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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Will Republican Rep. Bob Good become the first congressional incumbent to lose in a primary this year? For now, his race in Virginia remains too close to call.
* On a related note, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole faced a Republican primary challenge in his home state of Oklahoma, but the well-funded right-wing businessman fell far short, and the incumbent won the intraparty race by nearly 40 points.
* In Virginia, where Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger is giving up her seat to run for governor, Yevgeny (Eugene) Vindman won a crowded Democratic primary to succeed her. Vindman is perhaps best known to national audiences for his role in exposing Donald Trump’s 2019 Ukraine scandal, which led to the then-president’s impeachment.
* The latest national NPR/PBS News/Marist poll offered a timely reminder about just how close the 2024 presidential race is: The survey found Trump tied with President Joe Biden, with each garnering 49% support among registered voters. Among those who say they definitely plan to vote in November, the former president leads the Democratic incumbent by one point, 50% to 49%.
* The first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle is scheduled for next week, and NBC News reported that independent conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will apparently fall short of qualifying for the event.
* Ahead of next month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Trump reportedly intended to stay at a property he owns in Chicago during his party’s gathering. That plan changed after reporters started asking questions about the candidate’s itinerary. (The drive from Chicago to Milwaukee is roughly 90 miles.)
* And while top-of-the-ballot contests will receive the bulk of the attention in the coming months, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced a $10 million investment this week into getting voters to care about state legislative races, too.