Hawaii: VoteVets on Air for Tulsi Gabbard

A liberal veterans group is going on the air in Hawaii to support Honolulu City Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard in the open 2nd district.

VoteVets.org, the largest progressive organization of veterans in the country, spent $75,000 to air the ad for 10 days on broadcast television and plans to spend more as the Aug. 11 primary approaches. The ad features several Iraq War veterans describing Gabbard’s biography, which includes military service and public office. Full story

California: Howard Berman Greeted Obama in Brad Sherman’s District

Neither President Barack Obama nor former President Bill Clinton have officially picked sides in the clash of Democratic Congressmen from California’s San Fernando Valley. But Obama and Clinton have dropped strong hints regarding where they stand.

It was Rep. Howard Berman — not Rep. Brad Sherman — who greeted Obama on Thursday at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, which is in Sherman’s current district. Berman then rode with Obama in the motorcade to a campaign fundraiser at the Studio City home of actor George Clooney, which is in the Congressman’s district. Full story

New Jersey: Bill Clinton Endorses Bill Pascrell

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Updated 2:36 p.m. | President Bill Clinton has done it again.

Today he announced he is backing Rep. Bill Pascrell (D) over fellow Democratic Rep. Steven Rothman in their New Jersey primary. This is the third Member-vs.-Member race the former president has waded into — and in each case he has backed the lawmaker who supported his wife in the 2008 presidential race.

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California: Super PAC Drops $500,000 on TV for Howard Berman

(Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The San Fernando Valley cable systems are reaping the benefits of what’s expected to be one of the most expensive House races ever.

A super PAC reportedly supporting California Rep. Howard Berman has purchased a half-million dollars in cable TV time for the next month, according to the campaign of Berman’s opponent, fellow Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman. The ad buy runs from May 2 to June 4. Full story

California: Internal Poll Shows Close 2nd District Race

An internal poll commissioned for Democratic activist Norman Solomon in California’s open 2nd district found him in position to advance beyond the June 5 primary, with several other Democrats close behind.

The race to replace retiring Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D) will most likely be between two Democrats under California’s new top-two primary format, in which two candidates no matter their party may advance to the general election. Full story

New Jersey: Steven Rothman Goes On the Air

Rep. Steven Rothman is on the air with his first ad in the Member-vs.-Member race against Rep. Bill Pascrell. The two are vying for the Democratic nomination in New Jersey’s 9th district.

The ad makes it clear this is a race to the left. With words like “Democratic values” and “progressive” and an image of the candidate with President Barack Obama, Rothman is clearly trying to burnish his Democratic bona fides.

California: Internal Jared Huffman Poll Finds a Race for Second

It’s a race for second place in Northern California’s coastal 2nd district, according to an internal poll for state Assemblyman Jared Huffman’s campaign.

The Democrat holds a wide lead in the 12-candidate all-party primary with 24 percent, followed by fellow Democrats Stacey Lawson with 9 percent, Norman Solomon with 7 percent and Susan Adams with 5 percent. Dan Roberts and Michael Halliwell, the only two Republicans in the race, took 5 percent each. Full story

New Jersey: Steven Rothman Barely Beats Bill Pascrell in Quarterly Money Chase

Rep. Steven Rothman (above) just barely outraised fellow Rep. Bill Pascrell in the first quarter. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

In New Jersey’s hotly contested Member-vs.-Member Democratic primary, Rep. Steven Rothman narrowly outraised Rep. Bill Pascrell by about $30,000 in the first quarter. Rothman “raised over $540,000,” while Pascrell raised “approximately $510,000,” according to campaign press releases.

As for cash on hand, Rothman had just less than $1.8 million. Pascrell’s campaign did not release its cash total. At year’s end, Pascrell had $1.5 million in the bank, versus Rothman’s $1.7 million.

Full story

New Jersey: Special Election Dates for Payne Seat Set

As most New Jersey politicos expected, Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) issued a writ setting the special election primary and general dates to fill the term of the late Rep. Donald Payne as concurrent with the previously scheduled state primary and general election dates for 2012.

State tradition has it that special elections are rarely held because of the costs associated. Instead, the special election is held in conjunction with the state’s scheduled primary and general elections. A candidate’s name appears twice on the ballot, once for the special election and again in the contest for a full term.

The winner of the special election will fill out the lame-duck term after the November election.

In other 10th district news, Newark City Councilman Ron Rice picked up the endorsements of two of his colleagues, Newark South Ward Councilman Ras Baraka and Central Ward Councilman Darrin Sharif.

Full story

Illinois: New Jesse Jackson Jr. Poll Shows Huge Primary Lead

(Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

CHICAGO — With one week to go before the Democratic primary, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. released a poll that showed him with a massive 36-point lead over former Rep. Debbie Halvorson.

Jackson led Halvorson 59 percent to 23 percent, according to the internal poll given to Roll Call by one of the Illinois Congressman’s top campaign aides.

The two Democrats are squaring off in the March 20 primary in the redrawn 2nd district, which spans from southern Chicago to rural Kankakee County. The district is heavily Democratic, and the winner of the primary will serve in the next Congress in all likelihood. Full story

Ohio: Four Democrats Seek New Columbus Seat

Former Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy is the favorite to win the Democratic primary in Ohio's 3rd district. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

As the White House hopefuls fight to win the Buckeye State in today’s GOP primary, several Democrats are vying for a ticket to Capitol Hill in a lesser-watched open-seat primary. Full story

Ohio: Members Send Late Money to Marcy Kaptur

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Just days before Ohio Democratic Reps. Marcy Kaptur and Dennis Kucinich square off in a primary, two fellow Democrats, including Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), picked sides.

Earlier this week, Rep. David Price’s (D-N.C.) re-election committee and Durbin’s Prairie political action committee each donated $1,000 to Kaptur. The Congresswoman also received a $1,000 check from Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s (D-Conn.) campaign at the start of this year, according to online fundraising records. Both Price and DeLauro serve with Kaptur on the Appropriations Committee. Durbin, also an appropriator, was first elected to the House in 1982, the same year as Kaptur.

Kucinich’s fundraising reports from this year did not show any transfers from his Congressional colleagues. However, the late Rep. Tom Lantos’ (D-Calif.) campaign committee donated $2,000 to Kucinich in early February. Full story

Missouri: Russ Carnahan, William Lacy Clay Set to Face Off

(Ryan Kelly/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Updated 2:55 p.m. | Missouri Rep. Russ Carnahan filed today to run in the urban St. Louis 1st district, setting off a potentially racially charged Democratic primary with Rep. William Lacy Clay that pits two Missouri political dynasties — one white, one black — against each other.

In the majority-minority district, both Congressmen will be familiar to voters, but Clay probably has the early edge. Only a third of Carnahan’s current constituents were drawn into the reconfigured 1st.

“It’s impossible to overlook the minority aspect here,” said Mike Kelley, a St. Louis Democrat who is a former executive director of the Missouri Democratic Party. “There will be a lot of downticket races that will have primaries, particularly in the African-American community, that will drive some turnout in this election. It will be something Caranhan will have to overcome, and it will be something that Clay will have to capitalize on.” Full story

California: Ex-Rep. Diane Watson Backs Janice Hahn Over Laura Richardson

Rep. Janice Hahn (above) picked up an endorsement from former Rep. Diane Watson. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Former Rep. Diane Watson is taking sides in one of two Democratic Member-vs.-Member races in California.

The Democrat, who is mistakenly listed as an endorser on Rep. Laura Richardson’s campaign website, said today that she is in fact endorsing Rep. Janice Hahn in the redrawn 44th district in south Los Angeles. Full story

Boxer Ends Neutral Stance, Backs Berman Over Sherman

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Howard Berman has already won more than two-thirds of the California Congressional delegation’s endorsements and picked up another big one today: Sen. Barbara Boxer.

In a letter to Berman today, the California Democrat said she could no longer stay out of Berman’s high-profile race with fellow Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman for the redrawn 30th district in the San Fernando Valley. Her decision to finally enter the fray came in reaction to a recent Sherman direct-mail piece that attempted to use a contribution from the PG&E utility company to a Berman-supporting super PAC as a way to tie Berman to the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion. Full story