Trump and RNC raise $74 million in May


Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing
June 22, 2020: Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC) raised $74 million in May, marking the first time they underperformed Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee. Former Sen. Ted Kaufman (Del.) is leading Biden’s presidential transition team.        

The Cook Political Report updated its race ratings on Jun. 19:

  • Michigan moved from Toss Up to Lean Democrat.
  • Iowa moved from Likely Republican to Lean Republican.
  • Ohio moved from Likely Republican to Lean Republican.

Notable Quote of the Day

“Democrats could come to regret their lack of concern. In an interview this week, [Green Party candidate Howie] Hawkins said, “We’ve got Bernie Sanders refugees coming in bursts ever since Super Tuesday. …

As [Hillary] Clinton — and Al Gore before her — learned, even seemingly minor factors can sway a close election. Trump faces his own third-party challenge from the Libertarian Party, but may have dodged a more formidable threat when Rep. Justin Amash decided against pursuing that party’s nomination.

Some Democrats think they’ve also caught a break with Hawkins. Their sense is that even voters on the far left recognize that anti-Trump forces can’t afford to splinter, and so the era of Green Party spoilers may be coming to an end. The Green Party is on the ballot in swing states like Florida, but it has struggled to gather the required number of signatures in a few other battlegrounds, such as Arizona.”

– Alex Thompson and Holly Otterbein, Politico

Election Updates

  • Former Sen. Ted Kaufman (Del.) is leading Joe Biden’s presidential transition team. Former Obama White House staffer Yohannes Abraham is in charge of day-to-day operations.
  • Biden hired Chris Bolling, a former executive director of the Democratic Party of Virginia, to lead his campaign operations in Virginia.
  • Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC) raised $74 million in May, marking the first time they underperformed Biden and the Democratic National Committee—who raised $81 million in May—in monthly fundraising. Trump and the RNC have $265 million in cash on hand.
  • Trump discussed the coronavirus pandemic, policing, race relations, and Biden at his first campaign rally in months on Saturday in Tulsa. An estimated 6,200 people attended the event, according to Tulsa’s fire department. The venue had capacity for 19,000. Trump campaign adviser Mercedes Schlapp said 5.3 million people watched the event online.

What We’re Reading

Flashback: June 22, 2016

Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson and his running mate, Bill Weld, participated in a televised town hall on CNN.

Click here to learn more.