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By Elena Schneider | 02/19/2016 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)

FIRST IN SCORE - NRCC raised $6.5 million in January: The National Republican Campaign Committee had its best January fundraising total ever, according to an aide, along with its strongest January cash on hand, with $34.7 million in the bank. The committee carries no debt. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has not released its January fundraising totals yet.

HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT - "McGinty's environmental work hit from both sides in Pennsylvania," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: Democrat Katie McGinty "environmental resume has been one of her key strengths, leading the League of Conservation Voters to endorse her. [But] both Democrats and Republicans have started hammering her long record on energy in government and the private sector." McGinty defends herself in a new interview: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a4d6248ef95ae8940fe40407b97235dfb0e559a421ed8b901867cd77756223e5

FAST-TRACK REVENGE - "Labor brings trade fight to Democratic campaigns," by Pro's Adam Behsudi: "Labor's fight against the White House' free-trade agenda is moving into the trenches in tight Democratic races, with many of the 28 moderates who supported "fast-track" trade promotion legislation now targeted for that and their presumed support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. California Rep. Scott Peters estimates his reelection campaign is likely to see a $200,000 to $300,000 drop in labor donations - about a seventh of his total contributions so far -- and fewer ground volunteers knocking on doors unless he changes his trade stance." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a4d6248ef95ae89418789f1211f46da3535b061ae265b3f7da145776930218e3

- "The Northern California Carpenters Regional Council ... this week endorsed Sheriff Scott Jones, Bera's Republican challenger in the swing district covering suburban Sacramento County," the Sacramento Bee reported. The union used to support Bera. bit.ly/1mK3jKN

Days until the South Carolina Republican primary and Nevada Democratic caucuses: 1. Days until the 2016 election: 262.

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

You can also follow us on Twitter, where we tweet a lot about campaigns and occasionally about what else the Pope said from our resident Irish Catholic: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin, @theodoricmeyer and @kyledcheney.

** A message from Sinclair Broadcast Group: Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest and most diversified television broadcasting company in the country today, delivers not only TV, the primary medium for reaching potential voters, but also targetable digital (mobile, video, email, social media and native) ad solutions. Contact Alan Brittan @ 703-236-9673. Sinclair, busy - Making Political Ads Work! **

CAROLINA MOVES - Redistricting shakes up incumbents' districts: Four North Carolina House members' districts got so carved up in this week's redistricting proposal that they could have to introduce themselves to a mostly new set of constituents in 2016. The new 8th District contains less than half of GOP Rep. Richard Hudson's old territory, while GOP Rep. Robert Pittenger is in the same boat in the 9th District. Fellow Republicans Reps. Renee Ellmers and George Holding saw their old districts completely sliced apart. The new 13th doesn't contain any of Holding's old territory, most of which ended up in Ellmers' 2nd District. The new 2nd only retains 18 percent of Ellmers' current district.

- Campaign Pro crunched the numbers in all 13 seats; see the chart here: politico.pro/1Qp6e3c

PRIMARY PREP - In North Carolina, GOP Sen. Richard Burr started placing a small TV ad buy starting next week. The incumbent has placed over $100,000 on Raleigh and Greensboro broadcast so far, according to a media tracking source. Meanwhile, primary challenger Greg Brannon is currently airing radio ads in those two markets.

'TIS THE SEASON: POLITICO PRO'S CAMPAIGN PRO - POLITICO Pro, POLITICO's premier solution for policy professionals offers our solution for campaign season. Get breaking news and analysis about the presidential, House, Senate and gubernatorial races, with coverage including campaign strategies, fundraising and ad buys. Beyond campaign coverage, Campaign Pro also offers the Campaign Pro Race Dashboard - Political junkies can geek out and search for any House, Senate and gubernatorial race by candidate, consulting firm, state or office to obtain the latest polling numbers and consulting details. Ready to find your inner political wonk? See if you qualify for complimentary access to Campaign
Pro.

MARK YOUR SCHEDULE - Todd Young ballot challenge livestreaming at 1:30 p.m.: Indiana Democrats' and GOP Rep. Marlin Stutzman's challenge to Young's Senate ballot eligibility will stream here this afternoon, according to Brian Howey: bit.ly/1Q7eZox

SUPREME FIGHT - "Conservative group plans ads to back McConnell on SCOTUS," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett: "A conservative judicial activist group is launching a million-dollar ad campaign to give cover to Mitch McConnell and his vulnerable incumbents as they angle to block President Barack Obama from filling a Supreme Court vacancy. The Judicial Crisis Network is launching a seven-figure ad buy that will land during this weekend's Sunday shows in Washington D.C. as well as Majority Leader McConnell's home state of Kentucky and a half-dozen states where senators up for reelection are backing him. Democrats believe the issue is a long-term political loser for the GOP and could cost them the
Senate." politi.co/1Qobbcv

POLLING EDGE IN WEST VIRGINIA - Billionaire Jim Justice hold leads in both the primary and general elections for governor of West Virginia, according to a new independent poll released Thursday. The WV MetroNews poll, conducted by Repass Research, shows Justice getting 32 percent of the vote ahead of the May 10 Democratic primary. Former U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin is in striking distance, though, at 25 percent, as is state Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler at 23 percent.

- The NRCC added 11 more candidates to its first tier of its "Young Guns" program on Thursday, Roll Call reported. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a4d6248ef95ae8948897224781cead6b02e12d34b25becd303ee8c1fc54dd91f

Event Friday: POLITICO's Sixth Annual State Solutions Conference - POLITICO hosts one-on-one conversations with governors Phil Bryant (R-Miss.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark.), Jack Markell (D-Del.), Matt Mead (R-Wyo.), Jay Nixon (D-Mo.) and Peter Shumlin (D-Vt.) as the National Governors Association comes to town. Feb. 19, 11:30 a.m. - 901 K St. NW. RSVP: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a4d6248ef95ae894923976f31115c88ba2356df2e5966790a7d725d5428025f7

- NEW THIS A.M. - DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS LOOK TO SET AGENDA: Ahead of the National Governors Association meeting this weekend, the Democratic Governors Association is out with a memo claiming their governors are implementing the economic policies Democratic presidential candidates talk about on the trail, while GOP governors focus on divisive social issues: "Both Democratic presidential candidates agree on core economic policy proposals: from equal pay to paid sick leave, from college affordability to raising the minimum wage. These aren't just 2016 presidential proposals; they're policies that have been successfully implemented by Democratic governors on the state level..." Read the full
memo here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a4d6248ef95ae89402312a15892625c638a88ba11c36527328a06d1b2e5c1322

PRESIDENTIAL SPEED READ - "Trump's pope attack could help him in South Carolina," by POLITICO's Katie Glueck in Easley, S.C.: "...Christian leaders say voters in heavily evangelical South Carolina are at a minimum, unlikely to be swayed by the leader of the Roman Catholic world, who on Thursday questioned whether Trump is a Christian. Nor are they likely to bothered by Trump's blazing-hot rebuttal, in which he called the pope's remarks 'disgraceful.' In fact, they say, the pontiff's comments may instead spur voters to rally around Trump." politi.co/1owVA4E

- The 2016 GOP race, in one press conference: Marco Rubio's data analytics firm, Optimus, ran the numbers on a single Donald Trump press conference to try and quantify the free media the Republican poll-leader gets. The three cable networks' coverage of Trump's 40-minute Feb. 15 press conference adds up to just over $1 million in equivalent ad time. Add in the additional coverage the presser generated and you get up to $2.8 million, firm partners Brian Stobie and Scott Tranter wrote. Now add in the other eight months of the campaign, and the broadcast stations... Read the full post here: bit.ly/1QMYjxb

- "Cruz vs. Cruz on Pentagon spending," by POLITICO's Jeremy Herb and Austin Wright: "...The Texas senator, who came to prominence by forcing a government shutdown over a budget dispute in 2013, hasn't estimated a price tag for the defense vision he laid out this week, in advance of Saturday's primary in military-heavy South Carolina. But one centrist think tank says his proposals would cost roughly $140 billion more each year than the Obama administration's current blueprint. Some conservative defense experts say the yawning gap between Cruz's defense visions and the nation's budget picture is even wider than that - thanks to the same budget caps he extols as a tool for fiscal discipline,
as well as Democrats' certain resistance to taking an ax to domestic spending or entitlements. Cruz's plan 'certainly doesn't seem particularly informed by political realities,' said Benjamin Friedman, a fellow at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a4d6248ef95ae894c9eef1fb50a69a393f3d7b60dae59c2a0d0dad887734b9b6

- "Sanders attacked by super PAC funded by Republican billionaire," by POLITICO's Daniel Strauss: "A Republican super PAC has begun airing a new ad questioning how Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to pay for his proposals to raise the minimum wage and provide "free college and health care for all." The ad is produced by the Republican Future 45 super PAC, run by Republican operative Brian O. Walsh and set up to prevent former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from making it to the White House." politi.co/1Kt7aYa

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I hope you think it's possible for us to do this. I hope you don't think the end is near." - Jeb Bush in Rock Hill, S.C., the New York Times' Ashley Parker tweeted.

** A message from Sinclair Broadcast Group: The race for influence in the 2016 election cycle is gaining speed. Everyone is looking to reach as big of an audience as possible and get significant portions of that audience motivated and educated enough to vote and mobilize probable supporters. As the pace quickens, more will be trying to find an edge to influence voters their way. Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest and most diversified television broadcasting company in the country today, can help you break through the clutter. Utilizing both TV, the primary medium for reaching potential voters and targetable digital (mobile, video, email, social media and native) ad solutions, Sinclair
Makes Political Ads Work! The bottom line is the bottom line - winning elections. At the Sinclair Broadcast Group, we have the ad tools necessary to help you to persuade, enlighten and activate voters. Contact Alan Brittan, Sinclair's Director of Political Ads for more details @ 703-236-9673. **

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