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By Elena Schneider | 09/21/2017 10:00 AM EDT


With Zach Montellaro, Maggie Severns , Kevin Robillard and Daniel Strauss

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 - "Anti-incumbent consultants look for elusive win in Alabama," by Campaign Pro's Daniel Strauss: "A ragtag group of Republican consultants involved in past anti-incumbent primaries are seeking redemption in Alabama's special Senate election next week. They have rallied behind former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore's primary campaign against Sen. Luther Strange, hungry for a win after five years without defeating a sitting Republican senator in their running battle against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the GOP establishment. The group includes an advertising company that opposed former Sen. Richard Lugar in Indiana in 2012, a digital firm that worked
against Sen. Richard Burr in North Carolina in 2016 and a spokesman from fiery primary campaigns against Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran in 2014 and House Speaker Paul Ryan last year in Wisconsin."

- Key quote - "This is the race that's really the dike in the river," said Daniel Horowitz, the former policy director for the Madison Project, a conservative outside group. "If you blow the dike in this river, the GOP establishment fears that this will be a new paradigm. It's not just about Alabama. ... Until now it's been very difficult to crack the code in primaries, particularly when there's an incumbent involved." Full story.

- TV, radio roundup finds SLF has spent $6.6 million in Alabama: Senate Leadership Fund has spent $6.6 million total on radio and TV during the Alabama Senate election, according to an analysis compiled by a Democratic group. Of that spending, $3.8 million was either spent already during the runoff period, or is booked in airtime for next week. (SLF has said it's prepare to spend $8 million in the race overall.) Pro-Moore spending accounts for 8.6 percent of all spending in the runoff thus far, according to the analysis.

THE FEC FILES - RNC reports August fundraising details: The Republican National Committee benefitted in August from a Wisconsin power couple: Republicans Richard and Elizabeth Uhline donated a combine $678,000 to the RNC last month. As Campaign Pro's Maggie Severns has reported, the committee raised $7.3 million overall in August and ended the month with $45.8 million cash on hand. The RNC also transferred $200,000 to the NRSC last month, and transferred $252,290 to the Republican Party of Virginia. And ICYMI, the RNC paid $500,000 in legal bills for Trump and other staff.

- The Trump hotel tab: The Republican National Committee reported spending $46,965 at the Trump hotel for venue rental and catering in August.

- DNC had another slow month: Democratic National Committee reported raising $4.3 million in August and spending $4.3 million, ending the month with $6.8 million cash on hand. The totals are not unlike those from August of 2013, the last off year prior to a midterm election. That year the DNC raised $4.2 million and spent $4.8 million in August, and ended the month with $3.6 million cash on hand.

UP ON THE HILL - "The unlikely trio who brought Obamacare repeal back to life," by POLITICO's Jennifer Haberkorn and Rachael Bade: "Senate Republicans' last-ditch attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare rests on the unlikely collaboration of a veteran senator who can't stand health policy, a wonky freshman who has never passed major legislation and a former senator who lost his seat a decade ago. Together, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum crafted the latest GOP repeal bill in hopes of delivering on the party's seven-year-old campaign promise to repeal Obamacare. The trio teamed up this summer to salvage the repeal effort. At
first, their idea of replacing much of Obamacare with state block grants went nowhere. But now - only days before the expiration of the special rule allowing the Senate to dismantle Obamacare with only 50 votes - the idea has gained enough momentum that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell committed to bringing the measure to the floor next week for a vote. But McConnell left some wiggle room - even he doesn't say he's got the votes." Full story.

2018 WATCH - "Lummis says she won't run for governor, upending the field and opening 'the floodgates,'" by The Casper Star Tribune's Arno Rosenfeld: "The Wyoming governor's race has been thrown wide open after former U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis announced that she will not enter next year's Republican primary. With strong name recognition across the state and financial resources, Lummis was the heavy favorite to win both the primary and general election if she ran. ...Republican strategist Bill Novotny said that Lummis' announcement upends the field and will likely prompt many prospective candidates to enter the race in the coming weeks and months." Full story.

- "Ruling in Hawley voting probe doesn't clear air over residency questions," by the St. Louis Post Dispatch's Kurt Erickson: "A mid-Missouri election official has cleared Attorney General Josh Hawley of any potential voting irregularities in his county, but questions of where exactly the Republican is required to live remain unresolved. In a letter to Hawley Wednesday, Boone County Clerk Taylor Burks said he believes the first-year Republican is properly registered to vote in Boone County because he owns a house south of Columbia and resides there with his family. ... State law, however, says the attorney general 'shall' reside at the seat of government, which is in the capitol city." Full
story.

OLD FRIENDS - "Governor Justice, now Republican, tells Republicans he supports Manchin's Senate bid," by MetroNews' Brad McElhinny: "Gov. Jim Justice, who switched parties to become a Republican in early August, told a crowd of Republican lawmakers this week that he supports Democratic Senator Joe Manchin's re-election to the U.S. Senate." Full story.

Days until the 2017 election: 47.

Days until the 2018 election: 411.

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.

DAILY MENENDEZ - JUST IN CASE... - "Speculation abounds on Fulop Senate run," by The Jersey Journal's Terrence McDonald: "[Steven] Fulop is still 48 days away from asking Jersey City voters for a second term as their mayor, but his allies across the city -- and his foes statewide -- are already planning for him to jump into a potential race to succeed Sen. Bob Menendez next year. The Democratic mayor, who told The Jersey Journal he has 'zero' interest in replacing Menendez, has quietly asked some supporters of his aborted gubernatorial run whether they would back him for Senate, according to three New Jersey Democrats with knowledge of the discussions. And three sources close to Fulop said
they anticipate him making a Senate bid if Menendez, facing federal bribery and corruption charges in a closely watched trial, is convicted and forced to resign." Full story.

THE VOTING BOOTH - "ACLU moves from defense to offense, starting in Kris Kobach's home state," by McClatchy's Alex Roarty: "Flush with cash and a newfound demand for activism, the American Civil Liberties Union next month will launch a new effort to expand voting rights in all 50 states that top officials hope will finally let liberals play offense on an issue that has long bedeviled them. ...The ACLU campaign, called Let People Vote, will forgo a federal approach to expanding voting rights; indeed it ignores Congress altogether. Instead, it will pressure each state to adopt individually tailored plans, including proposals such as creating independent redistricting commissions and restoring
voting access for convicted felons." Full story.

AIR WAR - Gillespie attacks Northam over sanctuary cities, MS-13: "Republican Ed Gillespie's Virginia gubernatorial campaign is out with an new ad attacking Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam for voting against legislation barring sanctuary cities in the state and linking the policies to the revival of the street gang MS-13." Full story.

- Northam resurrects 'Enron Ed' attacks for governor's race: "Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam has released a new ad attacking former RNC chair Ed Gillespie's lobbying career in the Virginia governor's race. When Sen. Mark Warner narrowly beat Gillespie in the 2014 governor's race, attacks on Gillespie's work for Enron were a centerpiece of Warner's advertising. Northam's ad also links Gillespie to President Donald Trump and attacks him for lobbying for student loan companies pushing to keep interest rates high." Full story.

2020 WATCH - "How Bernie Sanders is cultivating California for 2020," by The Sacramento Bee's Christopher Cadelago: "...Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, barnstormed the Golden State ahead of the June 2016 primary like no presidential candidate in recent memory. The front-runner in the party's nascent 2020 field has returned regularly to campaign for a drug price initiative and to urge support for a universal health care bill similar to one he's proposed in Washington. His next public event comes Friday in San Francisco at the invitation of the nurses union, among his most vocal supporters. Sanders' persistent appearances in the nation's most populous state - a deep-blue
bastion whose leaders bill it as the crucible of the resistance to President Donald Trump - underscores California's possible significance in the party's upcoming presidential winnowing process that begins with Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina." Full story.

PRIMARY CONCERNS - Brooks endorses Messer over Rokita in Indiana: Rep. Susan Brooks endorsed Rep. Luke Messer over fellow Congressman Todd Rokita in Indiana's GOP Senate primary on Wednesday. "Luke is a proven conservative, but more than that, he is a respected and skillful leader who builds the relationships necessary to get our shared priorities enacted into law," Brooks said in a statement. "His principles and strong communication skills have made him a go-to leader in the House, and those same attributes will enable Luke to deliver results when he arrives in the U. S. Senate." Brooks will lead a "Women for Luke" group in the state.

- "Syracuse mayor may challenge Cuomo in primary," via The New York Post's Carl Campanile: "Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner huddled with Democratic Party activists Tuesday as she weighs a primary challenge to Gov. Cuomo's re-election bid next year, sources told The Post. Miner met in Albany with members of the left-leaning New York Progressive Action Network - self described 'Berniecrats' who backed Bernie Sanders presidential campaign last year and are seeking an alternative to Cuomo." Full story.

STAFFING UP - Delaney adds senior adviser: Maryland Rep. John Delaney, who's already declared his bid for Democratic presidential nominee, has hired Iowa consultant John Davis as a senior adviser, per a statement from Delaney's campaign. Delaney will also campaign in South Carolina and Iowa this weekend.

ADMINISTRATION SPEED READ - "Manafort offered to give Russian billionaire 'private briefings' on 2016 campaign," by The Washington Post's Tom Hamburger, Rosalind S. Helderman, Carol D. Leonnig and Adam Entous: "ess than two weeks before Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination, his campaign chairman offered to provide briefings on the race to a Russian billionaire closely aligned with the Kremlin, according to people familiar with the discussions. Paul Manafort made the offer in an email to an overseas intermediary, asking that a message be sent to Oleg Deripaska, an aluminum magnate with whom Manafort had done business in the past, these people said. 'If he needs
private briefings we can accommodate,' Manafort wrote in the July 7, 2016, email, portions of which were read to The Washington Post along with other Manafort correspondence from that time." Full story.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "This is really a stinkeroo, this bill." - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on the Graham-Cassidy health care repeal.

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