Tuesday February 5, 2019: Susie Tompkins Buell, who brought in millions for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, announced she is backing Sen. Kamala Harris (D). Former Gov. Bill Weld changed his party registration from Libertarian to Republican, sparking speculation he will launch primary challenge to President Donald Trump (R).
Share the latest from the campaign trail.
   
Democrats
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Sen. Cory Booker has announced his state directors in three early voting states: Mike Frosolone in Iowa, Erin Turmelle in New Hampshire, and Christale Spain in South Carolina.
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South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg will visit Iowa on Friday and Saturday, attending meet and greets in Ames, Grinnell, and Ankeny.
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Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Julián Castro discussed the Trump administration, bilingualism in Latino communities, and trade with New York Magazine. Read the interview here.
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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard accused NBC News of fraudulently smearing her campaign after it reported Russian propagandists were promoting her candidacy. Ben Popken, a senior news reporter from NBC News, defended the report in a series of tweets.
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Susie Tompkins Buell, a Democratic donor who brought in $6 million for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, announced she is backing Sen. Kamala Harris.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren will travel to six early primary states—New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, and California—after an event on Saturday expected to be the formal kickoff of her campaign.
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Several candidates in Congress have announced their guests for the State of the Union on Tuesday night. Harris and Warren are bringing workers furloughed during the government shutdown. Sen. Kristen Gillibrand will be joined by Lieutenant Commander Blake Dremann, a transgender servicemember. Read more about who potential presidential candidates are bringing here.
On the Cusp: Tracking Potential Candidates
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Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) is traveling to South Carolina Wednesday to give the keynote address at the annual meeting of the South Carolina Hospital Association and attend a roundtable with faith leaders.
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Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) will be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey at a ticketed event in Times Square Tuesday. The program will be broadcast on her television network at a later date.
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Bill Weld, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts and 2016 Libertarian vice presidential nominee, changed his party affiliation from Libertarian to Republican last month, Commonwealth Magazine reported.
Polls
In two recent national polls released by Morning Consult and Monmouth University, former Vice President Joe Biden led a large field of declared and possible Democratic presidential candidates with 29 percent support.
What We’re Reading
Flashback: February 5, 2015
FiveThirtyEight analysts released their early predictions for who would be each party’s presidential nominee. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) had the highest odds.
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