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
* Iowa’s gubernatorial race is shaping up to be one of the nation’s most competitive contests this year. With Patty Judge (D) dropping out<\/a>, the Dem primary has narrowed<\/a> to Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver and former economic development Director Mike Blouin. The latest Rasmussen poll<\/a> shows Rep. Jim Nussle (R) trialing Culver , 41% to 40%, but leading Blouin, 41% to 36%.<\/p>\n * Speaking of close gubernatorial races, Massachusetts Dems had, up until recently, assumed that the Dem nomination was Attorney General Thomas Reilly’s to lose. But after a series of stumbles, a new University of Massachusetts poll shows Deval Patrick (D) surging, and the two are now tied<\/a> at 40%.<\/p>\n * Georgia’s gubernatorial race appears to be far less competitive. A new Rasmussen poll<\/a> shows Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) with big leads over his Dem rivals, including Lt. Governor Mark Taylor (53% to 33%) and Secretary of State Cathy Cox (54% to 34%).<\/p>\n * Former football player Lynn Swann (R), the almost-certain Republican gubernatorial nominee in Pennsylvania, is asking supporters to do something he hasn’t done very often: vote. Over the last 18 years, Swann has missed most of the state’s elections<\/a> and GOP primaries, and even skipped a 1989 ballot initiative on property-tax reform — now a centerpiece of his campaign. (via Taegan Goddard<\/a>)<\/p>\n * In Kentucky, former Rep. Ken Lucas’ (D) comeback bid appears to be going well. Lucas announced last month that he is coming out of retirement to take on freshman Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) in the district he represented for three terms. A new internal poll<\/a> shows Lucas in the lead, 47% to 37%.<\/p>\n