FRIDAY’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.
* Who’s leading in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race? It depends on which poll you read. The New York Times has incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D) leading Chris Christie (R) by three (40% to 37%), while SurveyUSA has Christie up by one (40% to 39%), and Rasmussen has them tied at 38% each.
* How can we tell that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is worried about re-election in Nevada next year? He’s already running TV ads, including a bio spot long-term incumbents rarely find necessary.
* Yesterday, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (D) said he’s thinking about running for the Senate next year. If he does, it’ll be quite a match-up — a new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows Rep. Mike Castle (R) leading Biden by just one point, 46% to 45%, in a hypothetical general election contest.
* In Iowa, a new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) leading Christie Vilsack (D) in a hypothetical match-up, but the margin was more competitive than I expected — 51% to 40%.
* On a related note, the same poll found a close gubernatorial race in Iowa next year. Former Gov. Terry Branstad (R) leads incumbent Gov. Chet Culver (D) by five, 48% to 43%.
* It looks like Sen. John Ensign’s (R-Nev.) sex scandal is having quite an effect on his fundraising.
* House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) may face more than one primary challenger next year.
* Florida Republicans have finally found someone ready to take on Rep. Alan Grayson (D) next year. There’s just one small problem: the GOP challenger lives 300 miles from the district.
* In California, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman has been embarrassed by her lack of a voting record. Looks like Republican Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina is in the same boat.
* And while the conventional wisdom suggests Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) is in deep trouble in Arkansas next year, a new DSCC poll offers the incumbent some encouraging results.
