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By Maggie Severns | 02/21/2018 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)

STAYING POWER - "Experts see little hope for GOP to stop new Pennsylvania map," by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "President Donald Trump wants Pennsylvania Republicans to fight the implementation of a court-drawn congressional map that threatens a half-dozen GOP-held seats this November, but most operatives and experts see little hope in a legal challenge to the new districts. ... [B]ehind the scenes, Republican consultants are already urging their clients to get ready for these new districts in 2018.

"The state Supreme Court, which released the new map on Monday, had ruled the previous district lines violated the commonwealth's constitution as an improper Republican gerrymander. Because the issue is a matter of state law, legal experts say Republicans are unlikely to find judicial recourse in federal courts." Full story.

FIRST IN SCORE - CASH CHASE - DSCC raises $5.4 million in January: The DSCC raised $5.4 million in January, the campaign committee told Campaign Pro. The committee has $23 million on hand and no campaign debt. The committee had $19 million on hand at the end of December.

FIRST IN SCORE - NRSC dings "high-five Heidi" in new ad: The NRSC is airing a new radio ad that criticizes Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) for giving Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer "a high-five on the Senate floor after her vote on the five-month abortion ban." In the ad, a female narrator says that "D.C. party bosses might be celebrating 'high-five Heidi' Heitkamp's liberal voting record, but it doesn't work for North Dakota." (Politifact recently looked into whether it was in fact a high five, by the way, and dubbed the exchange "a very gradual meeting of awkwardly waving hands.") Listen here.

FIRST IN SCORE - "New PPP polls show Democrats ahead in 11 House districts," by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "Patriot Majority USA, a pro-Democratic outside group, released internal polls in 14 Republican-held House districts today that show Democrats leading - either in specific matchups or on the generic ballot - in 11 of them. In Minnesota, Democrat Dean Phillips leads Rep. Erik Philip Paulsen, 46 percent to 43 percent. In Iowa, Democrat Abby Finkenauer leads GOP Rep. Rod Blum by 1 point, 43 percent to 42 percent. Several open seats also show Democrats with an advantage, including the races to replace Michigan Rep. Dave Trott and California Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. In South
Florida, voters prefer a Democrat over a Republican to replace GOP Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen by 15 points." Full story.

Days until the 2018 election: 259

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.

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COMING UP ON FRIDAY: Join us for the Eighth Annual State Solutions Conference, a conversation with governors from across the country about their innovative policy approaches in the states. Doors open Friday at 9 a.m. - 901 K St NW. Details here.

NEW THIS MORNING - SPECIAL ELECTION SEASON - CLF pops another TV ad in PA-18: The Congressional Leadership Fund released its latest TV ad in the Pennsylvania special election, hitting Democrat Conor Lamb on tax reform and calling him "out of touch." The ad features Mary Beth, a widow, who says that "Raising two teenage sons by myself is even harder. That's why I really appreciated the middle-class tax cut." The ad attacks Lamb and Nancy Pelosi, who "called it crumbs." Watch the ad here.

- American Bridge attacks Saccone on opioid crisis: American Bridge released a digital ad that shows state Rep. Rick Saccone saying that "he believes the burden for fighting opioid addiction should fall on families and non profit organizations, and that government assistance should be minimal," per a statement from the group. The ad will run on Facebook across the state. Check out the ad here.

- Lamb pushes back on attack ads in PA-18: "Conor Lamb's campaign is pushing back against the NRCC's TV ad attacking Lamb's credentials as a federal prosecutor with a TV ad of its own, featuring Lamb's former boss, former U.S. Attorney Dave Hickton." Watch the ad here. Full story.

CASH RACE - NRCC beats DCCC in January fundraising: "The National Republican Congressional Committee topped the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in monthly fundraising for the first time in eight months, bringing in $10.1 million in January. The DCCC raised $9.3 million, closing the month with $43.8 million in cash on hand." Full story.

'RED TO BLUE' - DCCC adds 6 candidates to list: "The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released its third round of 'Red to Blue' candidates today, adding six House challengers to its program that indicates the committee's top-tier candidates in Republican-held seats. The new candidates include: Lauren Baer (FL-18), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Andy Kim (NJ-03), Xochitl Torres-Small (NM-02), Elaine Luria (VA-02) and Lisa Brown (WA-05)." Full story.

BUCKEYE BATTLE - "Our Revolution endorses Kucinich in Ohio" by Campaign Pro's Daniel Strauss: "The Bernie Sanders-aligned group Our Revolution is endorsing former Rep. Dennis Kucinich in the Ohio governor's race. ... The endorsement means the prominent liberal organization is bucking Democratic frontrunner Richard Cordray in the primary. Cordray, a former state attorney general, state treasurer and director of the federal CFPB, is a favorite of progressives and was quickly endorsed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) after entering the race late last year. More recently, Democrats in Ohio have begun to rally around Cordray's candidacy. Last week, former state Rep. Connie Pillich dropped out
of the primary and backed Cordray." Full story.

CLASH OF THE TITANS - Koch-backed digital ad blasts Amazon HQ jockeying: Political advocacy group Generation Opportunity, which is supported by the Koch brothers, is running a digital ad criticizing cities that are racing to offer tax breaks and other perks to Amazon as the company chooses its new second headquarters. The ad is being targeted at the 19 cities vying for Amazon's so-called HQ2, though a Generation Opportunity spokesman declined to say how much money the group is spending on the ads. Text in the ad reads: "Government cuts special deals with Amazon, a corporation that raked in $175 billion last year! Does this look like a company that needs taxpayer cash?" Watch the ad.

DEBATE NIGHT - Indiana GOP Senate candidates face off, via the Associated Press: "The candidates had few major policy differences. Instead, they sought to set themselves apart based on style. [Luke] Messer sought to claim the mantle of being the only adult among the candidates and a party uniter. [Todd] Rokita went on the attack, portraying himself as a conservative iconoclast, intent on torching the GOP establishment. And [Mike] Braun presented himself as an outsider businessman who built a successful auto parts distribution empire." Full story.

- Braun up with new TV ad invoking death of Colts player: Braun is also up with a new television ad focused on illegal immigration and invoking the death of Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson, who died after a car crash with an undocumented immigrant who was driving drunk. "Politicians in Washington have ignored this issue for far too long," Braun says in the 30-second television ad. "We must build the wall, ban sanctuary cities, and put an end to chain migration. There are lives at stake." Watch the ad here.

ANALYSIS - "How Democrats use 'dark money' - and win elections," from The Center for Public Integrity: "Alabama's special U.S. Senate election in December is a case study in the lengths national Democrats, who this year are racing to win back Congress from Republicans, are willing to go to hide their cash in the name of political expediency. ... [Highway 31] spent $5.1 million to boost [Doug] Jones, more than any other group active in the general election. Using a little-known legal loophole that allows political committees to do business on credit, the super PAC didn't disclose the identities of its bankrollers until a month after voters chose Jones as their senator." Full story.

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I am ståaying out of it. I learned a long time ago not to encourage people," Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) told a local Chamber of Commerce luncheon about the possibility of Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) running for reelection. (Via the Tennessean.)

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