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.
* After running third for months, former state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds staged a stunning come-from-behind victory in Virginia’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. It wasn’t even close — Deeds finished with 50% of the vote, followed by Terry McAuliffe with 26% and Brian Moran with 24%. Deeds, who won 10 of the state’s 11 congressional districts, will face former state Attorney General Bob McDonnell in November.
* In related news, the defeat was likely bitter for McAuliffe, who had led the contest as recently as a month ago. “McAuliffe ended up doing the worst in the Washington suburbs, the place where people knew him best, despite amassing a $7.5 million war chest,” the WaPo noted. “He spent an average of $90 per vote.”
* In this year’s other gubernatorial campaign, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) continues to trail former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R). A new Quinnipiac poll shows the challenger leading by 10, 50% to 40%. It’s the first poll since last week’s primaries.
* Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D) seems to be gearing up for a primary race against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in New York next year. Maloney has added strategist Joe Trippi to her team, and hired Penn, Schoen & Berland to do polling.
* On a related note, Gov. David Paterson (D) is still unpopular.
* In a provocative new line of attack, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Penn.) argued yesterday that Sen. Arlen Specter may be a “flight risk.”
* A new Quinnipiac poll in Florida shows state CFO Alex Sink (D) leading state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) in next year’s gubernatorial race, 38% to 34%.
* The same poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist leading former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio in a Republican Senate primary, 54% to 23%.
* Interesting take on the possible Senate match-up in Louisiana: “If I’m a Louisiana voter trying to determine who’s the sharper cookie, what are my options?: A gal who made a reasonably comfortable living off exploiting the ungovernable urges of some men or a married public official who risked everything for the privilege of paying large sums of money for some working girl to handle his urges.”
