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:
* Though Rep. Paul Broun’s (R) wife indicated yesterday her husband will launch a U.S. Senate campaign in Georgia, the right-wing congressman’s office said Broun will “make a formal announcement within the next week” about his plans.
* In Massachusetts, with six months to go before the Senate special election, Public Policy Polling shows a very tight race between Rep. Ed Markey (D) and former Sen. Scott Brown (R), with the latter enjoying a three point lead, 48% to 45%.
* In Pennsylvania, a Quinnipiac poll this week found that a majority of the state’s voters believe Gov. Tom Corbett (R) does not deserve re-election, while only 31% believe he does. Unfortunately for Democrats, however, a top-tier candidate has not yet entered the race.
* On a related note, recent polling shows Gov. Rick Snyder (R) is vulnerable in Michigan, but Democrats don’t have a high-profile challenger now that state Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D), widely considered a rising star in the state party, has decided not to run.
* In Colorado, Republicans believe they might be able to launch a credible challenge to Sen. Mark Udall (D) next year, but they can’t find a strong candidate, either.
* New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) remains popular in his state, but after a major initiative on gun violence, his Republican constituents have soured on the governor, dropping his approval rating from 74% to 59%.
* In Iowa, Rep. Bruce Braley (D) is gearing up for the race to replace retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D), with a formal announcement likely to come tomorrow. He will reportedly enjoy significant party support, with the DSCC letting other potential candidates know that Braley will enjoy the Democratic establishment’s backing.
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