Daily Brew: And the nominee is...

Welcome to the Tuesday, July 10 Brew. Here’s what we have in store for you as you sip your morning Brew: And the nominee is... One week until Alabama primary runoffs. Here’s what we’re watching. Oregon voters to decide on the meaning of “raising revenue” as it relates to taxes and the state legislature Trump nominates Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court President Donald Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to succeed Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump said regarding the nomination: "Judge Kavanaugh has impeccable credentials, unsurpassed qualifications, and a proven commitment to equal justice under the law." Kavanaugh, 53, is a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals on the D.C. Circuit. He was appointed by President George W. Bush (R) and confirmed in 2006 by a vote of 57-36 in the U.S. Senate. Fifty-three Republicans and four Democrats voted "yea," and seven members did not vote. Of the Democrats voting in favor, only Tom Carper (Del.) is still in the Senate. After Bush was elected president, Kavanaugh was senior associate counsel and associate counsel to the President and then served as assistant to the President and staff secretary. He was serving in this role when Bush nominated him to the D.C. Circuit. Kavanaugh clerked for Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy from 1993 to 1994. He worked for former independent counsel Ken Starr during the investigation of then-President Bill Clinton (D). He graduated from Yale Law School. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said of Kavanaugh's nomination: "President Trump has made a superb choice. Judge Brett Kavanaugh is an impressive nominee who is extremely well qualified to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States." On the day Kennedy announced his retirement, McConnell said the Senate would vote to confirm a successor in the fall. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded to the announcement: "Judge Kavanaugh got the nomination because he passed this litmus test, not because he’ll be an impartial judge on behalf of all Americans. If he were to be confirmed, women’s reproductive rights would be in the hands of five men on the Supreme Court."   Learn more         Advertisement   Opinion Research on Elections and Public Policy   One week until Alabama primary runoffs Alabama voters head back to the polls next Tuesday for primary runoffs where no candidate received a majority of the vote in the June 5 contests. Ballotpedia is covering a total of 31 runoff races at the state and federal level. Three noteworthy runoffs next week include: 2nd Congressional District Republican runoff Incumbent Rep. Martha Roby and former Rep. Bobby Bright were the top two finishers in the GOP primary for Alabama's 2nd Congressional District. Roby received 39 percent of the vote to Bright’s 28 percent in the first round of voting on June 5. President Donald Trump endorsed Roby in a tweet on June 22. Bright represented the district for one term as a Democrat before losing to Roby by two points in 2010. He is now running as a Republican. Early on, therace was seen as a test of whether voters would support GOP incumbents who criticize President Trump. Roby disavowed the President while he was running in 2016. Pre-runoff campaign finance reports showed that Roby raised nearly $721,000 between May 17 and June 27 and had $731,000 cash on hand. Bright raised $19,600 in the same time period and had $163,000 cash on hand.   Learn more→   Lieutenant Governor Republican runoff The lieutenant governor's seat in Alabama has been vacant since Kay Ivey (R) succeeded Gov. Robert Bentley (R) in April 2017. Public Service Commission Chairwoman Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh received 43 percent of the vote to State Rep. Will Ainsworth's 's 37 percent in the June 5 primary. Both candidates have run ads accusing each other of corruption and support for special interests; Ainsworth charges Cavanaugh with supporting the largest tax increase in state history, while Cavanaugh contends that Ainsworth has taken over $500,000 from interest groups and has accused President Trump of being a con man. Learn more→ Attorney General Republican runoff Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) is running for the office for the first time after taking over from Luther Strange (R), who resigned to accept a seat in the U.S. Senate in February 2017. Troy King (R) was the state's Attorney General from 2004 until 2011, and finished within 3,000 votes of Marshall in the June 5 primary. Marshall had 28.36 percent to King’s 27.84 percent. On the campaign trail, Marshall has touted his policy initiatives on opioids and public safety as well as three lawsuits concerning federal immigration policy that he pursued alongside other state attorneys general. King, who has emphasized the theme of taking Alabama back, is running as a check on corruption, violent crime, and the political establishment.   Learn more→ Initiative 31 certified for Oregon ballot In Oregon, bills that raise revenue through tax increases require a three-fifths vote of all members in each legislative chamber to pass. Initiative 31 would amend the constitution to apply the same three-fifths supermajority vote requirement to any legislation that increases revenue through changes in tax exemptions, credits, and deductions. The amendment is a response to a 2015 Oregon Supreme Court ruling that the Legislative Counsel said excluded bills that raised revenue by reducing tax exemptions and credits from the three-fifths vote requirement. Specifically, the amendment would define “raising revenue” as “any tax or fee increase, whether accomplished by the creation, imposition or increase of any tax or fee, or by the modification, elimination or change in eligibility for any exemption, credit, deduction or lower rate of taxation.” As of July 5, 2018, one committee was registered to support this initiative: the A Tax is a Tax Committee. The committee reported a total of $1.17 million in contributions— $1 million in cash donations and $163,000 in in-kind services. The largest donor to the committee was the Oregon Association of Realtors which provided a total of $793,593 in cash and in-kind contributions. Learn more→