Daily Brew: Maple Belt Tuesday

August 14, 2018

Primary day in Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin, PLUS join Ballotpedia Insights tomorrow for a call with the authors of The Great Revolt   Welcome to the Tuesday, August 14 Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Primary day in the Maple Belt: Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin Join Ballotpedia Insights tomorrow for a discussion with the authors of The Great Revolt U.S. Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) suspends re-election campaign following inside trading indictment Primary day: Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin What do Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin have in common? Well, they are all in the Maple (syrup) Belt and have primaries today! What’s better than Super Tuesday? Maple Belt Tuesday. Let’s make this stick. These four states alone are responsible for 52% of the country’s maple syrup production. Statewide primaries are being held in these states today. Get caught up on some of the interesting primary battles - and join us tonight and tomorrow for results. Minnesota MN-Gov: Democratic primary: Three candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for governor. The state party endorsed state Rep. Erin Murphy (D) at its annual convention. Murphy faces U.S. House Rep. Tim Walz (D), who is backed by the state’s largest labor union, and Attorney General Lori Swanson (D), who is running on a ticket with outgoing Rep. Rick Nolan (D). Republican primary: In the Republican gubernatorial primary, party-endorsed candidate Jeff Johnson (R) faces former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R). Pawlenty, who served two terms prior to the election of incumbent Mark Dayton (D) in 2010, did not contest the party nomination at the annual convention but has received the endorsements of three former state party chairmen. Johnson, who serves on the Hennepin County Commission, was the party’s gubernatorial nominee in 2014. MN-1: In the first open race in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District since 2006, the Republican Party is lining up behind two candidates—2016 nominee Jim Hagedorn (R) and state Sen. Carla Nelson (R)—naming them both to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Contenders” program. Hagedorn, who lost to incumbent Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) by less than one percentage point in the last election cycle, earned the district party’s endorsement. Nelson, who has served in the state Senate since 2011, was endorsed by Susan B. Anthony List. Connecticut CT-5: In the Democratic primary for Connecticut’s 5th District, former Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman faces 2016 National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes. Glassman was endorsed by the state Democratic Party, but Hayes has the support of progressive organizations and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). The winner will run in the general election for the seat currently held by Elizabeth Esty (D). Esty did not file for re-election after media outlets reported she did not act on complaints that her chief of staff abused and sexually harassed female staffers in her office. Wisconsin WI-Sen: Marine Corps veteran Kevin Nicholson (R) and state Sen. Leah Vukmir (R) are competing in an expensive Republican Senate primary. Vukmir has the support of national and state party leaders, earning endorsements from House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), more than 50 state legislators and officials, and the Republican Party of Wisconsin. FreedomWorks and the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund have backed Nicholson, while Club for Growth has spent more than $2.4 million to support his campaign. The winner will face incumbent Tammy Baldwin in November. Bookmark this link to follow along with results when polls close tonight         Join us on Wednesday for a Q&A with the authors of The Great Revolt This summer, both our Ballotpedia staffers and members of the Ballotpedia Book Club have been thumbing through The Great Revolt, Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics. The Associated Press writes “people struggling to understand what is happening in American politics would do well to read this fascinating book.” The authors, Salena Zito and Brad Todd, will be joining us on Wednesday for a discussion on the process, research, and writing that went into the book. This call is part of an ongoing Q&A series, Ballotpedia Insights.  Sign up here→ U.S. Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) suspends re-election campaign following insider-trading indictment U.S. Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) announced over the weekend that he was suspending his re-election campaign. Three days earlier, he turned himself into the FBI after a grand jury charged him and his son with trading Innate Immunotherapeutics stocks before news broke that recent drug trials failed. In a statement, Collins said he “decided that it is in the best interests of the constituents of NY-27, the Republican Party and President Trump’s agenda for me to suspend my campaign for re-election to Congress” and that he would “continue to fight the meritless charges brought against me and I look forward to having my good name cleared of any wrongdoing.” Collins is the 56th member of Congress to announce he would not seek re-election in 2018 and the 38th Republican. Politico reported that Collins would attempt to have his name removed from the general election ballot and replaced by another Republican. Collins and Nate McMurray (D) ran unopposed in the June 26 Republican and Democratic primaries, respectively. Collins was first elected in 2012 after defeating incumbent Kathy Hochul (D), who is now New York’s lieutenant governor. Donald Trump (R) received nearly 60 percent of the district’s vote in 2016, while Hillary Clinton (D) received 35 percent. Learn more→