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 a big day for primaries, especially in the Northeast. Voters will head to the polls in Delaware, D.C., Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.
* In one of today’s closely-watched contests, Kelly Ayotte is clinging to a shrinking lead in New Hampshire’s Republican Senate primary. A Magellan Strategies poll shows the former state A.G. leading Ovide Lamontagne by just 4 points, 35% to 31%
* Don’t expect to see too much of Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) on the Hill in the next several weeks. The former is still trying to figure out how to keep her job after losing a Republican primary, and the latter is struggling to win in November.
* In Connecticut, a Quinnipiac poll shows state A.G. Richard Blumenthal (D) with a shrinking lead over wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R). The new results show Blumenthal up by six, 51% to 45%, despite his huge approval rating and McMahon’s low favorability rating.
* In Nevada, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D) campaign is shifting gears a bit, focusing away from Sharron Angle’s (R) radical ideology and towards Sharron Angle’s radical voting record.
* In the state of Washington, a new Elway Poll shows incumbent Sen. Patty Murray (D) leading Dino Rossi (R), 50% to 41%.
* Maine’s far-right gubernatorial candidate, Paul LePage (R), has occasionally boycotted journalists as part of his campaign, and yesterday he “stormed out of a press conference” after a reporter asked him questions “about his property taxes and residency.”
* In Illinois’ Senate race, Rep. Mark Kirk’s (R) lengthy record of blatantly lying about his background continues to be the focus of Alexi Giannoulias’ (D) hard-hitting advertising.
* John Sides published a chart showing seven different independent forecasts for the House midterms. Five of the seven show Republicans winning a House majority in November.
