Missouri: Jim DeMint, Rick Santorum Throw Support Behind Beleaguered Todd Akin

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has decided to wade into the Missouri Senate race in support of GOP Rep. Todd Akin.

DeMint is joining former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, a fellow social conservative who sought the Republican presidential nomination this year, in endorsing Akin’s controversial candidacy.

In a statement released through Santorum’s Patriot Voices PAC, DeMint and Santorum made a fundraising appeal for the beleaguered Republican Senate candidate. Full story

Missouri: Roy Blunt Backs Todd Akin as Deadline for Withdrawal Passes

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Hours after the deadline passed for Republican Rep. Todd Akin to drop out of the Missouri Senate race against Sen. Claire McCaskill, the Show-Me State’s current GOP Senator announced that he would back Akin’s candidacy.

“From Governor Romney to the county courthouse, I’ll be working for the Republican ticket in Missouri, and that includes Todd Akin,” Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said in a statement issued late Tuesday. Blunt said that despite some policy disagreements, “he and I agree the Senate majority must change.”

Akin faced a concerted push from Republicans, including presidential nominee Mitt Romney, to drop out of the Senate race after winning the nomination because of concerns that he would have no chance to prevail in November, in what could be a critical contest for GOP efforts to retake the Senate. Full story

Missouri Senate Race Moves to Leans Democratic as Todd Akin Stays Put

Rep. Todd Akin confirmed once and for all today that he will be the GOP Senate nominee in Missouri. (Whitney Curtis/Getty Images)

Rep. Todd Akin reaffirmed for the final time today that he will be the irrevocable Republican Senate nominee in Missouri, despite the best efforts of national Republicans to get him to step aside after he made now-infamous comments about “legitimate rape.”

At a press conference in St. Louis, where he didn’t take any questions, Akin pledged to push forward in the face of today’s 5 p.m. CDT deadline to remove himself from the ballot.

National Republicans have refused to support Akin ever since he made the widely publicized comments about rape in August, with both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Republican National Committee saying they will stay out of the race as long as he stays in.

Akin faces Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, who began the cycle as one of the most vulnerable Senators up for re-election. With it now clear that Akin will be on the ballot in November, Roll Call is changing its race rating for the Missouri Senate race from Tossup to Leans Democratic. Full story

Connecticut: WWE Scrubs YouTube of ‘Edgier’ Wrestling Footage

Connecticut Republican Senate nominee Linda McMahon’s former professional wrestling company, WWE, is seeking to remove what it considers “dated and edgier” footage from YouTube, according to an Associated Press report.

“To better reflect our current family-friendly brand of entertainment, WWE is removing some dated and edgier footage from digital platforms,” the company said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. “Some of this footage has been misused in political environments without any context or explanation as to when it was produced. This damages the corporate reputation of our company. WWE is well within its rights to protect its intellectual property for fair use.”

Full story

Connecticut: DSCC on Air; Linda McMahon Gets Independent Line

(CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has committed to a six-figure television ad buy to support Rep. Christopher Murphy’s campaign to replace retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman (I).

Murphy is running against former WWE CEO Linda McMahon (R), who according to the Hartford Courant has qualified for the Independent line and, consequently, will appear twice on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Sources who track Connecticut television advertising say the DSCC has purchased $320,000 in broadcast and cable television spending that begins today and will last until Sept. 18.

McMahon has spent heavily on her campaign so far this cycle.

Roll Call rates this race as Leans Democratic.

California: Internal Poll Has Alan Lowenthal Up 20

(Douglas Graham CQ/Roll Call File Photo)

A poll conducted for the campaign of California state Sen. Alan Lowenthal found the Democrat ahead of his Republican opponent by 20 points in the race for the newly drawn 47th district. Full story

California: Abel Maldonado Launching First TV Ad

Abel Maldonado, a former California lieutenant governor, is launching his first television ad today in his challenge of Rep. Lois Capps (D).

The Republican is taking on Capps in the Santa Barbara-based 24th district, which was redrawn in redistricting last year as a far more competitive district for Capps. Maldonado uses his first ad to introduce himself to voters, highlight his business background and run against an unpopular Congress.

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California: John Garamendi Leads in 3rd District Democratic Poll

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

California Rep. John Garamendi (D) led his Republican challenger by 15 points in a new poll conducted for a Democratic-aligned super PAC.

Garamendi led Colusa County Supervisor Kim Vann 54 percent to 39 percent. The two are running in the redrawn, Sacramento-area 3rd district, which became more competitive after redistricting.

The poll of 400 likely voters in the district was conducted August 26-27 by GBA Strategies on behalf of House Majority PAC. It had a margin of error of 4.9 points.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released an internal automated poll last month that showed Garamendi ahead by 15 points.

Roll Call rates the race as Leans Democratic.

Race Rating Change: New Mexico Senate Now Leans Democratic

Recent polling has shown Rep. Martin Heinrich with a growing lead in the New Mexico Senate race. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The New Mexico Senate race appears to be moving in Democrats’ direction.

That’s the sense after a string of new polling showed Rep. Martin Heinrich (D) expanding his lead beyond the margin of error against former Rep. Heather Wilson (R). Plus, national Republicans have shifted money for television time out of the state to a more competitive race.

With these developments, Roll Call is moving the race from Tossup to Leans Democratic. Full story

Connecticut: New Polls Give Parties Mixed Senate, House News

Rep. Christopher Murphy is in a more competitive Senate race than once thought. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Two polls released today offer mixed news for Republicans and Democrats in competitive Connecticut Senate and House races.

A new poll commissioned by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee surveying the 5th district House race showed former state Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D) had a 9-point lead over state Sen. Andrew Roraback (R). Forty-four percent of those polled said they intended to vote for Esty, while 35 percent said they would back Roraback. Full story

Race Rating Change: Linda McMahon Makes Gains in Connecticut

(CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Thanks to heavy and effective television advertising and a disciplined campaign, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon has pushed her Senate race against Rep. Chris Murphy (D) from Likely Democratic to Leans Democratic.

At the beginning of this cycle, many Washington Republicans wrote off her campaign. National Republicans now compliment her campaign’s execution over the past year. They make no pretense that this race is on par with tossups in Virginia or Massachusetts, but insist it is much more competitive than it seems on the surface. Full story

Illinois: New Democratic Poll Shows Robert Dold and Brad Schneider Tied

Democrat Brad Schneider is challenging Republican Rep. Robert Dold in Illinois' 10th district. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Updated 1:30 p.m. | Freshman Rep. Robert Dold (R) and businessman Brad Schneider (D) are in a dead heat in the race for an Illinois House seat, according to a new Democratic poll released today.

Dold and Schneider each received 46 percent in the survey conducted for the Service Employees International Union and House Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC.

The 10th district presents Democrats with one of their best pick-up opportunities this fall. Currently, Dold represents the most Democratic district held by a GOP House Member. What’s more, Democrats improved the 10th for their party in their redraw of the state’s Congressional map last year. Roll Call rates the race as Leans Democratic.

Democrats argue the poll is further evidence Dold is in trouble going into November.

“Bob Dold is in serious trouble because he is seriously out of step with Illinois,” said Alixandria Lapp, executive director of House Majority PAC.

Full story

Florida: Connie Mack IV, Bill Nelson to Battle in November

Rep. Connie Mack IV won tonight's Republican Senate primary in Florida. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Connie Mack IV, who had broad support from just about every swath of the Republican Party, easily picked up the GOP nomination for Senate to take on Sen. Bill Nelson (D) in November.

Mack defeated long-shot candidates former Rep. Dave Weldon, retired Army Col. Mike McCalister and activist Marielena Stuart in primary. With 42.7 percent of precincts reporting, Mack had 58.5 percent of ballots cast, according to the Associated Press.

Nelson also easily dispatched a nonserious opponent. The two-term Senator took 79.3 percent of the vote, with 43.1 percent reporting, per AP results.

Mack is seen in both Democratic and Republican circles as a particularly weak candidate. The race in November favors Nelson.

Roll Call rates the Senate race as Leans Democratic. Nelson is widely expected to outperform President Barack Obama regardless of whether he wins the battleground state.

House Race Ratings: Changes in Michigan and Washington

Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, was pleased with the outcome of Tuesday's primaries. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

House Democrats had a productive primary night Tuesday. But how good was it, really?

In Michigan, Democrats nominated their strongest possible general election candidate, a self-funding former state lawmaker, to challenge freshman Rep. Justin Amash (R) in the 3rd district. Another potential opportunity was solidified in the vacant 11th district, where Republicans nominated a libertarian reindeer rancher who is untested and unvetted as a candidate. Finally, on the West Coast, Democrats nominated the best possible candidate, former Microsoft executive Suzan DelBene, in Washington’s vacant 1st district.

“We were presented with some good opportunities last night,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel (N.Y.) boasted to reporters Wednesday. “Make no mistake about it: Michigan was a huge loss for Republicans and a real opportunity for Democrats.”

Full story

California: GOP Poll Finds 9th District Race a Dead Heat

Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) and his Republican challenger, Ricky Gill, are in a dead heat in the 9th district, according to a poll conducted for Gill and the National Republican Congressional Committee. Full story