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 Georgia, the big news was [tag]Ralph Reed[/tag]’s defeat, but there were other key primary races decided yesterday. In the Dems’ gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. [tag]Mark Taylor[/tag] (D) defeated Georgia Secretary of State [tag]Cathy Cox[/tag] (D), 51% to 45%. Cox immediately said she would back Taylor, telling supporters, “He can be assured of my support in the months to come,” she said. “Tonight a new season begins.”
* Also in Georgia, Rep. [tag]Cynthia McKinney[/tag] (D), facing voters for the first time since her run-in with a Capitol Hill police officer a few months ago, came in first in a Dem primary, but didn’t do well enough to avoid a run-off. McKinney will face her main challenger, [tag]Hank Johnson[/tag], a former county commissioner, on Aug. 8. As of last night, she edged Johnson by fewer than 1,500 votes/
* In Alabama, [tag]George Wallace[/tag] Jr., the son of the former governor, lost a GOP primary in his bid to become lieutenant governor. Wallace lost to newcomer [tag]Luther Strange[/tag], 55% to 45%.
* Keeping with a Southern theme, former Chattanooga Mayor [tag]Bob Corker[/tag]’s (R) campaign released a poll yesterday showing Corker well ahead in Tennessee’s GOP Senate primary. The poll showed Corker leading with 46% support, followed by former Rep. [tag]Ed Bryant[/tag] at 24%, and former Rep. [tag]Van Hilleary[/tag] at 17%. As Roll Call noted, early voting for the Aug. 3 primary is already under way.
* And in 2008 news, the Des Moines Register reported today that four likely Dem presidential candidates — Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Tom Vilsack, and Mark Warner — each paid $50,000 for access to the Iowa Democratic Party’s electronic voter information file this year. The state party does not ordinarily make the list available this early, but officials wanted to “seize on the early start to the 2008 campaign.”