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The Federal Tap: Mississippi has a new U.S. senator

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March 23, 2018Issue No. 105

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Week in review
On tap next week

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Here's what happened in federal politics last week. To see what happened in state and local politics, click here.

Monday, March 19

Former White House official Sebastian Gorka endorses McCann in NJ-05 GOP primary

  • Attorney John McCann announced his endorsement by Sebastian Gorka, a former deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, in the Republican primary for New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District. Gorka worked in the White House on national security issues from January to August 2017, departing shortly after Steve Bannon, his former boss at Breitbart News, left his position as chief strategist.
  • “John has been a loyal supporter of our president from the beginning—committed to enacting our ‘America First’ agenda,” Gorka said. “We need fighters like John in Congress to go to work with President Trump and vote on behalf of the American people.” Other endorsements by Gorka this cycle include his support for state Rep. Christina Hagan (R) in the Republican primary for Ohio’s 16th Congressional District.
  • McCann’s only rival in the primary is Steve Lonegan, a longtime New Jersey politician who worked for Ted Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign. Lonegan was critical of then-candidate Trump while working for Cruz and was involved in an effort to deny Trump the Republican nomination at the GOP National Convention in July 2017. He now says that he supports Trump and his agenda. He was endorsed by Cruz and Sen. Rand Paul in the primary and outraised McCann by a $1.2 million to $140,000 margin in 2017.
  • The winner of the Lonegan vs. McCann primary will face incumbent Josh Gottheimer (D) in the general election. Gottheimer was first elected in 2016 when he defeated incumbent Scott Garrett (R) by 4.4 points. Trump won the district in the presidential election by a 1.1-point margin. Election forecasters rate this district as either "Likely Democratic" or "Lean Democratic."

Both SCOTUS and federal district court reject challenges to Pennsylvania's new congressional district map

  • The Supreme Court of the United States and a federal district court rejected separate challenges to Pennsylvania's new congressional district map. The new map was adopted by the state supreme court on February 19, 2018, in response to its earlier ruling that the original map, adopted by the Republican-controlled state legislature in 2011, "clearly, plainly and palpably violate[d] the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" via partisan gerrymandering.
  • Shortly after the state supreme court issued its order adopting a new district map, state Republicans filed suit in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, seeking an injunction against implementation of the remedial congressional district plan adopted by the state supreme court. The plaintiffs alleged that the state supreme court, in adopting a remedial map, violated the Elections Clause of the United States Constitution by usurping the redistricting authority granted by the Constitution to state legislatures. A three-judge panel of the district court rejected this challenge on March 19, 2018. State Republicans had also petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States to stay the state supreme court's decision pending appeal. The court rejected this request without noted dissent, also on March 19, 2018.
  • The New York Times noted that "while further court challenges are possible, [the March 19] decisions make it very likely that this year's congressional elections in Pennsylvania will be conducted using the new map."

Tuesday, March 20

Garcia wins bid to succeed Gutierrez in IL-04

  • Cook County Commissioner and 2015 mayoral candidate Jesus "Chuy" Garcia won the Democratic primary in Illinois' 4th Congressional District by more than 40 points over second-place finisher Sol Flores. A third candidate, Richard Gonzalez, also competed for the seat.
  • The election seemed to have the makings of a closer race. Garcia won the endorsement of outgoing incumbent Luis Gutierrez (D), who announced his retirement last year, and of U.S. Sen. and 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the Chicago Sun-Times, and progressive groups such as Democracy for America and the Sanders-affiliated Our Revolution.
  • But Flores scored national attention in February with a campaign ad about her experience with childhood sexual abuse, and she had some high-profile supporters of her own. The Chicago Tribune and EMILY's List gave her their endorsements. She also had the backing of U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D-N.Y.) Off the Sidelines PAC, which had an unblemished record in the Texas primaries earlier this month.
  • With his win in the primary, Garcia is heavily favored to succeed Gutierrez in the 4th District seat. Independent observers rate the district as safely Democratic.

Sen. Tom Cotton backs Dan Crenshaw in TX CD-02 Republican primary runoff

  • Just two weeks after he narrowly slipped past Kathaleen Wall into the runoff for Texas’ 2nd Congressional District, former Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). In his endorsement announcement, Cotton, who is also a veteran, said, “The number of veterans in Congress is at historic lows. That’s why I’m proud to endorse a decorated Navy SEAL.”
  • Crenshaw is facing state Rep. Kevin Roberts in the May 22 Republican primary runoff. Although Roberts was long expected to make the runoff, Crenshaw trailed Wall, a Republican activist who put $6 million of her own funds into the race, and businessman Rick Walker, another self-funded candidate, in endorsements and fundraising heading into the March 6 Republican primary. On election night, he edged out Wall by 145 votes to make the runoff. Roberts received 33 percent of the vote to Crenshaw’s 27.4 percent.
  • The winner of the Republican primary runoff is expected to go on to win the general election and fill the seat currently held by Ted Poe (R), who chose not to seek re-election. Election forecasters rate the seat as “Safe Republican.” Poe’s district is one of five Republican-held Texas House seats with retiring incumbents that advanced to a runoff following the March 6 elections. The other four are in Districts 5 (Jeb Hensarling’s district), 6 (Joe Barton’s district), 21 (Lamar Smith’s district), and 27 (Blake Farenthold’s district).

Pounds endorsed by Texas Freedom Caucus chairman in TX-05 GOP primary runoff

  • Political consultant Bunni Pounds was endorsed by state Rep. Matt Schaefer (R), the chairman of the Texas Freedom Caucus, in the Republican primary runoff for Texas’ 5th Congressional District. Schaefer’s Freedom Caucus comprises some of the most conservative members of the Texas state House and is often at odds with the policies and initiatives put forth by state House speaker Joe Straus (R).
  • In the race to replace 5th District incumbent Jeb Hensarling, Pounds is in a runoff with state Rep Lance Gooden, who won 29.9 percent of the vote in the original March 6 Republican primary to Pounds’ 22 percent. As the top two vote getters in the March 6 race, they will face off in the runoff on May 22.
  • Following the March 6 election, Pounds was endorsed by four of the 5th District candidates who did not advance, including Ted Cruz-endorsed Jason Wright, and the Club for Growth, which spent $250,000 on ads opposing Gooden for his positions on tax legislation while in the Texas state House. Gooden received endorsements from former elected officials and businessmen from the district, including former state Sen. John Carona (R) and Ross Perot Jr.
  • As of February 14, Pounds had raised $330,000 to Gooden’s $160,000. She also received endorsements from House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), U.S. Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah), and Hensarling ahead of the March 6 election. Gooden was backed by several mayors and local officials from the district, which he had represented part of in the Texas House from 2011-2015 and then again starting in 2017.
  • The winner of the runoff election will likely go on to replace Hensarling in the seat as election forecasters have rated the district as “Safe Republican.” Hensarling’s district is one of five Republican-held Texas House seats with retiring incumbents that advanced to a runoff following the March 6 elections. The other four are in Districts 2 (Ted Poe’s district), 6 (Joe Barton’s district), 21 (Lamar Smith’s district), and 27 (Blake Farenthold’s district).

Illinois primary overview

  • Illinois held the second statewide primary election of 2018. Elections were held for 18 U.S. House seats, six state executive seats, 157 state legislative seats, five Court of Appeals seats, and local judicial and county seats. Ballotpedia covered elections in Cook County, which held elections for 18 commissioner seats, county assessor, county clerk, county sheriff, county treasurer, two board of reviews seats, four water reclamation district board seats, and 38 local trial court seats.
    • All 18 U.S. House seats were on the ballot. As of March 2018, the Democratic Party holds an 11-7 majority in the U.S. House. The District 4 seat, currently held by Luis Gutierrez (D), is the only open seat. Of the 17 incumbents seeking re-election, 41.18 percent of them faced opposition in the primary. All incumbents advanced to the general election.
    • The District 4 open seat drew three Democratic candidates and one Republican candidate. Jesus Garcia defeated primary opponents Sol Flores and Richard Gonzalez with 66.43 percent of the vote. Flores received 21.61 percent and Gonzalez has 11.96 percent of the vote. Mark Wayne Lorch (R) advanced without competition.

Lipinski defeats Newman in IL-3

  • Incumbent Dan Lipinski (D) defeated his opponent and political newcomer Marie Newman in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District. Lipinski had 51.2 percent of the vote while Newman received 48.8 percent. Local observers said Newman's challenge was symbol of the conflict between moderates and progressives. According to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee’s, Kate Sweeney, the primary was "a battle for the soul of the Democratic party."
  • Endorsements in the race split along the ideological divide, with progressive backing Newman while labor unions and longtime Illinois politician supported Lipinski.

Illinois Democratic primary wrap-up

Pennsylvania candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in Pennsylvania congressional elections passed. Federal offices on the ballot this year include a U.S. Senate seat and 18 U.S. House seats. Ballotpedia's featured elections in Pennsylvania this year include the Democratic primaries for Congressional districts 1 and 15 . Featured Republican primaries include the race for governor as well as Congressional districts 8, 9, 11 and 15. The filing deadline for state offices was on March 6. The state's primary is on May 15, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.

Colorado candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in Colorado elections passed on March 20, 2018. Colorado was the 24th state to close its filing period for candidates. Federal and state offices on the ballot this year will include seven U.S. House seats, seven executive offices including the governor and attorney general, 17 of 35 state Senate seats, all 65 state House seats. Additionally, voters will elect one seat on the state supreme court and three seats on the state court of appeals. Local elections within Ballotpedia’s coverage scope will include county offices in Adams, Arapahoe, and El Paso counties. Ballotpedia's featured elections in Colorado this year include the Democratic primaries for governor and the general election contests for the 6th Congressional District, governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. The state’s primary is June 26, 2018, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.

Wednesday, March 21

Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) appointed to fill vacant U.S. Senate seat

  • Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant (R) announced he will appoint Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacancy created by Sen. Thad Cochran (R)'s upcoming resignation. She will be the first woman to represent Mississippi in either chamber of Congress.
  • Hyde-Smith will run in the November 6 special election to fill the remainder of Cochran's term. The White House reportedly opposes her appointment, concerned her previous Democratic affiliation—she switched parties in 2010—could harm her performance in the election. Her primary rival, state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R), switched from the regularly scheduled election challenging incumbent Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) to this special election after Cochran announced his retirement.

Thursday, March 22

Intel committee votes to release Russia probe report

  • The House Intelligence Committee voted along party lines to release a final report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The report, which was written by Republicans, will have to undergo a declassification review before it can be made public. Democrats on the committee are preparing their own viewpoints on the report, which will also be submitted for a declassification review. The Republican-authored report will include the following findings, according to a summary released by the committee:
    • The committee found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
    • The way the U.S. intelligence community came to the conclusion that Russian President Vladimir Putin showed a preference for Trump to be president was not valid.
    • There is concern about former Trump campaign advisers Carter Page and George Papadopoulos's dealings with Russia.
  • In the final report, the committee will make recommendations to improve election infrastructure security, prevent intelligence leaks, and repeal the Logan Act, among other things. Intel committee ranking member Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said that Democrats on the panel would continue the investigation without the help of Republicans.

Friday, March 23

Trump signs $1.3 trillion spending bill

  • President Donald Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill into law. Earlier in the day, he threatened to veto the bill. He wrote in a tweet, "I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded." The bill included $695 billion in defense funding and $591 billion in non-defense funding. It also included $78 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) spending. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 65-32 early Friday morning. Thirty-nine Democrats, 25 Republicans, and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) voted for the bill. Twenty-three Republicans, eight Democrats, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted against the bill. The House passed the bill by a vote of 256-167 on Thursday. One hundred and forty-five Republicans and 111 Democrats voted for the bill. Ninety Republicans and 77 Democrats voted against the bill. Negotiators in the House and Senate spent a month and a half working on the bill since a budget deal was signed into law by Trump on February 9, 2018. A breakdown of what was included and excluded in the bill can be viewed here.

Congress is not in session

The House and Senate will not be in session. The Senate returns on April 9, 2018, and the House returns on April 10, 2018.

SCOTUS is in session

The Supreme Court heard three arguments this week. Next week, the court is scheduled to hear five cases. To learn more about this term, read our overview.

WHAT'S ON TAP NEXT WEEK

Here's what is happening in federal politics this week. To see what happened in state and local politics, click here.

Tuesday, March 27

South Dakota candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in South Dakota elections will pass on March 27. Federal and state offices on the ballot this year will include one at-large U.S. House seat, eight state executive offices including the governor and lieutenant governor, all 35 state senate seats, all 70 state house seats, and one of the five seats on the state supreme court. This is the 25th statewide filing deadline of the 2018 election cycle. The state's primary is on June 5, and the general election is on November 6, 2018. If a primary runoff is needed, it will be held on August 14.

Missouri candidate filing deadline

Wednesday, March 28

SCOTUS scheduled to hear oral argument in partisan gerrymandering case Benisek v. Lamone

  • The Supreme Court of the United States is scheduled to hear oral argument in Benisek v. Lamone on March 28, 2018. The case originated in Maryland, where seven Republicans, all of whom lived and voted in Maryland's Sixth Congressional District prior to its reconfiguration in the 2010 redistricting cycle, claim that state lawmakers altered the boundaries of the 6th District in order to dilute the impact of Republican votes. The plaintiffs allege that this action was deliberate and effective, constituting a violation of their First Amendment right to protection from official retaliation for political beliefs. This marks the second partisan gerrymandering case the court has taken up this term, the other being Gill v. Whitford, a case originating in Wisconsin.

Thursday, March 29

California to release certified list of candidates

  • The California Secretary of State’s Office will release a certified list of the candidates who filed to run in the 2018 elections on March 29. The filing deadline was March 9. Candidates running for state and federal office will be on the state’s top-two primary election ballot on June 5. The two candidates who receive the most votes in that primary regardless of party will advance to the November 6 general election. One U.S. Senate seat, 53 U.S. House seats, eight state executive seats, 20 state Senate seats, and 80 state Assembly seats are up for election.

Virginia candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline will pass for candidates running in Virginia elections. Federal offices on the ballot this year will include one U.S. Senate seat and 11 U.S. House seats. The state’s primary is on June 12 and the general election is on November 6, 2018.
    • Ballotpedia’s featured elections in Virginia this year include the races for Republican nomination in the 6th Congressional District and 2nd Congressional District. The Democratic primary for the 10th Congressional District is also being featured.
    • Statewide elections were held in Virginia in 2017.

Friday, March 30

Candidate filing deadline in South Carolina

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in South Carolina elections will pass on March 30. Federal and state offices on the ballot this year include seven U.S. House seats, eight state executive offices including the governor and lieutenant governor, and all 124 state house seats. This is the 28th statewide filing deadline of the 2018 election cycle. The state's primary is on June 12, and the general election is on November 6, 2018. If a primary runoff is needed, it will be held on June 26.

Where was the president last week?

  • On Monday, President Donald Trump received his daily intelligence briefing. He then spoke at Manchester Community College about the opioid crisis.
  • On Tuesday, Trump welcomed Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the White House. In the afternoon, Trump and Vice President Mike Pence hosted a law enforcement roundtable on immigration and sanctuary jurisdictions. They then attended the National Republican Congressional Committee March Dinner.
  • On Wednesday, Trump held a Cabinet meeting. He then hosted the Financial Services Forum spring meeting.
  • On Thursday, Trump signed a memorandum placing tariffs and penalties on imports from China. He then participated in a panel discussion at the Generation Next Summit. In the evening, Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted the Greek Independence Day Celebration.
  • On Friday, Trump met with the Defense Secretary James Mattis, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan. He then signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill. In the afternoon, Trump and Melania traveled to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.

Federal Judiciary

 

  • 146 federal judicial vacancies
  • 57 pending nominations
  • 33 future federal judicial vacancies


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The Tap covered election news, public policy, and other noteworthy events from February 2016 to February 2022.

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