House races

Mississippi Republicans are confident the party will rally around its eventual nominee to face Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.).

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The race in Wisconsin's 7th district is beginning to take shape in the absence of Rep. David Obey (D).

This week Democrats picked state Sen. Julie Lassa to run in place of Obey, and Republican Sean Duffy went up with his first TV ad of the campaign.

Duffy told The Ballot Box he was surprised by the 20-year incumbent's retirement announcement May 5. Duffy got the news when a reporter called and asked him to comment. "I thought it was a prank," he said.

He was putting together a strong campaign and was recently classified as a "Young Gun" by the National Republican Congressional Committee. "Could that have played a factor [in Obey's decision]? Of course," Duffy said. "Did it? I don't know."

Duffy has said it's unclear how Obey's departure will change the dynamics of the race.

"I'm not running against a 40-year incumbent anymore, but my message hasn't changed," he said. "We've been talking about what's wrong with Washington, D.C., what's wrong with the direction the country's going.

"And before we were including Dave Obey in that conversation, but the bottom line: The problems are still there."

The district, which went for President Barack Obama by 14 points in 2008, will still be difficult for a Republican to capture. "I know that," said Duffy. "We're not letting up."

Duffy's first ad was produced by D.C.-based Craft Media Digital and is airing on cable and broadcast television.

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) backed former state Rep. Tom Graves (R) to win the June runoff for former Rep. Nathan Deal's (R-Ga.) seat.

Graves took the lion's share of the vote in Tuesday's special election but didn't win a majority. He faces ex-state Sen. Lee Hawkins (R) in the runoff.

Westmoreland, in a statement, said: "Like me, Tom is passionate about job creation, cutting taxes and promoting free market and private enterprise. His unapologetic conservative philosophy will be a benefit to all Georgians in Washington and I look forward to serving with him once again."

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Jim Galloway notes it's an important endorsement, and offers this read of the race:

_{The 9th District congressional race can be characterized as a contest between a tea party candidate (Graves is tight with FreedomWorks, a major underwriter of the movement) and an establishment Republican (Hawkins has touted his business experience).}

_{If one were a Republican and looking at a close contest for governor in November, one might not want to see a tea party champion defeated, and supporters demoralized, so early in the season.}

_{Hawkins would no doubt disagree.}

The DCCC  knew the party had no chance of winning the Hawaii special election when it withdrew.

Pennsylvania congressional candidate Tim Burns (R) is caught in the middle of a debate over the so-called FairTax.

The FairTax plan, which is championed by a Texas-based advocacy group, calls for the replacement of federal income and payroll taxes with a national sales tax of 23 percent.

Burns is facing off against Democrat Mark Critz (D) in a special election for the late Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.) seat.

A recent Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee TV spot blasted him for supporting “a 23 percent national sales tax.” The ad's narrator asks, “What will it cost you?”

The Burns campaign called the ad a “lie.”

“I do not support the [FairTax],” Burns said in a statement. “In fact, you’ve probably heard that I did, but that is one of the lies that are being told by my opponents. … I want to make it clear that I do not support the [FairTax].”

While Burns fends off attacks that he supports the FairTax, the group FairTax National Victory Campaign is launching a $50,000 radio ad buy in the 12th district advocating for the measure.

Ken Hoagland, who chairs the group, said he’s seen candidates back away from supporting the tax reform before.

Burns “has taken a few steps back from his initial statement of support for the FairTax, where he would ultimately like us to go — that’s not unusual,” Hoagland said. “Very few people will actually stand their ground and say, ‘Look, this is the best way to go.’ ”

A wealthy Republican candidate’s investments in Jamaica have emerged as an issue in the race for Delaware’s open House seat.

Anti-incumbent sentiment is roiling both parties as another long-serving member was defeated in a primary Tuesday.

The race for Rep. Nathan Deal's (R-Ga.) House seat will go to a June 8 runoff after none of the eight candidates in Tuesday's special election were able to capture a majority of the vote.

Deal resigned in March to focus on his run for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

Tuesday's result could be considered a major show of electoral strength by the Tea Party movement.

Atlanta tea-party groups and the Club for Growth backed former state Rep. Tom Graves (R), who led with 34.1 percent of the vote with 89 percent of precincts reporting. His closest competitor, ex-state Sen. Lee Hawkins, will join him in he runoff. Hawkins pulled in 23.7 percent of the vote. Both men were also the fundraising leaders in the short race.

Businessman Steve Tarvin (R) was third with 16.1 percent of the vote.

The winner of the June runoff will serve out Deal's existing term, but still have to secure the nomination in the July 20 primary. The district is solidly Republican and isn't considered a pick up opportunity for Democrats. The lone Dem in the special election, Mike Freeman, pulled in some 6 percent of the vote.

Georgia holds a special election today to fill out the remainder of former Rep. Nathan Deal's (R-Ga.) term.

The district is one of the most Republican in the country but with six Republicans, one Democrat and one Independent on the ballot, it's unlikely anyone will garner a 50-plus-one majority to avoid a June 8th runoff.

Complicating the matter, all six Republican candidates qualified for the July 20th primary, which will decide the candidate for the November general election.

Deal resigned to concentrate on his campaign for governor. Republicans are expected to hold the seat. Polls close at 7 p.m.

Also on the ballot in Georgia is a familiar name to voters. Jason Carter (D) -- the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter -- is running for a vacant state Senate seat in a special election.

If he wins, he would be the first member in his family to hold elective office since his grandfather left the white House.

First he has to get by three opponents in the heavily-Democratic district.

Citing the inability of local Democrats to "work out their differences," the party effectively concedes the race to the Republican.