Democrats Launch New Program for House Recruits

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman, chaired by Rep. Steve Israel, has launched a new program to help candidates in targeted districts. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has launched a new program aimed at cultivating strong candidates in targeted districts for the 2014 elections.

The Jumpstart program “provides early financial, communications, operational and strategic support to help top-tier candidates get a head start in these highly-targeted races,” according to a memo that will be sent to donors and supporters today.

Eight Democrats have been tapped for the program so far based on recent polling: Full story

Pennsylvania GOP Hopes to Avoid Corbett Ticket Drag #PAgov

Meehan represents a swing district in southeastern Pennsylvania. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett’s tumble in the polls has made Republicans nervous about four pivotal Philadelphia-area House districts.

Local GOP operatives fear this 2014 scenario: Corbett drags down the ticket for perennial targets Reps. Patrick Meehan, Jim Gerlach, Michael G. Fitzpatrick and Charlie Dent. Meanwhile, top potential Corbett foes count southeastern Pennsylvania as their political base, driving Democratic turnout in their suburban House districts.

“The impending blowout of Corbett could cause severe Republican losses downballot, hitting hardest in the southeast,” said a top GOP operative in Pennsylvania, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the governor. “The old axiom is still true that any Republican majority in Congress is built on a foundation of Philadelphia collar county Republicans. It’s an untenable situation.”

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House Republicans Announce Vulnerable Incumbents for Patriot Program

Walden is the chairman of the NRCC. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The House GOP’s campaign arm unveiled the first round of vulnerable incumbents for its Patriot program on Monday morning, suggesting which members it believes could need the most help in 2014.

However, these 11 new members in their incumbent-retention program have also signed a contract pledging they will reach certain communications, fundraising and strategy benchmarks to receive support later in the cycle.

“Our Members in the Patriot Program have proven that they are ready to run aggressive, organized campaigns,” National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden of Oregon said in a press release.

A couple of names are notably absent from the list below, including Rep. Gary G. Miller, R-Calif., who represents a district that President Barack Obama won with 57 percent last November. House Democrats have already indicated Miller will be one of their top targets in 2014. Full story

Pennsylvania: Fitzpatrick Gets Democratic Challenger

Democrat Kevin Strouse, a former Army Ranger, announced on Thursday that he will challenge GOP Rep. Michael G. Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania’s 8th District.

The district, which almost evenly split its vote in the 2012 presidential contest, is one of the Democrats’ best pickup opportunities. Democrats need to net 17 seats in 2014 to win back the House, and they’ll likely need districts like this one in suburban Philadelphia to get there.

Full story

House Majority PAC Announces Top 2014 GOP Incumbent Targets

Bachmann, left, is being targeted by House Majority PAC. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

House Majority PAC, the super PAC formed in the 2012 cycle to support Democratic House candidates, has rolled out its first round of Republican incumbent targets for the 2014 cycle.

They are:

• Rep. Michele Bachmann – Minnesota’s 6th
• Rep. Mike Coffman – Colorado’s 6th
• Rep. Gary G. Miller – California’s 31st
• Rep. Rodney Davis – Illinois’ 13th
• Rep. Michael G. Fitzpatrick – Pennsylvania’s 8th
• Rep. Michael G. Grimm – New York’s 11th
• Rep. Joe Heck – Nevada’s 3rd
• Rep. David Joyce – Ohio’s 14th
• Rep. John Kline – Minnesota’s 2nd
•  Rep. Steve Southerland II – Florida’s 2nd

“In 2012, House Majority PAC built a strong record of success, and in 2013 we are ready to hit the ground running to hold these Republicans accountable and communicate with swing voters about their extreme records and backward priorities,” House Majority PAC Executive Director Alixandria Lapp said.

The group spent heavily in the fall of 2012, making major ad buys in markets.

Candidates Make Last-Minute Loans to Campaigns

A slew of Congressional candidates dipped into their own wallets over the past week to fund one final push in their campaigns.

Here’s Roll Call’s running tally, according to local reports and online filings with the Federal Election Commission:

Senate races:

• Last week, former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) guaranteed a $500,000 loan for his campaign against former Gov. Tim Kaine (D). An Allen aide described it as a bridge loan to ensure available funds while the campaign processed credit card donations. Roll Call rates this race as a Tossup.
• Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) made a last-minute, $250,000 loan to aid her bid against Sen. Dean Heller (R). Roll Call rates this as a Tossup.
• Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon (R) continued to fund much of her campaign against Rep. Christopher Murphy (D). As of Oct. 17, she had contributed $40 million of her own funds to her race. Roll Call rates this as Leans Democratic.

House races:

• Attorney Kathy Boockvar (D) contributed $15,000 to her campaign to unseat Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). Roll Call rates this race as Safe Republican.
• Rep. Mark Critz (D-Pa.) loaned his campaign $35,000 on Oct. 25. That’s in addition to the $64,400 Critz, a former House aide, still owes his campaign from his primary against fellow Rep. Jason Altmire (D). Critz faces attorney Keith Rothfus (R) in a race Roll Call rates as a Tossup.
• Former Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) contributed $500,000 to his campaign to defeat Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) in the 11th district southwest of Chicago. A scientist and businessman, Foster has loaned his campaign big bucks in his previous bids. Roll Call rates this race as a Tossup.
• Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-N.Y.) wrote a check for $100,000 to her campaign on Oct. 29. She faces attorney Sean Patrick Maloney (D) in a race Roll Call rates as a Tossup. She also donated funds to her 2010 bid.
• State Rep. Randy Weber (R) gave his campaign $25,000 to defeat former Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Texas). Weber already loaned his campaign $226,500 earlier this cycle. Roll Call rates this race as Leans Republican.

Race Rating Changes: The Final Push

Supporters of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney listen Sunday during a rally in Des Moines, Iowa. With two days before Election Day, Romney is campaigning in swing states across the country. (Emmanuel Dunando/AFP/Getty Images)

Heading into the final weekend of barnstorming before Election Day, there was a noticeable shift toward the GOP in many key House races while Democrats seem to be getting more good news than bad about the Senate map.

First, the Senate math:

Yes, it’s quite possible (even likely) that Democrats such as Sens. Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and Bob Casey (Pa.) will have closer margins on Election Day than most expect. But Democrats are likely to hold both seats, and the climb for Republicans to net the four seats they need for an outright majority (if President Barack Obama is re-elected) seems steep heading into election week.

Here’s what we know: Republicans are likely to pick up two Senate seats in Nebraska and North Dakota (although the race there remains close). Those gains are likely to be offset by Democratic pickups in Massachusetts and Maine, where an Independent is poised to win and will likely caucus with Democrats. Assuming Republicans hold their seats in Arizona and Nevada, which seems like a good bet, that’s a zero net gain, leaving the chamber’s makeup at 53 Democrats and 47 Republicans. Full story

NRCC Pulls Final Reservations Out of Philadelphia TV Market

The National Republican Congressional Committee has pulled its remaining reservations out of the Philadelphia television market, according to a Republican source who tracks media buys.

The news is of no dramatic consequence to the House race chess game. Rather, it is a sign of Republican confidence in response to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s decision to cancel reservations in the same market last week.

The DCCC move effectively pulled the plug on its efforts to unseat Reps. Mike Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Jon Runyan (N.J.).

Shira Toeplitz contributed to this report. 

Daily Ad Track

Congressional Republicans are using their 2010 playbook in ads today, as they go on offense and play defense in various races around the country. Meanwhile, Democrats are picking up on 2012 trends: personally criticizing one’s opponent and going creative.

Indiana Senate

To fend off accusations of gutting Medicare in 2010, many House Republicans ran ads featuring their own parents vouching for their Medicare bona fides. State Treasurer Richard Mourdock’s (R) new spot features his dad. The campaign announced that it will run on statewide broadcast.

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Pennsylvania: Kathy Boockvar on the Air Against Mike Fitzpatrick

Attorney Kathy Boockvar (D) will start airing advertisements today in her bid to unseat Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R) in southeastern Pennsylvania.

The $38,000 buy will run an introductory, semi-biographical spot this week.

“It’s just common sense — work together, make smart decisions and improve our bottom line,” Boockvar says in the spot. “That’s what I’ve done at work, as a mediator and at home, as a wife and mother. And it’s what I’ll do in Washington.”

Fitzpatrick is seeking re-election in the competitive 8th district. The seat represents Democrats’ best shot to pick up a seat this November in Pennsylvania, although Roll Call rates this race as Leans Republican.

The Congressman has a major financial advantage over Boockvar. He reported $1.2 million in the bank at the end of June, while the Democrat had $421,000 in the bank at the same time.

EMILY’s List Doles Out Five New Endorsements

EMILY's List will endorse ex-state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and four other women in their races for Congress. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

EMILY’s List will announce today that it is endorsing five House candidates as part of the Democratic effort to regain control of the chamber this fall. The women are running in districts where the races are tossups or slightly favor Republicans.

The Democratic candidates getting the pro-abortion rights group’s stamp of approval today are:

• Attorney Shelley Adler, running in New Jersey’s 3rd district against Rep. Jon Runyan
• Attorney Kathy Boockvar, running in Pennsylvania’s 8th district against Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick
• State Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, running in California’s open 26th district
• Former Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, running in New Hampshire’s 1st district for the nomination to challenge Rep. Frank Guinta
• Former state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, running in Arizona’s new 9th district

Fundraising Numbers Continue to Trickle In

First-quarter fundraising numbers continue to trickle in as the Sunday deadline to file reports with the Federal Election Commission approaches.

The first fundraising period of election years offers indications of which candidates are gaining momentum heading into primary season. It’s the last quarterly report before about half the states hold their Congressional primaries.

This is another daily roundup of candidates who released their numbers in the past 24 hours. It’s heavy on Democrats, who are looking to hold the Senate and win back the House majority.

Senate:

• Arizona: Former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona raised $800,000 in his first full quarter as a candidate. He has $1.1 million in cash on hand. The large amount shows that the fundraising prowess he showed in the fourth quarter was more than just low-hanging fruit.
  
• Connecticut: Rep. Christopher Murphy (D) brought in $855,000 for his Senate campaign to replace retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman (I). He will report about $3 million in the bank. Full story

Pennsylvania: GOP Leaders Threaten to Move Primary Date

Chaos over the state legislative redistricting maps might delay Pennsylvania’s April 24 primary — a move that would effect Congressional and presidential races, too.

A later primary would give the Keystone State less prominence on the presidential nominating calendar, as well as influence several House contests, including the high-profile primary between Democratic Reps. Jason Altmire and Mark Critz in the redrawn 12th district.

Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered a state redistricting commission to redraw its controversial proposal for the legislative districts. But there’s growing concern the state Legislative Reapportionment Commission will not have enough time to pass new maps.

Full story