VA-Gov: Deeds outraised McDonnell in June

Deeds took in $3.4 million to $1.8M for McDonnell. Even if you take out the $1 million combined from the DGA, SEIU and AFSCME you are still left with $600k extra. Granted, McDonnell has $5 million CoH to $2.7 million for Deeds but if Creigh can keep this up then money is not going to be the problem it was for him in 2005. And remember, Kaine was badly outraised by Kilgore four years ago but was still able to win.

http://hotlineoncall.nationalj…

I have a feeling this race will define the fallout from this November. The results here and in New Jersey won’t mean anything with regard to 2010 really but Dems have to win at least one to stop Republicans crowing and being able to use that to build some momentum.

VA-Gov: Dem Primary PPP penultimate poll – Deeds leads

http://www.publicpolicypolling…

Creigh Deeds 27 (20)

Terry McAuliffe 24 (29)

Brian Moran 22 (20)

“Two major developments have shaped the movement in the race over the last week and a half. The first is Deeds’ endorsement by the Washington Post. He has gone from 11% in northern Virginian to 23%. With 30% of the primary electorate coming from that region that alone accounts for more than half of his jump from 20 to 27%.”

“The second is a decline in support for Terry McAuliffe in the areas where Brian Moran has run television ads attacking him. In the last survey McAuliffe was running at 33% in Hampton Roads and 34% in greater Richmond. He’s now declined to 25 and 23% respectively in those markets.”

“We’ve been saying for months this was anyone’s game and it’s more true now than ever,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “All three candidates have a perfectly reasonable chance of coming out on top next Tuesday.”

CO-Sen: Few who know Bennet mostly disapprove

PPP poll of 1,050 Colorado voters between April 17th and 19th. MoE +/-3%.

Do you approve or disapprove of Democratic Senator Michael Bennet’s job performance?

Approve 34%

Disapprove 41%

Not Sure 25%

Versus various Repubs the numbers are:

Bennet 39

Ryan Frazier 35

Bennet 40

Ken Buck 34

Bennet 41

Josh Penry 34

Bob Beauprez 43

Bennet 42

I would say the fact that he trails the better know Beauprez by only a single point and leads all the others isn’t all bad. He should be okay with some outreach to Dems (his waffling on EFCA has clearly hurt), indies and particularly hispanics. Though numbers like this might encourage a primary challenge from Andrew Romanoff or others.

http://www.publicpolicypolling…

NY-Sen, NY-Gov: Gillibrand Cash Haul and New Q-Poll

Good news and not so good news for the Junior Senator from New York. In an email to supporters Kirsten Gillibrand has announced that her campaign raised $2.3m in just two months since she was appointed to the seat.

http://thehill.com/leading-the…

However, the latest numbers from Quinnipiac continue to show her trailing Rep. Carolyn McCarthy in a prospective Democratic Primary, 33-29. Though the margin is down from 34-24 in February.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x131…

I’d say funds like that will go a long way towards solving her name recognition problems and maybe even scaring off any challengers.

She leads GOP Rep. Peter King 40-28.

Paterson meanwhile now has the worst approval rating of any New York Governor, 28-60.

In comparison, Andrew Cuomo comes in at an impressive 75-14, but will he run?

Against Giuliani he leads 53-36 while Paterson trails Rudy by 53-32.

http://politicalwire.com/archi…

AR-Sen: Blanche Lincoln more vulnerable than expected

From PPP via Taegan:

“45% of voters support the job she’s doing while 40% say they disapprove of her work. Hurting Lincoln’s numbers are poor marks from independents, only 31% of whom say they approve of her performance while 50% rate her negatively. 73% of Democrats but only 22% of Republicans express approval.”

Lincoln (D) 48

Baker (R) 37

Lincoln (D) 46

Griffin (R) 38

http://www.publicpolicypolling…

I wonder if the hard right turn in Arkansas as evidenced by the surge to McCain last November is something more permanent. After holding out for so long is it finally catching up to the rest of the South?

OH-Sen: Quinnipiac says Dems have upper-hand

This should really be a win (whoever gets the nomination) along with New Hampshire and Missouri.

“In Columbus there may be a great deal of jockeying about the Senate race, but around the state voters have not yet begun to pay attention to the contest,” said Quinnipiac’s Peter Brown. “It is clear at this point that there remains a Democratic advantage in the Ohio electorate that evidenced itself in 2006 and 2008.”

Dem Primary

Fisher 18

Brunner 14

Ryan 12

Yates 6

GOP Primary

Portman 31

Taylor 14

General

Fisher 41

Portman 33

Fisher 41

Taylor 31

Brunner 39

Portman 34

Brunner 38

Taylor 31

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x128…

NY-20: Murphy closes to within 7

http://www.politico.com/news/s…

Beneson Strategy Group, 2/24-25, 400 LV

Tedisco 44

Murphy 37

Sundwall 4

Dated so it might be even closer now.

“Murphy, in his first run for elected office, has repeatedly attacked Tedisco over the Republican’s initial refusal to say how he would have voted on the stimulus package, which was approved in the House without a single GOP vote. Tedisco eventually said he would have voted for the bill “with amendments.”

But the controversy has allowed Murphy to cut into Tedisco’s once seemingly impregnable lead. Early polls had Tedisco up by 20-plus points, while a Siena Research Institute poll two weeks ago still had him holding a 12-point edge.”

Win this one and Repubs are seriously screwed. Oh and Michael Steele would get the chop.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com…

DE-Sen: Mike Castle leads Beau Biden by 8

http://www.publicpolicypolling…

Castle (R) 44%

Biden (D) 36%

“Mike Castle has served in statewide office now for almost 30 years and that higher level of familiarity with Delaware voters gives him an advantage over Beau Biden,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “Biden’s numbers would surely improve as he became more well known to voters in a statewide campaign but I’m sure the Democrats would nonetheless be quite happy for Congressman Castle to stay where he is.”

44-36 strikes me as kinda lousy considering Castle is an institution in the state. Not that many expect him to run anyway but on this evidence even if he does I think Biden would still win quite easily. Against anyone but Castle it is over before it starts obviously.

KS-Sen: Sebelius up double digits over either Moran or Tiahrt

Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 2/2-4. Likely voters. MoE 4% (No trendlines)

Tiahrt (R) 37

Sebelius (D) 47

Moran (R) 36

Sebelius (D) 48

http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…

Contradicting that earlier GOP primary poll Tiahrt leads Moran 24-19.

“Yet here we have Gov. Kathleen Sebelius coming in with a solid 56-37 approval rating, including a surprisingly good 42-54 among Republicans, which is important given that Republicans make up half the state’s voters. In the head-to-head matchups, Sebelius, gets about a third of those voters. Independents, another quarter of the voter pool, like her at a 63-27 clip. If those numbers held up, she’d make history by having a Democrat represent Kansas in the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1939.”

Run Kathleen, run!

PA-Gov, PA-06: Gerlach forms exploratory committee

“Exploratory committees almost always are precursors to full-fledged campaigns, though Gerlach said Thursday’s announcement was not tantamount to a declaration of candidacy. He issued a written statement saying he would take the next few months to “speak with political, business and community leaders, help our 2009 statewide judicial candidates, conduct polling and determine if there is a clear path to victory.”

“I suspect that by late spring we’ll know whether to formally move forward with a campaign for governor,” he added.”

He really does see the writing on the wall. His House seat should be a relatively straight-forward pickup in an open seat no?

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmsp…