Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Though nearly every recent statewide poll in Virginia’s gubernatorial race has shown Ralph Northam (D) with a narrow lead over Ed Gillespie (R), a new Monmouth University poll found Gillespie narrowly ahead, 48% to 47%.
* Confirming what’s been widely assumed, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) announced this morning that he’ll run for a third term next year.
* In Alabama’s U.S. Senate special election Doug Jones (D) launched a new television ad this week, making an interesting boast: “I can work with Republicans better than Roy Moore can work with anyone.”
* Democratic candidates’ success in state legislative special elections continued yesterday, with Paul Feeney (D) winning a state Senate race in Massachusetts. The seat was previously held by a Dem, so his victory will not change the balance in the state legislature.
* Steve Bannon was in Arizona last night, throwing his support behind Kelli Ward’s (R) far-right primary challenge to incumbent Sen. Jeff Flake (R). * On a related note, in Nevada’s U.S. Senate Republican primary, Danny Tarkanian said this week he’s “disgusted” with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and wouldn’t support him if elected. Tarkanian is taking on incumbent Sen. Dean Heller (R). * Facing questions about alleged campaign finance irregularities, Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr. (R-Calif.) is starting to pay more in legal fees than his campaign is collecting in contributions. Roll Call reports that in Hunter’s most recent quarterly fundraising report, the Republican spent roughly $134,000 on legal fees, while raising about $91,440. * And in Michigan, Kerry Bentivolio, a former congressman and reindeer herder, has formed an exploratory committee as part of his attempted comeback bid.
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
