Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* With a little over four months remaining in Virginia’s gubernatorial race, the latest Quinnipiac poll offers some good news for Democrats: Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) leads former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie, 47% to 39%. Northam’s lead was slightly larger before the recent party primaries.
* On a related note, Barack Obama has agreed to campaign in support of Northam, despite having supported his primary rival.
* The latest national NBC News poll found Democrats leading Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, 50% to 42%. That’s a pretty healthy advantage, but it’s also very early. (Dems had a similar advantage in 2013 after Republicans shut down the government, but it didn’t much help in 2014.)
* In Nevada, where Sen. Dean Heller (R) has to decide whether to vote for a regressive far-right health care bill ahead of his re-election bid next year, Rep. Jacky Rosen (D) has now confirmed her intention to take on the incumbent senator next year. * At his campaign rally in Iowa this week, Donald Trump again boasted, “We’re 5-0 in special elections.” That’s still wrong: Republicans have won four congressional special elections by closer-than-expected margins, and a Democrat easily prevailed in a California special election earlier this month. * And speaking of recent special elections, Montana’s Greg Gianforte began his congressional career this week and received a “gift” from his home-state Democratic Party: an orange jumpsuit, delivered to his office. Gianforte recently pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault after attacking a journalist and lying about it. As NBC News reported, Gianforte was sentenced to community service and anger management training.
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
