| June 29, 2020: Joe Biden and Donald Trump released diversity data about their campaign staff. Florida and Pennsylvania shifted Democratic in the latest race ratings from Sabato’s Crystal Ball.
Sabato’s Crystal Ball updated its race ratings on Jun. 25:
- Florida moved from Leans Republican to Toss Up.
- Pennsylvania moved from Toss Up to Leans Democrat.
Notable Quote of the Day
“For years, Arizona was to Democrats what Lucy’s football was to Charlie Brown. Despite candidates from Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton investing in the state, no Democratic presidential candidate has carried it since Bill Clinton in 1996. In fact, no Democrat won a statewide election in Arizona on any level after 2008 until 2018, despite numerous close calls.
But Arizona is changing.
In the 2008 and 2012 presidential races, the state was 16 points and 13 points more Republican-leaning than the country as a whole, respectively. But in 2016, President Trump won Arizona by only 4 points, making the state just 6 points more Republican-leaning than the nation. And in 2018, four Democratic candidates broke through and won statewide, including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.”
– Nathaniel Rakich, FiveThirtyEight
Election Updates
- The Joe Biden campaign released diversity data on Saturday showing 36% of senior staff are people of color and 58% are women. The Donald Trump campaign also reported on its diversity with 25% of senior staff being people of color and 56% women.
- When asked if he would use executive powers to mandate wearing masks in public, Biden said, “I would do everything possible to make it required that people have to wear masks in public.”
- Film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and his wife, Marilyn, hosted a virtual fundraiser on Saturday that raised $6 million for Biden.
- In a tweet on Sunday, Trump praised a video clip of Trump supporters in Florida, which included a man chanting “white power.” Trump later deleted the tweet. White House spokesman Judd Deere said, “He did not hear the one statement made on the video. What he did see was tremendous enthusiasm from his many supporters.”
- The Trump campaign postponed several events with Mike Pence in Texas, Arizona, and Florida this week due to concerns with the coronavirus pandemic. Pence spoke at the First Baptist Church in Dallas on Sunday.
What We’re Reading
Flashback: June 29, 2016
The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund released its first ad in the 2016 presidential race supporting Donald Trump. |
