Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In New Jersey, a new Fairleigh Dickinson poll found Sen. Robert Menendez (D) up by six over Bob Hugin (R), 43% to 37%. Earlier this week, a different poll showed the incumbent with a lead of only two points. (A Quinnipiac poll in this race is scheduled to be released in a couple of hours.)
* Though several recent surveys found Democrats up by double digits on the generic congressional ballot, a Quinnipiac poll released yesterday showed Dems up by seven, 49% to 42%.
* Florida’s closely watched gubernatorial race also might be tightening a bit: the latest Mason-Dixon showed Andrew Gillum (D) up by only one point over Ron DeSantis (R), 45% to 44%.
* Speaking of the Sunshine State, the latest report from Public Policy Polling found Sen. Bill Nelson (D) leading Gov. Rick Scott (R), 48% to 44%.
* On a related note, Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced his support this week for both Gillum and Nelson in Florida’s top-of-the-ballot races. Note, many Puerto Rican residents relocated to Florida after Hurricane Maria devastated the island last year.
* In a story worth keeping an eye on, McClatchy News reported this week that the National Rifle Association’s political spending is down sharply this year, as compared to the NRA’s election investments in the last midterm cycle: “The politically potent gun advocacy group has this year spent one-tenth of what it had spent politically at this point in 2014, according to the most recent filings with the Federal Election Commission.” * In Virginia’s 10th congressional district, one of the nation’s most closely watched House races, the latest Monmouth University poll found Jennifer Wexton (D) ahead of incumbent Rep. Barbara Comstock (R), 50% to 44%. * Speaking of competitive House districts, Monmouth University released a new poll this morning out of Pennsylvania’s 1st, where vulnerable incumbent Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) appears to be hanging on against Scott Wallace (D), 50% to 46%. * And in Missouri, Jason Kander (D) announced that he’s dropping out of Kansas City’s mayoral race in order to seek treatment for PTSD. Kander is a military veteran who served as an Army intelligence officer in Afghanistan.
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
