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Biden announces Harris as vice presidential running mate

• Presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden named U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as his running mate on Tuesday.

• “I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate,” Biden tweeted. “Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign.”

• Harris, who suspended her presidential campaign in December 2019, is the first Black woman on a major party’s ticket.

• Biden raised $26 million in the first 24 hours after announcing Harris as his pick, doubling his previous one-day fundraising record.

• The Trump campaign responded to Biden’s pick with the following statement: “Joe Biden is no moderate, and with Harris as his ‘political living will,’ he is surrendering control of our nation to the radical mob with promises to raise taxes, cut police funding, kill energy jobs, open our borders, and appease socialist dictators.” 

August 18 marks the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the women’s suffrage amendment

• August 18 marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution—the women’s suffrage amendment. 

• The specific text of the 19th amendment reads: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

• On May 19, 1919, Congress convened a special session to address House Joint Resolution 1 (HJR 1)—which would eventually become the 19th Amendment. The House of Representatives passed HJR 1 by a vote of 304 to 89 and the Senate passed it 56 to 25. After passing both chambers of Congress, it required the ratification of 36 of the then-48 states to be ad. Tennessee became the 36th state to approve what became the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920. 

• The Constitution’s 15th and 19th Amendments prohibited the government from denying a citizen's right to vote on account of race and sex, respectively. However, some states and localities had laws, such as poll taxes, reading and legal knowledge tests, and grandfather clauses, that disenfranchised men and women of color. Intimidation was also used to keep people of color from registering to vote and voting. On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson (D) signed the Voting Rights Act, which was intended to enforce the 15th Amendment.

2020 Democratic National Convention begins

• The 2020 Democratic National Convention begins next week with four days of events that include announcing the results of remotely held votes on reports from the Rules, Platform, and Credential committees; roll call for the presidential nomination; and the vice presidential nomination and acclamation.

• Featured speakers include former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris, and former Vice President Joe Biden.

• The convention was originally scheduled to take place July 13-16, 2020, but organizers postponed the event in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

• Most of the convention's events will take place remotely. The DNC announced in June 2020 that delegates should not plan to travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to attend the convention.

Connecticut holds presidential primary, voters in five states decide congressional primary races

• Former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump won the final Democratic and Republican presidential primaries of the year, respectively, in Connecticut. The Democratic National Convention begins next week on August 17. The Republican National Convention will be held the following week, starting on August 24.

• Congressional primaries for one U.S. Senate seat and 22 U.S. House seats took place in Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Georgia also held four primary runoff races for U.S. House seats.

  • Five U.S. House seats were on the ballot in Connecticut. All five incumbents, all Democrats, filed for re-election and faced no primary challengers. Connecticut cancels uncontested primaries and candidates for those seats advance automatically. Only two congressional primaries appeared on the ballot: the Republican primaries in Connecticut’s 1st and 2nd districts. District 1 candidate Mary Fay (R) advanced to the general election. As of August 14, the 2nd Congressional District race was too close to call. 

  • One U.S. Senate seat and eight U.S. House seats were on the ballot in Minnesota. All nine incumbents, six Democrats and three Republicans, filed for re-election. Two incumbents, Jim Hagedorn (R-1) and Angie Craig (D-2), were unopposed and advanced automatically. All seven remaining incumbents defeated their challengers in the primary. 

  • Vermont’s at-large U.S. House seat was the only congressional seat on the ballot. Incumbent Peter Welch (D) defeated one challenger to advance to the general election. Welch faces Republican primary winner Miriam Berry and the winner of the Vermont Progressive Party primary. As of August 14, the Vermont Progressive Party race had not been called, but candidate Chris Brimmer was the expected winner.

  • Voters decided eight U.S. House seats in Wisconsin. Seven incumbents are seeking another term: three Democrats and four Republicans. District 5 incumbent Jim Sensenbrenner (R) did not file for re-election. District 3 incumbent Ron Kind (D) was the only incumbent to face a primary challenger, winning to advance to the general election along with the other six incumbents.

  • Georgia’s 1st, 9th, and 14th congressional districts held primary runoffs after no candidates in the June 9 primaries received a majority of the vote. Districts 1 and 9 held Democratic primary runoffs and districts 9 and 14 held Republican primary runoffs. No incumbents competed in the races.

• Here are the results of three Ballotpedia-identified battleground House primary races that took place August 11:

• Incumbent Rep. Ilhan Omar defeated four candidates in the Democratic primary for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. She received 57% of the vote. Antone Melton-Meaux was second with 39%.

  • This was the first time in more than 85 years that an incumbent U.S. representative from Minnesota faced more than three primary challengers.

  • Omar is among four congresswomen often referred to as the squad, along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). 

  • Melton-Meaux, a lawyer and mediator, criticized Omar by saying she was more focused on arguments with the president and celebrity status than on the needs of the district. He said he would find common ground with others to achieve progressive goals.

  • As of July 22, Omar had raised $4.3 million to Melton-Meaux's $4.2 million.

  • Three election forecasters rate the general election Safe of Solid Democratic.

• Marjorie Taylor Greene defeated John Cowan in the Republican primary runoff for Georgia's 14th Congressional District. Greene received 57% of the vote to Cowan's 43%. 

  • Incumbent Tom Graves (R), who assumed office in 2010, did not seek re-election.

  • The race garnered national attention after Politico reported on comments Greene made about Muslims and Black people, with other reports discussing comments she made about QAnon. Greene defended her comments.

  • Three election forecasters rate the general election Safe or Solid Republican.

• Wisconsin state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald defeated Clifford DeTemple to win the Republican nomination in Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District. Fitzgerald received 77% of the vote to DeTemple's 23%. 

  • Incumbent Jim Sensenbrenner (R), who was first elected to the House in 1978, did not run for re-election. Sensenbrenner and former Gov. Scott Walker (R) endorsed Fitzgerald.

  • Election forecasters say the 5th is a safe Republican district.

Alaska, Florida, Wyoming to hold congressional primaries 

• On August 18, Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming are holding statewide primaries. A total of 31 congressional seats are up for election across the three states, and three of those seats are open, meaning the incumbent did not run for re-election.

• Alaska has one U.S. Senate seat and one at-large U.S. House seat up for election. Incumbent Sen. Daniel Sullivan (R) is running uncontested in the Republican primary for his Class II Senate seat. Four candidates are on the ballot in the Democratic and Independence Parties primary for the seat; the winner will face Sullivan in the November general election. Incumbent Rep. Don Young (R) is running for re-election to Alaska’s at-large House seat and faces two challengers in the Republican primary. Three candidates are running in the Democratic and Independence Parties primary for the seat.

• Florida does not have a U.S. Senate seat up for election in 2020. All 27 of the state’s U.S. House seats are up for election, with 25 of the 27 congressional incumbents running for re-election. District 3 Rep. Ted Yoho (R) and District 19 Rep. Francis Rooney (R) did not file to run. Three Democrats and 10 Republicans are on the primary ballot for Yoho’s District 3 seat and two Democrats and nine Republicans are on the primary ballot for Rooney’s District 19 seat.

• Wyoming is holding elections for one U.S. Senate seat and one at-large U.S. House seat. A field of six Democrats and 10 Republicans are competing in the August 18 primaries for retiring incumbent Mike Enzi’s (R) open Class II Senate seat. The winner of each primary will advance to the November general election. Incumbent Rep. Liz Cheney (R) faces one challenger in the Republican primary for Wyoming’s at-large House seat. Three candidates are on the ballot in the Democratic primary to advance to the general election.

• Ballotpedia identified eight of the congressional primaries taking place August 18 as battlegrounds. Here’s a quick preview  of three of the races:

  • Republican primary in Florida’s 3rd Congressional District: Ten candidates are running for the Republican nomination to succeed retiring Rep. Ted Yoho (R). Kat Cammack, Judson Sapp, and James St. George have led in noteworthy endorsements and fundraising. Cammack, a small business owner and Yoho’s former deputy chief of staff, has endorsements from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund. Three members of Florida’s congressional delegation, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R), have endorsed Sapp, the chief executive officer of W.J. Sapp Railroad Contractor. St. George, a surgeon and the top fundraiser, has the endorsement of Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.). Election forecasters say the winner of the Republican nomination is all but certain to win the general election.

  • Republican primary in Florida’s 13th Congressional District: Five candidates are running for the Republican nomination to challenge Rep. Charlie Crist (D). Three candidates—Amanda Makki, George Buck, and Anna Paulina Luna—have led in fundraising, with $1.2 million, $1.0 million, and $1.0 million raised, respectively. Makki and Luna are members of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Young Guns program, which supports non-incumbent Republicans running for the U.S. House whose campaigns meet specific organizational and fundraising goals. Buck was removed from the program in December 2019. Election forecasters say Crist is all but certain to win the general election.

  • Republican primary in Florida’s 26th Congressional District: Carlos Gimenez and Omar Blanco are running for the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D). Gimenez, the mayor of Miami-Dade County, has an endorsement from President Trump. Blanco, a former firefighter, has endorsements from four Miami-Dade county commissioners. Election forecasters are split on the general election; one says it is a toss-up, one says it tilts towards Mucarsel-Powell, and one says it leans towards Mucarsel-Powell.

Hawaii voters decide U.S. House primaries 

• Hawaii held primary elections for its two U.S. House seats on August 8. Headed into this year’s  election, Hawaii’s U.S. congressional delegation has two Democratic senators and two Democratic representatives. Here are the results from the two primary elections.

• Ballotpedia identified the Democratic primary in the 2nd District, currently occupied by incumbent Tulsi Gabbard (D), as a battleground race. Kaiali'i Kahele, a state senator, advanced with 77% of the vote. Brian Evans, the Republican nominee for the seat in 2018, earned 9% of the vote. Two other candidates—Brenda Lee and Noelle Famera—received 8% and 6% of the vote, respectively. Gabbard did not run for reelection. Three race forecasters rate the general election as Safe/Solid Democratic.

  • Joseph Akana advanced from the Republican primary for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District. He earned 43.6% of the vote. Elise Hatsuko Kaneshiro was the only other candidate who earned more than 10% of the vote. 

• Incumbent Ed Case advanced unopposed from the Democratic primary for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District. Ron Curtis won the Republican primary with 40.9% of the vote. James Dickens and Nancy Olson were the only other candidates who earned more than 20% of the vote. Curtis and Case will face off in the Nov. 3 general election. Three race forecasters rate the general election as Safe/Solid Democratic. Nonpartisan candidate Calvin Griffin also appeared on the primary ballot, but did not receive the requisite number of votes under state election laws to advance to the general election. 

Here are the upcoming filing deadlines for independent presidential candidates

• Although there is no formal, national deadline to file to run for president of the United States, each state has its own filing requirements and deadlines for independent presidential candidates to qualify for the general election ballot. These requirements may include submitting a petition with the signatures of a certain number of registered voters or paying a filing fee, or both.

• Filing deadlines for independent presidential candidates have already passed in 32 states. In the week of August 17, there are seven filing deadlines:

  • Utah (August 17)

  • Minnesota (August 18)

  • Montana (August 19)

  • Alabama (August 20)

  • Tennessee (August 20)

  • Louisiana (August 21)

  • Virginia (August 21)

• There are 4 filing deadlines the following week.

  • Idaho (August 24)

  • Massachusetts (August 25)

  • Oregon (August 25)

  • Wyoming (August 25)

Congress is out of session

Both chambers of Congress are in recess next week. Click here to see the full calendar for the second session of the 116th Congress.

Where was the president last week?

• On Monday, Trump had lunch with Vice President Pence and held a news conference.

• On Tuesday, Trump participated in a phone call with America’s sheriffs and held a campaign tele-rally for North Carolina.

• On Wednesday, Trump participated in a school reopening event at the White House and held a campaign tele-rally for Wisconsin.

• On Thursday, Trump delivered remarks from the Oval Office on the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

• On Friday, Trump met with the New York City Police Benevolent Association, the largest police union of the NYPD.

Federal Judiciary

• 78 federal judicial vacancies

• 48 pending nominations

• 3 future federal judicial vacancies

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