Impact2020: September 24, 2020
In today’s Impact2020 briefing, we look at what Democrats are urging Michael Bloomberg to spend his millions on in Florida, where Supreme Court contender Barbara Lagoa is receiving local support. Plus, as Donald Trump and Joe Biden make back-to-back North Carolina visits, the state’s election board is experiencing some last-minute turmoil.
On the Ground
Where Bloomberg can help Biden
Increasingly worried about the lack of face-to-face time with voters, Florida’s largest left-leaning grassroots organizations and field operations are making a last-minute push to make up for lost time: they’re turning to Michael Bloomberg, the Miami Herald’s David Smiley reports.
President Donald Trump’s campaign has been on the ground in the swing state since June, but Joe Biden’s campaign has opted for mostly virtual events until recently. Former Florida Attorney General and Trump campaign surrogate Pam Bondi told Fox News: “Joe Biden has no ground game in Florida. We have the best ground game in the country.”
Following the former New York City mayor’s pledge to spend $100 million in Florida, “nearly two dozen organizations have pitched Bloomberg’s advisors on a unified get-out-the-vote plan revolving around person-to-person interaction. Many say they have yet to hear back.”
It’s unclear exactly how much money Bloomberg will dedicate to on-the-ground organizing in Florida or “how that money would be spent if allocated to field operations,” Smiley writes. A Bloomberg spokesperson would only say that some money would “go toward get-out-the-vote efforts and, specifically, efforts to target mail voters.”
But some Democrats still hope he’ll spend a large sum on fixing Biden’s in-person campaigning problem.
“There’s a lot of anxiety among smart people who do this for a living and understand what it takes to win the state of Florida,” said one Democratic strategist. “In an election where it’s close, that matters. [Trump’s campaign] is doing it and we’re not.”
Meanwhile, the Miami Herald’s Bianca Padró Ocasio reports that Bloomberg is focusing on Florida Hispanics with a new $8 million Spanish ad blitz.
Sticking together
Florida GOP Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott have made personal appeals to Trump to nominate Miami native Barbara Lagoa to the Supreme Court, Alex Daugherty reports for the Miami Herald.
“I think [Lagoa] would be great and I’m a big fan of Judge Barrett, too. I have a preference, I suppose, for Lagoa because she’s from South Florida, because her life story is emblematic of everything we hope for our children in our community,” said Rubio.
Daugherty notes Scott and Rubio have said they would confirm whichever candidate Trump nominates. If Lagoa is nominated and confirmed, she would be the first Floridian, the first Cuban-American and the second Hispanic on the nation’s highest court.
Meanwhile, Trump said he does not have a meeting planned with Lagoa in Florida at the end of the week, but confirmed she was still on his list of five candidates to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, McClatchy’s Michael Wilner reports.
Trump said he would announce the nominee on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the White House.
Dustup in NC
“Both Republican members of the North Carolina State Board of Elections resigned Wednesday night, citing their concerns over a legal settlement that addresses several voting issues,” Will Doran and Jessica Banov report for the Raleigh News & Observer.
“David Black and Ken Raymond’s resignations come 41 days before the Nov. 3 general election — an important stretch of time, as many last-minute decisions are still being made,” they write. The move leaves three Democrats on the five-member board.
“All five members, including Black and Raymond, had agreed to the proposed mail-in voting lawsuit settlement earlier this week,” Doran and Banov note. “However, a day after North Carolina’s top Republican lawmakers fiercely criticized that settlement, Black and Raymond announced their immediate resignations.”
Speaking of North Carolina, Biden made his first trip as a Democratic nominee to the state Wednesday, where he vowed to change “systematic racism,” the Charlotte Observer’s Jim Morrill reports. And Trump is scheduled to be in Charlotte this afternoon.
For even more discussion of how North Carolina is a pivotal battleground in the presidential and Senate races, listen to the new episode of McClatchy’s Beyond the Bubble podcast later today. Download it on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts
Trail Mix
Battleground state watch
The president will travel to Miami-Dade County, Fla., on Friday to participate in a Latinos for Trump roundtable, the Miami Herald’s David Smiley reports.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Patrick Marley reports that Republicans in the Wisconsin State Legislature appealed a court decision that extended the amount of time election clerks have to count ballots.
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar warned voters that they may need to wait days before the state finishes its initial tally of votes in the November election, the Allentown Morning Call’s Tom Shortell writes.
A group of Republicans have asked the Texas Supreme Court to block Gov. Greg Abbott’s six-day early voting extension, Alex Briseno reports for the Dallas Morning News.
Battle for Congress
After Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power, one of his allies, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said if he loses, Republicans “will accept that result.” The State’s Emily Bohatch has more.
Nikki Haley will hold a fundraiser for Nancy Mace in South Carolina’s top congressional race, Caitlin Byrd reports for The State.
Governor watch
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson “tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the second governor in the United States to contract the disease as he campaigns for a full term in a race that has often centered on his response to the pandemic.” Jonathan Shorman and Bryan Lowry have more in the Kansas City Star.
Number of the Day
16
Men in Texas prefer Trump by 16 points, while women favor Biden by 8 points, according to the latest New York Times/Siena College poll.
“Less COVID, more hunting”
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s take on social distancing received mixed reaction online.
For Planning Purposes
Sept. 24
President Donald Trump visits Charlotte, N.C., and Jacksonville, Fla.
Vice President Pence travels to Wisconsin and Minnesota
Sept. 25
Trump visits Miami
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This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Impact2020: September 24, 2020."