Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In New Hampshire's closely watched U.S. Senate race, a new WMUR poll shows a very close contest, with Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) narrowly leading Gov. Maggie Hassan (D), 45% to 43%.
* Despite a wide variety of controversies in his background, Arizona sheriff Paul Babeu (R) is launching a congressional campaign, hoping to succeed Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.).
* In Florida's U.S. Senate race, the Libertarian Party's candidate had acknowledged participating in an unusual pagan ritual. "I did sacrifice a goat.... I sacrificed an animal to the god of the wilderness," Augustus Sol Invictus said. He added, "Yes, I drank the goat's blood."
* In Maryland, Joel Rubin, "the State Department's point person for the House of Representatives, working to build support for the Obama administration's Iran nuclear accord," announced he's running for Congress.
* Donald Trump's campaign team has hired new aides in Virginia, Texas, and Florida, which staffers for the candidate consider proof "that the real estate mogul will remain in the race for the duration."
* To the surprise of no one, former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie announced that he will, in fact, run for governor in 2017.
* And in South Carolina, all 15 of the Republican presidential candidates have officially paid the state GOP's hefty $40,000 filing fee to compete in the state's primary early next year.