Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* A new Quinnipiac poll shows Mitt Romney well ahead in the race of the Republican presidential nomination, leading the pack with 25% support. Sarah Palin is second with 15%, followed by Herman Cain with 9%.
* The same Quinnipiac poll, by the way, shows President Obama leading Romney nationwide, 47% to 41%. This will get a small fraction of the attention yesterday’s WaPo/ABC poll received.
* Responding to Republican demands, Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) is donating to charity the $1,000 she received from Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.). The money will now go to a shelter for homeless women and a nonprofit for American veterans. Sutton is the first to reject Weiner’s money.
* There were widespread hopes that Sen. Scott Brown’s (R) recent buffoonery would undermine his re-election prospects. Apparently, that’s not the case — a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows the incumbent with big leads over all of his potential Democratic rivals.
* In the state of Washington, state Attorney General Rob McKenna (R) will kick off his gubernatorial campaign today, and will immediately become the favorite for the GOP nomination. Incumbent Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) is not expected to seek a third term, and Rep. Jay Inslee (D) will likely be the Democratic frontrunner.
* There are two Republicans competing in Miami’s mayoral race, and both are distancing themselves from Florida’s wildly unpopular governor, Rick Scott (R).
* In Utah, Rep. Jason Chaffetz continues to take steps towards challenging Sen. Orrin Hatch in a Republican primary next year. I have increasing clarity and I’m leaning towards doing it,” he told the Wall Street Journal.
* And in Oklahoma, Rep. Dan Boren, the only Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation and arguably Congress’ most conservative Dem, announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election next year. The seat will almost certainly shift from “blue” to “red.”
