WEDNESDAY’S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP….Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Mike Quigley, a Democrat and reform-minded Cook County commissioner, won the special election in Chicago yesterday to fill the seat recently held by Rahm Emanuel.

* Sarah Palin had hinted at possible interest in challenging Sen. Lisa Murkowski in a Republican primary next year, but the governor’s spokesperson said yesterday that Palin “has no intention of running for the senator’s seat in 2010.”

* As of late yesterday, Jim Tedisco (R) leads Scott Murphy (D) in New York’s 20th by 17 votes.

* Why are Republicans so desperate to get Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) to retire? It might have something to do with his 28% approval rating in his home state.

* If North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) runs against Sen. Richard Burr (R) next year, it’ll make the NRSC awfully nervous.

* Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) picked up an odd endorsement yesterday, winning the support of radio shock-jock Howard Stern.

* And in Virginia’s closely watched gubernatorial race, the Democratic Party of Virginia is using controversial comments from Sarah Palin in 2008 to mobilize party activists.

Steve Benen

Follow Steve on Twitter @stevebenen. Steve Benen is a producer at MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show. He was the principal contributor to the Washington Monthly's Political Animal blog from August 2008 until January 2012.