Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Though some recent polls in Arizona have shown Sen. Mark Kelly with sizable leads, a new CBS News poll shows the Democratic incumbent ahead by only 3 points over Republican Blake Masters, 51% to 48%.
* In his latest fundraising pitch, Senate hopeful Herschel Walker told prospective donors that he’s planning to sue The Daily Beast. The Georgia Republican had previously said that he would file the lawsuit yesterday, but to date, that doesn’t appear to have happened.
* The controversy surrounding Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Martha’s Vineyard stunt doesn’t appear to have damaged his re-election campaign at all: A new Mason-Dixon poll in Florida shows the Republican incumbent leading Democrat Charlie Crist, 52% to 41%.
* On a related note, the same survey found Republican Sen. Marco Rubio ahead of Democratic Rep. Val Demings in Florida, 47% to 41%.
* Politico ran an unsettling report yesterday: “Election officials are growing concerned about a new danger in November: that groups looking to undermine election results will try to install their supporters as poll workers.”
* Democratic officials at the national level still aren’t prioritizing the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, and given recent polling showing a competitive contest, some are making the case that the party might come to regret overlooking this race.
* Maine’s gubernatorial candidates met for a debate last night, and former Republican Gov. Paul LePage “repeatedly stumbled” over a question about how he’d approach abortion rights if given a third term. * Arguably the nation’s most competitive gubernatorial race this year is in Oregon, where the latest Emerson College poll showed Republican Christine Drazan and Democrat Tina Kotek separated by just 2 points, 36% to 34%, thanks in large part to Betsy Johnson’s independent campaign garnering 19% support. The more Johnson splits the center-left, the easier it will be for Republicans to win Oregon’s gubernatorial office for the first time since 1982. * Speaking of the Pacific Northwest, the latest Emerson College poll in Washington found incumbent Democratic Sen. Patty Murray leading Republican Tiffany Smiley, 51% to 42%. * And senior House Republican told Punchbowl News this week, “The only thing that is holding us back are bad [gubernatorial] and Senate candidates.” On a related note, the only thing that is preventing your favorite football team from winning the Super Bowl is bad players.
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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