NBC News
It what appears to be preparation for a contested convention in July, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio began to court delegates he won while he was still running for office. As Rubio aide Alex Burgos told MSNBC, even though Rubio is “no longer a candidate,” he “wants to give voters a chance to stop Trump.” Usually, Rubio’s delegates would be free to pick someone else, but in this case, the Florida Senator is asking the 172 delegates he won to stay with him.
The Washington Post
The Bernie Sanders campaign is experiencing another huge month in fundraising. Sanders outraised Hillary Clinton in both January and February of 2016, and may do the same in March. Sanders has already raised more than $39 million in this month, and his campaign is touting a final-day push to beat last month’s fundraising total of $43.5 million. With further evidence that Sanders support is not wavering, the Senator hopes for strong results in upcoming primaries.
USA Today
Supporters of Hillary Clinton have filed lawsuits against the Sanders campaign and the two super PACs that support him. One complaint alleges that Vermont Senator’s campaign has accepted contributions in excess of the $2,700 per individual. Another points to a Facebook ad asking for donations, but which doesn’t specify who paid for the advertisement. The last complaint charges the Sanders campaign with illegally coordinating with the two super PACs that now support him: the Progressive Kick PAC and the National Nurses United PAC.
The New York Times
The CNN town hall last night saw the three remaining GOP candidates take a step back from their pledges to support the eventual nominee. When Donald Trump was asked by Anderson Cooper whether he would still support the Republican nominee, he responded: “No, I don’t anymore,” adding, “No, we’ll see who it is.” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was more measured in his response, not going as far as Trump. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, however, explained that it would be very difficult for him to support a nominee who “is really hurting the country and dividing the country.”
USA Today
Despite the advent of social marketing in politics, voters are still much more likely to vote when they see their chosen candidate in-person. Eventbrite conducted a survey with results showing that attending an event in-person is correlated with a desire to vote, donate and volunteer. The study found that “more than 50% of Americans would rather meet a candidate in person than engage with them on social media.”
The Washington Post
A new Clinton campaign ad to run on TV in New York takes on the xenophobia in the GOP, particularly attacking Donald Trump. Without mentioning him by name, Clinton as the narrator says: “New York. Twenty million people strong. No, we don’t all look the same. We don’t all sound the same, either. But when we pull together, we do the biggest things in the world.” The ad does highlight a “Trump: coming 2016” sign making the target of the ad clear.
Politico
An incident earlier this month involving Michelle Fields, the former Breitbart reporter, and Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski has ended with a charge of misdemeanor battery. A spokeswoman for the Trump campaign said that Lewandowski was “absolutely innocent.” Pictures and audio seem to point to a different reality. Lewandowski is expected to plead not guilty.
The Wall Street Journal
Ahead of next week’s primary in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker, a former leading presidential candidate, has endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. The Texas Senator is accumulating endorsements from a range of Republicans as he positions himself as the last stand against Donald Trump. Gov. Walker expressed skepticism about Trump’s campaign and believes that Ohio Gov. John Kasich has no chance of winning the nomination.
The Washington Post
Donald Trump won the Louisiana primary by a little over three points. Second place finisher, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, however, may end up with more delegates. The process is a touch complicated, but in essence, delegates previously pledged to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and a group of “unbound” delegates could line up behind Cruz instead of Trump. Cruz could end up with 10 more delegates than Trump, the popular vote winner.
The New York Times
Voters in Wisconsin will have a chance to see the remaining three GOP presidential candidates face to face on CNN tonight. Pundits are still unsure what tone the event will take, considering last week’s very negative back and forth between Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Trump didn’t do too much against Cruz on Monday, whereas Cruz challenged Trump to a one-on-one debate while campaigning in Wisconsin.