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By Theodoric Meyer | 08/31/2016 10:00 AM EDT


With Elena Schneider, Maggie Severns and Kevin Robillard

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)

PRIMARY RESULTS - "McCain scores decisive primary win," by Campaign Pro's Theodoric Meyer: "Republican Sen. John McCain won an easy victory over his primary challenger on Tuesday in Arizona, defeating former state Sen. Kelli Ward - the most prominent anti-incumbent Senate primary challenger of 2016 - by a double-digit margin." McCain had 52 percent of the vote to Ward's 39 percent with 99 percent of precincts reporting. "It was an anticlimactic victory for McCain, who was seen at the beginning of the election cycle as the Republican senator most vulnerable to a challenge from the right. ... But, in an early blow to her candidacy, Ward never earned the support of the conservative groups that
had been involved in successful challenges to GOP senators like Indiana's Richard Lugar, and she struggled to compete against the better-financed McCain." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ea50370731c1165d85dc18d3214588400cacc153096f1fc0ce456b330aa5aa12

- With Ward out of the way, Arizona Grassroots Action PAC, a super PAC backing McCain, is pivoting to attack Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. The super PAC is out with a new digital ad this morning tying Kirkpatrick to President Barack Obama. Watch the ad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0c72743070624e2dc600efffa32a696c618f0a69112fd73e4b30ac58ba8cbfe9

- "Murphy, Rubio to square off in long awaited general election showdown," by POLITICO Florida's Matt Dixon and Daniel Ducassi: "It was a U.S. Senate primary season in Florida brimming with the promise of heated races in both parties after Sen. Marco Rubio decided to run for president, leaving a political crown jewel: an open U.S. Senate seat in the nation's third-largest state. Ultimately, Rubio abandoned his bid for the White House and in the process shutdown the Republican primary. On the Democratic side, Rep. Patrick Murphy raked in huge endorsements and a large war chest, which was enough to easily defeat fellow Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson and longshot Pam Keith. By election night,
all that was left was the counting." With every precinct reporting, Rubio led Beruff, 72 percent to 18 percent, and Murphy led Grayson, 59 percent to 18 percent. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ea50370731c1165d59c705efb272c107631f6989e49c0bc4c3cac183df99accd

- "Fall of the House of Grayson," by POLITICO Florida's Marc Caputo: Rep. "Alan Grayson and his new wife, Dena Grayson, wanted to be the first husband-wife team to serve in the U.S. Senate and House at the same time. Instead the two became co-losers in Tuesday's primaries. Alan Grayson was crushed by his fellow congressman, Patrick Murphy, in the U.S. Senate race. And Dena Grayson - who married Alan Grayson mid-campaign and changed her last name over Memorial Day weekend as she ran for his congressional seat - lost in a three-way race won by state Sen. Darren Soto." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ea50370731c1165d2731998c1806822678963b37c1b9871cb9392b0aa34c922a

- Soto's victory in the primary in the Democratic-leaning 9th District is likely to make him Florida's first Puerto Rican member of Congress. Soto, a state senator, had 36 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting. Susannah Randolph, a former Grayson congressional aide, and Dena Grayson each had 28 percent of the vote.

- "Wasserman Schultz survives spirited primary," by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won her Democratic primary Tuesday in South Florida, outlasting a challenger who raised more than $3.3 million, much of it from Bernie Sanders supporters seeking to defeat the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman. Wasserman Schultz, a six-term congresswoman, took 57 percent of the vote to law professor Tim Canova's 43 percent - an unusually low margin for a member of Congress, but one that came after a bitter and extraordinary national fight between Wasserman Schultz and supporters of Sanders' insurgent progressive presidential bid."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ea50370731c1165ddf37a9c69f93d642fc4de75bd1724b13ad755158f84db917

- "Lawson ends Brown's lengthy political career," by POLITICO Florida's Matt Dixon: "After nearly a quarter century in Congress, Jacksonville Democrat Corrine Brown was defeated Tuesday night after running a primary campaign in the shadow of a 24-count corruption indictment. Brown was defeated by former state Sen. Al Lawson, a Tallahassee Democrat who made enough inroads in Brown's Jacksonville base to win by a comfortable 47-39 margin." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ea50370731c1165d1f53766b606d23cac93c4a886f90c0e1b64814ed128f979f

Days until the 2016 election: 69.

Days until the Massachusetts congressional primary: 6.

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

You can also follow us on Twitter, where we tweet a lot about campaigns and occasionally about the miracle of rapture: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin, @theodoricmeyer, @maggieseverns.

FULL HOUSE PRIMARY RESULTS - Arizona: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0c72743070624e2dcea135c0d93931d90e127cedb865c3448c8f8d80402564a6 Florida: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0c72743070624e2d5c0d327b5e328af325101d9e3ebdc279c7a170b0d6123e28 Highlights:

- Babeu wins AZ-01 Republican primary: Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu won a tumultuous six-way GOP primary for an open swing seat in Arizona on Tuesday, beating former Air Force Col. Wendy Rogers and rancher Gary Kiehne despite sustained attacks over his extensive personal baggage from his Republican rivals and a hostile super PAC. Tom O'Halleran, a former GOP state senator turned independent turned Democrat, easily won the Democratic primary. Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is vacating the seat to run for Senate.

- Garcia wins FL-26 Democratic primary: Former Rep. Joe Garcia won Tuesday's Democratic primary to challenge Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo, considered one of the most vulnerable freshman incumbents in the country, despite DCCC support for the other Democrat in the race. Garcia, who represented the district for one term in 2012 and has ethics baggage from his past congressional campaigns, took 51 percent of the vote to Annette Taddeo's 49 percent.

- Perkins, Mast win FL-18 primaries: Democrat Randy Perkins and Republican Brian Mast will face each other in Florida's battleground 18th District this fall after winning their primaries o Tuesday, setting up what could be one of the country's most expensive House races. Mast, a double-amputee combat veteran, had 38 percent of the GOP primary vote with every precinct reporting. Perkins, a businessman, had 60 percent of the vote. Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy left the seat open to run for Senate.

- Jones leading in too-close-to-call GOP primary in AZ-05: The Republican primary to fill retiring Rep. Matt Salmon's seat remained too close to call early Wednesday morning, with Christine Jones leading by less than 900 votes with all precincts reports. Jones, a former GoDaddy executive who poured $1.9 million into her campaign, led with 30 percent of the vote. State Senate President Andy Biggs was close behind, with 28.7 percent. "The current margin of 1% shows that this race is far from over," Biggs' campaign manager, Cesar Ybarra, said in a statement. "The latest ballot returns show that our campaign is gaining ground against Mrs. Jones. The County Recorder has a number of provisional
ballots and mail-in ballots that were dropped off today at the polling sites that have yet to be counted. As such, we will await to see the results from those returns to see if the margin continues to shrink."

- Dunn wins FL-02 Republican primary: Neal Dunn won the GOP primary in retiring Democratic Rep. Gwen Graham's district - now a heavily Republican seat after court-ordered redistricting earlier this election cycle - after a campaign that became another proxy war between different wings of the GOP. Dunn, a doctor backed by super PACs aligned with House GOP leadership, had 41 percent of the vote with every precinct reporting. Mary Thomas, an attorney who picked up support from the House Freedom Caucus and the Club for Growth, had 39 percent.

- Demings wins FL-10 Democratic primary: Val Demings won tonight's Democratic primary in Florida's 10th District, a redrawn Democratic-leaning seat left vacant by Republican Rep. Daniel Webster, who jumped to a neighboring district after court-ordered redistricting. Demings, a former Orlando police chief, had 57 percent of the vote with every precinct reporting. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0c72743070624e2dcfd6ee40821dff405577c962e8b3352fb6e5aace426994b0

- Losing candidates concede but can't forgive: A notably high number of defeated candidates on Tuesday made it clear that they wouldn't be endorsing the victors anytime soon. "After refusing to debate while running a slash and burn campaign devoid of actual ideas, I hope the Senator can rest comfortably with his conscience as he continues to lecture others about civility," Kelli Ward said in a statement after conceding to GOP Sen. John McCain. "I made the miscalculation of taking Mr. Rubio at his word that he wouldn't seek re-election if he lost the Presidential Primary," Carlos Beruff said in a statement after losing to GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, calling Rubio's reversal a "life mistake."

- And the Democrats were even more intemperate. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's defeated challenger, Tim Canova, did not to call her to concede, The Sun Sentinel reports. "I'll concede that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a corporate stooge," Canova told reporters. Rep. Alan Grayson left no doubt what he thought of Rep. Patrick Murphy, who trounced him in the Florida Senate primary. "I'm not going to be endorsing Patrick Murphy for sure," Grayson told The Orlando Sentinel. "He's a Republican."

NEW THIS MORNING - Senate Majority PAC goes after Ayotte on student loans: A new TV ad from Senate Majority PAC attacks GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire on student debt, right as college students are returning to campus. "Ayotte voted to cut Pell Grants and to raise student loan interest rates," the ad's narrator says. "Because she sides with special interests looking out for their own bottom line - not our kids. For New Hampshire students and families, Kelly Ayotte is a heavy burden we can't afford." Watch the ad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0c72743070624e2d64e39b431fdb9b150f64340a489be1c7e5af3bb5a7a23397

- Freedom Partners debuts new ad attacking McGinty: Freedom Partners Action Fund is spending $1 million to air a new TV ad attacking Democrat Katie McGinty for profiting off her time in public office in Pennsylvania. "As a state official Katie McGinty awarded millions of tax dollars to favored groups and companies, including one that paid her husband thousands," the ad's narrator says. "And when she left, she took a six-figure position with another of the companies." Freedom Partners has spent $7 million in the state. Watch the ad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0c72743070624e2dc880865f289c864c8bc4527c0cbd9c4188f545bddf091848

- Freedom Partners also canceled $2.1 million worth of Ohio TV ad reservations on Tuesday that had been slated to run in late September, the latest in several recent signs that GOP Sen. Rob Portman's defense of his seat against Democrat Ted Strickland is going better than expected. The super PAC is the latest group to shift money out of Ohio: Both the DSCC and Senate Majority PAC have also canceled Ohio ad time in the last day. One Nation pulled airtime in the state recently, too. "Rob Portman has run one of the strongest campaigns of the cycle, he maintains a significant lead in virtually every poll, and the dynamics of the race have changed," Freedom Partners spokesman James Davis said in
a statement. "We will remain on air through Sept. 14 with our current ads, but given Portman's strong position in the race, we are going to drop the remaining reservation and reserve flexibility over future spending."

FIRST IN SCORE - New Feingold ad focuses on equal pay: Democrat Russ Feingold is out with a new TV ad emphasizing equal pay for women and paid family leave. The ad opens with Feingold talking to girls on a soccer field, asking them what they want to be when the grow up. "Do you think you should be paid the same as boys?" he asks. "Definitely," one responds. "Unfortunately in Wisconsin, a lot of women make less than men doing the same job," he says, adding, "Discrimination against any woman is flat-out wrong." Watch the ad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0c72743070624e2dd41ed5933ec257df6cc1e777c3825a72547be24da7a40a4a

PRESIDENTIAL SPEED READ - "Trump will meet with Mexico's president," by POLITICO's Ben Schreckinger: "Donald Trump will travel to Mexico on Wednesday to meet with President Enrique Peña Nieto, the Republican nominee tweeted late Tuesday night. The last-minute trip dramatically heightens the stakes of an already-crucial day for Trump, as the presidential campaign enters its final stretch. Following the meeting, Trump delivers a major address on immigration Wednesday night in Phoenix, Arizona, at a time when his campaign's mixed messages on the subject are drawing criticism across the political spectrum. Peña Nieto invited both Trump and Hillary Clinton last week, and the Trump
campaign scrambled to pull Wednesday's meeting together, according to a person briefed by a senior Trump adviser." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0c72743070624e2dc376e067b05fe1b4ea587ebf95fac8cb6574cf1b378eea83

- "Trump chilled by cold Election Day reality," by POLITICO Eli Stokols in Phoenix: "Conflicting advice from Trump's remade inner circle of advisers-including former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, newly installed campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and campaign CEO Steve Bannon-and the outside counsel of conservative mega-donor Sheldon Adelson have led to a series of muddled statements that have left Trump sounding at times like President Barack Obama and his former GOP rivals on immigration, not a hardliner ready to deport undocumented immigrants. But over the last week, this coterie of aides, together with speechwriter Stephen Miller, has convinced Trump that some moderation in his rhetoric is
undeniably necessary if he aims to compete in swing states on Election Day." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0c72743070624e2d2e0ef07970f6f0c8f3c1e4db86f645c6c018bc5cab6b2823

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I don't, and I'm scared to look. You can quote me on that." - Tom Steyer, the Democratic megadonor, who told The Desert Sun he doesn't know how much he's spent on the 2016 elections so far. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0c72743070624e2d3e01ec668d8949f5a701b145d64a7af2b4f1e495d5ccb525

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