• The latest ad supporting the Senate candidacy of House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, from the Karl Rove-founded American Crossroads emphasizes Tillis’ opposition to Obamacare and incumbent Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan’s repeated use of the “lie of the year.”
• Fundraising numbers are trickling in from the first quarter of 2014, and in the 2nd Congressional District race, Keith Crisco ($450,000) outraised Clay Aiken ($233,000) on the Democratic side. Crisco burned through a lot of his money on advertising, leaving him with $38,000 cash on hand, compared with Aiken’s $125,000. Incumbent Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers raised nearly $325,000 and has nearly $450,000 on hand. Figures for her GOP rival Frank Roche were not available.
• In the 7th District, former state Sen. David Rouzer raised nearly $300,000 in the quarter and has $419,000 on hand. His main GOP rival, New Hanover County Commissioner Woody White, sent a press release reporting raising $400,000 in its “first 100 days” and having $100,000 cash on hand. All told, Republican Chris Andrade and Democrats Jonathan Barfield and Walther Martin Jr. reported roughly $50,000 among them.
• A recent poll from Hart Research Associates for CNBC paints a bleak picture for Democrats nationally. The percentage of the “Democratic base” — women, minorities, young people, and low-income voters — who are pessimistic about the economy has risen since President Obama’s re-election; moreover, the percentage of voters who think the minimum wage increase Obama and Washington Democrats are pushing would increase prices and make the economy “less fair” has gone up as well.
