The holiday weekend has now past, and the political news game can be expected to ramp up a little bit in the next few weeks, before slackening yet again during the political news desert known as the Christmas to New Years time period.
So, let us make hay while we can, with the Monday edition of the Wrap:
MI-Gov: GOP Continues To Lead In Gubernatorial Race
One blue state where the electoral calculus needs to change a great deal for Democrats to keep their governorship is in the state of Michigan. Michigan voters appear to be taking out the aggressions associated with the state's economic woes on the Democratic Party, if a new poll by Mitchell Communications is any indication. The GOP frontrunner, state Attorney General Mike Cox, has a sixteen point edge over Democratic frontrunner John Cherry. Against a purported challenge by Democratic state House speaker Andy Dillon, the margin moves to blowout status. Cox's biggest electoral peril may be in a GOP primary: hard-right GOP Congressman Peter Hoekstra only trails Cox by three points (27-24) according to the poll.
WI-Gov: Barrett Even Money Or Better, According to PPP
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is no worse than dead even with his Republican rivals, according to a new survey released over the holiday weekend by the crew over at PPP (PDF File). Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is the only Republican that can keep Barrett out of the lead (they are tied at 40% each). Against former Governor Tommy Thompson, Barrett holds a modest lead of 46-41. Against former Congressman (and 1998 Senate candidate) Mark Neumann, Barrett holds a two-point edge (41-39).
UT-Gov: Dems Might Draw Legit Candidate, Despite Uphill Struggle
Most candidates don't take solace in a poll where the incumbent leads them by nearly 25 points. But this is Utah, and he is a Democrat, so perhaps a double-digit lead might be good news, after all. The candidate, a potentially strong one, is Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon. Despite the fact that he trails incumbent Republican Gary Herbert 56-32, he seems more likely than not to make the run.
Polls: State Approval Ratings Paints Picture of Ticked Off Electorate
Adding to their semi-regular series of tracking polls in individual states, the team over at SurveyUSA paints a picture of a very disenchanted electorate. In nine states (five of which were carried by President Obama), only one politician (Charles Schumer of New York) managed to crack 60% job approval. President Obama's in the states are quite low (low enough, in some cases, to allow for some skepticism):
Approval Ratings for President Obama, Selected States, SurveyUSA
California: 53/38
New York: 53/39
Washington: 48/48
Oregon: 47/47
Missouri: 38/58
Kansas: 38/58
Kentucky: 38/58
Alabama: 38/59
Virginia: 37/60
IN OTHER NEWS....
- Just a reminder that I can now be found at Twitter where much pontificating on politics (and sports, and occasionally other matters) ensues...
- NH-02: Democrats picked up another candidate in the battle to replace Paul Hodes in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional district. State legislator John DeJoie is throwing his hat in the ring, joining attorney Ann McLane Kuster in the Democratic primary. The GOP is likely to coalesce around former Congressman Charlie Bass if he follows through, as expected, with a comeback bid.
- MT-Pres: SurveyUSA is not the only pollster showing flagging Obama approval in potentially amenable territory. A new poll from Montana State University shows that President Obama currently has a 37% job approval rating in the state. Obama only narrowly lost the state in 2008, getting edged 50-47 by John McCain.
- CT-Sen: One of my favorite daily stops for political news, Ron Gunzberger's Politics1, floats a pretty intriguing trial balloon in today's edition. Noting that the Connecticut GOP seems intent on winnowing the field in their Senate challenge to Democratic incumbent Chris Dodd, Gunzberger wonders aloud whether GOP candidate (and Ron Paulite) Peter Schiff might find himself jumping from the Republican primary, but staying in the Senate race as the nominee of the Libertarian Party. If that actually happened, it would be a welcome sight for Dodd, who could benefit from a free-spending right-of-center third party candidate.
- CT-03: It is not likely to result in a major-league challenge, but another Democratic incumbent drew GOP opposition in 2010. Jerry Labriola Jr. has announced a challenge to longtime Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro in the heavily Democratic 3rd district. Labriola has a political pedigree of sorts--his father was a former Republican state legislator who ran against Joe Lieberman for the United States Senate in 1994.
- PA-Gov: In a competitive primary for Governor, Democrats are starting now to line up behind their preferred candidates in the 2010 open-seat gubernatorial campaign. State Auditor Jack Wagner announced endorsements from county officials in Lebanon and Jefferson County, while Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato countered with state legislators Michael Gerber and Daylin Leach, especially critical for him since they hail from SE Pennsylvania, far from Onorato's base in the Pittsburgh area.
- CA-03: The once crowded Democratic primary to challenge potentially embattled Republican incumbent Dan Lungren (who drew just 49% of the vote in 2008) has now become a primary of one. Physician Ami Bera put together two solid quarters of fundraising (north of $600K total), which sent first Gary Davis and now Bill Slaton to the sidelines. Slaton dropped out today and endorsed Bera, which should give Bera a clear shot at Lungren, who narrowly defeated Bill Durston 49-44 in the 2008 election cycle.
- NH-01: The field challenging Democratic Sophomore Rep. Carol Shea-Porter grows a bit today, with the news that businessman Richard Ashooh might also make a bid in 2010. Ashooh is a Sununu ally, which might make some wonder if the NRCC's anointed candidate here, Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta, might not necessarily be as beloved in New Hampshire as he is in the halls of the GOP offices in DC.
- CO-02: Best rationale for a candidacy ever: Curtis Harris is running a longshot campaign against Democratic freshman Rep. Jared Polis as a candidate of the Libertarian Party. He wants you to know that he is running for Congress because he really, really doesn't like Congress. Sounds somewhat masochistic to me, really...send me to Congress, because I am against Congress?