Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* With 12 days remaining in Virginia's gubernatorial race, the latest Monmouth poll shows a dead heat between former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin.
* On a related note, Monmouth also showed a dead heat at this point in Virginia's race four years ago, shortly before Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam won with relative ease. The difference is, Democratic voters were far more engaged and enthusiastic in 2017.
* As Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema faces increasing pressure from her Arizona allies, five veterans tapped to serve on the senator's advisory council resigned today, accusing Sinema of becoming one of the Senate's "principal obstacles to progress."
* Mother Jones' David Corn reported yesterday that West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin told associates he's considering leaving the Democratic Party. The conservative senator quickly denied the accuracy of the report, and this morning added that he'd offered Democratic leaders to become an independent if his presence in the party was becoming a problem. That offer, Manchin said, was rejected.
* In New Hampshire's closely watched U.S. Senate race, a new University of New Hampshire poll shows incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan narrowly leading her likely GOP rivals, but narrowly trailing Republican Gov. Chris Sununu in a hypothetical match-up. The governor has not yet announced his 2022 plans.
* And in Alabama's U.S. Senate race, the large Republican primary field grew a little bigger yesterday: Former Army pilot Mike Durant, whose military career was partly featured in the movie "Black Hawk Down," threw his hat into the ring.
