Republicans officials close to former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) tell the AP that he’s ”leaning strongly toward running” in the special election to replace Sen. John Kerry (D-MA).

“They report that Brown is likely to enter the race early next week. The officials spoke Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to share internal discussions.”

Meanwhile, the Boston Globe reports Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is expected to announce his temporary
replacement for Sen. John Kerry at 11:00 am ET this morning.

With Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) likely to be confirmed as Secretary of State today, the Boston Globe reports on Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick’s (D) potential picks to temporarily fill Kerry’s seat.

“Patrick has suggested he will choose a woman or a person of color to reflect the changing face of politics in Massachusetts. Top contenders are said by political insiders to include his former chief of staff, William ‘Mo’ Cowan, and Victoria ­Kennedy, Edward M. Kennedy’s widow.”

“Politically connected Democrats do not believe that Barney Frank, former US representative, who has openly urged Patrick to appoint him, will get the interim Senate job. Patrick and his political advisers have bristled at Frank’s public pursuit of the job.”

A new Roanoke College poll in Virginia shows Ken Cuccinelli (R) topping Terry McAuliffe (D) in this year’s gubernatorial race, 33% to 26%.

In a three way race, Cuccinelli leads with 25%, followed by McAuliffe at 19% and Bill Bolling (I) at 12%.

A new MassINC poll in Massachusetts finds former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) leads a generic Democrat in a general election
match-up for U.S. Senate, 44% to 36%.

However, when matched up against Rep. Ed Markey (D)
specifically, Brown leads 53% to 31%.

The poll was
conducted prior to news about Rep. Stephen Lynch’s (D) potential entrance into
the race, and does not include a head to head match-up between Brown and
Lynch.

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) will run in the special U.S. Senate election to fill the expected vacancy if Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) is confirmed next week to be Secretary of State, the Boston Globe reports.

Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) has already announced his own bid.

First Read: “If Kerry steps down from his Senate seat on Tuesday, the primary to replace him would have to take place between Sunday, May 12 and Monday, May 27. And the general would be between Sunday, June 23 and Monday, July 8. State law requires the general to take place 145 to 160 days after a vacancy is created. The primary is required to occur six weeks before that.”

A new Christopher Newport University poll shows a very tight race for Virginia governor with Terry McAuliffe (D) barely ahead of Ken Cuccinelli (R), 31% to 30%.

A three-way race is even tighter with McAuliffe and Cuccinelli tied at 27% and possible independent candidate Bill Bolling (I) way back at 9%.

A new Quinnipiac poll in New Jersey finds voters think Gov. Chris Christie (R) deserves re-election by a stunning 68% to 24% margin, with even Democrats in favor by 47% to 43%.

Christie crushes his possible Democratic rivals. He tops Richard Codey (D), 59% to 30%, beats Barbara Buono (D), 63% to 22%, and is way ahead of Stephen Sweeney (D), 61% to 25%.

Joseph Lhota (R) filed documents to become a Republican candidate for mayor of New York City, the New York Times reports.

Lhota “is something of a throwback: an unapologetically outsize personality, known throughout his career for big emotions and an uninhibited style. His combination of experience — on Wall Street, in the Giuliani administration and, most recently, running the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — immediately changes the texture and character of a campaign dominated by Democratic elected officials.”

National Journal: “Disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) continues to maintain an office for his dormant campaign for New York City mayor, according to campaign-finance disclosure forms filed Tuesday. But his disclosure shows no signs of fundraising or spending to suggest that he is preparing for a political comeback in 2013.”

Former South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford said she will not run for Congress, USA Today reports.

Said Sanford: “I think my job as mom right now is much more important, much more rewarding and much more productive. The idea of killing myself to run for a seat for the privilege of serving in a dysfunctional body under John Boehner when I have an eighth-grader at home just really doesn’t make sense to me.”

The AP notes had she run, it likely would have set up a race between her and her
ex-husband, former Gov. Mark Sanford.

Massachusetts Democrats and people close to Gov. Deval Patrick (D) tell National Journal that Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) “has undercut his own explicit hopes for the seat likely to be vacated if Sen. John Kerry is confirmed as secretary of State. Frank’s very public lobbying for the job–he disclosed his aspirations on Morning Joe–make Patrick, the man who would have power of appointment, less likely to go along.”

Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) told Lawrence O’Donnell that the only difference between him and the others who would like to be appointed interim senator in Massachusetts is that “I have said so publicly and the rest are being coy.”

He added “it’s junior high school stuff” for people to criticize him for volunteering himself for that role.

Steve Kornacki: “Barney Frank is breaking the rule of politics that says if you want a major appointment, you should never, ever talk about it publicly.”

“After all, there are a few reasons why it’s customary for appointment-seekers to keep quiet. One has to do with image-protection. How will you look if publicly campaign for a position only to be snubbed for it? If you never admit to being interested, at least you can always claim you never really wanted the job. This is apparently of no great concern to Frank, though.”

“The other obvious reason for staying quiet is strategic: Most people making decisions on appointments probably don’t appreciate a public pressure campaign. This is the risk to what Frank is doing. Because he has a national reputation, he’s created a real stir with his lobbying.”

A new Quinnipiac poll in Virginia finds a close race for governor with Terry McAuliffe (D) just edging Ken Cuccinelli (R), 40% to 39%.

With Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling running as an independent, the race stays tight with McAuliffe and Cuccinelli tied at 34% and Bolling at 13%.

A PPP poll yesterday found McAuliffe with a solid lead.

A new Public Policy Polling survey in Virginia finds Terry McAuliffe (D) leading Ken Cuccinelli (R) in the gubernatorial race, 46% to 41%.

If Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling is thrown into the mix as an independent he gets 15%, with McAuliffe’s lead expanding over Cuccinelli to 40% to 32%.

A new Fairleigh Dickinson poll in New Jersey finds Gov. Chris Christie (R) absolutely crushing three potential Democratic challengers.

Christie leads Steven Sweeney (R), 65% to 19%, beats Dick Codey (D), 59% to 26%, and tops Barbara Buono (D), 64% to 21%.

“His jobs package is a hurricane. I guess he prayed a lot and got lucky that a storm came.”

— New Jersey Senate president Stephen Sweeney (D), quoted by the Newark Star Ledger, on Gov. Chris Christie (R) and Hurricane Sandy before saying, “I shouldn’t say that. I apologize for saying that.”