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:
* Sen. [tag]George Allen[/tag]’s (R-Va.) “macaca” problems continue. In a new SurveyUSA poll done for WUSA in Washington, Allen’s lead over challenger [tag]James Webb[/tag] has dropped from 19 points to three, and the race now stands at 48% to 45%.”Allen has lost support across all demographic groups, but in particular, among younger voters, he has gone from Plus 23 to Minus 17, a swing of 40 points. In Southeastern VA, Allen has gone from a 2:1 lead to a tie, a 31-point swing.”
* Missouri’s back-and-forth Senate race has shifted back towards the incumbent in a new Rasmussen poll. While last month showed State Auditor [tag]Claire McCaskill[/tag] (D) taking a small, three-point lead over Sen. [tag]Jim Talent[/tag] (R), the results released this morning show Talent coming back with an even smaller lead, 46% to 44%. Of the 10 Rasmussen polls conducted in Missouri this cycle, nine have shown Talent and McCaskill within three points of each other.
* In New York, the troubled Senate campaign of Kathleen Troia “KT” [tag]McFarland[/tag] (R) appears to be coming to an end. Yesterday, McFarland cancelled a series of campaign events after her 16-year-old daughter was arrested for shoplifting, and today, she released a statement saying she is “suspending my campaign activities until further notice.”
* Arkansas Attorney General [tag]Mike Beebe[/tag] (D) is still ahead in his state’s gubernatorial race, but his margin shrunk over the last month. A new Rasmussen poll shows Beebe leading former Rep. [tag]Asa Hutchinson[/tag] (R), 45% to 41%. In July, Beebe led, 47% to 40%.
* And in Oregon, Gov. [tag]Ted Kulongoski[/tag] (D) was, not too long ago, considered one of the most vulnerable Dem incumbents in the country, but of late, he seems to have found his footing. A new Rasmussen poll shows Kulongoski leading Republican challenger [tag]Ron Saxton[/tag] by 14 points, 49% to 35%. The incumbent is still just below the 50% threshold, which often spells trouble, but Kulongoski’s lead is growing; he led Saxton by 10 points a month ago.