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By Elena Schneider | 09/18/2017 10:00 AM EDT


With Kevin Robillard

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)

COMING ATTRACTIONS - "McConnell's mortal enemy might soon be in his caucus," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Seung Min Kim: "Three words are striking fear in Senate Republicans these days: 'Senator Roy Moore.' The bomb-throwing former Alabama Supreme Court justice has vaulted to a hefty lead in Alabama's special Senate special election, lambasting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell every step of the way. A Moore victory promises to make McConnell's tenuous 52-seat majority even more precarious, allies of the majority leader warn, potentially imperiling tax reform, raising the risk of default on the nation's debt or even derailing routine Senate business. Moore faces interim Sen.
Luther Strange - whom a McConnell-aligned outside group has spent millions to elect - in a Sept. 26 Republican runoff. Strange is a team player, according to interviews with more than a dozen Republican senators, while Moore is viewed as unpredictable - a clash-in-waiting with McConnell's low-key leadership style." Full story.

FIRST IN SCORE - "Progressive scientists PAC endorses Senate, House candidates," by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "314 Action, a new progressive group dedicated to electing scientists and STEM professionals at all levels of government, is rolling out a new round of endorsements in races across the country, as small-dollar donors continue to pump money into new organizations for the 2018 elections. A dozen candidates from city council to the U.S. Senate have gotten 314 Action's seal of approval, including Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, who is running for governor; Nevada Rep. Jacky Rosen, who's challenging GOP Sen. Dean Heller; and a handful of House challengers and incumbents."

- House challengers who got the nod: "314 Action is adding four Republican-leaning districts to its roster of endorsed challengers, including Mai-Khanh Tran, a pediatrician who's running against GOP Rep. Ed Royce in southern California; Joseph Kopser, an aerospace engineer who's running to challenge Texas Rep. Lamar Smith; RD Huffstetler, a veteran running against Virginia Rep. Tom Garrett; and Kathie Allen, a physician who's running to replace former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz in a special election. 314 Action also added two incumbents to its endorsement list: California Rep. Ami Bera and Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton. Earlier this year, the group backed Hans Keirstead, a stem cell
researcher who's running in a crowded primary to challenge Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in California, and Chrissy Houlahan, a former Air Force engineer who's running against Republican Rep. Ryan Costello in Pennsylvania." Full story.

2018 WATCH - Club for Growth poll shows Heitkamp behind Schmidt: A new poll from the Club for Growth has North Dakota Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in a tight race with GOP state Treasurer Kelly Schmidt, who hasn't been extensively mentioned as a candidate so far. Schmidt earns 48 percent of the vote to Heitkamp's 44 percent, with 9 percent undecided. Only 42 percent of likely voters in the state say Heitkamp deserves reelection, while 44 percent said someone else deserves a chance. The poll also finds Heitkamp's support for Obamacare is hurting her: 60 percent says her Obamacare stance makes her less likely to earn their support, while just 23 percent said it makes it more likely. WPA
Intelligence conducted the poll of 406 likely voters, with a plus or minus 4.9 percentage point margin of error. Full result here.

FRIENDS LIKE THESE - "As McCaskill touts record on seniors, donor and family friend runs troubled homes," via The Kansas Cit Star's Lindsay Wise and Steve Vockrodt: "...The lakefront vacation property in Missouri where McCaskill goes to escape the partisan chaos of Capitol Hill is owned by her husband, Joseph Shepard, and Rick DeStefane - a close family friend, a regular campaign donor and a nursing home executive with a track record of serious safety problems in an industry the senator has vowed to clean up. The allegations against DeStefane range from health and safety lapses linked to gruesome deaths at his nursing homes to a federal investigation into Medicare fraud, an investigation by
The Kansas City Star has found. Meanwhile, DeStefane has entered into multiple financial relationships with McCaskill's husband while sending checks to underwrite McCaskill's political career." Full story.

ICYMI - "Establishment gears up for Steve Bannon's war on the GOP leadership," via The Washington Post's Michael Scherer and Matea Gold: "If 'war' against the Republican establishment is what former White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon wants, then war is what he will get. Deep-pocketed supporters of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and other GOP leaders have resolved to fight a protracted battle over the next year for the soul of the party in congressional primaries." Full story.

Days until the 2017 election: 50.

Days until the 2018 election: 414.

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.

2020 WATCH - "Trump's team gunning for potential 2020 reelection rivals," by POLITICO's Gabriel Debenedetti: "Allies of Donald Trump have begun plotting to take down or weaken potential Democratic challengers in 2020, including several who will be on the ballot in next year's midterms. The 2018-focused work ranges from a major donor-funded super PAC designed to blemish Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren's image, to a full-scale effort to defeat Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown outright before he gets the chance to take on Trump. Beyond that, after months of monitoring dozens of potential challengers, Trump allies are building research files and crafting lines of attack on Democrats seen as most
threatening to Trump and who will be on the ballot next November. The patchwork push is less organized than past efforts orchestrated by presidential reelection campaigns. But it's beginning to resemble Republicans' successful attempt to drag down Hillary Clinton before she announced her 2016 run." Full story.

THE TRUMP NOD - "President Trump tweets to support Bill Schuette for governor; spells his name wrong," by The Detroit Free Press' Lori Higgins: "President Donald Trump tweeted his support tonight for Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who formally announced this week that he's running for governor. ...Schuette, in announcing his run for governor on Wednesday, promised that if elected, he would cut state income taxes, push Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and bring the state more and better-paying jobs." Full story.

GUESS WHO'S BACK - Sources tell NY1 that Michael Grimm is planning a run for his old seat: "NY1 has learned that former New York congressman Michael Grimm will run for his old seat, less than 16 months after he was released from federal prison. Sources said Grimm will hold a rally Oct. 1 in New Dorp, where he is expected to announce his candidacy for next year's Republican primary against current Rep. Dan Donovan, who represents Staten Island and parts of south Brooklyn." Full story.

AIR WAR - "Guadagno vows tax cuts, attacks Murphy in new TV ads," by NJ.com's Brent Johnson: "Kim Guadagno, the Republican nominee running to become the next New Jersey governor, has unveiled the first two television advertisements of the general election a one promising to cut taxes and the other attacking Democratic opponent Phil Murphy." Full story.

THIS IS ODD - "Top aide urges county employees to attend 'very important' announcement about Kevin Kamenetz's political future," by The Washington Post's Josh Hicks: "A top Baltimore County government official has urged his staff's 'full participation' on Monday in a "very important announcement" by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz (D), who is expected to launch a run for governor this week. ...The email could violate state ethics rules that prohibit officials from using government time and resources to support political activity or using their positions to benefit individuals involved in political campaigns." Full story.

WEST COAST, BEST COAST - "Democrats' road to winning back the House goes through California, and it won't be as easy as it seems," via The Los Angeles Times' Christine Mai-Duc: "...But it might be a mistake to assume that strategy will be a panacea in California. Republican turnout in midterm elections often dwarfs Democratic turnout, and the rise of multiple viable candidates in many of the targeted districts threatens to mire them all in costly, divisive primary fights. A sampling of the outcomes for other races suggest Clinton's victories there are at risk of being overplayed. Meanwhile, fighting within the California Democratic Party between left-leaning activists and the more centrist
stalwarts who have traditionally had more success in swing districts could further damage Democrats' chances." Full story.

RETIREMENT WATCH - Feinstein noncommittal on reelection: The Associated Press reported that California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said, when asked if she was "up for another six years," she answered: "Well, we will see, won't we." Feinstein is 84. Full story here.

- Hatch's health to determine reelection: Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, 83, told The Salt Lake Tribune that he'll decide this fall if he plans to seek an eighth term, adding that his health will weigh heavily on his decision. Hatch is the third oldest member of the Senate. Full story here.

CASH RACE - Northam outraises Gillespie, has cash edge in Virginia: "Virginia Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam raised $7.2 million in the months of July and August, establishing a cash-on-hand lead over Republican Ed Gillespie in the state's gubernatorial contest. Gillespie raised $3.7 million in the same time period and has $2.6 million on hand after beginning television advertising well before Northam did. Northam has $5.6 million on hand, according to campaign finance records. After the primary, Gillespie had a solid cash advantage - he had $3.2 million in the bank to Northam's $1.75 million." Full story.

WEB WARS - FIRST IN SCORE - Missouri Democratic Party attacks Hawley over public corruption unit: This Missouri Democratic Party is out with a web ad attacking Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley, a likely opponent for Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, for failing to quickly establish a public corruption unit after promising to do so. "That's Josh Hawley. Saying one thing to get elected, doing the opposite when in office," a narrator concludes. Watch the ad here.

NEW FIRM ALERT - Walker advisor Keith Gilkes launches Platform Communications: Keith Gilkes, a long-time advisor to Wisconsin GOP Gov. Scott Walker, is launching Platform Communications, "a public affairs, community advocacy and communications strategy firm" based in Madison, Wis. Brian Reisinger, a former spokesman for Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, will serve as vice president, with Nathan Conrad as director of corporate communications, Lauren Clarke as director of public affairs and Kathryn Kotowski as director of operations.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "This will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period." - Sean Spicer at the Emmy's last night, POLITICO reported.

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