THURSDAY’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 party pressure, Rep. Gresham Barrett (R), at least for now, refuses to drop out of the Republican gubernatorial runoff against state Rep. Nikki Haley. The election is in two weeks.
* Despite his scandalous past, ethical problems, and lack of any government experience at any level, Rick Scott is now leading Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary. A new Quinnipiac poll shows him leading state Attorney General Bill McCollum, 44% to 31%.
* The same poll shows another neophyte, Jeff Greene, closing the gap in the Senate Democratic primary, trailing Rep. Kendrick Meek by just two points, 29% to 27%, with “undecided” in the lead with 37%.
* In Connecticut, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Richard Blumenthal (D) leading Linda McMahon (R) in the open Senate race, 55% to 35%. Blumenthal’s 20-point lead is down slightly from a month ago.
* It seems unfathomable, but a new Rasmussen poll shows Sharron Angle (R) leading Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) in Nevada’s Senate race, 50% to 39%.
* In California, Rasmussen shows state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) narrowly leading former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R) in their gubernatorial contest, 45% to 44%.
* Despite the controversy surrounding his repeated public falsehoods, Rep. Mark Kirk (R) leads Illinois’ Senate race in the latest Rasmussen poll, with Kirk ahead of state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) by three, 42% to 39%.
* Daily Kos has dropped Research 2000 as its pollster.
* A ballot measure was approved in California this week that may have a significant impact on the state’s elections. The measure “puts in place an unusual ‘top two’ primary election process [that] could lead to a renaissance for centrist lawmakers.”
