OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN: DeMint to leave Senate for Heritage Foundation

By Cameron Joseph, Alexandra Jaffe and Justin Sink - 12/06/12 07:22 PM ET

TOP STORY: DeMint to retire: Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) will resign from the Senate to take over as president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, he announced on Thursday.

The move roiled the Senate and set off a scramble for DeMint’s seat. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) gets to name a successor until the next statewide election, in 2014, and two state GOP sources told The Hill that DeMint’s preference for his replacement is Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who also has a good relationship with Haley.

Others said to be interested include Reps. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.). Former GOP state Chairman Katon Dawson (R) and state Rep. Ralph Norman (R), a Haley ally, also told The Hill they’re interested in the seat.

TWEET OF THE DAY: “Reporting for duty, South Carolina!” From comedian Steven Colbert’s new Twitter account, @ColbertforSC

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I’m not with Boehner.” — Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), on Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) leadership

POLL POSITION: Clinton, Rubio lead early 2016 front-runners

Hillary Clinton is the dominant 2016 primary favorite if she decides to mount a presidential run in 2016, while Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) leads the GOP field, according to a new survey from Democratic pollster Public Policy Polling.

Clinton is the choice of more than six in 10 Democratic voters, vastly outpacing Vice President Biden, who is the choice of just 12 percent of those surveyed. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pulls 5 percent of the electorate, Sen.-elect Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts earns 4 percent, and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is the choice for 2 percent of voters. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Montana Gov. Brain Schweitzer and Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia each only earn 1 percent support from those surveyed.

Rubio is the early front-runner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, according to a new national poll, the choice of 18 percent of Republican primary voters, with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) at 14 percent.

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