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By Kyle Cheney

With Sandhya Raman

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. (
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TRAGEDY IN MISSOURI - "Missouri gubernatorial candidate dead in apparent suicide," by Campaign Pro's Kyle Cheney and POLITICO's Nick Gass: "Missouri state Auditor Tom Schweich, a leading Republican candidate for governor in 2016, died Thursday in 'an apparent suicide,' police said. Schweich, 54, was hospitalized earlier Thursday following a single self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in suburban St. Louis. He was pronounced dead at Barnes Trauma Center, according to Clayton, Mo., Police chief Kevin Murphy ... The incident sent a shudder through Missouri government and political circles. Schweich had been in the early stages of an already-tense primary against Catherine Hanaway, a former
state House speaker and U.S. attorney.
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- The circumstances surrounding Schweich's demise are still being unearthed. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Schweich had been planning to meet with local reporters shortly before his death to discuss what he characterized as anti-Semitic statements being spread by a state GOP chairman John Hancock. Hancock has denied the suggestion:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=59cac3a215668d3b5424ef06b429aeba57490c2418ab3a06cc751f4184e612a3
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=59cac3a215668d3b5424ef06b429aeba57490c2418ab3a06cc751f4184e612a3 ; and the AP reports that Schweich seemed agitated during a recent conversation about the allegations and had planned to make them the subject of an interview with the outlet shortly before he allegedly shot himself.
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TODAY ON CAMPAIGN PRO - Democrats not certain they can compete against the Iowa octogenarian:
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SCORE INTERVIEW - Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad talks Republican primary politics; IA-01, -03:
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As Staten Island Dems pick another Brooklynite and Republicans collide at CPAC, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: daily news, notes and essential information for the 2015 and 2016 election cycles.

Days until the 2015 election: 249; Days until the 2016 election: 620

Thanks for joining us. We're eager for your news and feedback. Email us at
mailto:kcheney@politico.com
kcheney@politico.com or find us on Twitter at @
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kyledcheney .

MY NOMINEE VINNY - "Democrats select Gentile for NY-11 special election," by Capital New York's Colby Hamilton: "[New York City] Councilman Vincent Gentile of Bay Ridge [Brooklyn] officially received the backing of the Staten Island Democratic Party on Thursday at a meeting of the county organization. ... In a statement from his campaign, Gentile said he plans 'to ensure that the thousands of hardworking New Yorkers finally get the representation they deserve in Congress.' Gentile went on to highlight both his time serving Brooklyn, which he represents in the Council, as well as his previous elected position in the State Senate, where he represented parts of Brooklyn and a portion of Staten
Island. ... The decision to back the Brooklyn legislator came after options dwindled for the party, as it searched for a credible challenger to run against Staten Island district attorney Dan Donovan, who weeks ago secured the backing of Republicans and has already built up a formidable position in the race."
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POLITICO CAUCUS - "Democrats are ready, if impatient, for Hillary," by POLITICO's James Hohmann: "Hillary Clinton doesn't seem to be in any hurry to launch her presidential campaign, but most Democratic insiders in key early states want her to jump in sooner rather than later.This week's survey of The POLITICO Caucus - a bipartisan group of key activists, operatives and thought leaders in Iowa and New Hampshire - finds general consensus that the former secretary of state is wise not to rush into a race when she has no serious challenger and will have no problem raising money. But relatively few Democrats think she should wait until July, the timeline her team has reportedly been considering
in lieu of a previously expected April announcement. 'Even some diehard supporters are getting impatient and want her to announce,' said a pro-Clinton New Hampshire Democrat, who - like all 85 participants - completed the survey anonymously in order to speak candidly."

We also asked our Caucus participants about Supreme Court cases on gay marriage and Obamacare, and who's made the biggest mistake so far:
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CPAC DISPATCH - Updates from National Harbor, Md.:

- "Hawks fly high at CPAC," by POLITICO's Ben Schreckinger, with Jonathan Topaz, Daniel Lippman and Katie Glueck: "At the podium and in the halls, much of the talk at the raucous gathering focused on the need for a more muscular U.S. foreign policy - one that takes a harder line against Islamic State militants, doesn't compromise with Iran, stands up to Russia and does even more for Israel. The sentiments were especially notable for an event that tends to draw a strong libertarian contingent wary of foreign intervention ... There were plenty of CPAC attendees who were not happy with the hawkish tones struck by speakers Thursday. 'It's been a lot of saber-rattling and everything. I just came
from Ted Cruz's speech and he said that we need to go attack them and we need to destroy them, but what's the plan behind that?' said Owen Myers, 18, an Army reservist and freshman at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis."
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- "CPAC to Walker: 'Run, Scott, run,'" by POLITICO's Jonathan Topaz: "Scott Walker on Thursday railed against Washington and told conservatives his experience taking on labor unions in Wisconsin has prepared him for the role of commander in chief. The Wisconsin governor, facing questions about his foreign policy inexperience, suggested his time fending off public-sector unions in his home state has given him the toughness to take on foreign threats such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant during a fiery speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference that received multiple standing ovations. 'If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world,' he
told the crowd of conservative activists."
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- "Jindal hits Hill Republicans on Obamacare, Common Core," by POLITICO's Kendall Breitman: "Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal may be a stone's throw away from the capital, but he's not afraid to throw stones at Congressional Republicans. 'We don't need a second Democratic party, we don't need to be liberal, we don't need to be cheaper liberal Democrats, we need to be principled conservative Republicans,' Jindal said Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference."
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- "Christie tweaks Bush before CPAC crowd," by POLITICO's Gabriel Debenedetti: "Chris Christie on Thursday dismissed criticisms that he's now a long shot for the Republican presidential nomination - but missed no opportunity to critique likely GOP rival Jeb Bush. 'Is the election next week?' the New Jersey governor said at the Conservative Political Action Conference when radio host Laura Ingraham pressed him on early poll numbers that show him lagging."
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- "Cruz at CPAC: Beware the 'squishy moderate,'" by POLITICO's Katie Glueck: "Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday warned activists at the Conservative Political Action Conference not to trust 'squishy' moderates who talk about conservative principles but don't have a record of activism - a veiled jab at likely presidential rivals such as Jeb Bush ... As he frequently does, he likened the 2016 election to that of 1980, noting that Ronald Reagan was no favorite of the establishment - an implied parallel to Cruz's own political standing."
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MORE TROUBLE FOR SCHOCK - "Schock didn't report gifts, meals in London," by POLITICO's Anna Palmer and John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman: "Rep. Aaron Schock attended dinner and drinks in 2011 at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and at a swank nightclub London - and never disclosed receiving a single gift on his financial disclosure form. This past September, the Illinois Republican held a golf fundraiser - the 'Aaron Schock Golf Classic' - at Anne Arundel Mannor in Maryland, but never reported a payment for use of the golf course and facilities on his campaign finance forms ... On the multiday trip to London in June 2011, Schock attended several elaborate dinners as the guest of a person
invited by the Prince of Wales Foundation. Guests were also given a customized china plate with a personalized inscription on the last day of the festivities.
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