The national Democratic campaign arm funding state legislative candidates unveiled a multi-cycle strategy Monday laying out its plan to gain control of more than half of the country’s legislative chambers by 2030.

A memo first shared with CBS News outlines the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committees long term targets including chambers in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia — three presidential battleground states — as well as North Carolina and Kansas.

“We can’t just get caught up in the places where we can flip majorities today, because we also have to build for the future,” DLCC President Heather Williams told CBS.

Read full article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-statehouse-strategy-flip/

The odds are stacked against Senate Democrats this fall, as they try to hang onto their razor-thin majority in November. Not only will they have to defend 22 incumbent seats, many in Republican-leaning states, but they will also have to offset the loss of West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who announced his retirement from the Senate last year. 

West Virginia is one of the reddest states in the nation and Democrats don’t see a path to retain the seat without Manchin. Their best but unlikely hope is to pick up a seat in either Texas or Florida, where Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Rick Scott are running for reelection. 

There are currently 48 Democrats, plus three independents who caucus with them, giving them a 51-49 majority. Here’s where the Senate map stands nine months from Election Day and a look at the earliest fundraising numbers for the year.

Read full article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-democrats-face-steep-odds-in-trying-to-hold-majority-in-november/

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s latest attempt to get on the Maine Republican presidential primary ballot failed Thursday after his campaign tried to recover from a surprising setback in the Super Tuesday state. 

Earlier this month, the Maine Secretary of State’s Office said that Christie’s campaign fell short of the necessary number of certified signatures needed from Maine voters to qualify for the state’s Republican presidential primary. 

His campaign appealed the decision, but a Maine Superior Court judge sided on Thursday with the secretary of state’s handling of the situation. 

“We appreciate that the court upheld the integrity of Maine’s well-established ballot access requirements,” Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said in a statement. “Every candidate, including presidential candidates, must follow the law to qualify for the ballot. We are glad that the court recognized that Maine law is workable and fair to all.” 

Read full article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-rules-chris-christie-must-remain-off-maine-republican-presidential-primary-ballot/