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.
* It’s primary day in Indiana, North Carolina, and Ohio.
* Controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio (R) will not run for governor this year, though he insists he’d win if he ran.
* Democratic officials are circulating a new poll showing that in Hawaii’s upcoming special election, former Rep. Ed Case (D) can win, and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa (D) cannot. At this point, both Dems will cancel each other out handing the seat to Republican Charles Djou.
* In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac showed Sen. Arlen Specter leading Rep. Joe Sestak in their Democratic primary by 21 points a month ago. Quinnipiac now has the incumbent leading by just eight, 47% to 39%. A Muhlenberg College/Morning Call tracking poll showed similar results.
* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) has been officially neutral in Kentucky’s Republican Senate primary, but today he formally threw his support to Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson.
* Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s (D) re-election effort in Arkansas continues to enjoy support from former President Bill Clinton.
* Scott Lee Cohen was forced out of Illinois’ race for lieutenant governor a couple of months ago, but he now plans to run for governor as an independent.
* Ron Kirkland, a Republican congressional candidate in Tennessee, has boasted that during his military career, gay service members “were taken care of” in ways that he “can’t describe.”
