DDHQ Morning News Spotlight: April 25, 2022

Morning Headlines

• • Carrick Flynn is a newcomer to politics but his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in Oregon’s new Sixth Congressional District is raising eyebrows among the state’s party establishment. Not only is he leading the fundraising race by a large margin but he has the backing of the Democrat’s top national House Super PAC. The Oregon primary is May 17th.
  • A new poll in NY shows Governor Kathy Hochul shows 45% of respondents are prepared to vote for someone else, while 40% say they support her election. Hochul’s job approval rating fell 8 points in the last month to 36%. Her handling of crime and economic issues are the leading cause of the decline in her approval rating.
  • At the national level, Gallup finds President Joe Biden’s approval rating in the first quarter of the year to be 41.3% Historically that’s the second worst rating for a President in the fifth quarter of their presidency. Biden is only ahead of former President Donald Trump’s 39.1% rating for the same period.
  • One Democrat doing well is West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. 57% of voters in his state approve of the job he’s doing up from 40% a year ago. Manchin isn’t up for reelection until 2024.
  • Republican candidates for Governor in Georgia debated last night. Former Senator David Perdue accused Governor Brian Kemp of being soft on what he claims was election fraud in 2020. Kemp for his part repeatedly laid the blame for Perdue’s defeat to now Senator Jon Ossoff on Perdue’s week leadership and poor record. There are two more debates schedule ahead of the May 24th primary. According to the Real Clear Politics poll average, Kemp is leading the field but short of the 50% threshold he’d need to avoid a runoff.
  • Idaho is another state where a GOP Governor is facing a rare primary challenge. Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin is challenging Governor Brad Little. It’s the first time in state history a sitting Lt. Governor is challenging the sitting Governor. McGeachin, like Perdue in Georgia, is backed by former President Trump.
  • A Super PAC aligned with North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis is spending significant money on an ad blasting Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn as a liar.
  • France held the second round of their presidential election yesterday. Incumbent Emmanuel Macron defeated Marine Le Pen 58%-42%. Macron is the first President of France to win reelection since Jacques Chirac in 2002.

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