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
* Over the weekend, New Orleans voters narrowly re-elected<\/a> Mayor [tag]Ray Nagin[\/tag] (D) over Lt. Gov. [tag]Mitch Landrieu[\/tag] (D), 52% to 48%. The victory gives Nagin another four years to oversee one of the largest rebuilding projects in U.S. history. “This is a great day for the city of New Orleans. This election is over, and it’s time for this community to start the healing process,” Nagin said Saturday night. The AP added that the vote was split largely along racial lines, but Nagin got enough of a crossover in predominantly white districts to make the difference.<\/p>\n * Sen. [tag]Bill Nelson[\/tag] (D-Fla.) now leads Rep. [tag]Katherine Harris[\/tag] (R) by 27 points according to a new Rasmussen poll<\/a>, 60% to 33%. Nelson’s margin was slightly bigger in April’s poll, but his 60% support is a new high. Overall, 66% of the state’s voters view the incumbent Democrat favorably, while 50% of Floridians view Harris unfavorably.<\/p>\n * In Connecticut, the big news at the state party’s convention was the Lieberman-Lamont race, but there was another interesting fight. By a very narrow margin, Stamford Mayor [tag]Dan Malloy[\/tag] (D) pulled an upset<\/a> and won the party’s gubernatorial endorsement Saturday over New Haven Mayor [tag]John DeStefano[\/tag] (D). Malloy won by only four delegate votes. The favored DeStefano isn’t worried. “We wouldn’t switch with their campaign in an instant,” DeStefano spokesman Derek Slap said Sunday. “We have a fundraising lead and strong labor support. Those are things that win the primary.”<\/p>\n * Now that several top White House officials are less-than-popular campaign draws, Republicans are reaching out to a new heavy-hitter to help out on the campaign trail: First Lady [tag]Laura Bush[\/tag]. Polls show Mrs. Bush with strong poll numbers and the First Lady is a welcome celebrity for GOP candidates who would prefer to avoid the president. USA Today reported<\/a> that in the 2005-06 election cycle, the first lady has appeared at 15 Republican Party events and raised nearly $7 million. Today, Mrs. Bush will be in Vermont on behalf of Republican House candidate [tag]Martha Rainville[\/tag] and in Rhode Island for Sen. [tag]Lincoln Chafee[\/tag].<\/p>\n