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By Daniel Strauss | 05/04/2018 10:00 AM EDT


With Zach Montellaro and Elena Schneider

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 VETERANS - "Pittenger, Jones expected to survive contested GOP primaries" by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "Two Republicans congressmen face stiff primary challenges in North Carolina on Tuesday, with GOP opponents challenging their pro-Trump bona fides. Reps. Robert Pittenger and Walter Jones are no strangers to tough primary battles, though Republican operatives expect both to survive, with public and internal polling show Pittenger leading challenger Mark Harris and Jones leading challenger Scott Dacey. But while Jones - who has said this will be his final run for Congress before retirement - would glide to reelection in a safe GOP district, Pittenger would have to defend his
suburban Charlotte seat in one of the most competitive House races in 2018." Full story.

CHARITY CASE - "'Scam PACs' rake in millions under guise of charity" by Politico's Maggie Severns and Scott Bland: "A web of new political action committees raised nearly $6 million in recent months under the guise of supporting police, veterans and cancer research. But nearly all of the money has gone to their own vendors and staff, as opposed to those causes - hallmarks of so-called 'scam PACs.' Several of the people and entities involved in the new PACs have been investigated for alleged fraud and other illegal practices in the charity sphere. But after coming under scrutiny, they have shifted recently into the much less regulated realm of politics, a POLITICO investigation has found.
... Altogether, the seven PACs raised $5.9 million and spent $5 million, without spending a dime on contributions or ads supporting candidates or other political groups, according to their FEC disclosures. The groups spent a higher share of their funds on operating expenses than 95 percent of all federal PACs that spent at least $100,000 in 2017 and 2018, FEC data shows." Full story.

WILDER WEST VIRGINIA - "Blankenship goes after McConnell's 'China family' in new ad" by Politico's Alex Isenstadt: "West Virginia GOP Senate hopeful Don Blankenship is amping up his racial attacks on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell with a new ad declaring, 'Swamp captain Mitch McConnell has created millions of jobs for China people.' 'While doing so, Mitch has gotten rich," Blankenship adds. 'In fact, his China family has given him tens of millions of dollars.' ... The new spot, which is expected to start airing on Friday, comes just ahead of the May 8 primary. As the dramatic contest comes to a close, Blankenship, a former coal baron who spent a year in prison following the 2010
explosion at his Upper Big Branch Mine that killed 29 workers, has focused his assault squarely on McConnell - sometimes in harshly racial terms." Full story.

2020 WATCH - "The RNC, In Full Trump 2020 Mode, Is About To Dump Its Standing Committee On Primary Debates," by BuzzFeed News' Henry Gomez: "The Republican National Committee is moving toward abolishing a standing committee on primary debates. A panel studying changes to the presidential nominating process - and working very much in lockstep with the Trump White House - recommended the move Thursday during the RNC spring meeting here at the Trump National Doral resort near Miami. A final vote is expected Friday." Full story.

FIRST IN SCORE - DCCC drops second comedian-written digital ad: The DCCC released a new, comedian-written digital ad that "expose[s] how the House Republicans' tax scam gives massive handouts to corporations," per a statement from the committee. Watch "Bonus Checks" here.

Days until the 2018 election: 186

Upcoming election dates - Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina and West Virginia primaries: May 8 - Idaho, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Oregon primaries: May 15 - Arkansas, Georgia and Kentucky primaries, plus Texas primary runoffs: May 22.

Upcoming filing deadlines - Florida: May 4 - Massachusetts: May 8 - Washington: May 18 - Arizona: May 30.

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

You can also follow us on Twitter: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @danielstrauss4 and @maggieseverns.

PROBLEMS CREEPING UP - "Ohio Democrats Fret Over Dennis Kucinich's Fringe Ties," by HuffPost's Kevin Robillard: "Democrats in Ohio are increasingly worried that former Rep. Dennis Kucinich's ties to fringe groups \u2015 including supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad and those who promote conspiracy theories around the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks \u2015 will destroy their chances of winning the governor's mansion in November." Full story.

CHANGE OF TUNE - "Mitch McConnell is becoming the GOP's Nancy Pelosi in midterm races," by CNN's Eric Bradner: "On the campaign trail, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is becoming the GOP's version of Nancy Pelosi: He remains a powerful force, but no one wants to stand too close to him.The latest evidence of McConnell's toxicity among Republican voters came in a West Virginia Senate debate this week. All three Republican candidates were asked to raise their hands if they supported McConnell for majority leader. None did." Full story.

WAY DOWN-BALLOT - ACLU puts $175,000 into Mecklenburg County, N.C., sheriff's race: The civil-liberties group is airing a new radio ad criticizing Sheriff Irwin Carmichael for putting "teenagers in solitary confinement" and aiding Trump's "deportation force." ACLU doesn't endorse candidates, but the ad accuses Carmichael of "work[ing] with Trump's deportation force, detaining people for deportation, tearing families apart. The Trump-Carmichael immigration agenda wastes our law enforcement resources," the ad narrator says. ACLU is also canvassing and making phone calls to thousands of voters in the county ahead of the May 8 primaries. Listen to the radio ad here.

ON THE AIRWAVES - Maine gubernatorial candidates kick off TV campaign: Candidates in Maine's Democratic primary for governor have begun releasing their first TV ads. On Thursday, Attorney General Janet Mills' campaign released its first ad, "Fighting for Us," touting her work to expand Medicaid and fight Gov. Paul LePage. A day earlier, Democrat Adam Cote's campaign released its first ad "Extra Time," recounting how he survived an Iraqi suicide bombing and then came home to Maine to raise a family and start a clean energy business.

Earlier in the week the candidates began to unveil their fundraising numbers for the most recent filing period. Former Maine House Speaker Mark Eves reported raising $171,000, leaving him with about $87,200 for the primary plus another $21,400 for the general, according to Eves campaign manager Will Ikard. Mills reported raising over $220,000, leaving him with $274,000 cash on hand. Cote raised $278,000 and has $460,000 cash on hand.

- Kennedy pops first TV ad in Colorado: Democrat Cary Kennedy released her first TV ad in the Colorado Democratic gubernatorial primary, kicking it off by saying, "I've heard enough from Donald Trump." Watch the ad here.

- VoteVets defends Tester on TV: "VoteVets is going up with a statewide TV ad buy in Montana to defend Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, who's drawn intense criticism from the White House and Republicans for his handling of Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson's nomination to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. The ad is backed by a $200,000, five-day buy." Watch the ad here. Full story.

- Club for Growth Action releases pro-Rosendale ads in Montana: Club for Growth Action launched a 30-second TV ad and a 15-second digital ad supporting Republican Matt Rosendale. The ads are airing on broadcast and cable stations statewide. The ads say Rosendale and Trump are both "not your typical politician." Watch the TV ad here. Watch the digital ad here.

SHOW ME STATE - "Greitens' legal woes entangle political advisers with ties to Pence's chief of staff," by The Kansas City Star's Jason Hancock: "Two political advisers with close ties to Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff are named repeatedly in a report accusing Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens of knowingly falsifying a settlement document with the state ethics committee, a class A misdemeanor. Mike Adams is a lawyer who represents Pence's political action committee and Austin Chambers is a protege of Pence's chief of staff Nick Ayers, who was Greitens' top campaign consultant in 2016. Adams also represented the Republican Governors Association during the time Ayers served as the
group's executive director from 2007 to 2011. ... The settlement agreement at the heart of the House report was negotiated, signed and initialed by Adams, Greitens' campaign attorney at the time. Adams now serves as legal counsel to Great America Committee, Pence's Leadership PAC. He is running as a Republican candidate for Kentucky secretary of state." Full story.

STAFFING UP - The Democratic opposition research group American Bridge has brought on Amelia Penniman as its deputy communications director for Senate campaigns. Penniman is an alum of Sen. Richard Blumenthal's office and served as press secretary for former Sen. Russ Feingold's 2016 Senate campaign.

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Keep in mind, it's new territory" - Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson on Missouri legislative leaders convening a legislative session that could move to impeaching Gov. Eric Greitens.

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