Michigan: Thaddeus McCotter Could Get Booted from the Ballot

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) is at risk of losing his place on the Aug. 7 primary ballot because of problems with his petition signatures, wreaking havoc on the GOP’s once-secure hold on his seat.

In a Friday statement, McCotter announced the secretary of state had questioned whether he collected sufficient signatures to make the ballot.

“I have been apprised my campaign may have submitted insufficient petition signatures to appear on the August primary ballot as a candidate for the 11th Congressional District’s Republican nomination,” he said in the late-night statement.

If the five-term Congressman gets booted from the ballot, Republicans will be forced to nominate a perennial candidate or mount a challenging write-in campaign for McCotter or another candidate.

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Ohio: CEO Talks FBI Investigation Into Josh Mandel, Jim Renacci Donors

A Republican donor implicated in a federal investigation over campaign contributions to Rep. Jim Renacci (R-Ohio) and the Senate campaign of Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) is talking to the media about the probe.

“This is punishment because we’re Republican donors,” Benjamin Suarez said in an interview with the Canton Repository published today. Suarez is president of the North Canton, Ohio-based Suarez Corporation Industries.

The investigation has proved to be a major distraction this week for Renacci and Mandel, who are running competitive races in the Buckeye State, although neither candidate has been accused of improper actions.

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New Jersey: A Poll, Robocalls and Presidential Politics

Rep. Bill Pascrell's campaign released a poll that showed his race with fellow Democratic Rep. Steven Rothman to be very close. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

With less than two weeks until the primary, today was a big day in the Member-versus-Member race between Demcratic Reps. Bill Pascrell and Steven Rothman of New Jersey.

Before the close of business, political observers got their first glimpse of polling, the Pascrell camp released robocalls from President Bill Clinton and Obama senior adviser David Axelrod made news while campaigning for Rothman in the district.

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South Carolina: Jay Jordan Launches TV Spot in New District

Attorney Jay Jordan (R), running for South Carolina’s new 7th district, launched a spot on local television today underscoring his conservative values.

The ad is backed by about $26,000 and set to run through Memorial Day weekend in the Myrtle Beach-Florence, S.C., market on broadcast and cable. In the spot, Jordan attempts to differentiate himself from the the crowded GOP primary field, although it’s unclear if his approach is all that unique.

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Arkansas: Tom Cotton Wins GOP Primary

Veteran, attorney and rising GOP star Tom Cotton won a solid victory in Arkansas’ 4th Congressional district GOP primary, avoiding a runoff with 2010 nominee Beth Anne Rankin.

With 62 percent of precincts reporting, the Associated Press called the race for Cotton. He had 56 percent of ballots cast, Rankin had 38 percent and a third candidate, John Cowart, had 6 percent.

Cotton, a Harvard Law School graduate who volunteered for the Army infantry after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and served in Iraq and Afghanistan, is the favorite to become the Congressman in this open Republican-leaning seat. Rep. Mike Ross (D) announced his retirement last July. Full story

Kentucky: Thomas Massie Wins GOP Nomination

In a stinging rebuke of the Kentucky Republican establishment, tea-party-affiliated Lewis County Judge-Executive Thomas Massie won tonight’s GOP primary to replace retiring Rep. Geoff Davis (R) in the 4th district.

With 72 percent of precincts reporting, the Associated Press called the race for Massie. He had 44.9 percent of vote, state Rep. Alecia Webb-Edgington had 29 percent and Boone County Judge-Executive Gary Moore had 17.4 percent.

Davis, along with former Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning (R), backed Webb-Edgington, who had broad establishment support. Conservative Republican Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Mike Lee (Utah) backed Massie. Full story

New Mexico: Internal Polls Illustrate Tight Race for Democratic Nod

Two new internal polls in New Mexico’s 1st district illustrate how tight the battle for the Democratic nomination is with just two weeks to go.

Former Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez, state Sen. Eric Griego and Bernalillo County Commissioner Michelle Lujan Grisham are running in the June 5 Democratic primary. The winner will be favored to hold the Albuquerque-based seat, which Rep. Martin Heinrich (D) is vacating to run for Senate. Full story

California: Gary Miller Posts Outtake Video on His Website

Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) is embracing a video of himself that was mistakenly posted on YouTube and distributed to the media by Pete Aguilar, his Democratic opponent in the 31st district

Aguilar’s campaign found video of Miller stumbling through the filming of a television ad. The outtakes were posted on the YouTube channel of media firm Revolvis Consulting, which advises Miller on media strategy. The video included unfortunate fumbles, including: “I’m ready to keep fighting for Washington.” The Aguilar campaign edited the video and released it on Monday.

Now, the Miller campaign has posted the video at the top of its own website. In a press release today, Miller campaign manager Chris Marsh explained the thinking behind highlighting the Congressman’s outtakes: Full story

South Carolina: Ted Vick Launches TV Spot in New 7th District

Democratic state Rep. Ted Vick, running for South Carolina’s new 7th district, launched a biographical spot on local television today.

Backed by a one-week, $37,330 buy in the Myrtle Beach-Florence, S.C., media market, the Vick campaign expects to have a TV presence through the June 12 primary.

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Washington: Democratic Candidates Defy Party in 1st District

Against the wishes of the state Democratic Party, four of the party’s candidates running for the redrawn 1st district have also filed to run concurrently in a special election being held in the seat’s old boundaries to fill the vacancy caused by former Rep. Jay Inslee’s (D) resignation.

Inslee’s decision to leave Congress in March to run for governor generated a confusing process to replace him that was further complicated by redistricting. Seven candidates filed by Friday’s deadline to run for a full term under the 1st district’s new lines. Ten candidates filed to run in the Nov. 6 special election to fill the remainder of Inslee’s term under the district lines as drawn 10 years ago. Full story

Ohio: Donations to Jim Renacci, Josh Mandel Part of Federal Probe

The campaigns of Rep. Jim Renacci and state Treasurer Josh Mandel, the GOP nominee for Senate, confirmed today that they are aware the government is investigating contributions they accepted from employees at a direct marketing firm.

Spokesmen for the two Ohio Republicans told the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Monday that the U.S. Attorney’s Office was looking at money received from employees at a company called Suarez Corporation Industries.

“To our knowledge no donations made to our campaign were contributed improperly. If we find out otherwise, those donations will be returned. Our campaign is not now nor has ever been the subject of this investigation,” Renacci spokesman James Slepian wrote in an email response. He added that the campaign has not heard anything about the matter in several months and is not aware of whether the inquiry is still active.

“The campaign is aware of the investigation and is fully cooperating. Neither the campaign or anyone associated with it is a target of the investigation,” Mandel spokesman Travis Considine told Roll Call. He also pointed out that the campaign had set aside $100,000 in donations from Suarez employees pending the outcome of the investigation. Full story

New Jersey: House Leaders, Reality Star Donate to Bill Pascrell

Rep. Bill Pascrell is facing off against a fellow Democrat in a primary next month. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Two members of House Democratic leadership have donated to Rep. Bill Pascrell in his Member-vs.-Member fight against fellow New Jersey Rep. Steven Rothman.

Assistant Minority Leader James Clyburn (S.C.) and Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) have sent checks to Pascrell, although one of the donations was much more recent than the other.

Clyburn donated a total of $7,000 through his PAC and campaign committee Friday, according to Pascrell’s latest 48-hour fundraising report. Larson’s campaign committee donated $2,000 Dec. 31, just days after it became clear that a Member-vs.-Member race was shaping up between the two men. Full story

Arizona: NRCC Releases New Negative Ad on Ron Barber

The National Republican Congressional Committee has released a new negative television ad against Democrat Ron Barber in the special election in Arizona’s 8th Congressional district to replace former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D).

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Illinois: Republicans Pick Davis as Nominee in 13th

Local Republicans selected Rodney Davis, a top aide to Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), to be their nominee for the newly open House seat in downstate Illinois.

The 13th district county GOP chairmen picked Davis over three other candidates today, including Rep. Randy Hultgren’s (R-Ill.) chief of staff, Jerry Clarke.

Republicans were forced to pick a new GOP nominee following Rep. Timothy Johnson’s (R-Ill.)  sudden retirement after the March primary. His departure, plus a Democratic redraw of the district’s boundaries last year, make this seat competitive.

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Arizona: New Barber Ad Criticizes Kelly On National Sales Tax

Update | 2:53 p.m. Democrat Ron Barber’s campaign put a new television ad on the air that criticizes his opponent, veteran Jesse Kelly (R), for supporting a national sales tax.

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