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By Kevin Robillard | 10/23/2017 10:00 AM EDT


With Scott Bland

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 CHRONICLES - "Former Republican Rep. Stephen Fincher enters Tennessee U.S. Senate race," by the Tennessean's Joey Garrison: "Former Republican U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher is entering next year's U.S. Senate race in Tennessee, a move that pits him against one of his former GOP congressional colleagues in the election to replace retiring Sen. Bob Corker. ... He said he's running to help push President Donald Trump's agenda and shake up a 'do-nothing Congress.' 'We're going to get in this race, and we're going to get in it to win it, and go up there and try to get something done,' the 44-year-old Fincher said. "Let's stand up with the president on his policies.' ... Fincher mostly
refrained from speaking about [fellow candidate and GOP Rep. Marsha] Blackburn during his trip. But he pounced on an opening earlier this week after '60 Minutes' and The Washington Post reported on a former Drug Enforcement Administration whistleblower who accused Blackburn and other members of Congress of passing a law that led to lax scrutiny over opioid distribution, handcuffing the federal government's ability to fight the national opioid crisis." Full story.

- "Jenkins backed 2005 contraceptive mandate in West Virginia," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: "West Virginia GOP Rep. Evan Jenkins voted to mandate contraception coverage while serving as a Democratic state legislator, a sign of how Jenkins' past as a Democrat could come back to haunt him in next year's Republican Senate primary. In 2005, Jenkins voted in the West Virginia state Legislature to require insurance plans to cover contraceptives. Twelve years later, he praised President Donald Trump's decision to roll back some of Obamacare's contraceptive mandates: 'I support religious freedom & believe the government has no right to make you violate your religious convictions.' Jenkins'
campaign noted the 2005 law included a religious liberty exemption and was non-controversial. But the dust-up still highlights how Jenkins' decades as a Democratic legislator in West Virginia - where many other voters and politicians have made the switch from Democrat to Republican in recent years - will provide ample opportunity for Attorney General Patrick Morrisey to paint him as insufficiently conservative." Full story.

OL' VIRGINNY - "Group spends $1M turning out Democratic-leaning groups in Virginia," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: "The Voter Participation Center, which aims to register and turn out members of underrepresented populations in elections, is on pace to send out 2.2 million pieces of mail from September to Election Day. From Oct. 25 to Nov. 1, the group will send out four waves of get-out-the-vote mailers to unmarried women, African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans and young people - a potential boost to Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam's campaign for governor. Each group is part of the so-called rising American electorate - young people, non-white people, and unmarried women - which has leaned
toward Democrats in recent years. One mailer reassures voters that their vote choice will be confidential, based on research showing that concerns about the secret ballot can be a hindrance to getting new voters to the polls. Some Democrats have worried about the low-key, genial Northam's ability to excite the progressive base ahead of the critical Virginia gubernatorial election, which also serves as a de facto referendum on a president's first year in office." Full story.

- "National Democrats are jittery about Va. governor's race," by the Washington Post's David Weigel and Ed O'Keefe: "The Democratic National Committee gathered here over the past week with one worry on every activist's mind: We'd better not lose the Virginia governor's race. ... Nationally, Democrats haven't won a marquee race since losing the presidency. They lag Republicans in fundraising. A loss for Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam against Republican Ed Gillespie on Nov. 7 could stir doubts about message and strategy just as the party is gearing up nationally for next year's all-important midterm elections. ... Defeat in Virginia could also prompt another brawl between progressive activists and
the party's establishment. Northam, backed by most of Virginia's elected Democrats, won his nomination over Sen. Bernie Sanders-backed former congressman Tom Perriello - a race that some activists saw as a replay of the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries. Northam's defeat would let activists argue that the party that picked Hillary Clinton over Sanders (Vt.), and Tom Perez over Sanders-backed Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.) for Democratic National Committee chairman in February, had once again bet against progressives and lost." Full story.

OUTGUNNED - "DNC enters 2018 in cash panic," by POLITICO's Gabriel Debenedetti and Edward-Isaac Dovere in Las Vegas: "The Democratic National Committee is reeling, facing a turnaround that's proving a much bigger lift than anyone expected as it struggles to raise enough money to cover its basic promises. Many donors are refusing to write checks. And on-the-ground operatives worry they won't have the resources to build the infrastructure they need to compete effectively in next year's midterms and in the run-up to 2020. ... The financial challenges reflect a broader struggle at a committee led by a chairman who is new to party politics - and on a steep learning curve at a time when national
Democrats are still searching for an identity after a historic loss. And it's not just donors who are staying away as the Perez-led group promises an expansive set of new investments and innovations. The party's old leaders, led by former President Barack Obama, have kept their involvement to a minimum, as well." Full story.

- "DNC imposes new restrictions on corporate donations," by Gabriel Debenedetti: "The Democratic National Committee on Saturday unanimously approved a resolution banning donations from corporate contributors whose work conflicts with the party platform. The proposal, introduced by California member Christine Pelosi, would likely target businesses such as payday lenders and potentially others like gun manufacturers." Full story.

- "Trump-aligned super PAC to hold fundraising meeting in Texas Tuesday," by POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt: "Oilman T. Boone Pickens will host Trump's financial backers at his Mesa Vista ranch on Tuesday. The group of two dozen contributors, which will include Republican bundler Roy Bailey and businessman Tommy Hicks, will lay out plans to raise money for the Trump-aligned America First Action super PAC. The organization, which is the primary Trump-backed outside group, is expected to play a role in a number of 2018 midterm races. ... Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., is slated to address the meeting. The younger Trump recently cut a check to the super PAC, according to two people familiar with
the donation. The organization's president, Brian O. Walsh, will also give a presentation. It will be America First Action's first major organizational meeting. While much of the focus will be on 2018, there is also expected to be discussion of 2020. ... The president will be in Dallas on Wednesday for a fundraiser benefiting his reelection campaign. About $4 million is expected to be raised." Full story.

Days until the 2017 election: 15.

Days until the 2018 election: 379.

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.

A LITTLE BIRDIE - "How Trump's Twitter account is fueling a GOP money surge," by the Hill's Reid Wilson, Alexandra Aaron and Cole Gray: "When President Trump tweets, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill may see stars. But the Republican National Committee (RNC) sees dollar signs. The RNC has raised more than $104 million since Trump took office in January, fueled by a surge in donors who have never contributed to the party before. For the first time in recent memory, Republicans are raking in more money from those small-dollar donors than they are from big-spending whales who write four- or five-figure checks. The surge in contributions has given Republicans a clear financial advantage
a year before the midterm elections, an edge some Democrats see as threatening to their hopes of capitalizing on anti-Trump anger both among their base and among independent voters." Full story.

SUNDAY. SUNDAY, SUNDAY - "McConnell: Bannon a specialist 'at nominating people who lose,'" by POLITICO's Rebecca Morin: "During an interview on "Fox News Sunday," McConnell responded to a clip, played by guest host Dana Perino, in which Bannon called out the Senate majority leader for supporting appointed Sen. Luther Strange in the Republican primary runoff for Alabama's special election. Strange ended up losing to Bannon-backed former judge Roy Moore. 'Some of these folks you've been quoting, as I said, are specialists at nominating people who lose, and that isn't going to help President Trump achieve his agenda,' McConnell said." Full story.

APPOINTMENT ON THE HORIZON? - "Who would Bryant appoint to U.S. Senate if Cochran resigns?" by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender: "Continuing news about longtime Republican Sen. Thad Cochran's health problems has brought renewed speculation that he might step down ... In many Mississippi and D.C. political circles, talk has shifted from if to when he might step down: before Nov. 6 - prompting a special, nonpartisan election within 100 days - or after, leading to a special, nonpartisan election in November 2018. Either way, Gov. Phil Bryant would appoint a temporary replacement, and the winner of a special election would serve out the unexpired term through 2020." Full story.

- The New York Times profiled state Sen. Chris McDaniel's likely primary run against GOP Sen. Roger Wicker as "the first election next year in which Republican Senate candidates would square off. The race could offer an early answer to a question that is vital to the party's future: Does the effort to replace sitting Republicans with populist conservatives in the mold of Mr. Trump have a credible chance of maturing into a national movement?" Full story.

2024 WATCH - "In Iowa debut, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens calls on 'cultural leaders' to stand for national anthem," by the Des Moines Register's Jason Noble: "Greitens, a Republican, was the headliner at Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' Harvest Festival fundraiser in Des Moines, her first major public fundraiser since becoming governor last May. ... Federal lawmakers, he said, should follow the lead of Republican-led state governments like his and Reynolds'. 'The people of Missouri and the people Iowa, we want to see results,' Greitens said. 'We're tired of waiting, and we need D.C. to get it done.'" Full story.

WEST COAST WATCH - "California Republicans go gaga for Trump," by POLITICO's David Siders and Carla Marinucci in Anaheim, Calif.: "Rallying their dwindling ranks at the party's fall convention over the weekend, Steve Bannon drew applause when he called former President George W. Bush a "piece of work" and said "there has not been a more destructive presidency than George Bush's." As for another Republican who once led the party ticket, Sen. John McCain, when Bannon mentioned his name at a dinner banquet here, someone in the audience yelled, 'Hang him!' Bush and McCain both won more votes in California in their respective presidential campaigns than Trump did last year. And the most recent
Republican presidential candidate to carry the state was Bush's father, George H.W. Bush, in 1988. It was California's own Ronald Reagan who popularized what he called the 'Eleventh Commandment,' which declared, 'Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.' But none of that seems to matter anymore. California GOP activists now celebrate a president who violates that commandment on a daily basis." Full story.

ROCK, MEET HARD PLACE - "Walking fine line, Pittenger praises Trump but campaigns with his critic," by the Charlotte Observer's Jim Morrill: "In a race that could land on the front lines of a Republican civil war, GOP Rep. Robert Pittenger applauded President Donald Trump Monday - even as he campaigned with one of Trump's sharpest critics. Pittenger's appearance with Republican strategist Karl Rove came on the day that new fundraising reports suggested that he could face not only a tough primary challenger but a well-financed Democrat. 'How can you bring in the head cheerleader of the anti-Trump agenda in the Republican Party and still claim to support President Trump,' said Andy Yates,
consultant for Pittenger's GOP opponent, Mark Harris. 'You either stand with Karl Rove and the anti-Trumpsters or you don't.'" Full story.

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "You want to give this complicated legal analysis a human side, but you're literally dragging the litigation so long that people are passing away. It's nuts." - Attorney Allison Riggs, whose client in a Texas redistricting lawsuit passed away before seeing the case resolved, via the Texas Tribune.

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