Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.

* As expected, Donald Trump wasted little time formally endorsing former Sen. David Perdue’s Republican gubernatorial campaign in Georgia. The former president’s support came just hours after Perdue announced his primary challenge of incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp.

* In related news, at Trump’s urging, former Ambassador Lynda Blanchard is reportedly prepared to end her Republican U.S. Senate campaign in Alabama and will instead take on incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey in a GOP primary.

* Would Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh leave the cabinet to run for governor of Massachusetts? The former Boston mayor is dodging the question, suggesting he’s at least open to succeeding Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who’s retiring next year.

* Utah is one of several states to hold its elections through universal mail-in voting, but a group called Secure Vote Utah is collecting signatures for a 2022 ballot measure to scrap the state’s existing system.

Recommended

Maddowblog

Wednesday’s Campaign Round-Up, 6.25.25: Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary

Steve Benen

Maddowblog

Tuesday’s Campaign Round-Up, 5.13.25: Iowa’s Rob Sand launches gubernatorial campaign

Steve Benen

* In Illinois, there was some speculation that Republican Rep. Rodney Davis would challenge Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker next year, but the congressman has instead decided to run for re-election to the U.S. House.

* J.B. McCuskey, West Virginia’s Republican state auditor, has signaled his interest in the state’s gubernatorial race, conceding, “It’s the only job I’ve ever actually wanted.” That struck me as funny because he twice told voters the job he actually wanted was state auditor.

* And in Arizona’s U.S. Senate race, it raised a few eyebrows last week when a Koch Industries division bought DEPCOM Power, a company owned by Republican Senate hopeful Jim Lamon. Axios’ report on the purchase added, “There’s no indication the deal was influenced by any political considerations.”