Welcome to the Democratic Governors Association’s Friday newsletter, the Weekender.
Let’s get started.
Nevada: In a recent article for the Elko Daily Free Press, Republican debate coordinator Paul D. White slammed Joe Lombardo for dodging the upcoming Elko debate and avoiding answering tough questions about his past support for Gov. Steve Sisolak and failures as Clark County Sheriff. “His refusal to be involved will quite likely raise some serious concerns with voters,” wrote White. Desperate for the support of Donald Trump’s far-right base, the Nevada GOP primary candidates have been tearing each other apart. Despite hiding from last week’s debate, Lombardo faced harsh criticism from his opponents — Joey Gilbert called Lombardo out for avoiding questions, and Michele Fiore brought a cardboard cutout of Lombardo labeled “No Show Joe.” A straw poll taken at the debate found the crowded field is still wide open, setting up a brutal race to earn far-right support. Former U.S. Senator Dean Heller and Lombardo couldn’t crack the top three.Georgia: The “scorched earth” Georgia GOP primary for governor escalated to a new level recently when David Perdue’s campaign filed a lawsuit challenging a law that gives Brian Kemp’s reelection campaign a “huge financial boost.” The law, which Kemp signed behind closed doors, allows incumbents like himself to create special committees that raise unlimited contributions during the primary while all other candidates have contribution limits. Perdue wasted no time flinging insults at Kemp, saying the law “reeks of cronyism and corruption.” Kemp’s team fired back, even referring to Perdue’s record of shady stock deals. The “epic GOP primary battle” has escalated since Perdue joined the race with Trump’s backing. Via the leadership committee in question, Kemp released a nasty attack ad on Perdue last month, and Perdue is packing his campaign staff with former Kemp allies.
Kari Lake Openly Questions the Science of COVID-19 VaccinesArizona GOP candidate Kari Lake isn’t even trying to hide her radical conspiracy theories on COVID. In a new interview, Lake openly questioned the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, saying, “I have noticed a lot of people I know who are vaccinated have come down with it. So it makes me wonder about the efficacy of the vaccine.”Lake went on to question basic science backed up by reputable medical experts, saying, “I’m not believing a lot of the science, so-called science coming out of some of our so-called experts,” — presumably referring to the indisputable fact that vaccines are incredibly effective in dramatically reducing the likelihood of catching a severe case of COVID.Lake’s view on vaccines is so off-the-rails, it’s even more extreme than the views of her top endorser, Donald Trump, who has recently touted the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, and pushed back against skepticism like Lake’s. When Lake was asked what her response to the pandemic would be, she offered an absolutely novel plan: “I would just end the pandemic.” She gave absolutely zero additional information on how she plans to do such a thing.
Hartford Courant Editorial: “Gov. Lamont is Working to Keep Kids Safe and In School”In a recent editorial, the Hartford Courant praised Gov. Ned Lamont for his plan “to do everything [he] can to keep kids in the classroom safely.”“Nothing compares to a great teacher in a classroom,” said Gov. Lamont.“He’s right. And top educators in Connecticut — who work to keep children safe — agree with him,” wrote the Courant.The Courant also highlighted how Gov. Lamont announced the state would distribute 670,000 at-home rapid tests to schools and child care providers across Connecticut to help safely keep schools open. Gov. Lamont’s common-sense leadership during the pandemic has led to high vaccination rates among K-12 school employees and across the state, along with one of the highest overall percentages of vaccinated residents in the country.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on MSNBC with Chuck Todd discussing his COVID response and investing in public education.Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on NewsNation with Adrienne Bankert talking about his legacy on schools and the economy. Explore Gov. Northam’s legacy on this new site.
In just a few years, we've accomplished so much together.
We raised the minimum wage, expanded health care, made housing more affordable, and put Illinois on the path to fiscal stability.
No matter what, we’ll never stop working to get big things done for working families. pic.twitter.com/ZMK39ijWgE
“On this somber anniversary of the January 6 Capitol insurrection, an anti-democratic attempt to overturn a free and fair election, we are reminded that it is more important than ever to safeguard access to the ballot box. While voting rights are under attack across the country, New Mexico is taking every action to protect and expand them.”
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announcing a bold proposal that will protect voting rights and make it easier for New Mexicans to vote in fair and free elections.
On Ron DeSantis dodging whether he’s gotten a booster shot: “They don’t want to say it because they’re gutless.”Who said it? Send your answer to press@dga.net, and we’ll reveal the answer in the next Weekender!If you guessed Pennsylvania GOP primary candidate John Ventre last time, you were right! In addition to spreading the Big Lie and promoting unnecessary, partisan voting restrictions in their first debate, the candidates shared climate change denial theories.
