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By Elena Schneider | 02/01/2017 10:00 AM EDT


With Theodoric Meyer and Scott Bland

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)

THE DECISION - "Trump picks Gorsuch for Supreme Court," by Shane Goldmacher and Josh Gerstein: "President Donald Trump tapped Judge Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court, elevating a 49-year old judge who has served as on the federal appeals court for a more than decade to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. ... Gorsuch was on the list of judges that Trump promised he would choose from during the campaign, and his selection to the high court is expected to rally conservative activists who successfully pushed Republicans to block hearings for Judge Merrick Garland, former President Barack Obama's pick, after Scalia's death in February 2016." Full story.

- THE FIGHT BEGINS - Judicial Crisis Network launches $10 million in ads to back Gorsuch: The conservative group will go up with $10 million worth of ads targeting vulnerable Democratic senators to support Gorsuch, per a memo from the group. An initial $2 million of the campaign will go toward TV ads, airing on broadcast, cable, satellite and digital platforms in Missouri, Indiana, North Dakota, Montana and Washington, D.C. In 2016, the Judicial Crisis Network spent $7 million on stopping Merrick Garland's hearings. "Neil Gorsuch is exceptionally qualified - a fair and independent judge who bases his decisions on the Constitution, and he is widely respected on both sides of the aisle," said
Judicial Crisis Network chief counsel Carrie Severino. "He was confirmed unanimously to one of our highest courts in 2006, and I am confident he will receive bipartisan support again this time."

- ON THE HILL - "GOP won't rule out killing the filibuster for Supreme Court pick," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett, John Bresnahan and Seung Min Kim: "Senate Republicans are open to gutting the filibuster if Democrats block President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick - and they just might have the numbers to do it. Interviews with nearly 20 key Republicans this week - from "old bulls" to party leaders to junior members - shows the GOP is reluctant to deploy the so-called nuclear option but deliberately is not ruling it out. The downside, of course, is that any temporary advantage they'd gain now could come back to haunt when Democrats eventually return to the majority. But if unilaterally
changing Senate rules is the only way to break a potential Democratic blockade, Republicans might go there. Only one GOP senator interviewed, moderate Susan Collins of Maine, explicitly said she would not." Full story.

- "Dems struggle over SCOTUS opposition strategy," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett and John Bresnahan: "The Democratic Party is splintering over its strategy for handling President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, with liberals upset that Senate Democrats aren't taking a harder line and moderates fretting about appearing too obstructive. In the middle is Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who's facing one of the biggest moments in his career. ... 'There's no doubt what they did [on Garland] was wrong and unconstitutional. In the end, I don't think we should play their game. Have a hearing and vote,' said Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), an endangered Democratic incumbent." Full story.

- "A Jarring New Level of Confrontation and Conflict Hits Washington," by The New York Times' Carl Hulse. Full story.

IN THE STATES - "Shadow Democratic primary already underway in Michigan," by Campaign Pro's Daniel Strauss: "Michigan Democrats wish to demonstrate as quickly as possible that they still have what it takes to win the once reliably blue state - and that has turned the 2018 gubernatorial contest there into one of the fastest-developing primary races in the country, with state Democrats expecting Rep. Dan Kildee to decide sooner rather than later whether or not he will run. Former state Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer announced her candidacy at the beginning of January and quickly began canvassing the state, meeting with local Democratic leaders, interest groups and strategists. ...
Whitmer has been tipped for higher office for years. And while she has not announced a full campaign staff yet, Whitmer has already brought on a high-powered fundraising team. Democratic observers warn that her early campaigning has put pressure on Kildee to announce his intentions as he and House Democrats battle with President Donald Trump's new administration in Washington." Full story.

FIRST IN SCORE - DGA raises $39 million in 2016: The DGA topped its 2008 and 2012 fundraising totals, but came in far short of the RGA, which raised $61 million during the same period, per a memo from the group. The DGA will be on offense for much of the 2018 cycle, as Republicans try to defend more than two-thirds of the races. "In a tough election year for Democrats, the DGA's record-breaking 2016 fundraising helped win the nation's marquee gubernatorial race in North Carolina, while protecting all Democratic incumbents," said DGA Executive Director Elisabeth Pearson. "The DGA is well-positioned to build on these victories in 2017 and 2018."

Days until the 2017 election: 279.

Days until the 2018 election: 643.

Thanks for joining us. You can email tips to the whole Campaign Pro team at sbland@politico.com, eschneider@politico.com, krobillard@politico.com and mseverns@politico.com.

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

CHALLENGER WATCH - In West Virginia: GOP Rep. Evan Jenkins told The State Journal that he's "seriously considering" a challenge to Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. Jenkins added that "Who knows whether or not Joe Manchin will even run." In Indiana: Republican Rep. Luke Messer told CBS4 that he hasn't ruled out a statewide bid against Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly. "I've certainly been encouraged by many to take a hard look at running for the U.S. Senate," Messer said. "It's a process we're taking very seriously as a family, but we're not ready for any announcements today." (Meanwhile, fellow GOP Rep. Susan Brooks ruled out a run. Full story.)

- AND A NEVER MIND - "Rep. Paul Gosar announces that he will run for re-election," via campaign release.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE WATCH - "Trump raised $15 million in December," by POLITICO's Kenneth P. Vogel: "President Donald Trump's reelection efforts are off to a strong start financially, according to Tuesday evening campaign finance reports showing that Trump's three committees brought in a combined $15 million last month and finished the year with $16 million in the bank. The committees - Trump's campaign and two joint fundraising vehicles created by the campaign and various Republican Party committees - disbursed nearly $32 million from Nov. 29 through Dec. 31, according to the reports, which were filed with the Federal Election Commission." Full story.

- Committee January reports: The DCCC topped the NRCC in fundraising during December, bringing in $4.5 million to House Republicans' $1.8 million, per FEC filings. But the NRCC holds a cash on hand advantage, $11.4 million to $6.7 million. Both committees are still repaying 2016 debts. The DCCC paid $3 million back, but still carries $14 million in debts. The NRCC paid $850,000 for its debts, but still carries $11.2 million in debts.

- Q3 fundraising from 2018 Senate races: Montana ... Sen. Jon Tester raised $240,000 in the final three months of 2016, finishing the year with $1.5 million in cash on hand, per his unofficial electronic FEC filing. Missouri ... Sen. Claire McCaskill reported $208,000 in contributions and $781,000 in cash on hand, per her FEC filing.

- Rundown of announced and potential statewide gubernatorial candidates: Ohio ... Attorney General Mike DeWine and Secretary of State Jon Husted each have $2.5 million in the bank, per The Dayton Daily News. A nonprofit group backing Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor has nearly $1 million on hand. DeWine, Husted and Taylor have not formally launched their Republican primary bids. Michigan ... Attorney General Bill Schuette and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who are both term-limited and expected to run for governor, reported "campaign-fund balances of about $788,000 and $610,000, respectively," The Detroit Free Press reported. More on 2018 races here.

AWARDS CIRCLE - Best TV ads of 2017: Campaigns & Elections, which hands out Reed Awards for campaign consulting, announced its award finalists this week, including the best TV hits. We're glad to see Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daughtry, who's ad got nearly 4 million hits, made the list. But don't you think Jason Kander's gun assembly ad got snubbed? Tell us what you think.

- The finalists ... "They've All Come To Look For America," for Bernie Sanders by DML Message; "McSally for Congress: 'Boomer,'" for Arizona Rep. Martha McSally by FP1 Strategies; "Continue This Fight" for New York Rep. John Katko by Honold Communications, Inc.; "'Grinch' for Clean Slate Baltimore," by Indigo Strategies; "Donald Trump's Argument for America" by Jamestown Associates; "Please Re-Elect Gerald...Please," for Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty by KC Strategies; "Matt Castlen - Stand United," by Tanner+West.

ADMINISTRATION SPEED READ - "State Dept. Dissent Cable on Trump's Ban Draws 1,000 Signatures," by The New York Times' Jeffrey Gettleman: "... Within hours, a State Department dissent cable, asserting that President Trump's executive order to temporarily bar citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries would not make the nation safer, traveled like a chain letter - or a viral video. The cable wended its way through dozens of American embassies around the world, quickly emerging as one of the broadest protests by American officials against their president's policies. And it is not over yet. By 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the letter had attracted around 1,000 signatures, State Department officials
said, far more than any dissent cable in recent years. It was being delivered to management, and department officials said more diplomats wanted to add their names to it." Full story.

- "Scaramucci fights to stay in the White House," by POLITICO's Tara Palmeri: "Reince Priebus and Anthony Scaramucci were sucked into a bizarre episode of infighting Tuesday as the White House chief of staff tried to push Scaramucci out of a promised role as an advisor to President Donald Trump, only to later backtrack." Full story.

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "The women are in my grill no matter where I go." - Republican Rep. Dave Brat, on feeling the heat from constituents on Obamacare, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

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