Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* Tomorrow is the big day in the New Jersey GOP gubernatorial primary and a new poll, out this morning, shows the race tightening. Businessman Doug Forrester still leads former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler, but by a much closer margin than other recent polls showed. The new Quinnipiac data has Forrester with 35%, Schundler with 33%, with none of the other candidates breaking single-digits.
* Bob Novak has heard rumors that former Secretary of Commerce William Daley (D) is considering a primary challenge to incumbent Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) next year. Daley was considered a leading gubernatorial candidate in 2002, but skipped the race, clearing the way for Blagojevich. Daley, brother to Chicago’s mayor, is now back in Chicago after a business stint in Texas and weighing his options.
* After a better-than-expected showing in 2004, businessman Joe Donnelly (D) is considering another campaign against Rep. Chis Chocola (R-Ind.). Donnelly is hoping to take advantage of the controversy surrounding Chocola’s position on Social Security — he’s against it — which has weakened his position with voters.
* As expected, Kelly Doran (D), a wealthy real-estate developer, has formally entered Minnesota’s Senate race. Doran has not yet indicated how much of his personal wealth he’d be willing to use on the race, though he has an estimated worth of more than $50 million. Other Dem candidates include Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar, child safety advocate Patty Wetterling, and philanthropist Ford Bell, while Republicans have rallied behind Rep. Mark Kennedy.
* And in the round-up within the round-up, Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) sounds like a presidential candidate but remains coy about it, ditto for John Edwards, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) has a very busy schedule this week in New Hampshire, and Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) is making his first trip to Iowa this month. The moral of the story: the 2008 race has already begun.