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By Daniel Strauss | 02/08/2018 10:00 AM EDT


With Zach Montellaro, Maggie Severns 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)

MORE PROBLEMS - "Republicans concerned over Senate fundraising struggles" by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard and Maggie Severns: "Republicans started the election cycle with designs on expanding their Senate majority, but the GOP's candidates are far behind Democrats in fundraising going into 2018. The numbers are stark: No Republican running for a Democratic-held seat raised more than $1 million from contributors in the fourth quarter of last year, but two Democrats running for seats held by Republicans did. By contrast, of the 10 vulnerable Democrats up for reelection this year in states President Donald Trump carried in 2016, all but West Virginia's Joe Manchin raised more than $1
million. ...

"And despite being out of the majority, the DSCC raised $54 million in 2017, to the NRSC's $41.5 million, with the latter group going five months in a row spending more than they raised before December's $3.4 million haul broke the streak. The failure of health care reform in Congress crippled donations during the later half of the year and the committee is entering 2018 with a massive $9.5 million in debt, more than any House or Senate campaign committee this century. (The DSCC is free of campaign debt but has a mortgage on their headquarters: a $5 million rowhouse near the Capitol.)" Full story.

BLUE DOG ENDORSEMENTS - The Blue Dog Coalition is announcing its second round of endorsements. Per a press release obtained by Score, the newly endorsed candidates are Conor Lamb in PA-18, Denny Wolff in PA-11, Jim Gray in KY-06 and Jeff Van Drew in NJ-02. " 'These candidates represent the best America has to offer. Rather than being blindly ideological or beholden to any one party's leadership, they are independent-minded individuals who are committed to serving a geographically diverse constituency,' said Congressman Kurt Schrader, Blue Dog PAC Co-Chair. ... The Blue Dogs will continue to lead efforts to recruit candidates across the country who are dedicated to pursuing
fiscally-responsible policies, ensuring a strong national defense for our country, and transcending party lines to get things done for the American people."

FIRST IN SCORE - Group electing Indian-American candidates makes first endorsements: The Indian American Impact Fund, which was formed last year to elect Indian-American candidates to office, is endorsing its first group of candidates: Aruna Miller, a Maryland state delegate running for Congress in Maryland's 6th District; Aftab Pureval, a county clerk running for Congress in Ohio's 1st district; and Ram Villivalam, a state senate candidate in Illinois. The fund, a 527 group, plans to raise between half a million and $1 million this year.

"These candidates are well-positioned to be part of a new wave of national and state leaders who will help fight back against xenophobic rhetoric and regressive policies and fight for economic opportunity and a stronger, fairer economy," Deepak Raj, who chairs the Impact Fund, said in a statement.

DOUBLE DOWN - "LCV plans to double investment in state races to $20M" by Campaign Pro's Robillard: "The League of Conservation Voters plans to spend $20 million on state campaigns over the 2017-2018 election cycle, more than double than what it's ever spent, and plans to focus on three gubernatorial pickup opportunities for Democrats: Maine, Nevada and New Mexico. The group argues state-level investment is crucial as a way to counter the Trump administration's lock on federal policy-making, and voters expect Democrats and Republicans to work against Trump and the Scott Pruitt-led EPA. The group spent $9.5 million on state races during the 2015-2016 cycle, and also bundled $3 million worth
of small-dollar donations. ...

"'LCV and our affiliates will also focus resources in states like Colorado, where once again winning just one seat in the state Senate would flip the chamber to a pro-environment majority,' [LCV's Pete] Maysmith writes. 'And we're keeping an eye on state legislative races in places like Florida, Michigan, and North Carolina, where 2021 redistricting hangs in the balance - as well as the Nevada legislature, where baseless recalls already threaten their pro-climate majority.'" Full story.

HANGING ON TO WYNN'S MONEY - Wall Street Journal reporter Rebecca Ballhaus tweeted that the RNC is hanging on to the money Steve Wynn, the former party finance chair who was booted from his company yesterday in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations, donated - for now. The tweet: "RNC spokesman says Wynn stepping down as CEO doesn't change party's decision not to return his donations unless a board investigation finds him guilty of wrongdoing. Wynn gave $375K to RNC late last year."

Days until the 2018 election: 271

Upcoming election dates - Arizona 8th District special primary: Feb. 27. Texas primaries: March 6. Pennsylvania 18th District special election: March 13. Illinois primaries: March 20.

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.

DEPARTURE LOUNGE - FEC Commissioner Lee Goodman leaves agency: Lee Goodman, a Republican commissioner on the Federal Election Commission since 2013, stepped down from his post on Wednesday. Goodman will join the law firm Wiley Rein as a partner on February 20. He had served as an FEC commissioner since 2013 and was FEC chairman in 2014.

"It has been my honor and privilege to serve the American people and to protect their First Amendment freedoms of political speech and association," Goodman said in a statement. "The FEC has a unique mandate to balance First Amendment rights with the regulation of political activities and I have discharged that duty faithfully." There are four FEC commissioners remaining: Republicans Caroline Hunter and Matthew Petersen, Democrat Ellen Weintraub, and Independent Steven Walther.

WAR FIGHTERS - "After Iraq and Afghanistan, pioneering women in the military set sights on Congress," by The Washington Post's Mary Jordan: "Only four of the 535 members of Congress are female veterans, two Republicans and two Democrats. But at least 32 more women who served in the military are now campaigning for the House and Senate - 25 Democrats and 7 Republicans, according to Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University." Full story.

RE$I$TANCE - "Cash for Coalition Against Trump Going Into Consultants' Pockets Instead," by The Daily Beast's Lachlan Markay and Sam Stein: "The Democratic Coalition, one of the many new progressive-minded organizations to bloom in the age of anti-Trump fervor, brought in nearly half a million dollars last year. ... It's what the group has done with its money - not how much it has brought in - that has raised eyebrows among other operatives. The Democratic Coalition paid more than half of the money it raised last year to its employees or their consulting firms, according to Federal Election Commission records." Full story.

SHOW ME STATE - "Is Scandal-Plagued Gov To Blame For Dems' Surprise Win In Missouri?" by Talking Points Memo's Allegra Kirkland: "For weeks, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R) has been mired in a scandal stemming from an extramarital affair. And now Greitens is getting blamed for a shock Republican loss in a state legislative special election. Democrat Mike Revis beat Republican David Linton by four points Tuesday in a state assembly district that has trended steadily rightward in recent years. Donald Trump won it by 28 points in 2016. ... Other Republican operatives weren't so sure that the governor had anything to do with the GOP loss - or that the result necessarily has implications for
November. They noted that Republicans won the three other open statehouse seats on Tuesday, securing easy victories in two heavily red districts and a close win in the third." Full story.

LEFT OUT - "Pence PAC spreads cash to vulnerable Republicans - but not Curbelo" by POLITICO Florida's Marc Caputo: "When Vice President Mike Pence's leadership PAC contributed to 30 threatened House Republicans across the country Wednesday, it notably left out the incumbent who arguably needs it most: Rep. Carlos Curbelo. And the omission isn't necessarily bad news for Curbelo, who occupies the most anti-Trump seat of any Republican running for reelection in Congress." Full story.

HUNTER INVESTIGATION - "From Fallujah to FBI investigation: The undoing of Duncan Hunter" by POLITICO's Rachael Bade and John Bresnahan: "The criminal investigation into Rep. Duncan Hunter is intensifying as a grand jury in San Diego questions multiple former aides about whether the California Republican improperly diverted political funds for personal use. Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed Hunter's parents, as well as a female lobbyist with whom many people close to the congressman believe he had a romantic relationship, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation. ... Three people with knowledge of the probe told POLITICO that Hunter's wife, Margaret, who acted as
his campaign manager, is at the center of the FBI inquiry. Many of the alleged campaign charges in question - including tuition payments for their children's schooling and dozens of restaurant meals where no donor appeared to be present - were made by Margaret Hunter, those people said." Full story.


COZYING UP - "Coal Lobbyist Hosted Fundraisers for Senators Evaluating His Nomination for Top EPA Post," by The Intercept's Lee Fang and Nick Surgey: "While waiting for a nomination to the Environmental Protection Agency, Andrew Wheeler, a coal lobbyist, cozied up with the senators who would decide upon his appointment in the most direct way possible: giving them money. ... Fundraising documents obtained by The Intercept and the watchdog group Documented show that Wheeler hosted campaign fundraisers for two members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works - Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Jim Inhofe, R-Okla. - last May. The event for Inhofe was held at Rosa Mexicano, a
Mexican restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C., and the event for Barrasso took place at Wheeler's office on K Street in the capital. Federal Election Committee records show both senators received donations of Wheeler's law firm PAC last year. Barrasso received $2,500 and Inhofe's leadership PAC received $1,000." Full story.

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "He looked me in the eye, and I looked him in the eye. And I said, 'I want to work with you.' And that's a two-way street" - Sen. Joe Manchin recounting to POLITICO an interaction with Vice President Mike Pence.

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