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By Kevin Robillard | 06/21/2017 10:00 AM EDT


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)

THE MAIN EVENT - "Handel wins Georgia special election," by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "Republican Karen Handel has won Georgia's special election, holding off the most well-funded House candidate in history and deflating Democrats who yearned for a special election rebuke to President Donald Trump. Handel, who previously served as Georgia's secretary of state, had 52 percent of the vote to Democrat Jon Ossoff's 48 percent when the Associated Press called the race late Tuesday night after a six-month campaign in which Republicans hammered Ossoff as an ill fit for a traditionally conservative district. With her win, Handel protected Republicans' 24-seat House majority and their hold on
the 6th District in Atlanta's northern suburbs, a longtime GOP seat that looked to be slipping from the party when Trump only carried it by 2 points in November. Democrats, spying an opening, poured millions of dollars into the special election when former Rep. Tom Price resigned to join Trump's cabinet as the secretary of Health and Human Services. Ossoff, a former congressional aide and documentary filmmaker, captured the anti-Trump fervor coursing through the Democratic Party and raised over $23 million for his campaign. But Trump is not the only unpopular politician in the country, and Republicans once again used House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi as a bogeyman in a major House race,
linking Ossoff to her in TV ads, in door-to-door conversations with voters and even in the televised debates between Ossoff and Handel." Full story.

- "Lessons from the 2017 elections," by POLITICO's Gabriel Debenedetti: "Reeling after their loss in Atlanta's suburbs, Democrats are nevertheless claiming moral victory and reminding themselves to remain confident in their consistent over-performances in the House races compared to 2016 results - and in the strong candidates produced by the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial primaries. With 2018's midterm elections looming, here are POLITICO's seven takeaways from the first five months - and first five high-profile races - of the Trump era: If the House is in play, Democrats still need to prove it ... Republican candidates need a personal Trump strategy ... The establishment isn't dead
yet ... Democrats still don't have a message ... Health care isn't a silver bullet - not yet at least ... The Trump-era battleground: Suburbia ... The GOP base is still with Trump." Full story.

- "Congressional Leadership Fund heralds victory in Georgia," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: "The Congressional Leadership Fund, the Paul Ryan-backed outfit that spent more on Georgia's special election than any super PAC in the history of House elections, pointed to House Minority Leader's Nancy Pelosi's unpopularity and their ground investments as key to Republican Karen Handel's victory. Both are key to the group's plans in 2018. The group has already planned to launch field operations in 30 competitive districts, with goals to knock on 10 million doors by Election Day. Pelosi's unpopularity, meanwhile, has long been a hallmark of Republican House messaging and CLF aired repeated
television ads linking Ossoff to the unpopular Democratic leader." CLF executive director Corry Bliss, in a memo: "When asked, over 60 percent of voters preferred a congressman who would work with Paul Ryan, while only 28 percent chose Nancy Pelosi. This became a focal point in our messaging, as well as other outside groups and the Handel campaign itself. CLF never deviated from the goal of defining Ossoff as a dishonest liberal." Full story.

- "NRCC Chairman bullish after special election victories - for now," by POLITICO's Rachael Bade: "National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers took a brief victory lap in a Tuesday night interview with POLITICO after locking down the last of four House special elections for his party. ... 'I'd love to see where their momentum is at 0 and 4,' Stivers said when asked what the race said about Democrats' prospects of taking the House in 2018. 'They poured $33 million into this seat and came away short. That just goes to show you that when you spend $33 million but you talk about issues that the American people don't believe, you can't win.' He later added: 'Obviously,
we've got a lot of work to do,' to keep the House in the midterms, 'but I think we've proven ourselves pretty solidly at this point, by being outspent by $10 million, having them throw the kitchen sink at us, and we still win.'" Full story.

- FRIENDLY FIRE - Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, not a fan of Democratic leadership in the House, tweets: "#Ossof Race better be a wake up call for Democrats - business as usual isn't working. Time to stop rehashing 2016 and talk about the future. We need a genuinely new message, a serious jobs plan that reaches all Americans, and a bigger tent not a smaller one. Focus on the future."

- MoveOn executive director Anna Galland: "In the closing weeks of the race, Ossoff and the DCCC missed an opportunity to make Republicans' attack on health care the key issue, and instead attempted to portray Ossoff as a centrist, focusing on cutting spending and coming out opposition to Medicare for All. This approach did not prove a recipe for electoral success. Democrats will not win back power merely by serving as an alternative to Trump and Republicans."

- HOLD THE CHAMPAGNE? - Former NRCC communications director Ken Spain issues a reminder: "Warning signs for both parties coming out of this race. Plenty of time to address over the next 17 months. Political enviro likely to change," he writes. "We lost PA-12 special in spring 2010. Tough loss and media said GOP was dead. Went on to win 63 seats six months later. #ThingsChange."

CLOSER THAN EXPECTED - "Republican Norman wins South Carolina special election," by Kevin Robillard: "Republican Ralph Norman has won South Carolina's special House election to replace OMB Director Mick Mulvaney in Congress. Norman defeated Democrat Archie Parnell in a closer-than-expected race for South Carolina's 5th Distrct on Tuesday night. ... The district swung toward Democrats: Mulvaney defeated former Joe Biden aide Fran Person by 21 percentage points in November, and President Donald Trump won the district by 18 percentage points. Norman, a conservative hard-liner in the state legislature ... has said he would join the House Freedom Caucus if elected." Full story.

- The final margin: Norman 51%, with 44,889 votes. Parnell 48%, with 42,053 votes. Total turnout: 87,775. DCCC spent $275,000, while Congressional Leadership Fund spent $50,000 and the NRCC spent about $70,000.

- From the mouths of babes: "A win's a win but we need to win this by seven, eight points at least, not four or five," Norman told McClatchy's Katie Glueck last week.

Days until the 2017 election: 139

Days until the 2018 election: 503

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

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

WOMEN RULE PODCAST: In the latest episode of Women Rule, actress Allison Williams joins POLITICO editor, Carrie Budoff Brown, to discuss the evolving role of women in entertainment and her "fascination" with the Trump era. The 29-year-old actress says she doesn't believe that Girls could have taken place under the current administration, and that the show needed to happen while President Obama was in the White House. "I think there was a luxury to existential peace and calm that allowed the girls to live the lives they did," Williams tells Brown. Listen and subscribe: iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher

MONEY CHASE - FIRST IN SCORE - DSCC raises $5.1 million in May: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $5.1 million in May and has $16.9 million on hand, a committee aide said.

- Ryan challenger banks $100K: Paul Ryan - one of the GOP's top fundraisers - won't be hurting for money in 2018, but some Democrats are buzzing about his new challenger, Democrat Randy Bryce. He raised over $100,000 within 24 hours of launching his campaign, according to strategist Bill Hyers.

HEALTH CARE STATUS REPORT - "Fate of Obamacare repeal uncertain in Senate," by Burgess Everett and Jennifer Haberkorn: "Mitch McConnell's current whip count to repeal Obamacare is far short of 50 votes. There is still no bill, and even Republicans are moaning about the rush and lack of transparency. The GOP plan to jam through a bill over the next 10 days amounts to a rare political risk by McConnell with no guarantee of success. ... McConnell himself wouldn't guarantee passage on Tuesday, or even commit to a vote next week, though that is his plan. Some Republicans suspect the Senate majority leader has a master legislative stroke ahead, but it appears only the canny Kentucky Republican
has any inkling of what will transpire next week."

- ALL EYES ON HELLER: Heller "says he's willing to follow McConnell and risk his seat if the bill is favorable to his state. 'I will vote for this if it's good for the state of Nevada,' Heller said Tuesday. As to whether the emerging outline is good for the state, Heller couldn't yet say. 'I'm going to find out when I see the CBO,' he said. 'What will make me comfortable is a discussion with the governor.'" Full story.

RUH ROH - "Josh Mandel's $2 million ad campaign went against focus of marketing plan," by the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Jackie Borchardt: "[T]reasurer's office marketing plans obtained through a public records request show big budget TV ads were not recommended as the best way to promote the STABLE Account program, which offers tax-advantaged investment accounts for disabled individuals, similar to 529 college savings accounts. ... Instead, the marketing plans lay out a grassroots strategy to target Ohioans who might be interested in the program by working with existing disability agencies and advocacy groups." Full story.

2018 WATCH - "Hammond planning bid to represent Nevada's 3rd Congressional District," by the Nevada Independent's Megan Messerly: "The second-term state senator told The Nevada Independent Tuesday that he plans to run to represent Nevada's 3rd Congressional District represented by Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen. The freshman congresswoman is expected to challenge Republican Sen. Dean Heller for his U.S. Senate seat in 2018. Hammond, 50, has been exploring a bid for Congress since the beginning of the year, taking a brief break from the legislative session in March to visit Washington D.C." Full story.

- "Jim Renacci staffs his 2018 gubernatorial team with Ohio Trump campaign veterans," by the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Andrew J. Tobias: "Renacci's campaign team has hired a slew of operatives who worked last year on Donald Trump's coordinated campaign. They join Rob Scott, a Dayton-area attorney and former Tea Party leader who has seen his political stock rise since he signed on with the Trump campaign during last year's primary." The hires include four regional field directors. Full story.

FRONTIERS OF VOTING LAWS - "Landlords Are Now Required to Provide Voter Registration Info," by Seattle Met's Hayat Norimine: "In a 6-0 vote, Seattle council members on Monday approved legislation that would require landlords to provide information on voter registration and a registration form to new tenants. ... According to 2014 U.S. Census data, only 21 percent of renters who lived in their homes for less than a year voted." Full story.

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Congrats to Karen Handel on a HUGE win in GA! Democrats lose again (0-4). Total disarray. The MAGA Mandate is stronger than ever. BIG LEAGUE." - President Donald Trump in a text message to supporters.

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