No, this isn't a short edition because I am headed to the beach for Labor Day weekend. Clearly, there aren't many campaigns wishing to make news when everyone ELSE is headed to the beach for Labor Day weekend.
AZ-Gov: Brewer Hurting, According to Poll
If this new poll from Summit Group is to be believed, it is not just Democratic Governors who are being bludgeoned by the new political climate. This poll, taken by the Summit Group, has Arizona's GOP Governor, Jan Brewer, with an anemic re-elect of just eighteen percent, with 46% already committing to vote for someone else. An important caveat, however: the sponsor of this poll was a local businessman who has apparently shown interest in challenging Brewer in a GOP primary. Despite that caveat, it is hard to spin an 18% re-elect.
NATIONAL POLLS: New Democracy Corps Poll Shows Stability For Dems
Even though our weekly tracker shows the third straight week of unrelenting ugliness for the Democrats, other pollsters are proving to be a bit more stable in their political outlook. The folks at Democracy Corps (a Democratic group, but one whose polling has rarely had a strong Dem house effect) are out with new numbers today. President Obama fares reasonably well, with a 51/42 job approval. On the generic congressional ballot test, Democrats hold a nine-point lead in this survey.
SC-Gov: Are Democrats on the Verge of Landing A Top Recruit?
Good news out of the Palmetto State: state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jim Rex, the top Democratic officeholder in the state, is not seeking re-election. If you are wondering why that would be good news, it is because that makes it all the more likely that Rex will jump into the Governor's race in 2010. Rex could be aided by the Sanford/Bauer kerfluffle in South Carolina, where the state's embattled governor and ambitious lieutenant governor are in the midst of a popcorn-worthy meltdown.
MA-Sen: One Candidate In, One Candidate Likely Out In Massachusetts
Enter Stephen Lynch. In all likelihood, exit Curt Schilling. Such are the moves at the close of this week in the special Senate election to replace the late Edward Kennedy. Democrat Stephen Lynch, who has some special election experience (he replaced the late Joe Moakley in the state's 9th Congressional District), pulled papers for the race. Meanwhile, it looks like campaign law will keep Curt Schilling in the bullpen for the special election. He cannot campaign as a Republican, because state law requires a minimum of 90 days of party membership by the filing deadline (Schilling, despite being archconservative, is a registered Independent).
NH-Gov: Lynch Facing Early Opposition For 2010 Re-Election Bid
Unlike previous years, where the Republican opponent to Democratic Governor John Lynch seemed to be a battle for sacrificial lamb status, there are several reasonably legitimate names being bandied about for 2010. Veteran GOP activist Karen Testerman is considering a bid, as is former state Senator Chuck Morse. Already in the race: businessman Jack Kimball. Lynch has won two gubernatorial elections in a row with over 70% of the vote.
RACE FOR THE HOUSE: Several Candidate Announcements Round Out The Week
With each passing day (as often happens in the late Summer/early Autumn of the off-year), we get more candidates making noise about running for the House next year. In AZ-01, it looks like freshman Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick will get a fairly legitimate GOP rival, as former state legislator and business owner Rusty Bowers looks like a candidate. Kirkpatrick easily dispatched mining lobbyist Sydney Hay in 2008 (56-39). Meanwhile, another freshman Congresswoman (Kathy Dahlkemper in PA-03) has a likely challenger: John Onorato, a prosecutor from Erie County, is looking to get in. He is no relation to Democratic gubernatorial challenger Dan Onorato (the Allegheny County Executive). Meanwhile in NC-11, a physician named Daniel Eichenbaum is considering running against Heath Shuler, but has pledged to serve only one term.