News : Will Dems put their money where their mouth is?

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Will Dems put their money where their mouth is?

Oct 04, 2022

DEMOCRATS FRET N.C. INVESTMENT — Democrats think they could have a fighting chance to eke out a Senate win in North Carolina, a feat that has eluded them since 2008. But to put North Carolina in play, Dems will need to pay. And that is a fight on its own.

Polls show Democrat Cheri Beasley, the former chief justice for the North Carolina Supreme Court, tied or very close to Republican Rep. Ted Budd in the race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Richard Burr.

But nationally, Democrats are pouring dollars elsewhere. They're focused on challenging attempts to flip Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and playing defense in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and New Hampshire. Party officials have been spending in North Carolina, but not nearly as much as in other states.

"I've certainly weighed in with the people who control such things, and I think our whole delegation has," said Rep. David Price (D-N.C.), who has spoken to the Democratic Senate campaign arm about the race. "There's a real case to be made, and we're trying to make it … there's some people who are fully engaged with this, but we all need to be."

Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), who spoke to DSCC Chair Gary Peters about the race, said "resources are coming in, we need more without question." But he noted Senate candidates are competing for a "finite" amount of money.

"North Carolina presents an opportunity for Democrats to grow their numbers in the United States Senate," Butterfield said. "North Carolina is not a red state, contrary to what many people believe."

Marianne has more about the perennial struggle to invest in toss-up races or to roll the dice on uphill battles that could pan out: Dems agonize over N.C. spending debacle as Senate race tightens

HERSCHEL WALKER'S ABORTION RECIEPT — Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker says he'll be suing The Daily Beast for its bombshell story Monday night detailing Walker's alleged payment to an ex-girlfriend for an abortion in 2009. Roger Sollenberger's reporting includes a receipt from the clinic, the image of a $700 personal check from Walker and a card that the check came in and conversations with the woman's friend who cared for her after the procedure.

Walker has backed a national 15-week ban on abortion, proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and has said repeatedly that he doesn't see any recent for exceptions to an abortion ban, including in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at stake.

The mess got messier when first, Walker's TikTok-famous son weighed in on Twitter, lambasting his father. And then Walker himself went on Hannity to deny the Beast's story.

"I never asked anyone to get an abortion. I never paid for an abortion, and it's a lie," he said on Hannity. Asked about the check, Walker said, "I send money to a lot of people."

Why this might not matter: We've seen this before. Sure, some anti-abortion politicians who encourage their own partners to get abortions end up flaming out when the news breaks. But there are also survivors. During the 2012 general election, documents made public from Tennessee Republican Rep. Scott DesJarlais' 2001 divorce proceedings revealed that the anti-abortion physician encouraged his then-wife and a mistress (who was also a patient) to have abortions. He won reelection that year, and is still in Congress today.

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GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, October 4, where receipts still reign.

WEIGHING WAYS AND MEANS — A three-way race to lead the House's powerful taxation panel, if Republicans take the House, is not as clear cut as one candidate would like everyone to believe.

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) could have the votes to take the top GOP spot on the Ways and Means Committee, but a pair of Smiths — Reps. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) don't appreciate the insinuation that the race is locked up.

Olivia spoke to more than two dozen of the current members of the roughly 30-member House Steering Committee about who they support, granting anonymity so lawmakers could speak frankly. That whip count shows the three-way race has no guaranteed winner; one Steering member said the dynamics have "shifted significantly." Adrian Smith, who is known as more of a policy wonk, looks to be further behind the other two.

"We knew early on, whenever we got in the race, that no one had it locked up," Jason Smith said in an interview. "And the reporting early on said that it was a lock for Vern and we knew that it wasn't, and I feel comfortable where we're at."

Among the members who were willing to answer, the results suggest Buchanan and Jason Smith will be going head-to-head, with three main groups in the mix: Buchanan supporters, anti-Buchanan voters and those who are still undecided or declining to answer.

Olivia has much more on the dynamics of the race, why some folks are waiting for McCarthy to weigh in and what it all means.

PUTTING MONEY WHERE THE MODERATION IS — David Nierenberg, one-time finance chief for then-GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney is dropping big dough on… a Democrat. When moderate Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) lost her primary in August, Nierenberg wasn't willing to back Trump-backed far-right Republican Joe Kent, who toppled her.

"I immediately went to work," Nierenberg told Natalie Fertig. "And I think I've now transformed myself from Jaime's largest bundler to Marie's." That's Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

The race gives a critical look at the fight to capture moderate Republican voters and what is happening to once-loyal Republicans as the party continues its transformation in Trump's image. Natalie has more: Key GOP donor backs Dem after House Republican ousted over Trump impeachment

CASH DEFENSE — In the two states where the most intense Senate midterm battles are playing out, Democrats are counting on cash to help them keep their seats. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), reported raising $26.3 million and has about $13.7 million cash on hand in the third quarter of this year. That's up from Q2, when he raised $17.2 million, and Q1, when he raised $13.6 million. In Nevada, Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto raised $15 million and has about $5 million cash on hand. The fundraising is a new Nevada record, according to the campaign. Cortez Masto raised $20 million for the entire 2016 election.

JAYPAL'S BID — If Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Primila Jayapal (D-Wash.) runs for a leadership slot, and wins, she says she'd give up her role leading House progressives. "I would have to choose one or the other" if we got to that point, she told reporters on a press call Monday. The Progressive Caucus holds its leadership elections after the Democratic Caucus settles theirs, so she'd be able to see how things play out.

FAT BEAR WEEK EVE — That's right. Fat Bear Week starts tomorrow and runs through Oct. 11. The delightful annual competition tracks the brown bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska who are gorging on salmon to pack on the pounds before winter. You can watch them on the bear cams. You can vote for them. There's a bracket of 12 brown bears for a single-elimination tournament determined by fans' votes for who's doing the best to beef up for winter hibernation. Some Huddle readers (and their bosses) are in the fight of their political lives, so why not take some joy in bears just doing their best? The team at the Congressional Management Foundation are already in deep, with a bracket pool in the works and a prize already set for whoever picks the ultimate Fat Bear Week champ. If your colleagues have the bear cams up instead of CSPAN or are doing brackets, let Huddle know.

Why Fat Bear Week? Because it's great. Your Huddle Host has been a fan for years and likes to spread some good, wholesome competition and fun. WaPo has a whole explainer on the phenomenon.

QUICK LINKS

Biden administration falls 80% short of 2022 refugee admissions target, from Camilo Montoya-Galvez at CBS News

ICYMI: Lawmakers Confront a Rise in Threats and Intimidation, and Fear Worse, from Stephanie Lai, Luke Broadwater and Carl Hulse at The New York Times

TRANSITIONS

Kara Zupkus is now Communications Director for Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas). Zupkus previously was national spokeswoman for the Young America's Foundation.

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House convenes at noon for a pro forma session.

The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. for a pro forma session.

AROUND THE HILL

Plenty of buzz, but no events.

TRIVIA

TUESDAY'S ANSWER: William Pennington of New Jersey (1860) and Henry Clay of Kentucky (1811), were each elected speaker as freshmen. (The first ever speaker, Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, is a third, but very particular, case.)

TODAY'S QUESTION: In the period since the House first reached its current size of 435 Members (1913), how many Speakers have been elected with fewer than 218 votes?

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com.

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Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus