Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Donald Trump’s political operation raised $247.8 million in September, which would be more impressive if Joe Biden’s operation hadn’t raised a record $383 million over the same period.
* The latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found Biden leading Trump nationally, 54% to 43%, among likely voters.
* While some recent surveys have shown the former vice president with a healthy lead in Florida, a new Mason Dixon poll shows Biden ahead by just three points over the incumbent president, 48% to 45%.
* In South Carolina’s closely watched U.S. Senate race, the latest New York Times/Siena College poll found incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) with a six-point advantage over Jamie Harrison (D), 46% to 40%.
* In Iowa’s closely watched U.S. Senate race, Theresa Greenfield (D) faced incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst (R) in a debate last night, and both were presented with an agricultural pop quiz. Greenfield aced the test; Ernst did not.
* On a related note, this was not the only setback for the conservative Iowan this week. A federal judge this week also ordered the Federal Election Commission to act on a complaint against a dark-money organization called Iowa Values, which is accused of having overly close ties to Ernst’s re-election campaign.
* In Mississippi’s U.S. Senate contest, incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) said this week that she won’t debate former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy (D). “The only people interested in debates are reporters and losing candidates,” the Republican argued. * At a U.S. Senate debate in Colorado this week, the candidates were asked whether they believe Donald Trump is “a moral and ethical man.” Incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner (R) replied, “Yes”; former Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) said the opposite. * On a related note, the latest 9NEWS/Colorado Politics poll in Colorado found Hickenlooper leading Gardner, 48% to 39%. The same results showed Biden leading Trump in the Rocky Mountain State, 50% to 40%. * And Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) this week became the third sitting Republican governor to announce he isn’t supporting Trump’s re-election this year. Hogan, who’s already cast his ballot, said he wrote in Ronald Reagan’s name. For the record, the former president died more than 16 years ago.
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."
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