Voters in NY-20 are finally hitting the polls today. Just how many will turn out is unclear, but big names—like Joe Biden and Rudy Giuliani—are doing their part to turn out their parties’ bases. Obama lends his name to a GOTV email while his face adorns an independent expenditure mailer that has little mention of Scott Murphy or the Democratic Party.
As political attention now shifts south to Virginia, first up is candidates’ fundraising. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Democratic fundraising pro, has traveled the country to bring in cash. That sets him up for criticism from Republican candidate Bob McDonnell and his Democratic primary foes—but it can’t hurt his coffers.
Virginia is one of many states where the GOP is hopeful it will make gubernatorial gains. The Washington Times is the latest newspaper to offer that analysis, with a deeper-than-usual look at 2010 states. One is Michigan—bound to suffer over the current automotive hullabaloo—where Rep. Pete Hoekstra has joined the list of Republican candidates.
On the Senate side, Connecticut Dems continue to worry about Chris Dodd—and, while they support the embattled Banking Committee chair publicly, they are prepping Attorney General Richard Blumenthal for an emergency run, if necessary. Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Gianoulias, a potential Democratic candidate for Roland Burris’s seat, hopes to avoid his state’s mantle of corruption by forsaking all money from lobbyists and corporate PACs.
A consulting firm is suing the RNC’s convention wing for alleged missing payments.
Here at Campaign Insider we love us some country music (as anyone who has wandered throuh the office can attest), so as a reward for getting through this longer-than-usual Must-Reads, check out a review of John Rich’s new single—this crisis’s first big protest song, the Times says—“Shuttin’ Down Detroit.” Can’t be long before it’s a Republican campaign song. Take a listen at Rich’s website to see if you want to license the rights.