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:<\/p>\n
* Former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D), who represented Nebraska but has lived in New York City for 10 years, is considering<\/a> entering the city’s mayoral race. “I am angry about the way New York City is being treated by Washington D.C.,” Kerrey told the New York Times. “Who is fighting these guys? What would Giuliani and Koch be doing now? They’d be raising hell!” Kerrey’s interest has thrown Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his staff off balance, in large part because they thought Kerrey would be heading up “Democrats for Bloomberg<\/a>.”<\/p>\n * In the race to succeed Paul Sarbanes’ Senate seat in Maryland, former NAACP head Kweisi Mfume is leading Rep. Ben Cardin<\/a> among potential Dem primary voters, 32% to 26%. Republicans prefer Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R), who narrowly trails Mfume and Cardin in hypothetical general election match-ups.<\/p>\n * Speaking of Maryland, looking ahead to next year’s gubernatorial race, incumbent Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) trails his likely rival<\/a>, Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley (D), 45% to 39%.<\/p>\n * Confirming the worst kept secret in the Minnesota, Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar formally announced<\/a> yesterday that she’s running for the Senate. She’s already raised almost $600,000<\/a> for the campaign since mid-February.<\/p>\n * Despite a lackluster term as Virginia’s chief executive, former Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) apparently has his eyes set on returning to public office<\/a>. Gilmore hosted a glitzy fundraiser over the weekend for Americans for Freedom and Opportunity, a new group he’s created to advance his conservative ideas. Gilmore is perhaps best known in Virginia for his ineffective fiscal and budget policies, which ultimately helped boost Dems’ standing in the state and led to Democratic Gov. Mark Warner’s victory in 2001.<\/p>\n