Oklahoma Democrats flipped the Tulsa mayor’s office, as two Democrats narrowly boxed out a Republican and headed for a runoff election, the Oklahoman reports.
Harris Aims to Keep Map Big with Georgia Visit
“Kamala Harris returns to Georgia this week in her first post-convention campaign stop — and she’s swinging through a part of the state Democrats at the top of the ticket have long ignored in the final stretch to Election Day,” Politico reports.
“The vice president and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are setting off on a bus tour in southeast Georgia on Wednesday, where they’ll meet with supporters, small business owners and voters. They’ll finish it out with a rally Thursday night in Savannah, part of the campaign’s renewed effort to prioritize the battleground state now that her team believes it’s in play.”
Playbook: “It’s sending a firm message that the Peach State is in play.”
Both Parties Greet Covid Spike with Collective Shrug
“Democrats and Republicans can agree on one thing coming out of their respective conventions: Almost no one cares about Covid anymore,” Politico reports.
“Infections are running rampant after the Democratic confab in Chicago, with staffers on Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, reporters and other convention-goers all stricken — and in at least one case claiming the positive test was ‘worth it.’ Cases also cropped up after the Republican National Convention in July.”
“And yet the single most-animating issue of the 2020 election is an afterthought for the major-party nominees coming out of two of the 2024 campaign’s biggest milestones — even as the virus remains an ever-present threat that’s shaped broader debates over key electoral issues like strength of the economy and the future of families’ health and child care.”
Anti-Abortion Activists Want Trump to Stay Quiet
“Twenty days ago, Donald Trump promised he would soon discuss how he’ll vote on Florida’s abortion rights initiative. But a number of evangelical leaders and advisers think he should just shut up about it,” The Bulwark reports.
“Poll after poll has shown abortion is a loser of an issue for Trump and Republicans in general. And with a proposed amendment on the ballot in Florida this November that would enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution, he’s gone to great lengths to avoid talking about it—or giving too many specifics. For some of the activists hoping to see the amendment defeated, that’s just fine.”
Democrats Dare GOP to Impeach Biden
“House Democrats are effectively inviting a hardline Republican to go rogue and force a vote to impeach President Biden in the final weeks of the 2024 election,” Axios reports.
“Top House Democrats are in rare agreement with their Republican counterparts that an impeachment vote would damage GOP attempts to hang onto control of the House.”
Trump Staff Had Altercation at National Cemetery
“Two members of Donald Trump’s campaign staff had a verbal and physical altercation Monday with an official at Arlington National Cemetery, where the former president participated in a wreath-laying ceremony,” NPR reports.
“A source with knowledge of the incident said the cemetery official tried to prevent Trump staffers from filming and photographing in a section where recent U.S. casualties are buried. The source said Arlington officials had made clear that only cemetery staff members would be authorized to take photographs or film in the area, known as Section 60.”
Biden Approved Gaza Pier Despite Internal Pushback
“President Joe Biden approved the plan for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza via a floating military pier despite warnings from within the U.S. government that rough waves could pose significant challenges and objections from officials who feared the operation would detract from a diplomatic push to compel Israel to open additional land routes into the war zone,” the Washington Post reports.
‘He’s Got to Pay a Price’
Nancy Pelosi spent the duration of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack focused on ensuring Joe Biden would be certified president as soon as possible. Then she turned her attention to Donald Trump, Politico reports.
Said Pelosi: “I just feel sick about what he did to the Capitol and the country today. He’s got to pay a price for that.”
Pelosi’s comment was included in about 50 minutes of unaired footage captured by her daughter, filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, who was at the former speaker’s side at key moments on Jan. 5, 6 and 7 in 2021.
Harris Campaign Says Debate Rules Have Not Been Set
Even though Donald Trump claimed earlier today that he had agreed to rules for the September 10 debate, Kamala Harris’ campaign said the question over live or muted microphones “remains an open discussion,” the New York Times reports.
Kamala Harris Agrees to CNN Interview
“Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will sit with CNN for their first joint interview on Thursday as Democrats work to broaden their base’s excitement from last week’s Democratic National Convention,” CNN reports.
“The interview, conducted by CNN’s chief political correspondent and anchor Dana Bash, will air at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday.”
“It occurs as the candidates embark on a bus tour through the battleground state of Georgia and marks the first time Harris has sat with a journalist for an in-depth, on-the-record conversation since President Joe Biden dropped his bid for a second term and endorsed her on July 21.”
J.D. Vance Said Teachers Should Have Their Own Children
In newly-uncovered audio, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) said that teachers who do not have biological children “brainwash the minds of our children” and that “disorients and really disturb” him.
He added: “She should have some of her own.”
North Carolina Is a Toss Up
The Cook Political Report moves North Carolina to a Toss Up in the presidential election.
Other changes: Minnesota and New Hampshire both move from Lean Democrat to Likely Democrat.
Trump Selling Pieces of Suit He Wore in Biden Debate
“Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he is selling a new collection of digital trading cards, and that supporters who buy 15 or more cards will receive a physical card adorned with a piece of the suit he wore for the presidential debate against Joe Biden in June,” The Guardian reports.
Trump Says He’ll Participate in Debate
“Donald Trump said Tuesday he will participate in a debate next month against Vice President Kamala Harris, two days after he suggested he could skip it,” the Washington Post reports.
Said Trump, on Truth Social: “I have reached an agreement with the Radical Left Democrats for a Debate with Comrade Kamala Harris.”
Trump claimed the rules will be “the same” for his debate in June against Joe Biden.
RFK Jr. Will Remain on Wisconsin and Michigan Ballot
Wisconsin election officials kept Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on the ballot “even though he has suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed Donald Trump,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“While he has tried to remove his name from the ballot in battleground states, Wisconsin law does not allow for Kennedy to retract his nomination at this point.”
Meanwhile, Bridge Michigan reports Kennedy will also still appear on the Michigan ballot.
Special Counsel Revises Trump Election Indictment
“Federal prosecutors on Tuesday issued a revised version of an indictment accusing former President Donald Trump of plotting to overturn the 2020 election, stripping out some charges in order to help it survive the Supreme Court’s recent ruling granting former presidents broad immunity for official acts in office,” the New York Times reports.
“The new indictment came just days before Mr. Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors in the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith, were scheduled to provide the judge overseeing the case with their separate proposals for how to assess the impact on the case of the Supreme Court’s immunity decision…”
“Perhaps the most significant change between the 36-page superseding indictment and the original 45-page indictment was that Mr. Smith’s deputies removed all the allegations concerning Mr. Trump’s attempts to strong-arm the Justice Department into supporting his false claims that the election had been rigged against him.”
Washington Post: “The new indictment comes 10 days before a Justice Department policy known as ‘the 60-day rule’ would take effect forestalling any new filing of charges against the former president, who is again the Republican nominee for the White House.”
CBS News: Special counsel reindicts Trump with narrower set of accusations .
Texas GOP Says Democrats Trying to Steal Election
“Texas Republicans are doubling down on claims that Democrats in the state’s biggest cities are attempting to steal the 2024 election – a contest in which the GOP’s leads in the Senate and presidential races are increasingly narrowing,” The Hill reports.
“State GOP leaders like Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have made the state’s large urban counties a focus of allegations of a grand Democratic conspiracy to steal the 2024 election.”
Mixed Results for Third Parties
Just for members: A new issue of Ballot Access News.
During August, minor parties and independents won eight lawsuits or challenges, and lost seven. However, not all the cases are over.
If you’re not yet a member, check out our membership options for instant access.
