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* The Sean Casten campaign sent along a few news clips today. New York Times…
In a tactical retreat, Republican groups have already withdrawn some or all funding from a few embattled incumbents, mainly in suburbs where President Trump is unpopular, including Representatives Kevin Yoder of Kansas, Mike Coffman of Colorado and Mike Bishop of Michigan. They have abandoned more than half a dozen seats where Republican lawmakers are not running for re-election, including most recently the Tucson, Ariz.-based seat of Representative Martha McSally, who left to run for Senate.
Party strategists said several other incumbents must recover quickly or risk losing funding, including Representatives Peter Roskam of Illinois and Mimi Walters of California, who represent white-collar suburbs near Chicago and Los Angeles, respectively. […]
Former Representative Thomas M. Davis III of Virginia, a former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said … “This is the kind of year where Republican are going to have to give up on some races and they’re going to have to make some hard choices.”
* WaPo…
The same dynamic is taking place outside Chicago, where veteran Rep. Peter J. Roskam (R-Ill.) is in the fight of his life against Sean Casten. A clean-energy entrepreneur, Casten has reserved $4.6 million worth of ads, well ahead of Roskam’s $2 million in ads. […]
This energy among liberal donors has forced Republicans into making hard choices about where to spend their dollars. At the moment, the NRCC has no money reserved to defend Roskam, a former member of Republican leadership.
Of the 31 seats rated a “tossup” by the nonpartisan Cook Report, the NRCC is only playing in 14 of them. That means teetering Republicans like Reps. Mimi Walters, in Orange County, Calif.; Peter Roskam, in Illinois’ Chicago suburbs; and Dave Brat, in Virginia’s Richmond suburbs, aren’t receiving air cover from the NRCC’s independent expenditure unit; neither are Reps. Andy Barr, R-Ky., Bruce Poliquin, R-Maine, or Rep. David Young, R-Iowa.
* But…
But the NRCC believes its strategy, while counterintuitive, is paying dividends. By forcing Democrats to spend in Colorado 6 and Virginia 10, there is less money to throw against other endangered Republicans who aren’t as well known or battle tested as Coffman and Comstock. Essentially, the two are being used as cover to distract Democrats from easier targets. Additionally, some incumbents, like Roskam, are to begin benefiting from NRCC advertising in the form of “hybrid” ads that are coordinated with the candidate.
So, Roskam may be getting some money after all. We’ll see.
* Meanwhile…
The League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund is launching a digital campaign targeting GOP Rep. Peter Roskam in IL-06 over the environment. The $291,000 campaign features two ads saying “polluters heart Peter Roskam” and that the “polluter in chief” Donald Trump can count on Roskam’s vote.
* And Roskam’s new TV ad goes heavy on the Madigan angle…
* Script…
Sleazy Illinois politicians Mike Madigan and Sean Casten. Madigan and Casten are two sides of the same coin.
Madigan supported a state budget that would raise taxes on our families. So did shady Sean Casten. Madigan opposed the property tax freeze. Casten also opposed it. Higher gas taxes? Madigan supports those. And you guessed it, Sean Casten supported them too.
Mike Madigan and Sean Casten, shady Illinois politicians who’d make you pay more.
*** UPDATE *** Looks like that NRCC hybrid money is coming through…
According to Roskam’s campaign, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the party’s House campaign committee, just committed $1.5 million to a new TV ad buy in the expensive Chicago media market, $702,000 of which will go out the door in the next week.
Not enough, though.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 12:21 pm
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Geez, Roskam sold out his homeowner constituents to K Street on the tax bill, and this is the thanks he gets?
It’s been said many times, if you want a loyal friend in DC, get a dog.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 12:29 pm
Perhaps Capt Fax should do one of those heartfelt advisories to Roskam And DesperateDavis that bashin’ Madigan does not appear to a winin’ message (AKA GovJunk down 20)
Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 12:31 pm
Two years ago we worked for Roskam by putting out signs.
This year he is out of touch with our world. He sent us a mailer touting his anti abortion positions. We are for limited choice, not ending abortion.
Denying climate change is another negative. Watch films on how a farmers created the Dust Bowl and claim 7 billion people aren’t changing the world.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 12:45 pm
Who knew Madigan controlled Roskam and made him vote yes on the SALT provisions.Now that is power.
Comment by Annoyance Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 12:53 pm
Annoyance -what?
Comment by Ike Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 1:07 pm
How desperate is the Roskam campaign to associate a state politician with a person running for a US congressional seat? I would bet that Madigan and Casten have never met. The ad is laughable.
Comment by Cable Line Beer Gardener Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 1:12 pm
I’m wondering how much is being spent on the ground game. If the congressional Dems are devoting anything of substance to turnout operations, some GOP General Assembly members could have real problems given the weakness at the top of the ticket.
Comment by Roman Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 1:25 pm
SALT will raise taxes and according to the script all taxes are Madigans fault. When I pay my taxes for 2018 my Federal taxes are going up: taxed twice with no deductions. Thank you, Roskam.
Comment by Annoyance Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 1:41 pm
Annoyance - got it. I wasn’t sure if you were being sarcastic or not in original comment. My apologies.
Comment by Ike Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 1:52 pm
== Madigan opposed the property tax freeze ==
Then how come he kept calling bills to impose it, bills the GOP voted against?
Comment by anon2 Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 2:25 pm
== associate a state politician with a person running for a US congressional seat? ==
The Hultgren campaign is doing the same in their TV ads, trying to tie Lauren Underwood to Madigan with her support of Medicare for All, calling it “Madigan’s big idea.”
Comment by Tim Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 6:06 pm
People are sending Trump a message by voting Democratic in November.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:58 pm