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:
* Everyone’s favorite theocrat, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, is not exactly rallying much support on the campaign trail. A new Mobile Register-University of South Alabama poll shows Gov. Bob Riley (R) crushing Moore in a GOP primary, 56% to 28%.
* In New Jersey, though some recent polls have shown state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. (R) ahead of Sen. Bob Menendez (D), a new Zogby poll shows the opposite. Zogby shows Menendez ahead of Kean, 37% to 32%.
* Jim Panyard (R), the former Pennsylvania Manufacturers Assn., dropped his longshot gubernatorial bid in Pennsylvania yesterday, clearing the field for retired football player Lynn Swann (R) to get the Republican nomination. Panyard cited a lack of money and little media interest. Swann welcomed the news, but it may not help — a new Quinnipiac poll shows Gov. Ed Rendell (D) leading Swann by a large margin, 48% to 36%.
* New Mexico state Sen. Joe Carraro (R) announced this week that he’s going to take on incumbent Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D). Carraro joins a crowded GOP primary that includes, Santa Fe City Councilor David Pfeffer, former state Sen. Tom Benavides, doctor Allen McCulloch, and businessman Steven Gavi.
* Oregon state Sen. Ben Westlund surprised the state’s political establishment yesterday by announcing that he’s leaving the Republican Party and running for governor as an independent.
* The latest Rasmussen poll in Kansas shows Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) looking fairly strong in advance of her re-election fight, leading former Kansas House Speaker Robin Jennison (R), 47% to 36%, and state Sen. Jim Barnett (R), 45% to 37%.
* In Florida’s gubernatorial race, Rep. Jim Davis (D) has been competing well in hypothetical match-ups against the top GOP candidates, but a new Rasmussen poll shows Republicans pulling away a bit. State Attorney General Charlie Crist (R) is ahead of Davis, 42% to 37%, while state Financial Officer Tom Gallagher (R) leads Davis, 45% to 33%.
* And in Arkansas, state Attorney General Mike Beebe (D) continues to build on his lead in the state’s gubernatorial race over former Rep. Asa Hutchinson (R). The latest Rasmussen poll shows Beebe leading Hutchinson, 48% to 38%, a four-point expansion on Beebe’s 46-40 lead in last month’s Rasmussen poll.