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 Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, Rep. [tag]Jim Davis[/tag] has picked up considerable institutional support, but state Sen. [tag]Rod Smith[/tag] seems to have gained momentum in recent weeks. A new poll commissioned by the Florida Chamber of Commerce shows the race almost tied, with Davis leading by just one point, 22.5% to 21.5%, among “high frequency” Democratic primary voters. The Chamber also released a poll of Republicans this week, showing [tag]Charlie Crist[/tag] with a big lead over [tag]Tom Gallagher[/tag].
* The Texas Democratic Party won a temporary restraining order yesterday, preventing Republicans in the state’s 22nd congressional district from picking [tag]Tom DeLay[/tag]’s replacement for the November ballot. State Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie said Democrats are trying to keep the GOP from creating a “sham vacancy” for the Republican nomination, noting that DeLay is making a bizarre residency claim to avoid running after winning a local primary.
* A new Rasmussen poll shows former Denver District Attorney [tag]Bill Ritter[/tag] (D) leading Rep. [tag]Bob Beauprez[/tag] (R) in Colorado’s gubernatorial race, 43% to 38%. That’s a significant turnaround for Ritter since a Rasmussen poll in April, which showed Beauprez ahead, 39% to 37%. Overall, Ritter enjoys a 55-29 favorable rating, while Beauprez scored 45-40.
* In Connecticut, the latest Quinnipiac poll shows Republican Gov. [tag]Jodi Rell[/tag] looking very strong in her bid to win a second term, leading New Haven Mayor [tag]John DeStefano[/tag], 64% to 24%. The whopping 40-point gap is slightly smaller than last month, when Rell led by 46 points, but as Quinnipiac’s Douglas Schwartz said, “Mayor DeStefano is inching up on Gov. Rell, but there are many more inches to go.”
* [tag]Christy Mihos[/tag], an independent gubernatorial candidate in Massachusetts, announced his running mate yesterday, introducing John Sullivan, a veteran town official in Winchester. Sullivan is a life-long Dem who switched his registration to independent, just in time to meet the legal qualification to run for lieutenant governor.