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By Kevin Robillard | 01/04/2018 10:00 AM EDT


With Elena Schneider, Daniel Strauss and Zach Montellaro

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)

BANNON'S BOMB - "'Bannon was shot on the South Lawn and run over by a tank,'" by Eliana Johnson: "The dramatic collapse on Wednesday of the shaky alliance between President Donald Trump and his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, marked perhaps the most vicious falling out between a president and a former aide in modern history. But the fireworks capped months of tension between the two, who have repeatedly taken veiled shots at each other through the news media but never attacked each other on the national stage. ... That veneer of politeness dropped when Trump saw news reports Wednesday about a book excerpt by the New York journalist Michael Wolff exposing Bannon's contempt not only
for the Trump family but for the president himself. ... The public meltdown convinced some who had worked closely with the Trump campaign that the president had effectively kneecapped his former adviser, who is considered an influential force on the populist right. 'Bannon was shot on the South Lawn and run over by a tank and the president shifted in gear and ran over him again,' said veteran Republican strategist Ed Rollins, a strategist for the pro-Trump Great America super PAC. 'I've never seen anybody blown up like he was.'" Full story.

- "Bannon endorsement a sudden handicap for GOP candidates," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: "With a single statement from President Donald Trump, former White House strategist Steve Bannon has gone from kingmaker to political liability. After his ouster from the White House late last summer, Republican Senate candidates of all stripes sought the backing of the Breitbart chairman and his affiliated political group, the Great America Alliance. The thinking was that an endorsement from Bannon would provide an implicit Trump seal of approval, even if the president himself couldn't or wouldn't wade into a Republican primary battle. But Trump's evisceration of Bannon on Wednesday ... has
freed GOP candidates who didn't win Bannon's backing to slam those who did as disloyal to the president. And at least one candidate who sought Bannon's endorsement ended up attacking him. 'It was incredibly disappointing to learn of these vicious attacks by Steve Bannon against the president and his family,' said Jess Ward, campaign manager for Leah Vukmir, a Wisconsin state senator running for the upper chamber in Washington, D.C. ...

Vukmir had met with Bannon this past fall to ask for his endorsement. Bannon ultimately decided to back Kevin Nicholson, a military veteran and businessman who better fit Bannon's outsider ethos. But Vukmir's campaign quickly seized on Bannon's weakened position. 'After the Alabama debacle, and now this, any self-respecting Republican should question whether Steve Bannon has any role in building our party,' Ward said, referring to Bannon's embrace of failed Alabama GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore in last month's special election. 'Kevin Nicholson should disavow his endorsement.' The Nicholson campaign tried to laugh off the attack, noting the campaigns had signed a unity pledge just hours
earlier on Wednesday. 'Leah spent a great deal of time and energy seeking Steve Bannon's endorsement and was unsuccessful. It's easy to see why she is frustrated,' Nicholson spokesman Brandon Moody said." Full story.

- While Bannon's endorsed Senate candidates stood by him, even if they downplayed his endorsement, one Bannon-backed House candidate broke with the power broker. Former U.S. representative and convicted felon Michael Grimm disavowed Bannon's endorsement in a statement: "I strongly denounce the comments by Steve Bannon as quoted by Michael Wolff. They are baseless attacks against the President's family, beyond disturbing, and I fully support our Commander in Chief. I am running for Congress to help our President advance his Pro-America agenda which has and will continue to help the hard-working people here in Staten Island and Brooklyn."

VOTING RIGHTS WATCH - "Trump disbands voter fraud commission," by POLITICO's Matthew Nussbaum: "President Donald Trump is dumping a controversial commission that was charged with investigating his unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud during the 2016 election, the White House said Wednesday. Trump asked the Department of Homeland Security to look into the issue instead. ... White House officials on Wednesday night were quick to pillory the commission, and point a finger at the person they said was responsible for its creation: former chief strategist Steve Bannon, who was slammed in a statement by Trump on Wednesday after accusing Donald Trump Jr. of treason. Bannon insisted on the
commission's creation, and pushed hard for it, one White House official said. 'This was his idea, and it was not a good one,' the official said." Full story.

NEW THIS MORNING - Cruz endorsement, Bolton ads boost Nicholson in Wisconsin: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is endorsing Nicholson over Vukmir in Wisconsin's contested Senate primary. "Kevin Nicholson brings an impressive record of success and leadership to his campaign for Senate. Having led Marines in combat overseas, and business professionals facing complex problems here at home, he has a proven ability to adapt and excel in a wide variety of settings. I am confident his energy and insight will serve him well in the Senate," Cruz said.

- And Nicholson is also getting a boost from former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton's super PAC, which is spending $1 million on television and digital ads boosting him. The ads praise Nicholson for his work defusing IEDs while in the military. "It's time to send a Marine to the U.S. Senate," Bolton says directly to camera in the new ads. Bolton is aiming to raise and spend $25 million during the midterms, hoping to help as many as 90 candidates. Watch the ads here.

FIRST IN SCORE - THE CAVALRY - "Ending Spending to drop $1 million on PA-18 special," by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "Ending Spending, a conservative group founded by Joe Ricketts, is jumping into the March special election for a Pennsylvania House seat with a $1 million ad buy over the next month to boost the Republican nominee, state Rep. Rick Saccone. Ending Spending's ads will air on broadcast and cable stations starting Friday, along with radio and digital ads throughout the month." Check out the TV ad here. Full story.

FIRST IN SCORE - CASH RACE - "House Majority PAC raised nearly $15 million in 2017," by Schneider: "House Majority PAC, Democrats' flagship super PAC supporting House candidates, raised $14.7 million over the last year, nearly doubling its off-year total from 2015. The group enters the midterm year with $11.4 million in the bank - an 85 percent jump from its cash-on-hand total heading into 2016." Full story.

Days until the 2018 election: 305

Upcoming election dates - Arizona 8th District special primary: Feb. 27. Texas primaries: March 6. Pennsylvania 18th District special election: March 13. Illinois primaries: March 20.

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

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

CUE Q4 NUMBERS - FIRST IN SCORE - Angie Craig cracks $550,000 last quarter in MN-02: Democrat Angie Craig, who's facing a rematch against GOP Rep. Jason Lewis, raised $550,000 last quarter, finishing with $430,000 in cash on hand, per a statement from her campaign.

- FL-27: Democratic state Rep. David Richards raised $500,000 last quarter, finishing with $850,000 in cash on hand, according to a statement from his campaign. Richardson is running in a crowded primary to replace retiring GOP Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in a Democratic-leaning seat.

-NH-02: Incumbent Democrat Ann McLane Kuster raised $400,000 during the fourth quarter, the Concord Monitor reported. She has $2.8 million on hand.

- VA-07: Democrat Dan Ward raised $280,000 in the fourth quarter, as he challenges GOP Rep. Dave Brat.

-TN-SEN: Former Republican Rep. Steve Fincher raised $1.45 million in the fourth quarter, The Tennessean reports.

NEW THIS MORNING - Congressional Leadership Fund opens 11 new district offices: Congressional Leadership Fund recently opened 11 new local offices, bringing its total field office investment to 27 districts across the country and indicating a broad battlefield. The offices will be in the districts held by Reps. Mimi Walters (CA-45), Mike Coffman (CO-06), Rod Blum (IA-01), Peter Roskam (IL-06), Andy Barr (KY-06), Mike Bishop (MI-08), Lloyd Smucker (PA-16), John Culberson (TX-07), Will Hurd (TX-23), Scott Taylor (VA-02) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05). CLF said its made 5.1 million voter contacts since launching its ground operation in February. Check out the full list of offices here.

FIRST IN SCORE - Oklahoma Values PAC backs Mick Cornett with TV ads: Oklahoma Values super PAC, a group backing Republican Mick Cornett, who's running to replace GOP Gov. Mary Fallin, is out with a $90,000 ad effort to support the Oklahoma City mayor as a "conservative doer." The TV and digital ads will air in Tulsa, Okla., starting Thursday and running for the next two weeks. Check out the TV ad, airing on broadcast stations, here.

CLEARING THE FIELD - "Michigan Republicans lose big name in bid to oust Stabenow from Senate," by the Detroit Free Press' Todd Spangler: "Former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bob Young is out of the race to replace U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., in this year's election, costing the Republicans their best known name in the present field. Young announced his decision to suspend his campaign Wednesday morning on the Frank Beckmann Show on WJR-AM (760), saying he still thought he was the 'principled conservative' to beat but feeling he didn't have the financial support to continue." Full story.

- "Bismarck Republican State Representative declines run for congress," by KFGO: "A Bismarck Republican State Representative who had been looking at a run for Congress or the U.S. Senate says he has decided to run for re-election to his District 7 House seat. In an e-mail to supporters, and in a post on Facebook, Rick Becker said he had met with groups like Club for Growth, Freedomworks and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to discuss a potential run for higher office. But he says he came away from those meetings thinking there's still more to do in the state of North Dakota, so he wants to stay in the state Legislature. Two years ago, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for Governor." Full story.

ENDORSEMENT WATCH - Trump campaign chairs back Wicker reelection: Sixty-five county chairs and co-chairs of President Donald Trump's campaign in Mississippi are backing Sen. Roger Wicker's reelection bid, despite a potential primary challenge from former state Sen. Chris McDaniel. "we support Senator Roger Wicker because he shares President Trump's commitment to creating more jobs, strengthening our military, and securing our borders," the endorsers said in a joint statement.

STAFFING UP - Jamestown Associates names Keller, Kohan partner; promotes Morrison to CEO: GOP consulting firm Jamestown Associates is naming Barney Keller and Jon Kohan as partner, and promoting Lisa Morrison to chief operating officer. "Barney and Jon excel at everything they do, and they will make great partners as Jamestown Associates continues to grow," Jamestown CEO Larry Weitzner said. "They work hard, think smart, and most importantly, always put the client first, which has been a core of our philosophy from the beginning. Lisa has been with Jamestown for over a decade. She is a proven leader and manager, and as we grow, Lisa will ensure our continued smooth operations."

-Boss to serve as Rosen's communication director: Stewart Boss, who had been communications director for the Nevada Democratic Party, is moving over to become communications director for Rep. Jacky Rosen's Senate campaign.

VOTING RIGHTS WATCH, CONT. - "N.H. Senate Passes Bill to Redefine 'Residency' for Voting," by NHPR's Casey McDermott: "A bill that redefines the state's residency standards passed the Senate with Republican support - despite opposition from Gov. Chris Sununu - and is heading back to the House for further review. The latest version of HB372 says that to be considered a resident, for voting or otherwise, someone needs to demonstrate an intent to stay in New Hampshire through all of their actions - they can't just say they plan to be here 'for the indefinite future.' ... Senate Democrats argued forcefully against the bill, saying it would disenfranchise college students or other more transient
voters. Several also argued that HB372 could have unintended consequences for other regulations tied to residency status, like college tuition or motor vehicle laws." Full story.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "The challenge is always to reveal the brokenness of life while pointing in the direction of the transformative light." - Virginia artist Steven Glass, describing the bowl from which lots will be drawn to determine the winner of a tied Virginia House of Delegates race on Thursday at 11 a.m. The Virginian-Pilot has a guide to the process here.

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