Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

The Federal Tap: Texas, check! Next up: Illinois

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search

March 9, 2018Issue No. 103

The-Federal Tap Banner-White-750x191px.png

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 5

U.S. Supreme Court adds two new cases to its docket and issues opinions in two additional cases

  • The United States Supreme Court added two additional cases to its docket for the term. The cases are Gundy v. United States, on appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, and Knick v. Township of Scott, Pennsylvania, on appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. Including the new cases, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear 76 cases this term. Last term, the court heard 71 cases. Of the 76 cases the court has agreed to hear, it has heard arguments in 48.
  • The Supreme Court also issued new additional opinions, bringing its opinion count for the term to thirteen. First, the court ruled in Texas v. New Mexico that the United States could intervene in a dispute between New Mexico and Texas over the use of the Rio Grande River. Second, in U.S. Bank National Association v. Village at Lakeridge, the court affirmed the Ninth Circuit’s conclusion regarding the standard of review to be applied in certain Bankruptcy Court appeals. Both opinions were unanimous. The opinion in U.S. Bank was authored by Justice Elena Kagan; the opinion in Texas was authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Cochran to retire April 1

  • Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), the 10th-longest-serving senator in U.S. history, announced that he will resign from the Senate on April 1, 2018. He said in a statement, "I regret my health has become an ongoing challenge." Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) will appoint an interim senator to serve until voters select a new senator in a November 6, 2018, special election. The winner will serve out the remainder of Cochran’s term through 2020. According to Politico, "Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged Bryant to appoint himself, according to a person familiar with the discussions.”

Freedom Caucus Chairman Meadows endorses Pounds in TX CD-5 Republican Primary

  • U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, endorsed Bunni Pounds in the Republican primary for Texas’ 5th Congressional District. Retiring incumbent Jeb Hensarling (R) also backed Pounds, who previously served as his campaign manager, while U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R) backed Jason Wright, one of his former staffers.

Satellite spending picks up in North Dakota Senate race with new ads

  • Independent organizations are beginning to get involved in the U.S. Senate race in North Dakota with television and digital ads. Senate Majority PAC released an ad last week linking state Attorney General Josh Hawley to Gov. Eric Greitens (R-N.D.), who was indicted for felony invasion of privacy last month. The ad was part of a $1.4 million ad buy in the race.
  • Incumbent Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) is the subject of a new ad this week from the National Republican Senatorial Committee critical of her opposition to anti-abortion legislation and support for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
  • Heitkamp won the seat in 2012 by one percentage point, and three outlets have rated this year's race a Toss-up.

Poll has Lipinski and Newman virtually tied in IL-3

Tuesday, March 6

Texas primary overview

Roundup of Texas’ U.S. House Republican primaries

  • Six Republican incumbents in Texas’ U.S. House delegation are not running for re-election, which created six open primaries for Tuesday’s elections. In five of these primaries, no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, meaning the top two candidates will face each other in runoffs on May 22. Here’s a rundown of what happened in each race:
    • 2nd District: State Rep. Kevin Roberts and former Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw advanced to the runoff to fill U.S. Rep. Ted Poe’s seat. The big story in this race is that activist Kathaleen Wall missed the runoff despite putting $6 million of her own money into the race. Roberts raised about $660,000 and Crenshaw raised about $170,000.
    • 3rd District: State Sen. Van Taylor won the primary to succeed U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson with 85 percent of the vote. He faced no major opposition.
    • 5th District: State Rep. Lance Gooden and political consultant Bunni Pounds advanced to the runoff to fill U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling’s seat. Pounds was the race’s top fundraiser and was backed by Hensarling. The Club for Growth ran negative ads against Gooden ahead of the election and promptly endorsed Pounds for the runoff.
    • 6th District: Former Tarrant County Tax Assessor Ron Wright and former Navy pilot Jake Ellzey are headed to the runoff in the race to fill U.S. Rep. Joe Barton’s seat. Wright was backed by Tea Party groups and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) prior to the election and was endorsed the Club for Growth for the runoff. Ellzey was backed by former Gov. Rick Perry and the Dallas-area newspapers.
    • 21st District: Former Ted Cruz staffer Chip Roy and businessman Matt McCall advanced into the runoff in this 18-candidate field. Roy, who was endorsed by Cruz and Tea Party organizations, was the top fundraiser. McCall, a three-time candidate for the seat without major endorsements or financial backers, edged out ex-CIA officer William Negley, whose campaign was funded by San Antonio billionaire Red McCombs.
    • 27th District: Former Texas Water Development Board Chairman Bech Bruun and Republican activist Michael Cloud advanced to the runoff to fill U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold’s seat. Bruun was the top fundraiser and received endorsements from Rick Perry and U.S. Rep. Roger Williams. Cloud was backed by former District 27 Congressman Ron Paul.

Ted Cruz endorses Russ Fulcher in ID-01 Republican primary

  • U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is backing former state Sen. Russ Fulcher in the Republican primary for Idaho’s 1st Congressional District. Fulcher has been endorsed by limited government and Tea Party groups such as FreedomWorks and the Club for Growth. He was also endorsed by outgoing incumbent and House Freedom Caucus founding member Raul Labrador, who is running for governor.
  • Fulcher’s top rivals in the Republican primary are David Leroy, an attorney who served as the state’s lieutenant governor and attorney general in the 1980s, and state Rep. Luke Malek. Fulcher leads all candidate in fundraising, but Leroy has led in both publicly-released polls in the race. The winner of the primary is likely to win the general election in this safe Republican seat.
  • Fulcher served as a state senator from 2006 to 2014, when he left to mount a primary challenge to Idaho Gov. Butch Otter (R), who was first elected in 2006. Otter won the primary by less than seven points.

Oregon candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in Oregon elections passed on March 6. Federal and state offices on the ballot this year will include five U.S. House seats, two state executive offices including the governor and labor commissioner, 16 of the 30 state senate seats, all 60 state house seats, three of the seven seats on the state supreme court, and three of the 13 seats on the state court of appeals. Local offices on the ballot will include several municipal offices in the city of Portland and Multnomah County. The state’s primary is on May 15, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.

DOJ files lawsuit against California's sanctuary jurisdiction immigration laws

  • The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against the State of California, Governor of California Jerry Brown, and Attorney General of California Xavier Becerra for passing three state laws—Assembly Bill 450, Senate Bill 54, and Assembly Bill 103—that the DOJ says prevent officials from enforcing federal immigration law. The DOJ is asking a federal judge to block the implementation of the laws. According to a DOJ press release, "The complaint contends that the laws in question are preempted by federal law and impermissibly target the Federal Government, and therefore violate the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution. As a result, the Justice Department is seeking to permanently enjoin these state statutes, which are contrary to federal law and interfere with federal immigration authorities’ ability to carry out their lawful duties." The laws allow state and local officials and private businesses to withhold information about individuals residing in the U.S. without legal permission from federal immigration enforcement officials.

Senate confirms three new nominees

  • This week, the United States Senate confirmed three more of President Trump's nominees to Article III life-term judicial position. All three were confirmed to federal district court seats. Karen Gren Scholer was confirmed on a recorded vote of 95 - 0 to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Tilman E. Self III was confirmed on a recorded vote of 85 - 11 to a seat on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Terry A. Doughty was confirmed on a recorded vote of 98 - 0 to the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. All three will take their seats upon taking their judicial oaths and receiving their judicial commissions.
  • As of March 8, 2018, the Senate has confirmed 29 of President Trump's nominees on courts tracked in Ballotpedia's Federal Vacancy Count. There are an additional 58 nominees awaiting a Senate confirmation vote.

Thursday, March 8

Bernie Sanders endorses Marie Newman in IL-03 race

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) endorsed political newcomer Marie Newman over her opponent Rep. Dan Lipinski (D) in the Democratic primary for Illinois' 3rd Congressional District. In a statement on March 8, Sanders said, "Marie Newman has made it clear that she will be a champion for working families in Illinois, which is why I am proud to support her campaign...I am proud to stand with Marie and look forward to continuing to fight alongside her on these and other critical issues once she’s elected to Congress."

Trump announces a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports

  • President Donald Trump signed paperwork to put in place a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. According to a White House fact sheet, Trump has the authority to do so because “Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, provides the President with authority to adjust imports being brought into the United States in quantities or under circumstances that threaten to impair national security.” Based on reports from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the administration concluded that foreign imports of aluminum and steel were weakening the domestic production of these materials and could result in the U.S. not being able to support infrastructure projects or produce weapons, tanks, and aircraft that ensure national security. The administration said that Canada and Mexico are excluded from the tariffs and that discussions about steel and aluminum would continue as North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation talks continue. The administration also said that the tariffs could be modified or removed on a country-by-country basis. The move puts Trump at odds with his party and the international community. Members of the GOP oppose the tariffs, and leaders from the European Union and China have threatened to retaliate. Some Democrats, particularly those from Rust Belt states, support the tariffs.

Trump agrees to meet with Kim

  • South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong announced that President Donald Trump accepted an invitation to meet directly with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The announcement followed talks earlier in the week between South Korea and North Korea. North Korea “also signaled that it would not test missiles anymore and would be willing to negotiate ending its nuclear weapons program,” according to Politico. Chung said that Kim "stressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. President Trump appreciated the greeting and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization."

Friday, March 9

California candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline passed for candidates running for election in California. The top-two primary election will be held on June 5, and the general election will be held on November 6. On the federal level, one U.S. Senate seat and all 53 U.S. House seats will be up for election. At the state level, the governor and seven other state executive offices will also be up for election along with 20 state Senate seats and all 80 state Assembly seats. Ballotpedia is also covering municipal elections in 12 counties, eight cities, and two school districts with the same filing deadline.

Georgia candidate filing deadline

Idaho candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline passed for candidates running in Idaho elections. Federal and state offices on the ballot this year will include two U.S. House seats, seven state executive offices including the governor and lieutenant governor, all 35 state senate seats, all 70 state house seats, one of the five seats on the state supreme court, and two of the four seats on the state court of appeals. Local offices on the ballot will include several municipal offices in Ada County as well as school board elections in Boise. The state’s primary is on May 15, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.

Sanders declines to endorse incumbent Feinstein in California Senate race

Congress is in session

The Senate will be in session Monday through Friday. The House will be in session Tuesday through Friday.

SCOTUS is in session

The Supreme Court did not hear any arguments this week. 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.

Monday, March 12

Montana candidate filing deadline

  • The deadline for candidates running for election in Montana is March 12. On the federal level, one U.S. Senate seat as well as the state’s at-large U.S. House seat will be up for election. Also up for election are 25 state senate seats and all 100 state house seats. The state's primary is on June 5, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.

Tuesday, March 13

New Mexico candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in New Mexico elections will pass. Federal and state offices on the ballot this year will include one U.S. Senate seat, three U.S. House seats, nine state executive offices including the governor and lieutenant governor, and all 70 state house seats. Ballotpedia is also covering local elections in Bernalillo County. The state’s primary is on June 5, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.

Close contest possible in PA-18 special election

  • President Donald Trump (R) won Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District by close to 20 points in 2016, but the race to replace former Rep. Tim Murphy (R) is closer than many expected. Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone was initially favored, but election forecasters have reclassified it as a toss-up in recent weeks. He's facing Democratic former federal prosecutor Conor Lamb, and Libertarian attorney Drew Miller. but Republicans could lose the seat in the special election.
  • The special election is being held to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Rep. Tim Murphy (R), who resigned in October following reports that he asked a woman with whom he had an extramarital affair to have an abortion. Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone, Democratic former federal prosecutor Conor Lamb, and Libertarian attorney Drew Miller are competing for the seat.
  • The most recent poll of the race, conducted by RABA Research from March 6-8 and with a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percentage points, found Lamb with a 48-44 edge. Other recent polls have put the gap between the candidates at between 3 and 8 points. In most cases, those leads were within the polls’ margins of error.
  • Saccone was initially favored in the race, but election forecasters have reclassified it as a toss-up in recent weeks. That's due in part to Lamb's fundraising advantage. Lamb has led in fundraising, but satellite Outside groups have come out in force for Saccone - a February analysis by CNBC found that groups backing Saccone had spent about $7 million to Lamb groups' approximately $630,000.
  • Party leaders on both sides of the aisle are working to tip the balance in their candidate's favor. Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) rallied for Lamb in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, and current Vice President Mike Pence (R) headlined a fundraiser for Saccone in Pittsburgh last month. President Trump has also endorsed Saccone and is expected to campaign for him in the state this weekend.
  • The most recent poll of the race, conducted by Emerson College from March 1-3, found Lamb with a 48-45 edge. Other recent polls put Saccone in the lead by between 3 and 8 points. In most cases, those leads were within the polls’ margins of error.

Thursday, March 15

Maine candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in Maine elections will pass. Federal and state offices on the ballot in 2018 include one U.S. Senate seat, two U.S. House seats, the governor’s office, all 35 state senate seats, and all 151 state house seats. The state’s primary is on June 12, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.

Utah candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in Utah elections will pass. Federal and state offices on the ballot in 2018 include one U.S. Senate seat, four U.S. House seats, one state executive office, 14 state senate seats, and all 75 state house seats. Ballotpedia is also covering six school board elections. The state’s primary is on June 26, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.

Friday, March 16

Iowa candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in Iowa elections will pass. Federal and state offices on the ballot in 2018 include four U.S. House seats, seven state executive offices including the governor, 25 state senate seats, and all 100 state house seats. This is also the deadline for three Iowa Court of Appeals judges to decide whether or not to run for retention. The state’s primary is on June 5, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.

Nevada candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in Nevada elections will pass on March 16. Federal and state offices on the ballot this year will include one U.S. Senate seat, four U.S. House seats, seven state executive offices including the governor and lieutenant governor, 11 state senate seats, and all 42 state assembly seats. Local offices on the ballot will include several municipal offices in the city of Reno, in Clark and Washoe counties, as well as two school boards. The state’s primary is on June 12, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.

Where was the president last week?

 

  • On Monday, President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Trump then met with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
  • On Tuesday, Trump met with Prime Minister Stefan Löfven of Sweden and Swedish business representatives at the White House.
  • On Wednesday, Trump spoke at the Latino Coalition Legislative Summit in Washington.
  • On Thursday, Trump held a meeting with his Cabinet. He then held a meeting with members of Congress and video game industry leaders.

Federal Judiciary

 

  • 146 federal judicial vacancies
  • 58 pending nominations
  • 32 future federal judicial vacancies


About

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

Back to top • More articles

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_Federal_Tap:_Texas,_check!_Next_up:_Illinois&oldid=8441709"