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By Kevin Robillard | 01/31/2018 10:00 AM EDT


With Elena Schneider, Zach Montellaro and Daniel Strauss

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)

WHERE'S THE MONEY? - The fundraising numbers Morning Score is looking forward to the most: Today is the final day for candidates to report their fourth-quarter fundraising numbers. Campaign Pro will be keeping a close eye on the following candidates, who have yet to reveal theirs:

- Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley and his affiliated super PACs: Hawley, the GOP's top Senate recruit this cycle, has yet to announce his fundraising. His opponent, Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, raised $2.9 million in the fourth quarter. Hawley's haul in the third quarter was $820,000. Two super PACs supporting Hawley that could provide some big money backing, one affiliated with Missouri Rising and one with the Club for Growth, are also set to reveal their fundraising totals soon.

- Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen: Bredesen announced his candidacy for Sen. Bob Corker's seat just three weeks before the deadline. A strong haul could alleviate worries that the Democrat will end up as a replay of former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's failed 2016 Senate bid. Both of Bredesen's potential GOP opponents, Rep. Marsha Blackburn and former Rep. Stephen Fincher, posted strong fourth quarters.

- GOP Rep. Glenn Grothman: Grothman, a Wisconsinite who sounded the alarm on the political environment last year by admitting he was facing the toughest race of his career, had $324,000 on hand at the end of the third quarter. His challenger, Democrat Dan Kohl, said earlier this month he had over $600,000 on hand.

- Republican Dino Rossi: Rossi, who is running to replace retiring Rep. Dave Reichert, gave Republicans a burst of hope when he raised a remarkable $578,000 in just days after his entry into the race. He faces a slew of Democrats in the district, and a second huge haul could give the GOP hope at retaining the seat.

- Democrat Marie Newman: Newman has received a burst of progressive organizational support ahead of her March 20 primary challenge to Rep. Dan Lipinski, and that could turn into a major fundraising quarter. She had under $100,000 on hand at the end of September, compared to $1.5 million for Lipinski.

- FIRST IN SCORE - RGA raises $63 million in 2017: The Republican Governors Association raised $63.2 million in 2017, the group told POLITICO today, including $27.2 million in the second half of the year. The RGA, which consistently outraises its Democratic counterpart, didn't release a cash on hand number. The Democratic Governors Association has yet to release its fundraising numbers, but said in July that it raised $21 million in the first half of the year. Both committees need to report fundraising information to the IRS by the end of the day. Full story.

- FIRST IN SCORE - National Democratic Redistricting Committee raises $16.2 million: The National Democratic Redistricting Committee and its affiliated groups raised $16.2 million in 2017, although they aren't releasing a cash on hand number. The committee, which is chaired by former Attorney General Eric Holder and has the blessing of ex-President Barack Obama, is expected to spend heavily in governor and state legislative contests in 2018.

- "DNC raises $67 million in 2017, half of RNC's haul," by Edward Isaac-Dovere: "The Democratic National Committee will report raising $5.2 million in December, bringing its total 2017 fundraising to $67 million, according to paperwork that will be filed Wednesday. ... The RNC has $38.8 million cash on hand. The DNC will report $6.5 million cash on hand, but its debt is now down to $6.2 million - the lowest its been since Barack Obama's reelection campaign transferred its unpaid bills to the DNC." Full story.

NEXT MAN UP - "Ricketts set to replace Wynn as RNC finance chair," by POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt and Andrew Restuccia: "Todd Ricketts is expected to be named finance chair of the Republican National Committee, according to multiple GOP sources. Ricketts, a major Republican Party donor whose family owns the Chicago Cubs, will replace Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn, who stepped down amid allegations that he engaged in sexual harassment." Full story.

Days until the 2018 election: 278

Upcoming election dates - Arizona 8th District special primary: Feb. 27. Texas primaries: March 6. Pennsylvania 18th District special election: March 13. Illinois primaries: March 20.

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.

Q4 TOTALS

- NV-SEN: Nevada Sen. Dean Heller raised just under $821,000 in the fourth quarter of 2017 and began the year with $4.2 million in cash on hand. His likely Democratic opponent, Rep. Jacky Rosen, nearly doubled Heller's fourth-quarter fundraising, bringing in $1.56 million in the final quarter of 2017. But she trails Heller by a wide margin in cash on hand, with $1.8 million in the bank.

- Restoration PAC: Restoration PAC, most recently seen backing Kevin Nicholson in Wisconsin's Senate race, has $1.9 million on hand.

- TX-16: Democrat Veronica Escobar raised $290,000.

OOPS - Gottheimer staffer sends fundraising totals from official account: A press secretary for New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer sent an email touting the congressman's fourth-quarter fundraising, but it was sent from his official account, which is not allowed. Adam Silverstein, a spokesman for the campaign, emailed this statement to Campaign Pro: "A staff member inadvertently sent an email from his office account. It was an honest mistake in violation of office policies and training."

- Speaking of Q4 - NJ-05: Gottheimer raised $730,000 in the third quarter, finishing the year with $2.6 million in cash on hand.

THE STATE OF OUR DIGITAL ADS IS STRONG - NRSC blitzes Senate Democrats: The NRSC released digital ads targeting the 10 Senate Democrats running for reelection in states President Donald Trump won with State of the Union-themed ads highlighting how often they've voted against the president. "Wisconsin voted for President Donald Trump," a male narrator says in the ads. "But Tammy Baldwin doesn't care." The ads are auto-play on Facebook. Watch a sample of the ads here.

- American Bridge highlights job losses: American Bridge is out a digital ad in the upper Midwest states of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin highlighting how Trump failed to protect jobs at a Carrier plant in Indiana. Watch the ad here.

ON THE AIR - NEW THIS A.M. - Indiana GOP airs radio ad attacking Donnelly over tax cuts: The Indiana GOP is out with a statewide radio buy featuring two Hoosiers questioning why Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly voted against the GOP tax reform law. "Why didn't Joe Donnelly want hard-working Hoosiers like you and me to save more money?" one of the voices asks. "When you see your paycheck go up, ask yourself: Why didn't Democrat Joe Donnelly tell us the truth?" Listen to the ad and see a transcript here.

- "CLF debuts second TV ad in PA-18," by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "Congressional Leadership Fund released its second TV ad in the Pennsylvania special election - tagging Democrat Conor Lamb as 'Pelosi-following' and Republican Rick Saccone as someone who 'fights hard for working families.' 'How do we know Conor Lamb will join Pelosi's liberal flock? He already has," the ad's narrator says, continuing to attack Lamb on his last name. 'Lamb joined Pelosi to oppose a middle-class tax cut, calling your tax cut 'crumbs.'" Full story.

- Betsy Dirksen Londrigan pops TV ad in IL-13: Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan is out with a health care-focused TV ad in her primary race to take on GOP Rep. Rodney Davis. Londrigan talks about her son, who was diagnosed with a rare infection "that almost took his life." The ad continues: "Donald Trump's health care plan would've bankrupted us because it allows insurance companies to cut off families with sick kids." Watch the ad here.

- Jay Hulings releases ad on Trump in TX-23: Democrat Jay Hulings, who's running in a contested primary to take on GOP Rep. Will Hurd, is up with his first TV ad in San Antonio. The ad attacks Trump's border wall: "No way," Hulings says. Watch the ad here.

- Ed Meier pops TV ad in TX-32: Democrat Ed Meier, who's running in a crowded primary to challenge GOP Rep. Pete Sessions, released a TV ad that focuses on his father, a pediatric surgeon, who "taught me that every family, rich or poor, deserves good health care." Watch the ad here.

OPPO CORNER - "Tarkanian faces 2012 campaign funding, charity questions," by Las Vegas Now's Steve Sebelius: "A candidate for Congress faced questions Monday about charity and political fundraising dating back to a 2012 campaign bid for Congress. Danny Tarkanian, a Republican seeking the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Dean Heller, apparently used funds originally borrowed from a charity to boost his campaign accounts." Full story.

- "GOP Senate Candidate Nicholson Paid by Democrats in 2002," by the Associated Press' Scott Bauer: "Republican Wisconsin Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson, who has said he was 'absolutely sure' he was no longer a Democrat after speaking at the national convention in 2000, was paid to do work for Democrats running for office in Minnesota two years after the convention. ... Federal Election Commission records show Nicholson was paid $7,300 by Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in the summer and fall of 2002 for 'administrative/voter drive' work." Full story.

GETTING THE MEETING - Downing, Campbell meet with administration officials: Two GOP Senate candidates, neither the first choice of D.C. operatives, have snagged meetings with administration officials in recent days. Troy Downing, the military veteran and ally of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke who is challenging Sen. Jon Tester, wrote on Twitter on Monday that he met with the White House's political staff. And on Tuesday, wealthy farmer and state legislator Tom Campbell, who is challenging Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, sent out a picture of him meeting with Vice President Mike Pence.

2020 WATCH - "John Delaney to air TV ads in Iowa for 2020 presidential bid," by the Des Moines Register's Jason Noble: "John Delaney, a Maryland congressman who declared his candidacy for president last year, will begin advertising in the first-in-the-nation caucus state with a Super Bowl ad this Sunday. In an interview with the Des Moines Register on Tuesday, Delaney said the Super Bowl spot will kick off a million-dollar ad buy that will run for four weeks on stations across Iowa. ... The ad touts Delaney's commitment to bipartisanship." Full story. Watch the ad here.

FOR YOUR RADAR - "Hallquist Readies Democratic Run for Governor of Vermont," by Seven Days' John Walters: "The CEO of the Johnson-based Vermont Electric Cooperative is poised to announce a run for governor as a Democrat. If she were to win the August primary, she would become the nation's first openly transgender, major-party candidate for governor. ... Hallquist is nationally known in utility circles and is a respected expert on energy matters in the Vermont Statehouse. But she's never been tempted to enter politics herself - that is, until Donald J. Trump won the presidency. ... The 61-year-old Hyde Park resident would face long odds against Gov. Phil Scott, Vermont's popular first-term
Republican." Full story.

GETTING THE NOD -- LCV Action backs Gretchen Driskell, Elissa Slotkin: The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund endorsed two Democrats running in Michigan -- Gretchen Driskell, who's running against Rep. Tim Walberg, and Elissa Slotkin, who's running against Rep. Mike Bishop.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Not your business." - Arizona Rep. Martha McSally, when a Los Angeles Times reporter asked if she voted for President Donald Trump in 2016.

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