The Archive
Every issue of the Punchbowl News newsletter, including our special editions, right here at your fingertips.
Join the community, and get the morning edition delivered straight to your inbox.
Presented by Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance
Big Pharma hikes up drug prices every year, most recently on over 800 prescription drugs. But did you know these price hikes are often unjustified? For too long, Big Pharma has profited on the backs of hardworking Americans. Enough is enough.
PRESENTED BY

THE TOP
The Senate race in the center of the political universe

Happy Friday morning. There are 18 days until Election Day.
MT. PLEASANT, Mich. — Hello from the center of the political universe. Both presidential candidates are rallying in Michigan today. But first, let’s delve into the Michigan Senate race.
As Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) crisscrossed the state on Thursday to campaign for Senate, the Democratic hopeful did something pretty unusual in modern politics: ignore her opponent.
Slotkin is locked in a tight race against former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) that could determine the balance of power in the Senate. It’s already attracted more than $90 million in ad spending.
But in speeches to students at Central Michigan University and canvassers in Midland, Mich., Slotkin eschewed negative attacks against Rogers for a positive biographical message about her service record.
Slotkin isn’t your typical Democrat. Slotkin references her pride at serving as a national security adviser under former President George W. Bush and her experience carrying “a Glock and an M4” during time in Iraq with the CIA.
The 48-year-old lawmaker, who’s battle-tested after winning her toss-up Lansing-area House seat three times, is making a targeted appeal to swing voters in her statewide race.
“The only reason I’m standing in front of you is because the very independently minded voters of Michigan voted for Donald Trump and Elissa Slotkin on the same ballot,” Slotkin said.
Shouting out the national attention on the race, Slotkin poked fun at reporters wanting to “study Michiganders” and ask, “‘Are there really swing voters?’”
“Yes, yes, there are really people who do that, and we’re proud of that. We don’t want to be a state that’s hardcore one way or hardcore the other way,” Slotkin declared.
Slotkin is leading Rogers in the polls and has a slim two-point advantage, per the RealClearPolitics average.
But both parties acknowledge that the gap is closing and that this Senate race will come down to the wire. While Slotkin has hammered Rogers in fundraising all cycle, big-pocketed GOP super PACs are swooping in to boost Rogers in the home stretch.
Surrogate watch: In a Midland County stop later that day, Slotkin was flanked by prominent Democrats with a track record of winning tough races by appealing to voters in the middle.
Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin’s Tony Evers rallied with Slotkin and retiring Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) to hype up volunteers before a canvassing trip.
While Slotkin brings in national Democratic figures, Rogers has benefited from GOP senators helping him. Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) — all GOP leadership heavyweights — have stumped with Rogers this week alone.
At a rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., this week, Rogers slammed Democrats for inflationary policies and high prices that he said have harmed working families in Michigan.
“People are counting on us,” Rogers said. “For the woman who has to take groceries off the conveyor belt and put it back on the shelf, we will have her back.”
Perhaps more importantly, the Republican is tying himself closely to Donald Trump after criticizing the former president for years as a CNN commentator. Rogers left the House in 2014 after seven terms.
Rogers will appear at a roundtable with Trump and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) in Oakland County today before speaking at a Detroit rally for Trump later tonight.
Presidential implications: Of course, as with anything in Michigan, the top of the ticket is dominating most conversations. While Rogers is all in on Trump, Slotkin has attracted headlines for raising the alarm about Vice President Kamala Harris’ standing in the state.
On Thursday, Slotkin reiterated that she’s “still very much concerned about how it’s going to come out in November.”
“And that’s why we’re working so hard,” Slotkin added, noting the Harris-Walz campaign is “pounding the pavement” by prioritizing visits to Michigan. Harris is rallying voters in Grand Rapids and Oakland County Friday.
Another concern for Democrats in the state is how the party will fare with Arab American and Muslim voters incensed by U.S. support for Israel’s war against Hamas.
Slotkin bristled at the question and noted that she had won the majority of the primary vote in Dearborn, Mich., the hub of the state’s Muslim population.
“There are people who are so concerned about Donald Trump winning again — that even though they’re not happy with Biden and Harris — they just don’t want their children growing up in a country like that again,” Slotkin said of voters upset about the situation in Gaza.
— Max Cohen
Post-Event Brown Bag Live! Join us on Thursday, Oct. 31, for a conversation with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.). We’re kicking off at 9:30 a.m. ET to discuss news of the day and how 5G supports America’s global competitiveness. This is the second event in a two-part series, “5G and America’s Competitiveness,” presented by CTIA.
Stay with us afterward for a Brown Bag Live with Jake and Punchbowl News reporters Max Cohen, Andrew Desiderio and Mica Soellner to discuss the political landscape ahead of the 2024 elections and the busy lame-duck calendar. RSVP now!
PRESENTED BY WALMART
More than 2/3 of Walmart’s product spend is on products made, grown or assembled in the U.S. When locally made products are sold at Walmart, suppliers like Athletic Brewing are able to produce a lot more non-alcoholic beer, build a brand-new brewery and hire more people from their community in Milford, CT.
Learn how Walmart is fueling American jobs and strengthening communities.
THE TALLY
Rising stars: Incoming members dole out cash to their campaign arms
If you want to get a sense of who the most ambitious freshmen are going to be next Congress, look no further than the candidates who’ve already given money to their party’s respective campaign committees.
Chipping in cash to the NRCC and DCCC is an easy — and early — move for incoming members to score valuable points with their future colleagues, particularly the leadership. It’s a way for candidates to flex their fundraising muscle while also signaling they intend to be team players.
Of course, this metric only applies to candidates running in the safest of seats, since they don’t need to spend much of their war chests on their own general election races. Still, it can be a good barometer to see who some of the most eager new members might be. Let’s break it down in the House.
Republicans:
Leading the pack for the GOP is Mike Haridopolos of Florida, who has given a total of $178,800 to the NRCC this cycle.
He has also donated $121,200 directly to candidates and incumbents, according to a source close to his campaign. Haridopolos is a former Florida state senator and lobbyist.
Next on the list is Riley Moore of West Virginia, who contributed $125,000, followed by a pair of Indiana House candidates: former GOP Rep. Marlin Stutzman, who gave $75,000, and Mark Messmer, who forked over $51,500. Stutzman served in the House from 2010 to 2017 and even ran for House Republican whip in 2014.
Rounding out the group is Jefferson Shreve, also from Indiana, who gave $41,300; Mark Harris of North Carolina, who donated $30,000; Pat Harrigan of North Carolina, who chipped in $29,329; Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota, who doled out $25,000; and Bob Onder of Missouri, who wired $10,000 to the NRCC.
Democrats:
The top givers to the DCCC are Luz Rivas of California, Sarah McBride of Delaware and Sarah Elfreth of Maryland. All three of them cut $100,000 checks to the House Democrats’ campaign arm. Following closely behind the trio is former Rep. Gil Cisneros of California, who is running again and contributed $75,000.
Next up is Julie Johnson of Texas and Maxine Dexter of Oregon, who both transferred $50,000 to the DCCC; Laura Friedman of California, who gave $40,000; Emily Randall of Washington, who gave $25,000; and John Olszewski Jr. of Maryland, who donated $10,000.
Aside from direct contributions, several candidates have also done fundraisers for the DCCC, which is equally appreciated by party leaders since it helps introduce the campaign arm to donors.
Lateefah Simon of California helped raise $280,000 for DCCC, George Latimer of New York raised $100,000, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona raised $51,000, and Wesley Bell of Missouri raised $10,000. Friedman has also raised $10,000 on top of her direct transfer to the DCCC.
– Melanie Zanona
ELECTIONS 2024
A sleeper race in Maryland heats up
A new problem has emerged in Democrats’ efforts to retake the House — the possibility that they’re on the verge of losing what was thought to be a safe seat in the Maryland exurbs.
While Maryland’s 6th District race between Democrat April McClain Delaney and Republican Neil Parrott is low-profile and inexpensive, both campaigns are starting to bring in reinforcements in what’s shaping up to be a more competitive battle. The D+2 district is currently represented by Rep. David Trone (D-Md.), who gave up the seat for an unsuccessful Senate bid.
Senior Democrats involved in the race have privately expressed concerns about candidate quality in a contest described as a “nail-biter” and “closer than it should be.”
Several Democrats who declined to go on the record said McClain Delaney — a former Commerce Department official — is campaigning solely on name recognition. McClain Delaney is married to former Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.), who held the seat for three terms. John Delaney retired from the House for a brief self-funded run for president in 2020.
Other Maryland Democrats monitoring the race said McClain Delaney isn’t doing enough to be active in the community or putting enough of her own money into the campaign. McClain Delaney has given her campaign more than $2 million.
Nick London, McClain Delaney’s campaign manager, countered that McClain Delaney is a “qualified candidate” who is “raising the funds necessary to win.”
Democrats try to shore up support: In a sign of how worried Democrats are about the seat, McClain Delaney’s district was added to the DCCC’s “Red to Blue” program last month despite being a seat President Joe Biden easily won in 2020.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who has been a key surrogate for Democrats this cycle, is expected to campaign for McClain Delaney. She also held a fundraiser with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) earlier this week and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark last month.
Trone told us he’s traveled with McClain Delaney around the district to help booster her campaign. Trone dismissed the attacks on McClain Delaney’s candidacy, calling her “the real deal.” McClain Delaney is also backed by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who supported her in the primary.
Currently, McClain Delaney has just over $320,000 cash on hand. Parrott has a similar amount — just over $320,000.
Neither House Majority PAC — the super PAC aligned with Democratic leaders — nor Congressional Leadership Fund — the super PAC backed by House GOP leadership — has invested in this race.
Conservatives step in: Parrott, who lost twice to Trone in 2020 and 2022, has the backing of the House Freedom Caucus’ campaign arm. Delaney has attacked Parrott’s ultra-conservatism as unfit for the Democratic-leaning district.
The House Freedom Fund gave roughly $30,000 to Parrott for the primary and $3,600 for the general election.
HFC Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.), the sole Republican from Maryland, held a fundraiser for Parrott in July and donated an additional $2,000 from his own campaign account. And House Freedom Caucus aides are being asked to doorknock for Parrott in the final stretch. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) also endorsed Parrott this past week.
Parrott’s victory — albeit still a longshot — would be a huge win for HFC, which lost its former chair, Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), in a contentious primary earlier this year. Another former chair, Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) is also facing a tough race.
The NRCC added Parrott to their Young Guns program during the same time frame the DCCC shifted McClain Delaney.
– Mica Soellner
PRESENTED BY WALMART

Walmart is investing $350 billion in products made, grown or assembled in America, helping create jobs across the country. Learn more about the commitment.
HOUSE DEMS
Inside Sánchez’s BOLD PAC leadership
First in Punchbowl News: Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ political arm, has been busy this cycle as she works to elect House and Senate Democrats nationwide. As Republicans continue to attempt to win over Latino voters, BOLD PAC has spent roughly $4.1 million this general election cycle to support Latino Democratic incumbents and challengers.
BOLD PAC’s biggest expenditure this cycle is $1.2 million it spent on ads to boost Rep. Ruben Gallego’s (D-Ariz.) Senate campaign.
The PAC has also spent in key House races featuring vulnerable Frontline Latino lawmakers. BOLD PAC invested $500,000 to reelect Frontline Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.), $600,000 in Rep. Vicente Gonzalez’s (D-Texas) race, $600,000 for Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), $600,000 for Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) and $160,000 in Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’s (D-Wash.) race.
The group is also boosting House candidates, spending $270,000 to back Democrat Sam Liccardo in California’s 16th District and $125,000 to help Democrat Tony Vargas in his challenge to Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.).
Sánchez’s support: Sánchez herself has contributed $250,000 to Frontline and Red-to-Blue candidates. The California Democrat also completed her DCCC dues goal of $385,000 in the spring.
The BOLD PAC chair has kept up a vigorous schedule this month. Sánchez rallied voters in Omaha, Neb., to support Vargas, before campaigning for state Sen. Nellie Pou — who would be the first Latina elected to Congress in New Jersey — in the Garden State’s 9th District. Sánchez also stumped for Gallego in Phoenix and joined First Lady Jill Biden at a reproductive rights event to back Vice President Kamala Harris.
What’s next: Sánchez plans to campaign for Caraveo, Salinas and Vasquez in the coming weeks.
In her home state, Sánchez will appear at rallies backing Democratic candidates Will Rollins, Rudy Salas, Derek Tran and Liccardo.
— Max Cohen
THE CAMPAIGN
News: A group of Kansas City-area health care professionals is endorsing Rep. Sharice Davids’ (D-Kan.) reelection bid, arguing in a new letter that her GOP opponent would “jeopardize patients’ lives and well-being.”
The effort is notable considering that Davids’ challenger, Prasanth Reddy, is a doctor who is “triple-board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hematology,” per his campaign.
The health care workers criticize Reddy for opposing efforts to lower prescription drug prices and for failing to speak out against the unsuccessful 2022 initiative that would have restricted abortion rights in Kansas. Check out the full letter here.
Davids, who is running to be the next chair of the New Democrat Coalition, is seen as the favorite in the 3rd District campaign. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates the race as “likely Democratic.”
— Max Cohen
MOMENTS
ALL TIMES EASTERN
2:35 p.m.
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Mich.
5:25 p.m.
Harris holds a campaign event in Lansing, Mich.
8:10 p.m.
Harris holds a campaign event in Oakland County, Mich.
CLIPS
CNN
– Gregory Krieg
NYT
“Surprise Battlefield Encounter Led to Hamas Leader’s Death”
– Ronen Bergman, Aaron Boxerman, Raja Abdulrahim, Patrick Kingsley and Michael Levenson
NYT
“Nevada’s Senate Rivals Spar in a Debate Heavy on Policy and Light on Fireworks”
– Kellen Browning and Benjamin Oreskes
WaPo
“Harris calls out Trump for ‘gaslighting’ Americans about Jan. 6 attack”
– Maeve Reston
WSJ
“Harris and Trump’s Media Blitz, in Charts”
– Anne Steele and Nate Rattner
Bloomberg
“Obamas to Join Harris on Campaign Trail in Key Swing States”
– Skylar Woodhouse
AP
– Alan Suderman and Garance Burke
PRESENTED BY WALMART
“The growth alongside Walmart has been great. Walmart has helped us lead the trend of non-alcoholic beer.” – Bill Shufelt, Co-Founder & CEO, Athletic Brewing
Athletic Brewing started working with Walmart in 2021. Since then, they’ve opened a 150,000 square foot brewery and hired over 200 people in Milford, CT. Across the country, Walmart’s $350 billion investment in products made, grown or assembled in America is supporting the creation of over 750,000 U.S. jobs.
Learn more about Walmart’s commitment to U.S. manufacturing.
Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. Political ads courtesy of AdImpact.

Crucial Capitol Hill news AM, Midday, and PM—5 times a week
Join a community of some of the most powerful people in Washington and beyond. Exclusive newsmaker events, parties, in-person and virtual briefings and more.
Subscribe to Premium
The Canvass Year-End Report
And what senior aides and downtown figures believe will happen in 2023.
Check it outEvery single issue of Punchbowl News published, all in one place
Visit the archive
Presented by Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance
Americans know who to blame for rising drug prices: Big Pharma. A majority of Republicans, Democrats, & Independents all believe Big Pharma’s focus on profits keeps drug prices high. Let’s hold Big Pharma accountable – it’s an issue we’re united on.