Labor groups are placing greater emphasis on state-level elections in Ohio with redistricting looming on the horizon. 

“We’ll be working very hard on the gubernatorial race,” Tim Burga, chief of staff for the AFL-CIO’s Ohio chapter, told The Ballot Box. “There’s added importance to that race, there’s no question about it.”

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) is facing a tough challenge from former Rep. John Kasich (R). 

Burga noted that unions, which boast close to a million members in the Buckeye State, aren’t neglecting the House or Senate races. “We’re going to be working hard on both” federal and state races, he said.

But there’s added significance to the governor’s race because the office plays a powerful role in the redistricting process, which takes place after the 2010 Census is completed in December. Ohio is expected to lose up to two of its 18 seats because of a population decline, which means the governor’s office and the General Assembly will be grappling over how to redraw the state’s House boundaries. 

“That’s why there’s so much added attention,” said Burga.

Labor’s focus on the governor’s race could be an added worry for Senate candidate Lee Fisher (D), who is battling Republican Rob Portman for the state’s open Senate seat. 

The AFL-CIO is set to begin its member education program this week, according to Burga. 

—Updated at 4:25 p.m.

Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty — a contender for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012 — will spend a few days in Iowa this summer campaigning for state House candidates. 

His spokesman, Alex Conant, tweeted Tuesday: 

T-Paw going to help Republicans win back Iowa legislature with 3-day trip to eastern Iowa starting 7/31. Lots of good candidates to support.

On July 31, Pawlenty will appear with Rep. Steve Lukan in Dubuque, state Senate candidate Bill Dix in Waverly, and statehouse minority leader Kraig Paulsen in Cedar Rapids. The following two days, he will appear with state Rep. Jeff Kaufmann in West Liberty, and at a morning event for the Scott County Lincoln Club in Davenport.

New numbers from Public Policy Polling on the Kentucky Senate race show Republican Rand Paul and Democrat Jack Conway in a tie — each candidate has 43 percent of the vote. 

Pollster Tom Jensen says the latest numbers suggest Paul’s national press attention has hurt him with voters in the state. The poll found 38 percent of voters said it made them less likely to support him in November, while 29 percent said it made them more likely to do so. Another 33 percent said it made no difference. 

Paul’s favorables have also taken a hit. Just 34 percent of respondents view him favorably, compared to 42 percent who have an unfavorable view of the Republican nominee.

“The Kentucky Senate race may end up being decided by whether voters in the state find Barack Obama or Rand Paul more unpalatable — it should be a close one,” said Jensen.

In an interview on CNN’s “John King, USA” Monday, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said his son was getting a bad rap from the press.

“I guess I didn’t warn him enough or prepare him enough,” Paul said. “That’s what this political stuff is all about. You can expect it. Especially after you win a primary and beat the establishment.”

Arkansas Republican John Boozman got some help from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The Kentucky Republican was in Little Rock, Ark., to raise money for Boozman’s challenge to Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.).

Boozman said he was “grateful” for the help.

“Senator McConnell has long led the fight for a limited federal government, fiscal responsibility and the common-sense values that are lacking in the left-wing agenda,” the congressman said in a statement. “I am grateful for Senator McConnell’s leadership and support for my campaign.”

Lincoln, meanwhile, is making several stops Tuesday around the state. Her campaign used McConnell’s visit to hit Boozman.

“It’s no wonder Congressman Boozman brought ultimate Washington insider Mitch McConnell to Arkansas to raise money for his campaign,” Katie Laning Niebaum, a spokeswoman for Lincoln, said in a statement. “Boozman and McConnell are two of a kind, who have repeatedly obstructed disaster aid for Arkansas farmers and unemployment assistance for Arkansans searching for a job.”


Former Rep. Rob Portman’s (R-Ohio) Senate campaign is up on the air Tuesday with a new ad that labels cap-and-trade “a job killer for Ohio.”    

In the 30-second spot, Portman warns that a carbon tax could cost Ohio some 100,000 jobs.

Portman’s Democratic opponent, Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, has also raised concerns about cap-and-trade. Fisher wants changes to the bill currently before Congress.   

Ohio Democrats quickly hit back Tuesday on Portman's ad, claimed Portman embraced cap-and-trade as a member of Congress. Here's what Portman wrote in 1996: "Private sector incentives, such as permitting companies to trade discharge outputs, can both reduce pollution and costs. If we can harness the power of market incentives, we'll do more with less."

In response, Portman's campaign said endorsing "incentives" is not the same as mandating caps, which the bill currently before Congress proposes. 

In Pennsylvania’s Senate race, the differences on the issue are sharper. Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) released a Web video Tuesday hitting opponent Joe Sestak’s stance on the cap-and-trade bill. Sestak voted for the measure in the House.      

Congress left for its July 4 recess with a renewed sense of pessimism on cap-and-trade. Lacking GOP support in the Senate, Democratic leaders openly said it’s unlikely they will find 60 votes in the Senate for a tax on carbon emissions this year.  

-Updated at 5:45 p.m.

The Ohio Democrat had been trying to mount an independent bid but failed to collect enough signatures.

Ohio Democrat Jennifer Brunner reignited an intraparty feud in her first major interview two months after losing the Senate primary.

Brunner, who has yet to endorse Senate nominee Lee Fisher (D), is still bashing the Democratic "establishment." She maintains that donors were pressured not to give to her campaign and criticizes groups like EMILY's List for not supporting her in the primary.

"EMILY's List has been around long enough that I'm afraid they've become establishment," the Ohio secretary of state told the Columbus Dispatch. "Their name stands for 'Early Money Is Like Yeast.' But their practice today is 'Show us you can raise money, and then we'll help you raise money.' "

Officials have denied donors were pressured not to give to Brunner and she hasn't offered evidence of her claims.

During the interview, Brunner spoke "with disdain" about modern campaigning.

"The voters see a 30-second or even 15-second slice of what's been polled and tested and focus-grouped," she said. "The voters don't really know what they got, and the candidate, when they become the public official, is then left with, 'Who did I get money from, and who do I have to pay attention to first?' "

Brunner has formed "Courage PAC," and recently sent an e-mail to supporters urging them to back North Carolina Senate candidate Elaine Marshall, but she has pointedly refused to endorse Fisher since losing to him by 11 points in the May 4 primary. A spokesman for Brunner's office said that was because she wants to avoid partisan activities as she's the state's top elections official.

Fisher faces Republican Rob Portman in the general.

--Updated at 12:37 p.m.

The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce on Monday asked Gov. Joe Manchin (D) to call a special election this November to fill the seat of the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.). From the Charleston Gazette:

In a news release, the Chamber said the state law for filling the vacancy is "muddled, and imprecise." Lawyers with Secretary of State Natalie Tennant's office have said the law allows Manchin to appoint someone to serve as interim senator until 2012. The state Attorney General's Office also is reviewing the law.

"The people of West Virginia deserve the opportunity to select the person who will represent them in the U.S. Senate," said Steve Roberts, Chamber president. "I truly believe Sen. Byrd would want to voters to decide who their next U.S. senator will be."

The Chamber urged the governor to place the issue on the agenda of a special legislative session later this month. Roberts said the Legislature should set a date for the special election and clarify the replacement process.

On Friday, the secretary of state backed the idea of a November special election for Byrd's seat but said it would require changing the state's election code. She also wants Manchin and the State Legislature to take up the issue during the special session scheduled for mid-July.

Congress' action, or lack thereof, over the past week will offer plenty of campaign fodder as members are home this week.