Let's start with Nebraska, where conservative Republican Ben Sasse began his reelection bid yesterday. He was first elected in 2014 against Democrat David Domina, 64.4% to 31.5%. 347,636 Nebraskans voted for him. Sasse was the first sitting senator to announce he wouldn't support Trump if Trump won the Republican nomination in 2016.
The evil queen from Kentucky: "If I'm still Majority Leader of the Senate after next year, none of those things"-- and he's talking about Medicare-for-All, free public college, the Green New Deal, a minimum wage increase, LGBTQ workplace equality, background checks on gun sales...-- "are going to pass the Senate. They won't even be voted on.
Civiqs just released some fascinating state by state polling data on how registered voters view the way Trump has been performing in office. Nationally, 54% say they disapprove and 43% say they approve (July 23).
Bevin (R-KY) is the least liked governor and McConnell (R-KY) is the least liked senatorThe Economist ran a YouGov poll this week and, among other things, asked for favorables and unfavorables of the Democratic 2020 candidates: Here's the favorable ratings (+ in parentheses what percentage of people don't know who they are) for each candidate:
Auschwitz Revisited by Nancy OhanianLast night the House voted on this Resolution of Disapproval, condemning Trump's racist comments (though not condemning Señor Trumpanzee himself-- nor even referring to him as a racist-- since Pelosi is still absolutely determined to continue protecting him from any such thing):
Thom Tillis is WAY too scared to ever criticize Trump againThere will be a huge focus on North Carolina next year. First of all it's a swing state that Obama won in 2008 and where Trump is underwater in polling now (-3 according to the June Morning Consult update). There's virtually no path to victory for Trump without North Carolina's 15 electoral votes.
Dan McCarthy, a right-wing Arizona Republican skincare company executive who is challenging Martha McSally for her Senate seat next year, told a Phoenix radio audience this week that "the Washington DC establishment, Mitch McConnell... the swamp creatures of Washington, DC-- they've given us two choices, McSally or Kelly. I'm a conservative outsider. I've been looking at this for a little while and I said, 'I'm not so sure if that's acceptable to me; I'd don't know if the status quo's OK...
Kentucky is a very red state, more so in national politics than local politics. Trump beat Hillary there 1,202,971 (62.5%) to 628,854 (32.7%), one of Trump's best performances anywhere. He lost only two counties (out of Kentucky's 120)-- Jefferson (Louisville in the 3rd congressional district) and Fayette (Lexington in the 6th congressional district). The state's PVI is a daunting R+15.In 2018, Amy McGrath won a tough Democratic primary in the 6th district and took on Republican incumbent Andy Barr. The PVI of the 6th is R+9. McGrath did extremely well... for a Democrat.
