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U.S. Chamber of Commerce backs Cuellar in TX-28
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $200,000 on a Spanish-language ad supporting Rep. Henry Cuellar in Texas' 28th Congressional District primary. The ad says Cuellar helped pass the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement and protected the auto industry from tariffs.
The Texas Tribune's Patrick Svitek wrote: "It is a somewhat unusual move by the powerful Republican-leaning business group, which has previously supported centrist Democrats but has not spent seriously on behalf of one since 2014."
Cuellar, in office since 2005, is running against immigration lawyer Jessica Cisneros in the March 3 primary. Cisneros' platform includes Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and a $15-per-hour minimum wage. Cuellar has said the district is more moderate. He says he opposes a Green New Deal and supports expanding health care access and protecting local jobs, among other priorities.
Other satellite spending in the race includes $1.2 million on ads supporting Cisneros and opposing Cuellar from Texas Forward—a PAC affiliated with EMILY's List—and American Workers for Progress' $700,000 on pro-Cuellar ads.
PAC backs Smith's Senate bid in NC, Smith disavows PAC
Faith and Power PAC has spent $2.4 million supporting state Sen. Erica Smith in the Democratic primary for Senate in North Carolina. It's the first noteworthy satellite spending for Smith in the race. Smith distanced herself from the group.
After the group released a T.V. ad and reported $1.6 million in initial expenditures last week, media outlets wrote that the group had Republican ties. CNN reported, "The media buyer, Neylan and Partners, has worked on behalf of Republican campaigns before, including a super PAC supporting Carly Fiorina's 2016 presidential campaign as well as Americans for Tax Reform."
The group's ad says Smith is "the only proven progressive" and that she supports Medicare for All and a Green New Deal.
Smith's campaign said in a statement, "The Erica for U.S. campaign disavows and disassociates ourselves from the interference of Republicans in the Democratic Senate Primary. … This entity is not authorized to represent our views and positions."
Candidate Cal Cunningham said, "Washington Republicans know Senator Tillis is weak, and apparently they don't like his chances against me in November. Now they're resorting to shady tactics to meddle in our election -- and it's disrespectful to North Carolina voters."
VoteVets Action Fund has spent almost $6 million on ads supporting Cunningham. Cunningham has also released his own ads.
Cunningham's ads focus on his support for expanding Medicaid, lowering drug costs, and strengthening the Affordable Care Act. Smith's campaign website says she supports a Green New Deal, the "expansion of affordable healthcare for all," drug price controls, and Medicaid expansion.
Cunningham ended 2019 having raised $3.3 million and with $1.7 million on hand. Smith raised $213,000 and had $95,000 on hand.
Smith and Cunningham are among the five primary candidates running for the Democratic nomination to run against Sen. Thom Tillis (R) in November. The primary is March 3. Three ratings outlets view the race as a Toss-up or Lean Republican.
Chicago mayor endorses Newman in IL-03
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot endorsed Marie Newman in her rematch against incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski. Chicago makes up about one-third of Illinois' 3rd Congressional District.
 Lightfoot said Saturday that Newman would stand in solidarity with immigrants and refugees. She said Lipinski "voted against Obamacare, mocks efforts to combat climate change, and is actually still opposed to marriage equality."
As we reported in our first issue of Heart of the Primaries, Lipinski announced in January that 27 mayors and village presidents had endorsed his re-election bid. Three days before Lipinski’s announcement, Lightfoot tweeted, "I support a big tent but there's no room under the flaps for anyone who is actively seeking to deny women control over our bodies. Time to leave @danlipinski."
Newman lost to Lipinksi 51% to 49% in the 2018 Democratic primary.
WI-07 special primary election Feb. 18
Lawrence Dale and Tricia Zunker are running in the Democratic primary election for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District on Feb. 18. The district's special general election is May 12. The special election was called to fill the vacancy left when Sean Duffy (R) resigned in Sept. 2019. Duffy cited the impending birth of his child as his reason for resigning. He was first elected in 2010 and won re-election in 2018, defeating Margaret Engebretson (D) 60% to 39%.
Dale, an insurance salesperson, previously ran as a Green Party candidate for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District in 2014 and as a Democratic candidate for District 34 of the Wisconsin state Assembly in 2016. His priorities include transitioning the area’s timber pulp industry to hemp pulp, growing the local farming industry, and passing Medicare for All.
Zunker, a member of the Wausau School Board and an associate justice of the Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court, said she would be an advocate for local farmers and work to improve public education. Zunker said she favors "Medicare for All for those who want it." Zunker received endorsements from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and the 7th Congressional District Democratic Party.
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Indiana Democrats have not had a contested gubernatorial primary since 2008. That year, former Rep. Jill Long Thompson (D) defeated businessman Jim Schellinger (D) by 50.6% to 49.4%. Incumbent Mitch Daniels (R) defeated Thompson 58% to 40% in the general election.
