9:43 AM PT: AZ Redistricting: I still really don't understand the purpose of these "grid maps," but to the extent it matters, the redistricting commission elected to start with the second of the two options, as shown here.
9:49 AM PT: CO Redistricting: As expected, Democrats submitted their proposed map to the court yesterday, and it's very different from the GOP plan. Click the link for a copy of the map and a summary of key changes. One interesting side-note: Republicans long ago charged that Democrats were trying to custom-draw a favorable district for state Sen. Brandon Shaffer, who later announced plans to challenge GOP freshman Cory Gardner. Just to show you how b.s. that accusation was, the Dem map puts Shaffer into another district entirely! Shaffer says, though: “The bottom line is that I’m running in the 4th CD."
9:57 AM PT: FL-Sen: A month ago, as the GOP began to search in earnest for a savior, former state House Speaker Allan Bense said he wasn't ruling out a run for Senate. Well, add this one to the long list of races Bense has considered and declined. Instead of running, he's endorsing Adam Hasner for the Republican nod.
10:02 AM PT: GA-14: As expected, right-wing radio host Martha Zoller (previously mentioned here) says she'll run for the new House seat being created in northeast Georgia. Other possible Republican contenders (and there will be many) mentioned in the article include state Rep. Doug Collins and former state Sen. Lee Hawkins. One GOPer is already saying, no, though: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle says he has "absolutely no interest whatsoever" in running.
10:06 AM PT: KY-03: Two Republican Some Dudes want to take another crack at Dem Rep. John Yarmuth: software analyst Darren Brinksneader and accountant Brooks Wicker. The former just created an exploratory committee (something he also did last cycle before bailing), while the latter finished fourth in the GOP primary last year.
10:12 AM PT: NY-09: Colin Campbell catches a whisper about Republican internal polling in the Wall Street Journal (usual salt applies): "[P]rivate GOP polling suggests the race is not as close as Siena pollsters found. The gap may be about 10 percentage points, said a person familiar with the data who spoke on condition of anonymity." On the flipside, Politico says that the RNC supposedly "plans to fund a portion of the get-out-the-vote efforts" on behalf of Bob Turner.
10:17 AM PT: NV-02: This would be pretty stunning if true. Ray Hagar of the Reno Gazette-Journal reports that three different individuals (identified by name) all said they had been called by Magellan to participate in their recent special election poll — and they all said that instead of "Kate Marshall," the recorded voice specified an incorrect name. Two said they heard "Kate Jackson" and one "Kate Wilson — or some other incorrect name." If this story is true and this this was a screwup, it would be a remarkable mistake for a robopollster. If, on the other hand, it was intentional… then hoo boy! Americans for Prosperity, the poll's sponsor, denies the call had the wrong name but haven't provided the audio. (And it looks like Hagar may not have talked to Magellan yet.) Keep an eye on this one.
10:27 AM PT: WI-Sen: The Club for Growth is out with a new ad that prominently highlights Tommy Thompson's support for President Obama's healthcare reform efforts. No word on the size of the buy, but you can watch at the link or below:
11:23 AM PT: So who all just felt that? I sure did.
11:50 AM PT: VA Legislature: By the way, today happens to be primary day for Virginia legislative seats (which are up for election this November). Presumably already-light turnout will now be even lighter, thanks to the earthquake.
12:06 PM PT: Polltopia: Tom is taking votes this week: CT, KY, MO, SC, or WV.
12:48 PM PT: CA-30: Rep. Brad Sherman is out with a new internal poll from the Feldman Group, showing him with wide leads over fellow Dem Rep. Howard Berman, with whom he's on a redistricting-related collision course. In a three-way race (which mirrors CA's new top-two system) featuring Sherman, Berman and Republican Mark Reed, the poll has Sherman at 42, Reed at 26, and Berman at just 17. The memo also notes that half of the new 30th CD's voters hail from Sherman's current 27th District, while only a quarter live in Berman's 28th.
1:06 PM PT: NJ-Gov: Dem Rep. Frank Pallone says he won't "rule out" a run for governor in 2013 but that he's focusing on his own re-election in 2012 for now. The linked article mostly discusses a different Democrat, state Sen. Barbara Buono, who may also be interested in a gubernatorial bid.
1:14 PM PT: AR-02: North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays says he's considering a challenge to GOP freshman Tim Griffin, but won't decide until later this year.
1:17 PM PT: MO-Gov: I'm not sure that anyone cares what a freshman state rep. thinks, but Kevin Elmer just became the first Republican elected official to call on Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder to quit the gubernatorial race. We'll see if this builds into anything further, but hopefully it won't. With Kinder such a damaged pariah, any replacement candidate would likely only be stronger for the GOP.
2:17 PM PT: GA-09, GA-14: Here's something annoying, pointed out in comments: Georgia's new congressional district is not the 14th, as you might think and as I wrongly labeled it up above. Rather, it's the 9th. GA-14 is now home to freshman GOPer Tom Graves.
3:12 PM PT: AZ Redistricting: Another good point made in comments: Arizona's redistricting commission, without opposition, reaffirmed its hiring of a mapping firm that had done work for Democrats. Teabaggers have been trying to work the refs and intimidate the commission, and this particular choice of consultants had especially raised their ire, so it's good to see the commissioners — even the Republican ones — refused to buckle under.