GAME, SET, MATCH: And just like that, primary season comes to an end - bet everyone out there is breathing a sigh of relief. For those keeping score, Hillary Clinton won the final primary in Washington, DC by a landslide adding 16 more delegates and bringing her final tally to 2,800 to Bernie Sanders’ 1881.
FULL COURT PRESS: Look for Hillary Clinton to build on her press blitz now that the primary season is over. With the general election campaign underway, fundraising has increased, grassroots efforts are in progress, and most importantly, tv face time, will begin to pick up. Clinton is determined to match the Republicans speech for speech, interview for interview, sound bite for sound bite, and then some. Her focus will be to polish her image, build trust, and improve her likeability factor over Trump’s. The Orlando tragedy has quickly set the tone for how the two candidates plan to deal with the press in the coming months.
TRUMP TACKS BACK TO CAPITOL HILL: Donald Trump is heading back to Capitol Hill ahead of the July convention to address the entire Republican House after his May visit with leadership came under criticism from rank and file members. Trump will have an opportunity to discuss his priorities and share his vision for moving the party forward. House Republicans are unveiling their “ A Better Way” agenda to show how they would govern should they win back the White House – they’re desperately hoping Trump takes the cue and runs on their issues - we think he has other plans.
MAJORITY MOMENTUM?: Democrats feel they have a good shot at taking the White House and Senate this year, but what about the House? Democrats are 59 seats out of the majority - and until last night (Randy Forbes of VA was tossed) - no incumbent House Republican had lost a race. Given turnout in last week’s presidential primary, CA Republicans, like Rep. Darrell Issa and Rep. Steve Knight, will have big bullseyes on their backs this fall - both candidates narrowly skated by in their primaries. Guilt by association will become the main drag on Republicans with Trump as the presumptive nominee - and the Democrats will remind voters of that every step of the way.
RYAN’S ROUND THREE: Speaker Paul D. Ryan announced the third part of his six-point plan with a focus on regulatory overhaul - scaling back Dodd-Frank, expanding energy production on federal lands and limiting lawsuits against businesses. Ryan’s laser focus on policy has helped define and forge the Republican agenda ahead of the upcoming Senate and House races. If Republicans want to stay in control of Congress - and take back the White House - they’ll need to run on ideas and draw a distinction with the Democrats and the top of their own ticket.
CFPB’S INSURANCE COVERAGE: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has boosted its advertising funds by almost 1.5 percent this year, spending $15.7 million on advertising thus far. The purchases are twice what the agency spent in 2015, focusing on growing awareness and trust of the CFPB as a free and unbiased resource. The boost comes in wake of the Republican’s financial reform plans – both Speaker Ryan and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (TX) look to restructure the CFPB, along with other financial initiatives. Although the legislation will end up at the bottom of the barrell, expect financial services reform to be one of the issues that dominates the election and serve as a placeholder in the next Congress.
BREXIT: With eight days left before the “Brexit” referendum, recent polls suggest that momentum has swung toward the “Leave” camp unsettling investors. “Leave” in recent days has focused its campaign on the issue of immigration with the recent tragedy in Orlando. We spoke with Alexander Nicoll, a consulting member of the UK-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, on the events leading up to the UK vote and what the outcome of the vote spells for the UK and EU. You can listen to the replay here.
COURT UPHOLDS FCC NET NEUTRALITY RULES: Our Telecommunications-Media Policy Analyst Paul Glenchur shared his insight on the Federal court’s decision to uphold the FCC’s net neutrality rules. You can read the piece here.
ELECTION PREVIEW WITH SCOTT REED: Please join us for a call next Tuesday, June 21st at 11:00 AM EDT, with Scott Reed, one of Washington’s top political strategists, as he shares his insight on the presidential election, the upcoming Democratic and Republican conventions, and Senate and House races this fall. You can find the dial-in information here.
HUNTED: THE F-35 PROGRAM AT FARNBOROUGH: On Friday, June 17th at 11:00 EDT, our Senior Defense Policy Advisor LtGen Emo Gardner will host a call for investors regarding the first ever appearance of the F-35 at the world’s most important aerospace show, the Farnborough International Airshow, July 11-17.