Nebraska: Deb Fischer Wins GOP Senate Nomination

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Coming off a last-minute surge, state Sen. Deb Fischer won the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate tonight, according to the Associated Press.

Up until about two weeks ago, Fischer was largely written off as a candidate. For most of the cycle, state Attorney General Jon Bruning was the undisputed GOP frontrunner. He came in second place.

Bruning had a deep organization, but Fischer’s momentum proved too strong.

The favorite among anti-establishment conservative groups, state Treasurer Don Stenberg came in third place. In recent days, state and national Republicans began to describe the Stenberg effort as a miscalculation on the part of Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and others.

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Sarah Palin Endorses Deb Fischer in Nebraska Senate Race

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, have endorsed Deb Fischer, providing the state Senator’s struggling bid to succeed retiring Sen. Ben Nelson (D) an adrenaline shot six days before the GOP primary.

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Arizona: Richard Carmona Poll Shows Competitive Race

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

A poll done for former Surgeon General Richard Carmona (D) shows the Arizona Senate race is competitive for Democrats this fall, an argument national party strategists have been working to make.

The Anzalone Liszt Research survey found Rep. Jeff Flake (R) ahead of Carmona 43 percent to 39 percent in a general election matchup. The poll did not test Carmona against Flake’s GOP primary rival, real estate investor Wil Cardon.

Carmona, who has never run for office before, had a much lower name identification than Flake, who was first elected to the House in 2000. Twenty-two percent of those surveyed were able to identify Carmona, while 48 percent said they knew who Flake was. Full story

Florida: John Quiñones Announces Bid in 9th District

Osceola County Commissioner John “Q” Quiñones (R) will run for Congress in Florida’s new strongly Democratic 9th district, he announced yesterday.

Quiñones, a former state Representative, faces a handful of Republicans in the primary. The winner of that contest will take on likely Democratic nominee former Rep. Alan Grayson in a district that would have voted 60 percent for Barack Obama in 2008. Quiñones, 46, is the second Latino GOP candidate to throw his hat in the ring. The district is more than 44 percent Hispanic.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean he, or any Latino candidate, has a straight shot at the nomination. Full story

Arizona: Bivens Drops Out, Democratic Field Clears

Former state Democratic Party Chairman Don Bivens is dropping out of the race to replace retiring Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.).

“The continuing head-to-head competition of our Democratic primary is draining resources that we will need as a Party to win the U.S. Senate race in November,” he wrote in a statement. “While I am confident we would win this primary, the cost and impact on the Party I’ve spent my life fighting for could diminish our chance to achieve the ultimate goal: winning in November.”

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Nebraska: Kerrey, State GOP Dispute His Eligibility

Nebraska Republicans are pursuing legal actions to remove former Sen. Bob Kerrey from the state’s ballot in the race to replace retiring Sen. Ben Nelson (D).

The issue at hand is Kerrey’s residency, which had started as a political problem and has become a legal one.

The state Republican Party is challenging in court a prior ruling from Secretary of State John Gale. Gale ruled on Friday that although Kerrey violated Nebraska ballot requirements, he did qualify under the U.S. Constitution to appear on the ballot.

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Nebraska: Crossroads Hits Bob Kerrey in New Radio Ads

The conservative group American Crossroads has begun an $80,000 radio ad buy against former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D) on Nebraska radio stations.

The ad hits on persistent themes Republicans have been using in their case against Kerrey. Those include Kerrey’s New York City residence, his support for health care reform, tying him to retiring Sen. Ben Nelson (D) and accusations of “backroom deals” with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to entice Kerrey to run for Senate.

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Nebraska: Democratic Field Clears for Bob Kerrey

To perhaps no one’s surprise, the Democratic field in Nebraska’s Senate race has cleared for former Sen. Bob Kerrey.

Chuck Hassebrook, who had been seeking the Democratic nomination before Kerrey decided to enter the race, ended his campaign today and gave the former Senator his endorsement.

I “came to the realization I would not succeed,” Hassebrook said at a press conference, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. Full story

Nebraska: Bruning Internal Poll Shows Big Lead

A poll conducted for Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning showed him with a wide lead in the GOP Senate primary. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

An internal poll commissioned by Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning’s Senate campaign showed him holding a strong lead over his Republican primary rivals.

Bruning garnered 52 percent, followed by state Treasurer Don Stenberg, who got 19 percent, and state Sen. Deb Fischer, who got 11 percent.

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Gary Condit’s Son Set to Launch Bid for Congress

Chad Condit, the son of former California Rep. Gary Condit, appears set to launch a campaign for Congress as an independent in California’s Central Valley.

Condit, 45, who most recently served as a state legislative aide, has launched a website, Twitter account and YouTube channel but has not made a formal announcement. However, a story published on ivn.us includes an interview with Condit in which he confirms he is running. Full story

North Carolina: Mike McIntyre Running for Re-Election After All

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.), who had flirted with a gubernatorial run earlier this year and who was drawn into Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell’s district by the GOP-controlled Legislature, filed to run in the 7th district Monday. Full story

Michigan: Paul Ryan to Stump for Pete Hoekstra’s Senate Bid

House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (above) will host a business roundtable and fundraising reception for former Rep. Pete Hoekstra. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will visit former Rep. Pete Hoekstra on the campaign trail in March to boost the Republican’s bid against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). Full story

North Carolina Democratic Bench Keeps Shuffling

Will the last endangered Democratic official in North Carolina please turn out the lights?

Rep. Brad Miller (D) announced his retirement this morning. Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue, facing the likely prospect of an epic defeat this November, announced her decision not to run for a second term this afternoon. Later, politically vulnerable Rep. Mike McIntyre (D) opened the door to running for governor of the Tar Heel State. And a local news report tonight said Rep. Heath Shuler (D) is eyeing a bid for governor as well. A Shuler spokeswoman had no comment. Full story