The GOP primary in Rep. Alan Mollohan's (D-W.Va.) district has hit the airwaves, with former state Del. David McKinley and businessman Mac Warner both launching ads.
McKinley's TV ad is a cable buy that focuses on his time as a small businessman and uses the slogan, "Had enough?"
Warner's radio ad, meanwhile, goes negative on McKinley, the national GOP favorite in the race. The ad hits McKinley for saying at a recent debate that he wouldn't read all legislation that he votes on.
Below are McKinley's ad and the script for Warner's.
Warner radio ad
Warner: I’m Mac Warner, and I approved this message.
Announcer: David McKinley wants to serve in Congress. But at a recent debate, McKinley was asked if he would promise to read bills before voting on them. His answer? No! The Wheeling newspaper reported that McKinley said you can’t always read the bills, and you have to, quote, trust your friends. Isn’t that what got us into this health care mess?
Warner: I’m Mac Warner. When I’m in Congress, I will never vote on a bill I haven’t read. That’s what you deserve, and that’s my pledge to you.
Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) used the release of his first quarter fundraising numbers Wednesday to attack his Democratic opponent.
"The incredible support I am receiving is making it more clear that Louisianians are standing with me in my fight to hold President Obama and his liberal allies like Charlie Melancon accountable," Vitter said in a statement.
Vitter raised some $1 million in the first quarter to bring his cash on hand to $5 million, which he noted was "far more" than Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) had raised by this point in 2008. That year Landrieu spent more than $10 million on her campaign.
Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.), who has yet to release his first quarter numbers, recently scaled back his responsibilities in the House in order to focus on his Senate campaign. He's currently on a "jambalaya and jobs tour" of north and central Louisiana.
Louisiana state Rep. Cedric Richmond (D) landed another key Democratic endorsement Wednesday, when NARAL Pro-Choice America endorsed his candidacy for Congress.
Richmond has emerged as the party favorite to take on Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.), as he works to avoid the serious primary that many expected in the heavily Democratic district. He has been backed by former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) and so far only faces state Rep. Jaun LaFonta in the August 29 primary.
Richmond was one of five candidates endorsed by NARAL on Wednesday.
The group also announced that it will back repeat Democratic nominee Dan Seals in the race for Rep. Mark Kirk's (R-Ill.) open seat, as well as three other Dem challengers: Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks against Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio); businesswoman Suzan DelBene against Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.); and Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet against Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.).
None of the other candidates faces a primary like Richmond does. Seals has already won his party's nomination.
Republicans finally have a candidate in Delaware, with the entry Wednesday of businesswoman Michele Rollins.
Rollins announced her candidacy in an e-mail to supporters.
"Today I will file the necessary legal documents to become a candidate for our party’s nomination for Congress," she wrote. "I know the task ahead is difficult and challenging. I can’t do it without you. I need your help and support."
But even as Rollins gets in, Democrats appear to have a potent argument already.
The DCCC recently hit the then-prospective candidate for getting a significant raise on the Wilmington Trust Corporation's board of directors after the bank took $330 million in bailout money. According to Forbes, Rollins's compensation increased from about $20,000 to about $93,000 between 2008 and 2009.
Rollins isn't quite the highly paid executive getting a "golden parachute" as her bank goes down in flames, but her compensation does give Democrats a ready-made TV ad.
Former Lt. Gov. John Carney (D) has a huge head start on Rollins, having been in the race since before Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) announced his Senate bid. Carney has used that jump to bank $531,000 be year's end.
Republican House candidate Stephen Fincher hauled in more than $300,000 this quarter, which brings him to more than $1 million raised for his bid to win Tennessee's open 8th district, his campaign said Tuesday.
Fincher's camp was also quick to point out that the farmer and gospel singer from Frog Jump has raised close to $300,000 for three quarters in a row and has not self-funded. He now has some $820,000 cash on hand.
Meanwhile, businessman Roy Herron (D) will report more than $1 million cash on hand after raising close to $500,000 in the last quarter, according to his campaign. Herron's warchest will likely stay flush longer than Fincher's because he doesn't face a competitive primary.
Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) spent more than $900,000 running unopposed last cycle. Tanner announced in December he wouldn't seek a 12th term.
Turning to another leading prospect for the National Republican Congressional Committee, state Rep. David Rivera (R) raised more than $700,000 in the first six weeks of his bid to represent Florida's 25th district. As a result, the NRCC announced Tuesday that Rivera was now considered to be "On the Radar," a stage in its Young Guns program.
Rivera will have to survive a crowded primary in the race for the open seat.
Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) is facing a difficult primary challenge because of his vote against the healthcare reform bill but that doesn't mean he's switching parties.
On Tuesday Barrow tried to quash rumors he planned to walk across the aisle to join the GOP.
"I am not switching parties, nor have I ever given any indication that I would. There is no truth to this rumor," Barrow told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Savannah Democrat faces a primary rematch with state Sen. Regina Thomas (D), who's getting support from MoveOn.org on account of Barrow's "no" vote.
The conservative-leaning American Spectator had reported that as a result of Thomas getting the liberal group's backing "some Georgia Republicans now believe that the Democrat may be contemplating a switch to the GOP."
Rep. Betsy Markey (D-Colo.) raised $505,000 in the first three months of 2010, according to the Washington Post.
Even more interesting, the campaign says more than $355,000 of the money came
in during the final two weeks of the quarter -- after Markey announced on March 18th she was voting for the healthcare reform bill. She voted against the legislation in November.
Markey, a first-term lawmaker, was subject of a front-page profile in Monday's Post.
She is a top GOP target this cycle and has been criticized for her healthcare vote.
Her staff touted the Markey's support in the local Colorado press.
"There
have been plenty of big bills come through Congress this year, but I
don't think I've ever seen grass-roots support spring up like this,"
Markey campaign spokeswoman Anne Caprara told the Fort Collins Coloradoan.
A vote he didn't cast could cause trouble for Republican Bill Flores ahead of the April 13 runoff election for the GOP nod to face Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas).
Flores claimed during a March debate that he voted for fellow Republican Rob Curnock in his 2008 race against Edwards. But records indicate that's not true, according to the Waco Tribune-Herald.
Flores spokesman Matt Mackowiak told the paper that Flores had in fact "been in meetings in Houston and couldn’t get back to the Bryan-College Station area in time to vote." In a recent radio interview, Flores claimed he was joking when he talked about voting for Curnock.
Flores was recruited to run by the National Republican Congressional Committee. He raised some $214,000 and spent close to $300,000 since the March 2 primary. He has about $50,000 more cash on hand than Curnock for the final stretch of the campaign.
There was some good news for Flores on Monday -- former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) announced he's backing the retired oil executive.
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