Overnight Campaign: The gloves come off

by Lisa Hagen - 01/26/16 6:39 PM ET

Welcome to OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN, your daily rundown from The Hill on all the latest news in the White House, Senate and House races.

The stakes are getting higher as the Iowa caucuses quickly approach and candidates on both sides of the aisle ramp up their attacks on their closest rivals.

The Democratic primary has remained largely civil, but as the gap closes between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator is shifting his tone and waging new attacks on the Democratic front-runner. She, on the other hand, continues to hammer Sanders over issues including gun control and national security.

The tone is decidedly different for the Republicans, where Trump is stepping up attacks over Cruz’s Canadian birthplace and Cruz continues to push Trump’s “New York values.”Read more from The Hill’s Niall Stanage as he highlights the state of the race leading up to Iowa.

Come back on Wednesday to read the story from The Hill’s Amie Parnes about how Clinton is trying to avoid a repeat of 2008, when she surprisingly placed in third in the Iowa caucuses. But the strategy goes beyond Iowa and New Hampshire. The two Democratic opponents, vying for the African-American vote, hope to land a key civil rights leader’s blessing, as The Hill’s Mike Lillis reports.

Also in The Hill on Wednesday, you’ll read about a new line of attack by Trump’s opponents, the relationship between Trump and possible independent candidate Michael Bloomberg and what the release of campaign and super-PAC finance reports on Sunday say about the candidates.

RACE TO 1600 PENN

RAND IS BACK: The Hill’s Ben Kamisar reports: Rand Paul will be back on the main stage for Thursday’s Fox News debate after being relegated to the undercard in the last GOP debate. Jim Gilmore, who has barely registered in the polls, will make it into the undercard debate.

GRANITE STATE DEBATE: The Hill’s Ben Kamisar and Rebecca Savransky report: The New Hampshire Union Leader and MSNBC will hold an unsanctioned Democratic debate in the Granite State in early February that could threaten to put candidates who participate at odds with the Democratic National Committee.

EVANGELICAL ENDORSEMENT: The Hill’s Jonathan Easley reports: Jerry Falwell, Jr., the son of famed televangelist Jerry Falwell, backed Donald Trump’s presidential bid as candidates seek to consolidate evangelical support in Iowa a week out from the caucuses. The endorsement comes the same day as a release of a new poll that shows Trump’s support among white evangelicals growing, The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports.

BACK IN THE DAY: The Hill’s Rebecca Savransky reports: Hillary Clinton’s campaign released a documentary-style ad that details her lifelong history of fighting for children and families.

PATAKI ENDORSES RUBIO: The Hill’s Ben Kamisar reports: Former New York Gov. George Pataki endorsed Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) presidential bid. Pataki dropped out of the race late last year.

BOSTON BUZZ: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: The Boston Globe endorsed John Kasich’s presidential bid while the Boston Herald threw its support behind Chris Christie’s run for the White House as the two GOP hopefuls compete for New Hampshire.

ODDS AND ENDS:

LOWERING EXPECTATIONS: The Hill’s Rebecca Savransky reports: Bernie Sanders said not to expect the same voter turnout that propelled then-Sen. Barack Obama to victory in the 2008 caucuses.

‘ANYONE BUT TRUMP’: The Hill’s Peter Sullivan reports: Leaders of anti-abortion groups penned a letter to Iowa voters to support “anyone but Trump” with less than a week until the caucuses.

NOT AN ENDORSEMENT: The Hill’s Ben Kamisar reports: Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) will help Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz campaign against Donald Trump, but Sasse noted he’s not endorsing any GOP candidate.

SC GROUND GAME: The Greenville News reports: Hillary Clinton’s campaign is opening nine “Get Out the Vote” offices in South Carolina as she looks to maintain her lead in Palmetto State polls.

POLL POSITION

DEAD HEAT IN IOWA: The Hill’s Jonathan Easley reports: Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are polling neck-and-neck in Iowa in a new Quinnipiac University survey with less than a week until the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

TRUMP ON TOP: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Donald Trump doubled the support of his closest GOP competitor, Ted Cruz, in a new national survey by CNN/ORC poll. A new ABC News/Washington Post poll also found that 64 percent of GOP-leaning voters believe Trump is likely to be the GOP nominee. And in New Hampshire, a new American Research Group survey found that Trump doubled his lead in one week, The Hill’s Jonathan Easley reports.

SANDERS LEADS IN NH: The Hill’s Jonathan Easley reports: A new American Research Group survey found that Bernie Sanders maintained his lead over Hillary Clinton in the Granite State with two weeks until the first-in-the-nation primary.

THE DAILY TRUMP

LET’S MAKE A DEAL: The Hill’s Peter Sullivan reports: Donald Trump is calling for Medicare to be able to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices, a policy long backed by Democrats and opposed by Republicans.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I’m pro-Constitution and if that makes me anti-Trump, that’s Trump’s problem.”

— Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), who announced that he’ll join Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz to campaign against Donald Trump.

CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS

NATSEC EDGE: The Hill’s Jordain Carney reports: Senate Republicans are putting a spotlight on national security in the 2016 elections as they seek to retain control of the upper chamber.

BLUEGRASS SHOWDOWN: The Hill’s Mark Hensch reports: Democratic Lexington Mayor Jim Gray filed for candidacy to challenge Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

GROWING GOP FIELD: The Times-Picayune reports: Louisiana State Treasurer John Kennedy announced he’ll run for the GOP nomination for Sen. David Vitter’s (R-La.) open seat. Kennedy will face U.S. Reps. Charles Boustany (R-La.) and John Fleming (R-La.) in the primary and several other Republicans have said they’ll jump into the race.

SILVER STATE SHOWDOWN: Jacky Rosen, the president of one of the largest reform synagogues in Nevada, has jumped in to fill the House seat vacated by GOP Rep. Joe Heck’s bid for Senate, according to a press release. Democrats hold a slight registration advantage in the district despite Heck’s success.

TEA PARTY CHALLENGE: The Hill’s Ben Kamisar reports: The Tea Party Express is backing Republican Steve Toth to mount a primary challenge to House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady for his Texas House seat.

MONEY WATCH

RAKING IT IN: The Hill’s Scott Wong reports: Team Ryan, House Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) political operation hauled in $5.3 million in the final quarter of 2015, quieting doubts that he wouldn’t be able to match the fundraising prowess of his predecessor, John Boehner.

WHAT WE ARE WATCHING FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW:

(All times Eastern)

Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ben Carson are scheduled guests on tonnight’s “Hannity” on Fox News at 10.

Donald Trump holds a rally in Iowa City, Iowa at 8:30 p.m. today and also holds a rally on Wednesday in Lexington, South Carolina at 7 p.m.

Mike Huckabee will hold several campaign events in Iowa on Wednesday.

John Kasich will hold a town hall in Davenport, Iowa on Wednesday.

Martin O’Malley will make two campaign stops in Iowa on Wednesday.

Hillary Clinton holds several Get Out Caucus events in Iowa today and will attend a fundraiser in Philadelphia on Wednesday night with a performance by singer Jon Bon Jovi.

Ben Carson holds a prayer rally titled “Revive 714” in Des Moines, Iowa today at 8 p.m.

Ted Cruz makes several campaign stops in Iowa today with Rick Perry, Steve King, and Bob Vander Plaats today and will hold a Pro Life Rally in West Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday night with Rick Perry.

Marco Rubio holds a town hall in West Des Moines, Iowa today at 7:30 p.m.

TWEET OF THE DAY