A new Public Policy Polling survey in Virginia shows Terry McAuliffe (D) leading Ken Cuccinelli (R) by four points in the race for governor, 41% to 37%.

Key findings: Both candidates are viewed more negatively than positively by voters: Cuccinelli has a 32% favorable rating compared with 47% unfavorable. McAuliffe’s margin is smaller: 34% view him favorably, compared with 36% who view him unfavorably.

Charlie Cook: “Democrats can do everything right during this 2014 election cycle, but they still don’t have much of a chance of capturing a majority due to the congressional district boundaries and recent voting patterns in Southern and border states in rural and small-town-dominated districts. However, if Republicans engage in enough self-destructive behavior of the type we’ve seen the past couple of years, voters might just reach a breaking point. Some in the Republican Party seem intent on seeing how far they can go in alienating as many female, young, minority, and self-described moderate voting blocs as possible, despite frequent warnings from party leaders and strategists to avoid that.”

The New York Times links Virignia gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli (R) to the Star Scientific gifts scandal embroiling Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R).

“He first bought the company’s stock after bunking down in its chief executive’s six-bedroom home. He added to his holdings soon after the rollout of a new product that the company hinted could be a cure for Alzheimer’s disease… For a relative novice at stock picking, Mr. Cuccinelli’s investment in Star Scientific was highly unusual. It is a thinly traded stock in a company that has lost money for a decade. It stayed afloat by selling stock at a discount in “private placements” to large investors, whose hopes were repeatedly raised by company promotions about big payoffs.”

Star Scientific’s chief executive “also gave the attorney general $18,000 worth of gifts, including frequent stays at Mr. Williams’s homes outside Richmond and in the Blue Ridge Mountains… Mr. Cuccinelli at first failed to report some gifts, as well as his Star Scientific stock, as required by law, which he has said was an oversight.”

A new Monmouth University Poll finds Cory Booker (D) maintains a daunting lead in the Democratic nomination contest to fill the late Frank Lautenberg’s U.S. Senate seat.

Booker currently claims support of 49%, followed by Rep. Frank Pallone at 12%, Rep. Rush Holt at 8% and Sheila Oliver at 3%. Another 28% are still undecided.

Said pollster Patrick Murray: “Booker’s lead appears to be impregnable. There is very little in the poll that shows a path for the other candidates to overtake him.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) commented on a meeting of conservatives last weekend who are trying to come up with a plan to defeat him in a GOP primary, the Columbia State reports.

Said Graham: “I expect them to mount a challenge, and I expect to fight back and push back. I feel good about my re-election.”

Meanwhile, the Huffington Post reports Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) said he would not challenge Graham.

Terry McAuliffe (D) continues to widen his campaign funding advantage over Ken Cuccinelli (R) in the Virginia governor’s race, the Richmond Times Dispatch reports.

McAuliffe had $6 million in cash on hand as of June 30, more than double Cuccinelli’s nearly $2.7 million.

Michelle Nunn (D) is expected to announce a U.S. Senate bid from Georgia but wasn’t talking about it at a White House event yesterday, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

Said Nunn: “I have been telling folks that I was focused on this event and I was going to do some thinking about (the Senate race), and I’ll be talking about it shortly. But I wanted to get through this event and focus on this.”

A new Quinnipiac poll in New York City shows Anthony Weiner (D) leading the Democratic race for mayor with 25%, followed by Christine Quinn (D) at 22%, William Thompson (D) at 11%, Bill de Blasio (D) at 10% and John Liu (D) at 7%.

In the race for Comptroller, former Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) leads Scott Stringer (D), 48% to 33%.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) announced she would skip a race for governor next year and run for re-election instead, Capitol Fax reports.

Madigan’s announcement is a big boost for Bill Daley (D) who already announced a primary challenge to Gov. Pat Quinn (D).