Meanwhile, NBC News reports “each of the likely GOP contenders has a history of opposing legal abortion”
In case you missed it, Tammy Baldwin has once again proved her strength in battleground Wisconsin, posting historic fundraising numbers while the GOP continues to lack a challenger – and new reporting from NBC news highlights how every potential GOP candidate opposes legal abortion and that this contrast will play a key role in the 2024 Senate race.
- “Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is still waiting for a Republican opponent to step forward to challenge her next year, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t fundraising at a fast clip.
- “Baldwin raised more than $3.2 million in the second quarter, her campaign said Wednesday, claiming that it’s the most ever raised in a Wisconsin Senate contest during an off-year quarter.”
NBC News: Democrats are already running on abortion rights in battleground states
- “The [Wisconsin] state Democratic Party has also been aggressive on social media blasting the records of a growing list of prospective Republican challengers, including Rep. Tom Tiffany, businessmen Eric Hovde and Scott Mayer, and former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. (Rep. Mike Gallagher, whom many national Republicans had encouraged to challenge Baldwin, opted against a run last month). All four would face an uphill climb reconciling their stances on the issue in a state where polling released last week found that 66% of registered voters said abortion should be legal in all or most cases.”
- “Interviews with Republicans in the state revealed that they still don’t have a concrete strategy on how to tackle the issue, though most agreed that the party has fumbled its messaging in the year since the Dobbs ruling.”
Huff Post: How The GOP Could Pass On A Massive Senate Majority
- “‘I don’t think anyone sees a real possibility for us in Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada of winning those races,’ said a Republican who has worked on Senate races and requested anonymity to speak candidly, referring to three presidential swing states where Republicans should, theoretically, be in contention.”
- “The Republican field for the 2024 Wisconsin Senate race remains in flux as several potential candidates mull over whether to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Despite strong support among Wisconsin voters for reproductive rights, each of the likely GOP contenders has a history of opposing legal abortion or actively working for an abortion ban.”
Punchbowl News: As Trump looms, Senate GOP seeks better candidates
- “It’s obvious that Republicans were dismayed when a highly thought-of potential recruit — Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) — passed on a Senate run this spring. We asked Gallagher if he was worried about the state of the race now that he’s not running. Exhibit A: a poll recently showed controversial former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, a Trump ally, leading a GOP primary. ‘It’s going to be tough no matter what. So we’ll see who gets into the race. I’m not endorsing anytime soon. I want to see a variety of candidates get in,’ Gallagher said, before setting expectations.”
WisPolitics: Wisconsin Democrats earn shout out, but no parade
- “The WDP has an impressive track record, winning almost all statewide races while losing a few by tiny margins. This is critical as Wisconsin Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin is running for reelection in 2024. The WDP is lucky to have Baldwin. She has a first rate personality and has wide appeal across Wisconsin. No other Democrat comes close to Baldwin’s support in rural areas. In addition, when she romped to victory in 2018, Baldwin flipped 17 counties won by Trump in 2016.”
- “Veteran journalist Craig Gilbert spelled it out: ‘Through some combination of factors – time and effort on the ground, campaign strategy, a non-divisive persona, a brand of economic populism, attention to home-state interests (including business interests) as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the vulnerabilities of her opponents – Baldwin has charted her own political map” (MJS). Democrats should learn from Baldwin.’”
- “Baldwin was a keynote speaker at the recent state Democratic Party convention. She talked about bread-and-butter issues such as lowering prescription drug costs. Baldwin led on passing legislation to empower the federal government to begin negotiating the price of some medicines used by Medicare enrollees, capping annual out-of-pocket prescription costs for those enrolled in the Medicare drug program ($2,000 a year starting in 2025) and limiting insulin co-payments to $35 per month for Medicare enrollees.”
