Gary Peters Leads Poll, Hires Campaign Manager #MISEN

Peters is running for Senate. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Democratic Rep. Gary Peters has a campaign manager and a lead in the polls — but he’s still awaiting a GOP opponent for the open-seat Senate race in Michigan.

With the Republican field likely to begin to take shape next month, the third-term Democrat announced on Tuesday that Julie Petrick has signed on as campaign manager. Petrick managed Peters’ first election to Congress in 2008 and is coming from the political team at EMILY’s List.

In the race for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Carl Levin, the 14th District’s Peters took an early lead in a hypothetical matchup with the 8th District’s GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, who is considering a bid. The poll was conducted by EPIC-MRA and found Peters with a 7-point lead, though a third of voters were undecided. Full story

Mike Honda’s Endorsement Parade Continues #CA17

Honda has announced many endorsements. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

What do the president’s half sister, actor Kal Penn and Star Trek legend slash Facebook celebrity George Takei have in common?

All of them have endorsed Rep. Michael M. Honda, who on Tuesday announced support from six Asian-American and Pacific Islander leaders.

Full story

Bachmann Opponent on Term Limits and Tipping Etiquette #MN06 | The Candidate

Graves is running for Congress a second time. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Note: Every year, scores of congressional candidates visit the CQ Roll Call offices to meet with reporters and Contributing Writer Stuart Rothenberg. This new feature, “The Candidate,” will ask these congressional hopefuls five questions about their campaigns. Responses have been edited and condensed.

Have a question for a candidate? We’ll announce their visits via Twitter, and you can tweet your inquiry to @RollCall or email politics@cqrollcall.com.

Top Firm Hires Ex-NRSC Spokesman | Shop Talk

Former National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brian Walsh has joined Singer Bonjean Strategies, the public affairs firm announced on Tuesday.

“Phil and Ron are two of the most respected communications strategists in the country today, and I couldn’t be more excited about joining their growing public affairs practice,” Walsh said in a press release. “Singer Bonjean brings a campaign approach to helping clients navigate the ever-changing environment in Washington, and I look forward to adding my experience to this effort.” Full story

Tea Party Express Backs Special Election Candidate

Missouri Speaker Pro Tem Jason Smith picked up the endorsement of the Tea Party Express on Tuesday, less than three weeks before the special election in the Show Me State’s 8th District.

“Jason is a promising young conservative who will bring fiscal responsibility to Washington, D.C.,” Tea Party Express Chairwoman Amy Kremer said in a news release. “Tea Partiers across the country applaud his commitment to repealing Obamacare and reining in the federal government’s out-of-control spending.”

Full story

Embroiled GOP Firm Hires Gingrich Operative | Shop Talk

Strategy Group for Media CEO Rex Elsass will announce on Tuesday that he has hired Rick Tyler as his company’s new president.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after Elsass filed a lawsuit against his company’s last president, Nick Everhart. That dispute has fixated the GOP consultant class. Full story

Remainders: And Then There Was Nunn

Here’s what you may have missed “At the Races” on Monday …

• #IRS – CQ Roll Call’s Eliza Newlin Carney examines what the IRS mess means for campaign finance laws.
• #GASEN – Michelle Nunn, daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., will soon announce her decision on a Senate bid.
• #NC12 – A Democratic fundraiser is mulling a bid for Rep. Melvin Watt’s seat. Watt was recently nominated to run the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
• #VASEN – The Virginia GOP changed how it will nominate Democratic Sen. Mark Warner’s 2014 challenger.
• #UT04 – Sarasota Springs Mayor Mia Love announced she will challenge Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson to a rematch in 2014.

What we’re mulling on Monday …

Full story

Why the IRS Mess Bares Big Campaign Finance Problems

To many on Capitol Hill, the burgeoning scandal dogging the IRS looks like a simple case of partisan political targeting by an overbearing federal agency.

But the IRS controversy has laid bare a far more serious and far-reaching problem: the agency’s utter failure to keep pace with drastically changing campaign finance laws. For decades, the IRS has taken heat for its muddy rules governing politically active tax-exempt groups, a recent CQ Weekly story notes. Among other problems, the recent inspector general’s report found:

• IRS employees did not understand and bickered over the agency’s own rules, repeatedly changing course over how to screen groups seeking tax-exempt status.
• The IRS went so far as to reject the IG’s recommendation that the tax agency clear up guidelines for how to handle such groups. The IRS instead recommended  more staff training, an alternative the IG in turn rejected.
• Though lawmakers and watchdogs urged the IRS to curb deep-pocketed nonprofits spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the 2012 campaign, the IRS ignored the top-spending players and instead went after shoestring groups.

As the story notes:

The fallout has exposed an agency that lacks the tools, the will or even the rules to regulate increasingly wealthy and influential tax-exempt groups unfettered by the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling to deregulate political spending. Full story

Michelle Nunn Senate Announcement Coming Soon

After appearing at a weekend fundraiser for Senate Democrats, party leaders expect Michelle Nunn to make a final decision on the Georgia Senate race within weeks.

“The national party is working with Michelle, and I think we will probably have an announcement relatively soon on whether she’s in or not,” Georgia Democratic Party Chairman Mike Berlon said Monday. “We just want to get somebody out there early enough before the election that we can actually get behind them and start putting a structure together.”

The philanthropist and daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., appeared at a Sunday fundraiser in Atlanta for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. President Barack Obama was the featured guest at the event, with DSCC Chairman Michael Bennet and Executive Director Guy Cecil also in attendance.

A DSCC spokesman declined to comment on whether Nunn was preparing to announce a bid. Full story

Democratic Fundraiser Mulls Run for Melvin Watt Seat

Watt has been nominated for a post in the Obama administration. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Scott Dworkin, a Democratic fundraiser, is considering a run for North Carolina’s 12th District, he confirmed to CQ Roll Call  Monday morning.

Virginia GOP to Nominate Mark Warner Challenger via Convention

Republicans will attempt to challenge Warner. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Virginia Republicans voted on May 17 to hold a nominating convention next year — rather than a primary — to select a challenger to Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the Virginian-Pilot reported.

The move, which came at the state party’s annual convention in Richmond, could affect the GOP field that vies for the nomination. Conventions, where only party activists vote, often nominate more conservative candidates than the broader GOP primary electorate. Full story

Mia Love Announces Utah Rematch

Love is running for Congress again. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Sarasota Springs Mayor Mia Love officially announced this weekend that she will challenge Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, again for the 4th District.

The Republican’s announcement sets up a rematch of one of last cycle’s most-targeted races. Matheson defeated Love by one of the slimmest vote margins of any House race in 2012.

National Republicans hailed Love’s candidacy and gave her a top speaking slot at the national convention. If she wins, she will be the GOP’s first black woman in Congress.

Full story

NRSC Wins April Fundraising by a Nose

The two Senate campaign committees turned in nearly even monthly fundraising hauls in April, marking the first month this cycle the National Republican Senatorial Committee finished ahead.

The NRSC raised $3.56 million last month and ended April with nearly $7.1 million on hand. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $3.54 million and had slightly more than $8.6 million on hand as of April 30. Full story

Female Hill Staffers Fundraise for Senate Democrats

Women on the Hill are making their presence known beyond the member ranks — a group of female Senate chiefs of staff have organized a Monday evening fundraiser in support of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

CQ Roll Call reporter Meredith Shiner has the scoop over at our new Senate blog, World’s Greatest Deliberative Body:

From #WGDB:

Eleven female chiefs of staff to Democratic senators are scheduled to hold a fundraiser Monday night for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, according to an invitation for the event obtained by CQ Roll Call.

The fundraiser, billed as the “Women on The Hill Dinner,” is yet another sign that it’s not just the number of female senators that is rising, but also key staffers who are building a power base within the party.

See the invitation and more at #WGDB.

House Democrats Outraise Republicans in April

House Democrats raised $300,000 more than their Republican counterparts in the month of April.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $5.4 million, according to a committee aide.  House Democrats have $10.4 million in the bank and $4.1 million in debt.

The National Republican Congressional Committee raised $5.1 million. The committee has $8.7 million in cash on hand and has $6.3 million in debt.

The Hill first published the Republicans’ numbers last week, and The Washington Post first reported the Democrats’ fundraising figures.