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:
* In what will probably be the last poll before tomorrow’s special election, SurveyUSA reports that [tag]Brian Bilbray[/tag] (R) narrowly leads [tag]Francine Busby[/tag] (D), 47% to 45%. The pollsters noted that Busby leads among younger voters in the otherwise-conservative 50th congressional district, but Bilbray enjoys a sizable lead among voters over 65.
* Speaking of California, tomorrow’s Dem gubernatorial primary is still too close to call. A SurveyUSA poll shows [tag]Phil Angelides[/tag] leading [tag]Steve Westly[/tag], 41% to 37%.
* [tag]Deval Patrick[/tag] surprised a few people over the weekend by beating out his two Dem gubernatorial rivals at the Massachusetts Democratic convention. Businessman [tag]Chris Gabrieli[/tag] garnered 15% support (just enough to qualify for the primary ballot), while state Attorney General [tag]Thomas Reilly[/tag] came in second with 27%, and Patrick won a rather decisive victory, receiving the backing of 58% of the 4,569 delegates.
* Dems in Iowa will pick their gubernatorial candidate tomorrow, and a new poll from the Des Moines Register shows Iowa Secretary of State [tag]Chet Culver[/tag] (D) in the lead with 36% support, followed by former state economic development director [tag]Mike Blouin[/tag] at 28%, and state Rep. [tag]Ed Fallon[/tag] at 21%. The winner will take on Rep. Jim Nussle (R) in November.
* And in Kentucky, just days after his lieutenant governor announced he would not run again, Gov. [tag]Ernie Fletcher[/tag] announced a new running mate, state finance secretary [tag]Robbie Rudolph[/tag]. Rudolph ran for lieutenant governor in 2003 with one of Fletcher’s primary opponents, Rebecca Jackson. Fletcher, of course, was indicted last month for violating state employment law.