Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In Minnesota, former football player Matt Birk, the Republican Party’s candidate for lieutenant governor, created a controversy when he insisted that American culture “loudly but also stealthily promotes abortion” by “telling women they should look a certain way, they should have careers.” He also complained about those who “always want to go to the rape card.”
* In Colorado, two candidates who recently lost statewide Republican primaries — Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters and state Rep. Ron Hanks — both requested recounts, but Colorado’s secretary of state’s office announced yesterday that this won’t happen. Peters and Hanks were required to pay for the process, and both failed to do so.
* In South Carolina’s 4th congressional district, Republican Rep. William Timmons addressed rumors this week that he had an extramarital affair and abused his power as a congressman to further it. “My wife and I do not comment on our personal lives because they’re private, and they should remain that way,” the congressman said on Monday, adding, “That said, we are experiencing challenges. We’re going through a difficult time. I regret anything I’ve ever done to let her down.”
* Former Vice President Mike Pence is campaigning for a variety of congressional Republicans ahead of a likely national campaign — including a trio of GOP lawmakers who voted to reject the outcome of the 2020 election.
* In Michigan’s Republican gubernatorial primary, the latest statewide poll found conservative commentator Tudor Dixon narrowly leading the field with 19 percent support, followed by businessman Kevin Rinke with 15 percent, and chiropractor Garrett Soldano at 13 percent. Primary Day in the Wolverine State is just two weeks away.
* After losing in a congressional primary, Democratic Rep. Kurt Schrader has thrown his support behind Betsy Johnson, a former Democratic state senator running an independent gubernatorial campaign in Oregon.
* And though it’s not yet official, the Republican National Committee’s site selection panel has chosen Milwaukee to host party’s 2024 national nominating convention. The RNC will make its final decision next month.
CORRECTION (July 21, 2022, 2:04 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article confused Kevin Rinke and Ryan Kelley, two Republican gubernatorial candidates. The above text has been corrected.