The Weekender (8/9/19)

Welcome to the Democratic Governors Association’s Friday newsletter, The Weekender. This weekly newsletter keeps you updated on all the gubernatorial campaign news you need to start your weekend.
Let’s get started.

New Ads in Louisiana, Kentucky 
Louisiana: Gov. John Bel Edwards released his third ad, “Every Child,“ on Monday featuring First Lady Donna Edwards highlighting Gov. Edwards’ record of increasing funding for K-12 and higher education, raising teacher pay, and fully funding one of the state’s college scholarship programs TOPS.  
Kentucky: Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andy Beshear released his first TV ad Monday, “Dignity,” highlighting how his faith has informed his work as Attorney General protecting victims of rape and child abuse and protecting Kentuckians’ access to health care.   

Republican Rumble In Mississippi Runoff
Mississippi voters went to the polls on Tuesday and Lt. Gov Tate Reeves’ nightmare became a reality. Reeves failed to avoid a runoff against Bill Waller after mostly ignoring Waller the whole race. 
For Reeves, this reality check has been brutal. He assumed he would win the candidacy outright, but now Reeves has just three weeks to mount his case against Waller before the runoff. Scrambling, Reeves has abandoned his original campaign strategy in a panic and lashed out at Waller with attacks saying he is “not a conservative”. 
With three weeks left, how nasty is this Republican primary going to get?

Dem Govs Offer McConnell Models To Address Gun Violence
As the nation mourns two more senseless mass shootings this week and fury over inaction grows, Democratic governors are leading the way on preventing gun violence. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell continues to block common sense legislation in the Senate, Democratic governors across the country have been taking action and signing effective gun reforms. 

In New Mexico and Nevada, Govs. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Steve Sisolak expanded background checks, while “red flag” laws that keep guns out of dangerous hands have been enacted in Colorado and Rhode Island by Govs. Jared Polis and Gina Raimondo. Dem Govs are also fighting hard to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, signing new safety bills in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Louisiana. 

Read more about some models Mitch McConnell could use courtesy of Democratic governors to combat gun violence here. 

389,000 – Delawareans with a pre-existing condition who will now have their coverage protected regardless of what happens at the federal level thanks to a new bill Gov. Carney signed into law
100 – Number of illegal ammunition sales blocked in July after a new California ammo background check law Gov. Newsom advocated for went into effect
28 – Number of years added to the civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse in Rhode Island. Gov. Raimondo signed a law extending it from 7 years to 35



“Studies show North Carolina teachers pay an average of $500 a year out of their own pockets for school supplies…and with the first day of school coming up, we want our educators and students to have the supplies they need for the year.”
– Governor Roy Cooper and First Lady Kristin Cooper announcing the Governor’s Third Annual School Supply Drive for school supplies donations 

“Virtually anything fried tastes great, literally – and I’ve seen virtually everything fried.”
Which governor said it? Send your answer to press@dga.net and we’ll reveal the answer in the next Weekender! 
If you guessed Mississippi Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Jim Hood, you were right! Last week at the Neshoba County Fair, Hood and GOP candidate Tate Reeves gave speeches and traded shots. “I know y’all came here to hear me throw rocks,” Hood said. “People say when the others are throwing rocks, sit back and let them.” On the following Tuesday after the fair, Hood secured the Democratic nomination with 70 percent of the vote and Reeves entered a runoff with Bill Waller.