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By Daniel Strauss | 02/13/2018 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)

THE BIG SCREEN - "Candidates chase their '15 minutes' - and buckets of cash," by POLITICO's Gabriel Debenedetti: "Andrew Janz's turn in the spotlight came one Friday early this month, and he didn't have to do much to earn it. The Fresno prosecutor challenging Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) raised over $100,000 over a two-day period last week simply by standing against the man behind 'the memo.' By Saturday, Janz's Twitter page was on the screen of grass-roots Democrats across the country. By Monday, he was touting endorsements from liberal groups like End Citizens United. ... In August, it was Amy McGrath's turn to break through. She released a spot describing how she knew she wanted to be a
fighter pilot since age 12, and how at 13 her congressman told her women couldn't serve in combat, while her senator - Mitch McConnell - never responded to her. Standing in front of a jet, McGrath explained that she then wrote to every member of both the House and Senate's Armed Services committees about the policy, before enrolling in the Naval Academy and successfully spending 20 years as a pilot." Full story.

GUBERNATORIAL GROUNDWORK - "Pence PAC shaping Republican governor races, with an eye on 2020," by POLITICO's Daniel Strauss and Matt Nussbaum: "The political arm for Vice President Mike Pence has been quietly boosting select Republicans in key gubernatorial races in the 2018 election cycle. ... In the short term, it's an effort to increase the possibility that Republican candidates or governors running for reelection have an easier time winning their primaries and then the general elections in their states. Longer term, it's a move to strengthen the ranks of loyalists to President Donald Trump and Pence and prepare for 2020. ... Pence has so far not supported any candidates who regularly
speak out against Trump, no matter how endangered they are. The aim is to actively support those who actively support the president. Any donations to an insufficiently loyal Republican could reveal some uncomfortable daylight between Trump and Pence." Full story.

ON SECOND THOUGHT - "Corker weighs his options as GOP frets about losing Tennessee," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett: "Retiring Sen. Bob Corker is 'listening' to Republicans urging him to run for reelection, according to a person close to him, a development that would quell anxiety among Republicans over losing a must-win seat to Democrats this fall. The two-term Tennessee GOP senator decided to call it quits in September amid an on-again, off-again dispute with President Donald Trump that eroded his standing with the party's base. But now a faction of Republicans in Tennessee and Washington are worried that the favorite for the Republican Senate nomination, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.),
could lose a general election - and with it the Republican Senate majority. ... An internal poll taken in late January shows former Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) narrowly edging out Blackburn in a hypothetical match-up. With Republicans controlling just 51 seats, a loss in Tennessee and other competitive races could put the Senate in play - despite an electoral map tilted heavily in the GOP's favor." Full story.

PAWLENTY PRE-EMPTION - Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty gathered with Republicans on Monday as he weighs whether to run for governor this cycle. Per Brian McClung, a longtime adviser to the former governor: "The turnout and excitement at the meeting this morning was encouraging. We take it [as] a very positive sign. Tim is continuing to talk with Minnesotans as he considers a run for governor."

- Meanwhile, the Democratic opposition research firm American Bridge is turning its attention to Pawlenty. Per a press release coming out later this morning: "American Bridge today released a Valentine's Day greeting from Tim Pawlenty to his friends and employers on Wall Street, just in time for Valentine's Day. When it comes to true devotion, T-Paw will always be there for his friends on Wall Street - he's been their top lobbyist for years, fighting against consumers every day."

"When it comes to mutual adoration, nothing will separate the love of Tim Pawlenty and big Wall Street banks," American Bridge spokesperson Lizzy Price said. "As Pawlenty considers another run for office, Minnesotans won't forget how he fought for bailouts and protections for Wall Street, while turning his back on homeowners and working Minnesota families."

Days until the 2018 election: 266

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.

FUNDRAISING CIRCUIT - "Rising star Moulton boasts big fundraising numbers," by CNN's Eric Bradner: "Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton raised $1 million at a single New York City fundraiser last week - a $50,000-per-candidate boost for the 19 Democrats he has endorsed in House races. The total from Thursday's New York fundraiser, detailed by a Moulton aide, comes after he raised $600,000 for the candidates he's backing at a forum last year in Boston. Moulton's first big-dollar event outside his home turf of Massachusetts is another indicator of Moulton's emergence as one of the most prolific fundraisers and bundlers among House Democrats outside of leadership ranks. In New York, about 140
donors gave between $250 and $107,000 - including 50 with donations of more than $1,000 - to a joint fundraising group that includes Moulton's political action committee and the 19 Moulton-backed candidates. ... At $1.6 million, a Moulton aide noted that he now tops all House Democrats in raising money that goes directly to candidates. That, though, is a narrow figure that does not include money raised for the DCCC - which is then spent backing Democratic candidates with TV ads, field organizing programs and more." Full story.

PAC WATCH - "Leader of Put Vets First! PAC prioritizes telemarketers and himself," by The Center for Public Integrity's Sarah Kleiner: "The leader of a veterans-focused political action committee rapidly increased payments to himself late last year, following a Center for Public Integrity investigation into his political and charitable operations. Brian Arthur Hampton, a retired Army major and treasurer of the Put Vets First! PAC, paid himself $20,350 in December 2017 alone - more than three times his compensation in December 2016, according to new disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission. Few leaders of federal PACs earn that much money. In all, Hampton paid himself $110,000
from his PAC during 2017." Full story.

UP ON THE AIRWAVES - Club for Growth pops TV ad for Chip Roy in TX-21: The Club for Growth released a TV ad boosting Republican Chip Roy ahead of his March primary to replace retiring Rep. Lamar Smith. The ad features Texas Sen. Ted Cruz calling Roy a "real conservative" who will "fight to fully repeal Obamacare." The ad started airing on Monday in cable stations in the district. Watch the ad here.

- Sol Flores releases TV ad on her assault in IL-04: Democrat Sol Flores, who's jockeying to replace retiring Rep. Luis Gutierrez, released an ad that tells the story of how she stood up against a sexual predator at 11 years old. Watch the ad here.

RUH-ROH - "GOP Senate candidate's parents max out donations to primary campaign of Democrat he hopes to unseat," by CNN's Chris Massie: "Just months after Republican Kevin Nicholson announced his bid to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in 2018, his own parents donated the legal maximum to her primary campaign. Nicholson announced last July that he would seek the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin. A Federal Election Commission filing by Baldwin's campaign dated Feb. 5 and available online shows that each of Nicholson's parents, Donna and Michael, donated $2,700 to Baldwin in December 2017. FEC rules stipulate that those donations are the maximum Nicholson's
parents can donate to Baldwin during the primary election. They can donate up to that amount again during the general election." Full story.

STAFFING UP - Democratic strategist Martha McKenna to run DSCC's IE: Per a press release: "The DSCC announced today that Martha McKenna will run the committee's independent expenditure for the 2018 midterm elections. Martha is a campaign veteran who worked as the DSCC political director for the 2008 and 2010 cycles and then as the IE director for the 2012 and 2014 cycles. Her vast experience and work as a top-notch ad-maker for her firm McKenna Media will be key to the IE's work supporting Democratic Senate candidates across the country." Even as Republicans struggle with bitter primaries, lackluster fundraising and a health care agenda that is deeply unpopular with American voters, we know
each of these races will be a fight to the finish and that is why we are thrilled to have Martha's strategic insight and talent," said DSCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen. "Martha's leadership will be essential to our work to elect Senate Democrats."

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I have a tendency to support what the president's trying to do, and that's probably the position that's closest to where I am." - Sen. Dean Heller on President Donald Trump's immigration framework.

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