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:
* It was a rare sight, but in Virginia yesterday, Republicans Ken Cuccinelli and E.W. Jackson, their party’s candidate for governor and lieutenant governor respectively, campaigned together over the weekend in Roanoke.
* Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) has decided to run for governor and will launch an 18-city barnstorming tour this week. Coakley hopes to bounce back after a disappointing U.S. Senate bid in late 2010.
* West Virginia’s open U.S. Senate race appears poised to get more interesting, with West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant (D) kicking off her campaign tomorrow. She’ll likely face Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) next year.
* The latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll offers some good news for Republicans, but on the generic congressional ballot, Democrats still lead by three, 46% to 43%.
* The latest statewide poll in Maine shows Rep. Mike Michaud (D) crushing Gov. Paul LePage (R) in a head-to-head match-up, 60% to 36%. If, however, independent Eliot Cutler runs again as a third-party candidate, splitting the mainstream vote, Michaud’s lead shrinks from 24 points to 6. * In New Hampshire, Republicans have struggled to find a top-tier candidate to run against Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) next year, but former state Sen. Jim Rubens (R) is prepared to jump into the race. Rubens last bid for statewide office was a failed gubernatorial campaign in 1998. * Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) suggested late on Friday that he “probably” won’t seek another term. Reports of Sunday show bookers crying, “What will we do?” remain unconfirmed. * And for those following the New York City mayor’s race, Bill Thompson (D) conceded this morning, making Bill de Blasio the Democratic Party’s mayoral nominee.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." Recommended
