Texas: Dewhurst, Cruz Launch Final Push in Senate Race

Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz are playing to their strengths in the final stretch before Tuesday’s GOP Senate runoff.

According to recently filed Federal Election Commission reports, Dewhurst has loaned his campaign an additional $8 million since his pre-runoff report. That brings his loan total to $24.5 million, according to the Houston Chronicle. Dewhurst’s personal fortune was always his greatest strength and he has proven willing to spend generously.

Part of that money will go toward a new television ad featuring Gov. Rick Perry (R).

Arizona: David Schweikert Up Over Ben Quayle in Internal Poll

There had been rumblings in Arizona political circles of an internal campaign poll showing a wide lead for Rep. David Schweikert for several days. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Updated 10:05 p.m. | Rep. David Schweikert led fellow Republican Rep. Ben Quayle by 16 points in a recent Schweikert campaign internal poll.

The two Congressmen are engaged in a blockbuster Member-vs.-Member race for Arizona’s 6th district that has caught the attention of state Republicans. According to the survey from this past Sunday, 49 percent of respondents supported Schweikert, while 33 percent said they intended to vote for Quayle.

There had been rumblings in Arizona political circles of an internal campaign poll showing a wide Schweikert lead for several days.

The poll, conducted by Adam Geller of National Research Inc., was conducted July 22 and was a live telephone survey. It included 300 “likely GOP primary voters” and had a margin of error of 5.66 points.

Whoever wins this race will likely have a lock on the district for years to come. Roll Call rates this race as Safe Republican.

Updated 10:05 p.m.

A source in the Quayle camp said that it is a close race and Schweikert is “not ahead.”

Connecticut: Christopher Shays Goes on TV Ahead of GOP Primary

Former Rep. Christopher Shays is going on the air after all, less than two weeks after he announced he would not run TV ads in the lead-up to the Aug. 14 GOP Senate primary in Connecticut.

His campaign today released a new, positive television ad featuring his wife, Betsi.

Full story

Wisconsin Senate Primary Attracts Star Musician Power

Rock musician Ted Nugent and country music star Rodney Atkins are scheduled to travel to Wisconsin to headline events for GOP Senate primary candidates.

Nugent is set to perform Thursday for former Gov. Tommy Thompson; Atkins is scheduled to perform for businessman Eric Hovde on Aug. 1. The campaigns hope to translate the musicians’ star power into enthusiasm as the campaign for the primary nomination enters its final weeks.

“This is a rally, a serious rally, for my friend and the great American blood brother for freedom, U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Thompson,” Nugent says in a voice recording sent to Thompson supporters. “If you want upgraded quality of life for the American dream, vote U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Thompson.”

The Atkins event was described by the Hovde campaign as the kickoff to its get-out-the-vote effort. Full story

Texas: Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint to Campaign for Ted Cruz

Top conservative surrogates are headed to Texas to campaign for Senate candidate Ted Cruz. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The campaign of former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz announced this afternoon that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) are scheduled to headline a rally for his campaign Friday evening.

The get-out-the-vote rally will kick off the final weekend of campaigning before Tuesday’s runoff and will be held in the Woodlands, which is an exurban city in the Houston area.

Several local and national tea party leaders are also scheduled to be in attendance, including Amy Kremer of the Tea Party Express.

Cruz faces Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the runoff for the GOP nomination to replace retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R). Roll Call rates this race as Safe Republican.

Arizona: Wil Cardon Dismisses Jeff Flake Endorsements

Rep. Jeff Flake's GOP primary opponent for the Arizona Senate seat said Flake's backing from Sen. John McCain will have no effect on the race. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Businessman Wil Cardon on Tuesday politely dismissed the ability of Republican Sens. Jon Kyl and John McCain to influence voters in his Senate GOP primary battle with Rep. Jeff Flake.

Kyl and McCain endorsed Flake earlier this month, a move Cardon described as expected.

“I have respect for the service of Sens. Jon Kyl and John McCain, but they’re part of the old guard,” he said.

Kyl, whose retirement created this open-seat race, is appearing in a television ad alongside Flake. The spot began airing this week. McCain has called the Cardon campaign “disturbing” and said he worried that Cardon’s attacks “might make it harder in the general election for us to elect Jeff Flake to the United States Senate.”

Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona is the presumptive Democratic nominee. Roll Call rates this race as Leans Republican.

Michigan: FreedomWorks Backs Clark Durant in GOP Primary

FreedomWorks PAC today backed the underdog in Michigan’s Republican Senate primary.

Charter schools executive Clark Durant received the conservative group’s endorsement, although Republicans expect former Rep. Pete Hoekstra will win the GOP primary and the right to challenge Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) on Aug. 7

FreedomWorks PAC joins several conservatives and affiliated groups that have backed Durant, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

Stabenow is favored to win re-election, and Roll Call rates this race as Likely Democratic.

Texas: Early Voting Begins; Senate Runoff Escalates

Former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz was endorsed by Sarah Palin on Facebook on Monday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The two candidates in the runoff to decide the GOP nominee for Senate cast their ballots Monday amid some fanfare.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst was accompanied to the polls by Gov. Rick Perry. His opponent, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, was joined by his family while voting in Houston, his hometown.

The first day of early voting before the July 31 runoff was a busy one in other respects. Full story

Arizona: Sarah Palin Endorses Jeff Flake

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed Rep. Jeff Flake in the GOP nomination fight to replace retiring Sen. Jon Kyl (R).

“The United States Senate needs a leader like Jeff Flake,” Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, wrote in a letter to Flake. “Jeff is a proven conservative crusader, and today I am proud to announce my support for his campaign to become the next U.S. Senator from the great state of Arizona.”

Full story

Arizona: Ben Quayle, David Schweikert Play Ball in FEC Reports

Rep. Ben Quayle (above) received many contributions from fellow Members in his primary race against fellow Republican Rep. David Schweikert. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Welcome to the NFL of politics. Or is the MLB?

One of the most interesting pair of competing Federal Election Commission reports from the second quarter are from Republican Reps. Ben Quayle and David Schweikert, who are battling it out in a Member-vs.-Member primary for Arizona’s 6th district.

Quayle received donations from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and former Dallas Cowboy Roger Staubach, while the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball made a donation to Schweikert.

Quayle won the money race with a $530,000 second quarter haul, finishing the period with $1.1 million in cash on hand. Schweikert rasied $274,000, and closed June with $857,000 in cash on hand. But a source in the Schweikert camp claimed that when factoring only money that can be spent in the primary, Schweikert actually has more available cash.

But beyond those metrics, the names on the reports are fascinating. Most interestingly, current Members have gotten involved in the race.

Full story

Texas: Nolan Ryan Endorses David Dewhurst

Hall of fame pitcher Nolan Ryan today endorsed Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the Texas Senate GOP runoff.

There are few human beings, let alone conservatives, who are more popular than Ryan in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He played for several ball clubs, including the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.

Full story

GOP Strategists: Mitt Romney Should Embrace Bain

(Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Mitt Romney might or might not cave and release more than the two years of tax returns he’s promised; and whatever his decision, it might or might not damage his White House prospects.

The more than half-dozen Republican strategists I spoke with in the days since President Barack Obama accelerated his attacks on the presumptive GOP presidential nominee’s business career were split on how much influence this issue would have outside the Beltway among the voters who will decide the presidential election. Voters are notorious for ignoring “game-changing” campaign attacks that Acela Corridor experts are convinced will have a major effect. Full story

New Hampshire: Tim Pawlenty to Fundraise in August

(Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Barring any unforeseen schedule changes or major Romney campaign decisions, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will head to Manchester for the state GOP Ice Cream Social on Aug. 11.

It is an interesting selection of a headliner. Pawlenty is at the center of speculation to be presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney’s pick for vice president. Only about two weeks ago, fellow VP contender Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio) also traveled to New Hampshire for a state party event.

By all accounts, New Hampshire will be a central battleground in the presidential race in the fall.

According to the state GOP Facebook invite, tickets for the Pawlenty event will cost $20.12.

Texas: Tom Leppert Backs David Dewhurst Over Ted Cruz

Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst received the backing of a former contender for the GOP nomination for Senate, Tom Leppert. (Pat Sullivan/Associated Press)

Tom Leppert, former contender for the GOP nomination for Senate and the former mayor of Dallas, endorsed Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R) for Senate this week.

“We must elect leaders who have the experience of creating jobs and dealing with the fiscal issues facing our nation — leaders with a practical understanding of what makes our country work,” Leppert said in a statement released by the Dewhurst campaign. “David Dewhurst has that experience and it is for that reason that I endorse David Dewhurst for the U.S. Senate.”

Dewhurst, the establishment favorite, faces a tough GOP primary runoff against tea party darling Ted Cruz, the former Texas solicitor general.

The runoff is set for July 31.

Illinois: Timothy Johnson Noncommittal on Nominee for His Seat

House Republicans have rallied behind their new 13th district nominee, Rodney Davis, except for the Member vacating the seat.

Rep. Timothy Johnson (R) declined to say whether he’s backing Davis when Roll Call questioned him between floor votes on Wednesday.

“I’m not doing interviews right now,” Johnson said before walking away. He did not return a follow-up interview request placed with his staff. Full story