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08/03/2018 08:11 AM EDT


By RACHAEL BADE (Rbade@politico.com and on Twitter @RachaelMBade)

BLACK GOES DOWN - Senior House Republicans have heavy hearts this morning for Rep. Diane Black, a well-liked colleague and close Speaker Paul Ryan ally who lost the Tennessee gubernatorial primary last night. It's a shocker for a lot of people up here on Capitol Hill. Not only did Black, the first female Budget chairwoman, play a staring role helping Congress pass a fiscal blueprint (NO easy task in a House GOP conference known for backstabbing and infighting), she also helped craft the final tax reform package that's become President Donald Trump's crowning achievement and GOP leadership's central mid-terms platform.

But Trump's refusal to endorse Black hurt bad. Vice President Mike Pence weighed in to support her, but it wasn't enough. And if anything, it may have convinced people that Trump was intentionally sitting this race out - despite Black's constant praise for him. In the end, underdog businessman Bill Lee won the nomination, and the House GOP conference, already sorely lacking female lawmakers, will be short one more. POLITICO's Daniel Strauss and James Arkin with last night's Tennessee election results: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=dbce45dbe9cd526786b905ebe7267286fb11dc47e47fef2f07dbaf58d6d2a539c626a4fb8ccf99e907a8f7b2ed3c7b89

Expect some Republicans to whisper that another factor was at play: sexism. POLITICO has interviewed multiple Republicans from Tennessee who say there's still a small faction of Republican men who simply won't put a woman in the governor's mansion. Rep. Kristi Noem, who's running to be South Dakota governor, told me a few weeks ago that she is facing the very same issue back home. "For some reason, they were willing to vote to send a woman to Congress for years, but to put a woman in the governor's office, it's very different," she said. Who knows how authentic these claims are. But at a time when Democratic women are roaring their way to political victories, it's sure curious that GOP
women are struggling.

A BAD YEAR TO BE AN AMBITIOUS HOUSE REPUBLICAN? Let's face it: It sucks to be a House Republican running for higher office right now. Black joins the ranks of four other GOP lawmakers who failed to move up statewide in the Trump age, including: Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita, who bungled their Indiana senate bids trying to be Trump Mini-Mes; Rep. Raul Labrador, a hardliner who was oddly painted as soft on immigration in an Idaho gubernatorial primary; and Rep. Evan Jenkins in West Virginia, who just never took off as a Senate candidate. Those who have been successful in GOP primaries, including Reps. Jim Renacci in Ohio, Lou Barletta in Pennsylvania and Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee, had
two things in common: They were all original "Trump Caucus" supporters in early 2016, and they all received help from the president personally via endorsements that carried weight.

IT'S A HOOKY KIND OF DAY. Good morning, and thanks for read Huddle on this first Friday of August recess - at least for those of us who work in or cover the House... I'd wager a Benjamin Franklin that a good chunk of y'all are playing hooky today. Enjoy it while it lasts because the shutdown wars, midterms and contentious leadership fights are right around the corner.

FOR YOUR RADAR: RUSSIA MEDDLING, AGAIN. "U.S. Intelligence Officials Warn of 'Pervasive' Russian Efforts to Disrupt 2018 Elections." Rebecca Ballhaus and Dustin Volz for the Wall Street Journal: "Senior intelligence officials described Russian efforts to interfere in the 2018 midterm elections as deep, real and ongoing, showcasing their efforts to combat a threat President Trump has repeatedly dismissed and played down. 'We continue to see a pervasive messaging campaign by Russia to try to weaken and divide the United States,' Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told reporters at a briefing Thursday. Speaking at a time when the administration is facing criticism for not doing enough
to address the threat of Russian election interference, Mr. Coats said Mr. Trump had directed intelligence agencies to make election hacking a 'top priority.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=dbce45dbe9cd5267a88ead654b48df689edfa973200bef848d5d0ded3a62a4a74e78c0893b822aa56d2c72fe95b0dfcc

CUE CONGRESS... "Republicans, Democrats partner on Russia sanctions bill, new cyber measures," Karoun Demirjian for Washington Post: " A bipartisan group of senators has unveiled a comprehensive package of Russia sanctions and measures to counter cybercrime, the latest attempt to push congressional leaders to intensify punitive measures against would-be election hackers ahead of November. Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Robert J. Menendez (D-N.J.), whose bill is co-sponsored and includes contributions from Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), announced their plans for the legislation last month after President
Trump's widely criticized showing at a summit with Russian President Vladi­mir Putin. In the weeks since, the clamor from lawmakers and experts to better safeguard the upcoming election has grown more urgent." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=dbce45dbe9cd5267ef164312927b49622c423bc11ec052ada4e639971007ff604c70ca01de313432f9d88cc0bcf58159

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Trump quadrupled down on a shutdown threat during his "Make America Great Again" rally in Pennsylvania last night, declaring: "We're about to get really nasty over the wall." Trump said Fox News host Sean Hannity and conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh are urging him to shutter agencies before the November midterms if he doesn't secure funding for the southern border structure. When the crowd cheered in response, Trump added: "great people."

Serious questions: Whose advice will Trmp take? Hannity's and Limbaugh's, or Ryan's and Senate Majority Leader McConnell's? If anyone tells you they know for sure they're flat out lying to you. AP with more on the rally: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=dbce45dbe9cd52670c53c26f3e76d62a360316d3404084af1a10d52f7247afa0ae086ff2501bd7f0b26bb85a7999acaa

FOOD FIGHT! - Let's get wonky for a second and talk about work requirements for food stamp recipients, something Trump tweeted about Thursday afternoon. A quiet debate between House and Senate Republicans on the matter is about to split wide open this fall, as Ryan et al push for the new mandate in must-pass farm legislation. The Senate? You guessed it: HATES this - mostly because they don't think Democrats will ever vote for it.

But Trump is the X-factor here, and according to our GOP sources, House Republicans are expecting the president to start a high-profile campaign backing the overhaul - some of which we saw in his tweet yesterday. But are Trump and Ryan going to be willing to hold back aid for farmers until they get their way? Seems unlikely amid a possible trade war when the agriculture sector is already hurting. Do read our star Ag policy reporter Helena Bottemiller Evich: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=dbce45dbe9cd52675386de0015120ac55a86df02ad35440c672b4c1aca6ab0a688e24c06786de891a9563de80a614406

MYSTERIOUS NEW PAC HITS MCSALLY - A new Democratic super PAC is going up with attack ads against Arizona Senate hopeful Martha McSally, accusing the House Republican of hurting seniors when she voted to repeal Obamacare. The group, as our James Arkin reports, just formed Wednesday, according to FEC filings. And it unclear who's funding the messaging. But the commercial dings McSally for backing a GOP health care bill that would have allowed insurance companies to charge elderly citizens more in what the group calls an "age tax."

The timing isn't great for McSally. She's had to balance running in a crowded GOP primary against several hardliners painting her as a RINO, before facing off with Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, who's leading all GOP candidates in the polls. Oddly enough, blasting McSally for voting to pan Obamacare may just help her in the looming Aug. 28 three-way primary since former state Sen. Kelli Ward and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio are running to her right. But should McSally win the nomination, the ads would no doubt cripple her in the general against Sinema should they resonate with locals. James with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=dbce45dbe9cd5267078d3e175976411fe358588e79b6e8c6061e5f09167c3a43874eea4cf818f6bdaaecb413e4ccca63

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House and Senate are out.

AROUND THE HILL - Hill staffers and congressional reporters searching for something to work on, leaving early and planning vacations.

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER: John Sullivan was the first to correctly identify Franklin Roosevelt and the president who signed the Hatch Act into law on Aug. 2, 1939.

TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Courtesy of John: Which amendment to the Constitution underwent a ratification process that spanned two centuries, and which two states tied for putting it over the top? Email yours truly at rbade@politico.com The first person to correctly answer gets a shout out in Monday's Huddle.

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