Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* It was the source of quite a bit of drama, but Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has finally scheduled a pair of state legislative special elections, filling vacancies that have existed since December. The elections will be held on June 12, with primaries as needed on May 15.
* Rep. Jim Renacci’s (R) U.S. Senate campaign in Ohio ran into a little trouble yesterday: the Associated Press reported that when the congressman was a registered D.C. lobbyist, he “failed to disclose nearly $50,000 in political contributions.”
* Speaking of the Buckeye State, how far out of step is Gov. John Kasich (R) from his party’s base? A conservative super PAC called Ohio Conservatives for a Change is attacking Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor’s Republican gubernatorial campaign on the grounds she received Kasich’s endorsement.
* In Pennsylvania, a new Franklin & Marshall College poll, released yesterday, showed incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D) with an 18-point lead over Rep. Lou Barletta (R), 43% to 25%.
* On a related note, the same poll showed incumbent Gov. Tom Wolf (R) with sizable leads over each of his would-be Republican rivals, with advantages ranging from 17 to 29 points. * For the first time since leaving the White House, former President Barack Obama will headline an event in support of a Democratic candidate: he’ll appear at a California fundraiser in May for Sen. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri. * In a bit of a surprise, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said this week that he’ll support his party’s U.S. Senate nominee, but he won’t campaign publicly against Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.). * And speaking of the Sunshine State, a group of school-voucher advocates have given up, at least for now, on their ballot measure to change the Florida Constitution to allow for public funding of private religious schools.
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
