Notable Quote of the Day

“Why have four of the last five incumbent presidents won reelection? There are a lot of reasons, but a big one is that the structure of the primary calendar, the rules for campaign spending, and party unified behind the president give the party in power an enormous structural advantage. In 1996 and 2012, incumbent presidents had enormous resources to run ads in swing states defining the Republican nominee, when the GOP nominee had used all his money to win the primary and did not have any cash to return fire. The Clinton and Obama campaigns, along with help from their friends the media, defined the image of Bob Dole and Mitt Romney before the contest really started. In 2004, the Bush campaign ran similar advertising against John Kerry in swing states.”

– Jim Geraghty, National Review

Democrats

• Joe Biden issued his gun violence prevention plan Wednesday, calling for universal background checks, banning what he calls assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, repealing liability protections for gun manufacturers, and incentivizing the implementation of red flag flaws.
   
• Cory Booker released a plan Thursday to reduce childhood poverty through a child tax credit that would provide $250 or $300—depending on the age of the children—to families. His plan would also increase the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit by 30 percent.
   
• Steve Bullock delivered a presentation on opioid abuse reduction in Montana Wednesday.
   
• Pete Buttigieg will be open a campaign office Thursday in South Bend, Indiana. 
   
• In his labor policy plan released Wednesday, Julián Castro focused on promoting the right to organize and protecting domestic and farm workers.
   
• Kamala Harris posted more than 420 Facebook ads on impeachment in the final week of September, representing roughly three-fourths of impeachment-related ads released by 2020 Democrats, according to a Reuters analysis.
   
• Amy Klobuchar will campaign in Iowa Thursday and Friday, marking her 20th trip to the state.
   
• Beto O'Rourke will hold a town hall in Los Angeles Saturday.
   
• Tim Ryan visited with striking GM workers in Indiana and attended an education conference Wednesday.
   
• Bernie Sanders canceled campaign events this week and suspended his first television ad launch in Iowa after undergoing a heart procedure for a blocked artery Wednesday. 
   
• Tom Steyer released a new campaign ad Wednesday on digital platforms about the impeachment inquiry. It will also air on cable television next week.
   
• Elizabeth Warren is holding a town hall in San Diego Thursday.
   
• Marianne Williamson is attending a fundraiser Thursday in Montclair, New Jersey.
   
• Andrew Yang raised $10 million in the third quarter of 2019, more than tripling his fundraising total from the second quarter.

Republicans

• As part of a previously announced $8 million ad buy, Donald Trump is airing a new ad that calls the impeachment inquiry a coup.

Flashback: October 3, 2015

The National Education Association, which has 3 million members, endorsed Hillary Clinton.