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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In a sign of the times, The Washington Post reports that many local election offices nationwide have been paralyzed by a coordinated campaign launched by Donald Trump’s supporters.
* In Arizona’s U.S. Senate race, the latest Emerson College poll found Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly narrowly leading Republican Blake Masters, 47% to 45%.
* On a related note, that same Emerson survey found Arizona’s gubernatorial race tied, with Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Republican Kari Lake each garnering 46% support.
* Speaking of Hobbs, the gubernatorial hopeful’s campaign manager said over the weekend that the candidate doesn’t intend to debate the GOP nominee because “debating a conspiracy theorist like Kari Lake ... would only lead to constant interruptions, pointless distractions, and childish name-calling.”
* A group of Michigan Republicans this morning threw its support behind Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s re-election campaign. As a local report added, “The group includes business leaders, former state lawmakers, an ex-congressman, and top staff from the Republican administrations of Gov. John Engler and Rick Snyder. Jeff Timmer, the former head of the Michigan Republican Party, also signed on.”
* Speaking of incumbent Democratic governors picking up cross-party support, Laura Kelly, Kansas’ Democratic governor, has picked up an endorsement from former Republican Gov. Bill Graves. Kelly’s rival this year is state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who previously worked in the Graves administration.
* In Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race, Mehmet Oz isn’t just benefiting from considerable investments from the Republican Party: Axios reported that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce last week made a $3 million contribution to the Senate Leadership Fund super PAC for the Pennsylvania race.