Top Republicans believe that junior California Sen. Kamala Harris is likely to emerge in a crowded 2020 presidential primary as President Trump’s challenger in his re-election.
“She’s smart, cautious, has strong ties to law enforcement and a minority,” said a top GOP official. What’s more, added another, she represents the younger generation in a potential field of gray hairs. …
• Longtime Democratic operative Erik Smith’s Blue Engine media shop has added a few experienced hands to the firm’s growing stable. Former Justice spokesman Kevin Lewis is joining after a stint as former President Barack Obama’s post-presidential spox. Also joining are former Obama State Department official Will Mesinger and trade association pro Alyson Chwatek. …
• Provocative filmmakers Phelim McAleer and wife Ann McElhinney, known for their movie about abortionist Kermit Gosnell, have a new one about the racy texts between the FBI duo Lisa Page and Peter Strzok that repeatedly slammed candidate Donald Trump. It’s called “FBI Lovebirds” and initially is being released on YouTube. …
• Last week’s Senate primary in West Virginia was a boost to President Trump, whose Republican candidate, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, won in a three-way race. But alarms went off on the Democratic side, where incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin saw challenger and single mom Paula Jean Swearingen win 30.2 percent, the best showing by a Mountain State Senate challenger to an incumbent in more than 75 years, according to University of Minnesota Smart Politics blogger Eric J. Ostermeier.
He wrote: “Smart Politics reviewed West Virginia’s 39 U.S. Senate primary elections since 1916 and found that the 69.8 percent won by Joe Manchin is the third weakest showing by an incumbent from either party in state history among the 30 incumbents who ran for another term. …
