The Hill’s Convention Report: Mike and Karen Pence set to headline third night of convention

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We’re Julia Manchester, Max Greenwood and Jonathan Easley. Here’s what we’re watching today on the convention front. 

 

LEADING THE DAY: 

Vice President Pence and second lady Karen Pence will headline the third night of the GOP convention on Wednesday, which will put a heavy emphasis on active duty U.S. military and veterans.

The theme is “Land of Heroes,” and Pence will speak from Ft. McHenry, near Baltimore, which was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s “The Star Spangled Banner.”

 

A few notables to look for tonight:

 

• Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who is locked in a tight race for reelection against Democrat Theresa Greenfield. Ernst is a critical piece of the puzzle for Republicans if they hope to maintain a majority in the Senate.

 

• Kellyanne Conway, who was one of the longest serving senior administration officials until she left the White House recently to focus on her family life. Her husband George Conway simultaneously left his anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project.

 

• Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), both of whom are wildly popular among the conservative grassroots.

 

• South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who made headlines on Wednesday for saying that “no mother in this country” wants to “raise her children on the streets” of cities such as Portland, Seattle or Washington, which are run by Democrats and have been at the epicenter of the racial justice protests.

 

• Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz. The campaign originally said Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue, who heads the largest Hispanic-owned food producer in the U.S., would speak tonight, but the company then said that he would not be appearing. You may remember some Democrats called for a boycott of the company after Unanue appeared at a Rose Garden event a few weeks ago and said Americans are “blessed” to have Trump as a leader.

 

READ MORE:

Trump, GOP walk tightrope in wooing minority voters, by Marty Johnson.

Trump seeks to flip pandemic script at convention, by Brett Samuels.

 

CIVIL UNREST IN WISCONSIN:

Trump on Wednesday said he’d send federal officers into Kenosha, Wis., which has been wracked by violent protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Trump said he spoke with Gov. Tony Evers (D-Wis.) by phone and that the governor accepted the assistance.

Blake was shot in the back by police as he entered his SUV in front of his children over the weekend.

Protests erupted in the streets, with buildings set on fire and local businesses destroyed. A young man was arrested on Wednesday after two people were fatally shot at the protests last night.

Trump and his campaign have been casting the president as the law-and-order candidate. They’ve accused Biden and the Democrats of ignoring the violent aspects of the protests and alleged that the Democratic-controlled cities are allowing the criminal activity in the streets.

Biden released a video statement saying he was “sickened” by what happened to Blake. But he said racial justice would not be achieved through violent protests.

“Burning down communities is not protest, it’s needless violence,” Biden said. “Violence that endangers lives. Violence that guts businesses and shutters businesses that serve the community. That’s wrong.”

 

BUSINESSES BRACE FOR BLUE SWEEP:

We’re 68 days out from Election Day, and the business world is preparing for a blue wave in November that would see Democrats in control of the White House, Senate and House. The change in government would mean new policy changes for the sector, impacting taxes, regulations and coronavirus relief. However, there is still uncertainty among the industry’s top players, with polls expected to tighten in the coming months. 

“The market doesn’t really care if you’re red or if you’re blue, the market just doesn’t like uncertainty,“ said Judy Lu, CEO and founder of Blue Zone Wealth Advisors.

The Hill’s Niv Ellis has more.

Of course, no one knows for certain what will happen in November.

The polls in the battleground states are tightening, according to the latest CNBC-Change Research surveys, which find Biden ahead by only 3 points in the six core battleground states.

And Democrats are starting to grow worried about Biden’s strategy — he’s effectively been sidelined due to the coronavirus, and some are growing worried as Trump ramps up his own campaign-related travel. Amie Parnes has the story.

 

READ MORE: 

Biden agenda hinges on Senate majority, by Alexander Bolton.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) will deliver counter to Trump’s convention speech, by Tal Axelrod.

 

Nadler and Maloney back Markey in Senate primary 

House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler and House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney endorsed incumbent Sen. Ed Markey in his contested primary against challenger Rep. Joe Kennedy III. 

In statements released first to The Hill, Nadler and Maloney highlighted Markey’s progressive record on issues like health care and climate change.

This is the latest sign that the primary has divided Democrats from Springfield to Washington. Remember, just one week ago House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally endorsed Kennedy. 

The endorsements come six days ahead of the Bay State’s Democratic Senate primary. Kennedy started out the race last year with a wide lead, however, the race has since tightened. 

Two new polls out today show Markey with a lead. A UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion poll shows Markey leading 52 percent to 40 percent, while a poll from the left-leaning Data for Progress shows Markey ahead 46 percent to 38 percent. 

CELEBRATING WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY 

Americans are commemorating Women’s Equality Day today, which celebrates the adoption of the 19th Amendment into the Constitution. 

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris honored the day through publishing an op-ed in the Washington Post, calling for voting reform in U.S. elections. Biden also honored the day in a statement. 

“Now, it is up to us to carry forward the banner of equality for the next generation–to build on the legacy of Shirley Chisholm and Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton to elect Kamala Harris as our next Vice President; to fully deliver on the promise of equal pay for equal work,” Biden said. 

President Trump also honored the day in an official proclamation on Wednesday. 

“On Women’s Equality Day, we honor all of the women who inspire and improve our Nation.  Their talent and hard work strengthen our economy, our families, and our communities, and sustain our unique American way of life,” Trump said in the official proclamation. 

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