The Note: GOP closing with feuds and mixed messaging
Trump is leading his party into a scattershot closing stretch.
The TAKE with Rick Klein
President Donald Trump is fighting, again, with House Speaker Paul Ryan.
The chairman of the House GOP campaign arm is cutting loose a member of Congress over white nationalist rhetoric.
And, for a day at least, Trump won't even be the biggest star on the campaign stage. (Welcome, Oprah Winfrey, to Georgia.)
Trump is leading his party into a scattershot closing stretch.
His focus on stoking fears on immigration -- "We have to have a wall of people," he told ABC's Jonathan Karl late Wednesday -- has boxed in some Democrats. But it has also elbowed out some Republicans, including many whose House seats it's critical to keep.
Trump was the beneficiary in 2016 of late-breaking voters who sought something new. Democrats hope that the Trump-stoked confusions now will drive frustrated voters to them -- as a check during an uneasy time.
In short, Trump and the Republican Party are making the race about everything. It could wind up being about one big thing -- Trump -- that carries risk for the party in power.
The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, tasked with flipping control of the House of Representatives, said Wednesday it had reached a milestone: raising more than $100 million online this election cycle.
According to a new report this week from the Center for Responsive Politics, it's likely more than $5.2 billion will be spent before Election Day, which would make this the most expensive non-presidential, midterm cycle ever.
The report went on to say that the uptick in funds is largely being fueled by an "unprecedented" surge in Democratic donations and spending, keeping up with, and even surpassing, Republican dollars, which is rare.
"In every kind of competitive race -- even those in red districts -- Democrats are either outraising Republicans or keeping pace," the report said.
In the final stretch, those dollars not only can help with expensive TV ads but also with last-minute staffing and technology to get voters to the polls.
The TIP with Meg Cunningham
2018 early voting numbers are on track to largely surpass those from 2014, according to at least one analysis.
Data from nationwide secretaries of state and election boards, compiled by Michael McDonald, an associate political science professor at the University of Florida, show increases nearly across the board, including in a number of battleground states.
In Texas, more than 3.36 million ballots had been cast as of Tuesday morning, compared with 2014's statewide early-vote total of 2.06 million, according to the Texas Secretary of State -- an increase of more than 175 percent.
In Georgia, where 2014 statewide early vote totals approached 1.07 million, the state has already seen a more than 140 percent uptick with over 1.5 million ballots cast as of Tuesday morning.
As of Wednesday evening, with five full days to go until Election Day, 16 additional states had also already topped their 2014 early-vote numbers.
But while competitive races featuring intriguing candidates may drive interest in Georgia, Texas and other areas, McDonald had an additional explanation for a predicted increase when he spoke to ABC News earlier this year, prior to the start of voting.
"What we see is, generally, with more opportunity to vote, people take advantage of it," he said.
Simply put, each year that more states hold early voting and for longer periods of time, the numbers are bound to go up.
THE PLAYLIST
ABC News' "Start Here" Podcast. Thursday morning's episode features ABC News' John Verhovek, who says as the calendar turns to November, both Republicans and Democrats are feeling more certain than ever of the outcome in their respective House and Senate races. And, ABC News' Candace Smith tells us that the race for governor in Georgia is tightening as the Republican candidate pulls out of the final debate. https://bit.ly/2M7OS5c
ABC News' "Powerhouse Politics" Podcast. Former New Jersey governor and ABC News Contributor Chris Christie joined ABC News' Political Director Rick Klein and Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce on the Powerhouse Politics Podcast to discuss President Donald Trump and GOP messaging in the run-up to the midterms. https://abcn.ws/2JtcH2I
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