Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score: Next special up: Republicans turn to Georgia for next defensive stand — CLF airs new TV ad against Ossoff — Trump Jr. to hit the trail in Montana special
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
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Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2017 08:07:46 -0600
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By Elena Schneider and Daniel Strauss | 04/13/2017 10:00 AM EDT

With Scott Bland and Bianca Padr&oacute; Ocasio

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)

WHAT'S COMING NEXT - "Rattled Republicans turn their eyes to Georgia," by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "Republicans are white-knuckling their way through their party's first major political tests under the Trump administration. After the surprising close call in Kansas on Tuesday night, Republicans are now obsessing over a House special election in a slice of suburban Atlanta that has never been competitive before, where the GOP has spent millions to keep Democrats from capturing the district next week. It's no sure bet for Republicans. An angry, energized Democratic base looking to send a message to Donald Trump has turned Jon Ossoff, a previously unknown former congressional aide, into
 one of the best-funded House candidates ever ahead of an all-party primary next Tuesday. The money - more than $8.3 million in the first three months of 2017 - has allowed Ossoff to blanket the airwaves with TV ads and carpet the streets of the district with door-knockers turning out friendly voters to win the district outright in the special primary."

- "'I'd be an idiot if those results in Kansas didn't cause me and Republicans concern' in Georgia, said Justin Tomczak, a Republican political adviser and activist in the state. 'It's a wakeup call.' But unlike in Kansas, Republicans in Georgia sounded the alarms several weeks ago, prompting $2 million in spending from the National Republican Campaign Committee to help boost Republican turnout and counter Democrats' energy. The Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC aligned with House leadership, also dumped in more than $2 million of its own money and dispatched on-the-ground staffers to the district." Full story.

FIRST IN SCORE - CLF runs another TV ad: The Congressional Leadership Fund is adding another TV ad into its rotation with Election Day less than a week away. The ad doubles down on the themes that Ossoff is a "rubber stamp" for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and questions his resume, saying he "isn't telling you the truth." "Fact checkers agree that Ossoff is puffing up his resume," the ad says. "Ossoff will seemingly say anything to hide the truth." The ad is part of CLF's $2.2 million TV buy in the district. Watch the ad here. 

- MORE ADS: Ending Spending adds new pro-Handel TV ad in GA-06: "Ending Spending, the outside group founded by the megadonor Ricketts family, has released a new TV ad backing former Secretary of State Karen Handel in Georgia's special election, bringing its total investment in the 6th District race up to $1.3 million." Watch the ad here. Full story.

- Hill goes negative vs. fellow Republicans in GA-06 TV ad: Full story.

- And mailers: Susan B. Anthony's List is dumping mailers on 25,000 people in the district, urging Republican voters to back former Secretary of State Karen Handel. One mailer says: "Only one candidate has a record of fighting against abortion giant Planned Parenthood," showing a picture of Handel. Another mailer, featuring babies as newscasters, says: "BREAKING: A pro-life leader in Georgia's special election." Check out the mailers here, here and here. 

Days until the 2017 election: 208.

Days until the 2018 election: 572.

Thanks for joining us. You can email tips to the Campaign Pro team at [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked] and [email-masked].

You can also follow us on Twitter: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin and @danielstrauss4. 

CORRECTION - Wednesday's Morning Score misstated GOP Rep. Martha McSally's cash on hand. She had over $630,000 in the bank after raising $750,000.

MORE SPECIALS - TRUMP (JR.) ON THE TRAIL - "Donald Trump Jr. is slated for a four-city Montana tour to support Republican Greg Gianforte's U.S. House candidacy," the Missoulian reports. "President Donald Trump's oldest son is scheduled to make campaign stops April 21 in Kalispell, Hamilton and Billings. Trump Jr. will stop in Bozeman April 22," six days before absentee ballots drop for the May 25 race against Democrat Rob Quist.

KANSAS REAX - "Thompson to national Democrats: Do more to help elect candidates," by the Wichita Eagle's Jonathan Shorman: "James Thompson wants national Democrats to do more to elect candidates after his narrow loss in a race where Republicans unloaded heavy firepower to assure a win. ... 'We've sent a message that no Republican district in this country is safe. (DCCC) and DNC need to be doing a 50-state strategy,' Thompson said." Full story.

- Our Revolution raises money for MT-AL Democrat Rob Quist off the Kansas results: "What happened last night in Kansas is proof that voters across the spectrum are fighting back," wrote Jeff Weaver, Bernie Sanders' 2016 campaign manager, in the fundraising email. "... [W]e missed a huge opportunity to help more in Kansas. ... [I]f our political revolution is to succeed, we need to show that we will help candidates that are running to continue what Bernie started. Rob Quist is one of those candidates."

Q1 FUNDRAISING - Ohio: Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown raised $2.4 million in the first quarter and has $5 million on hand.

- FL-26: GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo raised $610,000 and ended the first quarter with over $600,000 on hand, according to the Miami Herald.

- AZ-09: Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (the subject of rumors about a 2018 Senate bid) brought in $687,000 in the first quarter and now has $2.8 million on hand, according to her FEC report.

- NY-19: GOP Rep. John Faso raised $276,000 and had $270,000 on hand at the end of the first quarter, per his FEC report.

- NJ-02: GOP Rep. Frank LoBiondo raised $122,000 and had $379,000 at the end of the first quarter, via the FEC.

- Virginia: GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie raised $1.8 million in the first quarter and has $3 million on hand.

- Colorado: Republican gubernatorial candidate Victor Mitchell will report raising $3 million in the first quarter of 2018, according to the Colorado Statesman.

RERUN? - "Weighing another run, Gomez sees Warren as beatable," by State House News Service's Matt Murphy: "Former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez said Wednesday that U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren's fundraising advantage heading into a 2018 re-election campaign should not deter any Republicans, including himself, from challenging the liberal icon. Gomez, who emerged as a newcomer on the political scene in 2013 to capture the GOP nomination for Senate to replace John Kerry in Washington, told reporters that he continues to discuss the prospects of another campaign with family and friends, but has not made a decision. 'I'm still thinking about that thing very hard,' Gomez said, while at the State House
 to support suspended Suffolk Probate Register Felix Arroyo." Full story.

CRAMER VS. CRAMER - "North Dakota congressman: Spicer Hitler comment 'not without some validity,'" by CNN's Tom LoBianco: "Rep. Kevin Cramer, a possible challenger to North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, said Wednesday that White House press secretary Sean Spicer's analogy between Adolf Hitler and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is 'not without some validity.' 'The media is so gullible, they fall for these things because they think it's really hot stuff and the public just can't wait to stick it to Sean Spicer -- who 99% of the people wouldn't have the foggiest idea who he is and it distracts them from other things," Cramer ... said Wednesday [on] KFYR-FM with conservative radio North Dakota
 host Scott Hennen. ... When CNN reached out to Cramer for additional comment Wednesday, he replied, 'My point is the media is making a big deal out of a poor illustration by a spokesperson who apologized.'" Full story.

NOT IN THE CLUB - The Club for Growth is releasing a set of digital ads accusing House Republicans of standing in the way of Obamacare repeal. The ads start running today on digital platforms in House districts of 10 members: Reps. Martha McSally, Adam Kinzinger, Patrick McHenry, Rodney Frelinghuysen, Chris Collins, Pat Tiberi, Greg Walden, Charlie Dent, Timothy Murphy, and Evan Jenkins. Here's the ad targeting Kinzinger. 

WEB WARS - Wisconsin Republicans launch digital ad trolling Baldwin: The Wisconsin GOP is making a statewide digital ad buy promoting a new website, DemocratsInDisarray.com, attacking Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin and mocking the party's political losses since 2010. 

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "The bad news for Democrats is that now Republicans have woken up." - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a former DCCC chairman, on Republican efforts to make sure the upcoming special elections aren't even a close call. Via the Wall Street Journal.

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