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By Elena Schneider | 01/08/2018 10:00 AM EDT


With Kevin Robillard and Daniel Strauss

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)

PRIMARY PROBLEM(LESS) - "McConnell dances on Bannon's grave," by POLITICO's Kevin Robillard and Eliana Johnson: "Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his allies rang in the new year with a week-long celebration of Steve Bannon's self-immolation. But the festivities may prove to be short-lived. The Republican leader still has a slate of brutal GOP primaries looming in the first half of this year that could jeopardize his party's hold on the Senate - even with Bannon out of the picture, assuming that his breakup with President Donald Trump and the wealthy Mercer family lasts. Still, McConnell's team believes - probably with good reason - that their job in 2018 is now significantly
easier without Bannon to marshal insurgent forces against incumbent Republican senators and cost the party crucial Senate seats." Full story.

OHIO SHOCKER - "Mandel drops out of Ohio Senate race vs. Sherrod Brown," by Campaign Pro's Robillard and Daniel Strauss: "Republican Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel is dropping out of the state's U.S. Senate race because of a family health issue, leaving Republicans without a top-tier contender against Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in a state President Donald Trump won easily in 2016. ... The only Republican competition for Brown, who is running for a third term in the Senate, is Mike Gibbons, a self-funding businessman who has never previously run for office. ... Ohio's filing deadline is Feb. 7, and the primary is set for May 8. GOP operatives suggested Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor and Rep. Jim
Renacci, both of whom are running in a crowded GOP field for governor, could move to the Senate contest. Wes Anderson, a senior adviser to Renacci, said the congressman had received calls from major donors and senators encouraging him to exit the gubernatorial contest and jump into the Senate contest. ... Ohio Gov. Kasich, according to an aide, is not interested in running for the Senate." Full story.

- Gibbons and Renacci are already jockeying for position: Of the potential candidates mentioned, Renacci seems the most likely to actually enter the Senate race. Attorney General Mike DeWine's decision to form a ticket with Secretary of State Jon Husted has made him a clear frontrunner in the governor's race, and the Senate contest provides a clear exit route and opportunity for Renacci. A Renacci entry seems likely enough that Gibbons' campaign blasted out a release noting sixteen of Renacci's gubernatorial co-chairs have pledged to support Gibbons in the Senate race. Gibbons also pledged an additional $5 million out of his own bank account "if necessary to defeat Sherrod Brown." And his
campaign said "Republican primary voters preferred a businessman and outsider who has never held elected office before over a current Member of Congress 61%-12%."

FIRST IN SCORE - Q4 TOTALS - NY-11: Democrat Max Rose, a veteran and health care executive, raised more than $330,000 last quarter.

FIRST IN SCORE - OH-01: Democrat Robert Barr, a rabbi who's running to challenge GOP Rep. Steve Chabot, brought in $230,000 last quarter, finishing the year with $200,000 in cash on hand.

- MI-11: Democrat Suneel Gupta, a technology executive who's running to replace retiring GOP Rep. Dave Trott, raised $500,000 last quarter.

- CA-49: Democrat Paul Kerr, who's running in a contested primary to challenge GOP Rep. Darrell Issa, raised $500,000 last quarter.

- TX-32: Democrat Colin Allred, a civil rights attorney who's vying to take on GOP Rep. Pete Sessions, brought in $160,000 last quarter.

- South Dakota: South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley raised over $1 million in 2017.

OUT OF THE NRA PLAYBOOK - "ACLU to storm 2018 midterms," by POLITICO's Edward-Isaac Dovere: "The American Civil Liberties Union, rarely an active player in national campaigns, is jumping into the 2018 midterms with plans to spend upward of $25 million promoting ballot initiatives and issues in contested races across the country. Soaring after a banner year - the ACLU raised $93 million online in the 12 months after Donald Trump was elected president, up from $5.5 million the year before, and its membership quadrupled to 1.6 million - the civil rights group is in the midst of a dramatic makeover. The group aims to rival the National Rifle Association as a force on the left and become a hub
of the anti-Trump movement. ... Most of the ACLU's spending in 2018 will be directed at Republicans, though operatives haven't ruled out indirectly going after Democrats on the wrong side of their issues, too." Full story.

FIRST IN SCORE - WEB WARS - AAN launches digital ad on tax bill: American Action Network is out with a weeklong $250,000 digital ad effort to boost the Republican tax bill. Check out the ad here.

Days until the 2018 election: 301.

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.

EARLY POLLING DATA - GOP IVR poll gives Hawley lead in Missouri: Republican IVR pollster Remington Research is out with a new poll of the Missouri Senate race, giving Republican Josh Hawley a 49 percent to 45 percent lead over Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. Trump's approval rating in the state stands at an even 50 percent, with 44 percent disapproval. The poll of 1,122 likely voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. Full results here.

FAMILIAR FACES - Republican Doug Ose jumps into California governor's race, via Strauss: "Former Rep. Doug Ose has opened an exploratory committee to run for California governor, potentially boosting the chances for Republicans to get a GOP candidate through the June all-party primary. Ose told the Sacramento Bee he would make an official announcement in the next 10 days." Full story.

ICYMI - CLF adds offices in Pennsylvania special election district: The Congressional Leadership Fund is opening two offices in Pennsylvania's 18th district to boost GOP state Rep. Rick Saccone. The "operation will consist of at least 50 full-time door knockers, making 250,00 [sic] voter contacts in door-to-door efforts by Election Day," per a memo from CLF.

A COLORADO MICROCOSM - "The State Where Everyone Wants to be Governor," by The New York Times' Frank Bruni: "... The Colorado governor's race, meanwhile, is the country's most interesting, bringing together an eclectic cast whose fates will speak volumes about what kind of candidate - young or old, male or female, entrepreneur or technocrat, affluent or not - voters want in the aftermath of Trump's election. It will say just as much about how pragmatic the two parties are prepared to be." Full story.

GETTING PERSONAL - "McMaster strategist calls 2018 S.C. governor foe Templeton 'wholly unfit' because of lies," by The Post and Courier's Andy Shain: "Republican Gov. Henry McMaster's top campaign strategist accused a top GOP foe in the 2018 governor's race of being a liar who is "wholly unfit for the job" in a series of tweets Friday. ... The tweetstorm comes as Templeton has nearly matched McMaster, a political veteran, in fundraising during her first election run." Full story.

THAT'S A 'MAYBE' - "Pharma exec with ties to Christie considers running against Menendez," by POLITICO New Jersey's Matt Friedman: "A pharmaceutical executive with deep ties to Gov. Chris Christie is considering a Republican run for Senate against Democrat Bob Menendez. ... POLITICO confirmed that [Bob] Hugin, a supporter of President Donald Trump, is considering a challenge to Menendez, whose corruption trial ended in a mistrial in November. Menendez, New Jersey's senior senator, is up for reelection this year and, while he likely faces a contested primary, has already sewn up Democratic organizational support." Full story.

STAFFING UP - NextGen adds executive director: NextGen America, a group led by liberal megadonor Tom Steyer, announced that Heather Hargreaves, who led its national electoral campaign in 2016, will become executive director.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius .... and a very stable genius at that!" - President Trump tweeted over the weekend, The New York Times reported.

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