Today an episode with campaign-related news items from all over the country.
* In some surprise, Republican Rep. Jake LaTurner announced he will not seek re-election in the fall. The 36-year-old Kansan has served only two terms and was unlikely to have any difficulty winning a third term.
* Donald TrumpThe former president’s political operation reportedly raised $1.6 million on Monday, the first day of the former president’s criminal trial. An NBC News report noted that the presumptive GOP nominee’s fundraising calls were filled with deceit and misunderstandings about the legal process.
* Turning Point Action is a prominent far-right group that has amplified false claims of irregularities in the 2020 election, making it all the more remarkable that state Rep. Austin Smith, one of the group’s leaders, was charged this week with forging signatures about his nomination requests. The Arizona Republican resigned from the organization and ended his re-election bid.
* The Nevada Supreme Court ruled this week that a ballot question on reproductive rights is eligible for a statewide vote this year.
*Those concerned about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign. who are helping Donald Trump’s candidacy have a new reason to worry: the independent conspiracy theorist appears to have qualified for the 2024 ballot in Michigan, one of the country’s key battleground states.
*On a related note, Kennedy’s running mate, a wealthy lawyer and entrepreneur named Nicole Shanahan, appears to have donated $2 million to the campaign after officially signing up for the ticket.
* In Pennsylvania, Republican Senate hopeful Dave McCormick is already facing criticism for living in another state. It won’t help matters that The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the super PAC supporting McCormick’s candidacy is dependent on donors, almost all of whom live outside Pennsylvania.
* And in Ohio, where there is some doubt about whether or not President Joe Biden will meet the filing deadline for the 2024 ballot, Attorney General Dave Yost expressed some optimism this week that officials will figure it out, though he suggested that this would be the case. to the Democrat campaign to find a solution. “They have several months to figure this out,” the Republican attorney said. “I expect them to find a way to get their candidate on the ballot.”
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
