Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* It’s Election Day in Arizona’s 8th congressional district, where a special election will decide who fills former Rep. Trent Frank’s (R) vacant seat. This is a heavily Republican district — Donald Trump won here by 21 points, and the GOP enjoys a 17-point registration advantage — suggesting former state lawmaker Debbie Lesko (R) is a clear favorite over Hiral Tipirneni (D), an emergency-room physician and first-time candidate.
* On a related note, Republicans have outspent Democrats in this special election by a roughly four-to-one margin.
* Speaking of special election, it’s also Election Day in part of New York, where a state Senate race may help determine partisan control of the chamber.
* At least for now, incumbent Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) has not qualified for the ballot, following a Colorado Supreme Court ruling. Roll Call reported, “State law says the signature collectors must be Colorado residents, and the state Supreme Court determined one of the collectors was not…. Lamborn plans to challenge the ruling in federal court.”
* In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) will apparently circumvent state election laws — with the state attorney general’s blessing — to schedule a special election to fill former Rep. Blake Farenthold’s (R) congressional vacancy. * Speaking of the Lone Star State, the latest Quinnipiac poll found Abbott with a nine-point lead over former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez (D) in this year’s gubernatorial race, 49% to 40%. Abbott had a similar lead against Valdez’s Democratic primary rival, businessman Andrew White. * A statewide poll in West Virginia conducted by a Republican outlet found state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey leading the GOP’s Senate primary, up by four points over Rep. Evan Jenkins. Coal baron Don Blankenship, who was released from prison last year, was further back in third place. * And in Montana, congressional hopeful John Heenan (D) launched an ad this week on stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, criticizing the conservative corporation for “using its power to take advantage of journalists, our democracy and the people of Montana.”
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
