Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In Michigan, a new poll commissioned by The Detroit News and WDIV-TV found Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer with a 55 percent approval rating and sizable leads over each of leading the Republican candidates vying to replace her. The News’ report on the results added the poll “raise doubts about whether a Republican wave will make landfall in Michigan.”
* On a related note, the poll found Dana Nessel, Michigan’s Democratic incumbent attorney general, and Jocelyn Benson, the incumbent Democratic secretary of state, also leading their GOP rivals, but by more modest margins.
* Though the latest New York Times/Siena College poll found President Joe Biden’s approval rating reaching new lows, the same survey found Democrats narrowly leading Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, 41 percent to 40 percent.
* In Georgia’s closely watched U.S. Senate race, Republican Herschel Walker didn’t just make bizarre comments about climate change once, he’s apparently repeating the ridiculous rhetoric over and over again at campaign events.
* Two months after Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s stroke, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate has scheduled an in-person fundraiser for later this month, suggesting he may soon return to the campaign trail.
* Election conspiracy theorists don’t just peddle ridiculous claims about Democrats: In Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial primary, Kari Lake told supporters this week that she suspects Karrin Taylor Robson, her GOP primary rival, might be trying “set the stage” to “steal” the election.
* And on Capitol Hill, Nebraska Republican Mike Flood was sworn in yesterday as the newest member of the U.S. House, on the heels of his recent, closer-than-expected special election victory. As of today, the Democratic advantage in the chamber is 220 to 211, with four House vacancies.