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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* As Kansas voters cast ballots today in an abortion-rights ballot initiative, an unidentified group is sending deceptive text messages. In reality, to protect reproductive rights, Kansas should vote “no” on today’s measure, though the texts suggest the opposite.
* In Arizona, the final pre-primary Emerson College poll showed Blake Masters as the clear frontrunner in the Republicans’ U.S. Senate race, leading the pack with 40 percent support. Businessman Jim Lamon was second in the survey with 22 percent.
* The same poll found the GOP’s gubernatorial race practically tied, with Karrin Robson leading Kari Lake, 47 percent to 46 percent.
* As if Republican Senate hopeful Mehmet Oz didn’t have enough troubles, The Daily Beast reported that the celebrity doctor used his platform to peddle supplements, without disclosing financial stakes in some of the products.
* Michael Anthony Peroutka, the bizarre GOP state attorney general nominee in Maryland, is on record pushing a discredited conspiracy theory about the Sept. 11 attacks. It led Larry Hogan, Maryland’s outgoing Republican governor, to respond, “These disgusting lies don’t belong in our party.”
* In Missouri’s U.S. Senate race, former U.S. attorney John Wood appears to have collected enough petition signatures to qualify for the November ballot. Wood, a lifelong Republican, is running as an independent and has vowed not to caucus with either party if elected.
* Remember, there’s a ton of interesting primaries today in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and the state of Washington. I published an overview yesterday with the races I’m keeping an eye on.