There’s one common thread today between the Nevada Senate race and the Wisconsin gubernatorial race: two prominent would-be contenders confirmed that they aren’t running.
In Nevada, the news earlier this week that ex-Rep. Jon Porter (who was defeated by Dina Titus in 2008 and is currently a “policy adviser” with a K St. lobbying firm) was once again considering running against Harry Reid was a cause for some alarm. Porter has probably the highest profile of any potential candidate, and a fairly moderate reputation capable of appealing to swing voters, unlike most of the third-tier liliputians threatening to overwhelm Reid. However, it looks like it was never more than a trial balloon:
Squelching rumors that he’s reconsidering a Senate campaign against Harry Reid, former GOP congressman Jon Porter definitively said Wednesday night that he’s not running.
“I am not running,” Porter told Nevada political guru Jon Ralston, as he reported on his Flash blog tonight.
Meanwhile, over in Wisconsin, Rep. Ron Kind was rumored to be very interested in the open seat governor’s race, left vacant by Jim Doyle’s decision not to seek a third term. However, Kind will announce today that he will run for re-election in WI-03 instead.
That may be for the best, as the GOP fielded a fairly strong candidate, state Sen. Dan Kapanke, probably on the belief that the 3rd would be an open seat; having Kind in the race will make this a much easier hold. And the ambitious Kind is in his early 40s, so he’ll still have plenty of shots at a promotion. Without a statewide profile, Kind may not have liked his odds at getting out of the primary; Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton is already in the Dem field, plus ex-Rep. and current Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett may get in and, if a recent Republican internal poll is to be believed, would have the inside track on the nomination.
Means that Barrett is almost certainly in. Kind could win a one-on-one race against Lawton because he’s a better campaigner than she is. But in a 3-way against two candidates with much higher name ID, he really didn’t have much of a chance.
I think we’re looking at a Milwaukee race with Milwaukee Co. Executive Scott Walker vs Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett
I don’t want Republicans smelling blood on my home turf. Kind shuts them down for another two years. I’ll take it.
“Policy Adviser,” and similar titles, are used for non-attorneys employed by law firms. Indeed, not only is Porter not an attorney, he doesn’t even have a college degree.
Barrett won’t run for gov and Lawtwon will get the nomination and that Barrett will try and run for the senate if Kohl retires. However, I think that Lawton can win.
considering that the polls indicate Reid will lose to anybody with an (R) after the name.
I think it’s possible Porter may get his arm twisted a bit in the coming weeks. But he’s probably content raking in the $$$ lobbying.
Has a candidate even won a senate race being outspent 5-1? If Reid makes his 25 million dollar mark, and say the repub gets 5 million, which I think is a fair ammount… that’d be five to one… Has it ever happened? I know Ron Paul spent a ton of money and so did Howard Dean in the presidency but in a general election has the underfunded candadite ever won when it was a huge disparity like that?
is that there is a lot of polling out today. MA Gov… decent news, VA Gov, better news but we still need work, NJ Gov, better news but still need work. Arizona Senate is kinda crappy and it is probably good that we got Napolitano out of AZ so that way she can preserve her brand til there is an open seat there.