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
* Top-tier Republican candidates in Michigan have steered clear of taking on Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) and a new poll<\/a> out this week shows why. In hypothetical match-ups against her four most likely GOP rivals, Stabenow’s lead ranged from 27% to 29%. Of particular interest was Stabenow vs. Jane Abraham, wife of former Sen. Spencer Abraham, in which Stabenow leads, 59%-30%.<\/p>\n * Rep. Jim Nussle (R) formally announced<\/a> his gubernatorial campaign in Iowa yesterday, to the delight of state Republicans who had encouraged him to run. Nussle will face business consultant Bob Vander Plaats in a GOP primary.<\/p>\n * State Sen. Steve Kelley (D-Minn.), chairman of the state Senate Education Committee and one of the legislature’s foremost technology experts, became one of the first Dems to announce his intentions<\/a> to run for governor next year. Other Dems, including state Attorney General Mike Hatch and Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, are also considering the race.<\/p>\n * For reasons that defy comprehension, Nassau County executive Thomas Suozzi is thinking about<\/a> taking on state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in a Dem primary in next year’s gubernatorial race in New York. H. Carl McCall, the Democrats’ last nominee for governor has encouraged Suozzi to forgo the race. “He has a real future in this party. A run against Eliot Spitzer, especially if it goes badly, could harm Tom’s career, maybe permanently.” State Republicans, who want to see Spitzer’s campaign damaged before the general election, are reacting with glee to the news.<\/p>\n * Eight-term Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth (D) announced this week that he will take on<\/a> Rep. John Hostettler (R-Ind.) next year. Jon Jennings, who lost to Hostettler last year in a relatively close race, announced he would not seek a rematch, prompting Ellsworth to enter the race.<\/p>\n