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:
* Stephen Laffey, the outspoken mayor of Rhode Island’s second-largest city, made it official yesterday, announcing that he will challenge fellow Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee in a Republican Senate primary next year.
* Despite some encouragement from state leaders, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) became the latest sitting House member from Ohio to formally withdraw from consideration in next year’s Senate race against vulnerable incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine (R). (The chances of Paul Hackett getting into the race just went up.)
* Speaking of Ohio, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani endorsed a Cincinnati mayoral candidate who says only born-again Christians should be elected to public office.
* Tennessee State Rep. Beth Harwell was slated to be one of a half-dozen Republicans vying to replace Bill Frist in the Senate next year, but Harwell announced this week that she will instead run for governor.
* And in Colorado, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R), best known for her lead sponsorship of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, may face a primary challenge (or two) while seeking re-election next year.Eric Eidsness, a Ft. Collins resident who served in the Reagan administration, told the newspaper he plans to form an exploratory committee. “I’ve talked to a number of people who are interested, as I am, in a change of leadership,” he said. “There are a lot of disaffected Republicans in the region who feel the party has left us.” Former state Rep. Bill Kaufman (R) of Loveland is also considering challenging Musgrave.