Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - April 1, 2019

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April 1, 2019

Buttigieg announces $7 million raised in first quarter   April 1, 2019: Elizabeth Warren’s finance director, Michael Pratt, is leaving her campaign. Pete Buttigieg's campaign raised $7 million in the first quarter of 2019. Share the latest from the campaign trail.          There are 29 more candidates running since last week, including six more Democrats, two more Republicans, and four more Libertarians. In total, 659 individuals have filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president. Notable Quote of the Day “The message from the RNC is: ‘We can’t stop other candidates running but we’re making it very clear they won’t be welcomed with open arms and won’t get much assistance.’” – Fran Wendelboe, New Hampshire 603 Alliance treasurer Democrats Cory Booker and Kamala Harris spoke at the Human Rights Campaign’s annual gala in Los Angeles and highlighted pro-LGBT actions in their career. Booker said that during his mayoral terms, he declined to perform any marriages until same-sex marriage was legal. Harris said she refused to defend Proposition 8, which sought to define marriage as between one man and one woman in California. Pete Buttigieg announced Monday morning that his campaign has raised more than $7 million in the first quarter of 2019. Julián Castro, John Delaney, Amy Klobuchar, and Elizabeth Warren spoke at the Heartland Forum in Iowa Saturday, where they discussed agricultural policies and antitrust legislation. Castro also said he would release an immigration plan this week. Tulsi Gabbard made her first campaign visit to Los Angeles on Saturday, where she spoke of bringing “the spirit of aloha” from Hawaii to the nation. John Hickenlooper was interviewed about immigration on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday. He tweeted following the interview, “The mess at our border is the result of a lack of preparation and inhumane Trump administration policies that at times amount to a form of kidnapping.” Jay Inslee released 12 years of his tax returns and called on Donald Trump to do the same. Beto O'Rourke held his first three public rallies in Texas over the weekend, traveling to El Paso, Houston, and Austin. Bernie Sanders said he would reduce prescription drug costs by at least 50 percent if elected president. When asked for details of his plan, Sanders said the U.S. could look to prescription drug policies in Canada, Japan, and Germany, and to patents held by large pharmaceutical companies. Michael Pratt is stepping down as finance director for Elizabeth Warren. He reportedly resigned in February following Warren’s decision to not solicit money from large donors. An aide said that Pratt was “still a consultant but winding things down and transitioning out since we made the decision not to have [Warren] do high dollar events." Marianne Williamson was interviewed on MSNBC’s “Weekends with Alex Witt” Saturday about her campaign and the release of the Muller report. Andrew Yang released a new policy calling for federal agencies to be relocated to boost local economies and reduce cost and infrastructure issues in Washington, D.C. Republicans Linda McMahon is resigning from the Trump administration as the director of the Small Business Administration to chair the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action. In an interview with Huffington Post, Bill Weld compared this election to his underdog bid for Massachusetts governor in 1990 and Pat Buchanan’s primary challenge to George H.W. Bush in 1992. On the Cusp: Tracking Potential Candidates Lucy Flores, the 2014 Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor in Nevada, said she had an inappropriate encounter with Joe Biden when he touched her shoulders and kissed her on the head in 2014. Biden released a statement that said, in part, “In my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort. And not once – never – did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention." Seth Moulton said he would make a decision about running for president “in the next few weeks.” What We’re Reading CNN: Three things to look for in 2020 presidential fundraising National Review: The 2020 Election Conundrum Vox: What makes Wisconsin swing? Flashback: April 1, 2015 Kamala Harris, then the attorney general of California, kicked off her U.S. Senate campaign in San Francisco.