Millionaire megadonor Foster Friess has spent more money, racked up more national endorsements and blanketed the airwaves more aggressively than any other Republican in Tuesday’s Wyoming governor’s primary.

It might not be enough to win.

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Friess may be a household name in conservative fundraising circles, but he started his surprise bid for governor largely unknown in Wyoming compared to the other leading candidates: state Treasurer Mark Gordon and businessman Sam Galeotos. Friess’ carpet-bomb ad campaign has helped, with the latest polling showing Friess deadlocked with Gordon and Galeotos lurking just behind. But Galeotos has crowded the “outsider” lane in the primary, and Friess’ start-from-scratch career in state politics, after focusing on national issues as a donor, may be too big an obstacle to overcome.

“He’s got plenty of jack and he’s using every cent of it. Every cent of it,” said former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson, who is supporting Gordon. “We’ll see whether you can really buy a governor’s race.”

Friess has been the biggest spender on advertising, pouring in over $1.1 million into the race, outstripping $984,000 in ad spending from Galeotos and more than doubling the roughly $443,000 spent by Gordon. Even more of Friess’ money poured into on-the-ground campaigning, seeking to make up for a lack of infrastructure compared to a candidate like Gordon, who had laid groundwork for his gubernatorial bid for years.

“He’s basically traveled to anywhere he can land his G5 [jet],” said Bill Novotny, who served as the campaign manager for outgoing Gov. Matt Mead. “He has an army of paid staffers to augment the lack of political organization or organic support.”

Friess has not lacked for national support. Former Sen. Rick Santorum has endorsed him — Friess spent millions supporting Santorum’s 2012 presidential bid — as has Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and groups like the Family Research Council and the Tea Party Patriots. Donald Trump Jr. also weighed in on Friess’ behalf, sparking speculation about whether President Donald Trump might weigh in with a late endorsement. Friess uses Trump’s campaign ad-maker, Jamestown Associates, and donated $100,000 to the president’s fundraising committee in 2016.

But Trump has stayed out of uncertain primaries in the past, rather than risk an endorsee going down, and multiple campaigns said they haven’t gotten a straight answer on whether the White House would weigh in before the unpredictable primary. Polling has been scarce, but early numbers showed Friess at the back of the pack, before his heavy spending put him in contention for the nomination alongside Gordon and Galeotos, according to a recent survey from the Trafalgar Group.

Galeotos’s resume also appeals to some in the same way that Friess has hoped to win supporters. Both candidates lean heavily on their background in business and pitch their understanding of economics. Tucker Fagan, the former chief executive of the Wyoming Business Council and a former chief of staff to ex-Rep. Cynthia Lummis, pointed to Galeotos’s background as “a CEO of major companies” that makes him a change agent in the eyes of voters.

“It could go one of three ways — all depends on turnout levels,” said Liz Brimmer, an unaligned Republican strategist. “And it could be tight enough that candidates may wish their scores of out-of-state consultants could vote. The numbers of them may be bigger than some Wyoming small towns!”

“Foster’s on the rise,” said Jack Speight, a former Wyoming Republican Party chairman who’s backing Gordon. But Speight noted that even the most recent polling showed a divided electorate still picking from a wide field of candidates.

“They’re having some issues with deciding who will make the best governor,” Speight said.

Friess has pitched himself as a cost-conscious businessman and social conservative in his late ad barrage. One focused on spending and transparency. Another ad focused on Friess fighting “leftists” on abortion rights and donating money to groups advocating “for mental health and school safety instead or more gun control” after the school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in February. And a third featured testimonials from supporters explaining their support.

“We believe the connections Foster has made over the years doing political advocacy, fighting for Second Amendment rights, healthcare reform, getting people together to try to stop school shootings is a really great opportunity for the people of Wyoming,” said campaign spokesman John Spina, adding that Friess as governor would streamline the permit process and deregulate “certain sectors of the economy.”

“These are all things that the Trump administration that the Trump administration has agreed with and has done itself,” Spina added.

Another issue in the primary has been Friess’ money itself. Those funds put him in the middle of a hotly contested presidential race in 2012 and made him a go-to national media quote — Friess apologized in 2012 after telling MSNBC that women in “my days” put aspirin “between their knees” for contraception — but attorney Harriet Hageman and others questioned Friess’ residency and accused him of buying the election in a recent debate.

“Wyoming is not for sale,” Hageman said, according to the Casper Star-Tribune.

NANCY PELOSI’S NAPA WEEKEND RECAP — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi held her annual “invite-only” Napa donor conference this weekend. A record 300 attendees, including nearly 50 House Democrats and top candidates, joined in the event. Former Secretary of State John Kerry, California Gov. Jerry Brown and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe all gave policy remarks.

PELOSI announced Saturday that the DCCC has raised $191 million, which is $57 million more than the party committee had raised over the same period during the 2016 election cycle. Pelosi is raising about half of every dollar that comes into the DCCC, according to a source familiar with the operation. Many of the speakers praised Pelosi, according to an attendee.

SPOTTED: DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján (N.M.) and Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu (Calif.), Mark Takano (Calif.), Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Ted Deutch (Fla.), Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), Brad Schneider (Ill.), David Cicilline (R.I.), Lois Frankel (Fla.), Charlie Crist (Fla.) and Debbie Dingell (Mich.).

NEWS … CROWLEY ESTABLISHES NEW YORK STATE COMMITTEE … House Democratic Caucus Chairman JOE CROWLEY’s team sent out a letter to general-election donors this morning notifying them they would be receiving a refund check, but they added this: “We would like to ask you to please re-write the check to ‘Joe for NY,’ a NYS committee that the Congressman has established to position himself for future opportunities.”

— NUMBERS, from Crowley: The numbers are in for Crowley’s latest “Better Days” fundraiser July 31 at The Loft at City Winery. He raised more than $166,000 for Democratic candidates Angie Craig of Minnesota, Susan Wild and Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania and Antonio Delgado of New York. While Crowley lost his primary bid, the New York Democrat may do another fundraising round this fall to help candidates.

COMING ATTRACTIONS — Anna and Jake are heading to Philadelphia on Aug. 31 for a Playbook Elections event featuring Democratic Sen. BOB CASEY and Philadelphia Republican Party Chairman MICHAEL MEEHAN. RSVP

Good Monday afternoon. ATTENDING the “Salute to the Heroes of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection” this afternoon at the White House: VP Mike Pence, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Mercedes Schlapp, Kevin McAleenan, Ronald Vitiello, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Tom Homan.

SPOTTED: Paul Ryan having dinner at Il Villaggio Osteria in Teton Village in Jackson Hole on Saturday night. He was also seen by our tipster talking to Jay Kemmerer, who owns Jackson Hole Ski Resort. …

… Larry Kudlow on a very delayed New York-to-D.C. Amtrak late Sunday night. … Stephen Miller carrying what appears to be takeout food Sunday evening outside CityCenter. Pic

SCOTUS WATCH — “Kavanaugh proposed graphic questions for Bill Clinton during Starr probe,” by Josh Gerstein: “A memo Brett Kavanaugh wrote two decades ago with graphic detail about President Bill Clinton’s conduct with Monica Lewinsky became public Monday, showing the Supreme Court nominee was adamant that independent counsel Kenneth Starr’s team had a responsibility to ‘make his pattern of revolting behavior clear.’ … The 33-year-old lawyer said the investigators had a truth-seeking function distinct from determining whether Clinton broke the law. …

“Among the questions: ‘If Monica Lewinsky says that on several occasions in the Oval Office area, you used your fingers to stimulate her vagina and bring her to orgasm, would she be lying?’” POLITICO … 12,349 new records released by the National Archives today

ANECDOTE DU JOUR — THE NEW YORKER’S ADAM ENTOUS, “John Brennan’s Choice”: “As Trump stepped up his public and private attacks on Obama, some of the new president’s advisers thought that he should take the extraordinary step of denying Obama himself access to intelligence briefings that were made available to all of his living predecessors. Trump was told about the importance of keeping former Presidents, who frequently met with foreign leaders, informed. In the end, Trump decided not to exclude Obama at the urging of [H.R.] McMaster.” The New Yorker

WHAT’S ON THE PRESIDENT’S MIND — @realDonaldTrump at 7:28 a.m.: “Disgraced and discredited Bob Mueller and his whole group of Angry Democrat Thugs spent over 30 hours with the White House Councel [sic], only with my approval, for purposes of transparency. Anybody needing that much time when they know there is no Russian Collusion is just someone….”

… at 7:38 a.m.: “….looking for trouble. They are enjoying ruining people’s lives and REFUSE to look at the real corruption on the Democrat side — the lies, the firings, the deleted Emails and soooo much more! Mueller’s Angry Dems are looking to impact the election. They are a National Disgrace!”

… at 7:48 a.m.: “Where’s the Collusion? They made up a phony crime called Collusion, and when there was no Collusion they say there was Obstruction (of a phony crime that never existed). If you FIGHT BACK or say anything bad about the Rigged Witch Hunt, they scream Obstruction!”

— ABOUT THOSE SECURITY CLEARANCES … at 10:13 a.m.: “I hope John Brennan, the worst CIA Director in our country’s history, brings a lawsuit. It will then be very easy to get all of his records, texts, emails and documents to show not only the poor job he did, but how he was involved with the Mueller Rigged Witch Hunt. He won’t sue!”

… at 10:23 a.m.: “Everybody wants to keep their Security Clearance, it’s worth great prestige and big dollars, even board seats, and that is why certain people are coming forward to protect Brennan. It certainly isn’t because of the good job he did! He is a political ‘hack.’”

— ON TRUMP’S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT … at 10:36 a.m.: “Will Bruce Ohr, whose family received big money for helping to create the phony, dirty and discredited Dossier, ever be fired from the Jeff Sessions ‘Justice’ Department? A total joke!”

… at 10:46 a.m.: “‘Bruce Ohr is at the center of FALSE ALLEGATIONS which led to a multi-million dollar investigation into what apparently didn’t happen.’ Darrell Issa, House Oversight. We can take out the word ‘apparently.’ @FoxNews”

MEANWHILE … WHAT’S ON THE FIRST LADY’S MIND — “Melania Trump tackles ‘destructive and harmful’ effects of social media,” by CNN’s Kate Bennett and Betsy Klein: “‘Let’s face it: most children are more aware of the benefits and pitfalls of social media than some adults, but we still need to do all we can to provide them with information and tools for successful and safe online habits,’ she said. Trump called for educating children on responsible social media habits. …

“Less than one week ago, her husband, President Donald Trump, took to social media to harshly attack a former White House aide. … Her spokeswoman sought to downplay any disconnect between the East Wing and the West Wing, calling the first lady ‘independent.’” CNN

SCOOP — “Pentagon raises alarm about sharp drop in Iraqi refugees coming to U.S.,” by Reuters’ Yeganeh Torbati: “Military officials are sounding the alarm inside the Trump administration about the sharp drop in admission to the United States of Iraqi refugees who have helped American troops in battle, said two U.S. officials aware of the internal discussions.

“The Pentagon is concerned that not providing safe haven to more of the Iraqis, many of whom interpreted and did other key tasks for U.S. forces, will harm national security by dissuading locals from cooperating with the United States in Iraq and other conflict zones, the officials said.” Reuters

TRADE WARS — “Trade war puts new strains on America Inc.’s factories in China,” by Reuters’ Samantha Vadas in Shenzhen, Adam Jourdan in Shanghai, and Anne Marie Roantree in Hong Kong: “Interviews with over a dozen manufacturers from medical device makers to agricultural equipment firms illustrate how companies exporting to the United States are now rethinking their calculations about making goods in China.

“‘Before the tariffs came on board, we were looking to move about 30 percent of our production from China to the United States,’ said Charles M. Hubbs, European director at Premier Guard, a medical products manufacturer … ‘With the latest tariff development, assuming those tariffs will go into effect, we’ll probably be moving about 60 percent of our manufacturing out of China to the United States.’” Reuters

— “U.S. firms to Trump: Don’t raise tariffs on more Chinese goods,” by AP’s Paul Wiseman: “The Trump administration will hold six days of hearings starting Monday in Washington on the next barrage in an escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies: Trump’s proposed tariffs of 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion in Chinese goods that could kick in as early as next month. …

“In their filings to the Trump administration, companies that import from China complain that the tariffs will force them to raise prices, pay higher costs, try to find alternative suppliers or lose business to foreign rivals that don’t have to pay a penalty on components and machinery they import from China.” AP

— A new National Association for Business Economics survey found that more than 90 percent of economists expect the Trump administration’s current and threatened tariffs will negatively affect the U.S. economy. The survey

— VIDEO DU JOUR: JOHN OLIVER tackled Trump’s trade wars and the role Peter Navarro plays in the White House on his HBO show “Last Week Tonight.” Video

2018 WATCH — “Progressive vets, gun control advocates join forces on the campaign trail,” by McClatchy’s Alex Roarty: “A pair of organizations — one led by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, another that supports progressive veterans — will campaign on behalf of more than a half-dozen candidates next month, a tour meant to try and put the issue of gun control front and center in general election battlegrounds.” McClatchy

— “Democrats Look to Flip New England’s One GOP House Seat,” by WSJ’s Jon Kamp in Bangor, Maine: “The graying district, which is 95% white, mostly rural and includes Maine’s poorest counties, mirrors the kinds of places where Democrats have struggled in the Trump era. But [Jared] Golden, who is focusing on access to health care and aiding struggling workers, is betting the trend won’t hold. …

“Both parties’ political-action committees focused on House control are preparing to spend heavily in the small-market state. The GOP super PAC has set aside about $3 million, [and] the Democratic super PAC $2.3 million.” WSJ

— NEW: MTV is launching a midterm get-out-the-vote effort called “+1TheVote,” which will be introduced tonight at the VMAs. The campaign will include more than 1,000 parties and events at the polls across all 50 states. This is the first time MTV has gotten involved in youth voter engagement around the midterms. The voter registration tool

— “The Texas Swing: Beto O’Rourke Could Be The Democrat Texas Has Been Waiting For,” by BuzzFeed’s Anne Helen Petersen: “Speaking with dozens of hopeful supporters over five days in West Central Texas, it’s clear that the enthusiasm and organization around O’Rourke’s campaign is there. And based on conversations with independent and Republican voters at his events, his message is traveling beyond progressive bubbles. …

“But there’s a gap between energy and obtaining the kind of power that can effect change, and it’s one that it’ll take more than a ‘blue wave’ to fill. It’s not just about convincing voters to swing O’Rourke’s way. It’s about convincing people to vote, period.” BuzzFeed

— “The Nuns On The Bus Are Going To Mar-a-Lago To Protest The Republican Tax Law,” by HuffPost’s Kevin Robillard: HuffPost

— ALEX ISENSTADT (@politicoalex): “PENCE headed to Houston area on Thursday to fundraise for John Culberson, per invite. Big Texas race.”

WHAT BARACK OBAMA IS UP TO — “Obama records video backing Pritzker for Illinois governor”: “The roughly 90-second video released Monday is the first Obama has recorded for the fall election. In it, he says he’s backing Pritzker to lead his home state because ‘J.B. gets things done.’” AP … The video

2020 WATCH — “Dem Rep. Swalwell eyeing presidential run in 2020,” by CNN’s Lindsey Ellefson: CNN

ON THE WORLD STAGE — “Kim Jong-un Focuses on Economy as Nuclear Talks With U.S. Stall,” by NYT’s Choe Sang-Hun in Seoul: “Since late June, Mr. Kim has devoted almost all his public activities to visiting factories, farms and construction sites, rather than the military units and weapons test sites that he frequented last year. And instead of boasting of his country’s military prowess, he is lashing out at poor management at the sites he visits, highlighting his intense focus on fixing his economy.

“Mr. Kim’s message is directed as much to the United States as to his people, experts in North Korean politics said, since his pledge to deliver economic prosperity depends on persuading Washington to ease damaging international sanctions.” NYT

— “United States ‘plays Taiwan card’ with Tsai Ing-wen’s trip to NASA’s mission control centre,” by South China Morning Post’s Lawrence Chung: SCMP

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION — “Trump hits corporate violators — with a feather,” NBC’s Suzy Khimm: “Across the federal government, the Trump administration is emphasizing the less-punitive approach to combat white-collar crime and civil violations by expanding its efforts to reward companies that come forward to report violations and take steps to fix them, based on an NBC News analysis of enforcement actions at multiple key agencies since the president took office.

“In return, the administration is offering to shield the offenders from costly litigation, federal prosecution and the steepest possible penalties.” NBC

JENNIFER JACOBS and SALEHA MOHSIN: “Trump Is Complaining to Donors in the Hamptons About Powell’s Rate Hikes”: Bloomberg

AP’S JULIET LINDERMAN in BALTIMORE: “In the city that claims him, Ben Carson falls from grace”: “Carson’s story of climbing out of poverty to become a world-renowned surgeon was once ubiquitous in Baltimore, where Carson made his name. In some schools his memoir was required reading, an illustration of the power of perseverance. … But his role in the Trump administration has added a complicated epilogue, leaving many who admired him feeling betrayed, unable to separate him from the politics of a president widely rejected by African-Americans here.” AP

MARIJUANA FILES — ANNIE LOWREY in The Atlantic, “America’s Invisible Pot Addicts”: “If not necessarily because of legalization, but alongside legalization, such problems are becoming more common … Public-health experts worry about the increasingly potent options available, and the striking number of constant users … with some even warning that the country is replacing one form of reefer madness with another, careening from treating cannabis as if it were as dangerous as heroin to treating it as if it were as benign as kombucha.

“But cannabis is not benign, even if it is relatively benign, compared with alcohol, opiates, and cigarettes, among other substances. Thousands of Americans are finding their own use problematic—in a climate where pot products are getting more potent, more socially acceptable to use, and yet easier to come by, not that it was particularly hard before.” The Atlantic

HEADS UP — “There’s a time bomb for U.S.-Mexico relations ticking underground,” by Quartz’s Zoë Schlanger in College Station, Texas: “All along the 1,250 miles of border between Texas and Mexico, hidden under hundreds of feet of soil and rock, lie more than a dozen underground aquifers—areas of permeable earth that hold water—that crisscross the national boundaries. They might be the only sources of water the region will have left when the Rio Grande, hit by a one-two punch of climate change and a booming population, inevitably dries up. And yet there is no binational agreement for all this shared groundwater.” Quartz

EXPLAINING ‘TRUTH ISN’T TRUTH’ — @RudyGiuliani: “My statement was not meant as a pontification on moral theology but one referring to the situation where two people make precisely contradictory statements, the classic ‘he said, she said’ puzzle. Sometimes further inquiry can reveal the truth other times it doesn’t.”

AFTERNOON READ — “David Hogg, After Parkland: Furious and unflinching, an NRA enemy, an accused ‘crisis actor,’ and a high-school grad trying to figure out what’s next,” by Lisa Miller on the cover of New York magazine: “Hogg has emerged as the leader of a newly invigorated anti-gun-violence movement, the living embodiment of its message and a human front in a new culture war. … A lot of what has catapulted Hogg to this elevated and precarious place is his wonkishness: his dexterity on social media and cable news, his appetite for the nitty-gritty of policy disputes. He is aware of the way his particular talents mesh with how his generation thinks.” New York … The cover

MEDIAWATCH — SEWELL CHAN will be a deputy managing editor at the Los Angeles Times. He is currently an international news editor at NYT.

— CNN announced its first 2020 embeds: D.J. Judd, Daniella Diaz and Jasmine Wright.

SPOTTED at Larry Kudlow’s birthday party Saturday night hosted by him and his wife, Judy, at their home in Connecticut: Charlie Gasparino, Roger Stone, Chris Ruddy, Brian Kilmeade, Margo and John Catsimatidis, former U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Charles Glazer, Richard Breeden, Michelle Caruso Cabrera, Pia Lindström, Liz and Jeff Peek, and Alexandra Preate.

WEEKEND WEDDINGS — HILLARY ALUMNI: Alisa La, an aide to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and an HFA and State Dept. alum, married Ryan Guthrie, VP of government relations at Coca-Cola and former chief of staff to former Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.), who attended the wedding. The reception was at Alisa’s dad’s restaurant, Meiwah, in Chevy Chase and featured a traditional nine-course Chinese wedding banquet. Pic by Ralph Alswang … Another pic

— Tony Samp, senior policy adviser for Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), married Scarlet Doyle, legislative assistant for Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.). The couple got married with a rose backdrop on the rooftop of D.C.’s new City Winery. Pic

— Joshua Bradley, legislative assistant for Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), married Maggie Mahfood, who works for House chief administrative officer Phil Kiko, at a ceremony at the Lake Tyler Petroleum Club in the couple’s hometown of Tyler, Texas. Pic … Another pic

WELCOME TO THE WORLD – Marion Smith, executive director of the Victims of the Communism Memorial Foundation and a Heritage Foundation alum, and Anna Smith Lacey, executive director of the Hungary Initiatives Foundation, welcomed Emma Marie Smith Lacey. Pic … Instapic

— Andrew Kilberg, former law clerk to retired Justice Anthony Kennedy and now an associate at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, and Julia Kilberg, a digital marketing consultant, welcomed Tenley Rebecca Pierce Kilberg, who came in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces and is 20 inches long. Pic

BONUS BIRTHDAYS: Larry Kudlow is 71 … Dan Kanninen, Smoot Tewes Group CEO (h/ts Caleb Cate and Andrew Bates)

• Anna Palmer @apalmerdc
• Jake Sherman @JakeSherman
• Daniel Lippman @dlippman
• Akela Lacy @Akela_Lacy
• Eli Okun @eliokun

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