a key part of life - and the economy - in the Florida Keys. In the other, he's sitting around the kitchen table with his own mom and dad, who retell the story in Spanish about how they left Cuba for the U.S. The message from the first ad: Curbelo is a Republican who cares about the environment and climate change (though he never utters the words "climate change"). The message from the second ad: Curbelo is a Cuban American willing to curtail
 "abuse" from some Cuban immigrants who receive U.S. government benefits. Curbelo's two ads will start airing Tuesday, his campaign said: one in Monroe County and the other on Spanish-language networks across Florida's 26th congressional district, which extends from Westchester to Key West." Watch "Livelihood" here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661bc67b89d3f020521e49a1588c799ae1ceeb9e2885828fc22e Watch "Generosidad" here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661b0f0c2af7210c8bf6dc4c19e2e5549eaa3c17f41c271022a1 http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661bdb30245a4ba0c81e4c3e54325fcb1a77411185b9a04dfefe 

MONEY ORDER - Hassan outraises Ayotte before New Hampshire's primary: GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte's reelection bid raised under $1.4 million in the run-up to the state's primary, about $800,000 less than Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan. Ayotte's campaign still has $5.4 million on hand, compared to $3.3 million for Hassan. Ayotte started the campaign with a $5 million head start on the Democrat. 

PRESIDENTIAL SPEED READ - "Trump cuts into Clinton's lead as crucial stretch begins," by POLITICO's Gabriel Debenedetti: "...Both Hillary Clinton's and Donald Trump's teams see September as the month that will make - or break - their candidate's case for the White House. A confident Clinton fighting to keep expectations in check will ratchet up her get-out-the-vote operation while courting more Republicans to her camp. A defiant Trump will double down on the America-first message that he thinks got him this far in the first place. The Democrat's allies will continue to blanket the battleground airwaves with stinging attacks on Trump's character. And three weeks into the month, early voting
 periods will open, state by state. But nothing is more crucial for either contender than Sept. 26, when Clinton and Trump will meet at Hofstra University for the first presidential debate. Both campaigns have come to the conclusion that for the Republican nominee to compete in the home-stretch, he needs a shock to the system and the Hempstead, New York forum offers his best opportunity." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661bc2b6d0e2b66b1f4b4210d9520c91347600662120585e050c 

- "Clinton suggests Russia working to elect Trump," by POLITICO's Annie Karni in Hampton, Illinois: "Hillary Clinton on Monday expressed "a very serious" concern about Russia's apparent tampering with the U.S. election, implying that Vladimir Putin and the 'adversarial foreign power' he governs are actively trying to elect Donald Trump. 'I'm really concerned about the credible reports about Russian government interference in our elections,' Clinton told reporters aboard the maiden voyage of her Boeing 737 'Stronger Together' campaign plane." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661bb526b9b2274f5ca340b09948a6552d05e7487068b0fe6daa 

- Ad watch: "Trump Scores with New Clinton Email Attack Ad, but Policy Ads Fail to Convince," analysis via Ace Metrix: "Trump's purest attack on Clinton (of these three spots), "Emails," actually fared better among American voters than his two new policy-oriented efforts focused on economic and immigration policy. ... While the topic of the economy in Trump's most recent effort, "Two Americas: Economy," was near universal in its appeal, the GOP nominee did not succeed at credibly convincing voters of his ability or intent to fulfill the promises made (tax relief for working families, new job creation, higher wages and a thriving small business environment), posting virtually no impact on
 voter intent." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661b5cb952bd7a46960d48144abf6c77a89317469ea19cec86de

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I. Hope. Somebody. Rapes. You. Today. :)" A man running for township committee in West Deptford posted on Facebook about Daily Beast reporter Olivia Nuzzi, POLITICO reported. He now claims his account was hacked. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=610fee2421ef661bee94ba02a2fa340c222f25b4e3aa2b0caec1c67647d456d1 

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