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:
* Not only is [tag]Katherine Harris[/tag] (R) struggling badly in her Senate campaign in Florida, but she’s also having trouble breaking through with Republicans. In the latest Quinnipiac poll, Harris trailed Sen. [tag]Bill Nelson[/tag] (D), 59% to 26%, which is almost exactly where the race was a month ago. According to the poll, only 35% of Florida Republicans want Harris as their Senate nominee, but none of her unknown primary opponents seem to have much of a shot.
* In Maryland, the latest Washington Post poll shows former Rep. [tag]Kweisi Mfume[/tag] (D) pulling ahead in the Dem Senate primary against Rep. [tag]Ben Cardin[/tag] (D), 31% to 25%, with nearly one-third of state Dems still undecided. In the general election, however, Cardin seems to be in a stronger position, leading Lt. Gov. [tag]Michael Steele[/tag] (R) by 10 points, while Mfume is ahead of Steele by three.
* The AP had a key report out of Washington state today on Sen. [tag]Maria Cantwell[/tag] (D), who is struggling in her re-election effort, in part because of her support for the war in Iraq and the consternation it’s causing among the state’s progressive voters. “We’re frustrated,” said Joe Colgan, a retired lineman from Kent, Wash., whose son, Army 2nd Lt. Benjamin Colgan, was killed in Iraq. “With all the information that is out now that shows the war was a terrible mistake, she will not admit that her vote was wrong. That’s a fairly serious flaw.” Unlike [tag]Joe Lieberman[/tag], however, Cantwell’s two primary opponents are largely unknown and have very limited financial resources.
* According to a report in Roll Call, a poll conducted for [tag]Jim Webb[/tag]’s (D) Senate campaign in Virginia shows the challenger pulling to within seven points of incumbent Sen. [tag]George Allen[/tag] (R). In the Benenson Strategy Group poll, Allen leads 46% to 39%.
* And in Minnesota, the two latest Rasmussen polls offer Dems good news in both of the state’s major statewide contests. In the open Senate, Rasmussen shows attorney [tag]Amy Klobuchar[/tag] (D) with a narrow lead over Rep. [tag]Mark Kennedy[/tag] (R), 47% to 44%, which is about where the race was last month. (Rasmussen did not poll on veterinarian [tag]Ford Bell[/tag], who is challenging Klobuchar for the Dem nomination.) In Minnesota’s gubernatorial race, state Attorney General [tag]Mike Hatch[/tag] continues to lead incumbent Gov. [tag]Tim Pawlenty[/tag] (R), with the latest Rasmussen results showing Hatch ahead by five, 47% to 42%.