TUESDAY’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.
* Despite having taken some steps for a statewide campaign, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced yesterday that he will not run for governor of California next year.
* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) has endorsed former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio’s (R) Senate campaign. While most of the GOP establishment is backing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R), a growing number of far-right leaders are throwing their support to the even-more-conservative Rubio.
* The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Dems with the edge in next year’s Senate race in Ohio. While the Democratic primary will pit Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner against one another, both lead former Bush OMB Director Rob Portman (R) by about nine points.
* Will Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) seek a second term next year? A whole lot of in-state insiders, from both parties, expect her to skip the race and focus on her national ambitions.
* Rep. Charlie Melancon (D) starts off his Senate campaign in Louisiana as an underdog, trailing incumbent Sen. David Vitter (R) in a Research 2000 poll by seven points, 48% to 41%. Given the state and circumstances, Vitter can’t be pleased that he’s already polling below the 50% threshold.
* The RNC is, not surprisingly, prepared to invest heavily to help former Attorney General Bob McDonnell win Virginia’s gubernatorial campaign, and transferred $1.5 million to the candidate’s coffers in May.
* Sen. Chris Dodd’s (D-Conn.) re-election prospects are still shaky, but he seems to be reconnecting with the party base in Connecticut.
* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) is slightly less unpopular than he was, but “the Siena College Research Institute poll released Monday also indicates that seven out of 10 New York state voters would vote for someone other than Paterson in next year’s gubernatorial contest.”
