March 20, 2020, 3:39 p.m.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
MO-01: 2018 candidate Cori Bush (D) was admitted to a St. Louis hospital Monday with pneumonia and is taking “every precaution” as she receives treatment. (release)
NY-07: Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D) was “diagnosed with presumed coronavirus infection” on Monday and will self-isolate in her home. (release)
NY-11: Rep. Max Rose (D) has been deployed with the state’s National Guard to Staten Island. Rose, “a Captain in the Army National Guard, will serve as an Operations Officer” as the Guard assists “in coronavirus response efforts.” (release)
NY-12: 2018 candidate Suraj Patel (D) tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. He has entered self-quarantine and put on pause on his primary challenge against Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D). (NBC News)TX-06: Rep. Ron Wright (R) “tested negative for COVID-19” after developing “a high fever the morning after traveling to Washington to vote on the $2 trillion stimulus package.” (Dallas Morning News)
Monday, March 30, 2020
MA-07: Rep. Ayanna Presley (D) tested negative for COVID-19 “after experiencing flu-like symptoms and seeking medical treatment” last week. (boston.com)
SC-01: Rep. Joe Cunningham (D) tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. The freshman lawmaker will extend his self-quarantine to April 1. (release)
Monday, March 30, 2020
MA-07: Rep. Ayanna Presley (D) tested negative for COVID-19 “after experiencing flu-like symptoms and seeking medical treatment” last week. (boston.com)
SC-01: Rep. Joe Cunningham (D) tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. The freshman lawmaker will extend his self-quarantine to April 1. (release)
Friday, March 27, 2020
AK-AL: Rep. Don Young (R) has changed his tone on the coronavirus, after dismissing the global pandemic as a “beer virus” on March 13.
Young: “Weeks ago I did not fully grasp the severity of this crisis, but clearly, we are in the midst of an urgent public health emergency.”
Alaska had 69 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Friday morning. (Anchorage Daily News)
CA-45: Rep. Katie Porter (D) tested negative for COVID-19, but will remain at home. (release)
TX-07: Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D) is self-quarantining after “experiencing flu-like symptoms and a fever of more than 100 degrees” as she waits for results from a COVID-19 test. (Dallas Morning News)
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Pennsylvania has delayed its primaries from April 28, “when the state could be in the thick of a surge of COVID-19 cases,” to June 2. The measure “passed both chambers of the Republican-controlled state Legislature on Wednesday and” Gov. Tom Wolf (D) “said he will sign it.” The election will still require in-person voting. This extends the competitive GOP primary to take on Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA 08) and gives incumbents like Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA 10) more time to build a war chest against his eventual challenger. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
CA-45: Rep. Katie Porter (D) said Wednesday “she is self-quarantining while awaiting the results of a coronavirus test.” (The Hill)
MA-06: Rep. Seth Moulton (D) said he is “self-quarantining at his home in Salem after experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19” on Wednesday. He plans to remain in isolation until at least Saturday. (WBUR)
MA-07: Rep. Ayanna Presley (D) entered self-quarantine Wednesday after experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 and being tested for the virus. (CNN)
- AZ-04: Paul Gosar (R)
- AZ-06: David Schweikert (R)
- CA-26: Julia Brownley (D)
- CA-45: Katie Porter (D)
- CO-06: Jason Crow (D)
- FL-01: Matt Gaetz (R)
- FL-07: Stephanie Murphy (D)
- FL-24: Frederica Wilson (D)
- FL-25: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R) (tested positive 3/18/20)
- GA-03: Drew Ferguson (R)
- GA-09: Doug Collins (R)
- KS-03: Sharice Davis (D)
- KY-03: John Yarmuth (D)
- LA-01: Steve Scalise (R)
- MA-06: Seth Moulton (D)
- MA-07: Ayanna Presley (D)
- MO-02: Ann Wagner (R)
- NC-04: David Price (D)
- NJ-03: Andy Kim (D)
- NM-03: Ben Ray Luján (D)
- NY-04: Kathleen Rice (D)
- NY-22: Anthony Brindisi (D)
- OK-04: Tom Cole (R)
- OK-05: Kendra Horn (D)
- PA-08: Matt Cartwright (D)
- SC-01: Joe Cunningham (D)
- UT-04: Ben McAdams (D) (tested positive 3/18/20)
- VA-08: Don Beyer (D)
- WI-04: Gwen Moore (D)
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
FL-15: State Rep. Margaret Good (D) launched “a campaign-financed website on the COVID-19 outbreak” in Florida, but the site originally listed her state political committee, New Day Florida, as its sponsor, raising questions about the “muddied legality” between state and federal campaign funds.
“A political committee can’t spend money on public service announcements but can promote a candidate. Good’s name and face appear prominently on the site,” but she “has filed for federal office and adamantly stressed her intention to challenge” Rep. Vern Buchanan (R).
“For New Day Florida to fund a site would either mean illegally wading into a federal contest” or potentially funding a public service announcement illegally.
Good’s campaign manager said the accreditation to New Day Florida was a mistake. “By Tuesday evening, the website [was] changed to say it was ‘paid for and authorized by Margaret Good for Congress.’” (Florida Politics)
NJ-05: Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali (R) “has stopped campaigning for the GOP congressional nomination” to focus on the city’s response to the coronavirus. He fired his campaign manager two weeks ago and shut down his campaign office, “but says he’s still in the race.”
Ghassali reported raising $861,000 in 2019 with $728,000 cash-on-hand as of the end of the year, but “of that, $600,000 came in the form of a personal loan Ghassali made to his campaign,” which sparked “speculation that Ghassali has spent what he has raised from donors and wants to avoid using his own money to win the Republican primary,” especially with “the human fundraising machine” Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D) waiting in the general. The incumbent reported a $7 million war chest at the end of 2019.
The Bergen County Republicans canceling their party convention could complicated Ghassali’s path to the nomination. He was banking on winning the county line to compete with investment banker Frank Pallotta (R), who won the organization line in Passaic County last month. (Hotline reporting)
Bergen County GOP chairman Jack Zisa (R) “has still not decided if the organization line will go to the winner of the policy committee vote,” former Cresskill councilman John McCann (R), “or go the open primary route.”
In New Jersey, winning the party line means candidates are listed on the first line of the party ballot, giving them a slight advantage over other candidates. (New Jersey Globe)
NY-27: 2018 nominee Nate McMurray (D) called for rescheduling the April 28 special election to replace former Rep. Chris Collins (R), citing fears of spreading the coronavirus. “In a letter last week, McMurray urged” Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) “to continue to protect New Yorkers and move the April 28th elections to the June primary, when other federal, state and local primaries are scheduled to occur.”
McMurray: “We can’t risk the health of voters and poll workers; we must stop the spread of this disease.” (release)
The White House is treating New York as a “coronavirus hot zone” after a dramatic increase in cases last week. Cuomo said the outbreak would “flood the state’s strained hospitals with as many as 140,000 stricken patients in the next few weeks.” (New York Times)
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
RACE FOR THE HOUSE. As House candidates are trying “to figure out how to reach voters in the age of social distancing, they’re also looking at an uncertain calendar” as “42 states have not yet held congressional primaries, and it’s an open question when some will.”
Democratic digital strategist Tim Lim: “The No. 1 question right now is not about campaigning, but are we going to have elections?” “Uncertainty around election dates makes it difficult for campaigns to budget resources—a task exacerbated by an expected drop in fundraising due to the crisis.”
Campaigns could save money by transitioning to virtual operations, but a lack of clarity on a potential end date throws every projection out the window.
“[P]rolonged primary contests could ... benefit [incumbents] by delaying general election attacks” as national groups hesitate to get involved in competitive primaries, which could rob challengers of the resources they need to take on incumbents.
Meanwhile, the possibility that the crisis could roil elections for months, not weeks, has increased calls to expand access to voting by mail,” as some states have already opted for all mail-in ballots. (Roll Call)
GA-07: Businesswoman Lynne Homrich (R) announced a program to “hire 20 workers laid off” from businesses within the district to her campaign staff.
Homrich: “This direct investment in our community will help 20 families while allowing us to increase our ability to reach voters across the district and position us for victory.” (release)
Monday, March 23, 2020
CA-25: Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday all voters “should receive ballots in the mail ahead of the May 12 special election” to replace former Rep. Katie Hill (D).
“Although all voters will receive mail ballots, there will be a limited number of polling places for voters in need of day-of assistance or replacement ballots.”
State Assemblywoman Christy Smith (D) and Navy veteran Mike Garcia (R) support the move and have radically restructured their campaigns in the weeks since the outbreak. They have canceled most in-person events and moved their operations online.
“California joins” states “throughout the country that are adapting … procedures to minimize health risks associated with in-person voting.” Already “seven states...have postponed their presidential primary elections.” (Ventura County Star)
FL-16: Rep. Vern Buchanan (R) “has set up a public service announcement on a local billboard” with tips on how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus using his campaign funds. The billboard encourages “frequent hand-washing and avoiding crowds” and “has a picture of Buchanan” with the message “Together we WILL get through this.”
His campaign signaled this is the first of a larger public service-minded ad campaign and said it was important to have a “billboard reminding people on what they need to be doing to help keep themselves and those around them safe.” (Florida Politics)
NC-11: The state board of elections pushed back the GOP runoff between Republican activist Lynda Bennett (R) and real estate investor Madison Cawthorn (R) from May 12 to June 23.
Whoever wins the runoff will face retired Air Force Colonel Moe Davis (D) to replace retiring Rep. Mark Meadows (R). (AP)
TEXAS: Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has postponed his state’s previously scheduled May 26 primary runoffs “to July 14, citing concerns about the coronavirus,” his office announced Friday.
Abbott: “Holding the runoff in May would cause the congregation of large gatherings of people in confined spaces and cause numerous election workers to come into close proximity with others. This would threaten the health and safety of many Texans.”
Runoffs “will now take place the same day as the special election for Texas State Senate District 14. Early voting will begin Monday, July 6.”
The delay will prolong the races between lobbyist Josh Winegarner (R) and former White House doctor Ronny Jackson (R) in TX-13, former Rep. Pete Sessions (R) and businesswoman Renee Swann (R) in TX-17, 2018 TX-02 candidate Kathaleen Wall (R) and Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls (R) in TX-22, Navy veteran Tony Gonzales (R) and Air Force veteran Raul Reyes (R) in TX-23 and Air Force veteran Kim Olson (D) and Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District board member member Candace Valenzuela (D) in TX-24. (Dallas Morning News)
Party strategists said the prolonged runoffs could give general election advantage to candidates who cleared their primaries earlier this month. (Hotline reporting)
UT-04: Rep. Ben McAdams (D) was admitted to a Utah hospital on Friday after testing positive for coronavirus last week. McAdams, 45, said he expected “to be released soon” after he was taken off oxygen treatment Sunday night. (release)
Friday, March 20, 2020
LAWMAKERS IN QUARANTINE
- AZ-04: Paul Gosar (R)
- AZ-06: David Schweikert (R)
- CA-26: Julia Brownley (D)
- CO-06: Jason Crow (D)
- FL-01: Matt Gaetz (R)
- FL-07: Stephanie Murphy (D)
- FL-24: Frederica Wilson (D)
- FL-25: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R) (tested positive 3/18/20)
- GA-03: Drew Ferguson (R)
- GA-09: Doug Collins (R)
- KS-03: Sharice Davis (D)
- KY-03: John Yarmuth (D)
- LA-01: Steve Scalise (R)
- MO-02: Ann Wagner (R)
- NC-04: David Price (D)
- NC-11: Mark Meadows (R)
- NJ-03: Andy Kim (D)
- NM-03: Ben Ray Luján (D)
- NY-04: Kathleen Rice (D)
- NY-22: Anthony Brindisi (D)
- OK-04: Tom Cole (R)
- OK-05: Kendra Horn (D)
- PA-08: Matt Cartwright (D)
- SC-01: Joe Cunningham (D)
- UT-04: Ben McAdams (D) (tested positive 3/18/20)
- VA-08: Don Beyer (D)
- WI-04: Gwen Moore (D)
CA-25: Election officials are mulling eliminating in-person voting for the May 12 runoff between state Assemblywoman Christy Smith (D) and Navy veteran Mark Garcia (R) over fears of the coronavirus. “The possibility of eliminating the vote centers and accepting only ballots that are mailed in or deposited at local drop boxes ‘is being discussed.’” Maryland announced a similar VMB shift in the April 28 special election to replace former Rep. Elijah Cummings (D). Both candidates support the change. (San Francisco Chronicle)
An internal poll (March 8-11, 500 LVs, +/- 4.38) from the Garcia campaign had him ahead of Smith, 43% to 39%. (Politico)
FL-19: Businessman Ford O’Connell (R) dropped out of the GOP primary to replace retiring Rep. Francis Rooney (R). He said “as a result of the Chinese coronavirus outbreak, we cannot run the type of campaign we want to run,” which would have included in-person events and meetings.
O’Connell said he would donate a portion of his campaign funds to local food banks and the Red Cross. (release)
NJ-03: Rep. Andy Kim (D) is in self-quarantine after coming into contact with a member of Congress who tested positive for the coronavirus, he announced Thursday afternoon. (release)
More than 25 representatives decided to self-quarantine after two members tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. (Hotline reporting)
Thursday, March 19, 2020
CORONAVIRUS COMES TO CONGRESS. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R- FL 25) and Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT 04) tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, the first confirmed cases in Congress. They have both self-quarantined. (NBC News)
AK-AL: Rep. Don Young (AK-AL) was criticised for telling a group of senior citizens in Alaska they should go about their everyday activities and downplaying the threat of COVID-19. (Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman)
FL-24: Rep. Frederica Wilson (D) announced she will self-quarantine after extended contact with Diaz-Balart. (Miami Herald)
GA-07: State Sen. Renee Unterman (R) will self-quarantine after a Georgia state senator tested positive for COVID-19. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
MO-02: Rep. Ann Wagner (R) will self-quarantine. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
NY-22: Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D) will self-quarantine after coming into contact with McAdams.. (release)
OK-05: Rep. Kendra Horn (D) announced she will self-quarantine for two weeks after coming into contact with McAdams. (KOCO)
PA-08: Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) will self-quarantine. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
SC-01: Rep. Joe Cunningham (D) said he would self-isolate after coming into contact “with a member of Congress who has since tested positive for COVID-19.” (release)
VA-05: Rep. Denver Riggleman (R) has begun manufacturing hand sanitizer out of the distillery he and his wife own and distributed the first batch out to his district yesterday. (Hotline reporting)
VIRGINIA: Virginia Republicans have canceled their state nominating convention over fears of the coronavirus.
The convention was originally scheduled for May 1-2 in Richmond, and no make up date has been set. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
This leaves the fate of Congressional districts’ nominating conventions up in the air. With the party canceling their statewide convention in May, there’s little doubt among members that the nominating conventions, many slated for next month, will not go on as scheduled.
Republicans are weighing whether to cancel nominating conventions at the district level, which would require party members to congregate in close quarters for hours on end, and switching to a firehouse primary, which would allow smaller groups to vote on nominees.
That gives an edge to Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA 05), who is facing challenges from more conservative members of his party. According to Riggleman, the 5th District Republican party specifically decided on using a nominating committee to bump him off the ticket. (Hotline reporting)
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
CO-06: Rep. Jason Crow (D) announced he would self-quarantine “following contact with someone who could have exposed him to the new coronavirus.” (Colorado Politics)
MD-07: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced that the special election to replace former Rep. Elijah Cummings (D) will continue as scheduled on April 28, but move to all mail-in ballots with no in-person voting. The rest of the state’s primaries will move to June 2. “The decision to try a mail-only ballot is an unprecedented test of Maryland’s election system. Until now, Maryland has allowed some mail-in ballots via absentee voting, which the state permits voters to use without any justification.” Former Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D) supports the move, but said he was “more comfortable” testing a mail-only ballot with a smaller group of residents rather than the more than 4 million active registered voters who make up the statewide electorate.
Mfume: “These are really uncharted waters we’re in as a rule of the pandemic.”
Nonprofit organizer Kimberly Klacik (R) said the mail-in ballot gives her a better chance of flipping the seat because her “social media reach would be particularly advantageous in a campaign in which traditional retail politics such as rallies and handshaking would be limited by the coronavirus.” (Baltimore Sun)
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
MD-07: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced that the special election to replace former Rep. Elijah Cummings (D) will continue as scheduled on April 28, but move to all mail-in ballots with no in-person voting. The rest of the state’s primaries will move to June 2. (release)
OHIO: After a “chaotic” night between Gov. Mike DeWine (R), the state courts and Ohio public health officials, Tuesday’s primary will be delayed to a further date over the "health emergency" and concerns over the coronavirus. This pushes back the competitive Democratic primary between former health care executive Kate Schroder (D) and Air Force veteran Nikki Foster (D) to decide who will face Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH 01). (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Schroder: “Public health comes first. As a candidate, changing the date of the election is an unexpected challenge, but it is nothing compared to the importance of community safety and minimizing lives lost. I wholeheartedly support Governor DeWine’s recommendation. (release)
Monday, March 16, 2020
CORONAVIRUS. House candidates, party committees, and state parties have been forced to radically restructure their campaigns and election strategies over fears of the coronavirus, just as primary season kicks off. Campaigns are canceling in-person events and going full digital. The NRCC and the DCCC have issued guidelines and best practices to the House campaigns that emphasize a near total online presence. Meanwhile, state parties are rethinking nominating strategies and eliminating polling places in vulnerable sites like nursing homes. (Hotline reporting)
IL-13: 2018 candidate Betsy Dirksen Londrigan (D) has self-quarantined “until March 22, two weeks since she was exposed” to a person who later tested positive for the coronavirus. Her campaign office will “completely shut down” and her staff will work remote in the runup to the primary on Tuesday. A member of the DCCC “Red to Blue” program, she will face activist Stefanie Smith (D) in the Democratic primary, with the winner advancing to challenge Rep. Rodney Davis (R) in November. (Belleville News-Democrat)