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Thursday's campaign round-up

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:* In

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Virginia's gubernatorial race, women's health remains a key area of disagreement between Terry McAuliffe (D) and Ken Cuccinelli (R), as this new ad from the McAuliffe campaign makes clear. Recent polling suggests Cuccinelli is trailing because of opposition from women in the commonwealth.

* And speaking of Virginia, the Cuccinelli campaign claimed not to know John Whitbeck, the chair of a Republican district committee, after he told an anti-Semitic joke at a campaign rally this week, but Laura Clawson notes that there are quite a few ties between Whitbeck and the state Attorney General.

* Confirming what's been widely assumed, Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler (R) will run for governor next year, hoping to take on incumbent Gov. John Hickenlooper (D).

* In Texas, state Sen. Wendy Davis (D) will formally declare her 2014 intentions on Oct. 3. State Democrats have been publicly urging her to run for governor, an option Davis has said she's considering.

* On a related note, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is still working on impressing his party's far-right base, and will appear in New Jersey in two weeks on behalf of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Lonegan, who's trailing badly in the polls to Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D).

* In Iowa, former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, announced this week that they'll headline a fundraiser for Rep. Bruce Braley's (D-Iowa) Senate campaign.

* And in South Dakota, the latest Harper Polling survey shows former Gov. Mike Rounds (R) starting the open 2014 Senate race as the frontrunner, leading Rick Weiland (D), a former aide to Senator Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), 52% to 38%.