NotedDC — Washington kicks off general election sprint

MEMBERS of both parties are running full steam ahead to the November midterms following Labor Day, which marks the unofficial start of the final sprint to the election.

Expect to see a lot more campaign ads on TV and even a polling call or two in the coming weeks as Democrats battle to retain their slim majorities in Congress.

While Democrats have seen polling and several individual election models move their direction recently, they still face an uphill battle trying to thwart a House takeover.

The Hill’s Max Greenwood has a great rundown of seven House races to watch, covering electoral contests playing out in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, Virginia, Minnesota and Washington state.

Republicans are also locked in a fierce battle for control of the Senate, where each party currently holds 50 seats. The Hill’s Mychael Schnell has the latest on the Senate races to watch heading into the final season of campaigning.

Control of the Senate carries with it plenty of implications for President Biden‘s agenda and future nominations, while House Republicans are already vowing to investigate the administration if they retake the lower chamber.

The Hill’s editor-in-chief Bob Cusack previewed on C-SPAN here what we can expect this fall from Congress.

Welcome to NotedDC: Your guide to politics, policy & people of consequence in D.C.

In today’s issue: Lawmakers return to D.C., and why a judge’s decision to allow for a special master in the Trump case matters. Plus: Mardi Gras comes early.

Back to the Capitol

Much like their kids, members of Congress will be feeling the back-to-school blues as things start back up at the Capitol this week.

• The Senate is back to business on vetting judicial appointments. Democratic leaders are coming off major wins, including passage of the party’s health, climate and tax legislation.
  
• House committees are meeting while other members continue their district work periods; the House agenda will heat up more next week with the official return from the August break.

Looking ahead: Democrats have been trying to plot a legislative path to codify abortion rights after the Supreme Court upended the landmark Roe v. Wade decision earlier this year. It’s unlikely the legislation will get the 60 votes needed for passage in the Senate, but it could prove to be a crucial wedge issue in the November elections.

The Senate is also weighing a vote on House-passed legislation to protect marriage equality. The House passed the bill in July, less than a month after Justice Clarence Thomas wrote an opinion calling for a reversal of several the landmark cases. Forty-seven Republicans joined Democrats in passing the bill in the House. Democrats would need to win over at least 10 Republicans to advance the bill in the Senate.

Leading it all: The stop-gap funding measure that has kept government floating will run out soon as lawmakers try to avoid a government shutdown. Temporary spending bills often have become an avenue for other priorities to hitch a ride, with the often-rushed process making it harder to keep track of everything that’s included.

🔎 Special master: Five things to watch

Monday’s court ruling requiring an independent review of documents seized last month from Mar-a-Lago is raising new legal questions about the reach of executive privilege while scrambling the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigation into former President Trump.

The decision passed down by Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon sets the stage for her to appoint an outside expert, known as a special master, to examine the thousands of documents recovered from Trump’s Florida residence after the DOJ’s extraordinary search operation on Aug. 8.

Here are five things to watch as the process evolves, from The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch and Mike Lillis:

1. The ruling expects cooperation between Trump and DOJ
2. The ruling impacts two different investigations  
3. A highly unusual decision
4. DOJ has to weigh appeal and whether to let ruling stand 
5. Rare win for Trump in a bad month 

Read the full story here.

WHAT WE’RE READING

Fox’s Peter Doocy asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre if she believes the 2016 election was “stolen.”

President Biden responded to a heckler: “Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.” 

Former President Trump once tried to pay a lawyer with a horse, New York Times reporter David Enrich says in his new book.  

Mehmet Oz, the celebrity physician and Trump-backed Republican Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, says he would have voted to certify Biden’s win in the 2020 election had he been in office at the time.

🎭 Celebrating Mardi Gras early

Louisiana’s lieutenant governor will be leading the launch of a new museum exhibit in Baton Rouge highlighting Washington Mardi Gras, the annual event held at the Washington Hilton hotel in northwest D.C.

• “Carnival in the Nation’s Capital: The Washington Mardi Gras Ball” will be hosted at the Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge. The exhibit will be launched on Oct. 18.
  
• The exhibit highlights a decades-old tradition in the nation’s capital celebrated by displaced Louisianans. The hotel changes the lobby bar’s name to the “65th Parish” to recognize the thousands of Louisiana VIPs and other visitors who make the trek to bring the party to the District. 
• Here is how Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser (R) describes it: “Begun in 1944 by homesick Louisianians eager to introduce fellow Washingtonians to their favorite holiday, Washington Mardi Gras has expanded to a three-day whirlwind of parties, brunches, dinners and networking, culminating in a formal ball under the auspices of the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians.” 
  
  

Have some news, juicy gossip, insight or other insider info? Send tips to Elizabeth Crisp and encourage friends to sign up here: digital-stage.thehill.com/noted.

See you tomorrow!

VIEW THE FULL EDITION HERE