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.
* Any chance Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes, who narrowly lost to Gov. Pat Quinn in a Democratic gubernatorial primary last week, would replace Scott Lee Cohen as Quinn’s running mate? Hynes apparently isn’t interested.
* Speaking of Illinois, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D), arguably the most popular statewide officeholder in the state, will serve as chairman of Alexi Giannoulias’s (D) Senate campaign.
* Former Sen. Dan Coats (R) has shaken up the Senate race in Indiana, but if he follows through on his plans, he won’t have a direct shot at Sen. Evan Bayh (D) — former Rep. John Hostettler (R) has vowed to stay in the race and compete against Coats in a primary.
* Keep an eye on Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), this year’s chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. The DCCC believes Sessions really is vulnerable this year.
* Speaking of Texas, the latest Public Policy Polling survey shows a competitive three-way race in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Incumbent Gov. Rick Perry leads with 39% support, followed by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison at 28%, and novice/right-wing activist Debra Medina close behind with 24%. If no candidate receives 50%, there will be a run-off.
* Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who seems oddly serious about running for president in 2012, endorsed Marco Rubio’s Senate campaign in Florida yesterday. It’s become something of a litmus test in far-right circles — if you don’t back Rubio, the GOP base won’t trust you.
* In South Carolina, state Rep. Tim Scott (R) was running for lieutenant governor, but ended his campaign yesterday to run for Congress. If elected, Scott would be the first African-American Republican in the House since J.C. Watts, who left Congress nearly eight years ago.
* And in Mississippi, former Fox News commentator and Tea Party activist Angela McGlowan (R) announced yesterday that she’s running for Congress in Mississippi’s 1st district. McGlowan hopes to take on Rep. Travis Childers (D), but will join a crowded GOP primary.
