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By Theodoric Meyer | 03/16/2016 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)

THE REPUBLICANS - "Trump KOs Rubio but falls to Kasich in Ohio," by POLITICO's Shane Goldmacher: "Donald Trump knocked Marco Rubio out of the presidential race with a win in Florida but fell to John Kasich in Ohio, a split decision in the evening's biggest delegate prizes that will drag out the Republican nominating fight - possibly all the way to a contested convention. The Ohio loss denied the business mogul the knockout blow he had hoped would make him the presumptive nominee and gave renewed hope to Republicans bent on blocking him from winning the nomination outright. But Trump again was the night's big winner: He prevailed in North Carolina and Illinois, though neither state awards
delegates on a winner-take-all basis. And he was slightly ahead of Ted Cruz in Missouri with most precincts reporting." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e3322a6941314846ad563ff25bbda2c044ac6d9fd6ba67bdd

- THE WAY FORWARD - "Kasich won Ohio. What's next?" By POLITICO's Kyle Cheney: John Kasich won his first primary on Tuesday - but there aren't enough delegates left to award for him to win the nomination outright. Kasich entered the day with just 63 delegates out of the more than 1,000 already awarded. He'll claim another 66 from Ohio, and at best would claim a significant share of delegates in Illinois. But with only 1,000 delegates remaining on the calendar after Tuesday, Kasich won't be able to clear a majority - the 1,237 delegates necessary to win the nomination outright." That makes a contested convention his only hope. "Kasich has stubbornly refused to discuss his campaign's
convention strategy - though it's clear he needs one and that he has a team considering it. He's tapped Jai Chabria, a longtime Ohio hand, to oversee those efforts." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0ecdb587da48cc26537e31e990ab35f49c08aa06e38516ff03

- "Cruz starts his shift to the middle," by POLITICO's Katie Glueck in Houston: "Behind closed doors, [Ted] Cruz's aides are talking about how to draw more centrist supporters as Republican rivals drop out. They have given former Jeb Bush donors access to the entire campaign leadership team. And Cruz has made overtures to Senate colleagues who despise him, praising Mitch McConnell and Marco Rubio and talking by phone with Lindsey Graham." But John Kasich stands in his way. "'He's going to be very helpful to Donald. He does not help us,' Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe told reporters about Kasich. But, Roe continued, 'If he has one state win, his home state, he gets nothing else, he's third
or fourth in most states, then the math is overwhelming. I don't know how he stays in.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e9db4c12abf05581869038a625b96c0611230b8449093fe38

THE DEMOCRATS - "Clinton clobbers Sanders in Ohio, Florida," by POLITICO's Patrick Reis: "Hillary Clinton trounced Bernie Sanders in the key states of Florida and Ohio on Tuesday night, pulling away in the delegate race and delivering a full-throated call to arms against Donald Trump in her victory speech. The former secretary of state threatened to sweep the five contests of the night, scoring another victory in North Carolina and leading Sanders in early results from Illinois. In the fifth state, Missouri, the two were neck-and-neck. ... Sanders' hope now rests on a string of upcoming contests in friendlier territory. In Arizona's primary on March 22, Sanders will face another test of his
ability to make gains with non-white voters." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e252493c8a9221b3ba255f5c6f262643e5df2033ead783484

Days until the Arizona and Utah primaries and the Idaho Democratic caucuses: 6.

Days until the 2016 election: 237.

Thanks for joining us. You can email tips to the whole Campaign Pro team at sbland@politico.com, eschneider@politico.com, krobillard@politico.com, tmeyer@politico.com and kcheney@politico.com.

You can also follow us on Twitter, where we tweet a lot about campaigns and occasionally engage in terrible wordplay. @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin, @theodoricmeyer and @kyledcheney.

DOWN THE BALLOT - Club for Growth-backed candidate wins primary for Boehner's seat: Businessman Warren Davidson beat out more than a dozen other Republicans in the primary to fill former House Speaker John Boehner's vacant seat in Ohio. Davidson, who was endorsed by House Freedom Caucus member Jim Jordan and the conservative Club for Growth, handed the conservative Republicans who ousted Boehner another victory. Davidson led the crowded GOP primary field with 32 percent of the vote. State Sen. Bill Beagle was in second with 24 percent of the vote, and state Rep. Tim Derickson was in third with 20 percent.

- The special election to replace Boehner quickly became a proxy battle between different wings of the Republican Party. While Jordan, FreedomWorks, and the Club (which spent more than $1 million) endorsed Davidson (whose campaign ads were made by Jamestown Associates, whose list of conservative clients drew criticism from the party establishment several years ago), Defending Main Street, a super PAC with ties to establishment Republicans in Congress, ran an ad campaign against Davidson. And Right Way Initiative, a new nonprofit dedicated to electing "constructive conservatives," spent more than $680,000 backing Derickson and opposing Davidson. The district is safe Republican territory. The
special election to fill the seat is June 7, although the new congressman will have to face the voters again in November. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e6efc5c9cdc5f9aba963ce25e5d039a9298b5d6d8a2476e00

- Strickland easily dispatches Sittenfeld in Ohio Senate primary: Former Gov. Ted Strickland beat back underdog P.G. Sittenfeld in Ohio's Democratic Senate primary tonight, setting up a general election matchup with GOP Sen. Rob Portman. Strickland won 65 percent of the vote to Sittenfeld's 23 percent. Sittenfeld, a 31-year-old Cincinnati city councilman, attacked Strickland over moderate positions on gun rights and other issues in the primary, but he never had enough money to seriously dent Strickland, who had support from Bill and Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Strickland can now turn his attention to
Portman, who also brushed aside a primary challenger easily. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e6efc5c9cdc5f9aba963ce25e5d039a9298b5d6d8a2476e00

- Duckworth wins Illinois Democratic Senate primary: Rep. Tammy Duckworth won Illinois' Democratic Senate primary Tuesday night, defeating businesswoman and former prosecutor Andrea Zopp, who had the backing of some of Chicago's African-American establishment. Duckworth's victory sets up a November showdown with GOP Sen. Mark Kirk, who also easily won his primary. Duckworth won 64 percent of the vote, with Zopp trailing with 24 percent. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Sen. Dick Durbin, and other prominent Democrats lined up with Duckworth, who raised money well - and enters the general election with about as much cash banked as Kirk.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0eaa7ccac98667b10509690affcc8ff9b2e331cb8e9a62d492

- Shimkus, Rush and Joyce all brush back primary challenges: GOP Rep. John Shimkus fought off a spirited, expensive primary challenge Tuesday night, winning re-nomination along with several colleagues in Illinois and Ohio. Shimkus led state Sen. Kyle McCarter 60 percent to 40 percent in the downstate Illinois race. Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush also won his primary over Chicago Alderman Howard Brookins in his safely Democratic Chicago district, 71 percent to 19 percent. And GOP Rep. David Joyce easily beat back his repeat challenger Matt Lynch in Ohio, with 65 percent of the vote when he was declared the winner. No House incumbent has lost a primary yet in 2016.

- Ross, Burr win North Carolina Senate primaries: Former state Rep. Deborah Ross won North Carolina's Democratic Senate primary today, easily beating three opponents for the right to face GOP Sen. Richard Burr in November. She won with 62 percent of the vote. Spring Lake Mayor Chris Rey was far behind in second place. Burr, meanwhile, easily saw off a challenge from Greg Brannon, a physician who also ran for Senate in 2014 and decided at the last minute to challenge Burr this year. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e2fe2daf24b86bf54281f63afefcdefd4b3b79b610f655b08

- Schneider beats Rotering in IL-10 Democratic primary: Former Rep. Brad Schneider defeated Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, setting him up for another rematch with GOP Rep. Bob Dold in Illinois' 10th district. Schneider took 54 percent of the vote to Rotering's 46 percent. Schneider outraised and outspent Rotering, but he angered some Democrats by opposing the Iranian nuclear deal, leading Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin to endorse Rotering, who backed the deal. The district, in Chicago's northern suburbs, is a top target for national Democrats this year. Schneider won the seat from Dold in 2012 but lost a rematch two years later.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0ef9378c326d498e1091a1e05e6064d9c3701bbd6ebb6f2816

- Krishnamoorthi wins primary in race to fill Duckworth's seat: Raja Krisnamoorthi cruised to victory in the Democratic primary in Illinois' 8th District on Tuesday, setting him up to succeed Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, who's running for Senate. Krishnamoorthi, a businessman who raised nearly $1.7 million ahead of the primary, took 57 percent. State Sen. Michael Noland trailed with 29 percent, and Deborah Bullwinkel, the Villa Park village president, took 14 percent. On the Republican side, Pete DiCianni won the uncontested race. But the district, in Chicago's northwestern suburbs, is solidly Democratic. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0ef9378c326d498e1091a1e05e6064d9c3701bbd6ebb6f2816

- Obama helps take down Democratic state legislator in Ilinois: A primary challenger backed by President Barack Obama defeated an incumbent Democratic legislator in Chicago Tuesday, in a rare example of a president endorsing against a sitting officeholder in his own party. Juliana Stratton, the state House candidate whom Obama endorsed last week, defeated state Rep. Ken Dunkin in a Democratic primary landslide. Stratton defeated Dunkin with 68 percent of the vote to Dunkin's 32 percent. Stratton's victory gives state legislative Democrats a more reliable ally than they had in Dunkin, who infuriated them by splitting with the party last year on two major bills concerning social services
funding. Obama also cut TV and radio ads for Stratton ahead of the primary. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e79945bbe16c2357e5ef84d83585817c6216740296d168c78

FIRST IN SCORE - Young campaign places big ad buy: GOP Rep. Todd Young's Indiana Senate campaign has bought more than $500,000 of airtime in the Indianapolis market this week covering the month and a half before the May 3 primary. The buy expands the campaign's total ad spending to $730,000, including a $140,000 cable buy.

- AIR WAR - Sestak's first TV ad focuses on military record: Former Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak is out with the first TV ad of his second Senate run in Pennsylvania, a positive spot focused on Sestak's military service and support for Obamacare. The ad opens with a collection of veterans discussing how Sestak has their "six," a military term for having a person's back. A narrator mentions Sestak's service as a three-star admiral and experiences leading the Navy's anti-terrorism unit. Sestak is facing Katie McGinty and John Fetterman in the April Democratic primary. The winner will face GOP Sen. Pat Toomey in November. Watch the ad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e9d1a18b22a3d8b56c847def6db52124e685f4947b311d0a7

A LEGAL MATTER - Pennsylvania GOP files FEC complaint against Rendell: The Pennsylvania GOP is filing an FEC complaint against former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who is serving as Democratic Senate candidate Katie McGinty's campaign chairman, alleging he illegally coordinated with outside groups because he told Campaign Pro about EMILY's List and the League of Conservation Voters' spending plans. "Katie McGinty's campaign chairman blatantly discussed coordinating with outside groups in violation of election laws," Pennsylvania GOP spokeswoman Megan Sweeney said. Read the complaint: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e8c4246b92e099a0aff8986d2efcefba073393cf0cd64bcff

THE RACE AHEAD - Dueling memos in Ohio Senate contest: With the primaries out of the way, GOP Sen. Rob Portman and former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland are ready for hand-to-hand combat in Ohio's Senate race. Each side celebrated the first day of the election with memos outlining exactly why they're going to win in November.

- Here's a taste of Portman's: "[M]any Ohio pundits and Democratic strategists have pointed out, former Governor and Congressman Ted Strickland's dismal record as a career politician and his low energy campaign for Senate make him arguably the worst Senate candidate in America. By contrast, Portman has a strong record of delivering results for Ohio families and has run an aggressive, modern campaign, including building an unprecedented grassroots organization that has personally engaged more than 1,350,000 targeted voters since last May." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e5cf27bae3d59f7d22e5d4e5fa29260695640ece17805a48e Portman also debuted a new web video focusing on Strickland's "mixed and spotty" record:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e46d3f6f893115d09f47adbf6b91af16b43c311dc95f68fa7

- And here's Strickland's: "Strickland's deeply rooted brand as a champion for working people perfectly fits the populist mood of the electorate, while Senator Portman's central identity as an 'ultimate insider' and a 'dedicated outsourcer' represents exactly what Ohioans hate about Washington. ... Here's the number that is scaring Republicans: $13 million. Republicans have already spent up to that amount in deceptive advertising trying to boost Portman's chances - more than double the $5 million that Portman spent on his entire campaign in 2010." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e614548ebaeb28c7315c6c371b4e2af651de8796ad2262388

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I'm getting ready to rent a covered wagon. We're going to have the wind blow us over the Rocky Mountains to California." - John Kasich, outlining his strategy for the rest of his campaign after he won Ohio on Tuesday. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a89b22566dd0f0e3492adec8bcedefaa0f39006539e0a32fafa258e40e2a76a

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