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Friday's Campaign Round-Up, 7.10.15

Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
 
* Donald Trump was asked yesterday whether he'd commit to supporting the eventual Republican presidential nominee. He declined. Trump added, "So many people want me to run as an independent -- so many people. I have been asked by -- you have no idea, everybody wants me to do it. I think the best chance of defeating the Democrats and to make America great again is to win as a Republican because I don't want to be splitting up votes."
 
* As Rachel noted on the show last night, Fox News has altered its criteria for participating in next month's debate for GOP presidential candidates, apparently in the hopes of trying to exclude Trump. The strategy seems unlikely to work.
 
* Campaigning in Michigan yesterday, Rand Paul was asked about Trump's anti-Mexican rhetoric. "I don't have any direct comment on other candidates' statements," Paul said. "(But) I believe most immigrants come to this country in search of the American dream."
 
* In Illinois, Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D) isn't running unopposed in the Democrats' U.S. Senate primary, but she nevertheless picked up an endorsement yesterday from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is considered one of the cycle's most vulnerable incumbents.
 
* Speaking of the DSCC, Democratic officials are still looking for a top-tier challenger to take on Sen. Pat Toomey (R) in Pennsylvania next year. The party is reportedly now eyeing Katie McGinty, Gov. Tom Wolf's (D) chief of staff.
 
* As we've discussed before, Scott Walker really seems to enjoy chatter in Republican circles about Marco Rubio eventually becoming his running mate.
 
* Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has come up short in two recent statewide elections, but he's now considering a possible U.S. House race in 2016.
 
* And the field of Republican Senate candidates in Colorado grew a little larger this week, with Greg Lopez, the former head of the Small Business Administration in Colorado, getting into the race. Party officials, however, are still hoping to recruit a more competitive rival to take on Sen. Michael Bennet (D).