Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score: California Senate leader De León to challenge Feinstein — Hoyer weighs in on primaries in third quarter with contributions — Pence, Biden hit the trail in Virginia governor's race
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2017 08:03:17 -0600
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By Elena Schneider | 10/16/2017 10:00 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)
 
PRIMARY WATCH - "California Senate leader Kevin de Le&oacute;n announces he will challenge Sen. Dianne Feinstein," by The Los Angeles Times' Seema Mehta and Melanie Mason: "California Senate Leader Kevin de Le&oacute;n on Sunday launched an audacious bid to challenge fellow Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, saying he was running to fight President Trump's agenda and that the state has changed greatly during the quarter century Feinstein has been in office. 'We're overdue for a real debate on the issues, priorities and leadership voters want from their senator,' De Le&oacute;n said in an interview. 'I think California needs a senator not just fully resistant to Trump's presidency, but who
 understands the issues most Californians face every day.' De Le&oacute;n announced his bid in an email to supporters and a video, where he painted a dire picture." Full story.
 
- Democracy for America endorses De Leon over Feinstein: In an emailed statement, DFA said that "we won't defeat Trump and his Republican Party with corporate Democrats pushing Republican-lite policies and weak leadership." 
 
FOLLOW THE MONEY - "Hoyer weighs in on primaries in third quarter," by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer contributed to more than a dozen House members and Democratic challengers in the third quarter of 2017, according to his latest FEC report, weighing in on several of House Democrats' contested primaries around the country. Hoyer gave to former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, who's among several candidates running to challenge GOP Rep. Martha McSally in Arizona, and Brendan Kelly, who's running to take on GOP Rep. Mike Bost in Illinois. Both races have attracted about a half-dozen candidates. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi also contributed to Kirkpatrick,
 according to her campaign finance report. Jay Hulings, who's running to challenge GOP Rep. Will Hurd in Texas, also got a contribution from Hoyer." Full story.  
 
'VP' STANDS FOR 'VIRGINIA POLITICS' - "Pence, Biden hit the trail in Virginia governor's race," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: "The current and former vice presidents swooped into the Virginia governor's race Saturday, with Vice President Mike Pence rallying for Republican Ed Gillespie in the state's Trump-loving Southwest and Joe Biden hosting a low-key economic development roundtable for Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam in vote-rich Northern Virginia. The events came with just over three weeks to go in one of the most closely watched statewide elections of 2017, highlighting the candidates' paths to victory as their parties push for a win to herald ahead of next year's midterm
 elections. The two events could hardly have been more different." Full story.
 
TESTING GROUND - "Trump alums target unlikely voters in Virginia elections," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: "A nonprofit founded by former aides to President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign is launching a campaign to turn out disaffected thousands of 'patriotic' voters in state and local elections in Virginia next month. Look Ahead America, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group, is not endorsing a candidate in the governor's race. But its stated goal is to counter 'the millions spent by George Soros-backed progressive organizations,' and its definition of patriotic voters would likely increase turnout for Republican Ed Gillespie, who narrowly trails Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam in public
 polling. The group, led by Matt Braynard and Witold Chrabaszcz, launched over the summer. Both men have long worked in GOP politics and initially helped run the Trump campaign's data team. Their work in Virginia will be the first test of Look Ahead America's plan to turn out new voters in Trump-supporting sections of the United States." Full story. 
 
Days until the 2017 election: 22. 
 
Days until the 2018 election: 386 
 
Thanks for joining us! You can email tips to the Campaign Pro team at [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked] and [email-masked].
 
You can also follow us on Twitter: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin, @danielstrauss4 and @maggieseverns. 
 
ONE-WOMAN CAMPAIGN - "The regulator pushing the FEC's Russia response," by Campaign Pro's Maggie Severns: "The lone Democrat left on the FEC is trying to whip up enough public pressure on the agency that her colleagues have no choice but to take action responding to Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Commissioner Ellen Weintraub has appeared on CNN and MSNBC to issue grave warnings about the Russian threat. She has drafted sweeping proposals for action on Russian meddling - which surfaced in the press before she released them widely - and publicized letters that otherwise would have stayed between commissioners. And Weintraub has been at the front of public and private efforts to push
 technology companies to play a role in crafting new regulations for online political advertising. It's an unusual shift for Weintraub, a wonky election lawyer who once steered clear the spotlight - like most members of the infamously slow-moving and divided FEC." Full story.
 
Q3 FUNDRAISING - Arizona: Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema raised $1 million in the third quarter as she prepared for a run against Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, who trails Sinema in cash on hand, Campaign Pro reported. 
 
- Indiana: "Republican Rep. Todd Rokita raised $450,000 for his Senate bid in the third quarter of 2017, his campaign said today. Rokita now has $2.4 million on hand, the same amount as Rep. Luke Messer, his main GOP primary rival. Messer had raised $735,000 in the third quarter. State legislator and businessman Mike Braun raised $1 million in the third quarter," Campaign Pro reported. 
 
- Massachusetts: Sen. Elizabeth Warren has $12.8 million on hand for her 2018 reelection bid after raising just under $3 million in the third quarter, Campaign Pro reported. 
 
- Michigan: Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) raised $1.7 million in the third quarter and finished with $6.9 million cash on hand, Campaign Pro reported. 
 
- North Dakota: "Tom Campbell, a Republican state legislator and wealthy farmer, raised $570,000 in the third quarter of 2018 for his challenge to North Dakota Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. Campbell donated about $420,000 of the amount to his own campaign and raised the rest from individual donors. His campaign didn't release a cash-on-hand number," Campaign Pro reported. 
 
- CA-45: Democrat Katie Hill announced that she raised $160,000 in the third quarter with $350,000 in cash on hand. 
 
- CA-49: GOP Rep. Darrell Issa raised $430,000 in the third quarter, finishing with $850,000 in cash on hand, his campaign announced. 
 
- CA-50: Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar raised $170,000 in the third quarter, according to his campaign.
 
- FL-07: Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy raised $310,000 in the third quarter, per a campaign announcement.
 
- NJ-05: Republican Steve Lonegan announced he has $560,000 in cash on hand. 
 
- NM-02: Republican Monty Newman announced he raised just under $320,000 since launching his campaign, ending with $310,000 in cash on hand.
 
- NY-21: Democrat Tedra Cobb raised just under $130,000 in the third quarter with $110,000 in cash on hand, per a statement from her campaign. 
 
- TX-07: Democrat Alex Triantaphyllis raised $215,000, closing the quarter with $535,000 in cash on hand, his campaign announced. 
 
- VA-05: Democrat RD Huffstetler raised just under $300,000 in the third quarter, finishing with $450,000 in cash on hand, per a statement from his campaign. 
 
- More VA-05: Democrat Ben Cullop brought in $150,000 since launching his campaign, ending with just over $100,000 in cash on hand, per a statement from his campaign.
 
- VA-10: Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock raised just under $450,000 in the third quarter with $980,000 in cash on hand, according to her campaign. 
 
- More VA-10: Democrat Dan Helmer raised $170,000 in the third quarter, finishing with $400,000 in cash on hand, per a statement from his campaign. 
 
PRIMARY WATCH, PT. II - "Former Judge Russell Fagg enters Senate race for Tester's seat," via The Billings Gazette: "Retired Judge Russell Fagg let Billings in on one of the worst-kept secrets in Montana politics on Saturday: the Republican is running for U.S. Senate. The announcement, made at Billings Flying Service early Saturday evening, put an end to Fagg's four-month exploratory committee. He will barnstorm the state over the next four days explaining his decision to join a field of five Republican candidates vying to challenge two-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester." Full story.
 
- "Fincher not in Senate race yet, but already drawing contrast," via The Associated Press: "Stephen Fincher hasn't yet joined the Republican field running for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee, but that's not keeping him from a drawing stark contrast to a former congressional colleague who wasted little time jumping into the race to succeed retiring Sen. Bob Corker." Full story.
 
OUTSIDE PRESSURE - "Google, Facebook putting an early mark on political advertising bills," via POLITICO's Steven Overly and Ashley Gold: "Google and Facebook are looking to make an early imprint on legislation being drafted in the House and Senate that would force them and other online networks to disclose information about the buyers of political ads. Lobbyists from the Silicon Valley behemoths have met with the staffs of Sens. Mark Warner and Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Derek Kilmer, all of whom are drawing up bills that would impose new regulations on the industry, according to Democratic aides and company representatives. The Senate bill is expected to be formally introduced next week."
 Full story.
 
POLLING DATA - "Murphy leads Guadagno by 18 points," via POLITICO New Jersey's Matt Friedman: "Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy leads his Republican rival, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, by 18 points, according to a poll released Friday. The Stockton University poll of 585 likely voters shows Murphy with 51 percent support to Guadagno's 33 percent, including voters who lean toward one candidate. Five percent said they would choose a different candidate. Not including leaners, Murphy's advantage in the poll - which was conducted from Oct. 4 to Oct. 12 - shrinks by five points." Full story.
 
HUH - "David Rivera evades U.S. Marshals," via POLITICO Florida's Matt Dixon: "While former congressman David Rivera runs for the Florida House, he is also running from the U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Marshals have attempted to serve the Miami Republican with a summons tied to a Federal Election Commission lawsuit since July, but have been unable to find him. He's also running for an open 2018 Florida House seat."
 
CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Right now, it's a season of war against a GOP establishment." - Stephen Bannon said at the Values Voter Summit on Saturday, The Los Angeles Times reported. 
 
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