Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - February 26, 2019

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February 26, 2019

Castro expands national and New Hampshire operations   February 26, 2019: Sen. Kamala Harris announces additional California endorsements Tuesday morning. Former U.S. Secretary of Housing Julián Castro hires new staffers for his national and state campaign operations. Share the latest from the campaign trail.         Notable Quote of the Day “You cannot get to the White House without winning the Midwest. You do have to be able to speak to people where the manufacturing base has been eroded, where the skills gap is widening, where the jobs are changing.” – J.B. Pritzker, governor of Illinois Democrats Former U.S. Secretary of Housing Julián Castro hired new staffers for his national and New Hampshire operations: Shereen Zaid as director of scheduling and advance, Manny Espitia as New Hampshire state director and Lauren Reyes as New Hampshire organizing director. Former Rep. John Delaney was interviewed on CNN about climate change and the Trump administration. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard commented on U.S.-North Korea relations, tweeting, “North Korea will look at Trump's actions, not empty promises. We can't expect Kim to believe that we won't overthrow him if he gives up his nukes, when he sees us threaten to carry out regime-change war in Iran and Venezuela.” In an interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called climate change and severe weather “the greatest threat to humanity we have." She also advocated for the extension of the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. Sen. Kamala Harris announced a new set of California endorsements Tuesday morning, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Secretary of State Alex Padilla, and State Treasurer Fiona Ma. Following allegations that Sen. Amy Klobuchar mistreated several members of her staff, more than 60 former staffers signed on to an open letter defending her management. Sen. Bernie Sanders will hold his first campaign rally in Brooklyn, New York, on March 2. Sanders grew up in the borough and briefly attended Brooklyn College. Sen. Elizabeth Warren discussed her decision to fundraise through “pay what you can” events rather than big tickets fundraisers in an interview on MSNBC. The Independent published an op-ed written by entrepreneur Andrew Yang on his proposal for a universal basic income. Several candidates will participate in the technology conference and music festival SXSW’s series Conversations About America’s Future. Buttigieg, Castro, Klobuchar, and Warren, among other declared and potential candidates, are on the schedule for the March 9-10 event. Political Wire publisher Taegan Goddard has published an interactive electoral map based on the Cook Political Report forecast and FiveThirtyEight‘s general election polls. On the Cusp: Tracking Potential Candidates Investor Warren Buffett said he would support former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D) if he ran for president. While speaking with Las Vegas casino workers, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) pledged to be "the most pro-union candidate” if he entered the race. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan criticized reports that pro-Trump Republicans were trying to collect endorsements from Maryland politicians to stave off a primary challenge from Hogan. “These kind of heavy-handed tactics are not what we need in our politics. We should be focused on encouraging discussion and debate, not seeking to divide. This is exactly why people are so fed up with Washington,” Hogan said. What We’re Reading The New York Times: Rust Belt, Sun Belt or Both? Democrats Seek the Best Route to the White House RealClearPolitics: Democrats Are Wrapping a Gift for Trump The Washington Post: The popular vote could decide the 2020 presidential election, if these states get their way Flashback: February 26, 2015 Chris Cillizza wrote an editorial for The Washington Post gauging interest in a possible Donald Trump presidential run. “Yes, a Trump candidacy would get lots of attention -- from the media (sad face) and voters. … The real question is not whether Trump will run or not. The real question is why any of us even care,” Cillizza wrote.