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
* Minnesota’s closely-watched Senate race appears to be increasingly out of reach for Republicans. A new Minnesota Poll<\/a> shows [tag]Amy Klobuchar[\/tag] (D) leading Rep. [tag]Mark Kennedy[\/tag] (R), 56% to 32%. Independence Party candidate Robert Fitzgerald remains at 3%. Klobuchar’s 24-point lead is her largest in any poll to date.<\/p>\n * Speaking of Minnesota, the Senate race may be increasingly dull, but the gubernatorial race is just the opposite. Gov. [tag]Tim Pawlenty[\/tag] (R) state Attorney General [tag]Mike Hatch[\/tag] (D) are now tied<\/a> at 42% each. Independence Party candidate Peter Hutchinson still trails with just 7%.<\/p>\n * In Rhode Island, Sen. [tag]Linc Chafee[\/tag] (R) does not appear to be getting much in the way of a post-primary bump in the polls. A new Rasmussen poll<\/a> shows him trailing former state Attorney General [tag]Sheldon Whitehouse[\/tag] (D), 51% to 43%. In August, Rasmussen showed Whitehouse up by just two points.<\/p>\n * In Iowa, a new Des Moines Register poll<\/a> shows Iowa Secretary of State [tag]Chet Culver[\/tag] (D) and Rep. [tag]Jim Nussle[\/tag] (R) tied at 42% in the state’s gubernatorial race.<\/p>\n * Nevada’s open gubernatorial race remains competitive, though clearly leaning in the Republican’s favor right now. A new Research 2000 poll<\/a> shows Rep. [tag]Jim Gibbons[\/tag] (R) leading [tag]Dina Titus[\/tag] (D), 45% to 38%. Titus told the Las Vegas Gazette-Journal, “This poll was done after he had been on TV for two weeks and we hadn’t been up yet. But we’re up (on TV) now. Our internal polling is calling it a tossup and his internal polling is calling it a tossup, even though he won’t admit it.”<\/p>\n