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:
* In Virginia’s closely watched gubernatorial race, the latest Public Policy Polling survey shows Terry McAuliffe (D) up by seven over Ken Cuccinelli (R), 44% to 37%.
* In related news, an Emerson College poll shows McAuliffe with an even larger advantage over the far-right state Attorney General, 45% to 35%.
* New Jersey Senate hopeful Cory Booker (D) talked to MSNBC’s Chris Hayes last night, and responded to offensive rhetoric from Republican Steve Lonegan about his personal life. “The question really should not be am I gay or straight. The question should be, why the heck are you asking the question in the first place? It doesn’t make a whit of difference what kind of senator I’m going to be or not,” Booker said. “I have affirmed my sexual orientation numerous times over the years. People in my local press world know exactly what that is.”
* Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), after getting caught being late on his property taxes 38 times, used campaign funds to pay off part of his bill — which he is not allowed to do. Reed later repaid the money and attributed the incident to a “clerical error.”
* If Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis (D) decides to pursue a gubernatorial campaign next year, she probably won’t suffer from a lack of funds. The Texas Democrat raised $1.2 million over six weeks immediately after her much-discussed filibuster in Austin. * In New York City’s mayoral race, a new New York Times-Siena College poll confirms what other recent surveys show: Bill de Blasio (D) has clearly jumped out in front of the rest of the pack. * And in California, where Rep. Mike Honda (D) will face a primary challenge from Ro Khanna, a former U.S. Commerce Department official with deep ties to the tech industry, a new PPP survey shows Honda well ahead of his challenger, 49% to 15%.
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
