Wednesday's Campaign Round-Up, 2.12.25: Deb Haaland kicks off gubernatorial campaign
Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland made it official this week, launching a gubernatorial campaign in New Mexico. If elected, the Democrat would be the first Native American woman to be elected governor of a state.
* In Arizona, Republican businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson launched a gubernatorial campaign, four years after coming up short in a primary race against Kari Lake. In her five-paragraph announcement, Robson mentioned Donald Trump seven times.
* In Tennessee, Sen. Bill Hagerty announced that he's running for re-election next year, which was notable in part because of rumors that the Republican senator was eyeing a possible 2026 gubernatorial campaign.
* Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell hasn't officially announced his retirement yet, but in Kentucky, his would-be GOP successors are already lining up. In fact, Rep. Andy Barr has reportedly already told party officials about his plans to run for the seat.
* On a related note, Republican Rep. Rich McCormick hasn't officially kicked off a U.S. Senate campaign in Georgia, but a member of his team told The Hill this week, 'Of course Dr. McCormick is considering a run for Senate.'
* At a GOP donor retreat in Florida over the weekend, Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the current chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said the party is expecting an 'expensive' 2026 cycle. How expensive? According to a Politico report, Scott told attendees the parties would likely spend over '$1 billion combined.'
* And former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced this week that he's accepted a teaching position at Harvard University, but he also made clear that he hasn't ruled out a Democratic U.S. Senate campaign next year.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
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