Former U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker on Monday became the first Republican to announce his intentions to run for Iowa’s open Senate seat.
According to a release, Whitaker told the Simon Conway show on 1040 AM in Des Moines that he is taking the necessary steps toward a run and that he would formally announce his campaign on June 3. Full story
Huckabee endorsed Rounds. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Former South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds landed a national conservative endorsement Friday that could help him in a potentially competitive Republican Senate primary.
Mike Huckabee, a Fox News host and former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate, endorsed Rounds for the state’s open-seat Senate race.
South Dakota conservatives are actively seeking an alternative candidate to Rounds in the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson. None has stepped forward so far, but Rep. Kristi Noem has not taken her name out of consideration yet. Full story
Northey, left, will not run for Senate. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Another potential GOP candidate for Iowa’s open Senate seat has announced he will not run, leaving Republicans to continue their search for a strong prospect to run in this top pick-up opportunity.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey became the second Republican in as many weeks to decide not to run. The party continues to await a decision from Republican Rep. Steve King, who remains undecided about the race.
Some Republicans are concerned about a potential King candidacy, arguing that his conservative politics do not have enough statewide appeal to win. But Northey encouraged King to run in his statement about the race:
Kingston will likely run for Senate. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., has scheduled two news conferences for Thursday — yet another indication he will become the third member of the state’s delegation to enter the Senate race.
The 11-term Republican congressman will make an announcement during double events in his coastal 1st District in Savannah and Brunswick. Kingston’s team would not describe the substance of his planned remarks.
“You’ll have to listen in to find out,” Kingston spokesman Chris Crawford told CQ Roll Call. Full story
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.”
Branstad, right, spoke to reporters on Monday morning. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad told reporters Monday morning that he advised national Republicans to recruit an “Iowa problem solver” rather than “another congressman” to run for the Hawkeye State’s open Senate seat in 2014.
The GOP governor’s comments come as Rep. Steve King, a conservative Republican, is in the final stages of deciding whether to run for retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin’s seat.
According to a recording of Branstad’s weekly news conference via Radio Iowa, he said there are several Republicans in the state who would provide a good contrast with Rep. Bruce Braley, the likely Democratic nominee. Branstad noted that King did serve in the state Senate, and said his initial comments were a shot at Braley, not King.
But Branstad also clarified that he believes having someone free from ties to an unpopular Congress would give the GOP its best chance against Braley. Full story
McSally came close to beating Barber in 2012. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Democrats got their hopes raised recently that retired Air Force Col. Martha McSally might be recruited to run for Arizona governor or to run to replace Republican Sen. John McCain in 2016 — instead of running for Congress in 2014. But it appears to be much ado about nothing.
Democrats were hoping that remarks McSally made in an amateur online video about Republicans recruiting her for other offices meant she was no longer serious about challenging Democratic Rep. Ron Barber in Arizona’s 2nd District. McSally nearly defeated Barber in the 2012 general election.
McSally seemed baffled in a phone interview about the Democratic reaction.
“I’m very strongly considering running for Congress,” she said, an almost verbatim comment she made in the video. Full story
Paul will go to New Hampshire next month for a GOP event meant to showcase party unity. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Any time a senator heads to New Hampshire for a state party event, he or she sparks presidential buzz.
But Sen. Rand Paul’s scheduled visit to the Granite State next month reveals just as much about New Hampshire Republican politics as his own national ambitions.
The state GOP’s recent electoral history demonstrates a deep divide between the tea party and more established Republicans. But in May, Paul will co-headline a dinner with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, a partnership that’s intended show unity in the party, according to New Hampshire Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Horn. Full story
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
Rahall is still considering a Senate run. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
If Reps. Steve King, Jeff Fortenberry and Nick J. Rahall II are serious about running for Senate, their campaign fundraising does not show it.
Several House members eyeing Senate bids posted meager numbers, according to Roll Call’s Senate fundraising chart for the first quarter.
In general, members raise major cash to show their political force if they are seriously weighing jumping into a Senate race. For example, Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., had raised $525,000 by the end of the first quarter this year, days before he announced he would challenge Democratic Sen. Mary L. Landrieu.
Here are a few House candidates who haven’t taken their names out of the mix when it comes to potential Senate bids and who reported lackluster hauls:
A spokesman for O'Donnell would not rule out another run. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
In 2010, Christine O’Donnell famously defeated then-Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., in the GOP Senate primary — then lost the general election to now-Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat. (See “I’m not a witch… I’m you.”)
Her candidacy serves as a symbol of that cycle, in which three tea-party-backed GOP nominees lost otherwise winnable races to Democrats in Delaware, Nevada and Colorado.
O’Donnell is taking care of her family and will make a decision later about possibly running against Coons again in 2014, Abby Livingston reports in the Farm Team column, Roll Call’s weekly state-by-state look at up-and-coming candidates. Full story
Coble was hospitalized in February but has returned to work. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Not a single House member has announced they will retire in 2014, but first-quarter fundraising reports indicate some may be headed in that direction.
Most of the Senate retirement announcements have come and gone, as Senate campaign officials tend to push members to step aside early in the cycle. However, House members generally don’t reveal their intentions until about a year before the elections.
For now, a dose of weak fundraising showings from the first three months of the midterm cycle offer clues as to which members could be considering the end of their congressional tenures. Whether they actually plan to retire likely won’t be known for some time, but the lack of motivation in fundraising will continue to feed speculation about some members’ political futures. Full story
Bachmann reported spending about $200,000 more in the first quarter than she raised in that time period. (By Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Running a congressional campaign can be expensive. But it’s rare for House members to spend almost as much as they raised in the first quarter of a two-year election cycle.
Still, a few incumbents achieved this feat during the first three months of this year, according to a CQ Roll Call review of their fundraising reports.
Here’s a selection of “big spender” House members in the first quarter: Full story
A top GOP recruit to challenge Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska is worried the turmoil roiling the state Republican Party is putting him and other potential candidates at a distinct disadvantage.
Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, who is actively exploring a bid for Senate, said the state party is way behind its Democratic counterparts when it comes to opposition research and rapid response — two of its key responsibilities with no challenger currently in the race.
“The Republican Party at this point is not yet doing what it should be doing — no matter who the Republican candidate is going to be — to be prepared for a campaign battle,” Treadwell said in a phone interview. Full story
(Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Capitol Police will assist the FBI in investigating a secretly recorded campaign strategy session between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his aides.
“The FBI is the lead investigative agency. We are providing them with assistance in the case,” Capitol Police spokesman Shennell Antrobus told CQ Roll Call on Monday afternoon. Full story
