Daily Brew: Trump’s 8th congressional endorsement comes in Ohio’s 12th

July 24, 2018

Plus: What will today’s turnout look like in the primary runoff in Georgia? & Trump administration proposes changes to Endangered Species Act   Welcome to the Tuesday, July 24 Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Trump makes eighth U.S. House endorsement in 2018 What will today’s turnout look like in the primary runoff in Georgia? Trump administration proposes changes to species and habitat designations under Endangered Species Act Trump endorses Balderson in battleground OH-12 special election, his eighth U.S. House endorsement of the year President Donald Trump endorsed state Sen. Troy Balderson (R) in the August 7 special election for Ohio’s 12th Congressional District against Franklin County Recorder Danny O’Connor (D). He tweeted, “Troy Balderson of Ohio is running for Congress against a Nancy Pelosi Liberal who is WEAK on Crime & Borders. Troy is the total opposite, and loves our Military, Vets & 2nd Amendment. EARLY VOTING just started with Election Day on August 7th. Troy has my Full & Total Endorsement!” Balderson calls himself a strong supporter of President Trump, who won the district by a margin of 11 points. He supports the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and an Obamacare replacement that requires health insurance to cover pre-existing conditions. O’Connor is running as a moderate candidate, calling for a change in congressional leadership from both House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and pledging to work with Republicans and Trump to fix infrastructure. Balderson is the eighth candidate for U.S. House to be endorsed by Trump this year. He won the Republican primary in the OH-12 special election on May 8. Learn more         How will turnout in today’s Georgia’s primary runoffs compare to prior years? 607,441 voters participated in Georgia's May 22 Republican gubernatorial primary, where Lieutenant Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp advanced to today's runoff election. Cagle received 236,987 votes (39%), and Kemp received 155,189 votes (25.5%). The 2010 and 2014 primaries saw a 14.8 percent and 20.1 percent reduction in turnout from the primary to the runoff, respectively. In 2010, 680,499 voters participated in the first primary and 579,551 voters participated in the runoff. The second-place finisher in the general primary, Nathan Deal, beat Karen Handel in the runoff. Deal increased his percentage of the vote from 22.9 percent in the general primary to 50.2 percent in the runoff, going from about 156,000 votes to about 291,000 votes. Handel increased her vote percentage from 34.1 percent to 49.8 percent, going from about 232,000 votes to about 288,500 votes. In 2014, 605,335 voters participated in the first primary and 483,399 voters participated in the runoff. The first-place finisher in the general primary, David Perdue, won the runoff against Jack Kingston. Perdue increased his percentage of the vote from 30.6 percent in the general primary to 50.9 percent in the runoff, going from about 185,500 votes to about 246,000 votes. Kingston increased his percentage of the vote from 25.8 percent to 49.1 percent, going from about 156,000 votes to about 237,500 votes. Bookmark this link for tonight's election results→ Trump administration proposes changes to species and habitat designations under Endangered Species Act The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) announced the upcoming publication of three proposed rules aimed at increasing clarity and consistency regarding the implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), according to a joint press release. The proposed changes would impact ESA provisions concerning the addition and removal of certain species from the endangered species list, the designation of critical habitats, and the distinction between threatened and endangered species, among other modifications aimed at clarifying unclear statutory language. “One thing [the Trump administration] heard over and over again was that ESA implementation was not consistent and often times very confusing to navigate,” said FWS Principal Deputy Director Greg Sheehan in a press release. "We are proposing these improvements to produce the best conservation results for the species while reducing the regulatory burden on the American people." Environmental groups, including Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity, have expressed opposition to the changes— stating that the proposals will undermine the effectiveness of the ESA and threaten endangered species. The American Farm Bureau Federation and the Public Lands Council have expressed support for the proposals in the hopes that the changes will provide increased clarity and regulatory relief. Learn more→