Republicans are wading into the special election to replace the late Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), according to a source.

The source tells The Hill that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has placed an ad buy in the district, signaling it tends to go after the swing district in the May 18 primary. The committee has not confirmed the buy.

There had been some uncertainty as to whether the GOP would seriously go after the seat, given the built-in advantage the Democrats have by holding the special election on the same day as the primary. Most of the top races that day are being waged on the Democratic side.

The Democratic nominee is Murtha's former district director, Mark Critz. Republicans are running businessman Tim Burns.

There is no indication as to the size of the NRCC buy.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) is gaining ground on ex-Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R) in the Colorado Senate race, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll.

The statewide survey of 500 likely voters shows Norton earning 46 percent support, while Bennet takes 41 percent of the vote. It's the first time in several months that a Rasmussen poll has shown Bennet getting above 30 percent. Last month, Norton was ahead 48 to 39 percent.

In a matchup with former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff (D), Bennet's primary challenger, Norton gets 49 percent of the vote and Romanoff earns 38 percent. Last month, they were close to tied.

Carly Fiorina made her business experience the focus of her first TV ad of the California Senate campaign.

Announcer: "She started as a receptionist and became the CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Carly Fiorina's focus, decency and drive can bring America back."

Fiorina: "Let's stop sending Washington more of our money and let's make sure they spend our money wisely and well. I have faith that working together we can actually get something done."

The 30-second spot is airing on cable and broadcast statewide and will run through to the June primary, according to the Fiorina camp.

Strategic Perception's Fred Davis was the "creative" force behind the ad, according a Fiorina spokeswoman. The Hollywood, Calif.-based firm also produced the famed "Demon Sheep" web video.

Meanwhile, Democrats hit Fiorina for the layoffs that happened on her watch.

"If Carly Fiorina wants to talk about her tenure at Hewlett-Packard, we are more than happy to have that conversation, beginning with her elimination of 30,000 jobs and ending with a $42 million golden parachute," Eric Schultz, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement.

NEW ORLEANS — There’s no Romney, no Huckabee and no Pawlenty. But that just opens the doors to the others.

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Some prominent Illinois Democrats are cracking jokes at the expense of Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias (D). 

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D) made light of the financial problems at the Giannoulias family-owned Broadway Bank during a conversation with reporters Wednesday.

"I'm glad I don't have any deposits there," Madigan said, after being asked if he thought the bank's problems would hurt Giannoulias in the general.

The powerful Democrat, whose daughter was considered a potential Senate candidate, was quick to note he's still supporting Giannoulias.



"I'm supporting all the Democratic candidates," Madigan told the Chicago Tribune. "(Giannoulias) has been a successful candidate in the past. You'll recall he won a contested primary when he was elected as the treasurer."

A freshman House Republican said Thursday that his party will unveil its new version of the "Contract with America" closer to the fall midterm elections , as early as the late summer. 

Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) told MSNBC that what members of his party are calling the "Commitment with America," an updated version of the document that helped propel Republicans to a surprising victory in 1994, will contain many of the same ideas as the original treatise.

"I think you're going to see a similar platform and a similar set of goals [to the "Contract"], obviously relevant to today's issues, come out at the end of this summer or early fall that many of our candidates will be running on," Schock said on MSNBC.

Efforts to create the document demonstrate the extent to which Republicans believe they could take back the House of Representatives in the fall.

House Republican Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), who serves as the lead drafter of the document, said last week that the Republicans would use Internet tools to help get out the "Commitment" message.

Schock said that the document would contain provisions related to small government and fiscal discipline, as the GOP plans to run primarily on the economic issues in the fall.

Cross-posted to the Briefing Room

New Hampshire House candidate Katrina Swett (D) announced Thursday she raised $325,000 since launching her campaign in January.

Swett also has the advantage of starting the race with money left over from her brief 2008 Senate run. As a result, her House campaign ended the first fundraising quarter with over $1 million in the bank -- $970,000 of which is designated for the primary.

One of Swett's main rivals for the nod is attorney Ann McLane Kuster (D) who reported raising $285,000 last quarter. Her campaign trumpeted the donor support she's received in-state, noting it's gotten $475,000 of the $835,000 it's raised to date from New Hampshire donors. The Kuster camp said it's waiting for the April 15 deadline to release it's cash on hand.

New Hampshire's 2nd district is an open race -- Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) is running for Senate -- and Republican strategists are excited about the possibility of a tough Democratic primary.

"They could be short on cash and bruised afterward," said one GOP strategist on background, noting that the primary is in September. "If that causes the DCCC to swoop in and drop money, that's fine because Dems have a registration advantage here, so the fact that they have to spend here and there across the country in places where they shouldn't, can spread them thin."

This post was updated at 11:45 a.m.

Pennsylvania Senate candidate Pat Toomey (R) is ahead of Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) in a new poll.

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Rep Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) has "every intention of running" for a 10th term, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The report doesn't quote Stupak directly, and it notes the Democrat said he "hasn't made his final decision yet to run" because he needs to sit down with his family to talk about the campaign.

On Wednesday, his office declined to rule out retirement. Spokeswoman Michelle Begnoche said the congressman is evaluating his options, but that he's ready to run again if he decides to.