TUESDAY’S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP…. Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) will formally launch his third unsuccessful presidential campaign today at an event in Iowa. He will reportedly also announce the support of three of the 19 members of the Iowa Republican Party’s state central committee.
* In Massachusetts, Sen. Scott Brown (R) has his first high-profile challenger, with Alan Khazei, founder of City Year, officially kicking off his campaign this morning. Khazei ran third in the Democratic primary in the 2009 special election that Brown ultimately won.
* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour’s (R) unexpected decision not to run for president has cleared up a legion of staffers, activists, lobbyists, and donors who’d pledged to back him. Now, they’re all up for grabs.
* Yesterday was the deadline in Wisconsin for recall petitions, and Republican efforts to trigger elections for two more state Senate Democrats fell short.
* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R), reportedly still planning a presidential campaign, accepted $300,000 from the ethanol lobbying group Growth Energy in 2009. Among the things the organization was buying: Gingrich’s intention to “speak positively on ethanol-related topics to media.”
* Freshman Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) now has a top-tier Democratic challenger, with former Wisconsin state Sen. Pat Kreitlow (D) launching a campaign yesterday.
* In Florida, state Rep. Adam Hasner (R) kicked off his U.S. Senate campaign yesterday, making his announcement on Mark Levin’s right-wing radio talk show.
* It appears increasingly likely that far-right Rep. Todd Akin (R) will run for the U.S. Senate in Missouri next year, prompting Ed Martin (R) to instead run for the U.S. House.
