Collins wins the runoff Decision Desk HQ projected that Mike Collins won Georgia's Republican U.S. Senate runoff on Tuesday night, beating Derek Dooley and moving one step closer to a fall showdown with Sen. Jon Ossoff. Dooley had the backing of Gov. Brian Kemp, so this was also a reminder that GOP primaries are often less about policy than about which faction gets to claim the parking space outside the state party dinner. Collins now goes into the general election with the cleaner storyline: he survived the runoff and can stop spending time explaining to donors why the other side's yard signs are somehow always larger. Trump jumps in, late and loudly President Donald Trump endorsed Collins over the weekend and called him a "true friend, fighter and warrior." He also praised Collins as a longtime ally and said the congressman would push the usual Trump agenda items, from taxes and energy to border security and the Second Amendment. In the modern GOP, an endorsement is half signal, half loyalty test, and all capitals, which is exactly why campaigns still treat it like a fresh bucket of votes. https://twitter.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/2067036048463462609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw The general election is now set Collins will face Ossoff in…

Democrats roll out a new election task forceSenate Democrats have launched what they call an Election Security Task Force, and the video announcing it features Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Raphael Warnock, Mark Warner, Alex Padilla, Dick Durbin, and Adam Schiff. The group says it will spend the next five months meeting with experts, planning for threats, and taking nothing for granted, which in Washington usually means a lot of meetings and a lot of grave faces. Their message is simple enough: they say they are preparing to protect voting and elections ahead of November’s midterms while warning that Trump and his allies may try to interfere.The ad accuses Trump of planning to rig the voteIn the clip, Warnock says Trump does not care about the midterms because he “plans on rigging them,” while Warner says Republicans know their only path is to cheat. Padilla and Durbin talk about defending democracy and free and fair elections, and Schumer says this is the most expansive protective effort their caucus has ever undertaken. Warner then says Democrats will be ready for “any other bullshit maneuver” Trump and his “MAGA friends” might use. The clip makes the charge loudly, but it does not…