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By Daniel Strauss | 06/06/2017 10:00 AM EDT


With Scott Bland, Kevin Robillard, Elena Schneider and Bianca Padró Ocasio

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)

ELECTION DAY - Democrat-versus-Democrat special in Latino-heavy CA-34 could make history for Koreans, by the Los Angeles Times' Christine Mai-Duc: "[Democrat Jimmy] Gomez, who has been endorsed by Becerra, would continue a decades-long tradition of Latino representation in a district where more than half of the voters are Latino. [Democrat Robert Lee] Ahn would be the first Korean American Democrat elected to Congress, and only the second Korean American ever. ... With few major policy differences between the two candidates, Gomez has tried to cast his opponent as too centrist for this deep blue district, while Ahn has said his local roots and private sector experience will help him better
address the quality-of-life issues residents face. ... But, while a surge in Korean American voters in the primary helped Ahn break through a crowded field to make the runoff, they make up just 6% of the electorate. Even if the primary's low turnout holds for the runoff, it will be impossible for Ahn to win with just Korean American votes. With Gomez touting progressive policies he's supported in the Legislature and dozens of endorsements from the party establishment and progressive groups, Ahn has taken up the mantle of a political outsider who is an alternative to the perceived Latino political dynasty." Full story.

- ... THAT SAID ... - Korean-American early ballot returns actually surpassed Latino returns, according to this tracker from California voter-data guru Paul Mitchell. That's despite Latinos outnumbering Koreans about 8-to-1 among registered voters in CA-34.

- Also on tap Tuesday night: New Jersey's gubernatorial primaries. Democrat Phil Murphy and GOP Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno are favored, but nothing's over these days until the votes are counted. Follow along here with the POLITICO New Jersey crew.

CASH INFUSION - "DCCC makes small investment in South Carolina contest," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: "The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is making a small investment in the special election to replace OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, sending $275,000 to help out Democrat Archie Parnell...The cash will go toward three full-time organizers for the Parnell campaign, ads on African-American radio, direct mail and digital spots, and especially target black churchgoers over the next two weekends. In a statement, a DCCC spokesman framed the cash as much a potential learning opportunity ahead of the midterms as a chance to help Parnell win." Read more.

- Parnell re-releases two new television ads: The Democrat is the only candidate on television right now. Here are his two spots.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE DEADLINE - Gillespie has $2.4 million hand for Virginia governor: Republican Ed Gillespie, his party's likely Virginia gubernatorial nominee, will start the general election with a significant money edge over either Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam or Former Rep. Tom Perriello. His campaign announced he had $2.4 million on hand after banking $1.1 million in the runup to next Tuesday's primary. That's significantly more than Northam ($1.3 million) or Perriello ($734,000), who have spent millions boosting themselves ahead of a competitive primary.

- Perriello gets more big-donor cash: Perriello continued to rely on big donors to fund his campaign, taking in an additional $250,000 from liberal philanthropist and hedge fund manager George Soros and $300,000 from another hedge fund manager, Donald Sussman. The Avaaz Foundation, a non-profit Perriello co-founded, chipped in another $150,000. (Oh, and Dave Matthews, the Charlottesville-based leader of the Dave Matthews Band, donated $10,000.)

- Summaries: Perriello raised about $1.9 million, spent $3 million, and had $734,000 left after June 1, while Northam raised $2 million, spent $4 million and had $1.3 million on hand. Full story.

RYAN AIR - "Ryan ramps up fundraising to protect the House," by POLITICO's Rachael Bade: "The Wisconsin Republican's political team on Tuesday morning will announce that Ryan has raised $22 million for House Republicans in the first five months of 2017, setting him on track to far outpace his 2016 fundraising haul. Over the same period last year, an election year, Ryan hauled in $16.5 million. In the month of May alone Ryan transferred $2 million to the National Republican Congressional Committee. And since the House voted on the controversial health care bill, he's also attended nearly 50 events in 13 states. ... This week ... Ryan will also headline fundraising receptions for vulnerable
Congressional Republican David Valadao of California; New Jersey Republican Tom MacArthur, who helped save the Obamacare repeal bill but who has seen monstrous blowback at home for his efforts; Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois; and Ralph Norman, the candidate running to replace former congressman and White House budget director Mick Mulvaney in South Carolina." Full story.

Days until the 2017 election: 153.

Days until the 2018 election: 517.

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.

OFF MESSAGE PODCAST: Donald Trump has a staffing problem. And that's slowing operations and brewing complaints even among his closest allies including Linda McMahon, his appointed Small Business Administrator. McMahon, a close friend and ally of Donald Trump who is best known for her wrestling business-turned-empire WWE, sits down with Isaac Dovere in this week's Off Message podcast. Listen and subscribe: iTunes | Panoply | Stitcher

GOV WATCH - "Abrams, other black Democrats get early backing for governor," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: "More black Democrats have already launched 2018 gubernatorial runs than in any year in recent memory, and liberal mega-donors and grass-roots groups are quickly rallying around several candidates whose progressive messaging stands out against past Democratic campaigns for governor. Seventeen months before Election Day, five major black candidates have declared campaigns for governor: state legislator Stacey Abrams in Georgia, former NAACP President Ben Jealous in Maryland, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum in Florida, former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer in Kansas, and Newton Mayor
Setti Warren in Massachusetts." Full story.

- Abrams getting a big-donor boost: "Susan Sandler, a top Democratic Party donor, is organizing an effort to raise between $12 million and $15 million to back Abrams and to register and turn out an additional 250,000 irregular voters in Georgia. 'After a couple hundred years, it's time to elect a black woman governor,' said Steve Phillips, Sandler's husband. Phillips said top donors could launch similar efforts for Gillum in Florida and Jealous in Maryland. 'There's an appreciation that the tickets need to reflect the changing voting populations.' In a letter to other major donors, Sandler described Abrams' run as "strategic, inspiring, historic.'"

- Jealous hires Sanders consultants: Jealous has hired a slew of consultants with ties to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential bid for his campaign, including campaign manager Travis Tazelaar, a former executive director of the Maryland Democratic Party who was on Sanders' steering committee in the state, along with media consultants Devine Mulvey Longabaugh and digital consultants Revolution Messaging. Not everyone was involved on Team Sanders, though. Hilltop Solutions' Bill Hyers and Rebecca Katz will serve as general consultant and communications consultant. Fred Yang of Garin-Hart-Yang will handle polling, and Addisu Demissie of 50+1 Strategies will serve as a fundraising
consultant. Kevin Harris, who was a senior adviser to the Hillary Clinton campaign and previously worked for Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, will be communications director. Erica Bernstein, who also worked for the Clinton campaign, will be the finance director.

SCOTUS WATCH - The Supreme Court held that North Carolina's legislative map illegally packed African-American voters, but it did not call for the state to conduct special elections under a new map in 2017, The Raleigh News and Observer reported. The Supreme Court ordered the lower court to reconsider. Republicans praised the Supreme Court's decision to stop off-year special election, arguing it "would have disenfranchised millions of voters," the state's GOP Party chairman Robin Hayes said in a statement. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, meanwhile, said: "Whether the election is November 2018 or earlier, redrawing the districts is good for our democracy by leveling the playing field for free and
fair elections."

A PUSH FOR PAPER IN GEORGIA'S SPECIAL ELECTION - A Superior Court judge this week will hear a case being brought against Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp that calls for the Peach State to stop using its voting machines in Georgia's 6th Congressional District special election between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel. Election day is June 20, but early voting started on May 30. "Georgia's voter system is not federally certified, although the state has touted federal certification for years, and the system no longer meets federal certification standards - even the 1990 standards the state previously applied," said Donna Curling, a plaintiff in the case brought by Georgians
for Verified Voting, in a statement. "The only way to ensure we have a secure election in June is to use paper ballots."

TEAMING UP - "OFA teams with new progressive organization Swing Left to train volunteers" by Daniel Strauss: "The liberal grassroots group Swing Left is teaming up with Organizing for Action, the nonprofit rooted in former President Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, to train volunteers and community organizers in the leadup to the August congressional recess. Together, Swing Left and OFA are hosting a set of webinars to train volunteers on interacting with members of Congress and constituents. The first webinar starts on Wednesday and will be followed by three other similar training seminars in late June and July." Read more.

- STAFFING UP - "Priorities USA hires up ahead of 2018," by POLITICO's Gabriel Debenedetti: "Josh Schwerin, a national spokesman for Clinton who previously worked at the DCCC and for Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, will be the group's communications director. Priorities is also bringing on Tristan Wilkerson, who worked on national constituency outreach for Bernie Sanders, as a special adviser for voter protection and political outreach. Wilkerson, a former staffer for the liberal CREDO super PAC and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), will work on the voting rights efforts that Priorities has been involved with since merging with Every Citizen Counts in December...In addition, Priorities
re-signed media consultants Saul Shorr and Adam Magnus after their group, Shorr Johnson Magnus, served as the super PAC's main ad-maker in the 2016 cycle." Read more.

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "There were days that I was like, 'This is an easy yes!' Then there were days I was like, 'Oh, I can't vote for this thing.'" - Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), on the GOP effort to sell Obamacare repeal, via POLITICO.

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