Tuesday Must-Reads: State Races Simmer

Illinois: Early voting in the special election to fill White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel’s House seat has already begun. The primary—essentially the race in this heavily Democratic district—is scheduled for March 3. Illinois State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz leads a crowded field in fundraising.New York: The day-to-day campaign moves continue in the NY-20 race. As reported yesterday, Tedisco will soon get his first ad on the air. While opponent Scott Murphy was endorsed by Sen. Chuck Schumer, Tedisco opened his third campaign office.New Jersey: Rudy Giuliani endorsed Chris Christie for this fall’s governor race. Giuliani joins former NJ Gov. Thomas Keane in endorsing the Republican.Connecticut: After polling last week revealed Sen. Chris Dodd’s popularity has plunged in the wake of a mortgage scandal, former Rep. Rob Simmons is floating his name as a potential opponent in 2010. Finally, House Republicans continue to take pride in their solidarity against the stimulus. Minority Whip Eric Cantor is claiming—via Aerosmith—that the party’s “Back in the Saddle” (UPDATE: The video has been removed from YouTube after opposition from the band). Though GOP governors aren’t quite in line yet.