MONDAY’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.
* Making things a little easier for Indiana Democrats, Rep. Baron Hill (D) announced over the weekend that he is not running for the Senate, and threw his support to Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D), who is now the frontrunner for the party’s nod.
* On a related note, a Research 2000 poll conducted last week in Indiana shows Ellsworth trailing corporate lobbyist Dan Coats (R) in a hypothetical match-up, but only by one point, 37% to 36%. Ellsworth is still not well known statewide.
* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is still in a precarious re-election position, but a new Mason-Dixon poll shows him with a slight lead if a Tea Party candidate makes it a three-way race. In a head-to-head match-up, however, Reid still trails his top GOP challengers by double digits.
* In Maryland, where former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) may take on incumbent Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) in a rematch of their 2006 race, Rasmussen shows O’Malley up by six, 49% to 43%.
* In Delaware, a Research 2000 poll shows Rep. Mike Castle (R) with an 18-point lead over Chris Coons (D) in the state’s open Senate race.
* Bush HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, a former four-term Wisconsin governor, appears increasingly likely to take on Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) in November.
* Former Colorado Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R), running for the Senate this year, brags in a new ad about eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood.
* With Rep. Dennis Moore (D) retiring in Kansas’ 3rd, can Dems recruit a credible challenger and keep the seat? Maybe — his wife, Stephene Moore, is apparently interested.
* And speaking of family affairs, DuBose Porter (D) is running in a competitive gubernatorial primary in Georgia this year, while his wife, Carol Porter (D), is running against Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.
