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By Daniel Strauss | 04/12/2018 10:00 AM EDT


With Kevin Robillard 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)

RYAN OUT - Ryan's retirement deepens House GOP's 2018 woes, by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "House Speaker Paul Ryan's retirement has rocked the House landscape, shaking the foundation on which Republicans hoped to mount the defense of their 23-seat majority this fall.

"For the past year, GOP strategists have cited three factors that would help them defend the House: a favorable political map, entrenched incumbents defending battleground seats, and Ryan's colossal fundraising hauls. But the Democratic-leaning political environment is threatening to overwhelm even congressional districts drawn by Republicans, and Ryan's late retirement raised the specter of another wave of retirements and weakened fundraising as he becomes lame-duck speaker. ...

"GOP leaders are working quickly to stave off more retirements, with filing deadlines still to come in 19 states - including New York, Michigan and Florida in the next month. Yet as Ryan spread the word of his decision Wednesday morning, Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.) announced that he would not run for reelection this year. Ross' retirement would not typically concern Republican strategists, but President Donald Trump won only 53 percent of the vote in his Tampa-area district in 2016, and Florida Democrats emboldened by a string of recent special election victories vowed to chase Ross' seat in hopes of a midterm wave. ... Meanwhile, another symbol of Republicans' uphill climb came in from the
West, as a media poll in Washington state showed one of Ryan's lieutenants, House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, locked in a close race - and well under 50 percent of the vote - in what is typically a solid GOP district. McMorris Rodgers has not received less than 60 percent of the vote since 2006." Full story.

- "'I'm starting to see the wave': Dems cheer Ryan's retirement," by POLITICO's Heather Caygle: "Democrats rejoiced on Wednesday after Speaker Paul Ryan announced his decision to retire, painting his departure as the surest sign yet that a Democratic wave is going to deliver them the House in November. ... POLITICO caught Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) coming out of a meeting early Wednesday and he hadn't yet heard the news. Nadler, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, will become chairman if Democrats win back the House - and the point man for any impeachment proceedings against [President Donald] Trump next year. 'I've been reading news stories for the last two days saying that
he wasn't [going to retire],' Nadler said, expressing surprise at the news. 'I think it's a sign that he thinks it's a good possibility we'll take back the House.'" Full story.

- "Why Ryan called it quits" by Politico's Jake Sherman: "Paul Davis Ryan - once the Republican Party golden boy, now the speaker of the House who is leaving elective politics after two decades at just 48 years old - said the thing that bothers him the most in today's political climate is 'identity politics.' ... 'Look, he won the election,' Ryan said of President Donald Trump - once the object of his constant criticism, later his legislative partner - when prompted by a reporter. 'He's the president of the United States. We're making really good progress on a lot of signature issues. We're making a positive difference in peoples' lives. If you can deny the oxygen of identity politics, the
best way to do that is to have a faster growing economy, more upward mobility, higher wages, getting people from poverty into the work force.'" Full story.

- "Reince Priebus And Paul Ryan Are Done. Is Scott Walker Next?" by Talking Points Memo's Cameron Joseph: "House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) is leaving. Former state chairman Reince Priebus is gone. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), the big cheese, stands alone - and may face an expiration date in November. ... Walker's the last man standing - and there are signs that the Democratic resurgence simmering across the country will give him the toughest fight of his career. Just weeks ago, a liberal candidate won a seat on the state Supreme Court by a double-digit electoral margin, prompting Walker to warn of a 'Blue wave' building in the state. The victory was the first time a non-incumbent liberal
justice had won a seat in more than two decades in the state." Full story.

Days until the 2018 election: 208

Upcoming election dates - AZ-08 special election: April 24 - Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina and West Virginia primaries: May 8. - Idaho, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Oregon primaries: May 15.

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.

GREITENS SCANDAL - "Ex-lover accuses Missouri governor of forced sexual encounter in report" by Campaign Pro's Daniel Strauss and Kevin Robillard: "A woman who had an affair with Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens accuses him of a forced sexual encounter in a graphic report issued Wednesday night by state lawmakers investigating Greitens' conduct. In sworn testimony, the woman accused Greitens of forcing her into a 'bear hug' and putting her on the floor when she attempted to leave his basement in 2015. She testified that Greitens then forced her into oral sex while she was crying 'uncontrollably.' The woman also told lawmakers that Greitens blindfolded her, tore her shirt open, pulled her pants
down, took a photo without her consent, spat in her face and called her a little whore.'" Full story.

- Attorney General Josh Hawley, the Republican candidate running for Sen. Claire McCaskill's Senate seat, released a statement Wednesday evening: "The House Investigative Committee's Report contains shocking, substantial, and corroborated evidence of wrongdoing by Governor Greitens. The conduct the Report details is certainly impeachable, in my judgment, and the House is well within its rights to proceed on that front. But the people of Missouri should not be put through that ordeal. Governor Greitens should resign immediately."

HARRIS TO MICHIGAN - "Harris to fundraise for Stabenow in Michigan Saturday" by Strauss: "Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) will be the special guest at a Michigan fundraiser for Sen. Debbie Stabenow on Saturday, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by POLITICO. Harris' swing through Michigan will also include the state Democratic Party Legacy Dinner in Detroit Saturday evening, where she will also be the special guest. ... It's the latest move Harris has made to help a Senate Democratic colleague up for reelection in 2018. Earlier in the week, she sent out a fundraising email to supporters for Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) after Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced his candidacy for
Senate." Full story.

ENDORSEMENT WATCH - "314 Action adds six House endorsements" by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "314 Action, a group working to elect candidates with science backgrounds to Congress, announced on Thursday its support for six additional Democratic candidates. 'Watching the Congressional hearings around Facebook's privacy breach made it clear that we need more sitting members of Congress who have first-hand, working knowledge of technology, data and science,' group founder Shaughnessy Naughton said in a statement released to POLITICO." Full story.

Club for Growth backs Budd, Perry: The Club for Growth announced its endorsements of North Carolina Rep. Ted Budd and Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry, per a statement from the group.

Q1 FUNDRAISING - MI-SEN: Stabenow raised $1.6 million in the first quarter and has $8.8 million on hand.

- AZ-02: Republican Lea Marquez-Peterson announced that she raised $280,000 in the first quarter.

- IL-06: GOP Rep. Peter Roskam announced that he raised $970,000 in the first quarter, ending with $2.2 million in cash on hand.

- NV-03: Democrat Susie Lee raised $550,000 in the first quarter, finishing with $1 million in cash on hand.

- PA-06: Democrat Chrissy Houlahan raised $740,000 in the first quarter, closing the period with $1.5 million in cash on hand.

- UT-04: Democrat Ben McAdams announced that he raised $500,000 in the first quarter with $830,000 in cash on hand.

- Tennessee governor: Republican businessman Randy Boyd raised $2.6 million, his campaign said. Boyd has $2.99 million cash on hand.

Correction: A previous edition of Score said that Sen. Chris Murphy didn't list his cash on hand number in announcing his Q1 filings. He has $7.7 million cash on hand.

ON THE AIR - Braun airs new spot comparing rivals to bickering children: Businessman and former state legislator Mike Braun is out with a humorous new 60-second ad portraying his GOP primary rivals, Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita, as pursuing political careers since they were children while Braun studied to become a businessman. Watch the ad here.

- Reddick releases contrast TV ad in PA-01: Democrat Rachel Reddick is out with a TV ad on cable stations in the district, comparing herself, "a Navy prosecutor," to fellow Democrat Scott Wallace, "a Maryland multimillionaire." The ad's narrator asks: "Who can we trust to stand up to Trump?" Watch the ad here.

- Ashford goes up with positive spot in NE-02: Former Democratic Rep. Brad Ashford, who's running for his old seat, launched a TV ad that features voters spotlighting projects that Ashford helped get funding for. Ashford, addressing the camera, says he "won't let Trump's Washington put Nebraskans' future at risk." The ad will air on broadcast and cable stations in the district ahead of the May primary. Watch the ad here.

WEB WARS - FIRST IN SCORE - Rokita emphasizes Trump ties in new digital ad: A new digital ad from Rokita continues his aggressive posture toward both of his GOP opponents, claiming neither fully supported the president. Watch the ad here.

- Not One Penny coalition drops digital ad buy in Arizona, Nevada: The Democratic group, through its partner organization Tax March, is out with a $100,000 digital ad buy in Arizona, Nevada and Washington, D.C., through Wednesday. The ad "showcases how the Republicans' tax plan has lined the pockets of big pharmaceutical corporations while doing nothing for families struggling to pay even higher drug costs," per a memo from the group. Watch the ad here.

- Finkenauer releases first digital ad in IA-01: Democrat Abby Finkenauer released her first digital ad today, a positive spot on her eastern Iowa toughness. "Tough is my dad on a 16-hour shift. Tough is my mom, holding down a job and holding it together back home," Finkenauer says. "They said the statehouse would be too tough for a young lady. Then they said that a 'girl' still paying off her student loans wasn't tough enough to beat a millionaire for Congress. Well I say, watch me." Watch the ad here.

STAFFING UP - For Our Future Action Fund hires John Coady as national development director. Coady previously served as director of candidate services at the DSCC during the 2016 election cycle. He also previously served as finance director for the campaigns for Sens. Claire McCaskill and Kay Hagan.

CORRECTION: The April 11 edition of Morning Score misstated the amount of cash Sen. Tim Kaine has on hand. He has almost $10 million.

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "And Paul was in his camo stuff and he had deer urine on him, and he said, 'Well, that'd be me. I have deer urine on,'" - Former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback recounting an early experience he had with House Speaker Paul Ryan, according to the Kansas City Star.

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