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By Emily Schultheis (eschultheis@politico.com; Twitter: @emilyrs)

With Jose DelReal

MCDANIEL'S MISSISSIPPI CHALLENGE: POLITICO's Alex Burns takes a look at the Senate race in Mississippi, where incumbent GOP Sen. Thad Cochran is facing a potentially career-ending primary challenge from state Sen. Chris McDaniel: "As the 2014 election cycle begins to accelerate, perhaps no race presents a sharper difference of views on what it means to be a Republican or offer a sharper microcosm of the ongoing GOP civil war than the race in Mississippi. And as other GOP primary challengers around the country have faltered, no candidate has emerged as a greater intraparty threat to a sitting senator than McDaniel, a fast-talking 41-year-old litigator who explicitly promises to shatter
the status quo of Mississippi's relationship with Washington. The brash state lawmaker trashes Cochran's record as an appropriator for their poor home state as a travesty of spending and debt. He has vacuumed up cash from out-of-state conservative groups and names as inspirations both Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a pair of neophyte tea party heroes with whom McDaniel says he has conferred about the race."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b762748ef0b56cc36f272bbcb6cb2498c5a0822a9542e3f5851e67e19984c20c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b762748ef0b56cc36f272bbcb6cb2498c5a0822a9542e3f5851e67e19984c20c

FIRST IN SCORE-GOPAC ENDORSES TILLIS, SHANNON: The Republican group GOPAC is backing its first two Senate candidates of the 2014 cycle, throwing its support behind two state House speakers facing crowded GOP primaries. GOPAC will announce this morning that it's endorsing North Carolina state House Speaker Thom Tillis in his bid to face incumbent Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan and Oklahoma state House Speaker T.W. Shannon, who's looking to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tom Coburn. The endorsements are part of GOPAC's "Called-Up" program, which assists state legislators in their runs for federal office. "Because of their active involvement on our Advisory Board, we can attest to
Speakers Tillis and Shannon's leadership and results in advancing our common cause for economic opportunity and an effective, efficient government," said GOPAC Chairman Frank Donatelli. Both Tillis and Shannon face big GOP fields, so any endorsements they can get will help set them apart.

DSCC OUTRAISES NRSC IN JANUARY: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $6.55 million in January, it will announce later this morning, the best January figure in the history of the committee. That's almost $2 million more than its Republican counterpart, the National Republican Senatorial Committee-the NRSC raised $4.62 million in January. The DSCC has $15 million on hand with $2.5 million in debt-Republicans have more than $10 million on hand, but no debt. The NRSC slightly outraised the DSCC in December, $4.02 million to $4 million. As Republicans get more confident in their chances of reclaiming the Senate, a fundraising lead for Democrats is essential to helping them keep
control of the upper chamber.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b762748ef0b56cc3a2ff7baac4d01c4db586987378bbbc7589c005437e1f5c43
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b762748ef0b56cc3a2ff7baac4d01c4db586987378bbbc7589c005437e1f5c43

CHRISTIE 'ALL IN' FOR SENATE GOP: That's what the New Jersey governor told an NRSC audience Tuesday night in New York City after an introduction from Chairman Jerry Moran, according to a source who attended. Christie said his goal is to make Kentucky's Mitch McConnell majority leader, according to the source, and praised Ohio's Rob Portman for the second time in a week. McConnell attended, and the The Record (N.J.) newspaper reported that Christie was flanked by his wife, Mary Pat, and onetime Senate appointee Jeff Chiesa, a member of his inner circle (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f0530fa8a2779f97d36eb98a822417bc12c09b04c00222e77316
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f0530fa8a2779f97d36eb98a822417bc12c09b04c00222e77316 ). Christie, the leader of the Republican Governors Association, didn't neglect his colleagues in the states, sounding familiar pre-traffic scandal themes. He explained 'why winning/governing [is] more important than purity contests that result in minorities,' the source said in an email, and specifically praised Wisconsin's Scott Walker on teachers-union issues and Michigan's Rick Snyder on right-to-work. The likely presidential hopeful 'looked good' during his 15-minute, off-the-cuff remarks, the source said. 'Whatever our differences are as Republicans, they are minimal compared to our differences with Barack Obama,' Christie
said, per the source.

As the retirements keep piling up, Tom Steyer wants to spend even more money and Tom Corbett goes on the air, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the 2014 midterms.

DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION: 258.

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MUST-WATCH-DRIVING THE DAY: POLITICO insiders Alex Burns, Anna Palmer, Manu Raju and Jake Sherman relaunch this classic POLITICO video series, taking you behind-the-scenes of what's driving the day's headlines every Tuesday - Thursday morning. Get the scoop on what Washington is thinking and how it affects the Beltway and beyond at
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f05364c041de49801a97d344a672530bfc5bae08e668fd192989
www.politico.com/drivingtheday .

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Morning Score. As always, send your tips, thoughts, and suggestions to eschultheis@politico.com or tweet them to @emilyrs.

SCORE PREVIEW-POLL LOOKS AT PETERSON VULNERABILITIES IN MN-07: Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson is one of national Republicans' top Democratic targets for the year-and a new poll commissioned by the National Republican Congressional Committee shows signs that he's vulnerable. Asked whether Peterson deserves reelection or the district should get someone new, half of those surveyed wanted someone new; just 33 percent said he deserves reelection. An initial head-to-head matchup shows Peterson leading GOP candidate Torrey Westrom by 7 points, 46 percent to 39 percent-but once they were read a paragraph of bio information about Westrom, they backed him over Peterson by a 15-point margin. That
said, Peterson has a 58 percent approval rating in the poll (compared with 23 percent who disapprove), far higher than many incumbents struggling to get reelected this year. Read the memo, from the Tarrance Group:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f053006cb4767cc381b6311f3d8ef25224d05d0a8537b0f86d36
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f053006cb4767cc381b6311f3d8ef25224d05d0a8537b0f86d36

EXCLUSIVE-SBA LIST BACKS BENACQUISTO IN FL-19: The anti-abortion women's group Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund is making its first 2014 endorsement later this morning, backing state Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto in her bid to fill GOP Rep. Trey Radel's Florida seat. "As we ramp up our efforts for the 2014 election cycle, this race is a critical opportunity to send an articulate, strong pro-life woman to Washington ahead of schedule," said the group's president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, adding that Benacquisto will be a "forceful and dynamic addition to the House Pro-life Women's Caucus." The special election to fill Radel's seat, after his resignation earlier this year, will be held on June
24, with a primary on April 22.

MORE RETIREMENTS! If you thought we were getting to the end of 2014 retirement season, think again. Two Democratic members of Congress, on opposite sides of the country, announced Tuesday they were calling it quits after November. In New Jersey, Rep. Rush Holt said he'd retire his 12th district seat. State Sen. Linda Greenstein has already announced she's running for his seat (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f053d419e2cd8490f8fdc13f5b72e38464ccf9f8cb0238261113
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f053d419e2cd8490f8fdc13f5b72e38464ccf9f8cb0238261113 ), and state assemblymen Reed Gusciora and Upendra Chivukula have both said they're considering the race (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f053cc2c867d572f7c3c46dcf384f5947a3d1963256cd3eac8ea
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f053cc2c867d572f7c3c46dcf384f5947a3d1963256cd3eac8ea ). Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, too, said he's mulling a bid (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f0538d17a00382ddaf6cb25b66d85f55895fe0ffb98c147fe484
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f0538d17a00382ddaf6cb25b66d85f55895fe0ffb98c147fe484 ). Over in California, Democratic freshman Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod will not seek another term-another seat that's fairly deep blue and likely to stay in Democrats' hands. It's not clear yet who will run, but given the seat's Democratic tilt it could end up becoming a crowded Democratic field. Former Rep. Joe Baca, who was ousted by Negrete McLeod in 2012, said he won't run for the seat-and insulted McLeod in the process. (He later apologized.)
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f053a49c0137f19947ba8f0f439ee5d9b9b2271d9572df5490f8
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f053a49c0137f19947ba8f0f439ee5d9b9b2271d9572df5490f8

MORE ON STEYER'S BIG-MONEY PLANS: Following up on the New York Times' report that environmentalist billionaire Tom Steyer will drop $100 million on the 2014 midterms, POLITICO's Darren Goode gets a look at Steyer's plans to spend potentially beyond that already massive sum: "The hedge fund executive turned green activist might be willing to lay out even more than that eye-popping number, and he's looking to spend it in places that are also important for 2016. Steyer's strategy calls for targeting races including Senate or gubernatorial contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida and possibly Pennsylvania - all key battlegrounds in presidential politics, sources familiar with the plan told
POLITICO on Tuesday. The fleshed-out details paint a picture of a big-pocketed donor who is going beyond his early efforts to help individual Democrats, such as Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, as well as address specific issues like the Keystone XL pipeline - and instead wants to give his signature climate cause a starring role in the next presidential race."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f05372151eb4a07fbccac31c4a2b2d366174c1f08f7b6490be03
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f05372151eb4a07fbccac31c4a2b2d366174c1f08f7b6490be03

ACROSS THE MAP-Quick takes from races around the country:

SENATE-

-KY-Sen: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is releasing a new ad today touting its support for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f053b60f54b9824e5da240178b760cda9d6fc65f2c47b71fc1ac
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8128d6a51ac7f053b60f54b9824e5da240178b760cda9d6fc65f2c47b71fc1ac

-MS-Sen: Chris McDaniel is calling Sen. Thad Cochran "out of touch" for saying he's not familiar with the tea party.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e04929cfe389502c425d178eb2f016106607f56f4119dbebdaa0f
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e04929cfe389502c425d178eb2f016106607f56f4119dbebdaa0f

-NC-Sen: A county jury found that GOP candidate Greg Brannon misled investors in a technology start-up he was involved in.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e0492912692608f741e675a35e93c70f52798ce001601f30b0f12
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e0492912692608f741e675a35e93c70f52798ce001601f30b0f12

HOUSE-

-FL-13: A new ad by American Crossroads hits Democrat Alex Sink for 'helping herself' and 'sinking Florida.'
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e0492d4c546962bd092d438691da18f07cc54408d6c6c5b41f658
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e0492d4c546962bd092d438691da18f07cc54408d6c6c5b41f658

-VA-10: GOP candidate Barbara Comstock, vying for the seat being vacated by Rep. Frank Wolf, is under fire from two Republican rivals who are calling her an 'establishment politician.'
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e04922d3b6e093c3f276824ea1063b58f648c535a2d79040ccfa4
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e04922d3b6e093c3f276824ea1063b58f648c535a2d79040ccfa4

-WA-04: Two Republicans, former Washington Redskins player Clint Didier and state Sen. Sharon Brown, will run for the seat being vacated by GOP Rep. Doc Hastings.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e049202797c038b129432ce6cce058d92a4b4e3dcf85b4bb0f90f
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e049202797c038b129432ce6cce058d92a4b4e3dcf85b4bb0f90f and
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e0492c45ce24d0f58d37b2d4a80ce71222eb54b903a3c2ae7fa3a
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e0492c45ce24d0f58d37b2d4a80ce71222eb54b903a3c2ae7fa3a

GOVERNORS-

-TX-Gov first look: GOP candidate Greg Abbott's campaign will release a web video today that suggests Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis has changed her positions on abortion and gun control.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e0492f7f21ffd96ea934fe80045cbd24e27eb12b5360aacbc773a
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e0492f7f21ffd96ea934fe80045cbd24e27eb12b5360aacbc773a

-AR-Gov: Jobs and Opportunity, a group affiliated with the Democratic Governors Association, has a new TV ad attacking GOP candidate Asa Hutchinson's financial ties and talking up Democrat Mike Ross.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e0492c8d42aaa9c8f10886b5ba42bd2a7946e667b03379be7e8d7
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a740e6b0464e0492c8d42aaa9c8f10886b5ba42bd2a7946e667b03379be7e8d7

-NV-Gov: Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak, seen as the top Democratic contender to face off against GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval, said he won't run.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b815005bdf61e42c2fe7962e99595a23bdc95085f95cbb8c992b855ec6dbb863
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b815005bdf61e42c2fe7962e99595a23bdc95085f95cbb8c992b855ec6dbb863

-IL-Gov: GOP candidate Dan Rutherford is pulling all his campaign ads from TV following sexual harassment allegations but has not said he will drop out of the race:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b815005bdf61e42c3b7a0fac89ac55c01bab2792ba5e251046be7cb2ec33c812
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b815005bdf61e42c3b7a0fac89ac55c01bab2792ba5e251046be7cb2ec33c812 . Also, fellow GOP candidate Bruce Rauner had to play defense in Tuesday night's candidate debate:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b815005bdf61e42caae989dfc95f4043b5f9cf7b225eb054b62bca3dca9d1927
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b815005bdf61e42caae989dfc95f4043b5f9cf7b225eb054b62bca3dca9d1927

-PA-Gov: GOP Gov. Tom Corbett is set to debut his first TV ads today. They'll run on cable in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b815005bdf61e42c0eabac28e1f9ff44ab902315dd5e7374e26e3665a2fbfc66
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b815005bdf61e42c0eabac28e1f9ff44ab902315dd5e7374e26e3665a2fbfc66

CODA-QUOTE OF THE DAY: "You certainly don't do all this to please some guy who looks and fights like a turtle.' -Texas GOP Senate candidate Dwayne Stovall, referring to Mitch McConnell in his TV ad criticizing incumbent Sen. John Cornyn:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b815005bdf61e42c42d6cb96886e50fa16546b224bf3066e0140a10e7ca81d70
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b815005bdf61e42c42d6cb96886e50fa16546b224bf3066e0140a10e7ca81d70 (Spoiler alert: the ad also includes a talking golden retriever.)

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