Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In a new national Fox News poll, Democrats lead Republicans on the congressional generic ballot by 11 points, 49% to 38%, which seems a little high compared to most other recent surveys. Last month, the same poll showed Dems with an eight-point advantage.
* New Jersey’s U.S. Senate race generally isn’t seen as one of the nation’s more competitive this year, but that may soon change. The latest Quinnipiac poll found incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) leading former pharmaceutical executive Bob Hugin (R) by a modest six points, 43% to 37%.
* Speaking of surprisingly competitive Senate contests, a new NBC News/Marist poll in Texas found Sen. Ted Cruz (R) ahead by just four points over Rep. Beto O’Rourke (R), 49% to 45%. It’s one of several recent statewide surveys that showed the Republican senator struggling.
* The news for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) was much better: the same poll found the incumbent governor leading his Democratic challenger, Lupe Valdez, 56% to 37%.
* Though most recent polling suggests Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) is a fairly safe bet for re-election in Wisconsin this year, a new Marquette Law School Poll found the incumbent senator ahead by just two points over Leah Vukmir (R), 49% to 47%. * The same poll found Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) tied with Tony Evers (D), 46% to 46%, in this year’s gubernatorial race. * And in light of this week’s developments in Paul Manafort’s criminal trial, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) announced yesterday that he’ll donate the campaign contribution he received from the former Trump chairman to a local charity.
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
