Meta-politics may have reached a new level — Republicans are using a recent Democratic fundraiser held in Canada to bolster their own fundraising.

“This past weekend, while families and small businesses struggle with lagging job creation across America, numerous Democrat Senate incumbents and hopefuls were in Canada as part of a swanky campaign fundraiser with liberal trial lawyers,” Rob Jesmer, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, wrote in an e-mail to supporters.

Jesmer asked for contributions. “We need the resources to fight back.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and at least eight other Democratic Senate candidates were at a reception for the Committee for a Better Future on Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia. The committee is connected to the American Association for Justice and the National Association of Trial Lawyer Executives, which were holding a convention in the city.

Republicans have been taking full advantage of the optics of the situation.

“This should demonstrate just exactly what we are up against this November,” Jesmer wrote. “Despite more and more American voters rejecting the Democrats’ failed policies their candidates will go anywhere to find funding — including trial lawyers.”

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) announced Wednesday that he raised $1.24 million in the second quarter, besting the totals released by two potential Republican rivals.

Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck reported raising $417,000 in the second quarter, while former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton's (R) camp said she pulled in some $900,000.

Former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff (D), who got some last-minute fundraising help from Bill Clinton, has yet to release his numbers.

In its announcement, Bennet's campaign emphasized the more than 20,000 donors who contributed. He did not release a cash-on-hand total. Bennet reported close to $3.5 million banked at the end of March. He's raised $7.44 million to date. Norton and Buck both have close to $600,000 cash on hand.

— Updated at 9:53 a.m.

A new Quinnipiac poll out Wednesday has Rep. Joe Sestak (D) tied with former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) in the race for Sen. Arlen Specter's (D-Pa.) Senate seat.

Sestak and Toomey both take 43 percent.

Toomey's support among independents has eroded somewhat from Quinnipiac's last poll on the race, in May. Toomey leads independents 44-35. In a May Q-poll, he led 46-30 among independents.

A large number of likely voters are still forming their opinions on the two. While 35 percent of respondents have a favorable view of Toomey, a full 51 percent said they don't know enough about him to form an opinion. Sestak is viewed favorably by 31 percent, but 47 percent said they didn't know enough about him.

Toomey holds the early fundraising lead in the race. His campaign announced Tuesday that he raised $3.1 million in the second quarter and has $4.6 million cash on hand.

Sestak pulled in $1.95 million and will report close to $2 million cash on hand. But his campaign said Sestak raised $1.6 million in just four weeks after defeating Sen. Specter in a May primary.

Democrat Terri Sewell defeated Sheila Smoot on Tuesday in the contest for the Democratic nomination to succeed Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.).

The Associated Press called the race for Sewell, with her ahead of Smoot 56 percent to 43.

If Sewell wins in November, she would become the state’s first black congresswoman.

Sewell, who had the financial backing of EMILY’s List, raised more than $1 million during the campaign. In a statement Tuesday night, EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock congratulated Sewell, who is expected to win easily in the heavily Democratic district come November.

“EMILY’s List is thrilled to celebrate Terri Sewell’s hard-fought victory in Alabama, where voters responded to Terri’s principled track record of accomplishments, her optimism and dedication to her community and to her hard work on the campaign trail,” Schriock said in a statement. “In this reliably Democratic district, Terri will continue to campaign toward the general election talking about the issues that matter so much to people in Alabama — jobs and education — and will bring that focus and dedication with her to Washington.”

Alabama state Rep. Robert Bentley won the Republican nomination for governor Tuesday, defeating Bradley Byrne in a runoff.

The Associated Press called the race with Bentley leading Byrne 57 percent to 43.

Bentley, who finished a close second in the June 1 primary, played the role of outsider to Byrne’s status as the pick of the state’s GOP establishment. In June, Byrne won 28 percent of the vote to Bentley’s 26 in a multi-candidate primary. 

The runoff was marked by negative ads from outside interests. The Alabama Education Association spent more than $2 million running ads against Byrne. The group encouraged Democrats to come out and vote against Byrne in the runoff.

The GOP establishment in the state, led by Sen. Jeff Sessions and Rep. Spencer Bachus, was firmly behind Byrne.

Given the expected low voter turnout, some Byrne backers were wary that crossover voting from Democrats would help Bentley.

Bentley will face state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks (D) in November’s general election.  

Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby (R) will face freshman Rep. Bobby Bright (D-Ala.) after winning the runoff for the GOP nomination.

The heavily-favored Roby was forced into the runoff with businessman Rick Barber (R) after she failed to break 50 percent in the June 1 primary.

Roby, a top recruit of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), put up a convincing display on Tuesday, winning 60 percent of the vote to Barber’s 40 with 383 of 406 precincts reporting. The Associated Press declared her the winner.

Barber had hoped to capitalize on the strength of the Tea Party movement in the 2nd district. But as the race wore on, he looked out of his depth and was forced to defend a series of controversial campaign ads.

Barber released a minute-long TV ad that features him yelling about being taxed without representation to a group of men dressed as America’s Founding Fathers. The ad closes with an actor dressed as a young George Washington murmuring, “Gather your armies.” He also released a recent Web ad that equates taxation to slavery and features an actor playing Abraham Lincoln.

The ads generated national attention but drew little inside the district. Barber also ran into trouble on the heels of reports that he hosted poker games at his DeJa Vu pool hall in Montgomery.

The NRCC praised Roby in a memo released Tuesday night.

“The results of the congressional primaries prove that Republicans are poised to run highly successful campaigns in Alabama,” the memo stated.

A new Rasmussen poll out Tuesday in the Colorado Senate race shows Republicans Ken Buck and Jane Norton both leading Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) in hypothetical general election match-ups. 

The poll has Buck ahead of Bennet 48 percent to 39 percent in a general election match-up. Former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton leads Bennet 47 percent to 40 percent. 

With former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff as the Democratic nominee, Buck leads 47 percent to 42 percent. Norton would lead Romanoff by just two percent — 44 to 42. 

Romanoff is challenging Bennet in the Democratic primary, while Buck and Norton are locked in an increasingly negative Republican primary. The primary is Aug. 10.  

Buck also released his second-quarter fundraising numbers Tuesday and his campaign is touting its cash-on-hand number. While Norton out-raised Buck for the quarter, Buck's campaign reported more cash on hand. Norton raised $900,000 during the quarter and reported $600,000 on hand. Buck raised $417,000 during the second quarter, but has $664,000 cash on hand.

Chet Traylor (R) says his last-minute decision to enter the Republican Senate race on Friday was prompted by widespread discontent.

Ohio Senate candidate Lee Fisher (D) got a break this week — literally. Republican rival Rob Portman fractured his collarbone in a cycling accident that slowed down his campaign schedule at a time when Fisher is reeling from a series of unflattering headlines.

Portman was injured Sunday riding his bike in Jackson Hole, Wyo., with his 18-year-old son, Will. The former congressman flew to Wyoming Saturday for a fundraiser. He’s been training for the Pelotonia, a charity bike ride that takes place in August. 

Portman flew home to the Cincinnati area after the injury and tweeted Tuesday morning:

Surgery went well this morning. Collarbone is now titanium-reinforced and stronger than ever. Thanks for all the prayers & well wishes.

He'll be in a sling for a couple of weeks but will soon be back stumping. "He'll be back in northeast Ohio this weekend campaigning," said Jessica Towhey, a Portman spokeswoman.

Fisher, meanwhile, has endured several recent setbacks. His second-quarter fundraising was less than half of his Republican rival’s haul, and Portman now has an 8:1 cash advantage. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (D) has yet to endorse Fisher and recently made more sour comments about the Democratic “establishment.”

And finally, there were reports Fisher’s research director resigned last week. A spokesman for his campaign didn’t deny the report, but said in a statement: “Ohioans don’t care about campaign jobs. They care about keeping their own job and the fact that Congressman Portman has spent 20 years in Washington supporting trade policies that shipped Ohio jobs overseas.”

Towhey said Portman still hopes to ride in the August charity event.

—Elise Viebeck contributed to this post.