| | | | |  | | By Madison Fernandez and Lawrence Ukenye | | | | | Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party is only strengthening. Just look to the states. Even with former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley vowing to stay in the race through Super Tuesday, prominent Republicans have decided that the former president has the nomination on lock. A handful of state Republican Parties or their chairs have thrown their backing behind Trump’s presidential bid — long before voters in their states hit the polls.
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Former President Donald Trump attends a campaign rally in Waterford Township, Mich., on Feb. 17, 2024. | Paul Sancya/AP | The sway of the state parties (or the chairs) may be limited among even the broader primary electorate. Still, the endorsements show Trump’s dominance, despite his ongoing contest with Haley and continued legal troubles. Trump and President Joe Biden have long shifted their focus to the general election, and others are following suit. “We respect the other candidates, and we thank them for running, but the Alabama GOP believes Donald Trump is the clear conservative choice,” Alabama Republican Party Chair John Wahl said in a statement following the party’s recent endorsement of Trump, adding that it is time to “focus our time, energy, and resources on defeating” Biden. Ohio formally endorsed Trump back in December — weeks before the Iowa caucuses. The Buckeye State’s presidential primary is on March 19, but Chair Alex Triantafilou at the time noted in a statement the urgency to “coalesce around the clear choice at the top of the ticket." The Colorado Republican Party also passed a resolution to support Trump, which came shortly after the state Supreme Court ruled he was unable to appear on the ballot for engaging in an insurrection. (A decision in that case is currently pending in the U.S. Supreme Court, where judges seemed skeptical of Colorado’s ruling.) Colorado has a Super Tuesday primary, and Haley is expected to hit the state ahead of March 5. West Virginia, whose primary is on May 14, formally endorsed Trump as well. Florida, with a March 19 election, did too, as it came off of a high-profile ousting of its chair, who was under investigation for sexual assault. Leaders of other state parties that have recently faced turmoil also are rallying behind Trump in an attempt to unify their constituents. As factions of the Michigan Republican Party battled for weeks over who is chair, former Rep. Pete Hoekstra — who the RNC recently recognized as the rightful state party chair — put out a call to get behind Trump as the “presumptive nominee” after Trump’s decisive win in the New Hampshire primary. Michigan’s presidential election is next Tuesday, and Haley is also planning to stump there post-South Carolina. And in Arizona, where the former chair resigned after a report came out alleging that he tried to bribe Republican Kari Lake not to run for Senate, new Chair Gina Swoboda vowed to “turn out every last vote” for Trump (who endorsed her bid for chair). Arizona’s presidential primary is on March 19. State Republican Party chairs with upcoming primaries across the country have similarly voiced support for Trump, including in Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, Delaware and Oregon. Happy Tuesday. Hope you had a nice long weekend. Reach us at mfernandez@politico.com/@madfernandez616 and lukenye@politico.com/@Lawrence_Ukenye. Days until the South Carolina Republican presidential primary: 4 Days until Super Tuesday: 14 Days until the Republican National Convention: 146 Days until the Democratic National Convention: 181 Days until the 2024 election: 259
| | | | A message from Televisa Univision: The cost of living (71%) is the number one polling issue among Hispanic voters in California. Leverage TU likely voter data to refine your approach, tailor messaging to resonate culturally, and forge impactful connections. For vital insights into the California primary and Hispanic voter trends, visit hispanicvote.univision.com | | | | | MILLIONS AND MILLIONS — Trump, whose political career was built on the notion of him being a successful businessperson, was hit with a $350 million-plus penalty in a civil fraud trial in New York state court. He is also barred from running a business in New York for three years, after the judge found he falsely inflated his net worth to obtain favorable rates from banks and insurers. “The verdict itself is a reputational hit, denting the perception that the Trump Organization is anything but a shining success,” our Meridith McGraw writes. “Even though Trump sees a spike in polling and fundraising after major legal moments, his advisers do not view any of these court cases as entirely helpful. They pull Trump off the campaign trail and distract from their political message.” CASH DASH — Biden’s campaign and its affiliated committees raised more than $42 million in January and finished the month with $130 million on hand. Presidential campaign finance reports covering last month are due to the FEC today. BIDEN’S BALLOT BLUES — Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) endorsed Listen To Michigan, an effort to get Democrats to vote “uncommitted” in Michigan’s primary in protest of Biden’s handling in the Israel-Hamas war. At a stop on Monday, Biden campaign co-chair Mitch Landrieu urged those voters who plan on casting an “uncommitted” ballot to consider that the choice will be between Trump and Biden in November. LINE OF ATTACK — Trump’s praises of Russian President Vladimir Putin are becoming a major topic in the election. In the aftermath of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s death last week, both Biden and Haley’s campaigns attacked Trump for his relationship with Putin. The Biden campaign is also seizing on Trump’s comments against NATO, running a six-figure digital ad campaign in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania calling him “shameful,” “weak” and “dangerous.” MANCHIN IS MANCHOUT — Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is not running for president as a third-party candidate. Manchin, who is retiring at the end of his term, flirted for months with a bid on centrist group No Label’s ticket. STILL HERE — Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) laid off “a lot” of staff on his presidential campaign, but he said he’s not dropping out. All of his upcoming travel was canceled ahead of Michigan’s primary.
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| | REDISTRICTING REDUX — The long-running battle over Wisconsin’s legislative maps has come to an end, as Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed new lines into law. The new maps undo longstanding Republican gerrymanders that effectively guaranteed that the GOP could not lose control of the state legislature. Late last year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court — with a new liberal majority — ruled that the Republican-drawn maps were unconstitutional. Republicans in the legislature said they passed these new lines — initially proposed by Evers in that lawsuit — so they wouldn’t risk getting an even more unfavorable redraw from the court, while most legislative Democrats voted against them for that very same reason. This might not be the end of redistricting in the Badger State. Democrats have filed a suit with the state Supreme Court over the congressional map, but it’s unclear if new lines would be in place in time for this year’s elections. … Over in New York, some Democrats are not on board with the new congressional map the Independent Redistricting Commission approved last week, which would hurt Republican Rep. Brandon Williams in NY-22 and boost Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro in NY-19 and Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan in NY-18. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries took issue with NY-19 in particular: “Instead of remedying several of the substantive issues raised by good government groups related to communities of interest, the IRC map ignores or exacerbates them in parts of New York State, including the upper Hudson Valley,” Andy Eichar, a Jeffries spokesperson, said in a statement. Democrats in the state legislature have also complained about the new lines. The Democratic-controlled legislature has final say, and could ultimately scrap it and create their own lines. FIRST IN SCORE — ENDORSEMENT CORNER — AAPI Victory Fund rolled out its endorsement slate in support of Democratic Asian American candidates: Rep. Andy Kim, who is running for New Jersey Senate; Amish Shah, who is running in a crowded field to unseat Republican Rep. David Schweikert in AZ-01; Evan Low, who is also in a busy primary to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo in CA-16; Derek Tran, who is vying to oust Republican Rep. Michelle Steel in CA-45; Dave Min in CA-47, which Democratic Rep. Katie Porter is vacating; Clarence Lam in the competitive primary to replace retiring Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes in MD-03; Ravi Bhalla, who is primarying Democratic Rep. Rob Menendez in NJ-08; Susheela Jayapal, who’s running in OR-03, held by retiring Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer; and Leslie Mehta, who’s looking to take on Republican Rep. Rob Wittman in VA-01. … Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) endorsed state Sen. Roland Gutierrez’s Senate campaign. He faces Rep. Colin Allred in the primary to take on Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. … Rep. Raul Ruiz endorsed Rep. Adam Schiff’s Senate bid, joining the majority of the California Democratic congressional delegation in doing so. … Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) endorsed Derrick Anderson in VA-07, outgoing Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s seat. TABLES TURNED — After criticizing Schiff for running ads boosting Republican Steve Garvey to avoid a general election against Porter, she’s doing the same tactic with Republican Eric Early. Porter has a digital ad calling Early “way too MAGA for California” and accuses Garvey of “running away from Trump,” in a bid to drag down Garvey so she can grab the second spot out of the state’s all-party primary. California’s open primary system means that two Democrats could proceed to the general election, which would make the path to victory for Schiff, the primary frontrunner, much more complicated. 2024 WATCH — Republican Mike Sapraicone, who previously had a bid for NY-03 (and was endorsed by former Rep. George Santos) before Mazi Pilip was chosen as the party’s nominee in the special election, is now running a longshot bid against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. MAKING MY WAY DOWN-BALLOT — Retiring Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) is running for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, which in part handles election administration. Lesko voted against certifying the 2020 election. Maricopa County, Arizona’s largest county that’s home to close to 5 million people, has been in the center of litigation and conspiracy theories about the validity of election outcomes. EYES ON AI — Major tech companies, including Microsoft, Meta, Google, Snap, TikTok, X and OpenAI, signed a pact to target AI-generated deepfakes that could spread misinformation amid this year’s elections. AI has sped far ahead of current regulations and industry norms, with no current federal regulations around using the technology in campaigning. KEEPING UP WITH THE GOVERNORS — How are governors setting the stage for the future of American politics, policies and priorities? Join POLITICO this Thursday as we interview America’s governors, including Govs. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.), Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), Bill Lee (R-Tenn.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.), Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.) and Chris Sununu (R-N.H.).
| | | | A message from Televisa Univision:   | | | | | PRESIDENTIAL — Haley’s South Carolina spot says she provided “moral clarity” in her response to the 2015 shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church, a predominantly Black church in Charleston. … We Deserve Better, the super PAC supporting Phillips, is running an ad in Michigan claiming “Trump is poised to win” while casting Phillips as an alternative to Biden. ND-Gov — Republican Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller is highlighting her ties to Trump and Gov. Doug Burgum. MT-Sen — More Jobs, Less Government is flexing Republican Tim Sheey’s endorsement from Trump. AL-01 — Republican Rep. Jerry Carl is going after Republican Barry Moore for being a “tax cheat.” NC-06 — Republican Addison McDowell appears alongside Trump in a spot touting the former president’s endorsement. … Conservatives for American Excellence is labeling Republican Bo Hines as untrustworthy for being backed by Club for Growth. TX-26 — Club for Growth Action is touting Trump's endorsement of Republican Brandon Gill.
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S GOVERNORS SUMMIT: Join POLITICO on Feb. 22 to dive into how Governors are wielding immense power. While Washington remains gridlocked, governors are at the center of landmark decisions in AI and tech, economic development, infrastructure, housing, reproductive health and energy. How are they setting the stage for the future of American politics, policies and priorities? How are they confronting major challenges? Explore these questions and more at the 2024 Governors Summit. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | | NC-Gov — Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein are the frontrunners in their respective primaries, but in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, the two are tied at 41 percent, according to an East Carolina University Poll (1,207 registered voters, Feb. 9-12, MoE +/- 3.3 percentage points). TX-Sen — Allred is “close” to avoiding a runoff in the Democratic primary, per a poll from the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. He earns 52 percent of support, within the margin of error of the majority that he needs (354 potential primary voters, Feb. 2-12, MoE -/- 5.21 percentage points). If no one hits 50 percent, the runoff between the top two vote-getters would be on May 28. Gutierrez is a distant second at 14 percent. CA-47 — An internal poll from Republican Scott Baugh conducted by WPA Intelligence shows a close race for the open seat. Baugh earns 27 percent of support, followed by Min with 22 percent. Democrat Joanna Weiss has 16 percent, and Republican Max Ukropina has 9 percent (366 likely primary voters, Feb. 12-14, MoE +/- 5.1 percentage points). CODA: QUOTE OF THE DAY — “I thought that some of our members would be smarter.” — Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.) to CNN on life in the majority.
| | | | A message from Televisa Univision: With Latinos representing the second largest and fastest-growing population in the country, totaling over 36 million eligible voters, it's essential to cut through the noise and connect meaningfully. TelevisaUnivision stands as the paramount force in Spanish-language media, offering an extensive multiplatform presence encompassing news, sports, cultural events, TV, radio, and streaming services and ensuring engagement with Latino audiences across diverse interests. As the 2024 elections approach, winning over Latino voters is paramount, and TelevisaUnivision is the key. Utilize our unmatched reach to ensure your message resonates effectively with the influential Hispanic electorate, securing the crucial support necessary for success. In the race for victory, TelevisaUnivision's expansive reach and deep connection with the Latino community are indispensable. To maximize your outreach and engagement strategies, visit hispanicvote.univision.com | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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