VRA ripples. The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a key part of the Voting Rights Act has civil rights activists calling the decision “devastating, and a dissenting justice said it amounted to the ‘demolition’ of the law, widely considered the most important piece of civil rights legislation in American history,” NBC News reports. The 5-4 decision “leaves the future of the law deeply uncertain because it will be up to a sharply divided Congress to redraw the map, if it can agree on one at all.” But what could the immediate impact be on the 2014 midterms? Roll Call takes a look at how the decision could affect voter ID laws, political messaging and redistricting.
Big Apple battle. Former Rep. Anthony Weiner leads City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in the Democratic primary for New York City Mayor for the first time in a new Wall Street Journal/NBC New York/Marist poll. Weiner, who resigned two years ago amid a sexting scandal, took 25% of the vote, compared to Quinn’s 20%. Former Comptroller Bill Thompson had 13%, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio was at 10% and city Comptroller John Liu registered 8%.
The Watch word. More problems for Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell — the Washington Post looks more into gifts he’s received in office, finding a “prominent political donor purchased a Rolex watch for” McDonnell, “and the governor did not disclose it in his annual financial filings. The $6,500 luxury watch was provided by wealthy businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr., the people said. He is the chief executive of dietary supplement manufacturer Star Scientific and the person who paid for catering at the wedding of the governor’s daughter. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because of an ongoing federal investigation into the relationship between Williams and the McDonnell family.”
Jessica Taylor