Senate races

Tom Steyer is spending against the Massachusetts Senate candidate because he refused to denounce the pipeline from Canada. 

Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) has hired Kevin Griffis for his potential New Jersey Senate campaign, a source close to Booker confirmed to The Hill.

Reps. Paul Broun (R ) and Phil Gingrey (R ) voted against Paul Ryan's budget on Thursday.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said on Thursday that he will "categorically" not launch a primary challenge to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in 2014, but did not close the door on supporting another primary challenger.

Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) launched a second ad in his bid for the Massachusetts special Senate election, this time focusing on his response to the 2010 BP oil spill.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has named freshman Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) as the head of its Women's Senate Network (WSN), a group dedicated to organizing support for female candidates and helping incumbents get reelected. Read more...

The outside spending comes even though both Democratic primary candidates sought to keep the money out. 

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) raised $4.3 million in February, bringing in nearly twice as much as the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) during the same month.

Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) is giving a run for the Senate "serious consideration," he told supporters in an email.

Barrow, a centrist Blue-dog Democrat, may be his party's best chance to win the open Senate seat. He has held on to his Republican-leaning seat through a series of tough elections.

The email, which invites supporters to a small fundraising luncheon, is the bluntest the famously cautious politician has been about his interest in the race.

"Some have suggested that I run for the United States Senate to replace the retiring Senator Saxby Chambliss, and I would appreciate your thoughts as I give this serious consideration," Barrow writes at the end of the email. "I've asked my top campaign advisors to present to you how we believe the next few years will unfold politically, and how we can meet the challenges ahead."

The fundraising email was first obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Sources with knowledge of Barrow's thinking have told The Hill in recent days that he's leaning toward a Senate run rather than a tough reelection battle for his House seat, but wants to make sure he'll have a clear primary field and firm financial commitments from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee before making a decision.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is working on a book on her race against former Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), which she won handily after Akin made controversial comments about rape and pregnancy.
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