House GOP Campaign Chief on the Defensive

Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), the chair of House Republicans’ campaign arm, sought to tamp down fears over the party’s special election loss in New York’s 19th district in a memo in which he called Pat Ryan’s (D) win a “quirk,” Axios reports.

Wrote Emmer: “As a historically blue state, the primary often serves as the general election for New York Democrats. This means New York Democrats historically turn out at much higher rates for primaries.”

New York Times: “Mr. Ryan’s victory in the 19th District of New York quickly topped the list of signs that the fall campaigns may be more competitive, in more places, than strategists in both parties had once anticipated.”