Sanford Coasts in SC-01 Special; Corbett Dodges Primary Challenge; Hill Braces for Benghazi Hearing

National Journal

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WHAT'S NEWS

  • SC-01 special: Ex-Gov. Mark Sanford (R) reclaimed a seat in Congress on Tuesday by winning a special election over Stephen Colbert sister Elizabeth Colbert Busch (D), 54-45%, with a margin that surprised most analysts who expected a much tighter race (National Journal Daily).

  • MA SEN special: Rep. Edward Markey (D) "plans to launch" his first TV ad since the primary today, "a 30-second spot highlighting his work on telecommunications policy" (Boston Globe).

  • VA GOV '13: AG Ken Cuccinelli (R) on Tuesday "proposed cutting a series of taxes -- including state income tax and business taxes" -- but where he "would find the money to pay for the tax cut ... was less clear" (Richmond Times-Dispatch).

  • GA SEN: Rep. John Barrow (D) announced in a press release Tuesday that he won't run, leaving nat'l Dems pining for philanthropist Michelle Nunn (D), daughter of ex-Sen. Sam Nunn (D), to join the race (Hotline reporting

  • NJ SEN: In "a mealtime Q&A presented by The Atlantic magazine and the Aspen Institute at the trendy Del Posto restaurant in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood" Monday night, Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) told CBS News' Norah O'Donnell: "Unofficially, I'm running" (Daily Beast).

  • FL-16: The FEC "has fined three men and two Tampa companies" a total of $16K "for illegal campaign contributions to" Rep. Vern Buchanan (R) (Tampa Bay Times).

  • MN-06: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) "is engaged in settlement negotiations in a lawsuit alleging that senior members" of her WH '12 camp "stole a proprietary e-mail list of home-school families from the computer" of an IA campaign staffer, "according to sources close to the case" (Minneapolis Star Tribune).

  • MI GOV: The DGA "is nudging" ex-Rep. Mark Schauer (D) "toward a challenge" to Gov. Rick Snyder (R), "arguing in a polling memo" that Schauer "would make a formidable opponent" for Snyder (Politico).

  • PA GOV: After "months of seeking to translate grumbling" about Gov. Tom Corbett's (R) "performance from some GOP activists into support for an insurgent candidacy," Montgomery Co. Commis. Bruce Castor (R) "declined Tuesday" to challenge Corbett in a GOP primary, "citing the difficulty of such a 'massive undertaking' given his other obligations" (Philadelphia Inquirer).

NUMBER BRUNCHING

  • According to a new Franklin & Marshall College poll of PA RVs, conducted 4/30-5/5 for the Philadelphia Daily News/WGAL-TV/Pittsburgh Tribune Review/WTAE-TV/WPVI-TV/Times-Shamrock Newspapers/Harrisburg Patriot-News/Lancaster Newspapers, 25% believe that Corbett has done a good enough job to deserve reelection, while 64% believe it is "time for a change" (release).

OUR CALL

Hotline editors weigh in on the stories that drive the day

• Everybody loses! Sanford's election means House GOP leadership has another conservative crusader who owes them nothing on their hands, while Dems fell flat trying to prove they could play against a scandal-scarred candidate in a Republican district.

• The Los Angeles mayoral race may be a Democrat-versus-Democrat affair fought on local issues, but there is a key lesson to draw. The race is providing an example of every campaign's worst nightmare: a candidate being defined by their own outside supporters. Team Wendy Greuel has an outside spending advantage thanks to heavy public sector union support, but Eric Garcetti has effectively turned each of those dollars into another question about Greuel's independence. This will only happen more often as outside spending continues to grow.

• Corbett's poll numbers remain dismal, but Castor's decision not to challenge him for the GOP nomination is a big relief for the governor. A rightward lurch in the primary would have made Corbett's already murky path to reelection even more challenging.

HAIR OF THE DOG

FRESH BREWED BUZZ

  • Three State Dept. officials "are scheduled to testify" before the House Oversight and Government Reform Cmte today about the Benghazi attack and its aftermath (Washington Post).

  • "If he murdered somebody, that would be different" -- Charleston, SC, resident Julie Bishop, on Sanford (National Journal).

  • Word counts for statements sent Tuesday evening from various groups following the SC-01 special results: NRCC Chair Greg Walden (67), DCCC Chair Steve Israel (124), RNC Chair Reince Priebus (127), House Majority PAC ED Alixandria Lapp (63), SC GOP Chair Chad Connelly (92) (Hotline word-counting).

  • One day after comparing Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to a "schoolyard bully," Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid "called Cruz the 'very junior senator from Texas,' an apparent dig at his newness in the chamber" (Politico).

  • "You know, I really enjoy this job. I really like this job. ... Governor will wear you down. You can't do that job permanently. This you can do ad infinitum" -- Sen. James Risch (R-ID), who served "seven months" as gov. in '06 (Idaho Statesman).

  • "I mean, look, s--- happens." -- CA Gov. Jerry Brown (D), asked about reports of broken and suspect bolts on the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (Sacramento Bee).

  • "Are you tryin' to tell me that buying a giraffe, an injured giraffe, is somehow going to help me politically in New Jersey?" -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), in an "epic" video produced by his office for the annual NJ Legislative Correspondents' dinner (Buzzfeed).

  • When '10 NY GOV nominee Carl Paladino (R) won an election to the Buffalo School Board on Tuesday, voter turnout "was literally 10 times higher this year than it was in the last School Board election three years ago, which was uncontested, and 50 percent higher than in 2007, which featured a four-way race" (Buffalo News).

  • Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) "arrives late, says hello, departs hastily" (South Florida Sun-Sentinel).

  • CNN's Ashleigh Banfield conducted "an odd 'satellite' interview" with Headline News' Nancy Grace "from the very same parking lot, background traffic and all" (Atlantic Wire).

  • "Toilet Activist Files to Run for Maryland Lt. Governor" (Kensington Patch).

SWIZZLE CHALLENGE

  • The Philadelphia Flyers were the Ottawa Senators' opponent when the two teams accrued 419 penalty minutes in a 2004 NHL playoff game.

  • We didn't receive a second correct answer (congrats to Steven Bergsbaken for submitting the only correct response), so here's a bonus question: "NY has sent the greatest numbers of people to the House of Representatives. Which state is second?" The 3rd correct e-mailer gets to submit the next question.

NJ'S EARLY BIRD SPECIALS

SHOT...

"O'Malley rubs noses with the Dalai Lama -- literally" (Washington Post).

...CHASER

"So we finish 18, and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, 'Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know?' And he says, 'Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.' So I got that goin' for me, which is nice" ("Carl Spackler," "Caddyshack").

Reid Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

Steven Shepard, Polling Editor