By
Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In North Carolina, the latest Quinnipiac University poll found the state’s Democratic attorney general, Josh Stein, with a growing lead over Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, 52% to 44%.
* In related news, ABC News has a new report on Robinson’s troubled financial history: The right-wing lieutenant governor has not only filed for bankruptcy three times, ABC News’ report added also failed to file his federal income taxes several times.
* As for the presidential race in the Tar Heel State, the aforementioned Quinnipiac poll also showed Donald Trump narrowly leading President Joe Biden in North Carolina, 48% to 46%.
* Speaking of the 2024 race, the Biden campaign this morning released a new ad focused on Trump’s opposition to abortion rights and the controversial ruling this week from the Arizona Supreme Court.
* The Wisconsin Supreme Court has a narrow progressive majority, but it will be in jeopardy next year: Longtime Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley announced this morning that she’s stepping down at the end of her current term. The 2025 race to replace her will be fierce.
* A literal tie in a recent California congressional primary opened the door to a rare three-way congressional race in the state’s 16th congressional district, but a recount is now poised to get underway that might yet change the plan.
* And Cornel West is still running an independent presidential campaign, and yesterday the scholar announced that California State University, Los Angeles professor Melina Abdullah will be his running mate. Abdullah is a professor of Pan-African studies and formerly chaired the Department of Pan-African Studies at Cal State.