Eyes on 2024: The desert Senate race heats up

Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego announced that his Senate campaign raised more than $1 million in its first 24 hours as he gears up for what will be an expensive, and likely unpredictable race, especially if Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., runs again. 

Sinema closed the last fundraising period with more significantly cash on hand than Gallego. But as Inside Elections reports, it’s not clear if she’ll be able to still use the online fundraising platform ActBlue, which has been a boon for Democrats, as a newly independent senator. 

Gallego told NBC News’ Sahil Kapur that his path to victory is “very clear. Solidify Latinos and Democrats,” Gallego said. “A lot of Latinos are actually independents. And at the end of the day we’re going to also have the crossover appeal for some Republicans based on our national security background.” 

Kapur also reports that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declined to say if he would support Sinema or the Democratic nominee in the race.

In other campaign news… 

Waiting for the report: A Georgia judge said Tuesday he would rule at a later date whether to release a special grand jury’s report on its investigation into whether Trump and his allies attempted to interfere in the 2020 election results.

Pompeo and circumstance: Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CBS This Morning that he would decide on a presidential run in “the next handful of months” and that Trump’s presence in the race would not affect that decision. 

RNC drama: The race for the next Republican National Committee chair will be decided later this week, and the two top candidates, Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and attorney Harmeet Dhillon, both spoke to Politico about their pitches to committee members. Politico also reports that few members of the Senate GOP caucus are engaging in the chair race.

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

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For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Mitch goes to Washington: Former Indiana GOP Gov. Mitch Daniels will be in D.C. Wednesday to meet with Republican senators, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and NRSC Chairman Steve Daines, as he weighs a Senate run, per Politico. Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Jim Banks, who launched a Senate run earlier this month, announced Tuesday that he has been endorsed by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. 

California dreaming: The Sacramento Bee looks at the key factors at play for Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, who wants to succeed Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein (even though the latter hasn’t announced she’s stepping aside). 

Hitting the airwaves: Republican Kelly Craft, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, is spending $118,000 on a new TV ad buy in the Kentucky governor’s race, per AdImpact, bringing her campaign’s ad spending to $1.2 million so far. 

On Wisconsin: The New York Times reports on one of the most consequential, under-the-radar races of 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court race in April. 

A gold watch or another go?: The Washington Post reports on the Democratic senators who are still weighing whether they want to run for another term, pivotal decisions in key swing states.