Hawaii: Linda Lingle Launches Own Cable TV Channel

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Former Gov. Linda Lingle (R) today launched her own cable television channel, which is dedicated solely to providing information about her Senate campaign and the issues facing Hawaii.

LL2012 can be found on digital channel 110 for Oceanic Time Warner subscribers. According to the cable company, this is the first time a U.S. political candidate has used a dedicated cable channel, the campaign said. Full story

Illinois: Democrats Set Up Application Process in 12th District

Illinois Democrats this weekend set up their process to select a new nominee in the open 12th district seat. Meanwhile, at least one more potential candidate emerged.

William Enyart, the adjutant general of the Illinois National Guard, is the newest name to express an interest in running for retiring Rep. Jerry Costello’s (D) seat.

Democrats were forced to fill a vacancy on the ballot after their nominee unexpectedly dropped out of the race for health reasons. Local county party leaders will pick a replacement candidate in the coming weeks to face businessman Jason Plummer, the GOP nominee. Full story

Illinois: Democrats Look for Brad Harriman Ballot Replacement

Southern Illinois Democrats started their search for a new nominee in the 12th district today after their elected candidate dropped off the ballot for health reasons this week.

Potential candidates include Madison County Circuit Court Chief Judge Ann Callis, former state Rep. Jay Hoffman and state Rep. John Bradley, according to Illinois Democrats.

Former St. Clair County Regional Superintendent of Schools Brad Harriman, who won the Democratic primary in March, left the race this week because a longtime “neurological condition” forced him to curtail campaigning. Now Democrats must find a new candidate to face GOP nominee Jason Plummer in the competitive race for retiring Rep. Jerry Costello’s (D) seat.

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Illinois: Bobby Schilling Poll Shows Him Over 50 Percent

A poll for the campaign of Rep. Bobby Schilling shows him leading the Democratic nominee in the 17th district. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

A new poll done for Rep. Bobby Schilling’s (R-Ill.) re-election campaign showed him with a double-digit lead over former East Moline Alderwoman Cheri Bustos, the Democratic nominee.

The poll — paid for by Schilling’s campaign — gave the Republican a large 16-point lead, 51 percent to 35 percent, over Bustos. Full story

Ohio: CEO Talks FBI Investigation Into Josh Mandel, Jim Renacci Donors

A Republican donor implicated in a federal investigation over campaign contributions to Rep. Jim Renacci (R-Ohio) and the Senate campaign of Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) is talking to the media about the probe.

“This is punishment because we’re Republican donors,” Benjamin Suarez said in an interview with the Canton Repository published today. Suarez is president of the North Canton, Ohio-based Suarez Corporation Industries.

The investigation has proved to be a major distraction this week for Renacci and Mandel, who are running competitive races in the Buckeye State, although neither candidate has been accused of improper actions.

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Florida: Tom Coburn Backs Former Colleague George LeMieux

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on Wednesday endorsed former Sen. George LeMieux’s uphill battle to win his old job back.

“I served with George and have seen firsthand his commitment to reducing our national debt and stopping Washington’s out-of-control spending,” Coburn said in a statement.

In the Republican primary, LeMieux faces frontrunner Rep. Connie Mack IV, who has the backing of everyone from tea-party-affiliated Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to presumptive GOP White House nominee Mitt Romney.

The winner of the primary will face two-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who is in a strong position to win re-election even if President Barack Obama loses Florida.

In the general election, Roll Call rates this race as Leans Democratic.

Ohio: Majority PAC Extends Senate Race Buy to $600K

A Democratic super PAC spent an additional $300,000 in airtime to promote Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) this week — yet another sign that his race has become increasingly competitive.

The Majority PAC’s latest buy allows the group’s advertisement to stay on the airwaves a second week. The group has now spent $600,000 to air this spot on Brown’s GOP opponent, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel:

Outside groups have been pouring money into the race for months, but Democrats have been outspent by almost a 6-to-1 margin. The latest Majority PAC buy marks the largest investment to boost Brown’s re-election yet by an outside group.

Roll Call rates this race as Leans Democratic.

Maryland: Martin O’Malley Discusses Redistricting

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) addressed his state’s redistricting process and the subsequent fallout from it at a breakfast briefing with reporters today.

“There were, of course, bumps and bruises and divisions. No one likes redistricting. There are no real winners,” he said at an event hosted by Third Way, a centrist think tank in Washington, D.C. He added a caveat that at times there are “coincidental or incidental” winners in redistricting.

The Democratic Member who most vigorously opposed the map that O’Malley eventually signed into law was Rep. Donna Edwards.

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Massachusetts: Tisei Posts $350,000 Quarter in Race Against Tierney

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Republican Richard Tisei pulled in an impressive $350,000 in the first quarter of 2012 in his bid to unseat Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.). Tisei, a former state Senator and GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, managed to raise the substantial sum despite being a Republican in a state that overwhelmingly favors Democrats.

His campaign told Roll Call he ended last month with $454,000 in cash on hand. Tierney’s fundraising numbers for the first quarter were not immediately available.

In the fourth quarter of last year, Tisei raised $312,000 to Tierney’s $161,000, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Full story

Parties Look Back, Ahead in Maryland’s 6th District

Wealthy businessman John Delaney (above) is favored over Rep. Roscoe Bartlett in Maryland's 6th district race this fall. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Those deeply invested in Maryland’s 6th district — a seat Democrats are counting as a top pickup opportunity this fall — spent most of Wednesday making sense of this week’s primary results.

On the Democratic side, wounds remain raw. State Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola was supposed to win it all, but he lost big in the primary to businessman John Delaney, who poured more than $1.6 million of his own money into the campaign.

Garagiola’s mentor, state Sen. Thomas V. “Mike” Miller, gave a backhanded endorsement of Delaney on Wednesday, according to several reports.

But among party operatives — the Democrats who care more about a pickup in the delegation than the personalities involved — there is an almost palpable sense of relief that Delaney won.

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Maryland: John Delaney, Roscoe Bartlett Win Primaries

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

It would have shocked the Maryland political world six months ago, but businessman John Delaney beat out the state establishment favorite, state Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola, in the Maryland 6th district Democratic primary today, according to the Associated Press.

The seat’s current occupant, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, eased past the GOP primary as well. His closest challenger, state Sen. David Brinkley, came in second place. The tone between the two turned especially nasty in recent days.

The wins are not yet official, but Garagiola already conceded to Delaney.

The Democratic primary was a race between a candidate favored by mapmakers versus a candidate with a massive capacity to self-fund.

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Maryland: Martin O’Malley Does Robocalls for Rob Garagiola

Over the weekend, the two top Democrats in Maryland’s 6th district primary deployed their highest profile surrogates to do robocalls.

District residents have been receiving calls from Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) vouching for state Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola.

Garagiola is locked in a fierce battle with businessman John Delaney. It was reported Sunday that President Bill Clinton has been making robocalls on behalf of Delaney.

O’Malley, who endorsed Garagiola on Thursday, noted Garagiola’s ”record of progress and effectiveness.” Full story

Maryland: President Bill Clinton Does Robocalls for John Delaney

Former President Bill Clinton has recorded robocalls on behalf of businessman John Delaney in the Maryland 6th district primary, according to the Delaney campaign.

“You can count on John Delaney to stand up for the middle class and for our Democratic values,” Clinton says in the 32-second message.

“Please vote for more jobs, for greater opportunity by voting for Democrat John Delaney for Congress,” he adds.

Full story

John Delaney Poll Shows Big Lead as Martin O’Malley Backs Rob Garagiola

State Sen. Rob Garagiola (right) trailed businessman John Delaney (left) by a wide margin according to polls done for Delaney's campaign. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

State Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola and businessman John Delaney are playing their trump cards today, as the race for the Democratic nomination in Maryland’s 6th district enters the homestretch.

Garagiola announced he has the backing of Gov. Martin O’Malley, the state’s most prominent Democrat. Hours after news of the endorsement surfaced, the Delaney campaign released two internal polls showing him way up over his rivals with less than a week to go before Tuesday’s primary.

The latest poll, conducted March 26-27, showed Delaney garnering 49 percent of the vote, with Garagiola garnering 23 percent of the vote. Dr. Milad Pooran came in third with 10 percent. Sixteen percent of those surveyed were undecided. The winner of the Democratic primary will challenge Rep. Roscoe Bartlett in the fall in a race that Democrats are slightly favored to win.

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Maryland: Donna Edwards Backs John Delaney

Rep. Donna Edwards announced her support of businessman John Delaney in the 6th district race. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Maryland Rep. Donna Edwards today endorsed businessman John Delaney in the 6th district race, putting her on the opposite side of three of her fellow Democratic colleagues.

While it does not carry the stature of a national endorsement from President Bill Clinton, Edwards’ support has strategic and symbolic resonance of its own.

Delaney is facing state Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola in what has become a tough Democratic primary. The 6th district was essentially redrawn with Garagiola, who is deeply entrenched with Maryland Democratic insiders, in mind. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer is backing Garagiola, along with Reps. Elijah Cummings and Dutch Ruppersberger. Full story