Here are some interesting stories on the midterm campaigns that you may have missed on Tuesday, September 16:
• Election law expert Rick Hasen expects the Kansas Supreme Court to remove Democrat Chad Taylor’s name from the ballot. Such a decision would be a big blow to incumbent Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), who hopes that Taylor ends up siphoning votes away from Independent candidate Greg Orman.
• On a related note, a new poll from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling finds Orman ahead of Roberts in a head-to-head matchup, 46 to 36 percent. With Taylor on the ballot, Orman leads 41 to 34, with the Democrat earning 6 percent. The same poll finds Republican governor Sam Brownback trailing his Democratic challenger Paul Davis, 42 to 38 percent.
• PPP also finds Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) holding a 44 to 40 percent lead over her Republican challenger, Thom Tillis. Tillis’ record as Speaker of North Carolina’s far-right state legislature continues to hurt his numbers; his favorability is now a net negative 14 percent.
• A poll conducted for the Democratic group Senate Majority PAC finds Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) up 5 percent on his Republican challenger, Dan Sullivan. The numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, however, as Alaska polling is notoriously unreliable.
• Speaking of Senate Majority PAC, it is the biggest-spending SuperPAC of 2014 — and, as The Washington Post’s Matea Gold reports, it is making a big impact in the most hotly-contested Senate races.
• And despite the best efforts of the media — and, often, their own parties — 2014’s most scandal-ridden candidates are thriving in their re-election campaigns.
Screenshot: Orman for Senate/YouTube
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