• NJ-Gov: Believe it or not, we’re in the home stretch heading toward the June 2 primary in the New Jersey governor’s race, and Rasmussen takes a quick look at the GOP primary field. US Attorney Chris Christie leads former Bogota mayor Steve Lonegan 39-29, with 3% voting for someone else and 29% still undecided. That’s a lot of undecideds with just a few weeks to go, and I have no way of knowing whether they’d tend to break for the better-known establishment figure of Christie, or the anti-tax raging of Lonegan.
• TX-Sen: The last thing John Cornyn wants is a special election on his watch at the NRSC, but he may get one anyway. Despite his pressure on fellow Texan Kay Bailey Hutchison to remain in place while she runs for Governor, Cornyn is now publicly warning to expect her resignation “this fall sometime.”
• PA-Sen: Seems like the GOP is going through its whole Rolodex looking for someone more normal than Pat Toomey to run in the Pennsylvania primary. Two of the more moderate members of the Keystone State’s House delegation, Charlie Dent and Todd Platts, felt compelled to announce today that they won’t be running. Dent, in fact, endorsed Toomey, the previous holder of PA-15 (making him the first PA House GOPer to endorse Toomey).
• AR-Sen: State Senator Kim Hendren, the GOP’s only candidate so far against Blanche Lincoln (and they may want to keep looking…), has been in politics a long time (one claim to fame is that he lost a gubernatorial race to Bill Clinton). But now he actually seems to be caught in a timewarp from a different century. Today he’s trying to walk back having called Chuck Schumer “that Jew” (and, in doing so, tried using The Andy Griffith Show by way of explaining himself).
• IL-Sen: Speaking of shifts in the space-time continuum, Mark Tiberius Kirk’s end-of-April deadline on announcing his Senate plans has seemingly disappeared into a wormhole, while the GOP waits impatiently for him to emerge at the other end. (No backup date for a decision has been set.) A likely explanation is that he’s waiting to see what Lisa Madigan does, and he may meekly go wherever she doesn’t.
• SC-Gov: Who would’ve guessed that the South Carolina governor’s race would be one of 2010’s hottest tickets? Two more GOPers are trying to hop onto that ride: state Senator Larry Grooms, who officially launched a campaign, and state Rep. Nikki Haley, who now says she’s considering it. (Haley is a young rising star who’s a close ally of Mark Sanford and the hardcore anti-taxers.) They’d join Rep. Gresham Barrett and professor Brent Nelsen, as well as likely candidates Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and AG Henry McMaster, in the hunt for the GOP nod.
• NC-08: Freshman Rep. Larry Kissell has drawn a potential opponent with no previous political background, but very high name rec: Mike Minter, who was safety for the Carolina Panthers for 10 years until recently retiring. Kissell handily beat incumbent Rep. Robin Hayes in 2008 in this now R+2 district, but Minter, who’s still scoping out the race, is well-connected in the local megachurch community and could also eat into Kissell’s African-American support. Minter is apparently looking with Hayes’ encouragement, suggesting that the 10-year Congressman is looking to spend more time with his money instead of seeking out a rematch.
• NRSC: Here’s a double shot of John Cornyn news: in another one of his occasional reality-based moments, Cornyn slapped down strange remarks by his NRCC counterpart, Rep. Pete Sessions, alleging that Barack Obama is intentionally sabotaging the American economy. When asked if he was comfortable with Sessions still leading the NRCC, Cornyn equivocated, deferring the judgment of the House Republicans on the matter. (Because “judgment” and “House Republicans” always go together so well.)
against ed rendell
I hope the DSCC is willing to drop several million dollars, because that is what it’s going to take. The prospect of going into the 2010 elections with a 61-39 majority, when we have good chances of picking up at least four states (NH, OH, MO, KY) is going to be incredibly depressing on the GOP base.
going on TV.
PA-6 is probably the most competitive district in the country. Gerlach has not had an easy election in this district. In 2008 he managed just 52% against a semi-active campaign. In 2006 Gerlach won by a little more than 3,000 votes. In 2004t the absolute height of Republican strength in a high turnout Presidential election, Gerlach won by 6,300 votes. In 2002the margin was 5,500. He’s got to be desperately looking to bail out. The district is begging for a gerrymander in 2012, being surrounded by safer Democrats.
If I was Gerlach I’d rather take on Toomey than wait to be defeated like Chris Shays, Anne Northrup, or Thelma Drake.
http://www.mydd.com/story/2009…
Well, he actually wants some minor tweaks to basically allow religious groups not to perform these weddings if they choose. Doesn’t sound like anything major. Glad he’s on board.
As the only true Charleston area candidate, Larry Grooms is a significant addition to the GOP field. With this many candidates, just about anybody could end up in the runoff.
AG McMaster is in a battle with Craigslist to withdraw all sexually-oriented ads.
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/c…
The Club for Growth has a contact form where you can specfically recommend that they support a candidate. I checked off recommend a candidate for Marco Rubio and told them that I would donate to the Club if they back him financially against Charlie Crist, saying that Rubio is a great guy, represents my conservative values, etc. I’d recommend more people follow suit. If we can get them to back Rubio we can really help a Democrat get elected in Florida.
So I guess zero chance of Corzine to step aside for Codey? Looks like we will probably lose NJ and VA if we have McAulffie and Corzine.
Politico reports that Specter would be open to a compromised verion of this bill… So I wonder what that menas for conservadems…
Former Congressman Jim Hansen has endorsed an initiative to create an independent redistricting commission in Utah. Hansen cites the legislature’s effort in 2001 to “get Jim Matheson” as an example of why the commission is needed.
The commission would draw both congressional and legislative districts. If it qualifies, the initiative would appear on the November, 2010 ballot.
Salt Lake Tribune Article:
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_…
Initiative Website:
http://fairboundaries.org/
I’ll try to get a link, but I’m hearing Gelber is leaning towards departing from the Senate race in favor of the state Attorney General race.
new SurveyUSA poll finds that 57% of Minnesota voters don’t even want him to run for a third term next year.
acording to CQpolitics.com there are 9 toss up states for gov so far, the dems need to get six of the nine in order to maintain the gov. mansions they currently have.
Is apparently losing his Dodge dealership.
Looks like Texas Democrats have a strong candidate for Attorney General. Barbara Ann Radnofsky was the Democratic candidate for Senator in 2006 against Kay Bailey Hutchison. She got beat badly, but nevertheless ran a credible campaign for someone new to politics against the popular Hutchison. Radnofsky has an excellent reputation in legal circles and should attract pretty good support from the Texas bar.
I’m not entirely optimistic about our chances of winning the governor’s office, even against a weakened Perry. So, I’ve thought the best route to eventual competiveness in Texas this year lies in breaking through first in a down ballot race. Having a good candidate like Radofsky who has at least some statewide name recognition from her prior run and will have a good network of donors for a down ballot race is essential. The current incumbent Republican, Greg Abbott, is rumored to be interested in KBH’s senate seat, so this could be an open seat race. Winning is probably an uphill battle, but our odds just got a little better.
Sadly a lot of people still think that way.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.a…
http://www.politico.com/blogs/…