Wednesday Night Updates

Nevada: Former Rep. Jon Porter (R) has reportedly taken a new, high-paying job at a lobbying firm. Porter has often been mentioned as a potential challenger to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) in 2010, but this new gig may be a sign that Porter wants out of elected office for good (tip: Senate Guru)

Utah: State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff (R) appears to be laying the foundation for a primary challenge to incumbent Sen. Bob Bennett (R) next year. He met with fundraisers today in D.C. to discuss his fundraising capabilities--he has not formally announced his candidacy but will make a final decision soon. All of the buzz surrounding this race is in the GOP primary, as whoever goes on to win the nomination will undoubtedly go on to win the general election--this is Utah after all.

Florida: Bill Clinton will hold a second fundraiser for Rep. Kendrick Meek (D), who is running for the open Senate seat in Florida. He will be squaring off against state Sen. Dan Gelber and North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns in the Democratic primary. We are still waiting to hear from Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and Rep. Ron Klein on their plans for 2010--I missed this last week, but Klein said that he plans on running for reelection to his current seat at this point, but is leaving his options open for a Senate bid.

California/Wisconsin: Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-WI) approval ratings took nose dives this month in SurveyUSA's monthly 50-state tracking poll. Boxer looks like she's safe for her 2010 reelection bid unless Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) or businesswoman Carly Fiorina (R) run against her, but their entries seem unlikely at this point (Schwarzenegger has shown no interest in the race, while Fiorina just underwent surgery for breast cancer). In Wisconsin, Feingold seems more vulnerable, and the Republican name that is floated around the most to challenge Feingold--up-and-comer Rep. Paul Ryan--might just be encouraged enough by these numbers to jump in the race.

NV: Battle For Reid's Seat Begins

Two days ago, the National Republican Senatorial Committee aired its first television ad of the 2010 cycle against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), one of their top targets. The ad, called "Trillion," blasts him for his support of President Obama's $825 billion stimulus package and other instances of heavy spending. Here it is:



Today, the Service Employees International Union put out an ad defending Reid from the previous attack ad, called "Hard Work," praising Reid for working with President Obama on the same economic stimulus package, but obviously put in a different light:



The 2010 ad wars have officially begun, with more than 21 months to go before Election Day.