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    • 2020 Insight: Bernie on the ballot in Iowa

    By on August 12, 2020
    Though mostly overshadowed by California, Iowa Democrats also have big decisions to make on Tuesday. In the House primary for the third district, Bernie Sanders‘ 2016 Iowa director Pete d’Alessandro, who was endorsed by Sanders in January, is in a three-way race with Cindy Axne and Eddie Mauro. The winner, if we get one this week (the top vote-getter needs 35%, or else the contest is decided at the state convention), will take on GOP Rep. David Young In November. D’Alessandro is trailing in the latest polling. The trio debated on Thursday night. This wrap from Iowa Starting Line gets to what’s driving the campaign.
    There’s also a Sanders-aligned candidate in the gubernatorial primary: union leader Cathy Glasson. She’s been running behind favorite Fred Hubbell in recent polling, but with state Sen. Nate Boulton leaving the race late amid sexual misconduct allegations, there’s a question of where his support will go. Glasson has the backing of Our Revolution (which also endorsed d’Alessandro), the political organization that emerged from the Sanders presidential campaign.
    Bottom line: Most of the candidates this cycle are leaning in Sanders’ direction ideologically, but victories for Glasson and/or d’Alessandro would be a big boost for Sanders supporters looking for a headline-grabbing win in such an important 2020 state.
    Sanders personally, meanwhile, is heading to the Golden State on Saturday for a series of events in and around Los Angeles, including a rally and roundtable with Disneyland workers and a panel on justice reform with Patrisse Cullors and Shaun King.

    The week ahead:

    — Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg will address mayors from across the country on Friday during the US Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting in Boston. She’ll be participating in a fireside chat with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
    — California Sen. Kamala Harris is joining Ohio gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray on the campaign trail in Cleveland this weekend, with an event set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
    — In St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday, former Vice President Joe Biden will sit down for another stop on his book tour, promoting “Promise Me Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship and Purpose.”
    — New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker will join civil rights leaders and the group Demand Justice at a 2 p.m. Wednesday event outside the Capitol to urge President Donald Trump to withdraw the judicial nomination of North Carolina’s Thomas Farr over what they say is a history of voter suppression activities and ties to racist organizations.

    Coming up on the Sunday shows:

    No major 2020 prospect bookings yet.

    News and notes:

    WARREN, BOOKER, GILLIBRAND GET TOGETHER ‘FOR SOMETHING’: Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand will keynote a fundraiser for “Run for Something,” a progressive organization that supports and trains young, diverse down-ballot candidates. The “Party for Something” event is slated for next Wednesday, June 6, in Washington. On tap, per the group: “A night of fun, games, drinks and building the damn bench.” Tickets range in price from $100 for “students and young professionals” to the $50,000 “Game Changer” package, which includes a table for 12 and access to a backstage VIP event with “special guests.”
    — Booker spent five days in Afghanistan, Turkey and Lebanon early this week.
    A HEADLINE WARREN WON’T MIND: “Elizabeth Warren Maintains a Hard Line on Big Banks,” the Wall Street Journal blared on Friday morning. It was the headline of short piece on her long post-financial crisis fight to establish and (now) protect new regulations. “My view now is the same as it was after the financial crisis,” she told the paper in an email. “Unless top executives are held personally accountable, American families are going to continue to get hurt by corporate misconduct.”
    — Warren is working behind the scenes to defang Trump’s “Pocahontas” slur. Eric has details of Warren’s 16 meetings since March with Native American leaders, as well as a nifty redirect her digital team came up with.
    ANOTHER BOOK FROM A 2020 NAME: Maryland Rep. John Delaney, the only declared candidate for president in 2020, released a book this week titled “The Right Answer: How We Can Unify Our Divided Nation.” In this book, Delaney lays out his vision for the country if he were to be elected. Delaney is far from the only prospective 2020 candidate who has released a book in recent months. Former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander announced that he will be publishing a book this summer about his life lessons and Elizabeth Warren has a new book out now titled “This Fight is Our Fight.” And of course, former Vice President Joe Biden‘s book tour has taken him all over the country since he left office.

    From the right:

    KASICH’S IMMIGRATION STAND: Outgoing Ohio Gov. John Kasich isn’t losing steam when it comes to stating his displeasure with the state of the Republican Party. In an op-ed in USA Today published this week, Kasich made it clear that he believes there is a path for DACA and urged bipartisan supporters of the program in Congress to go around GOP leaders.
    He wrote: “As governor of a state with many DACA residents and as a grandson of immigrants who values the immense contributions each new generation of arrivals has brought to America, I am deeply concerned by congressional inaction on DACA. Also, as a former member of Congress, I believe that election to the House or Senate carries a responsibility to solve problems and keep America on course with the values that have made our nation great. … We must tell House members to sign the discharge petition and act on DACA now. Then the Senate must do its part. Time’s up. Get it done!”

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