A new Brown University poll in Providence, Rhode Island finds Jorge Elorza (D) leading Buddy Cianci (I) comfortably in the race for mayor, 48% to 37%.
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All Tied Up in Michigan
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Michigan finds the race for governor is a dead heat with Gov. Rick Snyder (R) and challenger Mark Shauer (D) tied, 48% to 48%.
South Carolina Speaker Forced Out in Plea Deal
South Carolina Speaker Bobby Harrell (R) “pleaded guilty to six counts of use of campaign funds for personal expenses on Thursday morning and has agreed to resign immediately from his House seat,” The State reports.
New York Times: “Mr. Harrell also agreed to help prosecutors and investigators in any other investigations into wrongdoing involving the Legislature or other matters. The prosecutor, David Pascoe, did not specify what those investigations involve.”
Anti-Incumbent Mood is Bipartisan
Pew Research: “Voter frustration with members of Congress is currently even higher than it was 2010 or 2006. Fully 68% of registered voters say they do not want to see most members of Congress reelected – 14 points higher than in 2010 and 19 points higher than in 2006. And roughly a third (35%) say they do not want their own representative reelected, compared with 32% four years ago and 26% eight years ago.”
“Yet unlike in those elections, when a single party controlled both the House and Senate, anti-incumbent sentiment now crosses party lines. Republican and Democratic voters are about equally likely to oppose the reelection of most representatives and their own member of Congress.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“I mean, we suck. We really do.”
— U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez, quoted by Bloomberg, on the minimum wage.
Tillis Inches Ahead in North Carolina
A new Civitas Poll in North Carolina shows Thom Tillis (R) leading Sen. Kay Hagan (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 42% to 41%.
Hagan led in the previous poll by five points.
Nunn Holds Small Lead in Georgia
A new InsiderAdvantage poll in Georgia finds Michelle Nunn (D) leading David Perdue (R) in the U.S. Senate race by two points, 47% to 45%.
The race for governor is tied with Gov. Nathan Deal (R) and Jason Carter (D) both at 44%.
Orman Still Ahead in Kansas
A new Rasmussen survey in Kansas finds Greg Orman (I) still holds a five-point lead over Sen. Pat Roberts (R) in the unexpectedly competitive U.S. Senate race, 49% to 44%.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I don’t think so. If there’s any lesson I’ve learned in the last five years, it’s don’t be so sure about what lies ahead. There are amazing doors that could open.”
— Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), in an interview with People, on whether she’s interested in running for president.
Burke Has Edge in Wisconsin
A new Rasmussen Reports survey in Wisconsin finds Mary Burke (D) now leading Gov. Scott Walker (R) in the race for governor by one point, 49% to 48%.
Race for Colorado Governor a Toss Up
A new Quinnipiac poll in Colorado finds Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) now leads Bob Beauprez (R) in the race for governor, 45% to 44%.
Hickenlooper trailed by 10 points in a similar poll last month.
Abbott Headed for Landslide in Texas
A new University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll finds Greg Abbott (R) has a 16-point lead over Wendy Davis (D) in the closing days of the race for Texas governor, 54% to 38%.
Said pollster Jim Henson: “The drama of the outcome is not who wins, but what the margin will be. Wendy Davis has not led in a single poll in this race.”
Young Says Big Government Causes Suicide
After remarks deemed insensitive to a high school where a student had killed himself, Rep. Don Young (R-AK) doubled-down saying that suicide comes from federal government largesse “saying you are not worth anything but you are going to get something for nothing,” the Alaska Dispatch News reports.
He added: “When people had to work and had to provide and had to keep warm by putting participation in cutting wood and catching the fish and killing the animals, we didn’t have the suicide problem.”
Quote of the Day
“There’s no doubt that there’s a theatrical nature to the presidency that he resists. Sometimes he can be negligent in the symbolism.”
— David Axelrod, quoted by Businessweek, on President Obama’s management style.
Rauner Jumps Into Lead for Illinois Governor
A new Chicago Tribune poll in Illinois finds Bruce Rauner (R) has surged ahead of Gov. Pat Quinn (D) in the race for governor, 45% to 43%.
“The findings represent a sharp turnaround from a similar survey conducted Sept. 3-12 that found Quinn with an 11 percentage point advantage over Rauner. The governor’s race has tightened as voters become more focused on the campaign and both sides bombard the airwaves with tens of millions of dollars’ worth of negative attack ads on television, radio and newspaper websites.”
White House Plans for Staff Departures
“White House chief of staff Denis McDonough has asked senior aides to tell him if they’re going to stick around for President Barack Obama’s final two years in office, with a West Wing restructuring after the midterms possible,” Politico reports.
“The process, which began in recent weeks, is focused on keeping people at the White House, with the expectation among senior administration officials that whoever’s in place next summer would remain through the end of the presidency.”
Parties Prepare for GOP Taking Control of Senate
“With Republicans looking increasingly likely to take control of the Senate, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are already considering how they will operate in the chamber if the levers of power are reversed,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“For Republicans, the prospect of controlling the Senate is sparking an early debate over whether to change the rules of the road, particularly those guiding nominations and the budget. Such rule changes are arcane but could have a big impact on legislation and who is confirmed to judicial- and executive-branch posts.”
“Democrats, too, would face choices, including how much of an impediment they want to be to a GOP-run Congress and who will lead them in that fight.”
New Hampshire Senate Race is Tight
A new CNN/ORC poll in New Hampshire shows Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) barely ahead of Scott Brown (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 49% to 47%.
