Politicker NJ reports that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) was at the New Jersey Teacher’s Association for their screening process, apparently in search of their endorsement.

Christie has been a “political enemy” of the group and has generated national attention over his previous attacks on the union.

Disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D-NY) dormant New York City mayoral campaign paid more than $100,000 to a polling firm, “suggesting the once-prominent Democrat whose career was derailed by allegations he sent salacious texts and photographs to various women online was contemplating a return to politics in this year’s elections,” National Journal reports.

Michael Sullivan (R) claims he’s a “tested and trusted” leader with experience that makes him the best GOP candidate in the Republican U.S. Senate primary in Massachusetts.

But the Boston Globe finds that Sullivan’s newly launched website ­borrows heavily from the dormant site of Richard Tisei (R), the Republican who lost in his congressional bid last year.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling announced that he will not run for governor of Virginia as an independent, the Washington Post reports.

New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn (D) “declared her candidacy for mayor on Sunday with a glossy biographical video and a walking tour of the city, a signal that her campaign hopes to attract voters with her outsize, off-the-cuff personality — or at least a carefully curated version of it,” the New York Times reports.

First Read has a great overview of the Los Angeles mayor’s race in a city “where scandal and celebrity sometimes go hand-in-hand with governance. So it should be no surprise that the candidates are hitting each other by digging deep for dirt.”

The election is on Tuesday.

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) told New York magazine that he wanted his ex-wife, Jenny Sanford, to run his congressional campaign.

“According to Jenny, she had already told Mark she would be taking a pass on the race the day before, at the funeral of a mutual friend. So when Mark came to visit her, he arrived with a proposal. ‘Since you’re not running, I want to know if you’ll run my campaign,’ he said. ‘We could put the team back together.'”

“Jenny told him, in so many words, that wasn’t going to happen. Mark made one last appeal.”

“I could pay you this time,” he said.

A new McLaughlin poll conducted for Bill Bolling shows that he’s way behind in a three-way race for Virginia governor.

Terry McAuliffe (D) is just ahead of Ken Cuccinelli, 38% to 37%, with Bolling at just 15%.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) “is considering whether to return to the Virginia governor’s race as an independent, and he’s asking for a little help from his friends to make his decision,” the Washington Post reports.

Bolling told supporters in an email that he thinks “there is an opportunity to make history in Virginia this year.”

He is expected to announce March 14 whether he will run as an independent.

Republican voters picked ex-convict Paul McKinley (R) as their nominee to run for the seat recently ceded by former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr, the Chicago Tribune reports.

McKinley, a convicted felon who served nearly 20 years in state prison for burglaries, armed robberies and aggravated battery, declared victory, beat businessman Eric Wallace (R) by 23 votes.

Former Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D) is conceding defeat tonight to Robin Kelly (D) in the special Democratic primary election to replace disgraced former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. in Congress, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The AP notes Kelly emerged from the pack early “as a leader on gun-control issues…. During the campaign, Bloomberg’s super PAC, Independence USA, poured more than $2 million into the race by airing anti-gun ads in her favor.”

Teddy Turner (R) released an amusing ad in South Carolina’s special election in the 1st congressional district urging voters against choosing a career politician such as his main rival, former Gov. Mark Sanford (R)

An actor looks directly into the camera while drinking a glass of wine and pleads for voters to take him back and concludes, “I’m sorry for all the mistakes I’ve made. Sugar, would you give me one more chance?”

[Read more…]

Chicago-area voters head to the primary polls to select former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s successor, Roll Call reports.

Among the Democrats in the race, Robin Kelly is the candidate most political observers expect to win, but special elections are unpredictable. There are narrower paths to victory for former Rep. Debbie Halvorson and Anthony Beale.

“Adding to the uncertainty in the 2nd District special election is a crowded lower tier of candidates.”

The Chicago Tribune notes another big unknowns: “Voter turnout, already anticipated to
be very low, could be exacerbated by nasty weather.”

“For all the obvious reasons, I thought politics was forever over for me.”

— Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R), quoted by the Washington Post, on his attempted comeback.

Robin Kelly (D) is the frontrunner in the race to replace former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. in Congress, Roll Call reports.

“The 2nd District special election remains unpredictable — mostly due to anticipated miniscule turnout in frigid Chicago winter. But it’s clear a combination of strategy, luck and super PAC spending broke in Kelly’s favor, allowing her campaign to control much of the narrative in the race.”

A new Quinnipiac poll in Virginia finds Terry McAuliffe (D) and Ken Cuccinelli (R) tied in a head-to-head matchup for governor, 38% to 38%, with 21% still undecided.

With Bill Bolling as an independent candidate, the race remains a statistical tie, with McAuliffe at 34%, Cuccinelli at 31% and Bolling at 13%.

A new Quinnipiac poll in New Jersey finds Gov. Chris Christie (R) with a record breaking approval rating of 74% and a stunning 37 point lead over likely Democratic opponent, state Sen. Barbara Buono (D), 62% to 25%.

Said pollster Maurice Carroll: “Most governors
would kill for a 56 percent job approval rating. Republican Gov. Christie gets that from
Democrats!”

Sources tell NBC Chicago that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) has called some candidates asking them to consider stepping aside in the special election to replace former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL).

It’s not clear who he called, but Toi Hutchinson (D) withdrew over the weekend and Patrick Brutus (D) bowed out today.