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.
* In Connecticut, former Rep. Rob Simmons (R) was running for the Senate, but said he’d end his bid if he failed to secure the nomination of the Connecticut Republican Party. Then he changed his mind. Then he changed his mind again and suspended his campaign. Now, Simmons has changed his mind once more, and has begun airing campaign ads this week. His primary against former wrestling executive Linda McMahon will be on August 10.
* In Colorado, Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck raised a few eyebrows yesterday when he told a voter he deserved support “because I do not wear high heels.” Buck said his comment was in response to his primary opponent, Jane Norton, running an ad attacking his attacks through independent groups. “You’d think he’d be man enough to do it himself,” she says in the ad.
* It’s Rasmussen, so take the results with a grain of salt, but the pollster’s latest results in Kentucky show a U.S. Senate race that’s staying largely the same. Right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) leads state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) in the poll, 49% to 41%. The results are nearly identical to other Rasmussen data from the last several weeks.
* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is running attack ads against Rep. Joe Sestak’s (D) Senate campaign in Pennsylvania, but two Pittsburgh-area television stations have agreed to stop airing the spot, concluding that the criticisms are inaccurate.
* Gov. Joe Manchin (D) is the favorite to win this year’s Senate special election, but it looks like he’ll have a primary opponent. Former West Virginia Secretary of State Ken Hechler (D) filed to run this week, but it’s unclear how serious Hechler is — the man is 95 years old.
* In Kansas, Rep. Jerry Moran continues to lead Rep. Todd Tiahrt in their Republican Senate primary. The latest SurveyUSA poll shows Moran up by double digits, 50% to 36%.
* In Alaska, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) is facing a primary challenge from right-wing lawyer Joe Miller, but support from the Palins apparently isn’t helping. A new poll from Anchorage-based pollster Ivan Moore shows Murkowski leading by a two-to-one margin, 62% to 30%. The primary is on August 24.
