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:
* Rep. [tag]Katherine Harris[/tag] (R-Fla.) may have a good reason for holding back on spending her $10 million inheritance — she’s still losing badly. In a new Mason-Dixon poll in Florida, Harris trails incumbent Sen. [tag]Bill Nelson[/tag] (D) by 15 points, 51% to 35%.
* In New York, a new Quinnipiac poll shows state Attorney General [tag]Eliot Spitzer[/tag] (D) with almost-ridiculous leads over all of his gubernatorial challengers. In the Dem primary, Spitzer leads Thomas Suozzi, 69% to 14%. Against the Republicans, Spitzer leads Randy Daniels, William Weld, and John Faso by the same margin, 66% to 18%.
* New Rasmussen data from Pennsylvania offers good news and bad news for both parties. In the state’s Senate race, Rasmussen shows state Treasurer [tag]Bob Casey[/tag] (D) leading Sen. [tag]Rick Santorum[/tag] (R), 48% to 38%. The 10-point lead is slightly smaller than it has been recently. In the gubernatorial race, Rasmussen has Gov. [tag]Ed Rendell[/tag] (D) clinging to a narrow lead over football player [tag]Lynn Swann[/tag] (R), 44% to 41%.
* In Virginia, Sen. [tag]George Allen[/tag] (R-Va.) looks pretty strong in his re-election effort this year, leading his Dem rivals by more than 20 points each in the latest Rasmussen poll. Allen leads James Webb (D), 54% to 30%, and Harris Miller (D), 56% to 27%. On the other hand, the state is still learning about the Dems, some national figures are showing interest in helping beat Allen, and Allen has been sloppy lately, admitting that he finds the Senate boring.
* And in Ohio, State Sen. [tag]Charlie Wilson[/tag] (D) failed to qualify with the necessary signatures for the party’s congressional ballot recently, but he’s kicking off an “unprecedented field operation” to win the Dem primary through a write-in campaign. Wilson’s campaign manager called the field program “historic,” and promised an operation “like nothing this state has ever seen.” Wilson has a staff of 25 in the district, each of whom will be going door to door, explaining to voters how to write in Wilson in the May 2 primary. Wilson is the top choice of the party establishment in the race to succeed Rep. Ted Strickland (D), who is vacating the seat to run for governor.