You’ve read our convention debrief—or if you haven’t, take a look here. Now, here’s everything you missed this month while we were focused on celebrating Vice President Kamala Harris’ nomination in Chicago.
But First … Get Your Tickets for SUFFS
This week marks 104 years since the adoption of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote.
The Electing Women Alliance is celebrating this milestone by inviting our network to New York City for a special pre-show reception and viewing of Suffs: the Musical on Broadway on Sunday, September 29th. The pre-reception will take place at Bond 45 at 12:30 p.m. hosted by Barbara Bridges, Suffs Co-Producer and Electing Women Denver member. RSVPs requested here. Suffs: The Musical will begin at 3 p.m. at the Music Box Theatre, 239 W 45th St, New York, NY. Tickets can be purchased here.
The Electing Women Alliance will purchase a group block of tickets for our members. Each ticket is $149 and tickets are non-refundable.
US Senate: Return of the Sunbelt
Since VP Harris became the likely nominee in late July, US Senate polls in battleground states have taken a turn toward Democrats. The Cook Political Report has even moved Sen. Jacky Rosen’s race out of the toss up column and back to Lean D.
That is, except in one state: Montana. Polls since early June show Sen. Jon Tester falling steadily further behind, and unless that changes, we’ll need to pick up a state to maintain the Senate majority. In fact, polls in Texas and Florida actually show a closer race in those states right now than in Montana, so that’s not a pipe dream. Now that former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel Powell has officially clenched the nomination, she can fully focus on closing that gap.
We also have a new AARP poll that shows the race in Maryland—which we’re counting on to be a Democratic hold—deadlocked, further underscoring that we must support women across the Senate map to maintain control. We encourage all of our groups to support Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, if you haven’t already.
💰 Raising & Spending:
2024’s priciest Senate races [Axios]
How Democrats are using their campaign fundraising advantage [Ad Age]
Mucarsel-Powell crushes Scott in July fundraising [Punchbowl News]
📺 New Ads & Media:
AARP Michigan distances itself from Senate campaign ad critical of Rogers [WKAR]
Fact-checking NV Senate candidates Sam Brown, Jacky Rosen’s campaign ads [FOX Reno]
TV ad blitz launched in Maryland Senate race [The Washington Post]
👥 Debate Watch:
Wisconsin Broadcasters Association announces question team for U.S. Senate debate [Oct. 8]
Larry Hogan agrees to Angela Alsobrooks’ preferred debate in U.S. Senate race [Oct. 10]
3 Senate debates set around Michigan for Rogers-Slotkin matchup [Sept. 12]
📈 Pollercoaster:
Democrats Maintain Edge in New Senate Polls [Cook Political Report]
With Harris, Senate Democrats Have Smaller Lift To Outrun Top of Ticket [Cook Political Report]
Survey shows Debbie Mucarsel-Powell within striking distance of Rick Scott [FL Politics]
Rosen posts big lead over Brown in latest Nevada Senate poll [NV Independent]
Poll: Alsobrooks, Hogan locked in a tight Maryland Senate race [Washington Post]
US House: The Final Primaries
The end of August means we’re through 90 percent of the federal primaries, with only Delaware and Massachusetts (both Sept. 4) plus New Hampshire and Rhode Island (both Sept. 10) to go. Here are the races to watch going forward after wrapping up primaries in August.
August 6
- MI-08, Toss Up, Open: State Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet won the primary for this R+1 seat being vacated by incumbent Rep. Dan Kildee, who has endorsed Kristen to fill the seat. This seat leans Democratic and is a likely pick up for Democratic women.
- WA-03, Toss-Up, Incumbent: Freshman Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who flipped this seat in a surprise upset in 2022, is one of the most at-risk incumbent Democrats. The margin two years ago was a razor-thin 50.1 to 49.3; she will face a rematch against Joe Kent, a retired special forces officer.
August 13
- WI-3, Lean R, Challenger: Former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation board member Rebecca Cooke will challenge incumbent freshman Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden. Rebecca ran for this seat in 2022 but lost in the primary. Cook rates it R+4.
August 20
- FL-13, Likely Republican, Challenger: Former director of communications and marketing for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority Whitney Fox is the Democratic nominee to challenge freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.
- FL-27, Likely Republican, Challenger: Miami-Dade County Public Schools Board member Lucia Báez-Geller will take on Rep. María Elvira Salazar in November. She received an endorsement from US Senate candidate former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
🔖 Bookmark: Tracking the 2024 House Elections [WomenCount]
💰 Raising & Spending:
Democratic fundraising spooks House Republicans [Axios]
👥 Debate Watch:
Election forum in Walla Walla features candidates for 5th Congressional District [Union-Bulletin]
Candidates for competitive House races will face each other in KATU debate [Oct. 7, WA-3]
Bynum, Chavez-DeRemer will face off in three October debates [Oct. 8, OR-5]
📺 New Ads & Media:
Goodlander, Van Ostern stress their NH roots and experience. [Concord Monitor]
Kristin Lyerly hopes abortion rights message helps turn 8th Congressional District blue [WPR]
📰 Analysis & News:
What can Washington’s primary tell us about the fight for the House majority? [FiveThirtyEight]
Mary Peltola’s Primary Showing Puts Her in Solid Position for Fall [Cook Political Report]
Why are some Republican candidates quitting Alaska’s general election? Strategy. [AK Beacon]
Kansas GOP taps Reddy to face Davids, Schmidt for open seat [The Hill]
State & Local: Women on Top
This might have flown under your radar in the celebration around Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s selection as the vice presidential nominee, but if he becomes the nation’s second in command, his second in command—Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan—would become the first Native American woman in history to serve as a governor.
And although this cycle is not one in which Democrats are expected to make many gains as state executives, women are ascending to the tops of tickets. On Sept. 10, former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and New Hampshire Executive Council member Cinde Warmington will face off for the Democratic nomination in the most flippable gubernatorial seat of the cycle. Women are Democratic nominees in three of the remaining 10 gubernatorial races, including Indiana, Missouri and Vermont, although those are likely Republican holds.
👥 Debate Watch:
Delaware gubernatorial candidates face off in public debate ahead of primary election [DPM]
📈 Pollercoaster:
Latest Polls: 2024 Governor [FiveThirtyEight]
Poll shows big lead in Republican gubernatorial race, tighter race on Democratic side [WMUR]
📰 Analysis & News:
Tim Walz’s Understudy Could Get a History-Making Promotion [The Atlantic]
Sununu backs Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire GOP gubernatorial primary [The Hill]
National & Women: What’s Next
Now that the convention is behind her, VP Harris enters a 65-day sprint to the election. The next major milestone? Her debate with Donald Trump on ABC on September 10. On September 18, Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in the New York hush money trial, and on October 1, we’ll get our only scheduled vice presidential debate.
👥 Debate Watch:
National Constitution Center to Host 2024 ABC News Presidential Debate [Sept. 10, ABC]
How to Watch the ABC News Presidential Debate [ABC News]
Harris’s Debate Prep Is Underway at Howard University [The NY Times]
Mock sessions and policy briefings: Trump and Harris launch debate prep [USA Today]
📺 New Ads & Media:
Harris goes after Trump on economy and inflation in new ad [Politico]
Harris campaign highlights housing plan in new ad [The Hill]
Harris-Walz campaign releases first ads targeting Asian Americans in battleground states [NBC]
Trump Camp Spends Tens of Thousands to Air Ads In and Around Mar-a-Lago [The Bulwark]
📈 Pollercoaster:
Latest Polls: 2024 Presidential [FiveThirtyEight]
Latest Polls: Favorability, Kamala Harris [FiveThirtyEight]
2024 Presidential Campaign Forecast [Nate Silver, Substack]
Electoral College Ratings [Cook Political Report]
👀 Eyes on the Veep (Candidate):
What to Know About the Scheduled VP Debate [Time]
Gwen Walz Is Sharing Her Fertility Struggles for the First Time [Glamour]
Scout Walz Is Man’s (And Maybe America’s) Best Friend [Vogue]
Full Transcript of Tim Walz’s Speech at the Democratic Convention [NY Times]
📰 Analysis & News:
Full Transcript of Kamala Harris’s Democratic Convention Speech [NY Times]
Chicago’s convention puts to bed the ugly baggage of 1968 [Politico]