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By Daniel Strauss | 08/04/2017 10:00 AM EDT


With Zach Montellaro, Elena Schneider, Scott Bland and Maggie Severns

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)

MOUNTAINERS ARE ALWAYS FREE - "West Virginia Democratic governor switches to GOP," by POLITICO's Matthew Nussbaum, Gabriel Debenedetti, and Daniel Strauss: "West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is expected to announce a party switch in a surprise appearance with President Donald Trump in Huntington, W.Va., on Thursday, according to two sources ... Justice, who seldom worked with other Democrats, recently spent a well-publicized day hunting with Donald Trump Jr. - a familiar political optic in a largely rural state with a strong hunting tradition. But his move still blindsided his old party, which is now left with control of just only 15 governors mansions. Rumors that Justice was going to make
the switch circulated throughout the day but West Virginia Democrats and multiple national Democrats who have worked for Justice in the past said he gave them no advance notice on the party switch."We are sitting here in our office, everyone of us that is capable standing on two feet, looking at each other saying, 'oh my goodness, did anybody see this coming?" said Steve Roberts, president of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce." Full story.

- MANCHIN STATEMENT: "I have been and always will be a proud West Virginia Democrat. I am disappointed by Governor Justice's decision to switch parties. While I do not agree with his decision, I have always said that I will work with anyone, no matter their political affiliation, to do what is best for the people of West Virginia."

MORE WEST VIRGINIA - "Senate Leadership Fund launches digital campaign vs. Manchin," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: "Senate Leadership Fund, the deep-pocketed GOP super PAC, is launching a digital campaign attacking Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to West Virginia tonight. The campaign will direct voters to a website labeling Manchin "The Joe You Don't Know," which notes Manchin voted against repealing Obamacare and has voted against 60 percent of Trump's judicial nominees. It's the first of what will be a slew of attacks aimed at pitting the former governor and second-term senator against Trump, who is ultra-popular in the state." Full story.

NEW THIS MORNING - EMILY's List endorses Andrea Ramsey: EMILY's List is backing Andrea Ramsey in KS-03, one of several Democrats jockeying to take on GOP Rep. Kevin Yoder, per a statement from the group. Hillary Clinton won the district in 2016, putting it atop the list of Democratic targets.

I LIKE MIKE - Pence to keynote Koch summit: Vice President Mike Pence will address Americans for Prosperity's annual summit, which is set for Aug.19 in Richmond, Va. The summit offers AFP volunteers a chance to network, attend trainings and hear from a battery of speakers. This year's summit will have a focus on tax reform, the Koch network's main focus heading into fall.

CASH FLOW - Super PACs prep for Aug. 15 special primaries: Senate Leadership Fund raised over $1.5 million in 26 days in July, mostly via a $1 million check from Steven A. Cohen and $250,000 from Phil Ruffin, as it spends heavily to back Sen. Luther Strange in the fast-approaching Alabama Senate special GOP primary. In Utah, where three Republicans are competing in a primary for former Rep. Jason Chaffetz's old 3rd District, Tanner Ainge's mother Michelle gave $250,000 to the super PAC backing him, Conservative Utah. And the Club for Growth transferred $130,000 to National Horizon, which has been backing Republican Chris Herrod.

- AIR WAR - The Club for Growth reserved TV airtime in UT-03, a race the conservative group hasn't formally endorsed in yet. A TV tracking source said the ad buy, worth $90,000, will start Monday. "It's not surprising to learn John Curtis is nervous about voters discovering his long record of supporting tax hikes, but we have no formal announcement today," Rachael Slobodien, a spokeswoman for the Club said in a statement.

Days until the 2017 election: 95.

Days until the 2018 election: 459.

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.

DAILY WAR EAGLE - "One of Mo Brooks' endorsers is also his chief of staff" by AL.com's Howard Koplowitz: "Among the endorsements U.S. Senate candidate Mo Brooks received on Wednesday was the backing of Mark Pettitt, who identified himself at the event at Hoover Tactical Firearms as an Alabama Strike Force member "who has been a beneficiary of Mo's help." But Pettitt is also Brooks' chief of staff -- and defended omitting his title at the event in an interview with AL.com on Thursday. "We don't like to mix official office with campaigns," Prewitt said. "What I do on my day job is supposed to be independent of what I do on my campaign time." Full story.

- MORE ALABAMA - The National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund is spending $43,117 in radio ads in support of Sen. Luther Strange according to independent expenditure filings on Aug. 2.

- EVEN MORE ALABAMA - "Senate Conservatives Fund endorses Brooks," by Campaign Pro's Daniel Strauss: "The anti-incumbent conservative outside group Senate Conservatives Fund has endorsed Rep. Mo Brooks, less than two weeks before Alabama's special Senate primaries. Brooks is one of almost a dozen challengers to incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, who was appointed earlier this year to fill Attorney General Jeff Sessions' old seat ... "We're also proud to help defend Mo Brooks against the false attacks being made by Senator Mitch McConnell and his political machine," SCF President Ken Cuccinelli said in an email to supporters announcing the endorsement." Full story.

CROWDED HOUSE PRIMARY, GOP EDITION - NV-03: Tons of Democratic candidates are piling into House primaries around the country, but Nevada Republicans clearly see an opportunity in Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen's seat, which she's leaving open to run for Senate. Via the Nevada Independent's Riley Snyder: "[F]ormer Assemblywoman Victoria Seaman. Seaman, who lost a key state Senate bid by a little more than 1,000 votes in 2016, said on Wednesday that she's jumping in the race ... Seaman repeatedly expressed her desire to help carry out President Donald Trump's agenda on everything from immigration policy to repealing the Affordable Care Act, noting that the state's 3rd Congressional District
narrowly swung to Trump." Full story.

STAFFING UP - Republican Ohio Senate candidate Mike Gibbons added Matt Wills as a political adviser and Chris Schrimpf as senior communications adviser. Wills previously worked for Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor and was executive director of the Missouri Republican Party, while Schrimpf was a top staffer on Gov. John Kasich's 2016 presidential campaign and worked for Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens last year as well.

RECESS ADS - American Bridge attacks 15 House Republicans in digital ads: "American Bridge is launching digital ads that will air throughout the August recess attacking 15 House Republicans on their health care votes. The ads, which will target swing voters through Labor Day, will go after incumbents, including: Reps. Jack Bergman, Tim Walberg, Fred Upton, Mike Bishop and Dave Trott in Michigan; Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Brian Mast in Florida; Reps. Mike Gallagher and Paul Ryan in Wisconsin; Rep. Barbara Comstock in Virginia; Rep. Martha McSally in Arizona; Rep. Darrell Issa in California; Rep. Bruce Poliquin in Maine; Rep. Will Hurd in Texas; and Rep. Rod Blum in Iowa." Watch the ad
here. Full story.

ALL ABOUT 218 - "Democrats begin to see Pelosi as a 2018 problem," by McClatchy's Alex Roarty: "Nancy Pelosi might actually be in trouble. In a survey of 20 Democratic House candidates, only one - a former Senate staffer from Orange County, California - would state support for the congresswoman staying on as leader of the House Democratic Caucus. Of the rest, 18 declined to say if Pelosi should keep her job, while one, a political newcomer from a culturally conservative Ohio district, said he would vote for someone other than Pelosi." Full story.

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I can't help you anymore being a Democrat governor ... So tomorrow, I will be changing my registration to Republican." - West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, who said in May that the health care bill Trump backed would "cripple" his state, explaining his party switch alongside Trump before a crowd in Huntington.

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