Since 2011

Gabe Fleisher, Editor-in-Chief

wakeuptopolitics@gmail.com ● wakeuptopolitics.com ● @WakeUp2Politics

THIS IS YOUR WAKE UP CALL

Election Central

If it’s Tuesday: Primary Day NBC’s

Chuck Todd, host of the TV show

“The Daily Rundown” (namesake

of this newsletter’s original name

and a journalist role model of mine

of whom I am a big fan) is fond of

saying, “If it’s Tuesday, somebody’s

voting somewhere.”

And today, “somewhere” is West Virginia and Nebraska. Here’s your

breakdown of the races that matter:

West Virginia The Mountain State has one of the most negative political

environments for Democrats. It has not voted Republican in a presidential

election since 1996, with Obama winning just 35% of the vote in 2012. The

President has a 65% unapproval rating in the state, and just one Democrat

represents West Virginia in the U.S.

But no state has gone longer without electing a Republican to the Senate; the

last election year sweeping in a West Virginia GOPer to the U.S. Senate also

sent Dwight Eisenhower to the White House.

This year, that streak looks like it will be broken. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito

(R) is the strong frontrunner to succeed retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D),

and is leading West Virginia secretary of state Natalie Tennant by large

margins in every poll. Neither Capito nor Tennant face contested primaries

today.

The big primary to watch is the one in the 3rd

congressional districts, to

choose the Republican nominee in the seat vacated by Capito. The GOP race

includes seven candidates, with the favorite being former Maryland state

Sen. Alex Mooney, also backed by a number of tea party groups. Mooney is

challenged by former state Sen. Steve Harrison and ex-International Trade

Commission member Charlotte Lane, among others. Nick Casey, former

West Virginia Democratic Party chair, is the likely Democratic nominee.

Mooney is likely to win his primary and the general election in November.

Nebraska Sen. Mike Johanns (R) is retiring, and the GOP primary to

succeed him – which will likely anoint the general election winner in deep-

red Nebraska – has turned very nasty.

The narrative pits establishment candidate Shane Osborn, former state

Treasuer, against tea party favorite Ben Sasse, former George W. Bush

Administration aide and president of Midland University. While ideological

differences between Sasse – the frontrunner of the race in recent weeks –

and Osborn are few, that has not stopped the race from turning negative. A

loss for Sasse would be devastating for the tea party, in a year that has

already turned out good for the Republican establishment. The first-time

candidate has been endorsed by Club for Growth, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX),

and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).

The gubernatorial race is wide open and nasty as well, with Gov. Dave

Heineman disallowed from seeking a third term. Candidates include Pete

Ricketts, businessman and 2006 Senate nominee; Jon Bruning, state

Attorney General and two-time Senate candidate; state Auditor Mike Foley;

attorney Bryan Sloane; and state Sens. Beau McCoy and Tom Carlson.

Bruning and Ricketts, the two candidates to watch, are currently neck and

neck. Ricketts leads with fundraising, ads from a number of outside groups,

and endorsements from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI),

and former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK).

Look for results tomorrow!

A state board shot down challenges to Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts

appearing on the ballot over residency concerns. Roberts’

home in Virginia has caused his primary opponent to refer to

him as Sen. Pat Roberts (R-VA).

Board OKs Pat Roberts for

Ballot, Dismisses Residency

Challenge The Kansas

Objections board reject a

challenge to Sen. Pat

Roberts to appear on the

August Republican primary

ballot based on concerns of his

residency in the state.

Roberts, seeking a fourth

Senate term, admitted to the

New York Times in February

that he did not have a home of

his own in the entire state of

Kansas he represents.

Now that Roberts is OKed to appear on the ballot, he must face attacks over

his residency by a tea party challenger, Milton Wolf, who has already started

slamming the incumbent over the issue, referring to him as Sen. Pat Roberts

(R-VA).

The state board that shot down the challenge is made up of three Republican

state officials, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, and

Attorney General Derek Schimdt, all of whom have endorsed Roberts. They

all sent substitutes to the meeting.

White House Watch

The President’s Schedule At 3:00 PM in the East Room, President Obama

will present his 38th Medal of Honor today, to Kyle J. White, a former active

duty Army Sergeant, for conspicuous gallantry in Afghanistan. Sgt. White is

the 7th living recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan or

Iraq.

For more on Sgt. White and the Medal of Honor, visit the Army and White

House websites.

Biden’s Day At 7:30 AM, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State

John Kerry will meet for breakfast at the vice presidential residence.

At 4:30 PM, Biden will be very close to yours truly when he visits the St.

Louis Gateway Arch to view the CityArchRiver project with Interior

Secretary Sally Jewell and deliver remarks.

The project, funded by a regional and state partnership with several

agencies, as well as money from the “Arch tax” approved at the ballot box

last year, will put a “lid” over the interstate highway cutting off the Arch

from the rest of downtown St. Louis, in hopes of creating a more picturesque

greenway on the Arch grounds.

Then, the veep will take a quick drive up the river to Alton, Illinois to

headline two events for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

(DSCC) before returning to D.C.

NOTE: I was all in for going to hear Biden speak, but could not procure a

ride. Hint, hint *cough* mom and dad *cough*! I mean JOE BIDEN is

coming to ST. LOUIS: how can you pass that up?

Question of the Day

SOOOOOO CLOSE

Today’s Question A bit of a random trivia question today: Which foreign

leader currently serves as president of her country, following time as a

senator and First Lady of the nation?

Name this foreign president by emailing me at wakeuptopolitics@gmail.com

or tweeting me @WakeUp2Politics. Those with the correct answer will get

their names in tomorrow’s Wake Up.

This is a question I just learned about this morning, about someone who

closely follows Hillary Clinton’s (potential) ascent to power.