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:
* The drama that has become Jeanine Pirro’s Senate campaign took another turn yesterday when county Republican leaders from across New York met privately and concluded that Pirro should drop out of the race and run for state attorney general. State GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik said no vote was taken but that was the consensus of the county leaders. Pirro issued a statement rejecting the suggestion.
* On a similar note, Rep. Katherine Harris responded to Bob Novak’s recent column that suggested she’ll quit her Senate campaign by forcefully denying the possibility. “I am in this campaign until Election Day next November,” Harris said. “Any rumors or speculation to the contrary are completely false.”
* In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll included some good news for the state’s most important Dems. Gov. Ed Rendell (D) saw his approval rating increase back above the 50% mark (51%), while also enjoying double-digit leads over all of his likely GOP challengers. In the Senate race, Robert Casey leads Rick Santorum, 50% to 38%, which is slightly narrower than the 16-point lead Casey enjoyed in an October Quinnipiac poll. As for the president, Pennsylvania voters said they disapprove of Bush’s job performance, 59% to 38%.
* An internal poll leaked to Kos from Sherrod Brown’s Senate campaign in Ohio shows Brown leading Paul Hackett, 51% to 22%.
* Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley (D) officially announced yesterday that Del. Anthony G. Brown (D) would be his running mate. After the announcement, the two kicked off a one-day, nearly 190-mile trek to campaign stops in Frederick and Hagerstown before returning to Baltimore for a fundraiser.
* Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin (D) announced yesterday that he will seek re-election next year instead of running for governor. His departure leaves Deval Patrick and Attorney General Thomas Reilly as the Dems vying for the gubernatorial nomination.