Welcome to the Democratic Governors Association’s Friday newsletter, The Weekender.
Let’s get started.
Michigan: The Michigan Republican primary for governor is getting even messier, as the Muskegon County Republican Party is formally rejecting attempts from the state party to put their “thumb on the scale” for insiders’ hand-picked candidate James Craig, according to MIRS News. Best efforts by the Michigan Republican Party to clear the field for Craig have been a complete failure since Craig’s disastrous campaign launch. Craig has paved the way for a crowded, messy primary field filled with far-right fringe candidates like Garrett Soldano and Tudor Dixon and out-of-touch self-funders like Kevin Rinke — who pledged to spend $10 million of his own money in the race as an “initial investment.” Meanwhile, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is delivering massive savings for Michiganders with $400 auto insurance refund checks after working with Republicans on bipartisan reforms to lower costs.New York:Poll after poll continues to show New York Gov. Kathy Hochul with a solid lead over her opponents in the race for governor. A new Siena poll found Gov. Hochul leading the Democratic primary field by 18 points. The latest poll is consistent with all recent public polling of the race, which has repeatedly found Gov. Hochul with a double-digit lead over the rest of the field. According to the poll, a majority of New Yorkers believe Gov. Hochul works hard for New York and demonstrates both honesty and integrity. The poll also found the name ID of all Democratic candidates to be roughly equal, indicating that Gov. Hochul’s popularity and job approval are the key factors that have her dominating the field. Read more about Gov. Hochul’s consistently strong poll numbers here.
“Ugly,” “Costly,” and “Bruising”: Brian Kemp and David Perdue Start Their “Scorched-Earth Primary”After Donald Trump endorsed David Perdue in his challenger bid against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a new FOX 5 Atlanta poll shows that the race between Kemp and Perdue is a “dead heat” at 34%-34% when GOP primary voters are informed about Trump’s support for Perdue. While Trump’s endorsement of Perdue escalated current GOP infighting, the reality is both Kemp and Perdue would make life worse for Georgia families. Kemp has refused to expand Medicaid and underfunded public schools, while Perdue used his office to vote to gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions and has a track record of self-dealing and shipping jobs overseas.Meanwhile, die-hard Trump loyalist Steve Bannon added to the chaos by saying, “There’s no difference between Kemp and Perdue,” ripping Perdue as a “disaster.” Additionally, the Washington Post reported that one Georgia Republican told them: “This will be the ugliest, nastiest race this state has ever seen. It is hyper-personal on both sides. Friendships, very long friendships, will be ruined and never recovered over this.” Click here to read what people are saying about the brutal primary.
Gov. Steve Sisolak Addresses Health Disparities with ‘Healthcare Week’ and Hosts Largest Job Fair in Nevada HistoryThis week, Gov. Steve Sisolak visited health care centers across Nevada and pledged to increase mental health support and fund health care providers serving vulnerable populations as part of his ‘Healthcare Week.’ In his visits to various businesses and organizations, Gov. Sisolak discussed health care jobs and how federal pandemic relief funding can be used to increase access to affordable health care. Gov. Sisolak also took the opportunity during Healthcare Week to recognize health care workers for the challenges they’ve faced throughout the pandemic and propose solutions to those challenges. Coverage on Healthcare Week can be found here.Also this week, Gov. Sisolak’s Las Vegas JobFest drew 2,100 people, building on Nevada’s momentum as it leads the nation in hiring as the state recovers from the pandemic. The largest job fair in Nevada history connected Nevadans directly to jobs and to retraining programs to learn new skills.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah to discuss the pandemic, his experiences with dyslexia, and California politics.
It was an honor to see so many Nevadans hired on the spot, especially this one, who told me that she had been looking for a job for over a year and today she found one – she starts this week! #JobFest2021 is ongoing until 2 p.m. at the Convention Center's North Hall. pic.twitter.com/WgP0G0Sf5g
“I’ve been fighting my entire life to make sure that kids in every corner of Illinois have access to quality, affordable child care. This is just one more way we’re investing in our kids — no matter your zip code.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announcing $300 million in grants to child care providers across the state.
“It is going to be a political civil war here in Georgia.”Who said it? Send your answer to press@dga.net, and we’ll reveal the answer in the next Weekender!If you guessed former president Donald Trump last Friday, you got it! Trump has made clear he does not support Georgia’s incumbent governor Brian Kemp and favors his primary challenger David Perdue. This lack of support for the incumbent has created a rift in the party.
