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.

A number of other Democrats have been mentioned as potential candidates in the race, which is expected to be crowded if Watt is confirmed to the executive branch role.

The post Democratic Fundraiser Mulls Run for Melvin Watt Seat appeared first on At the Races.

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.

Meanwhile, with the focus on the gubernatorial race, there has been little chatter about any candidates laying the groundwork to take on Warner. The former governor remains the most popular politician in the state. A Quinnipiac University poll released last week found Warner with a 59 percent job approval rating.

Over the weekend, the party chose three conservative candidates — Ken Cuccinelli for governor, E.W. Jackson for lieutenant governor and Mark Obenshain for attorney general — to run for the three state offices up in November. Cuccinelli faces former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe in a race that recent polling has shown to be close.

For the 2014 Senate race, the GOP state central committee can still reverse course later this year and opt to hold a primary.

The post Virginia GOP to Nominate Mark Warner Challenger via Convention appeared first on At the Races.

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.

But after Love lost last cycle, many Republicans privately criticized how she and her team ran the campaign. In a press release announcing her candidacy, Love acknowledged that she had learned much from her first congressional campaign.

“We learned from 2012 and what we learned will make us successful in 2014,” she said.

She since hired a top consultant from Utah Republican Sen. Orrin G. Hatch’s team and began organizing her campaign early this year.

The post Mia Love Announces Utah Rematch appeared first on At the Races.

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.

The figures were provided by the committees, which must file their monthly fundraising reports by Monday.

Republicans still have some catching up to do after a slow fundraising start in the first three months of the year, as the party hopes to pick up the six seats needed to win the majority. The DSCC raised nearly $7 million more than the NRSC in the first quarter.

The post NRSC Wins April Fundraising by a Nose appeared first on At the Races.

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.

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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.

The post House Democrats Outraise Republicans in April appeared first on At the Races.

“The race is indeed something that I am considering,” Cain told CQ Roll Call in an email from China. “Many friends and supporters around the state are encouraging me to challenge Senator [Kay] Hagan.”

Cain is a former Republican National committeeman and served as ambassador to Denmark during President George W. Bush’s second term. An attorney at Kilpatrick Townsend, Cain previously served as president and chief operating officer of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes. His candidacy would likely draw significant support from the Raleigh business community.

Despite the state’s GOP lean, Republicans know they will have a tough fight against Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan. Still, several Republicans are considering taking her on.

State Speaker Thom Tillis is likely to join the race at some point after the legislative session ends early this summer. Both parties are awaiting his candidacy, with state Democrats already regularly targeting Tillis in released statements.

Sources in the state said Rep. Virginia Foxx is also taking a close look at the race. So is state Senate President Phil Berger, but the two allies are unlikely to run against each other.

Other potential candidates include Rep. Renee Ellmers, former Charlotte City Councilman Lynn Wheeler and the Rev. Mark Harris, who recently announced to his Baptist church congregation that he was considering a bid.

The post Ambassador Eyeing Kay Hagan Challenge appeared first on At the Races.

“States, especially those with Republican governors, are doing a good job — they are balancing budgets with targeted spending cuts, creating jobs, and tackling tax reform,” Handel said in a statement. “The biggest problems we face today are in Washington, and that’s where we so desperately need fresh thinking, bold solutions, and real leadership.”

Handel is the fourth Republican to enter the race for the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss. Notably, she is also the first woman and first candidate who is not a member of Congress. GOP Reps. Paul Broun, Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston are running. David Perdue, the cousin of former Gov. Sonny Perdue, announced an exploratory committee this week.

In the party’s top pickup opportunity of the 2014 midterms, Democrats are awaiting word from Michelle Nunn, a philanthropist and daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn.

Handel was first elected to office in 2003 as chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and became Georgia’s first elected Republican secretary of state in 2006. She ran for governor in 2010, falling to now-Gov. Nathan Deal in the primary runoff.

Outside of running for office, Handel served as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Sonny Perdue. More recently, she served vice president of public policy at Susan G. Komen for the Cure during the group’s controversial decisions regarding the funding of Planned Parenthood. Handel later wrote a book about the experience.

The post Karen Handel Enters Georgia Senate Race appeared first on At the Races.

Since publishing our Farm Team column on Wednesday about the likely field of candidates in the Peach State, another GOP politician has announced he will run for the open 10th District seat.

Mike Collins, a businessman and son of former Georgia Rep. Mac Collins, announced Thursday that he will seek the seat left by Republican Rep. Paul Broun. Broun is seeking the state’s open Senate seat after the retirement of Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Collins joins an already crowded primary race that includes:

• State Rep. Donna Sheldon, the GOP caucus chairwoman
• Jody Hice, a radio host and Southern Baptist pastor
• Gary Gerrard, an attorney

The post Another Republican Announces Run in #GA10 appeared first on At the Races.

Most of the EMILY’s List candidates are in line with the plans of other Democratic groups, but at least one has the potential to upset other national Democratic groups.

“On the List” is a tier below the group’s full endorsements, which are typically doled out later in the cycle.

Those “On the List” are:

California’s 31st: Attorney Eloise Reyes
Incumbent: Republican Rep. Gary G. Miller
This race is one of  the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s biggest regrets from 2012. This EMILY’s List support could complicate Democratic plans. They lost this winnable seat in 2012 because no Democrat made it through California’s jungle primary system. This year, the DCCC has made it plain that it prefers Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar. Former Democratic Rep. Joe Baca is also running for the seat after losing re-election in another district. Until making EMILY’s List, Reyes was hardly mentioned in campaign coverage, but the backing gives her credibility. No organized Republican has emerged as a threat to block out Democrats again, but a primary with three organized candidates has to make Democrats nervous.

Illinois’ 13th: Former County Court Judge Ann Callis
Incumbent: Republican Rep. Rodney Davis
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn recently appointed a perennial Democratic candidate and possible spoiler, likely clearing the field for Callis, a top DCCC recruit.

Massachusetts’ 5th: State Sen. Katherine Clark
Incumbent: Democratic Rep. Edward J. Markey
This will materialize into an open-seat race if Markey is elected to the Senate on June 25. CQ Roll Call recently profiled the possible contenders.

Florida’s 13th: Attorney Jessica Ehrlich
Incumbent: Republican Rep. C.W. Bill Young
This is a competitive seat, but Young’s name identification held steady in 2012. That said, his first-quarter fundraising was weak. State Republicans say they do not see retirement in the tea leaves, but if he does retire — game on.

Florida’s 2nd: Attorney Gwen Graham
Incumbent: Republican Rep. Steve Southerland II
Graham is the daughter of former Democratic Sen. Bob Graham. She was one of the first House candidates to announce this cycle.

New York’s 23rd: Tompkins County Legislator Martha Robertson
Incumbent: Republican Rep. Tom Reed
Robertson announced her challenge in April.

The post EMILY’s List Backs Six House Candidates appeared first on At the Races.

While the list of candidates includes everyone from a trail-blazing Atlanta city council member to a former Capitol Hill staffer, one notable trend from the list emerged: the sheer number of Carters looking to ascend Georgia’s political ladder.

Three rising stars in the state’s political sphere share the notable last name, although only one is actually related to President Jimmy Carter, the only president to hail from the Peach State.

The president’s grandson, Democratic state Sen. Jason Carter, passed on the state’s open Senate seat this cycle, but has been mentioned as a potential congressional candidate down the line.

And the Republican primary in Georgia’s 1st District will be interesting, with two men who share the last name Carter in the mix.

(Also in Roll Call: Republicans Rush Kingston’s House Seat)

State Sen. Buddy Carter announced he was seeking the open seat, being vacated by longtime Republican Rep. Jack Kingston, followed by Darwin Carter, a businessman and former member of President Ronald Reagan’s administration.

We’re looking forward to the campaign signs in that contest.

The post Georgia Farm Team Stacked With Carters appeared first on At the Races.

Bachmann’s campaign will air 31 ads that run 30 seconds each on local Fox affiliate KSMP beginning Thursday. The ads were made by Crossroads Media, an Arlington, Va.-based firm, and will air over a 12-day period, according to the filing, which was first reported by National Journal.

The ad buy on KSMP cost Bachmann’s campaign a meager $14,656, according to the FCC filing. However a Democratic source with knowledge of ad buys on other stations in the district said the Bachmann campaign has reserved about $85,000 in air time.

Running ads this early in an election cycle is unusual, and signals that the four-term Republican is gearing up for a tough race this season.

She is facing a rematch with Democrat Jim Graves, whom she defeated by about 1 point in 2012, despite her district being redrawn in a way that made it more favorable for Republicans.

The narrow margin with which she held onto her district has made her a prime target for Democrats looking to pick up seats in the midterms.

The post Bachmann to Air Early Season TV Ads #MN06 appeared first on At the Races.

(Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images File Photo)

Rep. Mark Sanford, who was sworn into the House Wednesday, is unlikely to have a primary challenger in the coming cycle, or any cycle, according to Republicans plugged into Palmetto State politics.

The consensus among state operatives and consultants is that if former governor can avoid any missteps, he will have a lock on the 1st District.

“The ball is in Sanford’s court at this point,”  Beynon said. How Sanford votes and performs on the casework front will be crucial to fending off a challenger, he added.

Part of the reason for his electoral security are the margins of his special election victories. He easily cruised passed the primary and runoff and won a fiercely contested general election against Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch by 9 points.

“The time to have beaten Mark Sanford has passed,” Gidley said. “It is probably now his seat for as long as he wants it.” 

The post Sanford Unlikely to Get 2014 Primary Challenge appeared first on At the Races.

She vouched for him through her usual channel, Facebook, writing:

“Jason has worked tirelessly to build on the foundation of his humble beginnings and is a responsible and respected leader in the Show Me State. In Washington DC, Jason will maintain that innate sense of his community and will bring his commonsense conservatism to the halls of Congress. Jason recognizes that government is the problem, not the solution. He will protect our 2ndAmendment rights and work to promote a culture of life. We must all work together to send Mr. Smith to Washington on June 4th.”

While a Palin endorsement is sure to garner a candidate widespread attention, this one comes at an inconsequential time in the campaign. As the Republican nominee in a safely Republican district, Smith is already expected to cruise to a general election win on June 4.

His Democratic opponent is state Rep. Steve Hodges. This is an open-seat race to replace former Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, who resigned earlier this year.

The post Palin Endorses in Missouri Special Election #MO08 appeared first on At the Races.

The Senate Conservatives Fund emailed supporters on Wednesday highlighting Maness and making clear that it won’t be supporting Rep. Bill Cassidy, the leading Republican in the race to take on Democratic Sen. Mary L. Landrieu.

“We still need to vet Col. Maness to see if he’s someone SCF can support, but we’re excited about his potential,” SCF Executive Director Matt Hoskins wrote. “It’s encouraging to see people run for office who aren’t career politicians and who aren’t part to the political establishment.”

With an 80 percent score in the Club for Growth’s 2012 scorecard, it’s unlikely the club’s political action committee will back Cassidy either.

Maness is a 32-year Air Force veteran whose career included service in combat, in the Pentagon and at Air Force Global Strike Command in Bossier City, La. His online résumé states that Maness is currently the director of safety and training at Entergy Services Inc. in the New Orleans area.

Cassidy starts the primary with a heavy fundraising edge. He raised $525,000 in the first quarter and ended March with $2.5 million in cash on hand.

The post DeMint-Linked Group Eyes Louisiana Senate Candidate appeared first on At the Races.

The shift from a state’s head honcho to being one of 100 is unique. The slow-moving gears and partisanship of the Senate can be frustrating for a former chief executive.

Still, they constitute about one-tenth of the Senate in the 113th Congress. That includes Nebraska Republican Mike Johanns, whose retirement next year after one term in the Senate has led to the heavy recruitment of Heineman.

“The Governor has had several positive and productive conversations with former Governors who went on to be U.S. Senators,” Heineman spokeswoman Jen Rae Hein told CQ Roll Call. “The Governor appreciates these conversations, and has found them to be insightful and valuable as he continues to contemplate his decision. Every indication is that the Governor will make his decision within the next month’s time frame.”

Heineman told The Associated Press recently that he understands why the leaders of the National Republican Senatorial Committee would want a governor to run, but he looks at the race differently.

“Can I make a difference? Is it the kind of career I want to pursue? That’s what I’m looking at,” he told the AP.

There are now 11 former governors serving in the Senate, with Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Angus King, I-Maine, the latest to join the club. Ten served in the previous Congress, including two from Nebraska — Democrat Ben Nelson, who retired in 2012, and Johanns.

Given the state’s Republican bent, the race for the open seat is unlikely to be competitive. Several other Republicans have been mentioned as possible candidates should Heineman, who declined to run for Senate in 2012 but is term-limited in 2014, pass on the race. That includes the state’s three congressmen and state Attorney General Jon Bruning, who lost in the 2012 Senate GOP primary.

The post Heineman Consults Former Governors Who Served In Senate appeared first on At the Races.

Tavares’ work with Romney goes back seven years, to his time as general counsel during Romney’s stint as governor of Massachusetts. In the 2012 presidential campaign, Tavares held the title of staff secretary and senior adviser. He oversaw outgoing media from the campaign. Previously, he was the chief operating officer and counsel of Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC.

“I am very excited to welcome Lou Tavares to the SCM Associates team,” President Stephen C. Meyers said in a release. “His years of experience helping to manage complex national operations and cross-channel marketing programs for Mitt Romney will help us offer our clients an even more fully-integrated and consistent marketing program.”

SCM’s clients include Romney, former Massachusetts Sen. Scott P. Brown, House Budget Chairman Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

The post Romney Aide Heads to GOP Firm | Shop Talk appeared first on At the Races.

“All the buzz in CD 1 is centering around Adam Kwasman,” Arizona Republican political consultant Chris DeRose said. He described the field as “coalescing” around Kwasman, a 30-year-old freshman state representative.

DeRose is informally advising Kwasman but said he is not on any campaign payroll. While others worry that Kwasman is too green to challenge Kirkpatrick, he is the only name Republicans mention.

Should he run, he will be getting a far earlier start than 2012 nominee Jonathan Paton, who lost to Kirkpatrick by 4 points. Kwasman lives in Oro Valley, a Tucson suburb, according to his official biography. In 2010, he was tea party candidate Jesse Kelly’s campaign manager in his bitter race against Gabrielle Giffords for the neighboring Tucson-based district.

So why are no other names emerging? Kirkpatrick, a perennially strong fundraiser, is among several incumbent Democrats who have already raised more than $300,000 early in the election cycle, putting any challenger in catch-up mode. Yet she is one of 11 Democrats in the House who start the 2014 campaign at risk, according to Roll Call Contributing Editor Stuart Rothenberg.

Republicans pose a number of other theories on the dearth of candidates.

Some say it’s too early in the cycle for candidates to jump in. Also, the 1st isn’t a wealthy district, lacking both a donor base and candidates who can self-fund. It’s a rural, expansive district with no major city, so there isn’t much of a population center for a local or state official coming up through the ranks to build a political base.

Despite the lack of obvious names, national Republicans express optimism about the seat. Few states have such a clear tea-party-vs.-establishment divide as Arizona. Paton, a GOP political insider, had a fairly easy path to his party’s nomination in 2012. But one national operative said the shared anger over losing a seat with Republican DNA has the potential to energize both factions.

“For the first time, tea party leaders are talking about electability,” he said.

The post Who Will Take On Ann Kirkpatrick in Arizona? | The Field appeared first on At the Races.

Sestak announced Tuesday that he has formed an exploratory committee for a 2016 Senate bid. It would likely be a rematch with Republican Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, who defeated Sestak by 2 points in a great year for Republicans nationally.

“The Senate needs an independent leader accountable only to ‘We the People,’ not any other interests … a leader accountable for deeds, not intentions,” Sestak said in a statement.

Toomey outspent Sestak 2-to-1 in the 2010 Senate race. Sestak hopes to minimize that margin by raising money now. He raised $460,000 in the first three months of 2013 and had most of that left as of March 31. Toomey raised $544,000 in the first quarter and had $2.4 million in cash on hand.

Sestak, a retired Navy admiral, was elected to the House in a suburban Philadelphia district in 2006. He defeated Sen. Arlen Specter in the 2010 Democratic primary after Specter left the Republican Party.

The post Joe Sestak Files Senate Exploratory Committee for 2016 appeared first on At the Races.

Should he run, Perdue would be the fourth Republican to enter the Senate race for the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

“I am truly concerned about the direction of our country, and I don’t think we can solve our nation’s problems by electing another career politician looking for a promotion,” Perdue said in a statement. “That is why I am strongly considering a run for U.S. Senate.”

Perdue is the former CEO of Dollar General. The Perdue cousins now head up Perdue Partners, a global trading company based in Atlanta. Sonny Perdue said in a statement that this is the first time David has been interested in running for public office.

“A few months ago, a respected business leader informed me that he was considering a run for U.S. Senate,” the former governor said of David Perdue. “The passion and concern for our children’s future with which he spoke was inspiring. I immediately knew that he was desperately needed in Washington, D.C.”

GOP Reps. Paul Broun, Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston are already in the race, and Georgia Republicans expect former Secretary of State Karen Handel to join the field soon. On the Democratic side, Rep. John Barrow announced last week that he wouldn’t run, turning attention to Michelle Nunn, the daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn.

The post Another Georgia Republican Closes In on Senate Race #GASEN appeared first on At the Races.