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
* Though several recent polls showed Sen. Rick Santorum (R) closing the gap against Bob Casey (D) in Pennsylvania, new data shows the gap getting bigger again. A new Quinnipiac poll<\/a> showed Casey regaining his double-digit lead and is now up 54% to 40%. A month ago, Quinnipiac showed Casey ahead by only six. Green Party candidate Carl Romanelli garnered 4% support, though he has lost a court fight and will probably not appear on the ballot. (Thanks to Rege for the tip)<\/p>\n * In Nevada, a new Las Vegas Review-Journal poll<\/a> shows the Senate race looking less and less competitive. Incumbent Sen. John Ensign (R) now leads challenger Jack Carter (D) by 23 points, 58% to 35%. Carter said he expected a dip in the polls due to a two-week hospital stay due to severe colitis that kept him off the campaign trail.<\/p>\n * Speaking of Nevada, in the state’s gubernatorial race, a new Mason-Dixon poll<\/a> shows Rep. Jim Gibbons (R) leading state Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus (D), 45% to 36%. In July, Gibbons led 46% to 37%.<\/p>\n * A Democratic poll in Tennessee shows Rep. Harold Ford (D) keeping the momentum up against Bob Corker (R) in the state’s Senate race. Ford, according to the Benenson Strategies Group poll<\/a>, now leads 45% to 39%.<\/p>\n * In Colorado, Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter (D) has opened up an even bigger lead against Rep. Bob Beauprez (R) in a new Rasmussen poll<\/a>, and is now ahead, 50% to 34%. The 16-point margin is Ritter’s biggest lead to date, and is a seven-point improvement on his lead from August.<\/p>\n