MIDTERM MADNESS: Trump plays up the ‘I’ word
Trump is hoping to bolster his support by saying blame for his impeachment would lie with his supporters if they fail to vote.
And he is trying to reassure his supporters that he still has full control of his White House, saying “I’m winning.”
Benjy Sarlin writes that Republicans are running on tax cuts — but they’re focused on initiatives at the state level rather than Trump’s.
Mike Pence is going up with ads taking on Jon Tester, Joe Donnelly and Heidi Heitkamp.
2020: The Kavanaugh hearings are giving Democratic 2020 hopefuls a way to raise their profiles.
AZ-SEN: In a new op-ed, Cindy McCain is urging Americans to “step into the arena to fight for a greater cause.”
CA-8: Conservative activists are saying Trump was “tricked” into backing incumbent Paul Cook over an immigration hard-liner.
CA-48: Can Harley Rouda win?
CA-GOV: Will Newsom and Cox debate?
DE-SEN: Sen. Tom Carper easily won his primary challenge against insurgent progressive Kerri Harris.
More, from the News Journal, on how Carper avoided going the way of Joe Crowley and Mike Capuano.
FL-GOV: Andrew Gillum has picked his running mate — Chris King.
And Ron DeSantis’ lieutenant governor pick has deleted a 2016 tweet calling Trump a “con man.”
GA-GOV: An AJC/Channel 2 poll shows a tied gubernatorial race.
KS-GOV: Budget and taxes dominated the first Kansas gubernatorial debate.
MI-GOV: ICYMI: Rick Snyder won’t endorse Bill Schuette.
MN-SEN: MinnPost profiles Karin Housley.
NY-GOV: The New York Times looks at Cynthia Nixon’s budget plan.
OH: Our own Dante Chinni takes a look at the changing economies in Ohio, and what it might mean for the politics of the state.
TN-SEN: Our latest NBC News/Marist poll shows a neck-and-neck race for Senate in Tennessee.
TN-GOV: But it’s less close in the Tennessee gubernatorial contest.
WI-GOV: Kneeling during the anthem has become an issue in the Wisconsin governors race.
WV-SEN: Joe Manchin is touting his commitment to the Second Amendment and to bipartisanship in his new ad, per NBC’s Ali Vitali.
TRUMP AGENDA: Curb Your Enthusiasm — And Instincts
The Washington Post writes how this week crystallized the narrative about how Trump aides work to curb his instincts.
Rudy Giuliani told the AP that Trump won’t answer Mueller’s questions about obstruction — but he quickly backtracked.
Newly revealed emails are giving rise to new objections about Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, although there have been some confusing twists and turns.
POLITICO notes that House Republicans are careening towards a power struggle.
Trump has agreed to an indefinite U.S. military effort in Syria, reports the Washington Post.
The Trump administration wants to be able to detain migrant children indefinitely.
Twitter has permanently banned Alex Jones.