Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) announced that he would seek a second term in office during a private fundraising event hosted by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the Lewiston Sun Journal reports.

“LePage was reticent about running last week after the Democratic majority in the state Legislature, with help from some Republican lawmakers, doled out a veto override on a state budget LePage rejected for tax increases.”

The chairman of the South Dakota Democratic Party abruptly resigned, announcing that he intends to manage a congressional campaign in Iowa, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports.

Ben Nesselhuf “said he decided to take the job of managing the congressional campaign of Jim Mowrer, a 27-year-old Army and Iraq War veteran who plans to challenge conservative Republican Rep. Steve King in a district that includes extreme northwestern Iowa. The move allows him to live with his wife, who resides in Sioux City.”

“Despite pledging to wage fights against establishment Republicans deemed guilty of ideological impurity, conservatives have had a rocky cycle so far, failing to front candidates in a number of top races,” The Hill reports.

“But a number of conservative groups insist that for them, the cycle is just beginning, and warn that a grassroots storm is brewing.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) re-election campaign released a very catchy, if bizarre ad, welcoming Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) into the Kentucky U.S. Senate race.

[Read more…]

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) “is inviting close friends and supporters to an event next Monday in San Antonio where he is expected to announce if he plans to seek an unprecedented fourth full term as Texas governor,” CNN reports.

A new Clarity Campaigns poll in Hawaii — paid for by EMILY’s List — finds Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D) holds an 11-point lead over Sen. Brian Schatz (D) in next year’s Democratic Senate primary, 46% to 35%.

A poll released earlier this week found Schatz with a narrow lead.

A new Public Policy Polling survey in Texas finds that Gov. Rick Perry has enhanced his political standing considerably over the last five months and would be tough to beat if he runs for re-election.

In a hypothetical match with state Sen. Wendy Davis (D), Perry wins by 14 points, 53% to 39%.

Perry also leads Julian Castro (D) by 50% to 43%, tops Bill White (D) by 50% to 40% and crushes Annise Parker (D) 52% to 35%. In January he led this quartet of Democrats by an average of 4 points, now he leads them by an average of 12.

New York City mayoral candidate Joe Lhota (R) called on former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D) ex-girlfriends “to come forward and talk about any dirty deed he may have done,” the New York Post reports.

Said Lhota: “I hope women will come to the right conclusion after enough women come out and talk about what it was like to be with him and date him and things like that. New York women have to decide for themselves if this is someone who has the character to be mayor.”