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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* The latest CNN/University of New Hampshire poll found Donald Trump well ahead of his rivals in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, though not quite by the same margins as recent national surveys. The former president leads the field with 39% support in the Granite State, followed by entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 13%, and former Ambassador Nikki Haley at 12%.
* On a related note, perhaps the most striking detail in the CNN/University of New Hampshire poll is Gov. Ron DeSantis’ collapse in the first primary state: The Florida governor was fifth in the poll, thanks in large part to self-identified “moderate” voters moving away from him.
* Speaking of 2024 polling, the latest Fox Business poll found Trump leading his party’s field in Iowa with 46% support, followed by DeSantis at 15%. Haley, with 11%, isn’t far behind the governor, and she was the only other candidate to reach double-digits in the poll.
* Putting the recent Republican surveys in context, a New York Times report explained that the former president “is inching into rarefied territory. The latest surveys show him polling about as well as any candidate in the history of modern contested presidential primaries.”
* Last week, I argued that one of the reasons House GOP leaders launched an impeachment inquiry was to raise money. This week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik are raising money off the anti-Biden effort.
* With time running out in Mississippi’s gubernatorial race, Brandon Presley’s campaign has picked up an unexpected endorsement: Former Republican Rep. Mike Parker is throwing his support behind the Democratic nominee. Incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is nevertheless favored to win a second term.
* And in Texas, state Attorney General Ken Paxton suggested to Tucker Carlson this week that he’s open to a possible Republican primary challenge against Sen. John Cornyn in 2026. The comments come on the heels of the scandal-plagued state attorney general being acquitted in a state Senate impeachment trial.