thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-13--GOP poll shows Biden narrowly leading in Georgia

Georgia is currently leaning Democratic in the presidential race , according to a poll from a group supporting GOP Gov .
Brian Kemp .
The survey was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies , a GOP polling firm , and interviewed 500 likely voters from May 4-7 .
The firm found that 47 % of Georgia voters back former Vice President Joe Biden , while 46 % support President Trump .
The poll had a 4 % margin of error , with 5 % saying they were undecided .
GOP hopes for keeping the Senate are also under threat , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jon Ossoff by 2 points at 43 % .
Ossoff ran for Congress in 2017 for the state 's 6th District but lost to Republican Karen Handel by just under 3 % .
Public Opinion Strategies deemed the race for Sen. Kelly Loeffler 's seat `` wide open , '' with primary challenger Rep. Doug Collins earning 19 % of the vote .
Loeffler earned 18 % of the vote , and Democratic candidate Matt Lieberman earned 17 % .
Over 21 candidates are currently running for the spot .
Some bright lights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter enthusiasm lead over Biden , with 43 % of those surveyed saying they 'll `` definitely '' vote for him in the fall , with 39 % saying the same about Biden .
A majority of voters , 51 % , said they approved of the governor 's decision to reopen some of the state 's businesses .
That move was initially criticized by some Democrats , public health experts , and President Trump as reckless .
Trump won the state in 2016 with 50.44 % of the vote , beating former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 points .
Despite that win , Democrats have long eyed the state to flip into their column .
Republicans narrowly won the 2018 gubernatorial race , with Kemp beating Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams by 0.4 % of the vote .
Democrats have blamed that loss on voter suppression despite studies showing no evidence any occurred .

Georgia is currently leaning Democratic in the presidential race, according to a poll from a group supporting GOP Gov. Brian Kemp.
The survey was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, a GOP polling firm, and interviewed 500 likely voters from May 4-7. The firm found that 47% of Georgia voters back former Vice President Joe Biden, while 46% support President Trump. The poll had a 4% margin of error, with 5% saying they were undecided.
GOP hopes for keeping the Senate are also under threat, with incumbent Sen. David Perdue leading Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff by 2 points at 43%. Ossoff ran for Congress in 2017 for the state's 6th District but lost to Republican Karen Handel by just under 3%.
Public Opinion Strategies deemed the race for Sen. Kelly Loeffler's seat "wide open," with primary challenger Rep. Doug Collins earning 19% of the vote. Loeffler earned 18% of the vote, and Democratic candidate Matt Lieberman earned 17%. Over 21 candidates are currently running for the spot.
Some bright lights for the GOP included Trump holding a voter enthusiasm lead over Biden, with 43% of those surveyed saying they'll "definitely" vote for him in the fall, with 39% saying the same about Biden.
A majority of voters, 51%, said they approved of the governor's decision to reopen some of the state's businesses. That move was initially criticized by some Democrats, public health experts, and President Trump as reckless.
Trump won the state in 2016 with 50.44% of the vote, beating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by over 5 points. Despite that win, Democrats have long eyed the state to flip into their column.
Republicans narrowly won the 2018 gubernatorial race, with Kemp beating Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams by 0.4% of the vote. Democrats have blamed that loss on voter suppression despite studies showing no evidence any occurred.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-13--Surprise blowout victories cheer Trump, no impact from virus, 2018 hangover

The sizable victory gaps in two key House special elections Tuesday buoyed the GOP and President Trump , who have been looking for signals of how the coronavirus will impact the elections .
The 14-point win by Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin ’ s 7th Congressional District and 12-point lead by Republican Mike Garcia in the Los Angeles area ’ s 25th Congressional District also suggest that the 2018 GOP hangover that made Rep. Nancy Pelosi speaker might be over .
“ Big Congressional win in California for Mike Garcia , taking back a seat from the Democrats .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a California Dem seat has flipped back to a Republican .
Also , Tom Tiffany beat his Democrat rival BIG in Wisconsin .
Two great Congressional WINS !
” tweeted Trump .
Tiffany ’ s victory wasn ’ t a big surprise , but his challenger had picked up major endorsements .
Democrat Tricia Zunker was endorsed by Cory Booker , Tammy Baldwin , Elizabeth Warren , and other big-name Democrats .
The two are expected to face each other in the regular fall election , but Tiffany , who will replace the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to win again .
In California ’ s 25th , where election officials are still waiting for mail-in votes to be counted , Garcia is leading 56 % -44 % , with 76 % of the vote in for the Democratic seat recently held by Rep. Katie Hill , who resigned in disgrace .
Hillary Rodham Clinton won the district in 2016 .
A New York Times reporter blogging on the race said , “ There is no doubt that a win for Republicans in a state that is overwhelmingly controlled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Growth President David McIntosh said his group invested in both , and he said the wins indicate that the virus and 2018 didn ’ t hurt .
“ These election results show that in the midst of a global pandemic , this level of voter turnout shows pro-growth , pro-deregulation policies trounce the big-spending power-grabbing agenda put forward by Pelosi 's Democrats , ” he told Secrets .
“ Just as the Trump administration ’ s initial rollback of regulations before the pandemic helped spur a 3 % economic growth rate , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be key to reigniting our economy .
Last night 's victories demonstrate that voters agree , ” he added .
And Greg Mueller , the CEO of CRC Advisors and a GOP communications consultant , added , “ This is no longer 2018 .
Democratic momentum has been stifled .
The GOP base is energized , and the energy is similar to 2016 .
Conservative , pro-growth candidates trounced traditional liberal , big-government Democrats .
Pre-election Democrat spin that the California race would be close and that President Trump and his handling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in these two races was torpedoed .
”

The sizable victory gaps in two key House special elections Tuesday buoyed the GOP and President Trump, who have been looking for signals of how the coronavirus will impact the elections.
The 14-point win by Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District and 12-point lead by Republican Mike Garcia in the Los Angeles area’s 25th Congressional District also suggest that the 2018 GOP hangover that made Rep. Nancy Pelosi speaker might be over.
“Big Congressional win in California for Mike Garcia, taking back a seat from the Democrats. This is the first time in many years that a California Dem seat has flipped back to a Republican. Also, Tom Tiffany beat his Democrat rival BIG in Wisconsin. Two great Congressional WINS!” tweeted Trump.
Big Congressional win in California for Mike Garcia, taking back a seat from the Democrats. This is the first time in many years that a California Dem seat has flipped back to a Republican. Also, Tom Tiffany beat his Democrat rival BIG in Wisconsin. Two great Congressional WINS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2020
Tiffany’s victory wasn’t a big surprise, but his challenger had picked up major endorsements. Democrat Tricia Zunker was endorsed by Cory Booker, Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren, and other big-name Democrats.
The two are expected to face each other in the regular fall election, but Tiffany, who will replace the retired Rep. Sean Duffy, is now expected to win again.
In California’s 25th, where election officials are still waiting for mail-in votes to be counted, Garcia is leading 56%-44%, with 76% of the vote in for the Democratic seat recently held by Rep. Katie Hill, who resigned in disgrace. Hillary Rodham Clinton won the district in 2016.
A New York Times reporter blogging on the race said, “There is no doubt that a win for Republicans in a state that is overwhelmingly controlled by Democrats would be remarkable.”
Club for Growth President David McIntosh said his group invested in both, and he said the wins indicate that the virus and 2018 didn’t hurt.
“These election results show that in the midst of a global pandemic, this level of voter turnout shows pro-growth, pro-deregulation policies trounce the big-spending power-grabbing agenda put forward by Pelosi's Democrats,” he told Secrets.
“Just as the Trump administration’s initial rollback of regulations before the pandemic helped spur a 3% economic growth rate, another round of major reform of federal regulation will be key to reigniting our economy. Last night's victories demonstrate that voters agree,” he added.
And Greg Mueller, the CEO of CRC Advisors and a GOP communications consultant, added, “This is no longer 2018. Democratic momentum has been stifled. The GOP base is energized, and the energy is similar to 2016. Conservative, pro-growth candidates trounced traditional liberal, big-government Democrats. Pre-election Democrat spin that the California race would be close and that President Trump and his handling of a pandemic would be a drag in these two races was torpedoed.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-14--Biden says he’s ‘winning’. Here’s a look at the numbers

Joe Biden insists that despite conducting his campaign from his Delaware home due to the coronavirus pandemic , he is leading in the horse race against President Trump .
`` We 're on the campaign trail now .
And everybody says , 'You know Biden 's hiding . '
Well , let me tell you something — we 're doing very well , '' Biden ABC News on Tuesday .
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee the point in an interview with North Carolina ’ s Spectrum News .
“ We find ourselves doing very well in the polls relative to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , to be blunt about it , the more the president ’ s out , the more it seems to help , ” said the former vice president and 36-year Delaware senator .
While Biden has an edge in match-up polls against Trump , analysts and the general public are not convinced that Biden will beat Trump in an election that is expected to be close .
Those betting on those likeliest to win the November election through prediction market website give Trump better odds of winning than Biden .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including his war chest , which could make a difference in close swing states .
Here is a look at some of those metrics : Biden has a 4.5-point lead over Trump in the RealClearPolitics average of national primary polls .
That is a smaller margin than previous averages in recent months ( which is based on varied pollsters because the average is compiled from the most recent polls ) .
A month ago , Biden led by 5.5 points .
In late March , Biden led by 7.4 points .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swing states since it is possible for Trump to lose the popular vote but win the Electoral College as he did against Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has an edge in many swing states , too , but often not a lead so wide that it is outside the margin of error .
A Marquette University conducted May 3-7 found Biden 3 points ahead of Trump in Wisconsin , 46-43 .
It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 % .
An April Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found Biden leading Trump by 3 points , 46 to 43 .
Biden did have a lead over Trump in two recent Fox News swing state polls .
Two April polls in and each found Biden with an 8-point lead over Trump .
Biden bests Trump in the RealClearPolitics of Arizona polls by 4.4 % .
Trump barely leads Biden in the of North Carolina polls by 0.3 % .
Polls find , however , that Trump ’ s supporters are much more about voting for him than Biden ’ s .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundraising .
Trump and the Republican National Committee $ 61.7 million , while Biden and the Democratic National Committee $ 60.5 million .
But each side ’ s ability to raise funds does not tell the whole story .
Trump has a significant war chest that he has been building since he assumed office in 2017 , while Biden and the DNC lag behind , softening their ability to spend money quickly on advertising , staff , voter contact , or other needs .
At the end of March , Trump and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on hand , compared to $ 62.2 million for Biden and the DNC .
For April , that number is $ 255 million for Trump and the RNC , while Biden and the DNC have not released their end-of-April fundraising number .
Biden ’ s new fundraising surge follows his becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee .
His campaign was known for being cash-strapped compared to his primary competitors , causing worries among some Democrats that he is not the best-equipped to lead the presidential ticket .
Just as Trump continued to fundraise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term , he kept on many staff members in swing states .
As of the beginning of May , his campaign says it has nearly 1,000 staff members .
Biden is not only trying to catch up to Trump in filling staff roles but in matching what Hillary Clinton had at this point in the election in 2016 .
While Clinton 750 people paid more than $ 1,000 in March 2016 , Biden had 375 in March 2020 .
According to the New York Times , Biden in April had the smallest campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Kerry in 2004 .
Biden is , however , even amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump and Biden hope to rally different sets of voters in order to ensure that they vote in November , donate to their campaigns , and volunteer to contact other voters , so it is expected that the tone of each ’ s campaigns would be different .
But an by the Washington Post on how the campaigns reach voters who sign up for their organizing apps suggested that the Biden campaign was not pursuing contacting voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Trump campaign and the RNC contact sign-ups multiple times within two hours of signing up , while it took the Biden campaign seven hours to make the first contact after the initial sign-up .
Adding to his messaging difficulties amid the coronavirus pandemic , Biden behind Trump in the number of followers on his digital platforms .
Trump has 15 times the number of likes and followers that Biden has on Facebook and Twitter , and he is far outpacing Biden on YouTube .
The Trump campaign also touts its volunteer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made more than 5 million in one week .
As of March 13 , it had 1.1 million trained volunteers and had made 21 million contacts with voters .
The Biden campaign has not shared its statistics on volunteers and phone calls .

Joe Biden insists that despite conducting his campaign from his Delaware home due to the coronavirus pandemic, he is leading in the horse race against President Trump.
"We're on the campaign trail now. And everybody says, 'You know Biden's hiding.' Well, let me tell you something — we're doing very well," Biden told ABC News on Tuesday.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee reiterated the point in an interview with North Carolina’s Spectrum News.
“We find ourselves doing very well in the polls relative to the president. As a matter of fact, to be blunt about it, the more the president’s out, the more it seems to help,” said the former vice president and 36-year Delaware senator.
While Biden has an edge in match-up polls against Trump, analysts and the general public are not convinced that Biden will beat Trump in an election that is expected to be close. Those betting on those likeliest to win the November election through prediction market website PredictIt give Trump better odds of winning than Biden.
But the former vice president lags in other areas, including his war chest, which could make a difference in close swing states.
Here is a look at some of those metrics:
Polls
Biden has a 4.5-point lead over Trump in the RealClearPolitics average of national primary polls. That is a smaller margin than previous averages in recent months (which is based on varied pollsters because the average is compiled from the most recent polls). A month ago, Biden led by 5.5 points. In late March, Biden led by 7.4 points.
But the most important polls are those in swing states since it is possible for Trump to lose the popular vote but win the Electoral College as he did against Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has an edge in many swing states, too, but often not a lead so wide that it is outside the margin of error.
A Marquette University poll conducted May 3-7 found Biden 3 points ahead of Trump in Wisconsin, 46-43. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.
An April Fox News Florida poll with a 3-point margin of error found Biden leading Trump by 3 points, 46 to 43.
Biden did have a lead over Trump in two recent Fox News swing state polls. Two April polls in Michigan and Pennsylvania each found Biden with an 8-point lead over Trump.
Biden bests Trump in the RealClearPolitics average of Arizona polls by 4.4%. Trump barely leads Biden in the average of North Carolina polls by 0.3%.
Polls find, however, that Trump’s supporters are much more enthusiastic about voting for him than Biden’s.
Fundraising
Trump and Biden were closely matched in April fundraising. Trump and the Republican National Committee raised $61.7 million, while Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised $60.5 million.
But each side’s ability to raise funds does not tell the whole story. Trump has a significant war chest that he has been building since he assumed office in 2017, while Biden and the DNC lag behind, softening their ability to spend money quickly on advertising, staff, voter contact, or other needs.
At the end of March, Trump and the RNC had $175.6 million in cash on hand, compared to $62.2 million for Biden and the DNC. For April, that number is $255 million for Trump and the RNC, while Biden and the DNC have not released their end-of-April fundraising number.
Biden’s new fundraising surge follows his becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. His campaign was known for being cash-strapped compared to his primary competitors, causing worries among some Democrats that he is not the best-equipped to lead the presidential ticket.
Staff
Just as Trump continued to fundraise for his reelection all through his first term, he kept on many staff members in swing states. As of the beginning of May, his campaign says it has nearly 1,000 staff members.
Biden is not only trying to catch up to Trump in filling staff roles but in matching what Hillary Clinton had at this point in the election in 2016.
While Clinton had 750 people paid more than $1,000 in March 2016, Biden had 375 in March 2020. According to the New York Times, Biden in April had the smallest campaign staff of any Democratic presidential candidate since John Kerry in 2004.
Biden is, however, adding staff even amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Messaging reach
Trump and Biden hope to rally different sets of voters in order to ensure that they vote in November, donate to their campaigns, and volunteer to contact other voters, so it is expected that the tone of each’s campaigns would be different.
But an analysis by the Washington Post on how the campaigns reach voters who sign up for their organizing apps suggested that the Biden campaign was not pursuing contacting voters as hard as the Trump campaign does. The Trump campaign and the RNC contact sign-ups multiple times within two hours of signing up, while it took the Biden campaign seven hours to make the first contact after the initial sign-up.
Adding to his messaging difficulties amid the coronavirus pandemic, Biden lags behind Trump in the number of followers on his digital platforms. Trump has 15 times the number of likes and followers that Biden has on Facebook and Twitter, and he is far outpacing Biden on YouTube.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-14--'That's your poll': Trump says anti-lockdown protests foreshadow 2020 victory

President Trump said turnout at anti-lockdown protests around the United States over the past two months signals strong support for his reelection bid this fall .
Washington Examiner columnist Salena Zito spoke with the president on Thursday before delivering remarks at the Owens & Minor distribution center in Allentown , Pennsylvania .
Trump blamed Democrats for `` playing politics '' with state restrictions meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus .
`` We have to be a little bit careful with that because they 're playing politics , '' he said .
`` They 're playing politics , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Trump added that he believes such a strategy would backfire .
`` They think it 's a bad thing for me if they delay the opening .
I think it 's bad for them .
You have people protesting outside , and those people like Trump , '' he added .
Later Zito noted that many Pennsylvania residents who live outside the major urban areas are frustrated with their state 's lockdown order .
On Thursday , hundreds of protesters gathered at the state capital in Harrisburg to protest Democratic Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Here in Pennsylvania , a lot of rural counties are sort of upset that had a low amount of cases with the exception of nursing homes , but they 're still not being allowed to move into the Yellow Phase , which is pretty restrictive , '' Zito said .
`` That 's what happens when you have a Democratic governor that is playing politics , '' Trump said .
`` I see your capital .
They have a lot of people up there protesting today .
They have the Trump signs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing to do with us .
Just like this crowd .
That 's your poll , I mean that 's your poll .
You had to see this coming in , I wish you could have . ''
Trump met with workers at the Owens & Minor distribution center , where they have been busy manufacturing personal protective equipment to help U.S. citizens fight against the spread of the coronavirus .
“ Since February , we have distributed over 3 billion units of PPE across the United States through our distribution facilities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Fox News after Trump 's speech .
During his address , Trump highlighted the crowds that greeted him at the airport .
`` We were received by thousands and thousands of people coming in , and they came in from all over , '' Trump said .
Trump also told the audience that he appreciates social distancing measures enacted since January to protect workers at the company , but he expects the country will get back to normal soon even as some states and localities are extending lockdown measures as the numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rise .

President Trump said turnout at anti-lockdown protests around the United States over the past two months signals strong support for his reelection bid this fall.
Washington Examiner columnist Salena Zito spoke with the president on Thursday before delivering remarks at the Owens & Minor distribution center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Trump blamed Democrats for "playing politics" with state restrictions meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
"We have to be a little bit careful with that because they're playing politics," he said. "They're playing politics, as you know, by delaying the opening."
Trump added that he believes such a strategy would backfire.
"They think it's a bad thing for me if they delay the opening. I think it's bad for them. You have people protesting outside, and those people like Trump," he added.
Later Zito noted that many Pennsylvania residents who live outside the major urban areas are frustrated with their state's lockdown order. On Thursday, hundreds of protesters gathered at the state Capitol in Harrisburg to protest Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's stay-at-home order.
"Here in Pennsylvania, a lot of rural counties are sort of upset that had a low amount of cases with the exception of nursing homes, but they're still not being allowed to move into the Yellow Phase, which is pretty restrictive," Zito said.
"That's what happens when you have a Democratic governor that is playing politics," Trump said. "I see your Capitol. They have a lot of people up there protesting today. They have the Trump signs all over the place, too, nothing to do with us. Just like this crowd. That's your poll, I mean that's your poll. You had to see this coming in, I wish you could have."
Trump met with workers at the Owens & Minor distribution center, where they have been busy manufacturing personal protective equipment to help U.S. citizens fight against the spread of the coronavirus.
“Since February, we have distributed over 3 billion units of PPE across the United States through our distribution facilities,” Owens & Minor CEO Edward Pesicka told Fox News after Trump's speech.
During his address, Trump highlighted the crowds that greeted him at the airport.
"We were received by thousands and thousands of people coming in, and they came in from all over," Trump said.
Trump also told the audience that he appreciates social distancing measures enacted since January to protect workers at the company, but he expects the country will get back to normal soon even as some states and localities are extending lockdown measures as the numbers of coronavirus cases and associated deaths continue to rise.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-14--Steve King holds narrow lead over GOP primary challenger

Rep. Steve King has no committee assignments in the House after downplaying the horrors of white supremacy , rendering him practically powerless to move forward a legislative agenda and leaving him isolated from his GOP colleagues .
But King is presently beating his primary challenger .
A survey from American Viewpoint , which was commissioned by King 's challenger , state Sen. Randy Feenstra , of Iowa voters , has the congressman narrowly winning in the 4th District .
King earns 39 % of the vote , compared to the Iowa state senator 's 36 % , with 9 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undecided .
The polling firm interviewed 350 voters and has a margin of error of 5.2 percentage points .
American Viewpoint remains cautiously optimistic that Feenstra can pull ahead in time for the June 2 primary .
`` Defeating a longtime incumbent in a primary is never easy , but Feenstra is clearly in a position to do so over these final weeks if he has the resources necessary to finish out his campaign , '' the firm wrote .
Much of the GOP establishment is backing Feenstra , including several PACs such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some House Republicans , including Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming , the third-highest Republican lawmaker , called for King 's resignation last year .
Last week , the Republican Jewish Coalition announced its support for Feenstra and pledged to use its donor network to provide funding to his campaign .
Feenstra has outraised King in every quarter of the campaign cycle so far .
On March 31 , King 's campaign reported cash reserves of just under $ 27,000 .
King has long held a reputation for holding controversial positions , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after answering a question on immigration last year in an interview with the New York Times .
`` White nationalist , white supremacist , Western civilization — how did that language become offensive ?
” King said .
He later released a qualifying statement , saying he disavows white nationalism and only considers himself a `` nationalist . ''
Later that year , King defended his position on banning abortion in the cases of incest or rape by saying much of the world would n't exist without those acts .
`` What if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trees and just pulled out anyone who was a product of rape or incest ?
Would there be any population of the world left if we did that ? ''
he told the Des Moines Register .
`` Considering all the wars and all the rapes and pillages that happened throughout all these different nations , I know that I ca n't say that I was not a part of a product of that . ''
Following the controversy surrounding that interviews , King promised to run for his seat `` unless I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , and millions of dollars of media that was poured against me , some of it strategized , some of it organic , I don ’ t think anybody has faced such a nearly perfect storm as I have faced , ” King told the Washington Examiner .

Rep. Steve King has no committee assignments in the House after downplaying the horrors of white supremacy, rendering him practically powerless to move forward a legislative agenda and leaving him isolated from his GOP colleagues. But King is presently beating his primary challenger.
A survey from American Viewpoint, which was commissioned by King's challenger, state Sen. Randy Feenstra, of Iowa voters, has the congressman narrowly winning in the 4th District. King earns 39% of the vote, compared to the Iowa state senator's 36%, with 9% choosing a different candidate and 10% undecided.
The polling firm interviewed 350 voters and has a margin of error of 5.2 percentage points.
American Viewpoint remains cautiously optimistic that Feenstra can pull ahead in time for the June 2 primary.
"Defeating a longtime incumbent in a primary is never easy, but Feenstra is clearly in a position to do so over these final weeks if he has the resources necessary to finish out his campaign," the firm wrote.
Much of the GOP establishment is backing Feenstra, including several PACs such as the Republican Main Street Partnership PAC. Some House Republicans, including Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-highest Republican lawmaker, called for King's resignation last year.
Last week, the Republican Jewish Coalition announced its support for Feenstra and pledged to use its donor network to provide funding to his campaign.
Feenstra has outraised King in every quarter of the campaign cycle so far. On March 31, King's campaign reported cash reserves of just under $27,000.
King has long held a reputation for holding controversial positions, but he lost party support in January 2019 after answering a question on immigration last year in an interview with the New York Times.
"White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King said.
He later released a qualifying statement, saying he disavows white nationalism and only considers himself a "nationalist."
Later that year, King defended his position on banning abortion in the cases of incest or rape by saying much of the world wouldn't exist without those acts.
"What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled out anyone who was a product of rape or incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?" he told the Des Moines Register. "Considering all the wars and all the rapes and pillages that happened throughout all these different nations, I know that I can't say that I was not a part of a product of that."
Following the controversy surrounding that interviews, King promised to run for his seat "unless I'm dead."
“Even with that, and millions of dollars of media that was poured against me, some of it strategized, some of it organic, I don’t think anybody has faced such a nearly perfect storm as I have faced,” King told the Washington Examiner.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-14--Biden accepts more money from lobbyists after promising not to

Joe Biden 's having trouble sticking to the 2020 Democratic primary 's purity test of turning down money from federal lobbyists .
The presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee in March received at least $ 8,400 from three lobbyists registered to influence the federal government , according to financial disclosure records .
Though the sum is overshadowed by the $ 46.7 million Biden raised last month and the fact that the lobbyists were legally allowed to donate , it still represents a pattern of accepting funds from the industry after pledging he would n't .
Biden 's lobbyist donors from March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Gephardt Government Affairs .
Gephardt was House majority leader and House minority leader for more than 13 years and a Democratic presidential candidate in 1988 and 2004 .
Gephardt gave $ 2,800 and boasts clients in 2020 such as Ameren Services Company , Enterprise Rent-A-Car , Intuit Inc. , and Prairie State Generating Company .
Susan Mann , Microsoft Corporation 's senior director of intellectual property policy , and Jennifer Dionne of Atlantic Strategies Group also contributed the maximum amount to Biden .
A Biden spokesman told the Washington Examiner that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment .
Neither Dionne , Gephardt , nor Mann responded to inquiries .
Biden , the two-term vice president and Delaware 's 36-year senator , promises on his website not to be financed by `` lobbyists and corporate PACs , '' though the Democratic field generally narrowed the vow to apply only to federal lobbyists for the primary .
If elected to the White House , Biden would impose other restrictions on lobbyists , such as barring them `` from making contributions to , and fundraising or bundling for , those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contribution must be disclosed within 24-hours , and any lobbyist-hosted fundraising event must be disclosed before it occurs , '' his website states .
Last September , Biden returned about $ 6,000 from six lobbyists working for industries such as Big Pharma and companies ranging from Google to Lockheed Martin .
His team additionally gave back $ 5,750 donated by two lobbyists who registered shortly before giving to his campaign .
Two of those contributions came from Gerard Evans and former Florida Rep. Lawrence Smith , both of whom have criminal records and @ @ @ @ @ @

Joe Biden's having trouble sticking to the 2020 Democratic primary's purity test of turning down money from federal lobbyists.
The presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee in March received at least $8,400 from three lobbyists registered to influence the federal government, according to financial disclosure records.
Though the sum is overshadowed by the $46.7 million Biden raised last month and the fact that the lobbyists were legally allowed to donate, it still represents a pattern of accepting funds from the industry after pledging he wouldn't.
Biden's lobbyist donors from March include Richard Gephardt, president and CEO of Gephardt Government Affairs. Gephardt was House majority leader and House minority leader for more than 13 years and a Democratic presidential candidate in 1988 and 2004. Gephardt gave $2,800 and boasts clients in 2020 such as Ameren Services Company, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Intuit Inc., and Prairie State Generating Company.
Susan Mann, Microsoft Corporation's senior director of intellectual property policy, and Jennifer Dionne of Atlantic Strategies Group also contributed the maximum amount to Biden.
A Biden spokesman told the Washington Examiner that the campaign had returned the funds when asked for comment. Neither Dionne, Gephardt, nor Mann responded to inquiries.
Biden, the two-term vice president and Delaware's 36-year senator, promises on his website not to be financed by "lobbyists and corporate PACs," though the Democratic field generally narrowed the vow to apply only to federal lobbyists for the primary.
If elected to the White House, Biden would impose other restrictions on lobbyists, such as barring them "from making contributions to, and fundraising or bundling for, those who they lobby."
"Any lobbyist contribution must be disclosed within 24-hours, and any lobbyist-hosted fundraising event must be disclosed before it occurs," his website states.
Last September, Biden returned about $6,000 from six lobbyists working for industries such as Big Pharma and companies ranging from Google to Lockheed Martin. His team additionally gave back $5,750 donated by two lobbyists who registered shortly before giving to his campaign. Two of those contributions came from Gerard Evans and former Florida Rep. Lawrence Smith, both of whom have criminal records and spent time in federal prison.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-14--Trump campaign embraces virtual fundraising with high-dollar event celebrating Jerusalem embassy

President Trump ’ s campaign is scheduled to hold a virtual fundraiser commemorating two years since the United States moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem , according to a copy of the invitation obtained by the Washington Examiner .
The videoconference event signals a return to high-dollar fundraising by the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee after two months on the sidelines because of the coronavirus .
Scheduled for Thursday afternoon , the Zoom fundraiser was set to be headlined by Donald Trump Jr. , Kimberly Guilfoyle , Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Individual tickets were available for $ 2,800 .
But Trump campaign donors or bundlers were encouraged to contribute or raise thousands from others in exchange for a private virtual roundtable discussion to take place before the main virtual event , similar to how in-person fundraising dinners and luncheons are run .
Per the invitation , donor/bundler categories include “ Trump Train , ” for those who donate $ 50,000 or raise $ 25,000 ; “ KAG Club , ” for those who give $ 10,000 or raise $ 15,000 ; and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contribute $ 5,600 or raise $ 5,000 .
The money raised is being collected by a joint fundraising committee composed of the Trump campaign , the RNC , and a collection of state GOP affiliates .
The Trump campaign throughout the pandemic has continued to raise tens of millions of dollars online in small increments from grassroots donors .
But the president and his team halted fundraising from wealthy contributors and bundlers because of the sensitivity of asking for money in the middle of a public health crisis and meltdown of the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the coronavirus in the U.S. , and more than 35 million people have lost their jobs .
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in an interview last month , however , that she expected the campaign to resume major donor fundraising in May or June via virtual events .
With Election Day less than six months out , Thursday ’ s virtual Trump campaign fundraiser would appear to go hand in hand with the president ’ s expanded focus on reopening the economy .

President Trump’s campaign is scheduled to hold a virtual fundraiser commemorating two years since the United States moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by the Washington Examiner.
The videoconference event signals a return to high-dollar fundraising by the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee after two months on the sidelines because of the coronavirus. Scheduled for Thursday afternoon, the Zoom fundraiser was set to be headlined by Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York.
Individual tickets were available for $2,800. But Trump campaign donors or bundlers were encouraged to contribute or raise thousands from others in exchange for a private virtual roundtable discussion to take place before the main virtual event, similar to how in-person fundraising dinners and luncheons are run.
Per the invitation, donor/bundler categories include “Trump Train,” for those who donate $50,000 or raise $25,000; “KAG Club,” for those who give $10,000 or raise $15,000; and “Team 2020,” for those who contribute $5,600 or raise $5,000. The money raised is being collected by a joint fundraising committee composed of the Trump campaign, the RNC, and a collection of state GOP affiliates.
The Trump campaign throughout the pandemic has continued to raise tens of millions of dollars online in small increments from grassroots donors. But the president and his team halted fundraising from wealthy contributors and bundlers because of the sensitivity of asking for money in the middle of a public health crisis and meltdown of the national economy. Nearly 85,000 people have died from the coronavirus in the U.S., and more than 35 million people have lost their jobs.
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in an interview last month, however, that she expected the campaign to resume major donor fundraising in May or June via virtual events. With Election Day less than six months out, Thursday’s virtual Trump campaign fundraiser would appear to go hand in hand with the president’s expanded focus on reopening the economy.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-14--A Biden win would set up pitched battle with liberals over filibuster

Joe Biden has begun preparing for the transition in case he 's elected president in the fall , but his promise to champion a liberal agenda from the White House may be hindered if he faces a recalcitrant Senate .
The presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee started putting together a transition team last month , ahead of a May 3 federally mandated deadline .
Yet , while the two-term vice president can pick and choose his dream administration lineup , the political realities wrought by the coronavirus pandemic and the makeup of the Senate post-November will decide whether his policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhetoric .
Early predictions suggest House Democrats will maintain control of their chamber , while the balance of power in the Senate remains a toss-up .
Republicans currently hold 53 seats to Democrats ' 45 , plus two independents .
For George Mason University 's Jeremy Mayer , Senate Democrats have a `` small advantage '' heading into the fall fight , which he did n't foresee changing unless `` Americans become convinced that the virus was more hype than reality and that the Democrats were 'crybabies ' and 'fraidy-cats , ' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With 81,000 dead and rising , I think that ’ s unlikely .
I suppose if October comes , and we are mostly back at work , and Florida never suffered for its reopening , the rest of the nation will reconsider ?
Maybe ?
Upon such gossamer threads hang the hopes of Senate Republicans , '' he told the Washington Examiner .
With the possibility of a divided Congress , Democratic White House hopefuls were pressed during the primary on whether they would support getting rid of the filibuster .
Doing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than a 60-vote threshold .
Biden , a 36-year Delaware senator before becoming President Barack Obama 's vice president , was adamantly against the reform at the time .
`` There are a number of areas where you can reach consensus that relate to things like cancer and healthcare and a whole range of things .
I think we can reach consensus on that and get it passed without changing the filibuster rule , '' he told the New York Times in January .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he made in 2013 endorsing then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid 's triggering of the “ nuclear option '' to stop the filibustering of judicial nominees to benches other than the Supreme Court .
Senate Republicans repeated stymieing of Obama administration judges prompted the move to eliminate the need for a supermajority .
The GOP removed the Supreme Court exception in 2017 for Justice Neil Gorsuch 's appointment .
As Biden continues to reach out to more liberal Democrats in an effort to rally the party ahead of the general election , the filibuster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Groups such as Stand Up America , for example , were pushing for it in March when the race had whittled down to Biden and Bernie Sanders , despite the Vermont senator 's electoral chances being slim to none .
Though he 's dug his heels in regarding far-Left proposals , including `` Medicare for all , '' nixing the filibuster could help Biden ram through his own more centrist platform if Democrats do n't win 60 seats this cycle .
This is especially true given the trend toward partisan brinkmanship in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world 's greatest deliberative body . ''
Some of those bills could grant statehood to the District of Columbia ( and even Puerto Rico ) or expand the Supreme Court .
Mayer believed the filibuster would likely be chucked onto `` the ash heap of history , and should be '' since it was no longer `` a rarely used vehicle to express extreme opposition . ''
`` Now it is a weekly , or even daily , aspect of Senate procedure .
Nothing can happen , almost , without threat of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So yes , I think if Dems have a 51-vote majority , they will end the filibuster .
And if the GOP holds the Senate , but loses two seats , they could do the same .
Trump has been against the filibuster for years . ''
Republican strategist Brad Todd was less certain and questioned Biden 's track record of compromise .
`` Biden was a partisan before partisanship was cool .
He rarely crossed party lines when it counted , '' Todd told the Washington Examiner .
`` He better worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of counting the chickens .
Long way to go . ''

Joe Biden has begun preparing for the transition in case he's elected president in the fall, but his promise to champion a liberal agenda from the White House may be hindered if he faces a recalcitrant Senate.
The presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee started putting together a transition team last month, ahead of a May 3 federally mandated deadline. Yet, while the two-term vice president can pick and choose his dream administration lineup, the political realities wrought by the coronavirus pandemic and the makeup of the Senate post-November will decide whether his policy ideas will amount to more than campaign rhetoric.
Early predictions suggest House Democrats will maintain control of their chamber, while the balance of power in the Senate remains a toss-up. Republicans currently hold 53 seats to Democrats' 45, plus two independents.
For George Mason University's Jeremy Mayer, Senate Democrats have a "small advantage" heading into the fall fight, which he didn't foresee changing unless "Americans become convinced that the virus was more hype than reality and that the Democrats were 'crybabies' and 'fraidy-cats,' to use the technical terms."
"With 81,000 dead and rising, I think that’s unlikely. I suppose if October comes, and we are mostly back at work, and Florida never suffered for its reopening, the rest of the nation will reconsider? Maybe? Upon such gossamer threads hang the hopes of Senate Republicans," he told the Washington Examiner.
With the possibility of a divided Congress, Democratic White House hopefuls were pressed during the primary on whether they would support getting rid of the filibuster. Doing so would allow certain bills and confirmations to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than a 60-vote threshold.
Biden, a 36-year Delaware senator before becoming President Barack Obama's vice president, was adamantly against the reform at the time.
"There are a number of areas where you can reach consensus that relate to things like cancer and healthcare and a whole range of things. I think we can reach consensus on that and get it passed without changing the filibuster rule," he told the New York Times in January.
His statements, however, contradict with comments he made in 2013 endorsing then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's triggering of the “nuclear option" to stop the filibustering of judicial nominees to benches other than the Supreme Court. Senate Republicans repeated stymieing of Obama administration judges prompted the move to eliminate the need for a supermajority. The GOP removed the Supreme Court exception in 2017 for Justice Neil Gorsuch's appointment.
As Biden continues to reach out to more liberal Democrats in an effort to rally the party ahead of the general election, the filibuster issue may return to the negotiating table. Groups such as Stand Up America, for example, were pushing for it in March when the race had whittled down to Biden and Bernie Sanders, despite the Vermont senator's electoral chances being slim to none.
Though he's dug his heels in regarding far-Left proposals, including "Medicare for all," nixing the filibuster could help Biden ram through his own more centrist platform if Democrats don't win 60 seats this cycle. This is especially true given the trend toward partisan brinkmanship in the Senate, once described as “the world's greatest deliberative body." Some of those bills could grant statehood to the District of Columbia (and even Puerto Rico) or expand the Supreme Court.
Mayer believed the filibuster would likely be chucked onto "the ash heap of history, and should be" since it was no longer "a rarely used vehicle to express extreme opposition."
"Now it is a weekly, or even daily, aspect of Senate procedure. Nothing can happen, almost, without threat of filibuster," he said. "So yes, I think if Dems have a 51-vote majority, they will end the filibuster. And if the GOP holds the Senate, but loses two seats, they could do the same. Trump has been against the filibuster for years."
Republican strategist Brad Todd was less certain and questioned Biden's track record of compromise.
"Biden was a partisan before partisanship was cool. He rarely crossed party lines when it counted," Todd told the Washington Examiner. "He better worry about tending to the eggs now instead of counting the chickens. Long way to go."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-14--James Clapper says he 'did not' see evidence of Trump-Russia collusion after testimony transcript re

James Clapper says he 'did not' see evidence of Trump-Russia collusion after testimony transcript release

President Barack Obama 's former spy chief acknowledged that he never saw evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government .
During a Thursday interview on CNN 's New Day , James Clapper , who was the director of national intelligence for most of Obama ’ s presidency , told network host John Berman that he never saw any evidence of collusion between the two groups .
`` No , I did not .
Of course , collusion is not a formally defined term , certainly in a legal sense , '' he said .
`` If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highly classified version and as well as the unclassified version , you wo n't find the ' c-word ' anywhere in that report . ''
While Clapper said he `` had no evidence of such collusion '' in early 2017 , he took a different tone while being interviewed by CNN 's Brianna Keilar last year .
At the time , he said he was disturbed by the activities of Russia in its attempts to interfere with the 2016 election , adding that he believed the Trump campaign was `` essentially aiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms “ aid ” and “ abet , ” in the case of enabling agents of a foreign power such as Russia , fall within the U.S. criminal code and potentially can lead to severe criminal penalties .
Last Thursday , the House Intelligence Committee released thousands of pages of transcripts from its closed-off interviews from 2017 to 2018 regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election .
The released documents also showed Clapper admitting to the congressional committee that there was no direct evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with a foreign entity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never saw any direct empirical evidence that the Trump campaign or someone in it was plotting/conspiring with the Russians to meddle with the election , '' Clapper said .
`` That 's not to say that there were n't concerns about the evidence we were seeing , anecdotal evidence .
...
But I do not recall any instance where I had direct evidence of the content of these meetings .
It 's just the frequency and prevalence of them was of concern . ''
In April 2019 , special counsel Robert Mueller released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not find evidence of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia , though it did find substantial evidence that Russian actors actively attempted to influence the election .
U.S. Attorney John Durham , who was appointed by Attorney General William Barr , is currently examining the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation .

President Barack Obama's former spy chief acknowledged that he never saw evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government.
During a Thursday interview on CNN's New Day, James Clapper, who was the director of national intelligence for most of Obama’s presidency, told network host John Berman that he never saw any evidence of collusion between the two groups.
"No, I did not. Of course, collusion is not a formally defined term, certainly in a legal sense," he said. "If you read the intelligence community assessment, particularly the highly classified version and as well as the unclassified version, you won't find the 'c-word' anywhere in that report."
While Clapper said he "had no evidence of such collusion" in early 2017, he took a different tone while being interviewed by CNN's Brianna Keilar last year. At the time, he said he was disturbed by the activities of Russia in its attempts to interfere with the 2016 election, adding that he believed the Trump campaign was "essentially aiding and abetting the Russians."
The terms “aid” and “abet,” in the case of enabling agents of a foreign power such as Russia, fall within the U.S. criminal code and potentially can lead to severe criminal penalties.
Last Thursday, the House Intelligence Committee released thousands of pages of transcripts from its closed-off interviews from 2017 to 2018 regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. The released documents also showed Clapper admitting to the congressional committee that there was no direct evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with a foreign entity to influence the election.
"I never saw any direct empirical evidence that the Trump campaign or someone in it was plotting/conspiring with the Russians to meddle with the election," Clapper said. "That's not to say that there weren't concerns about the evidence we were seeing, anecdotal evidence. ... But I do not recall any instance where I had direct evidence of the content of these meetings. It's just the frequency and prevalence of them was of concern."
In April 2019, special counsel Robert Mueller released his long-awaited report on Russian interference and could not find evidence of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, though it did find substantial evidence that Russian actors actively attempted to influence the election. U.S. Attorney John Durham, who was appointed by Attorney General William Barr, is currently examining the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-14--House Republicans suddenly optimistic about California political landscape

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has reason for optimism about the chances of California Republican candidates , starting in his own backyard .
Hoping to capitalize on the special election victory by Republican Mike Garcia in the state ’ s 25th Congressional District , at the top of Los Angeles County and eastern parts of Ventura County , the California GOP has its eyes on taking back other seats the party lost to Democrats in the 2018 election cycle .
No longer bogged down by a lurking `` blue wave '' or a Michael Bloomberg super PAC infusing millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chests , Republicans are seeing more opportunities with President Trump at the top of the ticket this time around .
Two particular seats where the Republican candidates are competitive with their fundraising and poll numbers are the ones for former Rep. David Valadao and former Assemblywoman Young Kim .
In California ’ s 21st Congressional District , Valadao will face off against the Democrat who ousted him from the seat in 2018 , Rep. T.J. Cox .
As a Democratic challenger in the last election cycle , Cox managed to be competitive in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican by less than 1,000 votes .
The 21st District stretches across Kings County and areas of Fresno , Tulare , and Kern counties .
Both Cox and Valadao currently have nearly $ 1.2 million in cash-on-hand available , according to Federal Elections Committee records .
In California ’ s 39th Congressional District , a seat previously held by Republican Rep. Ed Royce , who retired after the 2018 elections , freshman Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros defeated Kim 51.6 % to 48.4 % in 2018 .
Kim was leading Cisneros on election night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not called for two weeks .
Kim ’ s current fundraising numbers have been competitive with Cisneros .
Royce previously won the district in 2016 with 60 % of the vote and in 2014 with 68 % of the vote .
After losing seven seats in the last midterm election , California Republicans have built up their get-out-the-vote operations to avoid another wipeout .
This included establishing a “ ballot harvesting ” or “ ballot collection ” operation to compete with Democrats , who have proven better at the campaign , which involves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for consenting voters who already filled out their own ballots .
This process became legal in the state in 2016 , and the Garcia campaign used it successfully during the special election .
According to Garcia , their campaign followed all regulations during their own ballot collection deployments .
“ In the wake of stay-at-home orders , we 've been very focused on staying compliant , and so we [ had ] not been doing the door-to-door canvassing , but we were in a position to do so , and that was obviously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia told the Washington Examiner in an interview Monday , just before he beat Democratic Assemblywoman Christy Smith to serve out the remainder of the term of former Rep.Katie Hill , a Democrat who resigned in November .
“ The value of the volunteers is that you do have an army to help you now go door to door .
You have an army to make phone calls to get the vote out , '' Garcia said .
`` So the bottom line is , it 's legal , and because it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to operate on that coordinate system on that playing field just as well as the Democrats have been able to do it in previous elections .
”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has reason for optimism about the chances of California Republican candidates, starting in his own backyard.
Hoping to capitalize on the special election victory by Republican Mike Garcia in the state’s 25th Congressional District, at the top of Los Angeles County and eastern parts of Ventura County, the California GOP has its eyes on taking back other seats the party lost to Democrats in the 2018 election cycle.
No longer bogged down by a lurking "blue wave" or a Michael Bloomberg super PAC infusing millions of dollars into freshmen Democratic challengers' campaign chests, Republicans are seeing more opportunities with President Trump at the top of the ticket this time around.
Two particular seats where the Republican candidates are competitive with their fundraising and poll numbers are the ones for former Rep. David Valadao and former Assemblywoman Young Kim.
In California’s 21st Congressional District, Valadao will face off against the Democrat who ousted him from the seat in 2018, Rep. T.J. Cox. As a Democratic challenger in the last election cycle, Cox managed to be competitive in fundraising against the incumbent and beat the Republican by less than 1,000 votes. The 21st District stretches across Kings County and areas of Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties.
Both Cox and Valadao currently have nearly $1.2 million in cash-on-hand available, according to Federal Elections Committee records.
In California’s 39th Congressional District, a seat previously held by Republican Rep. Ed Royce, who retired after the 2018 elections, freshman Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros defeated Kim 51.6% to 48.4% in 2018. Kim was leading Cisneros on election night that cycle, and the race was not called for two weeks.
Kim’s current fundraising numbers have been competitive with Cisneros. Royce previously won the district in 2016 with 60% of the vote and in 2014 with 68% of the vote.
After losing seven seats in the last midterm election, California Republicans have built up their get-out-the-vote operations to avoid another wipeout.
This included establishing a “ballot harvesting” or “ballot collection” operation to compete with Democrats, who have proven better at the campaign, which involves a third party collecting and casting ballots for consenting voters who already filled out their own ballots.
This process became legal in the state in 2016, and the Garcia campaign used it successfully during the special election. According to Garcia, their campaign followed all regulations during their own ballot collection deployments.
“In the wake of stay-at-home orders, we've been very focused on staying compliant, and so we [had] not been doing the door-to-door canvassing, but we were in a position to do so, and that was obviously a lesson learned from 2018,” Garcia told the Washington Examiner in an interview Monday, just before he beat Democratic Assemblywoman Christy Smith to serve out the remainder of the term of former Rep.Katie Hill, a Democrat who resigned in November.
“The value of the volunteers is that you do have an army to help you now go door to door. You have an army to make phone calls to get the vote out," Garcia said. "So the bottom line is, it's legal, and because it's legal, we need to be able to operate on that coordinate system on that playing field just as well as the Democrats have been able to do it in previous elections.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--Biden says he 'absolutely' wouldn't pardon Trump

Joe Biden said he would not pardon President Trump if he is elected to the White House in the fall .
The presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee was asked late Thursday whether he would diverge from former President Gerald Ford and commit not to absolve Trump of any wrongdoing in a bid to heal the nation like Ford did for President Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal .
Though the question did n't reference a particular investigation , the two-term vice president and Delaware 's 36-year senator promised to never interfere in any Justice Department cases .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not the president 's lawyer .
It 's the people 's lawyer , ” he said .
“ We never saw anything like the prostitution of that office like we see it today .
It is not something the president is entitled to do : to direct a either a prosecution and or decide to drop a case . ''
Trump 's Justice Department last week announced it intended to drop its case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn , after which Attorney General William Barr received a torrent of criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned about political influence .
Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017 about his contacts with Russian diplomats during transition , but now claims he 's innocent and was entrapped by the government after previously concealed documents were made public .
Biden on Thursday also sought to clarify comments he made this week about what he knew about the Obama administration 's look at the foreign dealings of the incoming Trump administration .
“ I was never a part or had any knowledge of any criminal investigation into Flynn when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not one single time , '' he said .
He did not say if he was aware of any counterintelligence investigation into Flynn .
On Tuesday he told ABC he `` was aware that there was , that they asked for an investigation , but that 's all I know about it '' when pressed on his presence at a Jan. 5 , 2017 , meeting where he and former President Barack Obama `` were briefed '' on the FBI 's plan to interview Flynn about his intercepted conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey @ @

Joe Biden said he would not pardon President Trump if he is elected to the White House in the fall.
The presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee was asked late Thursday whether he would diverge from former President Gerald Ford and commit not to absolve Trump of any wrongdoing in a bid to heal the nation such as Ford did for President Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal.
"Absolutely, yes, I commit," Biden told MSNBC.
Though the question didn't reference a particular investigation, the two-term vice president and Delaware's 36-year senator promised never to interfere in any Justice Department cases.
"It's hands off completely. The attorney general is not the president's lawyer. It's the people's lawyer,” he said. “We never saw anything like the prostitution of that office like we see it today. It is not something the president is entitled to do: to direct either a prosecution and or decide to drop a case."
Trump's Justice Department last week announced it intended to drop its case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn, after which Attorney General William Barr received a torrent of criticism from Democrats and some law enforcement veterans concerned about political influence. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017 about his contacts with Russian diplomats during the White House transition, but now claims he's innocent and was entrapped by the government after previously concealed documents were made public.
Biden on Thursday also sought to clarify comments he made this week about what he knew about the Obama administration's look at the foreign dealings of the incoming Trump administration.
“I was never a part or had any knowledge of any criminal investigation into Flynn when I was in office. Period. Not one single time," he said. He did not say if he was aware of any counterintelligence investigation into Flynn.
On Tuesday he told ABC that he "was aware that there was, that they asked for an investigation, but that's all I know about it" when pressed on his presence at a Jan. 5, 2017, meeting where he and President Barack Obama "were briefed" on the FBI's plan to interview Flynn about his intercepted conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--Unmasking revelation opens door for Trump campaign to portray scandal-plagued Biden

Move over , “ Sleepy Joe.
” President Trump ’ s campaign is increasingly painting the presumptive Democratic nominee as “ Beijing Biden , ” and “ Crooked , Swampy Joe ” may not be too far behind .
But Sleepy , Swampy , and Crooked are not a reprise of the seven dwarfs .
Joe Biden has now accumulated a number of scandals , ranging from his son Hunter ’ s business dealings with China — a country on which the candidate himself is — to the Tara Reade sexual assault allegations .
The latest revelation is that as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ unmasking ” requests concerning then-incoming national security adviser Michael Flynn , something he had previously denied .
Trumpworld is packaging all these hits together in one cohesive case against Biden that is reminiscent of its successful 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton .
Its argument is that the Democratic standard-bearer is a longtime district insider and swamp creature running against Trump the disruptor .
“ If you smell the stink of the D.C. swamp , it ’ s because it ’ s all over Joe Biden , ” said Trump campaign communications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has enriched itself thanks to his positions of power , he thinks he doesn ’ t have to play by the same rules as everyone else , and he ’ s up to his eyeballs in the plot to take down the Trump administration through the Russia collusion hoax .
And every time someone asks him about it , he gets confused and loses his temper .
The D.C. establishment got the candidate they wanted in Joe Biden , and so did China.
” Trump has personally joined in these attacks .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing was corrupt .
And we caught them .
We caught them , ” he told Fox Business ’ s Maria Bartiromo in an interview that aired Thursday .
“ And what you saw just now .
I watched Biden yesterday , he could barely speak .
He was on Good Morning America , right ?
And he said he didn ’ t know anything about it.
” This focus on the disparate allegations against Biden seeks to drive up the former vice president ’ s negatives and blunt certain lines of attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have accused him of misconduct or the Trump-Russia controversies dating back to the last election .
The latter also gives new relevance to Trump ’ s efforts to dismantle his predecessor ’ s legacy : Much of the case for Biden revolves around his service under Barack Obama , remembered in some circles as a “ no drama ” president whose biggest scandal was wearing a light brown suit .
“ This was all Obama .
This was all Biden , ” Trump said , referring to the case against his former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently asked to drop .
Strategists in both parties believe Trump fares best in an election that is seen as a binary choice between the president and an opponent who carries all the baggage of the Democratic Party circa 2020 plus some of his own , rather than a direct referendum on the incumbent .
“ Trump doesn ’ t have to become popular , ” said a Democratic consultant .
“ He has to try to be less unpopular than Biden.
” That ’ s how Trump won four years ago despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Day .
The question is whether anyone who isn ’ t already convinced is paying attention during the coronavirus pandemic , which has shone a bright spotlight on Trump while allowing Biden to campaign intermittently from the safety of his basement .
The outbreak has also obliterated the economy that was once the strongest argument for Trump ’ s reelection .
“ There are two schools of thought , ” said Republican strategist Ed Pozzuoli .
“ One is that people are sitting at home watching .
The second is that COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying that Trump is — just as when he courted impeachment by trying to coax Ukraine into probing Hunter Biden — and change the subject from his handling of the coronavirus .
“ Politically , I think it matters , ” Pozzuoli said .
“ It puts Joe Biden a little bit more on the defensive , and he already has communications problems.
” Trump isn ’ t giving up on his criticism that Biden is also past his prime , however .
In an appearance in Allentown , Pennsylvania , on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reference to the swine flu as “ N1H1 .
”

Move over, “Sleepy Joe.” President Trump’s campaign is increasingly painting the presumptive Democratic nominee as “Beijing Biden,” and “Crooked, Swampy Joe” may not be too far behind.
But Sleepy, Swampy, and Crooked are not a reprise of the seven dwarfs. Joe Biden has now accumulated a number of scandals, ranging from his son Hunter’s business dealings with China, a country on which the candidate himself is seen as soft , to the Tara Reade sexual assault allegations. The latest revelation is that as vice president, Biden was informed of the “unmasking” requests concerning then-incoming national security adviser Michael Flynn, something he had previously denied.
Trumpworld is packaging all these hits together into one cohesive case against Biden that is reminiscent of its successful 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton. Its argument is that the Democratic standard-bearer is a longtime district insider and swamp creature running against Trump the disruptor.
“If you smell the stink of the D.C. swamp, it’s because it’s all over Joe Biden,” said Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh. “His family has enriched itself thanks to his positions of power, he thinks he doesn’t have to play by the same rules as everyone else, and he’s up to his eyeballs in the plot to take down the Trump administration through the Russia collusion hoax. And every time someone asks him about it, he gets confused and loses his temper. The D.C. establishment got the candidate they wanted in Joe Biden, and so did China.”
Trump has personally joined in these attacks. “These people were corrupt. The whole thing was corrupt. And we caught them. We caught them,” he told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo in an interview that aired Thursday. “And what you saw just now. I watched Biden yesterday. He could barely speak. He was on Good Morning America, right? And he said he didn’t know anything about it.”
This focus on the disparate allegations against Biden seeks to drive up the former vice president’s negatives and blunt certain lines of attack against Trump, such as the women who have accused him of misconduct or the Trump-Russia controversies dating back to the last election. The latter also gives new relevance to Trump’s efforts to dismantle his predecessor’s legacy: Much of the case for Biden revolves around his service under Barack Obama, remembered in some circles as a “no drama” president whose biggest scandal was wearing a light-brown suit.
“This was all Obama. This was all Biden,” Trump said, referring to the case against his former subordinate Flynn, which the Justice Department recently asked to drop.
Strategists in both parties believe Trump fares best in an election that is seen as a binary choice between the president and an opponent who carries all the baggage of the Democratic Party circa 2020 plus some of his own, rather than a direct referendum on the incumbent.
“Trump doesn’t have to become popular,” said a Democratic consultant. “He has to try to be less unpopular than Biden.” That’s how Trump won four years ago despite having a 60% unfavorable rating on Election Day.
The question is whether anyone who isn’t already convinced is paying attention during the coronavirus pandemic, which has shone a bright spotlight on Trump while allowing Biden to campaign intermittently from the safety of his basement. The outbreak has also obliterated the economy that was once the strongest argument for Trump’s reelection.
“There are two schools of thought,” said Republican strategist Ed Pozzuoli. “One is that people are sitting at home watching. The second is that COVID-19 dominates everything.”
Democrats are responding by saying that Trump is politicizing federal investigations , just as when he courted impeachment by trying to coax Ukraine into probing Hunter Biden, and change the subject from his handling of the coronavirus.
“Politically, I think it matters,” Pozzuoli said. “It puts Joe Biden a little bit more on the defensive, and he already has communications problems.”
Trump isn’t giving up on his criticism that Biden is also past his prime, however. In an appearance in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, Trump mocked his opponent’s reference to the swine flu as “N1H1.”
“Who says that?” Trump asked the crowd. “Sleepy Joe Biden!”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--Republicans fear for Senate majority if Burr resigns and forces NC special election

Senior Republicans worried about the party 's Senate majority are monitoring the investigation into alleged insider trading by Sen. Richard Burr , fretting the party might be forced to defend yet another competitive seat this fall in a snap special election .
The North Carolina Republican stepped down Thursday as Senate Intelligence Committee chairman after the Justice Department began investigating whether he used classified information about the coronavirus to dump stocks before a pandemic-induced market plunge .
If Burr were to resign under pressure before Sept. 4 , a November special election would be triggered to fill the remainder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face as they scramble to protect their 53-seat majority .
“ People still don ’ t know exactly what transpired , which is why the current review is important , ” a Republican insider said .
“ But North Carolina already features what will be a very expensive Senate race , and another one would be quite challenging for Republicans.
” Senate Republicans are girding for a difficult fall campaign .
The GOP is on the defensive in Arizona , Colorado , Maine , Montana , and North Carolina , where Sen. Thom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats in Iowa and Georgia also on the party ’ s watchlist .
Adding a second North Carolina seat to the mix is a headache , and an expense Republicans could do without , especially with President Trump ’ s prospects uncertain and the economy in free fall .
Republicans are only on offense in Alabama and Michigan .
Although North Carolina leans Republican , it is competitive .
Trump won there in 2016 by just 3.6 percentage points .
Under state law , Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper must appoint a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fill any Senate vacancy and is required to choose from candidates selected by the state party .
So , if Burr resigned , Republicans would retain control of the seat .
And if Burr leaves from Sept. 4 on , his replacement will serve out his term , which ends in 2023 .
Some Republicans are confident the party is positioned to win any ensuing special election .
Pointing to Reps. Richard Hudson and Mark Walker and former Gov .
Pat McCrory , Republican insiders say Republicans have plenty of strong contenders to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats do not have .
“ I ’ d think it would be fine .
Democrats do not have a strong bench , ” said Michael Steel , a Republican operative and North Carolina native .
Democrats disagree , arguing that the allegations against Burr are among the reasons why the Republican majority is in jeopardy .
Special elections can be unpredictable .
In 2017 , Democrats flipped control of an Alabama Senate seat in a special election after the state 's overwhelmingly pro-Trump , Republican electorate concluded that the GOP nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-dealing , and cowardice are why these Republicans are some of the most vulnerable Senate incumbents in the country , and why voters are going to fire them in November , '' Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokeswoman Helen Kalla said in a statement .
Burr previously announced plans to retire in 2023 , upon the expiration of his third term .
The Republican rejects allegations that he engaged in insider trading , saying in a statement after the controversy surfaced in March that he `` relied solely on public news reports '' in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his stock portfolio in 33 separate transactions .
`` Sen. Burr filed a financial disclosure form for personal transactions made several weeks before the U.S. and financial markets showed signs of volatility due to the growing coronavirus outbreak , '' his spokesman previously told the Washington Examiner .

Senior Republicans worried about the party's Senate majority are monitoring the investigation into alleged insider trading by Sen. Richard Burr, fretting the party might be forced to defend yet another competitive seat this fall in a snap special election.
The North Carolina Republican stepped down Thursday as Senate Intelligence Committee chairman after the Justice Department began investigating whether he used classified information about the coronavirus to dump stocks before a pandemic-induced market plunge. If Burr were to resign under pressure before Sept. 4, a November special election would be triggered to fill the remainder of his term, multiplying the challenges Republicans face as they scramble to protect their 53-seat majority.
“People still don’t know exactly what transpired, which is why the current review is important,” a Republican insider said. “But North Carolina already features what will be a very expensive Senate race, and another one would be quite challenging for Republicans.”
Senate Republicans are girding for a difficult fall campaign. The GOP is on the defensive in Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Montana, and North Carolina, where Sen. Thom Tillis is up for reelection, with seats in Iowa and Georgia also on the party’s watchlist. Adding a second North Carolina seat to the mix is a headache and an expense Republicans could do without, especially with President Trump’s prospects uncertain and the economy in free fall. Republicans are only on offense in Alabama and Michigan.
Although North Carolina leans Republican, it is competitive. Trump won there in 2016 by just 3.6 percentage points.
Under state law, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper must appoint a member of the incumbent senator's party to fill any Senate vacancy and is required to choose from candidates selected by the state party. So if Burr resigned, Republicans would retain control of the seat. And if Burr leaves on or after Sept. 4, his replacement will serve out his term, which ends in 2023.
Some Republicans are confident that the party is positioned to win any ensuing special election. Pointing to Reps. Richard Hudson and Mark Walker and former Gov. Pat McCrory, Republican insiders say Republicans have plenty of strong contenders to choose from — a luxury they argue the Democrats do not have.
“I’d think it would be fine. Democrats do not have a strong bench,” said Michael Steel, a Republican operative and North Carolina native.
Democrats disagree, arguing that the allegations against Burr are among the reasons why the Republican majority is in jeopardy.
Special elections can be unpredictable. In 2017, Democrats flipped control of an Alabama Senate seat in a special election after the state's overwhelmingly pro-Trump, Republican electorate concluded that the GOP nominee was unacceptable.
“The corruption, self-dealing, and cowardice are why these Republicans are some of the most vulnerable Senate incumbents in the country — and why voters are going to fire them in November," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokeswoman Helen Kalla said in a statement.
Burr previously announced plans to retire in 2023 upon the expiration of his third term. The Republican rejects allegations that he engaged in insider trading, saying in a statement after the controversy surfaced in March that he "relied solely on public news reports" in his decision to sell a large percentage of his stock portfolio in 33 separate transactions.
"Sen. Burr filed a financial disclosure form for personal transactions made several weeks before the U.S. and financial markets showed signs of volatility due to the growing coronavirus outbreak," his spokesman previously told the Washington Examiner.
Mike Brest contributed to this report.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--Biden confesses he doesn't remember accuser Tara Reade

Joe Biden conceded that he did n't remember the woman accusing him of sexual assaulting her three decades ago .
`` I 'll be honest with you , I do n't , '' Biden told MSNBC late Thursday .
Biden , 77 , previously did n't answer a question about whether he recalled Tara Reade , 56 , who claims the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee forcibly penetrated her with his fingers in the Senate 's office buildings in 1993 , when she was a 28-year-old aide working for him on Capitol Hill .
`` I do n't remember any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he told MSNBC earlier this month .
Reade 's sexual assault allegation threatened to derail Biden 's third White House campaign , but her story has stalled as key Democrats stand behind the two-term vice president and Delaware 's 36-year senator .
Reade 's efforts to find and release a complaint she made at the time have reached a dead end .
The secretary of the Senate has said she has `` no discretion '' to make public a copy of a sexual harassment , not sexual assault , complaint Reade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Thursday , Biden was also asked what he would tell voters rethinking casting their ballots for him in the general election because of Reade .
`` If they believe Tara Reade , they probably should n't vote for me .
I wouldn ’ t vote for me if I believed Tara Reade , '' he said .
But the Democratic Party 's apparent standard-bearer added that her story `` changes considerably '' and `` it never , ever happened . ''
Biden 's Thursday interview was an hour-long , town hall-style program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Georgia , rumored to be on his vice presidential short list .
Biden insisted that Abrams 's appearance did n't mean he was announcing his pick , but he did tout her work on voting rights and access .
`` Stacey knows what she 's doing , and she 's an incredibly capable person , '' he said .
Biden 's performance Thursday was peppered with his usual verbal missteps , seeming to misuse the acronym for the Paycheck Protection Program instead of the one for personal protective equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confused the number of people who had lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic with the number who had died from the novel respiratory illness .

Joe Biden conceded that he didn't remember the woman accusing him of sexual assaulting her three decades ago.
"I'll be honest with you, I don't," Biden told MSNBC late Thursday.
Biden, 77, previously didn't answer a question about whether he recalled Tara Reade, 56, who claims the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee forcibly penetrated her with his fingers in the Senate's office buildings in 1993, when she was a 28-year-old aide working for him on Capitol Hill.
"I don't remember any type of complaint she may have made," he told MSNBC earlier this month.
Reade's sexual assault allegation threatened to derail Biden's third White House campaign, but her story has stalled as key Democrats stand behind the two-term vice president and Delaware's 36-year senator. Reade's efforts to find and release a complaint she made at the time have reached a dead end. The secretary of the Senate has said she has "no discretion" to make public a copy of a sexual harassment, not sexual assault, complaint Reade says she filed 27 years ago.
On Thursday, Biden was also asked what he would tell voters rethinking casting their ballots for him in the general election because of Reade.
"If they believe Tara Reade, they probably shouldn't vote for me. I wouldn’t vote for me if I believed Tara Reade," he said.
But the Democratic Party's apparent standard-bearer added that her story "changes considerably" and "it never, ever happened."
Biden's Thursday interview was an hour-long, town hall-style program with Stacey Abrams, the failed 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Georgia, rumored to be on his vice presidential short list.
Biden insisted that Abrams's appearance didn't mean he was announcing his pick, but he did tout her work on voting rights and access.
"Stacey knows what she's doing, and she's an incredibly capable person," he said.
Biden's performance Thursday was peppered with his usual verbal missteps, seeming to misuse the acronym for the Paycheck Protection Program instead of the one for personal protective equipment. Earlier in the day, he confused the number of people who had lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic with the number who had died from the novel respiratory illness.